In October 1969, the New York Mets stunned the sports world by defeating the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles in a memorable World Series. Their five-game triumph capped off a true Cinderella season, when the woebegone National League franchise rose from laughingstock to popular champions. The histories of both the Mets and Orioles are traced, along with their paths to the climactic '69 Series. A batter-by-batter recap of all five games gives a box seat view to a storied moment in baseball history.

John G. Robertson is a private tutor and sports historian who lives in Cambridge, Ontario. He is the author of numerous books on baseball, hockey and boxing history. Carl T. Madden lives in Welland, Ontario and is the author of multiple books on the history of sports.