Former Mets player Art Shamsky will be at Bruce's Bakery at 34 Middle Neck Road on Dec. 10, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. "I look forward to meeting and chatting with many New York Met fans who followed my baseball career and the exploits of the World Champion Miracle Mets of 1969," said Shamsky, who will be signing his book, The Magnificent Seasons.

The book tells the story of the three New York City World Champions in that 15-month period. "The Jets, the Mets and the Knicks all won championships, ironically all for the very first time, while New York City and the country was going through one of the most difficult periods in their history," Shamsky explained.

The book is not only about these three great teams but also about what their success meant to the people of New York and many others all over the United States. In over 100 interviews, not only with players who were on those teams, but with politicians, newscasters, sportscasters, Vietnam veterans, and fans, Shamsky says that he tried to get a broad spectrum of opinions and comments about these teams and how they brightened people's lives in very difficult times and made many feel that there was hope and brightness in the future.

The Jets, who were 17-point underdogs to the Baltimore Colts, won Super Bowl III on Jan. 12, 1969, behind the incomparable Joe Namath and, according to Shamsky, "changed the face of professional football to the conglomerate as we know it today." The Mets, who were known as the "lovable losers" since their inception in 1962, became the "darlings of the world as symbols of the underdog" defeating a great Baltimore Orioles team in the World Series. The Knicks completed this incredible "trifecta" of championships defeating a terrific Los Angeles Laker team in the NBA finals in May of 1970. These teams made New York City the capitol of professional sports in the world.

Shamsky tells how his life changed on Oct. 16, 1969 when the Mets won the World Series: "My name will be remembered forever for being part of that 'miracle' team. The legacy of all three teams will live forever. In fact, why else would I get a dog named after me in the popular television series Everyone Loves Raymond?"

Art Shamsky is looking forward to seeing everyone at Bruce's Bakery on Dec. 10, and he noted that a portion of the purchase price of the book will be donated to charity.