There were 54,014 people at Shea Stadium that night, Oct. 9, 1988, and they were on their feet, of course, because for five seasons that had been the preferred perspective whenever Dwight Gooden — Dr.

In his book “The New York Game,” Kevin Baker tells the origin story of the sport we know today. By David Oshinsky David Oshinsky directs the division of medical humanities at the N.Y.U. Grossman ...