Mike Vaccaro

Mike Vaccaro is a sports columnist at the New York Post.

Background

Mike has been the lead sports columnist for the New York Post since November 2002. In that time he has written about every important sporting event and sports figure in New York City and covered 18 Super Bowls, 12 World Series, 10 Final Fours and 10 BCS Championship Games. He has been recognized three times as New York Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association and was recognized in 2017 by the New York Press Club for his deadline work. A 1989 graduate of St. Bonaventure University, Vaccaro previously worked at newspapers in Newark, Kansas City, Middletown, nY., Fayetteville, Ark., and Olean, nY. He is the author of three books: “Emperors and Idiots,” about the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry; “1941: the Greatest Year in Sports;” and “The First Fall Classic,” about the 1912 World Series. He also makes frequent television and radio appearances. A native of West Hempstead, nY., Vaccaro now makes his home in Hillsdale, nJ. with his wife, Leigh, and two rambunctious terriers: a 12-pound Westy named Fiona and Desmond, a 12,000-pound (or so it seems) Airedale. He is a terrible golfer and undefeated in all games involving “Godfather” trivia.

Latest Articles

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Aaron Boone, manager of the New York Yankees, adjusting his cap, Image 2 shows New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll speaking at a press conference, Image 3 shows New York Mets manager arguing with an umpire

Buy or rent? Examining New York coaches and their longevity chances

July 5, 2025 | 4:08pm

Thirty percent of the baseball, basketball, football and hockey teams in New York have new coaches now. We’ll list this first to last in terms of longevity in the job...

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Juan Soto of the New York Mets hits a single in the sixth inning of Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Queens, NY, Image 2 shows New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto is seen in front of the bleacher creature in right field during his teams game against the New York York Yankees in the first inning at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, USA, Saturday, May 17, 2025

Juan Soto gets his big chance to turn the tables — and crowd — in the Subway Series

July 3, 2025 | 9:43pm

It will be fascinating to see what this weekend brings.

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows The Knicks are hiring Mike Brown as their new head coach, Image 2 shows The back page for July 3, 2025

Knicks' expectations for new coach couldn't be clearer — why he makes a lot of sense

July 2, 2025 | 5:40pm

A window is open, and it is open now.

Yankee Stadium

Mount Postmore: The best ever NY athletes who just missed the cut

July 2, 2025 | 6:15am

Here are the iconic New York sports athletes who missed out on the overall Mount Postmore.

Mount Postmore

Mount Postmore: The greatest NY athletes of all time, voted by our experts

July 2, 2025 | 6:00am

In the final installment of The Post's 15-part Mount Postmore series, we reveal the four greatest New York athletes of all time.

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Tom Thibodeau, head coach of the New York Knicks, Image 2 shows Guerschon Yabusele dribbling the ball during an NBA game, Image 3 shows Jordan Clarkson is expected to sign with the Knicks

Leon Rose upgrading Knicks depth chart comes with dose of Tom Thibodeau 'irony'

July 1, 2025 | 7:58pm

Leon Rose has helped to fix one of the things that reportedly doomed Thibodeau in the first place.

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Juan Soto reacts during the Mets-Pirates game on June 29, 2025, Image 2 shows Pete Alonso reacts during the Mets-Pirates game on June 29, 2025, Image 3 shows Francisco Lindor reacts during the Mets-Braves game on June 24, 2025

Anatomy of the Mets' free fall: How season spiraled so fast — and why there's still hope

June 30, 2025 | 7:40pm

How long have the Mets been circling the drain??

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Great Match Race, Jacinito Vasquez aboard Ruffian before race vs Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park, Elmont, NY, Image 2 shows A horseshoe-shaped floral wreath is laid on Ruffian's grave at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., July 9, 1975, Image 3 shows Flowers are placed on the gravesite of race horse Ruffian, buried at her home track of Belmont Park, on the 10th anniversary of her match race with Foolish Pleasure in Elmont, N.Y., July 6, 1985

The horse race tragedy that united a family in heartbreak

June 28, 2025 | 4:36pm

But as June turned to July in 1975, it was different.

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Aaron Judge and Aaron Boone at a New York Yankees game

The biggest reason Yankees will persevere through this June swoon

June 25, 2025 | 6:48pm

Every year under Aaron Boone, it seems, there are extended periods when the Yankees look infallible. And inevitably, there is an extended lull.

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers celebrates during an NBA Finals game, Image 2 shows Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates scoring a run

The one tweak leagues should make to playoff formats that have no easier answers

June 21, 2025 | 3:41pm

Let’s state this at the top: The ideal format for a best-of-seven playoff series is the way they did it in the NBA for years before (regrettably) switching and then...

Paul Blackburn and Anthony Volpe

A brutal Yankees-Mets timeline to forget as losing streaks drag on

June 19, 2025 | 1:43am

The game refuses to let you feel too comfortable. You are reminded of that every year.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez on his phone in the dugout.

The difficult Francisco Alvarez call Mets must make

June 18, 2025 | 8:38pm

And the Mets may face that soon enough with Francisco Alvarez, who at one time was the crown jewel of the organization, a foundational piece for what they hoped would...

Indiana Pacers player #33 drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder players during the 2025 NBA Finals.

Small-market NBA Finals are the underdog no one is rooting for

June 17, 2025 | 8:08pm

These Finals have been highly entertaining and fun. There’s a problem with this, though: Nobody is watching.?

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acu?a Jr. at bat, next to a San Francisco Giants catcher, Image 2 shows Brandon Nimmo of the New York Mets clapping after hitting a single, Image 3 shows New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor celebrates with champagne in the locker room

How the Mets finally exorcised their Atlanta demons with a chance to build on it now

June 16, 2025 | 7:49pm

Francisco Lindor hit what is surely one of the two or three most important home runs in team history. And Díaz somehow survived one more ninth-inning apocalypse.

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Ted Williams holding a baseball bat, Image 2 shows Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hits a solo home run to tie the game in the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Boston, MA

The Ted Williams comparisons aren't fair to Aaron Judge

June 14, 2025 | 5:51pm

Can he hit .400??

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Leon Rose and Gersson Rosas of the New York Knicks at an NBA Playoffs game, Image 2 shows Jason Kidd, head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, at a basketball game, Image 3 shows New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler at spring training

Knicks handed harsh lessons in early days of coaching search

June 11, 2025 | 6:41pm

There is a lesson in that as we watch the Knicks take their time identifying and hiring Tom Thibodeau’s successor as head coach.

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Jason Kidd, Dallas Mavericks head coach, holding a clipboard during a game

There's a darker side to Jason Kidd's undeniable basketball genius

June 9, 2025 | 6:58pm

Jason Kidd as a player was about as good as the sport allows. This is why it has always been so difficult to reconcile that side from the other side.

New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet #44, sitting next to Knicks President Leon Rose before the game.

There's only one bottom line that matters with Leon Rose's Knicks decision

June 7, 2025 | 5:16pm

He’d better be right.?

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet sitting next to Knicks President Leon Rose, Image 2 shows New York Knicks players Jalen Brunson (#11) and Karl-Anthony Towns (#32) during a game

Knicks' ticking clock won't stop for Leon Rose's massive decision

June 4, 2025 | 8:28pm

It feels like this will be a deliberate process, that there wasn’t an immediate rabbit for Leon Rose to pull out of a hat.

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau during a timeout, Image 2 shows Joe Torre at a press conference, Image 3 shows New York Knicks owner James Dolan at a basketball game

James Dolan had better have a Knicks Joe Torre all lined up

June 3, 2025 | 7:56pm

The resulting outrage made what happened Tuesday — when James Dolan ordered Tom Thibodeau to walk the gangplank — feel like a chorus of hymns.?