Mets Yearbook 1980

It’s 9 o’clock on a Saturday, the regular crowd shuffles in…and I’m down in Mets Police HQ watching Mets Yearbook 1980 and blogging ahead for next week.

For the newbies, Mets Yearbook is a series on SNY where they show the old “rain delay films” that channel 9 used to show.  They are officially promotional videos but they were great time killers.

When I get around to watching them, I type as I watch and somehow some readers find it interesting.   It’s sort of like DVD commentary.  I guess you could fire up your DVR and read along!   Away we go…

Cool, Bob Murphy says there are new owners!   This new president of the Mets Fred Wilpon seems pretty sharp – he just introduced some man named Frank Cashen who thinks the Mets will win a pennant in a few years. I’m psyched!

A Joel Youngblood sighting!

A Lee Mazzilli sighting!  Lee is wearing his cap backward which is a Mets Police no-no.  Dress properly Lee.

Someone named Joe Torre is manager.  Is he a good manager?

As I often point out, watch old videos, wearing blue Mets caps has never been in vogue.

Usually when I watch Mets Yearbook I talk about how good the uniforms looked.   The late 70’s uniforms do not look good (and on Monday, I’ll post Osh41’s commentary on that era of uniform).

This Neil Allen looks like a good pitcher.  I wonder if the Mets could fleece St. Louis for Keith Hernandez.

It looks weird for me to see Lee Mazzilli at first base.  I know it, I remember it, but it is weird.  Lots of Lee in this one (I have a man-crush on Lee in case you can’t tell.)

I forgot they had “Mets” (as opposed to New York) on the road for quite a while.  It looks very strange.  Very.

Everyone on the 1980 Mets appears as if they have never heard of steroids.  Ballplayers were a different size then.

The NY on Torre’s jacket is a little chubby.

I like this highlight of Ron Hodges getting a pinch hit.  That’s why his number is retired.    In the voiceover, Bob Murphy says it is June 7th.  Murph then introduces a Mike Jorgensen grand-slam “four days later.”  It caught my eye that #15 did not have a name on his uniform.

I looked up #15 on the great Mets By The Numbers and whaddaya know, #15 was Claudell Washington who first wore the number on that same June 7th!  (This clip is 10 minutes into the episode if you want to see it)  So 4 days later, Claudell did not have a name on his back.  Someone get me a time machine for Mets Police 1980!

(Sidebar daydream about Mets Police 1980.  I would imagine I’d be complaining that Mazzilli is at first, supportive of orange and blue seats in the lower deck, complaining about no New York on the road jerseys, praising this new Wilpon guy, neutral on the blue fence (it is a Mets color after all), complaining about the team pennants on the fence, complaining about the ballgirls, raving about fireworks night….ok back to watching.)

There used to be a New Yawk accent that is gone.   There’s some fans in this video that sure have it.

“Always a favorite on the Mets calendar, Old-Timers Day.”  Hey don’t get mad at me, I am just quoting Murph.

I remember being at that first ever fireworks night!

Murph is talking about something called Banner Day…ok I’ll stop, you’ve heard this rant.

One game below .500 in July!  That didn’t happen when I was a kid.

You kids would love John Stearns.  Man I wish we had a Stearns now.

Everyone is so skinny.  EVERYONE.

I think I want a 1980 Mazzilli road jersey.  Pullover with no stripes.  Perfect awfulness.  Someone sell these.

This is interesting – Murphy just started talking about someone named Darryl Strawberry.   This is a 1980 film!  They didn’t go back and edit it.   Murph is also hyping Jay Tibbs.   Oh well.

Uh oh, Stearns just got hurt.   He’ll wind up in and out of the lineup for the rest of his career.

Uh oh, Murph is going into injury-excuse-making.  Now Mike Jorgensen is saying the same thing.  And now Mazzilli too.  Next they’ll show some 10 year old kid from Corona saying the Mets were picked by some to win the World Series.

Well, there’s hope on the way.  Here are the September call-ups:  someone named Mookie Wilson seems quite speedy.  Wally Backman wearing 28.   Hubie Brooks.

Randy Jones is coming to the 1981 Mets.  Somewhere a young boy in Queens roots for the Mets.  He will attend a game with his dad and watch Mr. Jones walk the first 6 hitters.

Rusty Staub is coming back!  He has 2500 hits.  He’ll get to 3,000 for sure.

Murph has high hopes for 1981.  Surely, the magic is back.