It was April 15, 2008. I was watching the Mets game when the entire team took the field wearing #42.
For years and years I had emailed my friends daily about the Mets (and before email we talked about the Mets in the schoolyard) and all the stupid things they would do.
For whatever reason, the #42 thing sent me over the edge. Not that I am anti-Jackie Robinson day, but because of my preference to have uniforms without names on the back, especially at home.
Any self-respecting Mets fan knows who number 5 is. If you’re at the game and can read his name on his back you either are rich or have tremendous eyesight and should be playing. If you are at home, the graphics people will let you know who 5 is.
However, on April 15th the Mets took the field all wearing #42 with no names on the back. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. Are the names important or not? If you’re going to have names doesn’t it make sense to have them when everyone is wearing the same number?
If you listen to games on Jackie Day you’ll notice that even the announcers get confused, especially when figuring out who is up in the bullpen.
So I grabbed my gmail address that incorporated my dog’s name (gmail being tied to the Blogger website) and suddenly Shannon Shark was blogging about the Mets.
The blog needed a name, so I used two of my favorite things. A baseball team and the band from the 80’s that had Sting as a singer. Mets Police.
I didn’t set out to be some avenging angel. No plan at all really. Mets and Police were two words. I just started typing. I settled on this weird mix of fan advocacy, team history and oddball stuff. I left the game stuff to the other blogs. And people found the site and liked it.
As the years went by I have made some friends and gotten to know some people. I don’t want to name too many names for fear of leaving anyone out – but if you are wondering if you’re who I am thinking of, yes you are. A few bigger bloggers (double-especially Matt) helped me get an audience. Randy from the Apple hooked me up with some images. The local papers mentioned the site in stories. Folks started sending things in!
Then one day I was invited out to Citi Field by the actual Mets! I’ve gotten to know some nice people out there, and even Dave Howard (who I usually refer to as Dave from Flushing) has said he reads the site even though I will use him as my straw villain about once a week. I gotta admit, it was very strange standing on the field in Queens with a credential. Very cool but totally a sense of “whoa..how did I get here?”
Oh, Dave we still gotta talk about this:
That’s from a seat in 504 and I didn’t stage the photo. Just admit “fire codes” or whatever…
Along the way the site got an incorrect World Series fanbrick fixed, compiled a photo gallery of Obstructed Views at Citi Field, maybe influenced some incorporation of team history at Citi Field, suggested meeting the Wilpons in a subway car, and complained about the black uniform more times than anyone can count.
My mission is to try to steer the Metsiverse toward Nirvana. Some day we’ll go to a stadium where every thing is fairly priced (from hot dogs to parking to tickets), the Mets are dressed in beautiful blue pinstriped jerseys (looks like we’ve made progress with VH Day declared), and the fans behave like adults (unless they are children, then they should act like children and grow up to be big Mets fans.)
We may disagree on some of the particulars, but in a nutshell I think all parties can agree it would be great to have a happy fanbase enjoying a nicely dressed team roll off multiple championships. It’s not too much to ask, and together we can achieve our goal.
April 2011 will be the site’s biggest month yet, surpassing March 2011 which surpassed February. Thanks for reading, and thanks to Osh and Dan and Media Goon for helping out on the site.
The Shark passed away a while back, but I keep using her name for the blog and I like keeping her memory alive so Shannon Shark it is.
There is plenty left to do…from restoring the Bob Murphy Broadcast Booth’s name on the radiocasts to, of course, the remaining war against black road uniforms.
If all goes well the Mets will win the World Series in nice uniforms and then I’ll shut down the blog. Until then…here we go for Year 4.
Thanks for reading every day, and enjoy Ron Hodges night.
osh41 can attest to the complaining during the high school days and also complaining about things during Shannon’s early dates with future Mrs. MetsPolice (why was with you guys on a date anyway?).
Congats my friend and keep it up, people actualy listen to this stuff! Fantastic.
FYI – love the black free homestand (wins would have been gravy) but I want total victory – lose the black dropshadow…
I have enjoyed working on the site too. Gives me a great way to keep my creativity flowing. I love the fact there is a forum out there for all us fans to be able to voice our opinions on the stuff the Team does right and also the stuff they do wrong. MetsPolice has also let me make some new twitter mets friends that I probably never would have gotten to know. Also who would have thought I would have one of my pictures
published in a respected newspaper. I never
would have thought I would have been in the
Mets locker room ever with other bloggers. Thanks Shannon and thanks to all our readers.
As one of the guys who was on those early emails it blows my mind when I see how much it has grown – from some random comments here and there (interspersed with politics, religion, Star Trek, tan suits, etc) to well thought out, formulated, coherent pieces….that other people actually read and care about! It really goes to show that if you have a passion about something you should never be afraid to take the chance to do something with it.
I consider it a privilege that I have been a part of MetsPolice since the first year. This is something I never would have started for myself – and if I had it probably would died a very quick and quiet death.
Shannon it has been your passion that has not just kept MP alive, but has see it grow and thrive. MetsPolice not only has a voice, but a recognized one thanks to you.
Happy Anniversary and congratulations.
#5 is Ed Charles, the Glider. Then Davey Johnson. Employee #5 of the Wilponzis? Don’t think so.
i was at shea for the celebration of jackie robinson breaking the color line.
it sentchills up my spine when comish selig said “from this day forward no one will wear #42 again”
years later on the anniversary every one wears #42,
it takes away the meaning and soul of what the the intention and reasons why his number should be retired through out base ball.
no one should wear number 42 on jackie day. how about a pause of reflection before the first pitch …and play ball to honor one incrdible man on the field as well as off the field.
The best suggestion I have heard – and apologies to the person who came up with it as I don’t remember where it came from – is that each team should honor the one player on their team that most exemplifies the ideals that Jackie Robinson exhibited. That player – and only that player – should wear 42 on this day.
excellent idea and thought dan.