Kids, I used to love the Mayor’s Trophy Game. That was an anuual game where the Mets and Yankees played each other in the middle of the season. I thought it was awesomely cool, and when the Mets won it meant a lot to me.
Being a kid, I didn’t realize the players just wanted to go the heck home.
In his now-famous 1979 memoir, “The Bronx Zoo,” Yankees reliever Sparky Lyle wrote that Nettles had said before the inning began: “If I get a ball hit to me…I’m going to throw it into the stands.”
I know with 2011 eyes, the Subway Series that doesn’t even sell out, and every game on TV a mid-season exhibition game seems silly…but back in the day it was awesome. I think they often didn’t bother to televise it – I’ll have to check in with Greg Prince’s memory bank on that one. Well, it was fun to find out the next day who won (by reading the newspaper!). A different time kids, a different time.
I distinctly remember the Mayor’s Trophy Game NEVER being televised, at least not in the 1970s. Always remember being disappointed there was no Mets game on that night, particularly this one. The pocket and yearbook schedules of the day emphasized it: NO TV.
Maybe they did it earlier in the series, or maybe I’m wrong (the memory bank sometimes is in error), but I don’t think I ever saw one on TV in that golden decade. Maybe the brief ’80s revival was on (the game was canceled in ’80 and ’81 when I was at the apex of my Bring ‘Em On! brio) or maybe Channel 11 showed it when Channel 9 didn’t and I refused to check.
Things those kids at the Mets Police might not remember: Mets used to play Tidewater every year in the middle of the season; used to play at West Point every year; and in 1986 and 1987 had an in-season home and home (Fenway in September ’86, Shea in May ‘8) with the Red Sox, the timing of which couldn’t have been more Amazin’, all things considered. Bill Buckner came back on May 7, 1987 and received a huge Shea ovation.
as irecall none of the games were televised because the ticket sales went to sand lot base ball programsin the tri-state area. i saw every one between 1964 and 1974. as a kid,they were fun to watch especially at yankee stadium because you could boo the yankees and see the mets play a “road game”. as a daily news paper boy.i would choose tickets as my prize from time to time.
in 1969,the game was playd the day after the mets clinched the division title.
that morning, they recorded the “amazin mets album”.
i recall pictures of the players drinking champagne during the recording session.
that must have been one hazy mets line up that night.
Still have that album…the one with every Met’s pic on the back where they used very formal names…Derrel Harrelson…Frank McGraw…G. Thomas Seaver…Don Dyer…Lawrence Berra
hi steve D. what was the formal name thing about.i bought the album as kid and would play it every day.
on the track ‘mets celebrate” if u crank the volume you can hear some racy comments in the back ground.it sounds like it was taken from the WOR-tv club house celebration audio track.
i listen to it from time to time !!
i have a mets documentary called “an amazin era 25 years of mets base ball”*
included is the mets singing “you gotta have heart” on the ed sullivan show.
i noticed cleon jones and gil hodges were not there.
frank Mcgraw did look real cool in his suit with a large silver waist buckle.
elvis would have been proud !!
*-it was released in 1986.
Chris.
Have that video also…it is really good…it was made before the 86 season and Keith predicts that he hopes when people think of the Mets, it will be for “the 69 Mets, the 73 Mets and the 86 Mets”…he was so right.
Steve.
i had a copy and lost it in a move. i have been trying to get another copy with no luck at all. any ideas for me?
that segment of the video”the mets can’t keep a man on third” would make a great music video!!! jim fregosi (TRADED)
How much does it cost to get a VHS turned into a DVD?
i will look it up!!
I know I was at the 1973 Mayor’s Trophy Game at Shea…I actually was with the Gil Hodges Little League team named the Mets* and rode in the Manufacturer’s Hanovers Trust AnyCar on the field!!!! (They were a Met sponsor.) I remember getting out of the car and giving something to Duffy Dyer to give to my favorite player, Rusty Staub. I just did some research…the Mets won the game 8-4 and later that night, the Knicks won the NBA Title (I don’t recall that part of the night at all).
* The GH Litle League Mets wore BLACK.
steve D. i was at that game !!!i remember that car as well. i wonder if it was made by the guy who built the bat mobile,monkey mobile,etc.the pre-game ceremony has a little memory as well for me. ah 1973.i was at banner night at shea. remember when the first game ended in the 19th inning and the 2nd game began at 1am !!
I remember the Mayor’s Trophy game as a kid. It was great for NY but when the Mets started to become competitive, George Steinbrenner ended it to save face. It stopped in 1984, which is when the Mets had Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez and a rookie by the name of Dwight Gooden.