41 Amazin’ ideas for the Mets #36: modify the Jackie Robinson Rotunda

Here’s what we’re doing. We are crowdsourcing 41 ideas for the Mets. The ideas can be big or small. Email me your idea at [email protected]. Today’s idea is from Jason.

Hey Shannon,

My name is Jason Wirchin. I’ve been a frequent reader of Mets Police for a few years now, and can proudly say it’s a part of my morning routine. I watch the games nearly every night, and always look forward to your reaction – or fallout, depending on how things turn out. As for your crowdsourcing idea, kudos! I’m 25 and have been a Mets fan since the mid-90s, thankfully avoiding the Core Four-inspired brainwashing suffered by most kids of my generation.

With this said, I miss Shea terribly. It made the Mets…the Mets, and I feel Citi, at the moment, just lacks the orange and blue fervor that made Shea such a quintessential part of our team’s identity. But I’m not here to criticize as much as voice my ideas, which I’ve thought about (almost obsessively) since the park opened in 2009.

Modify the Jackie Robinson Rotunda

I understand this is a touchy subject, especially since making any substantive changes to the Rotunda could come across as undermining Jackie’s accomplishments. The Wilpons also have a special relationship with Rachel Robinson and the Jackie Robinson Foundation, so any modifications would need to be done carefully without dishonoring the great No. 42.

That being said, the Mets could have easily honored Jackie without creating a shrine to someone who never played in Queens. The Yankees might as well have paid homage to the original Baltimore Orioles, which they were known as until the franchise moved to New York. Anyway, I digress.

It risks looking like a hodgepodge, but the Mets can still honor Jackie Robinson by displaying his No. 42 where it currently stands, complemented by a plaque at its base. No other ballpark comes close to keeping Jackie’s legacy alive like Citi does, so “downgrading” his presence without disrespecting his credentials seems both fair and reasonable.

The Mets should then hang all seven playoff banners around the Rotunda in place of the TV sets that show the same Jackie Robinson clips on loop. Better yet, use the current mosaic murals that feature Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson at UCLA to tell the story of the Mets (from William Shea’s efforts to Citi); by featuring some of the franchise’s proudest moments and most famous figures (Cleon’s catch, Orosco’s glove toss, Ventura’s Grand Single). Inscribe quotes from Casey Stengel and Tug McGraw around the ceiling instead of cliche words like “Integrity” and “Courage” which, although true of Jackie, can also be said of countless other social pioneers.

I realize some of these ideas may be impractical given ownership’s stance on inclusion (or lack thereof), but I do feel that creating a strong, Mets-heavy first impression on fans entering the park would go a long way to help boost morale…along with some winning, of course.

My 2 cents:

These are simple ideas that in my opinion should have been in place before the place opened. It’s a garbage excuse that ownership was focused on finishing construction first, knowing all along they would eventually add more team imagery. The Dodgers theme was deliberate from the start. No one’s getting fooled by this. Yet another example of Wilpon’s delusional reality. Either way, Shannon, I’ve enjoyed reading your blog to this point and I hope you’ll share my Rotunda ideas online. Let’s Go Mets! And pray the high of this current road trip doesn’t end in a yet another regrettable home stand.

Many thanks! Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

All the best,