As I mentioned below, I am a big fan of the player banners at Wrigley. Do you know who Stan Hack was? Me neither..but I bet Cubs fans know the name.
So today’s exercise…when I buy the Mets and decide to honor team history, who should get a banner?
There will be no right or wrong on the list, and there’s no reason we can’t have lots and lots of banners. So I am going to riff off the top of my head, un-researched, surely forgetting people – and I invite you to add names. I’ll post the list on Monday, maybe we’ll get a link from a big blog and maybe someone in Flushing will look.
For a player banner (or broadcaster/groundskeeper etc) I don’t think you have to be a hall of famer, just someone who deserves recognition for whatever subjective reason…could just be a fan favorite. I will follow the Cubs lead as they included long time team employees:
In no particular order with the exception of name #1.
Tom Seaver
Jane Jarvis (organist 1964-1979)
Bob Murphy
Ralph Kiner
Lindsey Nelson
Pete Flynn (long time Shea groundskeeper. Keeps it interesting, and explains what I’m shooting for.)
Keith Hernandez
Wally Backman
Ray Knight
Howard Johnson
Mookie Wilson
Darryl Strawberry
Gary Carter
Dwight Gooden
Ron Darling
Bob Ojeda
Sid Fernandez
Roger McDowell
Jesse Orosco
Lee Mazzilli
John Stearns
Dave Kingman
Rusty Staub
Mike Piazza
John Franco
Jerry Koosman
Tug McGraw
Bud Harrelson
Ron Swoboda
Tommie Agee
Jerry Grote
Ed Kranepool
Cleon Jones
Don Clendenon
Casey Stengel
Davey Johnson
Gil Hodges
Willie Mays
Jackie Robinson
Mel Ott
John McGraw
Mr. Met
I am sure I left plenty of people off the list. Fire away!
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it'll be cool to have a Ralph Kiner banner!!
Always Amazin' added:
Shannon Shark of Mets Police proposes a list of which Mets should be honored with banners at Citi Field. No love for Todd Hundley, Bobby J. Jones, or Jon Matlack, though.
Great names. I did the list of the top of my head…those are three great names to add!
keep 'em coming.
Don't forget Don Zimmer.
We should also have a section devoted to guys who became bona fide stars after leaving the Mets — sort of a GM's hall of shame, although in one or two cases it might have been worth what we got back. (Would anyone seriously question the wisdom of Hubie Brooks for Gary Carter?) Here are a couple for that list:
Nolan Ryan
Hubie Brooks
Scott Kazmir
Jeff Kent
I'd add Robin Ventura and Frank Cashen to that list.
As for the Cubs, it's nice to see they have Cap Anson hanging there. He was a great ball player and a big part of their early history. He was a famous bigot, and a big part of keeping blacks out of baseball until Jackie Robinson, but that doesn't change his part in the Cubs history or his skill as a player. It's a thinking the Baseball Hall of Fame applies selectively.
Absolutely no way should there honoring Giants or Dodgers. Only Horace Stoneham and Walter O'Malley should be honored because without them this would not be possible.
I personally hate Kranepool and Franco being recognized as great Mets when they are simply a symbol of futility but whatever floats your boat.
Call Nelson, Murphy, and Kiner by The Trio with them bannered together.
Oh and the Cubs honoring a player responsible for segregation in baseball? Nice job.
where's Rey Ordonez, Vance Wilson, and Danny Heep?
That's a good list, but it feels like there's too many '86 Mets. I'd also go with some celebrations (winning the WS, Ventura's GS single, and other important Mets moments).
there should be some with different Mets logos as well (both banners/hangings and on the grass/wall in the field of play).
How about:
Kevin Elster
Jay Payton
David Cone
Benny Agbayani
Dave Magadan
Cowbell Man
How about one of the black cat walking past Leo?
How am I the first to mention Edgardo Alfonzo?
Fonzie stabilized the infield from 2 different positions, at times single-handedly carried the offense, and in '99 alone hit two huge home runs to set the tone for the post-season (the 163rd game vs. Cincy and the NLDS opener vs. Arizona).
Alfonzo was just as much the heart of the teams of that era as Piazza. It sucks how he never gets his due.
Fonzie is a good one Sparks! You're right – should not have been overlooked.
Todd Pratt has to be on there.
Pedro Martinez
Jeromy Burnitz
Paul LoDuca
Lenny Dykstra
And did I see Jackie Robinson's name on that list? I get his importance to Major League Baseball and society as a whole, but haven't we honored this non-Met enough?
Joan Payson
Karl Ehrhardt
No Mr. Met — he's already all over the place, including in person. That'd be akin to having Santana, Wright or Reyes. And no Giants or Dodgers. Jackie has his rotunda; if you're building a museum it's OK to name Dodgers or Giants. Mays in a Mets uniform only. Kind of feel the same way about mascots, groundskeepers and former organists.
And you missed some key personnel. In no particular order:
Joan Whitney Payson
Frank Cashen
Gary Gentry
Bobby Valentine
Ron Hunt
Todd Hundley
All worthy of consideration. A couple of these folks are in the Mets hall of fame, no?
With all due respect to Jackie Robinson….he doesn't need a banner presence at Citi Field when he already has the grand entrance in his honor (no to mention that 47 store).
Let's step aside from anyone not truly associated with the Mets please.
I admire and respect Jackie Robinson but really…enough. It's getting to be Jackie Robinson overkill now and that's not good because it starts to take the real importance of the guy down a bit when you get overloaded with it.
I don't want to get "sick" of Jackie Robinson and it's starting to happen, regretfully.