Every Monday I write a column over at Flushing University. This is this week’s column.
April 18, 1983.Tom Seaver finishes warming up in the bullpen and walks down the right field line at Shea Stadium on his way to the mound. The place erupts. The Franchise had come home.George Thomas Seaver came back to Flushing again on Saturday night, and maybe it wasn’t quite home, but it was close enough.After all these years, Tom Terrific is still The Franchise.As I think about the disaster than 2009 has been, I realize two things have made me smile, and Tom was in the middle of them.Since we’re idiots, we opened our new stadium with a night game. We can debate until the cows come home about the Padres travel schedule, or the desire to keep Tuesday open in case of rain – but in the end it was disappointing. Shoulda been a day game.However, Tom was there in his 41 and he threw out the first pitch. I had that warm fuzzy feeling again, and was in love with my Metsies.Five months later, a season in ruins, Tom was there to give the speech and to captain our old heroes. That feeling returned for the first time in a long time.Last year the Mets closed down Shea with the all-time worst stadium closing in memory. A blown post-season, and an oddly times after-game New Orleans funeral. My memory of that day? Seaver and Piazza walking out into the distance.We’re coming up on 50 years of this franchise. There’s a lot of broken promises, let-downs, and shoula-beens. Nolan Ryan is top of mind this weekend. Doc and Darryl should be lining up for the Hall of Fame any day now, with at least three Met rings to their names. ’88. ’06. The horrific trifecta of ’07, ’08 and ’09 joining the wonderful history of Bobby Bonilla and Vince Coleman.50 years and there’s one star above all stars. Someone else should have come along by now. Is David Wright the Chosen One, or is he going to wind up as Edgardo Alfonzo? He’s The Franchise. Tom thanks for being around Flushing more often then you had been for most of the decade. I hope we continue to see you. I hope that statue of you gets placed in front of the rotunda sometime next summer.
Main Mets Police page
Follow us on twitter @metspolice
Facebook page
send ideas/guest columns to shannon at metspolice.com
