Author: Shannon Shark @metspolice

Late day items popping up right and left.  This Deadspin article warms my heart.  Read the entire thing.

The blue wall is in keeping with what the Wilpons have been forced to do since the stadium—adding large banners of Mets greats throughout the stadium, bringing the old Shea home run apple to the front of the stadium, trying to cover the overwhelming, generic Otherness of the entire stadium with something identifiably Mets-ian. Oh, and that’s right: For the first time since 1996 the Mets are bringing back Banner Day.

via The Mets’ Regrets: Will You Start Loving Citi Field If It Gets Uglier?.

A quickie post..gotta do some other stuff right now.  But here’s some more info.

Hofstra Hosts Amazin’ Mets Conference

Commemorating the Team’s 50th Anniversary, April 26-28, 2012

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY … “Meet the Mets, Meet the Mets, Step Right Up and Greet the Mets…”
Join beloved former players including Rusty Staub and Ed Kranepool, cultural and baseball historians, sportswriters, statisticians, bloggers, biographers and fans at an interdisciplinary conference commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the New York Mets at Hofstra University April 26-28, 2012.

The academic conference will feature panel discussions, a meet-and-greet, exhibitions, performances and a raffle of Amazin’ Mets merchandise. Visit “The Bullpen” and dish the latest Mets news with noted bloggers such as amazinavenue.com and faithandfearinflushing. Learn about Mets-inspired poetry, meet player/poet Edwin “The Glider” Charles – who is baseball’s poet laureate, and attend panels that examine the cultural significance of the Mets’ greatest rivalries and the Miracle Mets of 1969. Listen to sportswriters talk about their Amazin’ experiences covering the Mets, and meet players and their families.

The 50th Anniversary of the New York Mets conference is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Dana Brand, a beloved Hofstra professor who was former chair of the Department of English and a lifelong Mets fan. He had started planning the conference shortly before his passing in 2011. He was the author of the books Mets Fan (2007) and The Last Days of Shea (2009). His efforts in the blogosphere earned him the nickname “The Proust of Mets Bloggers” in The New York Times. Proceeds from a Mets Memorabilia Raffle and Auction will benefit a scholarship in Dr. Brand’s name.
Among the conference guests will be:

Former players
•         Ed Charles (1967-1969)
•         Bud Harrelson (1965-1977)
•         Ed Kranepool (1962-1979)
•         Skip Lockwood (1975-1979)
•         Art Shamsky (1968-1971)
•         Joe Pignatano (1962)
•         Rusty Staub (1972-1975, 1981-1985)

And:
•         Hal Block, former AP sportswriter
•         Stanley Cohen, author of A Magic Summer: The Amazin’ Story of the 1969 New York Mets
•         Marc Ernay, WINS sports anchor
•         Katherine Foronjy, co-director of the documentary Mathematically Alive: A Story of Fandom (2007)
•         Mrs. Gil Hodges and Gil Hodges, Jr.
•         Stan Isaacs and Steve Jacobson, former Newsday sportswriters
•         Sal Marchiano, former sports anchor, CW11
•         Mr. Met
•         Matthew Silverman, author of New York Mets: The Complete Illustrated History
•         John Thorn, official historian, Major League Baseball
•         George Vescey, The New York Times contributing sports columnist

The wide variety of panel topics include:
“Where were you in ’62?”
“Rivalries and ‘Revivalries”
“The Kings of Queens”
“’Metmoirs’ and Managers”
“By the Numbers: Statistics and Analytics”
“In a League of Their Own: Author Round-Table”
“Poetry in Motion: Questions and Answers with Ed Charles”
“Metsmerized” – The Mets, Media and Cultural Literacy”
“Met-Life: The ‘80s and Beyond”
“New Yorkers Recall the Dark Ages: Four Long Years Before the Birth of the ’69 Mets”

In addition to the panels, there will be:

The world premiere of Baseball Swings! Celebrating the Music of America’s Favorite Pastime. Presented by Hofstra Entertainment, this production will feature The Base Hits Quartet and special guest vocalists. Show times are Thursday and Friday, April 26 and 27, at 8 p.m. and a Saturday doubleheader at 2 and 8 p.m. at Hofstra’s Helene Fortunoff Theater.

Two exhibitions: Simply Amazin’: A Look Back at 50 Years of The New York Mets, a collection of photos, books and Mets baseball memorabilia, presented by the Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, and Personal Mementos from Shea from the Andrew Parton Collection.

Mets Memorabilia Raffle and Auction, featuring a signed Tom Seaver baseball, a signed Mike Pelfrey jersey, a signed Mookie Wilson bat, a signed Ray Knight bat, three pairs of tickets to a Mets-Yankees Subway Series game, and a voucher for four field-level tickets for any regular season Mets home game (not applicable for opening day or Mets-Yankees Subway Series games). The raffle drawing will be held on April 27.

Friday, April 27, VIP Reception and Amazin’ Mets Gala Banquet, featuring a special address by Rusty Staub.

The conference co-directors are Hofstra University faculty members Richard J. Puerzer, associate professor and chair of the Department of Engineering, and Paula M. Uruburu, professor of English and vice dean, School for University Studies.

Conference registration for the three days is $100. There are daily rates available as well as discounts for Hofstra alumni, senior citizens, PEIR group members and matriculated non-Hofstra students. The Friday evening VIP reception and banquet are priced separately, as are tickets for the Hofstra Entertainment production of Baseball Swings.

A complete program, which includes all conference events, the entire lineup of guest speakers and registration and ticket fees is available at www.hofstra.edu/mets. Or call the Hofstra Cultural Center at 516-463-5669.

Random brain droppings:

I’m really enjoying this season. Then again I really enjoyed last season.

All of us, including the Mets, would have signed up for 6-3. Win 2 of 3 all season and you find yourself covered in ticker tape. Even coming home 7-5 wouldn’t be awful, though 8-4 sounds much better.

I’m glad everyone likes the jerseys. As the King Of I Told You So, I told you so.

I finished Homeland after Sandy Alderson’s recommendation and really enjoyed it. I felt the final episode was a little too long but other than that really good. I plan to drive my fellow bloggers crazy by bringing up the show on the next conference call with @metsgm

I’m hoping we do a call with Murphy. I’d love to know how he deals with the naysayers.

I need something to talk to Colactus about. I may default to asking about running.

Who the hell told Mrs. Mets Police she could go to a Broadway show on Saturday? Oh, I did. No Mets game for me, tickets are up on Stubhub. Booooo.

Anyone else scheduling a child’s birthday party around Banner Day? That’s why you concede on things like Broadway Show Day. No problem honey, I will watch the kids. What Mets tickets?

Same thing yesterday, I wanted to head to Philly but gave the tickets to Dan to keep the peace.

I don’t trust Mike Pelfrey. Sorry Mike. I just don’t.

I’m really enjoying Howie and Josh and will write a longer post about that soon. Yesterday I caught some Little Rascals talk between pitches. I know some hate that stuff but I listen to baseball to be entertained. Don’t forget the baseball is the mechanism by which the Wilpons sell you tickets, food and merch…and get advertisers to give them money while you listen/watch.

Plugs:

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