And we’re back..thanks to Goon for covering. I have to run out the door now..got my $45 tickets in hand (really Mets? and I know I did a lot better than a lot of you)…
Junior came down here with some black tinged merch and I told him no way. He does want to be warm though so after declining his first 3 outfits I told him he could wear his blue and black non-baseball jacket. I try but I’m also a dad.
I’m in Mets coat, Mets Police 12, Mets sweatshirt and Mets “Franchise” cap because the crown on the 5950 is 10 feet high.
METS ARE THE BEST ON OPENING DAY: In the history of Major League
Baseball, the Mets (32-18, .640) have the best winning percentage on
Opening Day…Below is a list of the top records on Opening Day, courtesy
of the Elias Sports Bureau.
METS 50 32 18 0 .640
Yankees 112 65 46 1 .586
Baltimore 111 63 47 1 .573
Seattle 35 20 15 0 .571
Note: W-L records for Orioles and Yankees include entire franchise history.
PRE-GAME CEREMONIES
METS TO HONOR GARY CARTER: To honor the memory of Gary Carter,
his family will participate in a special pre-game ceremony…Carter passed
away February 16 after a courageous 10-month battle with brain cancer
…Gary’s wife, Sandy, son, D.J., and daughters, Kimmy and Christy, and
their families will be on the field during a moment of silence for their father
and for the ceremonial first pitch.
NATIONAL ANTHEM: Representatives from each branch of the U.S.
Armed Forces will sing the National Anthem, marking the first time allfemale singers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard have sung together at a major U.S. sporting event. Army Master Sergeant
MaryKay Messenger, Navy Lieutenant JG Yvonne Zirrith, Marine Staff
Sergeant Terri Kopetzki, Air Force Staff Sergeant Samantha Johnson and
Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Kristine Rommel will perform the
National Anthem on the field.
GOD BLESS AMERICA: American Idol’s Heejun Han will sing God Bless
America…The 22-year-old from Flushing finished in the Top 10 in the 11th
season of television’s No. 1 rated show, American Idol.
PATCHES: The Mets 50th Anniversary logo will be affixed to player
jerseys on the left sleeve, replacing the primary logo for the anniversary year,and on the back of blue game caps…The Mets will also wear a “Kid 8” patch to honor Gary Carter during the 2012 season…The Carter patches will be available in the Mets Team Store with the Mets Foundation donating net proceeds to The Gary Carter Foundation.
OPENING DAY HOME RUN NOTES: The Mets have hit at least one home
run in 21 of their last 28 Opening Days (dating back to 1984)…The only
exceptions are 1986, 1991, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2011.
LEADOFF: Kazuo Matsui is the last Met to hit a leadoff home run on
Opening Day when he took Atlanta’s Russ Ortiz deep on April 6, 2004 at
Turner Field.
GRAND SLAM: Todd Hundley has the only Mets grand slam on Opening
Day…Hundley’s slam came on April 26, 1995 at Colorado off Billy Swift.
TWO HOME RUNS: Robin Ventura, Bobby Bonilla, Cleon Jones, Darryl
Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds are the only five players in club history
to hit two home runs in an Opening Day tilt…Ventura was the last to
accomplish the feat on April 3, 2001 at Atlanta…Bonilla cracked two home
runs in his first game as a Met on April 6, 1992 at St. Louis, Jones belted two
home runs on April 6, 1975 vs. Philadelphia and Strawberry and McReynolds
each hit two home runs on April 4, 1988 at Montreal in a 10-6 triumph.