Author: Shannon Shark @metspolice

Shannon Shark is the founder of MetsPolice.com, tweets as @metspolice, is an avid fan of Lee Mazzilli and Daniel Murphy, hates black uniforms and is the author of "Send The Beer Guy" available at Amazon.com. #imwith28
Posted on

Hoping For New Karma In The New Building

I’ve lived long enough to see the Metsmove to their new ballpark. As I get excited to head out to CitiField (the brain almost typed “Shea” for not the first and lasttime) on Friday night, the word that keeps popping into my head is“karma.”

Here’s to hoping the new buildingbrings a new start for this franchise.
We’re all Mets fans, we all bleedorange and blue (and some of us unfortunately, black.) We love theMets, but if we’re being honest about our beloved Metsies, thisfranchise has boiled down to two types of teams: 
Last place andsecond place.
Yes there have been 4 trips to theWorld Series, if you’ve read this far you don’t need me torecap….but for the most part, what is Mets history?
It starts with the worst, and then someof the worst teams of all-time. If you think finishing fifth stinks,try finishing twelfth.
Then Seaver shows up and works somemagic for five years.
Next, the franchise sells The Franchiseand everyone else, and Shea was miserable. Back to last place (orsecond last depending on how horrible the Cubs were).
Some young pitching showed up and wethought we had a dynasty on our hands. Some bad luck, some drugs,some injuries, some bad karmaand Davey’s boys spent more time in second place than they did intickertape parades. Does 1988 mean anything to you now? To me,it’s another underperforming team.
The1990’s made me miss the 1970’s. I’d rather lose 100 with LeeMazzilli than Bobby Bonilla.
ThenBobby Valentine showed up. Bobby has some mystique over Metsdom. His teams were always under-prepared, got off to horrible starts, andfinished second. Fortunately for Bobby (not so much for Davey) Seligchanged the rules so the Mets could pretend they were winners. Theyreally weren’t.
Thensome more losing, and now this horrible new culture of choking. (2006 has also become meaningless thanks to 2007 and 2008).
That’sthe franchise in a nutshell – glimmers of hope surrounded bydreadfulness.
I’mhoping this new building changes things. I’d like to see a managerstay ten years. I’d like to see Wright, Reyes and maybe even DanMurphy all play 10+ years together. Wouldn’t it be nice if someonegood actually played their entire career in Flushing? We have yet tohave one of those. Our one Hall of Famer left us, the other’s anExpo, and the future one is really a Dodger.

I’d like to see “the Mets” meansomething. Unfortunately the building already has Dodger blood init and a tarnished name, original sin that a few championships canhide. Championships, not wild cards, not second place, not divisiontitles, not losing in Game 5 at home to the Yankees. Championships.

Here’s to a new beginning. I wishthem well. See ya in the Promenade (that sounds weird) Friday night.

(Originally published yesterday as my weekly column for Flushing University )
www.metspolice.com

Please visit www.metspolice.com and help stop black uniforms.
Posted on

Opening NIGHT – Still Trying To Get It Changed. Rain Friday?

Good morning!

Big love to Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports for linking to the story from the other day about trying to get Mets fans united to be loud and whiny in an attempt to get Opening Night changed to a 1:05 (or I guess 1:10) start.  Maybe even 4:05?  Come on Padres, don’t be bastards.  Just play the day game.

Hopefully today will be the day that the Post writes about the cause.   We were interviewed for an article but I guess between NCAA’s and a new stadium it never made the cut.  Help us Obi Wan Kenobi, you’re our only hope.

Anyway, I know we’ll never win, but the first game at Citi should be a day game don’t you think?

Meanwhile my man Zeus who let me down by not raining out the St. John’s game is now messing with me for Friday’s Bosox visit to not-Shea.   The forecast is for rain.   Come on Z, don’t rain Friday.

Ok everyone head on over to Big League Stew and return the love.

www.metspolice.com

Please visit www.metspolice.com and help stop black uniforms.
Posted on

The Kids Park At Citi Field (From Mets Today)

One more before I head to bed.  Mets Today had some good snarky comments about the kids mini Citi Field or whatever it’s called.

This whole nomenclature things is hard…I still say “uppers” and “Shea.”

Anyways. head on over to Mets Today , they had tons of pics.

www.metspolice.com

Please visit www.metspolice.com and help stop black uniforms.
Posted on

Centerfield Maz: Lee Mazzilli

My buddy Centerfield Maz wrote this great piece of Lee Mazzilli.  I love that third pic down, what a riot.  Ah, the 70s.

With CFMaz’s permission here’s what he wrote last week:



TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2009

Former Met of the Day : Lee Mazzilli

Lee was born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, March 25, 1955. Mazzilli’s grandfather was from Bari, Italy, came to NY and worked in the piano business. His father Libero was a former welterweight boxer & lived in the same 3 1/2 -room apartment until his passing in 2007. Mazzili won eight national speed-skating championships, but chose baseball when the Mets drafted him first round in 1973.

At Visalia in the California League, he stole seven bases in a seven-inning game in 1975. He was brought up to the Mets, in 1976 and was promoted as a star prospect. The hometown boy with matinee idol looks drove the ladies crazy, and became a sex symbol. He broke into the majors with a bang in September 1976, pinch hitting a three-run homer off the Cubs’ Darold Knowles, then two weeks later a two run game winner off Kent Tekulve with two out in the ninth. Overall in 24 games he only hit .195.

Quotes: Lee on his debut “I remember walking into that tiny locker room. I was in total awe of the players. Seaver, Koosman, Matlack, Harrelson. Joe Torre took me under his wing “You sit by me today at the end of the dugout.”

With speed and a good batting eye, Mazzilli was thrown right into the everyday lineup in 1977. He would have been a better leadoff man but the ’77 Mets had no offense and he was needed as an RBI guy. The front office promoted him as the next Willie Mays because of his talent and the basket style catches he made, ala Mays. In 159 games he hit .250 with 6 HRs, 24 doubles, 24 stolen bases and 46 RBIs. Certainly no Mays, but the best player on a poor team.

In 1978 he had a better year hitting .273, with 16 HRs, 28 doubles, 66 RBIs, 5 triples, and 20 steals. He became the first Met to hit home runs from both sides of the plate. His best season came in 1979, when he had a 19-game hitting streak and hit .303 with 15 HRs, 34 doubles, 79 RBIs and stole 34 bases. He was named to the All Star Game and became the NL hero. Lee tied the score in the eighth inning with a two-run homer off Cleveland’s Jim Kern. Then in the ninth, he walked & was credited with the game winning RBI off none other than Ron Guidry.

Mazzilli played a lot of first base in 1980, and lead the team with 162 hits, 31 doubles, 16 HRs, 76 RBI, 82 runs, and 41 stolen bases. In 1981 injuries held him back to a .228 average, 6 HRs, and 36 RBIs. That winter he was traded to Texas for Ron Darling & Walt Terrell. At the time it was a very unpopular trade with Met fans but proved to be a good one.

He was hurt most of the season in Texas, got traded to the Yankees for Bucky Dent then was passed on to the Pirates. In 1985, in Pittsburgh, he led NL pinch hitters with 72 plate and hit .286 with a .437 on-base %.

Post Season: The Mets reacquired him for their pennant drive in 1986, he hit .276 and was warmly welcomed back to Shea. In the NLCS he set a record with 5 pinch hit at bats, but only got one hit. In the 1986 World Series he appeared in four games getting two key hits and scoring two big runs. He led off the 8th inning of Game #6 with a pinch hit single off Cal Schiraldi and scored the tying run. In Game #7 with the Mets down 3-0 he again started a tying rally with a sixth-inning pinch hit single off Bruce Hurst, scoring on Keith Hernandez single.

In 1987 Mazzilli tied for the NL lead with 17 pinch hits, batting .306. By 1988 he dropped to .147, appeared in the 1988 NLCS with two plate appearances getting a hit & was hit by a pitch. He was put on waivers and retired with Toronto in 1989. After 14 years, he ranked in the top ten in most Mets offensive categories.


Retirement: A good friend, actor Dan Lauria, (the father in The Wonder Years) suggested acting, and “The Italian Stallion” got the part with actress Sharon Angela ( The Sopranos) in the off-Broadway production of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding (1992-1993). After that he went into the restaurant business, as a partner in Lee Mazzillis Sports Café located in Manhattan at 70th St & Amsterdam Ave. He then managed the Orioles from 2004- 2005, and was first base & bench coach for Joe Torre from 2000 to 2003.
then was the SNY studio anatyst in 2007-2008.

Honors: Maz was honored by the Brooklyn Cyclones on “Lee Mazzilli Bobble Head Night” in 2007. He was at the closing ceremonies of Shea Stadium in 2008.

Do the right thing and give Centerfield Maz (the website, not Lee) some hits.

www.metspolice.com

Please visit www.metspolice.com and help stop black uniforms.