Author: Shannon Shark @metspolice

Congratulations to Ken Griffey, Jr. who hit his 600th career home run tonight in Florida – cause we know that Junior reads the Mets Police.

A few thoughts on Junior hitting this milestone:

– Take a look at the “crowd” at Dolphins Stadium. This is a team that is in contention (in 2nd place, 4 games back) with the possibility of seeing an historic home run, yet the announced attendance was only 16,003. Yes it was a Monday game, but still, it’s yet another example that baseball in south florida cannot work – at least not in that stadium and not in Miami either.

– The steroid era – which MLB and Bud Selig are as equally complicit as the players that took them – has truly diminished how special an accomplishment that hitting 600 homeruns is. MLB has tried to change that by ignoring the accomplishments of Bonds and Sosa when they promoting Griffey’s march towards 600 – something that only makes them look even worse.

– Griffey does become the first non-tainted player to reach this milestone and it should only enhance how good a player he has been over the last 20 years. He will probably end his career in the neighnorhood of 650 and will be the subject of countless debates over what might have been had he stayed healthy

As everyone in the world has been saying for weeks, the Mets have finally DL’d Ryan Church. What took you so long?

People seem to be coming to the realization that the last Mets game ever to be played at Shea Stadium will be on September 28th. There will be no post-season.

As I do the morning rounds, I see all sorts of suicidal Mets fans who once again are crushed by this team. We do know this team is capable of spitting a 7 game lead but there’s nothing that makes us think they are capable of making it up – so let me be the first to say it…ready…this one is going to hurt…

Maybe the Mets should consider being sellers before the trade deadline.

Pedro being Pedro is what we saw yesterday. Today’s Pedro is a 5 inning, 4 run pitcher. Maybe someone out there thinks they can squeeze blood from a stone and wouldn’t mind adding Pedro for the stretch.

You probably could get something for Oliver Perez. You can always resign him in the offseason.

Would the team really be that much worse off without those two…you’re 7.5 out now so it’s not like I’m trading Seaver in 1970.

Would someone take Delgado?

And while we’re changing things…how about a new manager?

You think it’s me being cranky…surf the blogs. Here’s one I particularly liked – fun writing, and critical of Omar.

Most of all, its time for us to stop expecting Omar Minaya to magically become an effective GM who can not only hire the best people to surround and support him in the front office but also put the best players on the field throughout the organization.

http://metsie.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/blow-the-whole/

This is really really cool. I’m going to do a long excerpt here, not to be a thief, but I think it’s an awesome idea, and the author would want the word to get out there. Professor Brand, I salute you!

I excerpt from and highly encourage you to click the link for:

The Proposal for the Hofstra Conference on the 50th Anniversary of the New York Mets

Among the sessions we would expect to see at the conference are these: The Origins of the Mets (how the team was created); The Roots and Mythology of Mets Fandom (the way in which the fan cultures of the Dodgers and Giants merged in the early sixties, why didn’t these people become Yankees fans when the National League teams left? How has their image and personality changed or remained the same over the years?); The Creation of the Image of the underdog Amazin’ Mets in the Early 1960s; The 1969 Miracle Mets Season: How it Happened, What it Meant to People, How It Survives as a Cultural Metaphor; The Mets in Subsequent Eras (sessions on the distinctive character, myths, and dynamics of such identifiable Mets eras as 1970-76, 1977-83, 1984-1990, 1991-1996, 1997-2001, 2002-2005, 2006-present); The Mets and Queens; The Mets and Long Island; The Mets and the Yankees; The Mets in Film; The Mets in Literature; The Mets on TV (“Seinfeld” and “Everybody Loves Raymond”); The Mets and the Culture and Politics of New York City; Mets Broadcasting; Mets Journalism; Famous Fans (obscure people who have become famous as Mets fans); Famous Fans (famous people who have made their Mets fandom into an important part of their persona); Integration, Cultural Diversity, and the Mets; The Mets and New York’s Latin Community; The Defining Moments in the History of the Mets; Mets Controversies; Shea Stadium; Mets Internet Forums; The Mets Blogosphere, etc. Anyone would be able to apply to make a presentation at the conference or to chair a session, but rigorous standards would be applied to make certain that all sessions were serious and intellectually substantial.

Please click the blue link for the entire post, great great job, and always seeking to be honorable, full credit to Mike’s Mets for being the blog on which I saw this.

Mike goes on to talk about the good old 1970s era Mets, my personal favorites.

http://www.mikesmets.com/2008/06/respect_for_the_past_shouldn.html