Author: Shannon Shark @metspolice

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SI article about Seaver’s 1983 Mets return

Enjoy!

At about one o’clock, Seaver went out to the rightfield bullpen to begin warming up. Ed Lynch, the swingman on the Mets staff, was also asked to get ready, in case Seaver hurt the left thigh that had bothered him in spring training.

It wasn’t until the Sunday before the Tuesday, April 5 game that Seaver committed himself to his 14th Opening Day. He’d pulled the quadriceps muscle of the thigh during a spring-training game against the Phillies 11 days before, and he’d missed one warmup game and cut short another tune-up. But on Saturday he’d thrown fine.

As Seaver started warming up, Lynch was pacing back and forth. “All these people were here to see him pitch,” said Lynch, “and if I’d had to start, I could just hear the boos. No, actually, I’d have heard a lot of whos: ‘Who the hell is Ed Lynch?’ “

More in Sports Illustrated

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Cool 1983 Tom Seaver Mets jersey I saw


Before we get to today’s topic, some behind the scenes.

Often I will write ahead when I have free time.  You never know when real life will get you busy, or there’s just nothing new to write about.

Today is one of those mornings where nothing is happening in Flushing.  I don’t feel like writing about Reyes (how’s that rest coming) or K-Rod’s glasses (someone start writing the obligatory blog post about how the glasses are the reason he walked two batters in May) or even coin-toss gate which is fueling WFAN.

So I looked to see what “generics” I had parked.  I had one about “are the retro jerseys too yellow?” but I don’t feel like being “negative” today.  I have one about how I like the Phillies rivalry, but I want to flesh that out….which leaves me with nostalgia.  On my way from Mets Police HQ to Wayne Enterprises I wrote a nice story about Seaver on my iphone…and it didn’t save.   Hopefully I can recapture my thoughts, and here we go with Take 2.

Those pictures are of a Seaver jersey I saw over the weekend.  Very intriguing.  I like the 80’s-ness of it.  I can picture Tom walking in from right field on Opening Day 1983 as I type.

I have written about it before, but Opening Day 1983 has my favorite on-field Mets memory.   Tom Seaver was back!

Are you listening?  Tom Seaver was back!

Seaver!  Back!

After all the horribleness of my youth, here I was somehow with field level tickets on the third base side (I was like 13) and Tom Seaver was going to pitch for the Mets again.

Seaver took a nice long stroll in from the bullpen, along the right field stands.  It was amazing.  Nothing compared to it.  The Franchise had returned.

For you youngsters, I don’t know how to express the emotion.  Nothing would compare.   Seaver.  Back.

Later that April, Seaver would be leading the league in triples with two.  If I remember correctly, Channel 9 did a fun promo around that fact.

I have blocked out the portion of my memory where the Mets leave him unprotected and he goes to the White Sox.  Man, oh man if we had blogs back then.  Even typing this paragraph makes me sad.

The jersey was $100.  I must resist.  I have bought three jerseys in the last year, two of which haven’t been to games yet.  As an adult male with a job it’s hard to work four Mets jerseys into the fashion rotation.   I’m hoping one of my dopey friends buys one and wears it to games with me.

Other quickies:

MLB has a good 40% sale today, I may go cap shopping any get one full price and the second at 40% off.

I’m hunting around the internet for a picture of Seaver in a black mets jersey so I can torture us all.  Let me know if you spot one.

Media Goon says his 15 game package arrived, and whereas in years past it came with a media guide, this year the Mets have “gone green” and are referring us to the internet.  He’s going to send me the exact language later.  I appreciate the Mets efforts to “go green” but I’m a little suspect that it may just be cheaper not to print and mail several thousand media guides – and the lighter mailing would suggest that the “fees” should be less, but I haven’t done my homework on comparing year to year ticket shipping fees yet.  Also, if they played the “going green” card on this I will be watching and mocking all season long.

Hmm, I’m an idiot if I buy this jersey right?  When would I wear it?

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Some blue Mets caps I am considering

I mentioned yesterday that I need a new blue Mets cap.  Here are some I looked at on Sunday afternoon.

Care to take one guess what’s wrong with the first cap? No swoosh for me. It’s too shiny as well.

The second one was never a consideration, but much like a unicorn I had to take a picture in case we never see the likes of it again. It combines the worst of the 70’s with the worst of the ’00s. No thanks.

The third one is a youth hat. The white undershadow is interesting. It isn’t traditional but it’s not awful. Since the franchise seems obsessed with dropshadow, perhaps when we finally all sign the Treaty of Flushing I can hold out for 1983 style blue jerseys, and I can concede white dropshadow to Mr. Howard.

Finally, I apparently forgot to take a picture of the cap I actually like. It is called a “franchise” cap and it looks like it has traveled through time from 1977. The blue is lighter, like from my youth, and the NY is somewhat flat to the cap. This is a stock photo from lids.com I might have to buy this one once I see what Osh41 (my cap consultant) has to say after he reads this. They only had it in medium and I have a giant head so I didn’t get it yet.

What are you guys wearing? Send in some pics. [email protected]