Author: Shannon

11 Weeks until Opening Day.

I’ve been going to Mets Opening Day for as long as I can remember, but the earliest distinct memory of a particular game I have is 1993.  This was a big deal at the time because it was the very first game the new expansion team the Colorado Rockies would ever play.  They were selling shirts printed “I Was There” with the Mets and Rockies logos.  (We didn’t buy one).

Dwight Gooden started that game, and pitched a complete game shutout, allowing four hits and a walk, striking out 4, in the 3-0 win over Colorado. Bobby Bonilla went 1-5 and hit a solo homerun.

 

 

Tickets in Section 29 of the Mezzanine, out in Right Field, cost my dad and me $12.00 a piece.  Of course, that was in 1993 dollars. To put things into perspective, the Mets payroll in 1993 was $38Million, led by Bobby Bonilla ($6.2MM) and Dwight Gooden ($5.9MM).  The Mets hadn’t made any moves of note between the 1992 season (The Worst Team Money Could Buy), but we headed into the 1993 season believing that this talented roster led by Jeff Torborg, even without David Cone, couldn’t possibly play as badly in 1993 as they had in 1992.

Torborg did not last the season, ushering in the Dallas Green era, and the 1993 Mets would go on to lose 103 games.

But for right now, check out these ticket stubs.  A lot of things have changed since 1993, but you can still call 718-507-RAIN to find out about postponement information.

Mike V’s Countdown To Opening Day:

Here are a couple pictures I took from my seats at Shea Stadium on Opening Day 2006.  On April 3, 2006, the Mets took on the “NATS,” with Tom Glavine on the mound.  The Mets won the game.

Check out the ads on the outfield wall. I am pretty sure I didn’t think anything of the AIG sign at the time.

I was living in North Carolina in 2006, but was so committed to making it to Opening Day, I was willing to buy a “six pack” to make sure I would get in.  It wasn’t too bad when you consider the face value of these incredible seats was $18 — less than a third of today’s $63 face value.

To get fans pumped up in the winter of 2005/2006, the Mets had picked up Carlos Delgado and Billy Wagner (as well as Paul LoDuca to replace borderline-Hall-of-Fame candidate Mike Piazza).

 

Whether or not you’re willing to plunk down $63 the privilege in 2013, you may still be getting pumped/nostalgic for Opening Day. I’ve been going to Opening Day for as long as I can remember, and I’ll be posting various artifacts from the occasion as we get ready for April 1, 2013.

Just to temper your enthusiasm, I’m going to set the bar low for this first post with an image I took of the Shea Stadium Diamondvision from my seats on April 11, 2005.

Remember KEYSPAN? I think if a player hit that banner he won a steak sandwich or something. That alone makes you misty-eyed, I’m sure.

It seems like scouts, writers, and other GMs all love this trade for the Mets. A 38 year old journeyman pitcher, coming off his career year, dealt for the best young talent available and filling a hole at the catching position (which is the hardest hole to fill). I get all that and can’t argue with the logic and sensibility of the move on those merits. But I am still depressed about losing my favorite Met and can come up with Five Reasons The Mets Should Have Kept R.A. Dickey:

5. Cash Money
Aren’t the Wilpons supposed to be broke? Aren’t they trying to sell $63 nosebleeds? Did they consider the merchandising opportunity behind their Cy Young winner? Maybe they should have consulted The 7 Line about how to sell some t-shirts before shipping the golden goose to the American League.

4. 2013
Dickey not only led the team in wins, he also led the team in innings. Who will make up those innings in 2013? Mets fans deserve to see progress after yet another 4th place finish, don’t we? Shouldn’t, in the 3rd year of the Alderson Era, there at least be optimism for a winning season even if it’s not until 2014 when the plan is supposed to really come together? How does this deal make the Mets better in the short term? It doesn’t.

3. 2014
From what I understand, Dickey wanted a 2 year deal worth $26MM after being paid $5MM in 2013. If I were the Mets I would have made that deal but would have spread the money out so Dickey would have made $10MM annually from 2013-2015. Look around the league, there are a lot of bad pitchers making $10MM. Andy Pettite missed half of 2012 and the Yankees are still paying him $13MM next year. Even if you think Dickey will be on the downswing in 2014, $10MM is not a crazy salary. And if 2014 is when it all comes together, what a great weapon a knuckleballer would be to have in the playoffs, and to anchor a staff of young studs to get us there.

2. R.A. Dickey is Awesome
R.A. Dickey was my favorite Met and when your favorite Met becomes the team’s best player and wins 20 games and the Cy Young, it allows you to forget that your team has no outfielders and no bullpen and no catcher. Travis d’Arnaud doncha know may be an all star catcher someday, but I don’t think anyone’s projecting him to be Mike Piazza, not that anyone is Mike Piazza, but I just mean the kind of guy that transcends his game and energizes a fanbase. R.A. is that guy and that kind of guy is hard to find. The New York Mets should be able to afford to keep those kinds of guys and find other ways to build their roster.

1. Fandom is Illogical and Irrational
Sunday night I calmly broke the news to my 5 year old son that the Mets had traded R.A. Dickey. He sobbed as much as he did when his fish died a few months ago. We had a talk, and he wanted to know what the Blue Jays uniform looked like, and if we could still root for Dickey, and if the Mets could get him back since it was just a trade and not “for keeps.” He eventually went back to his Hot Wheels and seemed to be OK. I wondered why I ever wanted him to be a Mets fan. Rooting for a sports team is a ridiculous waste of energy. Putting your heart into the outcome of the performances of millionaire athletes who don’t care about you is silly. It’s an emotional, irrational decision we make about which team to root for and with which players to bond. We do it without thinking about it and that’s what makes it fun, a pastime. But when two years in a row the Mets let go of their fanbase’s favorite assets, they just may also be causing their fans to examine their passion objectively and rationally. If we do that, many of us may realize we should get on the floor and play Hot Wheels with our kid instead of reading blogs in December or screaming at the T.V. next April.

An awesome co-worker gave this to me. Highly unlikely I will be able to actually attend the game, but it is a really cool hat that I will definitely be wearing this year.