Category: mets

Foley’s NY Pub & Restaurant Hosts Retirement Party for Longtime Mets Groundskeeper
Pete Flynn on Oct. 1st, 2011

Flynn was one of the “Starting Nine” of the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame

New York, NY (Sept. 28, 2011) – Foley’s NY Pub & Restaurant (18 W. 33rd St.) will bid the New York Mets’ Irish-born groundskeeper Pete Flynn a bon voyage on Saturday, October 1st as he retires after a half-century of service with the team. The retirement party will feature an Irish toast and well wishes from friends and family.

Born in Ballinamore, County Leitrim, Ireland, Pete Flynn has been a New York Mets employee since the team’s inception and was the groundskeeper at Shea Stadium for its entire existence (1964-2008). He holds the distinction of chauffeuring The Beatles to the first concert in Shea’s history and Paul McCartney to the last music show when the former Beatle joined Billy Joel on stage. Flynn’s 50-year tenure with the Mets is one of the longest team-employee relationships in Major League history.

Pete Flynn was a one of the “Starting Nine” inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame along with legendary manager Connie Mack, former players Sean Casey, Mark McGwire, Tug McGraw, John Flaherty (now a Yankees broadcaster), baseball writer Jeff Horrigan, writer/official scorer Red Foley, and actor Kevin Costner (star of Bull Durham and Field of Dreams) in 2008. Honorees are chosen based on a combination of factors, including impact on the game, popularity on and off the field, contributions to society, connections to the Irish community, and, of course, ancestry.

“As an immigrant myself, I followed in Pete’s footsteps coming to American and falling in love with its national past time,” said Shaun Clancy, owner of Foley’s, which features 2,500 autographed balls, bats and other baseball memorabilia. “We are proud to host Pete Flynn’s at Foley’s on October 1st, when we will raise our glasses and bid him farewell and good health in his retirement.” Continue reading “Pete Flynn retirement party”

Will the batting title Reyes won Wednesday sway another team toward bidding higher? Will his hamstring injuries this season soften the market? For now, Alderson can only guess.

“Who knows how people will respond?” he said Thursday, sitting on a couch in an empty Mets clubhouse. “Sometimes this is like going to the grocery store. You’ve got a list, until you get to the checkout stand, then you start reading People magazine and all of this other crap ends up in your basket.”

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“As long as it’s not resolved completely for the Wilpons, I think it has a lingering effect on them,” Alderson said. “Does that translate directly to what our payroll will be or what have you? I don’t think so. On the other hand, I think things are looking brighter today than they were a week or so ago.”

via Mets’ Entire Offseason Hinges on What Happens to Reyes – WSJ.com.

The GM did go out of his way to praise Daniel Murphy as “somebody well look toward in future years.” Murphy batted .320 as a replacement for injured first baseman Ike Davis and third baseman David Wright until missing the remainder of the season after suffering a torn knee ligament while playing second base on Aug. 8.”Murphy provided something that most other players didnt, and that was kind of a spirit, a tenacity,” Alderson said. “He faced adversity in his playing past, because of injuries. He faced adversity almost on a day-to-day basis, given the number of positions that he played and some of the instances, whether it was making an error or something else.”But he persevered. He kept pushing it. And he continued to provide a real element for us.”

via NY Mets GM Sandy Alderson praises Daniel Murphy, now all utility man needs is a regular position.

One thing that blogging has done for me is it has allowed me to get glimpses of things the everyday fan doesn’t normally see.

I will tell you right here the New York Mets will re-sign David Wright after his contract runs out in a year.  I have zero doubt about that.

In the article I link to below, the always great Greg Prince shares a little of what goes on well before the game.  If you get to Citi as soon as the gates open and sprint to the front rows you may catch a glimpse of it, but to truly “get it” you need to be on the field.

As Greg mentions, the players spend a fair amount of time with various groups, but the one guy I always see is David Wright.  He’s more of the face of the Franchise than you may even realize.

So with that, let’s pass it to Greg.  Here’s the set-up and click the link for the rest of a feel-good story.

In June, Faith and Fear shared the story of David Roth and Roger Hess. David’s the Mets fan who was diagnosed with a brain tumor while on a family vacation late last summer. Roger’s the Mets fan who’s been his friend going back to elementary school and the mountain climber who dedicated his ascent up Denali in Alaska to David by using it to raise funds for the Tug McGraw Foundation. Longtime readers of FAFIF will recognize TMF as an organization founded by one of the all-time Mets greats to work toward treatments and improved quality of life for those burdened by the disease that afflicted Tug and afflicts David.

Roger made it pretty far up that mountain and pretty far up his fundraising goal, too. He returned from Alaska having garnered more than $10,000 for the Tug McGraw Foundation, including donations from some thoughtful Faith and Fear readers. It was a compelling enough story to get the attention of Otis Livingston, one of Channel 2’s sports anchors. Otis had David and Roger on CBS 2’s Sunday Morning in July, where early birds got to hear about what one Mets fan will do for another. You can see their appearance here.

The Mets took note, and as alluded to in Channel 2’s coverage, they wanted to thank these fans of theirs by having them out as their guests for batting practice. Roger and David weren’t about to say no.

via David & Roger’s BP Adventure « Faith and Fear in Flushing.

(Now with working links!)

In always get excited when Supreme Commander Lukas tips me that I will like an upcoming Uni Watch column. Yesterday he did, and yep I like today’s column which is the story of The Metsmobile.

Honor Among Bloggers requires me to ask you to click the link lest I give away the surprise here.

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Speaking of Paul, we’re way overdue to have a beverage. Perhaps we will wait to see what Uni surprises Dave has for us….and maybe a celebratory beer. Maybe I’ll invite Dave now that we’re buddies. Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Who has Howie’s number?

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Speaking of Howie, I forgot to mention that I heard Howie raving about Colactus as being the most accessible manager he has seen in Queens (whereas Jerry would only do the required sessions.)

That actually surprised me. Colactus seems tough. He didn’t find me cute on the blogger call, and I’m terrified to be in a room with him. It’s like I’m going to melt and ask him why Murphy doesn’t DH and then he’ll remind me the Mets play in the NL and THEN he’ll devour my planet.

That being said, I’m looking forward to the upcoming Tears of Colactus issue from Apple Comics.