Yep, it’s the middle of winter so I’m going to alley-oop you for the cheap shot.

It’s a baseball, and it’s signed by Mackey Sasser…so you are going to pick it up and ______.   Go.

It’s not that this baseball is bad, but the description cracks me up:

New York Mets Final Season Commemorative Official Major Baseball

Does someone know something I don’t?   Here come the 2011 San Antonio Bandidos?

We better buy some tickets to save our team?

Nah, it’s just a Shea ball.

I’ve been sitting on this one but today seems like a good day to explore a mystery.

I bet this has been asked and answered years ago on Uni Watch but I found this fascinating…let’s hear what Greg has to say.

Greetings fellow Mets uni enthusiast….

You may or may not be a Mets fan who views with abhorrence the team’s outward recollection of the Brooklyn Dodgers. I can tell you that I am not alone when, as a Brooklynite, I put my allegiance to the Mets completely on the shoulders of the well-documented Brooklyn connection. I’m not saying these are the Dodgers, because they are equal part NY Giants (whom I also respect re: Willie Mays), as well as their own team (Gooden, Seaver, Strawberry), with links back to the 19th century (The Metropolitans), but still, the migration of Dodger fans is difficult to miss and hard to underappreciate.

With that in mind, a core constituency as it were, I’d like to address the peddling of false Brooklyn Dodger hats by the Mets, and by New Era. You may be aware of previous and current lawsuits leveled by the LA Dodgers against various Brooklyn companies, for using the word Brooklyn in blue script, etc. The LA Dodgers send a clear message to Brooklyn fans: the Dodgers are never coming back to Brooklyn. They back this up in a symbolic gesture which is known to only a few, but which makes a mockery of Brooklyn fans.

The hat peddled by New Era, is a Bakersfield Dodger hat, the AA team the Dodgers once had on the west coast. You can find pictures of Piazza and Pedro wearing that hat in the 1980s.

The Dodgers of LA have been giving this out for years, when people ask for a Brooklyn Dodger hat. It’s amazing how many consumers accept it, and they are being cheated of their money. Look at any Brooklyn Dodger photo, and you’ll never see a B like the one the LA Dodgers/New Era are peddling. Nor is it similar to the one the Franchise collection is selling, which is a Boston B with a triangle cut out. But it’s a carbon copy of the Bakersfield B. It’s clear from photos of the Brooklyn Dodgers that although there were varients of their logo, it was never like these. Furthermore, they had a white pin on top.

Since the Mets are selling these to unsuspecting fans, and the LA ownership are getting a last laugh at our hard earned expense, could you raise this as an issue to Mets brass? I have photos to corroborate if you are interested.  (Shannon – I haven’t investigated that the Mets are selling Bakersfield caps as some sort of charade, but I am enjoying Greg’s tirade.)

Every insignificant minor league team and second rate mlb ballclub gets authentic throwback gear, but the most celebrated of all does not? How can it not be intentional, when all the other teams’ throwback gear gets such meticulous treatment?

God bless the firmament,
Greg

Hmmmm….the images in this article were chosen by me…I think Greg makes a good case.  I feel like I’m in an episode of the X-Files or National Treasure or something.

Are we all being duped into honoring the Bakersfield Dodgers?  Who’s gonna tell Fred?

UPDATE:  The Dodgers have a great reply…here.  Read the comment by Ross.

Ah, Danny Garcia.  Famous Cyclone.  Who can forget Danny?  Not the Brooklyn Paper:

He became the first Cyclone to reach the bigs on Sept. 2, 2003, and he singled in his first at-bat.

The Cyclones’ alumnus hit .214 in 19 games for the Mets that season, and after spending the first few weeks of the 2004 season at Triple-A Norfolk, he was recalled to the Mets and hit .252 in 52 appearances.

And for just $43, this baseball can be yours!