The Mets Police

The name won’t register with most of you, but a decade ago when the Mets cared about bloggers, I got to spend a decent amount of time with Shannon Forde.  As you see in EVERY article you read about her, she was good people.

In a ceremony on Nov. 14, Forde will be among the 2021 class inducted into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, headquartered in Clifton Park, New York.

Shannon Forde of Little Ferry, who worked for Mets’ media relations, will be remembered for her smile.

“I’m sure she would be overjoyed, but at the same time all the attention might be tough for her to deal with,’’ Darling said of Forde, who at age 44 lost her battle with breast cancer in March 2016.

“She never sought confirmation of her greatness as a human being, but I’m glad she’s getting this honor,’’ Darling, who has carved a standout broadcast career as a baseball analyst, said recently by phone. “And it allows her family to enjoy in it.’’  (via North Jersey)

 

Among the many things I remember Shannon for – when the Mets did the green alts one spring she asked me if I wanted one, and went to the Team Store and grabbed one for me (which I paid for when I saw her in person).  That was a very nice thing to do.

We miss you!

Bob Melvin.  His name has come up several times as Mets manager, most notably when they chose Terry Collins.

He is 59, has managed 18 seasons, and is attached to the A’s.  Every rumor about Mets hiring seems to have some sort of A’s component to it.

Two rival execs made the point that Melvin may have been regarded as a puppet for Beane when he was hired 11 years ago, at a time before just about all organizations followed the Moneyball GM’s lead in getting involved in decision-making regarding lineups, bullpen usage, etc.

But both were quick to say that he has long since overcome any such stigma.

“He’s established himself and balanced his relationship with the front office,” one said. “Players love playing for him.” (via Yahoo)

The only issue is Melvin is under contract.   Steve would have to find a way to get Melvin free….but Steve has money.  Or maybe we could trade Pete Alonso for Bob Melvin.  I would.

I think this is the choice, because in the end, don’t the New York Mets aspire to be the Oakland A’s?

Bob Melvin. Will this guy manage the Mets? Probably.

From the New York Times… good to see baseball is doing great, and almost as popular as international soccer.

And yet The Baseball Mafia is probably talking about how great the World Series was (I wrote this yesterday), and still thinks the game has Superstars who are within 100 miles of Reggie Jackson’s popularity.

Personally I am looking forward to the upcoming lockout because sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better.  For example, a million inches of rain in New York City might encourage someone to discuss The Climate Emergency which is in the 10th inning with a ghost runner on second.

In a world where a sport’s status can be measured on social media and in endorsement dollars, it is basketball icons like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, football heroes like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes and even international soccer stars who captivate the American imagination and dominate the public discourse, the way (Reggie) Jackson did in the 1970s and ’80s.

On the list of the most followed sports Instagram accounts, the first baseball player is Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels at No. 130, with 1.9 million followers.

There are 25 basketball players and nine football players ahead of Trout on the Instagram list. The account for U.F.C., a mixed martial arts organization, ranks sixth, and W.W.E., a staged wrestling competition, is seventh. Major League Baseball’s general account is 33rd, with 6.8 million followers.

There have been some baseball announcers who became  World Series winning baseball managers.  Bob Brenly worked the 2000 World Series for FOX before winning the 2001 series as the Diamondbacks’ manager.  Joe Torre was good in the booth before returning to the dugout for Saint George.

So why not Gary Cohen?

Gary has seen as much Mets baseball as anyone this last three decades, and that wealth of knowledge from Keith and Ron must have rubbed off on him.

Gary has proven himself to be a good evaluator of talent – for example, he was quick to identify the holes in Daniel Murphy’s game.

Gary clearly knows how to handle the media, and is a well known face to Mets fans.   What a great story this would be, the tale of the kid who made it from the Upper Deck to winning the 2022 World Series as manager.

Unfortunately, I think Gary is content to sit in the booth and accumulate more seasons as he heads towards Cooperstown and a Ford Frick Award.  You can ask Gary yourself at the Queens Baseball Convention on November 13th.

Will Gary Cohen manage the Mets? No.

 

Mike Piazza, who reportedly once attended a Trump rally that must match the Catholic such as…

The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities–to one another, to our families, and to the larger society. (via CCSW)

….anyway Mike wasn’t at another Trump rally, he was at Man Up New York.

Interestingly Man Up New York isn’t an organization in which baseball players are encouraged to play better and stop complaining to the media, instead it is a group that  urges “Catholic men to “man up” for stronger leadership of their families, with godliness and humility.”

The Tablet reports.

Piazza shared that, while growing up about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia, his father, Vincent, guided him in baseball. But it was his mother, Veronica, who nurtured the Catholic faith in their five sons.

“Her values and her strength, and the example she set, had an amazing impact on my life,” Piazza said. “And she took us to church every Sunday morning, whether we felt like it or not.”

He recalled misbehaving at Mass as a young boy, which disgusted his mother.

“She said, ‘Is there not one hour of the week that you can’t dedicate to God?’” he said. That question ‘just had a lasting effect, like it was tattooed in my memory.”

Piazza’s performance as a catcher and slugger for the Los Angeles Dodgers earned him the National League’s Rookie of the Year title in 1993. At age 23, he fell into the L.A. party lifestyle, but he felt empty.

“I heard this message from people close to me: ‘You got to party, you got to conquer women, have fun, dude.’ But it was a joyless quest for joy,” he said.

Piazza’s Catholic faith gave him a reset. Later, while on the roster of the New York Mets, he prayed at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan and rededicated himself to God.

“This incredible sense of peace came over me and said, ‘Just embrace it, man. You’re here for a reason. Embrace it.’ In 1999, we had a great team and almost went to the World Series; in 2000, we went to the World Series.”

However, God works in mysterious ways, and wanted Roger Clemens and the Yankees to win that year.

(before you get all mad at me, I’m a Catholic so send complaints to [email protected])