The Mets Police

I’ve seen lots and lots and LOTS of chatter this week about which number the Mets should retire NEXT.

I think everyone needs to enjoy THIS moment and stop worrying about all the other numbers.

More importantly, as with all things, FOLLOW THE MONEY.

I mentioned I thought it was odd that the Mets announced this at 6:25pm which was weird.  As Keith tells the story, Steve Cohen called him under the guise of talking about “the offseason” and then presented Keith with this idea. A few hours later we had a press release.

We have also learned, through Keith Hernandez’s loose lips, that the Mets will bring back Old Timers’ Day, which is (I imagine) not the way the Mets wanted that announced.   So once they floated Retire 17 to Keith I guess they had to rush the press release since we see Keith isn’t good at secrets.

Which brings us to the money.  Why this, why now?

I’d imagine some of it was Howie and the Alumni Gang suggesting it.  Add on top of that the Mets need SOMETHING ANYTHING to promote right now.  So announcing Keith Day gives the ticket-reps something to talk about.

As for the other numbers?

Let me cut to the chase and rip the band-aid off.  The 1969 Mets are old men and their fans are old men.   Steve isn’t running a charity here.  There is little money left to be mined in 1969.  There’s no financial incentives to retire a number (say 21) that has been in circulation for half a century.

While I am being honest today, I’m not even sure retiring 36 made all that sense after all these years.  Why Jeff Wilpon dropped that one in late September one day was kinda random. I’m not saying they shouldn’t have, but on the other hand it’s not like there was a big Retire Koosman movement, and a lot of the fans didn’t really know who he is.

As for 1986?  Anyone who watched the recent ESPN documentary (or even better was around in 1986) understands that Keith was the one to choose.  He’s around.  He’s chatty.  He’s personable.  KEITH SELLS.

As for the rest of that crew?  Here’s the unfortunate truth about Gary Carter.  He can’t be there.  So you can hang an 8 on the wall, but Gary isn’t around to do the media tour and sell the story.  You’re asking casual fans to come to Citi Field to see Mrs. Carter accept a certificate.   It doesn’t make sense business-wise.

Now we start debating everyone from Gooden to Strawberry to Mookie to whoever you want to add.  Look guys Mookie was a nice player but he’s not getting on the wall.  Doc would go over Darryl, but both have so much baggage and again let’s follow the money – the media tour would be filled with “If Only…” stories.  So let’s Retire 17 and move on from 1986.

For the Turn of The Century Gang, you have Piazza.  Personally I see Dodger Blue, but others don’t and Mike will show up and play the role that Tom Seaver would – so this makes sense financially.  Hey look, it’s Mike Piazza!  Remember that time he saved the city blah blah?   $$$$.

Alfonzo?  Nice player.  He can hang out over there with Mookie.

Captain Franco?  That would be kind of crazy to me.

And now we’re into that next era.

David Wright sells.  David Wright will get his number retired.  We just have to wait.

Jose Reyes?  I know a lot of fans love him but I think it would feel really odd to have his number on the wall.  Also he doesn’t sell the way Wright does and comes with some baggage.

Some fans are on Team Beltran.  I am stealing from someone on twitter here – is Beltran really connected to the fanbase and to this franchise?  Maybe if he were heading into his third year of manager he’d have a case, but right here this morning he feels like a guy that passed through and put up better stats than a lot of other guys that passed through, but still doesn’t feel like Mr. Met.   Also, FOLLOW THE MONEY, you’d be selling the Astros Cheating Scandal.  Pass.

You wanna get crazy and start planning deGrom day to celebrate his 77-53 lifetime record?  Let’s take a breather on that and let future generations evaluate is career once it is said and done.  We may all just be caught up in the moment.

So let’s retire 17 and get David on deck and then take a pause to think about this.  We don’t need 50 numbers on the fence, and there are probably two too many up there already.

 

The Mets shared this the other day right before their strategized 625pm announcement about Keith Hernandez…

From draft day to #Mets legend. #TransformationTuesday pic.twitter.com/Hvp0MENlZ4

— New York Mets (@Mets) January 11, 2022

Mookie was drafted in 1977.  In the photo he us wearing a jersey with an underline (casually referred to my friends as a “swoosh jersey” regardless of Nike)

Where did it come f?

I asked around…one theory was that the photo was actually from later, say 1993.  But here’s what Mookie looked like around 1990.  Looks good, but a little more filled out.

I asked Paul Lukas who suggested perhaps it was a hand-me-down minor league jersey.

If we run with that theory, let’s make that a 1976 minor league jersey.  In 1976 these were the Mets affiliates according to baseball reference.

I couldn’t find any images of the Marion Mets.  The Jackson Mets looked like this, although it is possible they gad a swoosh alt which I personally think is extremely unlikely in 1976 so I will rule it out.

The Lynchburg Mets had a reunion…their Facebook page does not reveal a swoosh.

Here is a good look at the 1976 Wausau Mets.  (Again theoretically they have a blue alt with a swoosh but I find that unlikely in 1976)

The FIL Mets are the Florida Instructional League Mets, a franchise that is about to trade Tom Seaver isn’t creating alts in 1976 for that so let’s rule that out.

The only explanation that makes sense is that MOOKIE WILSON IS A TIME TRAVELER.

Much like the Time Traveling Hipster….

…the only possible explanation is that around 1993 Mookie Wilson traveled back through time to 1977 and handed his younger self a swoosh jersey which Young Mookie wore in the photo.

This however would have changed history, and makes me wonder what other history has been changed by this event!!

Perhaps by changing the timeline, we have been robbed of our original history. Between 1977 and that fateful day in 1993, perhaps the Mets ran off four straight championships (1985-1988)!   Who knows what the butterfly effect could have caused?  All because Mookie Wilson traveled back through time to confuse future bloggers!

If anyone has a better explanation for a swoosh jersey showing up in 1977, let me know.

Yes Mr. Columbo?

Hmmm…..fascinating.

 

 

 

So here’s the thing I can’t get out of my mind.

We wait 30+ years for the Mets to retire 17, most of that on the Wilpons but it’s not like Steve bought the team yesterday, but put all that aside…

..the Mets finally decide to do it….

…on a random Tuesday in January…

….at 6:25pm??????

What?

Now to me, you announce this in-season when everyone is in Mets mood and you create some buzz and you let the WFAN types talk about it all day.  They won’t even get that today because the Football Giants fired their head coach.

I was on social media last night and I think people were done talking about this by 7pm.  All that’s a shame.

Looking to the past….

This should have been done in like 1995 but it was not.

More recently, Jeff Wilpon randomly retired Koosman’s number right before game 160 or something….that was also at like 6pm and odd.

Then we had Covid and they had to wait to get on the other side of Koosman Day.

I guess that Mets Super Committee (not the proper name) that Howie is on advocated for this during the off-season.  Maybe Steve had a “what’s next” meeting.  Good.

But THEN Keith stepped in book-gate…

…which was not well received, so that could have paused this a bit.

And then randomly yesterday they announce it.

As for the DATE – the leading theory is that since the Mets can’t market the current players during the lockout, they need SOMETHING, so this is SOMETHING.  Now your ticket rep can call you and have SOMETHING to say.  That makes sense even though it’s pretty desperate, but I am not the one who locked the players out.

As for the TIME:  Having spent some years in corporations, I imagine this was a factor of “We need Steve to sign off” and that some poor PR lackey was sitting around all day waiting for Steve to get around to reading the press release and saying it was OK to send out.  Steve isn’t doing that when the markets are open, then we have to count the winnings, hop in the limo, talk to Mrs. Steve…and then finally check email around 6:15, suggest some changes because that’s what bosses do, back and forth on the revisions, ok hit publish.

All that would be my guesses, unless you think the Mets had a really well thought out strategized plan to announce this on a Tuesday at 6:25pm.

Congratulations to Keith.  Start the clock on everyone complaining about Gary Carter’s number.

What a random but really cool announcement.

FLUSHING, N.Y., January 11, 2022 — The New York Mets today announced the team will retire Keith Hernandez’s uniform #17 prior to the Saturday, July 9 game vs. Miami.

Hernandez was elected to the Mets Hall of Fame in 1997, ranks second in team history in batting average (.297) and earned six Rawlings Gold Gloves with the Mets, the most in franchise history.

Hernandez will become the fourth player to have his number retired by the Mets, joining Tom Seaver (#41), Mike Piazza (#31) and Jerry Koosman (#36). In addition, the Mets have retired #14 for Manager Gil Hodges, #37 for Manager Casey Stengel and #42 across baseball for Jackie Robinson.

“I’m thrilled,” said Hernandez, who has spent nearly three decades with the Mets as a player and broadcaster. “This is truly a special honor that lasts beyond a lifetime. I can’t thank Steve and Alex Cohen and the Mets Hall of Fame Committee enough. I was very emotional when Steve called to let me know about the number retirement. This is the highest honor an organization can bestow upon a player. I also want to thank Mets fans, who have treated me like family since I arrived in 1983.”

“Keith was the first captain in team history and a great leader and catalyst on that ’86 championship team,” said Chairman, CEO and Owner Steve Cohen. “He was a defensive wizard at first and was a clutch performer late in games. We made a promise to continue celebrating and honoring our tremendous history and this is another deserving step in that direction. Congratulations, Keith.”

Hernandez led the NL in fielding percentage in 1985 and 1986 with the Mets, won 11 Gold Gloves overall and is a member of the Rawlings Gold Glove Hall of Fame.

Hernandez was named to five All-Star teams during his career and ranks fourth in club history in on-base percentage (.387) and 10th in RBI (468). On May 6, 1987, his teammates elected him the first captain in Mets history.

The Bay Area native slashed .310/.446/.413 with 34 doubles, 13 homers, 83 RBI and an NL-leading 94 walks in 1986. He delivered three RBI in Game Seven of the 1986 World Series.

Hernandez was acquired by the Mets on June 15, 1983 from St. Louis in exchange for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey.

He has been in the Mets television booth since 1999, including the last 16 years on SNY, where he’s won three Emmys for “Best Sports Analyst.”

Giving blood is important!  Whether you do this at Citi Field or your local blood drive it’s easy and meaningful.  You go and play on your phone for half an hour, like you’re doing right now.

METS TO HOST ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVE JANUARY 12 AT CITI FIELD

The New York Mets along with New York Blood Center (NYBC) will host their annual Winter Blood Drive on Wednesday, January 12 from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the Piazza Club at Citi Field.

NYBC announced a blood emergency in the beginning of December, which has continued into the new year. This is always a challenging time of year for the blood supply, as holiday plans and travel make donating blood less of a priority and winter weather can lead to blood drive cancellations. This year, those seasonal challenges are coinciding with a new wave of the pandemic.

The region’s blood supply is critically low, as it continues to be threatened by donor fatigue, widespread fear of COVID-19 infection and blood drive cancellations due to surging levels of Omicron cases. Blood centers across the country are and have been suffering from shortages since the start of the pandemic in March of 2020. Currently, the region’s blood supply stands at a 1-2-day level, well below the ideal inventory of 5-7 days. Currently, there is no national surplus. Prior to the pandemic, a national surplus of blood products would be used to mitigate any regional blood shortages.

Fans donating blood will receive a voucher redeemable for two tickets to a select Mets home game in 2022 with exclusions and based on availability. Donors must be 16 years of age (with parental consent), weigh at least 110 lbs. and be in good health. Anyone can donate blood regardless of their vaccination status, however, all participants must wear a mask and proof of vaccination is required to enter the facilities as per NYC guidelines.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 12
11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.