The Mets Police

MLB commissioner Bud Selig accused the Mets of throwing his office “under the bus” by divulging that the league banned players from wearing caps honoring emergency services workers during the 9/11 game at Citi Field, the New York Post reported Tuesday.A red-faced Selig put in an irate phone call to the organization Sunday night.”[Selig] got embarrassed by it,” a Mets official said before Monday nights 3-2 loss to the Nationals. “The game got moved into prime time because of 9/11, and [MLB] ended up getting embarrassed.”

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“Nothing was ordered,” Torre said. “I think they were sent a memo, but in no way was it heavy-handed. I don’t think money was ever an issue or they were ever threatened with a heavy-fisted fine. If that’s the case, I have no knowledge of it.”

via MLB denies making threats to New York Mets over 9/11 hats – MLB News | FOX Sports on MSN.

Hmmm…seems the manager thinks the players are afraid to talk. The players think the team would have been fined. Torre says nothing was ordered. Rubin says Wright says his hat wasn’t confiscated. Fascinating.

What a strange thing for the players to make up.

Kids, if you ever start a blog, pick the Mets. It’s never quiet for more than a week.

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Terry Collins via ESPN New York

What’s the attention been since we walked in the ballpark today? It’s not on who we’re playing. It’s not on who’s pitching. We all want to know which kind of hat we’re going to wear tonight. And that takes away from the game. That takes away from their preparation.

Josh Thole via Daily News

“I believe that all the fines were going to be just crazy amounts,” Thole said. “It was coming down from the top as if the fine to the ballclub was going to be significant, and that was something (where) nobody wanted to overstep the bounds there

Joe Torre via Daily News

“I heard in several places that it was a ‘mandate’ we ‘ordered,'” Torre told SiriusXM Radio. “Nothing was ordered.”

@RADickey43

Colactus via ESPN New York

“They’re all being asked questions. They’re afraid to make an answer. They’re afraid to say the wrong thing. We’ve got to start focusing on what the game is, because when it’s all said and done, in the end, that’s the only thing that matters.”

@adamrubinespn

@RADickey43

I may be projecting my feelings, but I expect one of the major bloggers (and a guy I consider a friend) will write today that he doesn’t care what they wear and that this is all distracting. I get it. That’s him and he’s always been about the baseball. Nothing wrong with it, and probably wiser than my dumb approach.

Me, I’m in for the soap opera. I don’t mean drama from drama’s sake – but what is Mets baseball on most nights? It’s a TV series!

Women like General Hospital or something, I like this.

Mets Baseball has characters we follow. We get invested in them and their storyline.

Sometimes they get written out and go star on Red Machine. I don’t like those episodes. (see upcoming “Reyes” season cliffhanger.)

The show-writer Greg Prince once gave us an unbelievable penultimate episode in 1986 ( that episode was still too unrealistic to me, that would never happen in real life).

Heartbreaking losses.

A charismatic guy from Nashville.

There gave been good guys and bad guys. Sometimes guys like Lenny who can be both. Recurring characters like Chipper who we love to hate.

It’s all fun to watch.

Now we have cap-gate, and the writers have cast Joe Torre as the bad guy! saint Joe! Wonderful television!

This is what my friends and I talk about. You guys can focus on a 3-2 loss to the Nationals. Not me.

I’m focused on Star Wars night!

What a great show this Mets Baseball is. It’s always entertaining.

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Oh, and about the caps. Wearing them was the right thing to do. That’s why I care.

Torre should throw himself on his sword today and say the Mets should have worn them and that he overreacted or miscommunicated or whatever.

Enjoy this slideshow of Joe Torre in first responder caps via Big League Stew