The Exaggerating Howie Rose Was The Man Once

The Mets Police enjoy busting Howie’s chops for claiming “about 40,000” at Shea when the stadium is clearly half empty.

You young kids probably don’t recall that Howie once was the original kind of Mets Police.

He used to host Mets Extra and really give the Mets a hard time. Howie would ride them so hard that the Mets eventually forced WFAN to keep Howie away from the game adjacency, and made us suffer through someone named Todd Kalas (nepotism, look it up).

I decided to look back at Google News and remember how cool Howie was before he put on the rose colored attendance goggles. Just read these snippets and get a feel for old Howie. Howie, we miss you. Fran Healey must have stolen your spirit. At least you still hate the black uniforms.

METS’ HARRELSON COULDN’T CUT IT

$2.95 – Deseret News – NewsBank – Sep 30, 1991
Howie Rose told Harrelson his job as host was to start controversy and the manager’s job was avoid it. Rose said he learned Harrelson didn’t like the remark

THE SOUND OF ALL-SPORTS RADIO IS MOSTLY ALL SNOOZE

$3.50 – Daily News of Los Angeles – NewsBank – Feb 1, 1992
“There’s a guy named Howie Rose,” said Keith, “who I think talks too much. But he’s good, he’s good. He used to do the pregame or postgame Mets shows with

EXECUTIVES’ DECISIONS RAISE SOME QUESTIONS

$2.95 – Boston Globe – NewsBank – Oct 2, 1992
Bud Harrelson quit in midseason last year, saying he wasn’t going to take it anymore from host Howie Rose and second-guessing callers.

YEAR BRINGS MUCH CHANGE ON AIR,TV

$1.95 – Worcester Telegram Gazette – NewsBank – Jan 2, 1992
Mets manager Buddy Harrelson quit his $30000 WFAN radio show because he didn’t appreciate the tough questions asked by co-host Howie Rose.