Kids, I know you’re sick of me telling you about the Good Old Days when the Mets lost 95 games every year…buy Uncle Faith & Fear is a better story teller, and wants to tell you about Jerry Koosman in 1970 (and even mentions a television show called M*A*S*H that you’ve never heard about, as F&F triple flashbacks to 1997, 1983 and 1970).
Islanders owner floats ‘Queens’
Charles Wang did a radio interview yesterday and said he doesn’t want to sell the Islanders and that he’d like the team to stay close enough so he could “commute” and mentioned Suffolk or “Queens.”
Interesting.
Now if you were to combine a Citi Field NHL Winter Classic with an announcement of a new hockey arena on 126th and you might have something.
On the other hand, I was talking about 9/11 with Beloved Daughter this morning and I still find it fascinating that there are two new baseball stadiums (one unnecesary), a completely unnecessary football stadium, one and a half hockey/hoops arenas and yet nothing built downtown. Priorities.
More about this topic over at my newer-site-that-I-haven’t-nailed-the-vibe-for-yet over at Sports Police.
Oh, and I’m having Facebook Friends anxiety again. Like me.
Mets Police Flashback: The Mets Way
As we head down the stretch I thought I’d do what I did last year and look back at the archives and see what catches my eye…some will be “greatest hits” and other’s just interesting. This one from January 2010 seems to have come true.
Great stuff often comes from the comments. This morning Yvaithe said:
I remember when the Mets won the division in ˜06 and Jeff Wilpon was interviewed in the clubhouse. I remember him saying, Hopefully in ten years people will say we did it the Mets way.”
Ah yes, the Mets way. Â I went into the Google News archives and found this from USA Today from 2006:
Having the resources to sign free agents, make trades and assume contracts give the big-market Mets a huge advantage.
Minaya says there’s more to the equation.
“We had to change the culture here,” he says. “The money is part of it, but you have to spend it wisely. What I’m most proud of are the small pieces we’ve brought in. The strength of this club has been players like Endy Chavez, Chad Bradford, Jose Valentin, John Maine. We’ve been forced to go through 13 starting pitchers.”
Seems Omar has been speaking the same way all along, we just didn’t notice because that team won the NL East.
From that same 2006 article..
Says (Fred) Wilpon: “When I went up to Montreal to finalize the deal with him I said, ‘I want you to model an organization that will not only be successful for a year, but that we can look back as people look back at the Atlanta Braves.’ And that’s what we’re doing. He’s done an outstanding job.”
Revisiting Undefeated Tuesdays
The Florida Panthers have started a Good Time Guarantee promotion. Didn’t have fun? Fill out the survey and get the money back.
Earlier this year I proposed the Mets introduce Undefeated Tuesdays. If the Mets lose at home on Tuesday and you were there, you get a ticket to another Monday-Thursday game. That’s it.
In 2010 the Mets were undefeated at home on Tuesday. Looks like they were 5-4 in 2009 (maybe I missed some while I was squinting at this).
Using very loose math, say the Mets lose 6 Tuesday games of crowds of 30,000. How many people do you think will actually take them up on the free tickets? Lets say 90%. (Like I said, loose math). An extra 162,000 customers buying hot dogs, maybe a soda…maybe some even get addicted to the Mets….all on weekday nights.
You don’t think Undefeated Tuesday would get the crowd into a game? Think what people do for a free taco.
Feel free to use this one Dave. I’m here to help.
Happy Birthday Jerry Koosman
I haven’t plugged my buddy Lou over at Centerfield Maz in quite some time, but here on Jerry Koosman’s birthday (also Metsivus), please treat yourself to Maz’s recap of the great career of Jerry Koosman.
His is a name never spoken by the younglings and barely mentioned around Citi Field.
If you’re below say 40 do yourself a favor and learn about The Third Greatest Pitcher in Mets history and if you do know about Jerry, treat yourself to the wonderful pictures in the article and ask yourself why in hell they ever messed with the uniforms and jackets.
Centerfield Maz should be in your regular rotation of Mets blogs…it’s one of those that I especially appreciate because (like so many of the Mets blogs) it is different and marches to its own editorial calendar.
