What Mets fans talk about when not talking about the actual games.
This is way cool. For those of you under 30, or those who own major league baseball teams – the Polo Grounds was the first home of the New York Mets, and also is rumored to have been home of a team called the New York Giants who according to legend played in New York around the same time as the Brooklyn Dodgers.
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As we were sitting up in the Promenade the other night we started talking about the Mets retired numbers..and started discussing #14.
I’m a little young to “get” Gil Hodges. I understand that 1969 is a big deal. I understand how shocking it must have been when he died.
I started to wonder if the Mets would have retired #14 anyway.
On September 27th 1969 the Mets ripped up Gil’s contract and signed him through 1972.
In 1970 the World Champions finished 3rd at 83-79, and the same record in 1971.
The Faith & Fear blog was around for ’70 and they wrote this.
We didn’t win, it is well known. Pittsburgh did. They passed us in September. Then the Cubs passed us for second and we finished third with a record of 83-79 — not bad, not great. I think finishing behind the Cubs bothered me more than not winning another championship. The Pirates were classy even if I didn’t use that word then. The Cubs were the Cubs. I never forgave them for getting in our way in 1969. That we stepped over them didn’t matter. I hated the Cubs. They were the first team I ever hated and I kept it up a year later.
I know nothing about the 1970 and 1971 teams. With my modern and perhaps clueless eyes, I know that when you blow September leads that ownership gets itchy.
1972 with Yogi at the helm: 83 and 73. (short season because of strike). 13.5 out. So let’s say Gil is 10 games better than Yogi….93 wins and a likely second place finish to the Pirates (my brain will explode if we wonder if those 10 wins come against the Pirates). That contract is now expired. Do they bring him back, or is he an early “Davey Johnson” who is believed to have an under-performing team?
1973. Nobody believes. Gil, with a new deal and again being 10 games better than Yogi is two games under .500 on the 16th of August….
I wonder if ownership would have gotten itchy trigger fingers? I looked into the demise of Yogi, also before my time.
I found this article which mentions that one of the reasons Berra was fired was over “waves in the Mets performance.” Although 1974 was an awful year for the Mets, Berra was fired three games over .500 with the 4th best record in the NL. M. Donald Grant said “we’ve had a peculiar season, like a yo-yo.” That suggests some frustration in the front office.
This is one of those “who knows” topics – but they never retired #5. Maybe Gil would have run off the 1972-1975 championships? Maybe Dan Murphy would be wearing #14 now. I’d be curious to know what perspective some of our older Mets fans may have. No disrespect to Mr. Hodges in intended. I just wonder about retired numbers some time.
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Tip of the blue Mets hat to Neil Best in Newsday for posting this…give him some hits. But for ease of access and since it’s on Youtube anyway..here ya go.
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I love that it is June and I still don’t know what the name of the 300’s level is. Heck I don’t even know what the main level is called. That’s for you high rollers.
Carlos send us these pics and this commentary:
Top: In the lower right hand corner after the second person from the
right is approximately where the left fielder is positioned. If he moves
back or to the sides, you can’t see him or what happens.
Bottom: While there is a monitor there for replays of what everyone
else is cheering/ moaning about you also can’t see a lot of the
Centerfielder’s plays or the scoreboard for lineups and other useless
information like that. If you care about the between inning video
entertainment, bring sock puppets because you’ll hear it all but you won’t
see a thing.
Another interesting twist is that these although these seats are Empire
Level, they cannot be reached from the Empire Level. You’d have to go
through the Acela restaurant for the washed. There’ll be none of that, dear
boy. It’s over or under Club Swanky for you.
If you have pictures you’d like to share with your fellow Mets fans (obstructed or unobstructed) please sent them to [email protected] Thanks Carlos!
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And speaking of potato chips…
The New York Mets play the CincinnatiReds that evening as the “Big City Crunch†gets underway. Every fan entering the new ballpark will be handed a .75-oz. bag of Wise Potato Chips. At a designated time, instructions will be given to open the packages and, when given the go-ahead, to start crunching.
I didn’t have it in me to do a lame “Mets put chips on the line” headline.
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