The Mets Police

Big League Stew has an awesome photo of Doc and Darryl, check out their cool jackets!  Blue and orange!  I'd post the pic but that's thievery (Honor among bloggers) and BLS has been cool about sending traffic over here....so away you go to the link.

Gooden looks like he'd be the second best starter on the Mets.  He's 45, do you think they could squeeze 6 wins out of him to get hom to .500?

It sure would sell tickets!

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New York, January 8, 2010—Darryl Strawberry, who starred on World Series Championship teams for the New York Mets and Yankees is among the champions past and present who will be honored at the 30th Anniversary Thurman Munson Awards Dinner, remembering the late, great New York Yankees catcher and captain on Tuesday night, February 2, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City. New York Yankees 2009 World Champion pitcher Joba Chamberlain; Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella, Thurman’s teammate on the Bronx Bombers' 1977 and ’78 World Series title teams; Knicks starting point guard Chris Duhon, a member of Duke’s 2001 NCAA championship squad; and Yonkers Raceway’s two-time champion driver Jason Bartlett will also be recipients of Munson Awards from the AHRC-New York City Foundation.


For tickets and information on the Munson Awards Dinner contact 212-249-6188 or visit www.ahrcnycfoundation.org/events.html.


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Continuing a walk through the archives...from 4/9/09...should the Mets retire 16, 17 and 18?

In Newsday this morning, Jim Baumbach proposes that the Mets retire the numbers of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry

My initial reaction was, "No way!  Teams retire too many numbers as it is!  Let's not retire everyone!  It's a special thing!"

Then I thought more.

The top two complaints about Citi Field are obstructed views (which hasn't even begun to reach the levels of complaining it will once people sit in their "real" seats) and that there's not enough Mets stuff at Citi Field.

About that he's right, and so I agree - let's hang some numbers on the fence.   I just think he has the wrong numbers.

Let's start with the first choice.   17.

I cringe any time I see someone else wearing Keith Hernandez's number.   He was The Captain.  He was the one who taught us how to win.   He was a great player, a great New Yorker, and has a constant long-term presence with the club.   He'll never make the Hall of Fame, but he's one of the greatest Mets of all time.   17 should be next.

Doc Gooden's #16.   My initial reaction was no.   Gooden had a few great years, and some ok years later - but he never won 300 like was destiny.  He didn't even win 200.

However, Gooden is like the ex-girlfriend you just can't get out of your system.  No matter how much he hurts us, we always long for what could have been.

It has been 23 years since the 1986 Mets, it's time to start honoring them.   Later in the summer, after Keith Hernandez day, let's welcome back Gooden and hang the 16 on the fence.

Plus, I can pretend it's for Lee Mazzilli.

Finally, Strawberry's 18.  I'm going to say no.

Even when Darryl was here, he was talking about how he couldn't wait to get to LA.  It was all he talked about.   I can't do this revisionist history and pretend he loved us.  When I think of him today I actually picture him as a Yankee!    He's one of our heroes...but he doesn't deserve to be on the fence.

Mike Piazza's #31.   We all know this one's coming.  Let's just get it up there.  We can tell Fred Wilpon he was a Dodger.

Baumbach makes a good case.  Check it out.

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The folks over at Rootzoo dropped us a note and asked us to link to this.  We happily do so.



Mets Police has benefitted form other sites linking to us, so if you've got a blog and think you have something you'd like to share with the audience that visits the site I'm happy to link - send it to shannon@metspolice.com

We also welcome guest columns, and some of the best stuff on this site has come from readers.  If you have something you'd like me to post drop me a line at shannon@metspolice.com.   Just let me know that you'd like it posted to the site as part of your email.

We still welcome pictures (pictures@metspolice.com) of obstructed and unobstructed views.  I recently took a bunch of pics at both new stadiums and will be doing a fair amount of picture posts the next two weeks.

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You may or may not have to sit through the 30 second commercial at the beginning, but you will be rewarded with 8 minutes of Darryl Strawberry.



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The Cyclones have tweeted:

On Monday, August 3rd, the Brooklyn Cyclones will host Darryl Strawberry Night, and the first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive a limited-edition “Strawbobble” – a bobblehead depicting the New York baseball legend.

The story is here 
.
While you are twittering why not follow @metspolice

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In Newsday this morning, Jim Baumbach proposes that the Mets retire the numbers of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry

My initial reaction was, "No way!  Teams retire too many numbers as it is!  Let's not retire everyone!  It's a special thing!"

Then I thought more.

The top two complaints about Citi Field are obstructed views (which hasn't even begun to reach the levels of complaining it will once people sit in their "real" seats) and that there's not enough Mets stuff at Citi Field.

About that he's right, and so I agree - let's hang some numbers on the fence.   I just think he has the wrong numbers.

Let's start with the first choice.   17.

I cringe any time I see someone else wearing Keith Hernandez's number.   He was The Captain.  He was the one who taught us how to win.   He was a great player, a great New Yorker, and has a constant long-term presence with the club.   He'll never make the Hall of Fame, but he's one of the greatest Mets of all time.   17 should be next.

Doc Gooden's #16.   My initial reaction was no.   Gooden had a few great years, and some ok years later - but he never won 300 like was destiny.  He didn't even win 200.

However, Gooden is like the ex-girlfriend you just can't get out of your system.  No matter how much he hurts us, we always long for what could have been.  

It has been 23 years since the 1986 Mets, it's time to start honoring them.   Later in the summer, after Keith Hernandez day, let's welcome back Gooden and hang the 16 on the fence.

Plus, I can pretend it's for Lee Mazzilli.

Finally, Strawberry's 18.  I'm going to say no.

Even when Darryl was here, he was talking about how he couldn't wait to get to LA.  It was all he talked about.   I can't do this revisionist history and pretend he loved us.  When I think of him today I actually picture him as a Yankee!    He's one of our heroes...but he doesn't deserve to be on the fence.

Mike Piazza's #31.   We all know this one's coming.  Let's just get it up there.  We can tell Fred Wilpon he was a Dodger.

Baumbach makes a good case.  Check it out.

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After yesterday's look at homegrown players on Opening Day, I started to think about what the Mets All Time Homegrown Team might look like. To recap, I am defining a homegrown player as someone who had their first major league appearance in a Mets uniform.

(Yes I know that a "true" homegrown would be someone who came all the way up through the Mets farm system - but honestly, I don't have the time or patience to do that level of research.)

So here's my full 25 man roster:

STARTING LINEUP
SS - Jose Reyes (755 Games)
2B - Edgardo Alfonzo (1,086)
3B - David Wright (703)
RF - Darryl Strawberry (1,109)
C - Todd Hundley (829)
1B - Ed Kranepool (1,853)
LF - Cleon Jones (1,201)
CF - Mookie Wilson (1,116)

BENCH
Bud Harrelson (1,322)
Lee Mazzilli (979)
Wally Backman (765)
John Milner (741)
Hubie Brooks (654)
Ron Hodges (666)

ROTATION
Tom Seaver (401 Games, 198 Wins)
Dwight Gooden (305, 157)
Jerry Koosman (376, 140)
Ron Darling (257, 99)
Jon Matlack (203, 82)

BULLPEN
Jesse Orosco (368 Relief Appearances, 107 Saves)
Tug McGraw (325, 86)
Jeff Innis (287, 5)
Aaron Heilman (280, 9)
Roger McDowell (278, 84)
Craig Swan (184 Starts, 45 Relief)

Feel free to debate - I know there are some guys I left off (Wayne Garret, Bobby Jones for example)

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Yesterday I mentioned how I'd like to time travel to 1983 and give Darryl Strawberry some steroids.

A quick google search turns up this gem:

Air Ball Comes to Olympic Stadium In Montreal 

By JOSEPH DURSO, SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

Published: April 6, 1988

LEAD: Prof. Bob Moore of the Physics Department of McGill University calculated today that Darryl Strawberrys skyrocket home run on opening day would have carried about 525 feet if it hadnt struck the rim of lights just below the roof in Olympic Stadium.

If you click the link you'll get the full story.

As absurd as it sounds I think 525 feet underestimates that shot.  It hit the top of Olympic Stadium and it looked like it was still on the way up.   Surely the most monstrous shot I've ever seen.

Look at this skinny man (found on flickr) - imagine if he had a cousin named Yuri what he might have accomplished.

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Back again with some more thoughts on what real Mets and what "pretend" Mets are associated with each uniform number (and thereore who should take down the Shea countdown numbers). Today, with information from Mets By The Numbers, we're looking at 16 - 20, maybe the best group of numbers so far.

16
Rightful Owner(s): Lee Mazzilli & Dwight Gooden
Rent-A-Met(s): Derek Bell & Paul LoDuca
Comment: Two of the all-time favorites wore this number and yet the Mets continue to let others wear it? I'm not saying it should be retired, but Derek Bell? Angel Pagan is wearing it now which will change once Lee takes over as manager.

17
Rightful Owner(s): Keith Hernandez
Rent-A-Met(s): Bret Saberhagen
Comment: Yes I know Keith won his MVP and made his bones with the Cardinals - but he was the Captain. It's a shame that 15 other guys have worn the number since.

18
Rightful Owner(s): Darryl Strawberry
Rent-A-Met(s): Moises Alou
Comment: Joel Youngblood gets a nod here as well, but Darryl will always be 18. On a side note I have really been enjoying his in studio work on SNY.

19
Rightful Owner(s): Ron Gardenhire
Rent-A-Met(s): Bobby Ojeda
Comment: OK, so Gardenhire was a stretch and with his work managing in Minnesota clearly makes him more oa Twin than a Met now. Ojeda was a Red Sox that the Mets rented, period.

20
Rightful Owner(s): Tommie Agee & Howard Johnson
Rent-A-Met(s): Shawn Green
Comment: This is a great number with both real mets contributing to the only World Series victories for the Mets. I'd give Agee the nod to take down the game number though.