The Mets Police

Hey does anyone want to meet me on the Avenue of the Americas?  I'll pick you up and we'll take the Joe DiMaggio highway uptown.  We can cut across Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the RFK bridge and we'll park near Citi Field.

I'm a New Yorker.  I like the old names.  You can rename things all you want, and you can spend $20 million dollars a year to name some bricks anything you want....but I'm going to use the old names.   When you refer to a neighborhood as "Clinton" I know you're a tourist. 

I notice Mets fans asking me questions like "Are you heading out to Shea..er, um I mean..."

Shea is a state of mind.   It's where the Mets live.

I propose we all collectively decide to refer to the piece of earth between Northern and Roosevelt, between "the Grand Central" and 126th street as "Shea."

If I say "heading to Shea" you know what I mean.  Let's not stop.   "Shea" can be the place where C-Field (or whatever it winds up being called over the years) stands.

Fans in Baltimore don't head to "Oriole Park."   I have been to all sorts of events at "The Meadowlands."

Why can't we do the same with "Shea?"

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@metspolice

I particularly hate the one of graffitti on Shea. Anyone else wanna go bust some heads? I'll leave my badge at home. www.metspolice.com

I did not know this:

The air conditioner in the visitor's clubhouse is actually from the old Polo Grounds(from the old press room there). "It's one of the first things I found out when I got here," Cox said. It is also common knowledge around the stadium that when turned on full blast, it is almost cold enough to store raw meat.

Full article here.

The Mets (ok, specifically the Wilpons), like to speak about how the new ballpark next year - Corporate Field (because you know the name will be resold at some point) - was built with the fans in mind.

Really Fred?

You built this thinking of me? I'm flattered and amazed considering I, nor any of the other Mets fans I know of were ever asked what we wanted.

Corporate Field looks like it's going to be an amazing place to see a game (for those that will be able to afford it). However let's be honest here. The park was designed by you, for you. Now don't get me wrong, you are the owner of the team and since you are paying for it you do have the right to do it the way you want it to be done.

But if you are serious about listening to what the fans want, then I have a few things I'd like you to consider:

1. Tom Seaver Statue: I am really shocked that this has not been announced or even discussed publicly yet. The Mets are going to honor Jackie Robinson, a man who never played for, coached, or managed the team, yet the one player who for 40 years has been The Franchise, the only player wearing a Mets cap in the Hall of Fame, is not being honored??? There should be a larger than life statue of Tom Terrific outside the front gates to the new ballpark. Period.
2. William A. Shea Plaza: And the place to put that statue, the brick covered area in front of the rotunda, should honor the man who made the Mets possible. I would love the new ballpark to be called Shea, but I am not naive and know that corporate naming rights are all but neccessary. That doesn't mean the team should not find a way to honor Bill - and something more than putting his name up on the outfield wall.
3. Keep The Apple: OK, I went back and forth on this for quite a while. I am not the biggest fan of the apple - actually I find it very bush league and seems to only contribute to the Mets being looked at like a 2nd class club in this city. However, the reality is the mets will always be that, so, as Jerry Manuel himself has done, it's time to embrace that. Don't put a new apple - the apple is hokey because it's such a piece of ....well garbage to say it nicely.
4. Banner Day: What ever happened to this? I know it used to be done between games of a double-header and we don't have those on the schedule anymore. So here's an idea. Schedule a double-header with the first game between the Brooklyn Cyclones and the Staten Island Yankees. No room in the locker rooms? No problem - these are class A guys, they can change on the bus. Gives them a thrill to play on a major league field, gives the fans something unique and fun, and gives us back banner day
5. New York Giants: No, not the football team in New Jersey. As we have been saying on here for a while, the Mets seem to forget that they were formed, and received their colors, from two teams. It's great that they honor the Dodgers with the design of Corporate Field and with the naming of the rotunda. Now it's time to honor the other team as well. How about naming the outfield grandstands for Willie Mays? He even was a Met so it makes it an easier pill to swallow.
6. Mrs. Met: What ever happened to Mrs. Met? Did she run off with Dandy (the short-lived Yankee mascot from 1980)? She was the first female professional sports mascot and deserves to be brought back.

Sports Illustrated today released the results of a study where fans were questioned on different aspects of all 30 MLB stadiums. What a shocker that Shea finished 28th, beating out RFK Stadium (which isn't even used anymore) and Dolphin Stadium (for baseball it is bad).

• Affordability - 28th (no shock here)


• Food - 30th (one fan commented - "You're kidding, right? This is Shea you're asking about.")


• History & Tradition - 19th (the Royals (1969), Brewers (1969), and Mariners (1977) all finished ahead - I know when I think baseball tradition I think of this

  

• Fan Hospitality - 29th (most of the comments here focus on incidents during the Mets-Yankees games)


• Promotions - 28th


• Neighborhood - 28th (and guess what, this ain't gonna change with Corporate Field in 2009)

A nice enjoyable 5-2 win last night with my favorite (current) Met on the mound, John Maine.

The Mets are claiming 46,106 attended this game. Try 15,000. I was there. I can't find any pictures of the empty mezz and uppers, but a friend was there and he had a camera. I'll try to get a reality check.

Heard around the uppers: people selling parts of their season plans, a discussion of "value" vs "bronze", escalator theories, and criticism of Willie's Pagan comments.