Sitting on my deck listening to baseball on the MLB iphone app (well worth the $10) as the Mets get destroyed yet again, and a few things come to mind before we get to the mail.
You really can't blame Jerry for any of this. You be the manager for a minute. What 9 guys would you put out there. He really might as well write in Wright 3B and then pick 7 other guys out of the hat. There's nobody to play and nobody to pitch.
The vast majority of the injuries are leg related. At some point it's more than bad luck and it has to be poor conditioning or something, no? I'm no expert but they must not be in shape or something. Either that or Jerry Manuel bought a Tabu necklace on his Hawaiian vacation.
Nobody will care but me, but the Annoying Yelling Auto Mall commercials have made their way to WFAN's internet feed. Nothing will make me change the station faster guys.
Now some mail....
DyHrdMET has left a new comment on your post "Old Timer's Day Seen As Bad "Investment" By New Yo...":
In some ways, Dave Howard is right about the business aspect of it. In 1994, the Mets needed every trick up their sleeve to get people in the door. In 2009, they don't, even if attendance is down by numbers (up by percentage) from 2008.
But it's about going the extra mile. I quoted what Al Leiter said after introductions on the Yankees Old Timer's Day telecast. It's something for the players. And do it for your fans. Even the promotions have gone down hill. Batting Helmet Day is seemingly gone. We have a very sponsored attempt at giving us a novelty cup (like what you get from buying a soda at the concession). I forget - do we have "Fan appreciation day" anymore?
Maybe it's hard work to get these guys here (contacts and logistics), and maybe it's costly to house them in a nice Manhattan hotel. Maybe it's a bit much for a sponsor to help out with.
So maybe we don't need to have a formal "Old Timer's Day". Once a year, find an excuse to honor some group of ex-Mets. I was there for the '86 celebration and Shea Goodbye. I was there for the 40th anniversary team (with Darryl's message I think from prison to the fans). They have one for the 1969 team next month. Find an excuse to do this once a year. I hope they have a celebration to end all celebrations for their 50th.
But here's the problem - whenever Dave Howard or Fred Wilpon speaks, it turns to shit.
http://rememberingshea.blogspot.com/2009/07/lesson-on-old-timers-day.html
Sparks has left a new comment on your post "Old Timer's Day Seen As Bad "Investment" By New Yo...":
Once again, it's Wilpon's ownership philosophy at play: The Mets are an investment first, a vehicle for his Dodger nostalgia second, and an active MLB franchise third. It's amazing (no pun intended) how a brand once so intertwined with its fans has become so clueless regarding them.
When attendance goes to crap over the next couple of years, don't be surprised if Wilpon sells now that he has his Dodger shrine built.
I think I hit the point today where I'd like new ownership. New owners, a new GM, a new EVP of business operations (that would be David Howard's job), and a new equipment manager. I'm just so sick of all of it. The time came in the 70's when an ownership change was needed to rid the franchise of the post-Seaver M. Donald Grant stench. We got Wilpon-Doubleday and Frank Cashen. It's 30 years later, time for another change. Maybe that rumored $700 million loss will motivate them to sell, but I doubt it.
Then again, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't and we could wind up with the Dolans and Cablevision. I think if that happened I would have to start rooting for the Formerly New York Giants. I have no love for the SF Giants at all, but it would be preferable to the Dolans, but I digress..
OGSMAR has left a new comment on your post "Guest Column: New York Mets Should Retire #8 on 8...":
It's criminal that Piazza's number doesn't hang already...he was clearly the best position player we ever had and changed the face of the entire franchise...he gave us credibility once again
Well the argument for Piazza is that he's a Hall of Famer. Except he isn't actually a Hall of Famer yet, and if you're going to make the argument for a Hall of Famer who had his best years with another team before coming to the Mets for some good years, and a World Series appearance...well then you've made the case for Carter. Thus, Carter should be honored before Piazza.
There's something about Piazza that worries me. I'll leave it at that. I suggest patience, and looking more at 17 and 16 before we get to 8 and 31, but I think I just convinced myself that if 31 goes up, so must 8.
DAK442 has left a new comment on your post "Guest Column: New York Mets Should Retire #8 on 8...":
Meh. We should have won the '73 WS and probably would have if Yogi doesn't screw up the rotation. Not to mention leaving Willie Frickin' Mays on the bench in Game 7. He's a Yankee, we don't need to honor him. And as great a player as Carter was, he had like 3 good years with us. I kind of like the way the Mets unoffically retire numbers (like 24) and think they should do the same with 8 and 17 - only giving them to players as great as the former wearers. No more Mr Koos or Luis Lopezes sporting 17, please.
#31 should be the next retired number, and they should do it right around the time the HoF voters are deciding which hat to put on Mike's plaque.
I like the unofficial retirement too. The solution to all this may just be doing more with the Mets Hall of Fame. I have a post written about that which will go up in the morning.
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