The Mets Police

Alternate New York Mets Caps Day 23

2009-11-07T11:40:00.000-05:00

Today's alternate Mets cap is purple with a black NY. On the face of things, it's a no...but I think the right kind of woman could pull this off.

Mets Police recommendation: If your girlfriend is hot and can pull it off, hey at least she likes the Mets. Fat dudes, stay away.

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Ron Hodges 1980 New York Mets Topps Baseball Card

2009-11-07T09:06:00.002-05:00

If you are of a certain age Ron Hodges was a mysterious Met. He had been on the team "forever", and was always the backup. Was he Gil Hodges' son? His brother? (no and no).

Ron is so mysterious that the Mets retired his #42 and the team honors him by having all players wear 42 (with no names on the back) every year on Ron Hodges Day, April 15th.

Read more about this card on this site which I think we'll visit more often!

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New York Mets Pool Balls

2009-11-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

I don't know what Shelf Porn is, but this article is about it....and contains these Mets pool balls...and I'm traveling today so here's some nice random generic content for ya!

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Well, I Can Take Pat Zachry Seriously

2009-11-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed this piece from Faith and Fear from a few weeks back (travel day for me today) which among other things asked, once you had Tom Seaver as your ace who can take Pat Zachry seriously? (He was really talking about Charlie's Angels) Well I can.

Once you accept Seaver is leaving.....

You got Pat Zachry, a left handed pitcher who went 14-2 with a 2.74 ERA in 1976 (thats like a 3.74 ERA in 2009 numbers).

Doug Flynn who hit .283 in 95 games in '76

Steve Henderson who hit .297 12 and 65 in '77 (12 homers in 1977 is like 22 in 2009).

and um Dan Norman.

Of course it tore out our souls....and of course nobody panned out (you follow the Mets, does that surprise you?)....but in theory if it had to happen, two guys that were every day players and a young lefty coming off a solid year was not the worst plan. If only we had blogs and WFAN and the internet that summer!

My buddy over at the great Centerfield Maz blog is kind enough to let me borrow full articles from his site...so take it away Maz!

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2009

Former Met of the Day: Pat Zachry (1977-1982)

Patrick Paul “Pat” Zachry was born April 24, 1952 in Richmond, Texas. The tall lanky bearded right hander looked more like a fisherman than a ball player. He came up with Reds & tied for the 1976 Rookie of the Year award (with Butch Metzger) going 14-4 with a 2.74 ERA. He was the winning pitcher in Game 2 of the 1976 NLCS against the Phillies. In the 1976 World Series, he was the winning pitcher in Game 3, allowing two runs, on six hits in 6.2 innings, helping the Big Red Machine sweep the Series.

In 1977 he started out struggling going 3-7 , and found himself traded, along with Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, & Dan Norman to the Mets for Tom Seaver. He had no chance following in Seaver’s footsteps no matter how well he did. Joining the Mets rotation in 1977 he found out he didn't have the same offensive support he had in Cincinnati. He did well going 7-6 with a 3.76 ERA, & throwing a shut out. In 1978 he had 10 wins by early July and was the only Met chosen for the All Star Game, although he didn’t pitch.

On July 24,1978 Shea Stadium was packed, hoping Zachry could shut down Pete Rose during his record setting hit streak. Rose singled off Pat in the 7th inning, tying the 37 game NL hit streak record. The Reds ended up knocking him out of the game, that inning. On his way into the dugout he kicked the step, and fractured his left foot, ending his season; 10-6 with a 3.33 ERA. He started out 1979 very strong, going 5-1 in seven games, but then injuries finished off his season again. He returned to full strength, in 1980 but the Mets finished last & he ended up 6-10 with a team leading 3.01 ERA and 2 shut outs. In the 1981 strike shortened season he led the league in both HRs allowed (13) and losses (14). By 1982 he lost his place in the starting rotation, (6-9 , 4.08 ERA) and was traded to the Dodgers in exchange for Jorge Orta of White Sox fame.

Of his time in NY he recalls being a guest on Kiners Korner & receiving Getty Gas gift vouchers. When he tried to use them at a Roosevelt Ave. gas station the attendant chased him with a hammer. Quite a gift Ralph.

Zachry pitched two years in relief for the Dodgers, appearing in two games of the 1983 NLCS without a decision. Zachry's career ended after ten games with the 1985 Phillies. In a 10 year career he was 69-67, with a 3.52 ERA, 7 shutouts, 27 complete games, & 669 strikeouts in 1117 innings pitched.

Retirement: Pat plays in Mets fantasy camps and is an elementary school teacher in Waco, Texas.

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Quick Note To Readers

2009-11-06T20:48:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone - thanks for all the comments this week. I've been taking a few days off, and as previously mentioned much of the non-timely stuff was pre-planned. I just wanted to thank everyone who has left comments, and I'll catch up on those next week. Thanks to Dan for minding the store, and I hope nobody (especially the regulars0 feel ignored...back to normal Sunday. The tiki bar is calling..no Mets for me tonight.

Oh, if anyone took pictures of the non-Mets tickertape parade today and you'd care to share please send them to pictures@metspolice.com

Speaking of parades, can anyone explain to me why NYC had one for Sammy Sosa, a Cub, after he hit the second most home runs of all-time? I look it up every now and then to make sure I didn't imagine it.

RUDY: GIVE ; GLENN A PARADE II ; MAYOR EYES REPEAT OF '62 …

Pay-Per-View - New York Post - ProQuest Archiver - Oct 31, 1998
It's been a busy month for the Canyon of Heroes, which has seen ticker-tape parades for baseball sluggerSammy Sosa on Oct. 17 and for the 1998 World Series ...

Related web pages

OK that's it - see y'all in a bit. More fresh content coming on the regular schedule. Mets Police is on duty.

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Alternate New York Mets Caps Day 22

2009-11-06T17:43:00.001-05:00

Here's an alternate Mets cap for you that starts out OK. It's blue. It's orange. I don't see any black. So far so good.

I can even tolerate the white outline on the NY.

Why would I want that Mets baseball logo falling off my cap?

Mets Police recommendation: yet another no.

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The Royals Love The Yankees

2009-11-06T14:30:00.000-05:00

OK, so maybe they don't really love the Yankees per se, but the Royals - and the rest of the teams in MLB - have got to really love one aspect of the Yankees winning - it means more money for every team.

Literally within 10 minutes of the final out, MLB blasted an email touting 2009 World Series Championship gear. Since this first email, I have also received emails about World Series Pins and a special Sports Illustrated package.

Why does this make the Twins happy? Because of an agreement that Bud Selig negotiated with all the owners almost 10 years ago. MLB doesn't have full revenue sharing. However, when it comes to any online activity - and that includes all online shopping - the proceeds are divided evenly among all teams.

The Yankees are the most marketed and marketable franchise in baseball. A Yankees WS Champion tee will sell far more than a Phillies one would have, let along the Twins for example.

So...Yankees win....MLB.com sells more merchandise......Oakland gets a bigger check.

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Remebering the 1986 Ticker Tape Parade

2009-11-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

October 28, 1986
The Mets had just won the World Series the night before and the city was about to throw them a ticker tape parade.
I had a calculus exam scheduled that morning.
Of course I skipped the test and headed downtown, armed with my trusty Canon Sure Shot. (I wonder what happened to that camera)

Remember this banner? Here is something you will never see at New Shea.

Ah, the Mets ball girls. They wore the racing stripes well.

Hey look, it's Fred Wilpon. Sadly the only thing that remains from the 86 team.

Mookie Wilson - all smiles.

Gary Carter, of course smiling waiting for his picture to be taken.
Last year at the All-Star Fan Fest I was able to get Gary to sign an 8x10 copy of this picture.

Tim Tuefel. If not for Buckner, Tuefel would have been remembered as the one who let the ball go through their legs.

Wow, it's the World Series MVP Ray Knight. I'm sure looking forward to seeing him man the hot corner at Shea again next year.

Darryl sped by so fast, I barely had time to take this picture. But that's ok, I'm sure Doc will be along soon enough...

This was my second ticker tape parade - and I have yet to attend another one.

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Does Citi Field Make You Feel Less Connected To The New York Mets?

2009-11-06T08:34:00.001-05:00

I hope I can explain the feeling I'm having and I hope I'm conveying a different tone here than my usual "David Howard/hang banners" rants. This one isn't coming from anger, it's coming from emptiness.

When I think of the Mets I think of Shea Stadium. That's where the memories are. Even if I thought of the 2009 or think of the 2010 Mets, my mind's tendency is to put them in Shea.

When I think of Citi Field I don't think of the Mets, I think of shopping. There's a baseball game happening in the middle of the shopping mall. I think of stores and tacos and shakes. I can't really focus in on any particular baseball moment.

It's somewhat unfair, comparing all those years at Shea to one year at Citi Field...but I'm wondering if anyone else feels less connected to the team because of the new place.

I never expected to feel this way, and maybe it's a product of the 135 losses I think we had this year. However, visiting the mall is no longer enough to excite me, and I'm not looking to rush out to see anyone on the roster.

Could it somehow be the stadium that's part of the problem? I'm not saying that Shea should have lived forever, but I'm wondering if we have just another cookie cutter park. I'm sure Riverfront and Three Rivers and Philly's Veteran's Stadium seemed nice when they were new. Maybe we're in an era where Citi, Citizens, Petco and the other similar stadiums will all be like whatever. Today that's how I feel, how about you?

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Is Matsui the new Ray Knight?

2009-11-06T08:20:00.000-05:00

In 1986 Ray Knight - the oldest position player on the Mets - won the World Series MVP on the strength of two good performances in the final 2 games.

In 2009 Hideki Matsui - the oldest position player on the Yankees - won the World Series MVP on the strength of two good performances in the final 2 games.

Knight had a good year in 1986 - playing in 137 games he batted .298 and knocked in 76 runs (4th on the team). More than that though, Knight was a leader on and off the field. He gave them an edge, an arrogance, that unified the team (who can forget the punch he laid on Eric Davis).

Frank Cashen though, in his infinite wisdom, did not see Knight as a leader, but rather as an aging player. Following the 86 Series, Cashen did not resign Knight, who declared free agency and signed with the Orioles.

The Mets have not won a World Series since.

Hideki Matsui had a good year in 2009, finishing 3rd on the team in RBIs (90). He is an acknowledged clubhouse leader - Joe Torre mentions Matsui's rallying "statement" before the team would take the field in important games. (I'm not going to repeat what he actually says).

Now Matsui is a free agent and it's unclear whether the Yankees will bring him back next year.

Is Matsui the new Knight?

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Alternate New York Mets Caps Day 21

2009-11-05T11:00:00.000-05:00

You own this alternate Mets cap because....um.....you are a rodeo clown? This is very colorful in a bad way.

Mets Police recommendation: buy it for someone you don't like to wear to the Running of the Bulls.

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Alternate Caps: World Series Wrap Up Edition

2009-11-05T10:58:00.002-05:00

The Series is over, but we still have one more installment of World Series Alternate Caps - our Wrap-Up edition. Why? Because these are too good to not post.

Today's caps come from Fitted Hawaii whose fans I think get annoyed when I link to them, but I actually enjoy their custom goodness, including this Phillies cap.

If yo have a friend who can't decide if he likes the Mets, Yankees, Cubs, Diamondbacks - or maybe he just looks good in tan...this might make a good gift.

Did you ever wonder what a Phillies cap would look like in blue camouflage? Now you know!

And finally, something basic to dress your girlfriend in. Pink, nice looking. Fine on a chick.

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A Laughable Look Back At The Hope We Still Had On June 6th

2009-11-05T08:40:00.000-05:00

I was going through the Mets Police archives and saw an article from June 6th that said "SI predicts Mets doom."

Hey that SI was pretty smart! To think we were going to be only 10 out and win 85! Here's the original MP article...

Good article on SI.com

Can anyone deep down really disagree with this possible outcome:

The future has been written for the 2009 New York Mets, and it is not good. They are modern day Jobs, all of them. Only in this run, there is no reprieve. A team with baseball's second-highest payroll will win, oh, 85 games and finish 10 games behind Philadelphia. They will add someone -- Aubrey Huff? Nick Johnson? -- to the mix, sing his praises, find a groove, then sink back to reality. They will fire their manager, trade off their prospects, talk about the new Mets, the fresh Mets, the exciting Mets. But they're still the haunted Mets.

We'll obviously learn a lot about this team this week against the Phillies and Yankees. I'm leaning toward the "stand-pat and hope for the best" plan. The Mets have few chips to give up in a trade, and I don't think there's anyone worth getting.

I still wouldn't mind having Manny Ramirez coming back July 3rd.

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Who is the Team of the Decade?

2009-11-05T08:20:00.002-05:00

The 2009 World Series is barely over and already people are debating who was the Team of the Decade. Semantics aside (the decade is technically 2001-2010), if we go by the accepted definition of 2000-2009 then it depends on how you define it.

Do you want to base it on simply World Series titles? Two teams have 2 titles - the Yankees and the Red Sox.

OK, what if just getting to the World Series was teh main criteria (call it the Atlanta Braves Rule). Well, the Yankees have been in 4, the Red Sox, Phillies, and Cardinals have all been in 2 each.

I bet if you talk to Bud "Wild Card' Selig he's tell you that the real indication is playoff appearances. In the last ten years the Yankees have been in the playoffs in 9 of them. I have to admit, the Cardinals at 7 caught me by surprise. The Angels, Braves, and Red Sox are at 6 each

But baseball is more than just playoffs. In the regular season nobody had a better record that the Yankees who went 965 - 651 for a .597 WP (avg. 97 a season).

Even I'll admit that it's not really a debate once you look at the numbers.

I miss the 80's

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2 Pitchers and a Slugger

2009-11-05T07:45:00.001-05:00

I'm still on the road and thanks to Dan for minding the store (much of
what you are reading this week was pre-planned) but I can't ignore a
championship on NYC.

Dan used my traditional "congratulations Yankees" headline. Before
you go hating just think about what they dis. They went out and got
two pitchers and a slugger for first to replace the previous slugger
who got old and broke down. Does that sound like a good offseason
plan for any teams you know for 2010?

Dan also dug out my "Four Inning Pedro" line which drives people nuts
but on this day I get the last laugh. Sure Pedro can be wiley....but
only for 4 innings. Wouldn't have helped the Mets (and didn't since
June 6 2006) and didn't help the Phillies last night.

So Fake New Yankee Stadium gets immediately legitimized, Jeter gets
to legitimize the back end of his career with a fifth ring and a ring
without Torre. Girardi gets the world off his back. I saw A-Rod
with a world aeries trophy which should make a good lyric update if
Billy Joel ever wants to update that Miami 2017 song (what's the title
again? Maybe I got it right?)

I can't make the parade but I'll appreciate any pictures anyone can
send (pictures@metspolice.com).

Don't let the Yankees fans get you down. 27 vs 2 doesn't matter. Be
angry about 23 years vs 1 day ago.

Sent from my iPhone

Ticker Tape Parade on Friday at 11 am

2009-11-05T00:17:00.002-05:00

According to Fox 5 NY the city will host a ticker tape parade for the Yankees on Friday morning at 11 am.

As is the tradition, the parade will move up Broadway - the Canyon of Heroes - from Battery Park to City Hall, where Mayor Bloomberg will welcome the team.

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Congratulations Yankees

2009-11-04T22:43:00.002-05:00

Yes I am a Mets fan.

And yes I root against the Yankees.

However I will also give credit where credit is due. The Yankees had a hell of a year and as a baseball fan first and foremost I will congratulate the winners of the World Series.

That said, this off-season just got that much worse.

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Four Inning Pedro Goes.....Four Innings!

2009-11-04T21:45:00.003-05:00

So on his 12th start for the Phillies, in Game 6 of the World Series, the real Pedro Martinez finally emerged.

Sorry Phillies - we tried to warn you.

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Maybe Blue New York Mets Jerseys Are A Terrible Idea

2009-11-04T11:40:00.000-05:00

From time to time I suggest the Mets look at blue uniforms, like the ones from the early 80's.

Here's Gary Carter in a St. Lucie Mets uniform. Look at the mismosh blue with Tom Glavine era black lettering, a black cap, pinstriped pants, BLACK socks. Can you imagine the hideousness if Charlie Samuels were able to dress the New Yorkers like this?

We must never let this happen in Flushing. Hideous mix. Worst ever.

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Alternate Caps: World Series Game 6 If Necessary Edition

2009-11-04T10:50:00.001-05:00

If you are reading this that means that either
a) there is a Game 6 tonight or
b) the guy Dan who is supposed to be minding the blog while I am away is being a slacker.

This "3930" New Era hat is nice enough....but like many of the 2009 3930's it has that annoying line on the side.

Speaking of lines on the side...this cap is a "women's" cap. I suppose women like lines. Just get a regular hat.

Odd color scheme. You can't where this one during the series if you are a Phils fan.

This barely qualifies as a Yankees anything. It looks like a made up cap they sell to the tourists. Maybe if you came from Japan to watch Game 6 but that's it. Pass.

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Should I Take My Kid To Giants Stadium?

2009-11-04T08:32:00.000-05:00

So here's the question: Should I somehow finagle tickets to a Giants game and take my kid to a Giants game.

He's six. He calls himself a "Giants fan" but doesn't do anything about that such as watch them. It's the last year of Giants Stadium.

I took him to Shea and Yankee so he wouldn't yell at me when he's 30.

Is Giants Stadium a must-see? There's nothing really remarkable about it. There's nothing to show him if we go....or is the idea of "I went with dad to the old Giants Stadium" going to mean something some day?

Whatcha think?

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What Can The USFL Teach Us? (Link)

2009-11-03T22:45:00.001-05:00

I didn't get to watch the ESPN 30 on 30 documentary about the USFL yet, but I really liked that league back in the day. I think it was just about a year or two early. If it had been around for the modern style ESPN (not the one that showed you Aussie Football and lumberjack races) it would have made it. They should never have gone to the fall (cough, UFL, cough). Between the XFL and the UFL bombs it will be a long long time before someone starts spring football over here. Better chance of an NFL team in London or a Premier league team in New York (not sure how international soccer works).

Anyways, here's a cool article I saw on the internet called What Can The USFL Teach Us (here's an excerpt.)

the USFL is a great case study.

Advantages:
*Spring season
*NFL-quality talent

Disadvantages:
*Costs, costs, costs
*Donald Trump

The spring season was key -- play where they ain't. The USFL correctly anticipated that NFL fans suffered withdrawal in the spring, waiting for the next season.

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Marlins Stadium Update No. 900,000 square feet

2009-11-03T22:21:00.000-05:00

If you sit through the ad there's some video of the new Marlins stadium. If you don't sit through the ad you can just read the interesting article.

Marlins Stadium Update No. 900,000 square feet

The first commenter asked them this...uh oh.

Question - Is there any talk about a Metrorail stop being constructed at stadium? Civilized cities (NY, Boston, Chicago, DC) have trains going right to stadiums. Or is part of the financing for this making each of us pay $20 to park?

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Alternate Caps: Japan Series Edition

2009-11-03T12:37:00.000-05:00

The Giants are playing the Fighters in the Japan Series. We look at their alternate caps.

First, let's educate ourselves on the basic look. Do the Giants always have that orange on the face of the brim?

I think the Fighters (or inaccurately the "Ham Fighters" as I started calling them in 5th grade) lose this battle

Hmmm....I guess if you are a kid I wouldn't mock you. If you were a 40 year old guy, probably. At least it maintains the team's colors, so even in Japan there is Uniform Unanimity.

Our last cap is a 1982 Ham Fighters throwback. Pretty ugly. Giants take the battle of the Japan alternate caps. You say this was a short battle? If you can find alternate Japan league caps send them my way. I don't think New Era has discovered Japan yet.

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Alternate New York Mets Caps Day 20

2009-11-03T11:40:00.002-05:00

Ugh. What are you doing even considering purchasing this cap? There is nothing redeeming about this earflap variant,and if that's cold just wear a stocking cap. Might be a nice gift for Charlie Samuels to wear while raking leaves.

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