Mets (Finally) Recall Hobie Landrith

[G-Fafif]

Recent Bill Madden column in the News said Jay Horwitz, in his new Alumni Relations role, has reached out to more than a hundred Mets of yore, stretching back to Hobie Landrith, Casey's Stengel's initial preventer of passed balls. Said the 88-year-old former catcher, "I was the very Mets player and after 56 years this is the first time anyone from the Mets ever called me."

Jeff Wilpon sadly rationalized, "We weren't old enough to have enough history. But now we are and, in Jay, who's been with us so long and has seen so many players come through the organization and maintained a rapport with them, he was the absolute right guy for this job."

Others on Jay's call sheet, according to Madden:

Jack Fisher
Jay Hook
Mike Baxter
Cleon Jones
Doug Flynn
Dave Kingman
Joe Christopher
Duffy Dyer
Bobby Pfeil
Bruce Chen

Fifty-seven seasons in the books, I'm glad it's been deigned that enough history has piled up to get in touch with these guys.

[Centerfield]

G-Fafif wrote: Jeff Wilpon sadly rationalized, "We weren't old enough to have enough history. But now we are and, in Jay, who's been with us so long and has seen so many players come through the organization and maintained a rapport with them, he was the absolute right guy for this job."

This is true. In 1962 Fred would have only been just a baby. How can he be expected to know anything about baseball at the tender age of 26?

[smg58]

It should have been done years ago. But better late than never, and at least they were smart enough to figure out who the right guy for the job was.

Is there a living pitcher from 1962 who could throw Mr. Landreth the first pitch on Opening Day?

[Guest 41Forever]

smg58 wrote: It should have been done years ago. But better late than never, and at least they were smart enough to figure out who the right guy for the job was. Is there a living pitcher from 1962 who could throw Mr. Landreth the first pitch on Opening Day?

Jay Hook, perhaps!

I met him in St. Lucie once. He was really nice. Al Jackson, too!

[Frayed Knot]

Jeff Wilpon sadly rationalized, "We weren't old enough to have enough history. But now we are and, in Jay, who's been with us so long and has seen so many players come through the organization and maintained a rapport with them, he was the absolute right guy for this job."

Jeff Wilpon sadly rationalized, "We didn't realize that there were Mets fans who cared about the history of the team prior to our purchase of them. But now it's been drummed into us, plus we had to do something with Jay in order to keep him from the pr messes we keep making and he's been with us so long even though not long enough to see the '60s guys either but at least he's the absolute right guy with a decent shot at knowing their names at least.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Go Dodgers, he added

[batmagadanleadoff]

G-Fafif wrote: Jeff Wilpon sadly rationalized, "We weren't old enough to have enough history. But now we are and, in Jay, who's been with us so long and has seen so many players come through the organization and maintained a rapport with them, he was the absolute right guy for this job."

Jeff's so stupid. If he waited this out long enough, every last one of Casey's Mets would eventually die off.

I can't figure out if Jeff's comment is supposed to make me happy or sad.

[G-Fafif]

smg58 wrote: Is there a living pitcher from 1962 who could throw Mr. Landrith the first pitch on Opening Day?

1962 Mets pitchers still on this mortal coil's active roster:

Roger Craig
Ray Daviault
Al Jackson
Craig Anderson
Ken Mackenie
Jay Hook
Dave Hillman
Willard Hunter
Bob G. Miller
Galen Cisco
Larry Foss

[Edgy MD]

If I was in that office, every Met, in order of acquisition or appearance, would be throwing out the first pitch all year. When the player is deceased, I'd invite the living descendents to take the honor.

Hell, even after I got to somebody who is too disgraced to show his head in public, like Ambiorix Burgos (which might take a decade or so), I'd still invite his kids.

Hobie? I'd invite him to the ballpark and buy him a house and treat him like a king.

[bmfc1]

Great idea, Edgy. Unfortunately, the 3rd Trump son would never go for it as it would involve airfare and hotels.

[RealityChuck]

This seems more than a little overreaction. Did the Yankees reach out to Rollie Sheldon or Bud Daley or Jack Reed or Jim Coates lately? All were mainstays of their 1962 team.

Landrith does have the distinction as being the first Met, but only appeared in 23 games. If he hadn't been their first choice, no one would have remembered him any more than then remember Rick Herrscher.

[batmagadanleadoff]

bmfc1 wrote: Great idea, Edgy. Unfortunately, the 3rd Trump son would never go for it as it would involve airfare and hotels.

No kidding. This is the organization that had local insurance salesmen peel off the descending games left markers off of the Shea Stadium outfield wall during its final season because it was too fucking cheap to fly In the Hobie Landriths and Cleon Joneses. And that was before Madoff so they couldn't use their own willfulness to invest in a scam as an excuse, either.

[stevejrogers]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: bmfc1 wrote: Great idea, Edgy. Unfortunately, the 3rd Trump son would never go for it as it would involve airfare and hotels. No kidding. This is the organization that had local insurance salesmen peel off the descending games left markers off of the Shea Stadium outfield wall during its final season because it was too fucking cheap to fly In the Hobie Landriths and Cleon Joneses. And that was before Madoff so they couldn't use their own willfulness to invest in a scam as an excuse, either.

Be fair in that case, Cleon Jones has always been part of officially organized Met celebrations.

[G-Fafif]

Cleon is still very much an All-Star in Mobile, per Kristie Ackert's profile in the News.

https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-sports-cleon-jones-mobile-africatown-20181121-story.html