The New York Metropolitans

[Edgy MD]

Peter Golenbock has co-written one terrific baseball book (The Bronx Zoo, 1979) and followed that with a long career writing or co-writing mostly drivel. Histories and memoirs that have been slapdash and formulaic. I was disturbed to read that he was allegedly partnering with Bobby Valentine on a memoir, and the sooner Lunchie checks him over the boards for that role, the better.



His Amazin': The Miraculous History of New York's Most Beloved Baseball Team (2002), while more ambitious, unfortunately proved to be no exception to that pattern, and certainly failed to live up to it's title. But one of the few more interesting things he included was to start with a brief history of The New York Metropolitans (1883–1887) of the old American Association, an extinct early major league circuit that included several franchises still operating today.



The connections are few, but they are the main source for the name "Mets" and they played at the original iteration of The Polo Grounds. The Mets came into being largely with a goal of claiming the real inheritance of both The Brooklyn Dodgers and The New York Giants, and somewhat wrestling for the New York legacy those west coast franchises left behind. While this has mixed success and failure, it's led to at least a little controversy as well now that the team is closing in on six decades old, having plenty of legacy of their own to exploit.



But the legacy of the Metropolitans remains orphaned, and I type with the notion that Golenbock was on to something. I think (a) a small amount of history from the earlier team in Mets museum displays, ( an acknowledgment among the honorees in the team Hall of Fame (and retired "numbers") of legendary pitcher Tim Keefe and perhaps manager Jim Mutrie, and © maybe an occasional throwback uniform day seems like it would be educational and fun. And since the demise of the team occurred as several of the stars jumped to the Giants, with the Dodgers buying out the remaining assets, the connection isn't so non-linear as all that.



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/NY_Metropolitans.jpg>

[Willets Point]

Lindor would totally rock the cravat on throwback uniform days.

[Edgy MD]

I confess that I have some concern with how comfortably neckware might play in 2021.

[Benjamin Grimm]

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/07/20/the-invention-of-the-policeThe Invention of the Police

Jill Lepore in the New Yorker, July 20, 2020 wrote: American police differed from their English counterparts: in the U.S., police commissioners, as political appointees, fell under local control, with limited supervision; and law enforcement was decentralized, resulting in a jurisdictional thicket. In 1857, in the Great Police Riot, the New York Municipal Police, run by the mayor's office, fought on the steps of city hall with the New York Metropolitan Police, run by the state. The Metropolitans were known as the New York Mets. That year, an amateur baseball team of the same name was founded.

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: I confess that I have some concern with how comfortably neckware might play in 2021.

Check out the uniforms the little league team wears in the Steve Martin movie My Blue Heaven (1990). I couldn't find a picture I could post.



Later

[G-Fafif]

Official MLB historian John Thorn is on board.

[Edgy MD]

I had no idea this was a Thorn-y issue, but it makes sense that it would be.

[G-Fafif]

Mr. Thorn can be fun. And what is baseball if not fun?

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: I confess that I have some concern with how comfortably neckware might play in 2021.

Hey, some of the neckware worn by today's players must weigh at least three or four pounds.

[Willets Point]

Edgy MD wrote: I confess that I have some concern with how comfortably neckware might play in 2021.

In 2021, they can wear the neckware for introductions and then - voila - pull them to wear as face masks.

[G-Fafif]

Amazingly, this thread has grown http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2021/04/01/the-kings-of-queens-of-staten-island/incredibly timely.

[Edgy MD]

It took me 'til the third-to-last paragraph.