High Fashun

[Edgy MD]

I'm not really sure why this became about Gary Carter, but you don't have to have animus to oppose the retirement of a number.

[Bob Alpacadaca]

Edgy MD wrote: I'm not really sure why this became about Gary Carter, but you don't have to have animus to oppose the retirement of a number.

Understood.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Bob Alpacadaca wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Both I guess. It's become a damned-if-you-do/damned-if-you-don't PR predicament for the Mets, and the typical corporate way teams handle that is to stick with the status quo. But that's wimpy. The bold organization knows there's always a third way. I've never understood the animus toward Carter. Hall of Fame career. Treated people well. Understood the importance of being a role model. His induction into the Mets Hall of Fame is well-deserved. I'd be fine of the Mets wanted to retire his number. Backup catchers and fifth outfielders?

What edgy said.



Plus, you could just the same, be describing Edgardo Alfonzo, Rusty Staub, Mookie Wilson or Bud Harrelson. To a tee. And they all had, without a doubt, way way way better Mets careers than Carter. Yet nobody's clamoring to retire any of their numbers.



There's a good reason for that.

[whippoorwill]

I was going to point out that he was part of a Championship team but then, oh.

[Edgy MD]

Non-numerical ways to honor the above:



Edgardo Alfonzo: If and when the team re-establishes a Venezuelan academy, name the VSL team, the field, or the whole complex after Edgardo. In the meantime, they can name one of their two DSL teams in his honor.



Rusty Staub: Establish a Citi Field food location based on Rusty's restaurants. Find old kitchen workers and family members, along with Rusty's old notes, to gather his old recipes and build a menu around them. Also, create an annual team fund to help re-establish the Rusty Staub Foundation. Recruit retired and active players to sit on the board. Take up the original mission — supporting the families of fallen New York firefighters and police officers, and supporting New York Catholic Charities outreach programs — but if the funds are there, expand the programming to support the families of fallen sanitation workers, transit workers, teachers, etc., and support a broader array of New York human service organizations.



Mookie Wilson: Establish a Mookie Wilson Award, given annually to the team's best baserunner, or perhaps simply to the team's most likeable dude.



Bud Harrelson: Establish a Bud Harrelson Award, given annually to the team's most valuable defender. Alternatively, establish a program called Buddy's Buddies, in partnership with the animal care agencies of Queens, whereas anyone adopting a homeless pet from a Queens shelter gets a visit from a Met delivering a care box, as well as a photo of the family with their new member joined by the visiting Met presented on the enormous Citi Field scoreboard. Rope in Queensboro FC or The New York Cosmos and other professional teams from the area. Put Alex Cohen and some of Buddy's kids (he has six) on the board. Set a Cohen-sized goal of zero homeless pets in the borough by 20XX. Meet it.



Gary Carter: Gary won a championship managing the GCL Mets. What better way to honor him than to re-name their successors, the FCL Mets, "The Kids" in his honor? His family will be so tickled pink that — when told that the team is going to be assigning #8 going forward, but they wanted to make sure Carter's legacy with the organization was enshrined and perpetuated — they'd all be delighted. If the family play hard ball, the team might offer to name the field after him as well. It's no skin off my nose.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Bob Alpacadaca wrote: [Gary Carter's] induction into the Mets Hall of Fame is well-deserved.

My instinct is not to challenge this idea because I think that most would find it absurd. But what the hell? So why is Gary Carter in the Mets Hall of Fame? I don't think it's well deserved. In fact, I don't even think it's deserved at all Why isn't John Olerud a Mets Hall of Famer? Or R.A. Dickey? I'd vote for them over Carter every single day of the week. What about Donn Clendenon -- a real last piece to the puzzle, pretending that that's even a thing. And if you wanna talk about Mets World Series rings, Clendenon was the MVP of the '69 Series. I just don't get this Carter love. To me, it's delusional.



I realize there's more to this than simply ranking every Met by WAR and then inducting the top Mets WAR accumulators, but c'mon - two very good seasons and three crappy seasons including one vomit inducing puke in your own mouth turd of a season?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I agree. I appreciate what Gary Carter contributed to the Mets, but if I was in charge, I'd issue number 8 to a backup catcher or fifth outfielder. It really ought to be put back in circulation.

Bob Alpacadaca wrote: Backup catchers and fifth outfielders?

Yeah. Backup catchers and fifth outfielders. What Grimm is saying is that Gary Carter's uniform number deserves no more special treatment than Donn Clendenon's old number, or Wally Backman's, or Bret Saberhagen's or Jack Leathersich's.

[A Boy Named Seo]

City Connect confirmed for the Mets this year. Who else is terrified they're gonna suck?

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

word is out already it's black, so yup

[A Boy Named Seo]

Since they already have a black top, I fear it's gonna be one of those black-on-black-on-black monstrosities like Cincy.



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