#42

[Guest iramets]

Bill Wakefield, #42 on the 1964 Mets (and still theoretically an interview- in-progress, which questions I sent him many a moon ago) has sent notice that he walked around Kansas City yesterday, on his "morning shopping trips to Home Depot, Molly Stones, Marin Municipal Water District and Fidelity Investments," wearing his #42 uni, in honor of Jackie Robinson, and with the Mets' permission (though not with the Mets' compensation).

[Guest iramets]

What did I do wrong with that image? It's a cool photo (though 43 years out of date)

[Guest Edgy DC]

You should have used the URL of the photo instead of the page.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

That's not true, is it? I have wakefield as a 43, not a 42.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Note the Palm trees in the background! 42 is a spring training photo.

Here's Bill during the season (at Wrigley!), World's Fair patch, and what has to be the edge of a "3" showing.

[Guest iramets]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: That's not true, is it? I have wakefield as a 43, not a 42.

Didn't even think to check with the authoritative source. I'll ask him if he's stretching a technical point here (and maybe ask him how those moldy interview questions are doing, while I'm at it).

Thanks for the techy help!

[Guest Edgy DC]

It'd be pretty cool to find out that Wakefield (1) isn't wearing a replica jersey but his old Met duds, (2) that he loved being a Met so much that he even kept his spring training top, and (3) he still fits in it.

That's why I'm a bad journalist. I root for the story to go one way before getting the facts.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

One other thing:

Molly Stone's is a specialty grocery chain in the Bay Area, not Kansas City. I would guess the Marin water district is in the Bay Area too.

What is going on here?

[Willets Point]

The Ultimate Answer to the Great Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.

[Guest iramets]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: One other thing: Molly Stone's is a specialty grocery chain in the Bay Area, not Kansas City. I would guess the Marin water district is in the Bay Area too. What is going on here?

That was probably my mistake--he'd been living in the midwest when last I'd been in touch, but now his son is pitching for Stanford, and maybe he uprooted and went out there.

Just imagine his perplexity at finding out that the world's foremost expert on Met uni numbers is also a professional analyst of grocery chains as well.

[Vic Sage]

Willets Point wrote: The Ultimate Answer to the Great Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.

so long, willets... and thanks for all the fish.

[Willets Point]

Vic Sage wrote: ="Willets Point"]The Ultimate Answer to the Great Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. so long, willets... and thanks for all the fish.

Don't panic...I'm mostly harmless.

[Guest iramets]

Turns out Bill is something of a kidder, but here's the scoop directly quoting from his latest:

As Casey used to say - "Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story." I still haven't learned the lesson that subtle humor doesn't work on the Internet. I watched the games yesterday and thought I would send a little e-mail to some friends. I did not break out the uni for trips to the super market.

I wore #43 for Spring Training and the entire season in 1964.

For Spring Training in 1965 - I wore #43. Spent the season in Buffalo and Salt Lake City.

For Spring Training in 1966 -- when this picture was taken -- I wore #42. Herb Norman the equipment manager said #43 is gone but you can have #42. It didn't have the retired jersey number status at that time. I spent the season in Williamsport playing for Bill Virdon so it didn't matter.

So now as Paul Harvey reminds us "now you have the rest of the story."

He also wrote me that he has moved several times in the last two years, including last week, when he moved to San Rafael CA (Kudos Johnny D.!) and that he's lost all the interview questions I sent him. But as a former archivist, and a current and perpetual packrat, I'm sure I have those questions on some hard drive or other, so I'm forwarding them to him today.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Do we know why they used him so much in '64 and then never again?

[Guest iramets]

That's probably the chief mystery I'm hoping to solve in this interview.

(P.S.--check your work e-mail, Johnny.)