Shea Goodbye

[Benjamin Grimm]

Some scoop on the Shea closing ceremonies, from the New York Times:

RICHARD SANDOMIR wrote: After the Florida-Mets afternoon game on Sept. 28, the Mets plan to bring back 45 former players, including Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza, for a celebration called Shea Goodbye. Dave Howard, the Mets� executive vice president for business, said, �We think most of the names that come to mind will be there.� Howard offered few other details. He said fireworks were possible, but construction at Citi Field next door might pose a roadblock. It may also prevent the team from doing something spectacular, like lighting up the unfinished ballpark. �Lighting up Citi Field is an interesting idea, but I can�t say it�s feasible,� he said. The Mets have already announced plans with the MeiGray Group to sell artifacts from Shea Stadium, with the city retaining 70 percent of the proceeds and the rest going to the Mets Foundation.

[HahnSolo]

="Benjamin Grimm"]Some scoop on the Shea closing ceremonies, from the New York Times: ="RICHARD SANDOMIR"]After the Florida-Mets afternoon game on Sept. 28, the Mets plan to bring back 45 former players, including Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza, for a celebration called Shea Goodbye. Dave Howard, the Mets� executive vice president for business, said, �We think most of the names that come to mind will be there.� Howard offered few other details. He said fireworks were possible, but construction at Citi Field next door might pose a roadblock. It may also prevent the team from doing something spectacular, like lighting up the unfinished ballpark. �Lighting up Citi Field is an interesting idea, but I can�t say it�s feasible,� he said. The Mets have already announced plans with the MeiGray Group to sell artifacts from Shea Stadium, with the city retaining 70 percent of the proceeds and the rest going to the Mets Foundation.

Mookie, Kingman, and Davey come to mind. don't think they'll be there.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm not expecting Doc Gooden either.

I do expect Keith, Ron and Rusty. And I hope that Jerry Koosman will be there.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

What happened to Mookie?

Would be neat to see Jay Hook and some of the other 1962 originals there. Even Don Zimmer.

The Tigers did something neat for the last game at the stadium. Players wore the number of the best player who ever played in that position. For centerfield, the player wore no name or number to commemorate Ty Cobb. So it's a good trivia question. Who was the last person to play in the major leagues without a number.

Hint: He's a Brewer today.

Edited September 17, 2008 by Guest

[HahnSolo]

There was an article a few weeks back (Rubin in the Daily News, maybe?) that said Mookie and Davey were not likely to be there.

[HahnSolo]

Guessing Gabe Kapler.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

HahnSolo wrote: Guessing Gabe Kapler.

Correct!

They also dug up home plate right after the game, and gave it a police escort to Comerica Park, where it was immediately installed, all shown on the scoreboard video. Kinda neat.

[G-Fafif]

Thirty-six active players at the moment plus Ron, Keith, HoJo and Sandy Alomar Sr. So they'll be bringing in, I assume, like five guys.

Seriously, 848 men have played for the Mets. Forty-five, if I've counted correctly from the UMDB necrology, are no longer with us. A few dozen from '62 and '63 never played at Shea. Maybe a few more only played road games after '64. Ex-Mets in other uniforms and therefore working that day as players, coaches and managers must total, I don't know, a few more dozen.

Seems to me 45, other than for the significance of total number of seasons at Shea, is a little low.

[Gwreck]

45 players? I'll guess it looks like this:

Tom Seaver
Darryl Strawberry
Mike Piazza
Howard Johnson
Ed Kranepool
Keith Hernandez
Ron Darling
Rusty Staub
Bud Harrelson

Jesse Orsoco
Lee Mazzilli
Ron Swoboda
Al Jackson
Jerry Koosman
John Franco
Al Leiter
Jerry Grote
David Cone

John Stearns
Bobby Jones
Lenny Dykstra
Edgardo Alfonzo
Sid Fernandez
Jon Matlack
Rick Reed
Todd Hundley
Gary Carter

Wayne Garrett
Hubie Brooks
Joel Youngblood
Felix Millan
Craig Swan
Gary Gentry
Turk Wendell
Robin Ventura
Todd Zeile

Wally Backman
Tim Teufel
Ed Charles
Rick Aguilera
Dennis Cook
Todd Pratt
Randy Niemann
Kevin Elster
Terry Leach

Top 5 Absentees:
Doc
Mookie
Cleon
Kingman
Olerud

(also absent: Bobby V. and Davey)

[HahnSolo]

G-Fafif wrote: Thirty-six active players at the moment plus Ron, Keith, HoJo and Sandy Alomar Sr. So they'll be bringing in, I assume, like five guys. Seriously, 848 men have played for the Mets. Forty-five, if I've counted correctly from the UMDB necrology, are no longer with us. A few dozen from '62 and '63 never played at Shea. Maybe a few more only played road games after '64. Ex-Mets in other uniforms and therefore working that day as players, coaches and managers must total, I don't know, a few more dozen. Seems to me 45, other than for the significance of total number of seasons at Shea, is a little low.

You're right. I missed that on first read. Maybe they figure with 45 guys they can be done by 5PM and save money on turning the lights on.

[Elster88]

HahnSolo wrote: There was an article a few weeks back (Rubin in the Daily News, maybe?) that said Mookie and Davey were not likely to be there.

Did it say why?

[G-Fafif]

Gwreck wrote: Top 5 Absentees: Doc Mookie Cleon Kingman Olerud (also absent: Bobby V. and Davey)

G,

Hadn't heard about Olerud and Cleon. What gives?

G

[Met Hunter]

MAB Celebrity is having a Shea Goodbye card show/signing that weekend. These are the guests listed so far:

Art Shamsky
Darryl Strawberry
Dwight Gooden
Edgardo Alfonzo
Felix Millan
George Theodore
Jerry Koosman
Robin Ventura
Ron Swoboda
Rusty Staub
Tom Seaver
Wally Backman
Willie Mays
Yogi Berra
Jack Fisher

I'm guessing at least these players will be in town for the final game.

[seawolf17]

Met Hunter wrote: MAB Celebrity is having a Shea Goodbye card show/signing that weekend. These are the guests listed so far: Art Shamsky Darryl Strawberry Dwight Gooden Edgardo Alfonzo Felix Millan George Theodore Jerry Koosman Robin Ventura Ron Swoboda Rusty Staub Tom Seaver Wally Backman Willie Mays Yogi Berra Jack Fisher I'm guessing at least these players will be in town for the final game.

Interesting. I'd ask for more information, as some of those guys I'd love to add to my Mets collection (Stork, Shamsky, Fisher), but I'm sure that fees are going to be outlandish. (I'd love Mays too, but I certainly don't have that kind of cash.)

[Gwreck]

G-Fafif wrote: ="Gwreck"] Top 5 Absentees: Doc Mookie Cleon Kingman Olerud (also absent: Bobby V. and Davey) G, Hadn't heard about Olerud and Cleon. What gives? G

That list was a somewhat-educated, somewhat-random guess about what players I'd think would should up, based on the 45 number. It certainly should *not* be taken as news.

Knowing the Mets, I figured they'd screw this up somehow, and there'd be more conspicuous absentees than we knew about (ie. Doc, Mookie). Why did I pick Cleon and Olerud as two expected no-shows? Olerud's got several little kids and lives in Seattle, IIRC. Plus -- despite how great they were -- he was only a Met for 3 seasons and probably is more identified with the Mariners. Cleon? Who knows. Just a random guess. I can't even remember the last Met-related thing he was at Shea for.

There is actually one other major person missing but he's excused as he'll be busy that day as the pitching coach for the Braves.

I suppose I was also thinking that if we take the "45" number as gospel, we could do one of those CPF-style contests where the person who picks correctly the greatest number of the 45 Mets to show up gets some sort of fabulous prize.*



* As always, fabulous prizes conditioned on the winner buying them first.

[HahnSolo]

Elster88 wrote: ="HahnSolo"]There was an article a few weeks back (Rubin in the Daily News, maybe?) that said Mookie and Davey were not likely to be there. Did it say why?

For Mookie I think it was a falling out with the organization (over his no longer coaching, maybe?). Don't remember about Davey.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

No, the Mook fell out of favor when he was photographed wearing Cardinals gear and rooting for his son Preston in the 06 NLCS

[Guest Iubitul]

I have a feeling that the number of players showing and the number of years at Shea are not a coincidence. I'm thinking that they would have a player represent each year, say, Ron Hunt for '64, Jack fisher for '65, and so on...

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

seawolf17 wrote: ="Met Hunter"]MAB Celebrity is having a Shea Goodbye card show/signing that weekend. These are the guests listed so far: Art Shamsky Darryl Strawberry Dwight Gooden Edgardo Alfonzo Felix Millan George Theodore Jerry Koosman Robin Ventura Ron Swoboda Rusty Staub Tom Seaver Wally Backman Willie Mays Yogi Berra Jack Fisher I'm guessing at least these players will be in town for the final game. Interesting. I'd ask for more information, as some of those guys I'd love to add to my Mets collection (Stork, Shamsky, Fisher), but I'm sure that fees are going to be outlandish. (I'd love Mays too, but I certainly don't have that kind of cash.)

I had Mays sign a baseball for me back in 1988 and paid what was then the outlandish price of $9. Mantle was at the same show, and I passed beacuse he was a freaking Yankee, but also because the price was $12, and I remember thinking that was just insane.

I'd love have some of those guys at the MAB show, especially Theodore and Jack Fisher.

I did have anice experience at a big group show like that once. Again, it was the late 1980s, and they had most of the 1962 team there, including Richie Ashburn. A 1969 reunion show that same year on one of the piers had a pretty good chunk of the team, but not the elusive Nolan Ryan.