Shame of the Citi: Erasing Doc's Signature

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'mnot sure how the green seats being there from Day One particularly undercuts the Mets' contention. Moreover, I think the conflating of the Dodgers/Giants thing with the lack-of-Mets-history thing is undermining the latter point.

[G-Fafif]

="Edgy DC":3hs8m27h]I'mnot sure how the green seats being there from Day One particularly undercuts the Mets' contention. Moreover, I think the conflating of the Dodgers/Giants thing with the lack-of-Mets-history thing is undermining the latter point.[/quote:3hs8m27h] The seats are green because somebody liked the color, which is fine. Sometimes a green seat is just a green seat. The exterior and rotunda at 120-01 Roosevelt Avenue exist as they do because they existed that way at 55 Sullivan Place. Agreed Dodgers/Giants ratio is not relevant, specifically, to the lack of Metsiana. It just accents how skewed the sense of heritage informing this park is.

G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 10:22 AM

="metsguyinmichigan":2ec4je5k]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo. I think this thing with Gooden became a big deal because there are media types there who are just waiting to pounce and condemn the Mets. If Don Mattingly did the same thing at the Death Star, I suspect the coverage would have been different.[/quote:2ec4je5k] If this place had been designed to mimic the Polo Grounds, if there was a Stoneham Club, if a Christy Matthewson Plaza welcomed you -- and there was as little about the Mets informing the place and zero about the Dodgers -- it would be as creepy and misguided as the pervasive presence of the Ebbets fetish. The Mets deserved the pouncing and condemnation on Gooden for their reaction and overreaction. How they lacked the presence of mind to make lemonade out of lemons is indicative of the lack of imagination that made their default stadium an aping of someone else's. And if the MFYs treated Mattingly's hypothetical wall signature as the Mets initially did, they'd hear about it, too. Not an issue for the MFYs since they set up a museum with nearly 700 baseballs autographed by MFY players and personalities. batmagadanleadoff Apr 22 2009 10:44 AM ="G-Fafif":1pl4ukac]The seats are green because somebody liked the color, which is fine. Sometimes a green seat is just a green seat.[/quote:1pl4ukac] This is exactly what I thought the instant I skeptically read the Mets propaganda about how green was supposedly for the Polo Grounds. It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. Of course, the PG's were also home to our Mets and so there'd be some nose cutting face-spiting going on here, but this thread is all about the Mets ignoring their own heritage. (Not that I believe the MFY angle that I invented just for the sake of this post). Benjamin Grimm Apr 22 2009 11:18 AM You know, if they don't cover Doc's signature with plexiglass, it's only a matter of time before someone adds another line to it: 87 DRUG SUSPENSION Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 11:20 AM See, that's why you can't quit your Mets jones. I won't allow it. Benjamin Grimm Apr 22 2009 11:29 AM I'll try to hang in there, then. G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 11:30 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1zlf960a]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:1zlf960a] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98. soupcan Apr 22 2009 11:32 AM ="metsguyinmichigan":bz15gf10]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:bz15gf10] That's an excellent point. batmagadanleadoff Apr 22 2009 04:04 PM ="soupcan":2n1x70ze] ="metsguyinmichigan":2n1x70ze]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:2n1x70ze] That's an excellent point.[/quote:2n1x70ze] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 04:09 PM ="soupcan":2tdnfklr] ="Ashie62":2tdnfklr]If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management..[/quote:2tdnfklr][/quote:2tdnfklr] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. All men are created equal Met Hunter Apr 22 2009 07:08 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":60pwhhxj]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo. [/quote:60pwhhxj] I'd be ok with a John McGraw tribute somewhere in the rotunda. Especially knowing that Mrs. McGraw, at the closing of the Polo Grounds, (a place the Mets actually played) after being asked how her husband would feel, said "He's rolling over in his grave". metsguyinmichigan Apr 22 2009 07:49 PM When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk. Swan Swan H Apr 22 2009 07:57 PM Xerox is a big sponsor this year. Get them on the blower and start working on some interactive stuff for the new HOF. Barter, boys, get this thing moving. Frayed Knot Apr 22 2009 07:59 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":3ix69awn]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:3ix69awn] We don't have room for that sort of stuff. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 08:15 PM Wouldn't adding NY Giants stuff on top of Dodger stuff on top of Mets stuff with more Mets stuff coming be too much stuff? If a woodchuck could chuck stuff. G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 08:51 PM There's probably some space where the 2009 World Champions pennant was supposed to go. Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 09:40 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":1nasyirq]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:1nasyirq] Isn't this the exact opposite of what people are decrying? soupcan Apr 23 2009 07:50 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="metsguyinmichigan":dzaavb83]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:dzaavb83] That's an excellent point.[/quote:dzaavb83] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue.[/quote:dzaavb83] Do people look at the 'W' on the Nats cap and think of the Senators (yes) or do they look at the red cap and think of the Expos (no)? The only people that know that the Mets orange and blue are from the Dodgers and Giants are the more-than-fair-weather Mets fans. The interlocking 'NY' is a much more identifiable symbol of the New York Giants than the blue (which is a different shade of blue) of the Dodgers. ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management.. [/quote:dzaavb83] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. [/quote:dzaavb83] All men are created equal[/quote:dzaavb83] But some men are more equal than others. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 08:55 AM ="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[G-Fafif]

="metsguyinmichigan":2ec4je5k]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo. I think this thing with Gooden became a big deal because there are media types there who are just waiting to pounce and condemn the Mets. If Don Mattingly did the same thing at the Death Star, I suspect the coverage would have been different.[/quote:2ec4je5k] If this place had been designed to mimic the Polo Grounds, if there was a Stoneham Club, if a Christy Matthewson Plaza welcomed you -- and there was as little about the Mets informing the place and zero about the Dodgers -- it would be as creepy and misguided as the pervasive presence of the Ebbets fetish. The Mets deserved the pouncing and condemnation on Gooden for their reaction and overreaction. How they lacked the presence of mind to make lemonade out of lemons is indicative of the lack of imagination that made their default stadium an aping of someone else's. And if the MFYs treated Mattingly's hypothetical wall signature as the Mets initially did, they'd hear about it, too. Not an issue for the MFYs since they set up a museum with nearly 700 baseballs autographed by MFY players and personalities.

batmagadanleadoff Apr 22 2009 10:44 AM

="G-Fafif":1pl4ukac]The seats are green because somebody liked the color, which is fine. Sometimes a green seat is just a green seat.[/quote:1pl4ukac] This is exactly what I thought the instant I skeptically read the Mets propaganda about how green was supposedly for the Polo Grounds. It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. Of course, the PG's were also home to our Mets and so there'd be some nose cutting face-spiting going on here, but this thread is all about the Mets ignoring their own heritage. (Not that I believe the MFY angle that I invented just for the sake of this post). Benjamin Grimm Apr 22 2009 11:18 AM You know, if they don't cover Doc's signature with plexiglass, it's only a matter of time before someone adds another line to it: 87 DRUG SUSPENSION Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 11:20 AM See, that's why you can't quit your Mets jones. I won't allow it. Benjamin Grimm Apr 22 2009 11:29 AM I'll try to hang in there, then. G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 11:30 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":1zlf960a]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:1zlf960a] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98. soupcan Apr 22 2009 11:32 AM ="metsguyinmichigan":bz15gf10]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:bz15gf10] That's an excellent point. batmagadanleadoff Apr 22 2009 04:04 PM ="soupcan":2n1x70ze] ="metsguyinmichigan":2n1x70ze]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:2n1x70ze] That's an excellent point.[/quote:2n1x70ze] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 04:09 PM ="soupcan":2tdnfklr] ="Ashie62":2tdnfklr]If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management..[/quote:2tdnfklr][/quote:2tdnfklr] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. All men are created equal Met Hunter Apr 22 2009 07:08 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":60pwhhxj]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo. [/quote:60pwhhxj] I'd be ok with a John McGraw tribute somewhere in the rotunda. Especially knowing that Mrs. McGraw, at the closing of the Polo Grounds, (a place the Mets actually played) after being asked how her husband would feel, said "He's rolling over in his grave". metsguyinmichigan Apr 22 2009 07:49 PM When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk. Swan Swan H Apr 22 2009 07:57 PM Xerox is a big sponsor this year. Get them on the blower and start working on some interactive stuff for the new HOF. Barter, boys, get this thing moving. Frayed Knot Apr 22 2009 07:59 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":3ix69awn]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:3ix69awn] We don't have room for that sort of stuff. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 08:15 PM Wouldn't adding NY Giants stuff on top of Dodger stuff on top of Mets stuff with more Mets stuff coming be too much stuff? If a woodchuck could chuck stuff. G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 08:51 PM There's probably some space where the 2009 World Champions pennant was supposed to go. Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 09:40 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":1nasyirq]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:1nasyirq] Isn't this the exact opposite of what people are decrying? soupcan Apr 23 2009 07:50 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="metsguyinmichigan":dzaavb83]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:dzaavb83] That's an excellent point.[/quote:dzaavb83] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue.[/quote:dzaavb83] Do people look at the 'W' on the Nats cap and think of the Senators (yes) or do they look at the red cap and think of the Expos (no)? The only people that know that the Mets orange and blue are from the Dodgers and Giants are the more-than-fair-weather Mets fans. The interlocking 'NY' is a much more identifiable symbol of the New York Giants than the blue (which is a different shade of blue) of the Dodgers. ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management.. [/quote:dzaavb83] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. [/quote:dzaavb83] All men are created equal[/quote:dzaavb83] But some men are more equal than others. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 08:55 AM ="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[batmagadanleadoff]

="G-Fafif":1pl4ukac]The seats are green because somebody liked the color, which is fine. Sometimes a green seat is just a green seat.[/quote:1pl4ukac] This is exactly what I thought the instant I skeptically read the Mets propaganda about how green was supposedly for the Polo Grounds. It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. Of course, the PG's were also home to our Mets and so there'd be some nose cutting face-spiting going on here, but this thread is all about the Mets ignoring their own heritage. (Not that I believe the MFY angle that I invented just for the sake of this post).

Benjamin Grimm Apr 22 2009 11:18 AM

You know, if they don't cover Doc's signature with plexiglass, it's only a matter of time before someone adds another line to it: 87 DRUG SUSPENSION

Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 11:20 AM

See, that's why you can't quit your Mets jones. I won't allow it.

Benjamin Grimm Apr 22 2009 11:29 AM

I'll try to hang in there, then.

G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 11:30 AM

="batmagadanleadoff":1zlf960a]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:1zlf960a] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98. soupcan Apr 22 2009 11:32 AM ="metsguyinmichigan":bz15gf10]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:bz15gf10] That's an excellent point. batmagadanleadoff Apr 22 2009 04:04 PM ="soupcan":2n1x70ze] ="metsguyinmichigan":2n1x70ze]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:2n1x70ze] That's an excellent point.[/quote:2n1x70ze] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 04:09 PM ="soupcan":2tdnfklr] ="Ashie62":2tdnfklr]If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management..[/quote:2tdnfklr][/quote:2tdnfklr] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. All men are created equal Met Hunter Apr 22 2009 07:08 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":60pwhhxj]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo. [/quote:60pwhhxj] I'd be ok with a John McGraw tribute somewhere in the rotunda. Especially knowing that Mrs. McGraw, at the closing of the Polo Grounds, (a place the Mets actually played) after being asked how her husband would feel, said "He's rolling over in his grave". metsguyinmichigan Apr 22 2009 07:49 PM When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk. Swan Swan H Apr 22 2009 07:57 PM Xerox is a big sponsor this year. Get them on the blower and start working on some interactive stuff for the new HOF. Barter, boys, get this thing moving. Frayed Knot Apr 22 2009 07:59 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":3ix69awn]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:3ix69awn] We don't have room for that sort of stuff. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 08:15 PM Wouldn't adding NY Giants stuff on top of Dodger stuff on top of Mets stuff with more Mets stuff coming be too much stuff? If a woodchuck could chuck stuff. G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 08:51 PM There's probably some space where the 2009 World Champions pennant was supposed to go. Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 09:40 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":1nasyirq]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:1nasyirq] Isn't this the exact opposite of what people are decrying? soupcan Apr 23 2009 07:50 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="metsguyinmichigan":dzaavb83]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:dzaavb83] That's an excellent point.[/quote:dzaavb83] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue.[/quote:dzaavb83] Do people look at the 'W' on the Nats cap and think of the Senators (yes) or do they look at the red cap and think of the Expos (no)? The only people that know that the Mets orange and blue are from the Dodgers and Giants are the more-than-fair-weather Mets fans. The interlocking 'NY' is a much more identifiable symbol of the New York Giants than the blue (which is a different shade of blue) of the Dodgers. ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management.. [/quote:dzaavb83] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. [/quote:dzaavb83] All men are created equal[/quote:dzaavb83] But some men are more equal than others. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 08:55 AM ="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[Benjamin Grimm]

You know, if they don't cover Doc's signature with plexiglass, it's only a matter of time before someone adds another line to it:

87 DRUG SUSPENSION

[Guest Edgy DC]

See, that's why you can't quit your Mets jones. I won't allow it.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'll try to hang in there, then.

[G-Fafif]

="batmagadanleadoff":1zlf960a]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:1zlf960a] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.

soupcan Apr 22 2009 11:32 AM

="metsguyinmichigan":bz15gf10]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:bz15gf10] That's an excellent point. batmagadanleadoff Apr 22 2009 04:04 PM ="soupcan":2n1x70ze] ="metsguyinmichigan":2n1x70ze]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:2n1x70ze] That's an excellent point.[/quote:2n1x70ze] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 04:09 PM ="soupcan":2tdnfklr] ="Ashie62":2tdnfklr]If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management..[/quote:2tdnfklr][/quote:2tdnfklr] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. All men are created equal Met Hunter Apr 22 2009 07:08 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":60pwhhxj]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo. [/quote:60pwhhxj] I'd be ok with a John McGraw tribute somewhere in the rotunda. Especially knowing that Mrs. McGraw, at the closing of the Polo Grounds, (a place the Mets actually played) after being asked how her husband would feel, said "He's rolling over in his grave". metsguyinmichigan Apr 22 2009 07:49 PM When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk. Swan Swan H Apr 22 2009 07:57 PM Xerox is a big sponsor this year. Get them on the blower and start working on some interactive stuff for the new HOF. Barter, boys, get this thing moving. Frayed Knot Apr 22 2009 07:59 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":3ix69awn]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:3ix69awn] We don't have room for that sort of stuff. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 08:15 PM Wouldn't adding NY Giants stuff on top of Dodger stuff on top of Mets stuff with more Mets stuff coming be too much stuff? If a woodchuck could chuck stuff. G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 08:51 PM There's probably some space where the 2009 World Champions pennant was supposed to go. Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 09:40 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":1nasyirq]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:1nasyirq] Isn't this the exact opposite of what people are decrying? soupcan Apr 23 2009 07:50 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="metsguyinmichigan":dzaavb83]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:dzaavb83] That's an excellent point.[/quote:dzaavb83] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue.[/quote:dzaavb83] Do people look at the 'W' on the Nats cap and think of the Senators (yes) or do they look at the red cap and think of the Expos (no)? The only people that know that the Mets orange and blue are from the Dodgers and Giants are the more-than-fair-weather Mets fans. The interlocking 'NY' is a much more identifiable symbol of the New York Giants than the blue (which is a different shade of blue) of the Dodgers. ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management.. [/quote:dzaavb83] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. [/quote:dzaavb83] All men are created equal[/quote:dzaavb83] But some men are more equal than others. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 08:55 AM ="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[soupcan]

="metsguyinmichigan":bz15gf10]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:bz15gf10] That's an excellent point.

batmagadanleadoff Apr 22 2009 04:04 PM

="soupcan":2n1x70ze] ="metsguyinmichigan":2n1x70ze]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:2n1x70ze] That's an excellent point.[/quote:2n1x70ze] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 04:09 PM ="soupcan":2tdnfklr] ="Ashie62":2tdnfklr]If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management..[/quote:2tdnfklr][/quote:2tdnfklr] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. All men are created equal Met Hunter Apr 22 2009 07:08 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":60pwhhxj]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo. [/quote:60pwhhxj] I'd be ok with a John McGraw tribute somewhere in the rotunda. Especially knowing that Mrs. McGraw, at the closing of the Polo Grounds, (a place the Mets actually played) after being asked how her husband would feel, said "He's rolling over in his grave". metsguyinmichigan Apr 22 2009 07:49 PM When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk. Swan Swan H Apr 22 2009 07:57 PM Xerox is a big sponsor this year. Get them on the blower and start working on some interactive stuff for the new HOF. Barter, boys, get this thing moving. Frayed Knot Apr 22 2009 07:59 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":3ix69awn]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:3ix69awn] We don't have room for that sort of stuff. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 08:15 PM Wouldn't adding NY Giants stuff on top of Dodger stuff on top of Mets stuff with more Mets stuff coming be too much stuff? If a woodchuck could chuck stuff. G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 08:51 PM There's probably some space where the 2009 World Champions pennant was supposed to go. Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 09:40 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":1nasyirq]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:1nasyirq] Isn't this the exact opposite of what people are decrying? soupcan Apr 23 2009 07:50 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="metsguyinmichigan":dzaavb83]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:dzaavb83] That's an excellent point.[/quote:dzaavb83] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue.[/quote:dzaavb83] Do people look at the 'W' on the Nats cap and think of the Senators (yes) or do they look at the red cap and think of the Expos (no)? The only people that know that the Mets orange and blue are from the Dodgers and Giants are the more-than-fair-weather Mets fans. The interlocking 'NY' is a much more identifiable symbol of the New York Giants than the blue (which is a different shade of blue) of the Dodgers. ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management.. [/quote:dzaavb83] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. [/quote:dzaavb83] All men are created equal[/quote:dzaavb83] But some men are more equal than others. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 08:55 AM ="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[batmagadanleadoff]

="soupcan":2n1x70ze] ="metsguyinmichigan":2n1x70ze]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:2n1x70ze] That's an excellent point.[/quote:2n1x70ze] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 04:09 PM ="soupcan":2tdnfklr] ="Ashie62":2tdnfklr]If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management..[/quote:2tdnfklr][/quote:2tdnfklr] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. All men are created equal Met Hunter Apr 22 2009 07:08 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":60pwhhxj]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo. [/quote:60pwhhxj] I'd be ok with a John McGraw tribute somewhere in the rotunda. Especially knowing that Mrs. McGraw, at the closing of the Polo Grounds, (a place the Mets actually played) after being asked how her husband would feel, said "He's rolling over in his grave". metsguyinmichigan Apr 22 2009 07:49 PM When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk. Swan Swan H Apr 22 2009 07:57 PM Xerox is a big sponsor this year. Get them on the blower and start working on some interactive stuff for the new HOF. Barter, boys, get this thing moving. Frayed Knot Apr 22 2009 07:59 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":3ix69awn]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:3ix69awn] We don't have room for that sort of stuff. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 08:15 PM Wouldn't adding NY Giants stuff on top of Dodger stuff on top of Mets stuff with more Mets stuff coming be too much stuff? If a woodchuck could chuck stuff. G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 08:51 PM There's probably some space where the 2009 World Champions pennant was supposed to go. Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 09:40 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":1nasyirq]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:1nasyirq] Isn't this the exact opposite of what people are decrying? soupcan Apr 23 2009 07:50 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="metsguyinmichigan":dzaavb83]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:dzaavb83] That's an excellent point.[/quote:dzaavb83] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue.[/quote:dzaavb83] Do people look at the 'W' on the Nats cap and think of the Senators (yes) or do they look at the red cap and think of the Expos (no)? The only people that know that the Mets orange and blue are from the Dodgers and Giants are the more-than-fair-weather Mets fans. The interlocking 'NY' is a much more identifiable symbol of the New York Giants than the blue (which is a different shade of blue) of the Dodgers. ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management.. [/quote:dzaavb83] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. [/quote:dzaavb83] All men are created equal[/quote:dzaavb83] But some men are more equal than others. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 08:55 AM ="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[ashie62]

="soupcan":2tdnfklr] ="Ashie62":2tdnfklr]If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management..[/quote:2tdnfklr][/quote:2tdnfklr] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. All men are created equal Met Hunter Apr 22 2009 07:08 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":60pwhhxj]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo. [/quote:60pwhhxj] I'd be ok with a John McGraw tribute somewhere in the rotunda. Especially knowing that Mrs. McGraw, at the closing of the Polo Grounds, (a place the Mets actually played) after being asked how her husband would feel, said "He's rolling over in his grave". metsguyinmichigan Apr 22 2009 07:49 PM When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk. Swan Swan H Apr 22 2009 07:57 PM Xerox is a big sponsor this year. Get them on the blower and start working on some interactive stuff for the new HOF. Barter, boys, get this thing moving. Frayed Knot Apr 22 2009 07:59 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":3ix69awn]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:3ix69awn] We don't have room for that sort of stuff. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 08:15 PM Wouldn't adding NY Giants stuff on top of Dodger stuff on top of Mets stuff with more Mets stuff coming be too much stuff? If a woodchuck could chuck stuff. G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 08:51 PM There's probably some space where the 2009 World Champions pennant was supposed to go. Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 09:40 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":1nasyirq]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:1nasyirq] Isn't this the exact opposite of what people are decrying? soupcan Apr 23 2009 07:50 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="metsguyinmichigan":dzaavb83]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:dzaavb83] That's an excellent point.[/quote:dzaavb83] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue.[/quote:dzaavb83] Do people look at the 'W' on the Nats cap and think of the Senators (yes) or do they look at the red cap and think of the Expos (no)? The only people that know that the Mets orange and blue are from the Dodgers and Giants are the more-than-fair-weather Mets fans. The interlocking 'NY' is a much more identifiable symbol of the New York Giants than the blue (which is a different shade of blue) of the Dodgers. ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management.. [/quote:dzaavb83] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. [/quote:dzaavb83] All men are created equal[/quote:dzaavb83] But some men are more equal than others. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 08:55 AM ="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[Met Hunter]

="metsguyinmichigan":60pwhhxj]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo. [/quote:60pwhhxj] I'd be ok with a John McGraw tribute somewhere in the rotunda. Especially knowing that Mrs. McGraw, at the closing of the Polo Grounds, (a place the Mets actually played) after being asked how her husband would feel, said "He's rolling over in his grave".

metsguyinmichigan Apr 22 2009 07:49 PM

When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.

Swan Swan H Apr 22 2009 07:57 PM

Xerox is a big sponsor this year. Get them on the blower and start working on some interactive stuff for the new HOF. Barter, boys, get this thing moving.

Frayed Knot Apr 22 2009 07:59 PM

="metsguyinmichigan":3ix69awn]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:3ix69awn] We don't have room for that sort of stuff. Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 08:15 PM Wouldn't adding NY Giants stuff on top of Dodger stuff on top of Mets stuff with more Mets stuff coming be too much stuff? If a woodchuck could chuck stuff. G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 08:51 PM There's probably some space where the 2009 World Champions pennant was supposed to go. Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 09:40 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":1nasyirq]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:1nasyirq] Isn't this the exact opposite of what people are decrying? soupcan Apr 23 2009 07:50 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="metsguyinmichigan":dzaavb83]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:dzaavb83] That's an excellent point.[/quote:dzaavb83] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue.[/quote:dzaavb83] Do people look at the 'W' on the Nats cap and think of the Senators (yes) or do they look at the red cap and think of the Expos (no)? The only people that know that the Mets orange and blue are from the Dodgers and Giants are the more-than-fair-weather Mets fans. The interlocking 'NY' is a much more identifiable symbol of the New York Giants than the blue (which is a different shade of blue) of the Dodgers. ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management.. [/quote:dzaavb83] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. [/quote:dzaavb83] All men are created equal[/quote:dzaavb83] But some men are more equal than others. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 08:55 AM ="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Xerox is a big sponsor this year. Get them on the blower and start working on some interactive stuff for the new HOF. Barter, boys, get this thing moving.

[Frayed Knot]

="metsguyinmichigan":3ix69awn]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:3ix69awn] We don't have room for that sort of stuff.

Ashie62 Apr 22 2009 08:15 PM

Wouldn't adding NY Giants stuff on top of Dodger stuff on top of Mets stuff with more Mets stuff coming be too much stuff? If a woodchuck could chuck stuff.

G-Fafif Apr 22 2009 08:51 PM

There's probably some space where the 2009 World Champions pennant was supposed to go.

Edgy DC Apr 22 2009 09:40 PM

="metsguyinmichigan":1nasyirq]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:1nasyirq] Isn't this the exact opposite of what people are decrying? soupcan Apr 23 2009 07:50 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="metsguyinmichigan":dzaavb83]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:dzaavb83] That's an excellent point.[/quote:dzaavb83] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue.[/quote:dzaavb83] Do people look at the 'W' on the Nats cap and think of the Senators (yes) or do they look at the red cap and think of the Expos (no)? The only people that know that the Mets orange and blue are from the Dodgers and Giants are the more-than-fair-weather Mets fans. The interlocking 'NY' is a much more identifiable symbol of the New York Giants than the blue (which is a different shade of blue) of the Dodgers. ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management.. [/quote:dzaavb83] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. [/quote:dzaavb83] All men are created equal[/quote:dzaavb83] But some men are more equal than others. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 08:55 AM ="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[ashie62]

Wouldn't adding NY Giants stuff on top of Dodger stuff on top of Mets stuff with more Mets stuff coming be too much stuff?

If a woodchuck could chuck stuff.

[G-Fafif]

There's probably some space where the 2009 World Champions pennant was supposed to go.

[Guest Edgy DC]

="metsguyinmichigan":1nasyirq]When and if they get to a Mets Hall of Fame, and if it were of decent size, I think it would be appropriate for a room devoted to National League baseball in New York. Then you could give poople like McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays their proper New York Love, along with the usual Dodger suspects like Campy, Pee Wee, Ersk.[/quote:1nasyirq] Isn't this the exact opposite of what people are decrying?

soupcan Apr 23 2009 07:50 AM

="batmagadanleadoff":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="metsguyinmichigan":dzaavb83]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:dzaavb83] That's an excellent point.[/quote:dzaavb83] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue.[/quote:dzaavb83] Do people look at the 'W' on the Nats cap and think of the Senators (yes) or do they look at the red cap and think of the Expos (no)? The only people that know that the Mets orange and blue are from the Dodgers and Giants are the more-than-fair-weather Mets fans. The interlocking 'NY' is a much more identifiable symbol of the New York Giants than the blue (which is a different shade of blue) of the Dodgers. ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management.. [/quote:dzaavb83] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. [/quote:dzaavb83] All men are created equal[/quote:dzaavb83] But some men are more equal than others. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 08:55 AM ="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[soupcan]

="batmagadanleadoff":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="metsguyinmichigan":dzaavb83]I'm OK with not doing a ton with the Giants. They kind of pay tribute every time they put on a cap with that logo.[/quote:dzaavb83] That's an excellent point.[/quote:dzaavb83] Except that the Dodgers also get Met uni love from the color blue.[/quote:dzaavb83] Do people look at the 'W' on the Nats cap and think of the Senators (yes) or do they look at the red cap and think of the Expos (no)? The only people that know that the Mets orange and blue are from the Dodgers and Giants are the more-than-fair-weather Mets fans. The interlocking 'NY' is a much more identifiable symbol of the New York Giants than the blue (which is a different shade of blue) of the Dodgers. ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] ="soupcan":dzaavb83] ="Ashie62":dzaavb83] If they want to erase it..do it quietly and respect Doc...kinda like the respect that is shown to jackie Robinson. Enough with the rotunda..its' there, its not leaving..We're Mets fans..we're used to second class status from management.. [/quote:dzaavb83] Doc Gooden ain't no Jackie Robinson. [/quote:dzaavb83] All men are created equal[/quote:dzaavb83] But some men are more equal than others. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 08:55 AM ="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[batmagadanleadoff]

="G-Fafif":2nv25y2s] ="batmagadanleadoff":2nv25y2s]It'd be keen if Citi Field is lacking in PG references because the stadium once housed the hated MFY's. [/quote:2nv25y2s] In which case, forget Shea and its clutch of poorly hosted "home games" in '74, '75 and '98.[/quote:2nv25y2s] Well ... like I said ... this thread is about the Mets ignoring their own history. soupcan Apr 23 2009 10:51 AM ] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.� John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 23 2009 10:56 AM I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it." G-Fafif Apr 23 2009 01:20 PM It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it. Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans. seawolf17 Apr 23 2009 01:48 PM ="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself. SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM ]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise? Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise. Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[soupcan]

] April 24, 2009 Some Fans Feel New Home Ignores the Old Mets By KEN BELSON Where have you gone, Tug McGraw? Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field. The Mets have taken a lot heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field. A vocal minority of fans have also complained that the new $800 million ballpark does not do enough to honor the team�s history. �The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� Where, other fans complain, are the banners that used to hang inside Shea that could be seen from the escalators? (They were sold at auction.) What happened to the 1969 photo montage that adorned the outside of the right-field stands? (Gone like the stadium.) Where is the bronze statue of Mike Piazza hitting his famous home run in September 2001? (Not on the drawing board yet.) The Mets do nod to their past. On the left-field side of the stadium, there are a dozen or so black-and-white banners of Stengel and Hodges, Tom and Tug, Darryl and Dykstra and other Mets. They are classy photos, but seen by only a fraction of the fans since most people enter through the rotunda near the subway station. The four retired numbers hang on the left-field fence, and the team�s championship flags fly on poles in right field. The old home run apple sits near a picnic area in right field, and the skyline from the old scoreboard is above the Shake Shack. The 18,000 bricks on the Fan Walk are touching, and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a high-minded tribute, even if Robinson never played for the Mets. But some fans are irked by the team�s decision to model Citi Field after Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers left New York long before many of them were born.) A handful of other fans wish the Mets did more to honor the Giants and the Polo Grounds. The Mets are aware of these complaints, including the chatter on sports radio stations. But opening the stadium on time took precedence over adornments. �It was something we always intended, but it wasn�t given a priority,� said Dave Howard, the Mets� vice president for operations. Howard said the team was working to add more memorabilia, including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962. Banners like the ones outside the stadium could be hung on the concourses inside. The busts in the team�s hall of fame, which has not added a member since 2002, could be replaced by plaques with relief sculptures and descriptions. Life-size statues, like the ones at AT&T Park and Busch Stadium, are possible. These additions will take time, though, which means the Mets will have to endure more taunts from their fans. Howard is sanguine. �I�m never surprised and always encouraged by the passion of Met fans,� he said. �It�s great that people care this much and we listen to it.�

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I can almost see Howard reading his quotes in the paper and saying "I think they bought it."

[G-Fafif]

It is great people care this much. I doubt they listen to it.

Now to get the passion of the players to match the passion of the fans.

[seawolf17]

="nytimes":wyzq4ko4]including a display of Topps baseball cards of Mets from each year since 1962[/quote:wyzq4ko4] Ooh, I'd be thrilled with that, considering I'm working on that Mets Topps run myself.

SteveJRogers Apr 23 2009 04:12 PM

]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.� I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but... Well for one, it was called "Banner Day." And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise?

Edgy DC Apr 23 2009 04:45 PM

He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise.

Kong76 Apr 23 2009 05:15 PM

I caught up three pages, good thread. Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio. EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<< Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. (loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)

[stevejrogers]

]�The Mets have always been a populist ball club; �Bring the kiddies, bring the wife,� everyman stars like Ed Kranepool, sign day, etc.,� James Conley, a Mets fan, said in an e-mail message. �The best way to recognize the history of the team is to recognize the close connection to the fan base the Mets club has always enjoyed.�

I like this fellow's passion in terms of emailing The New York Times and all, but...

Well for one, it was called "Banner Day."

And second, even though I'm typing this on a fourm named in his honor, why is it that Kranepool, who barely started most of the time he was a Met, always gets spotlighted as the symbol of the franchise?

[Guest Edgy DC]

He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise.

[Guest Kong76]

I caught up three pages, good thread.

Nice job with The Spirit of Metsio.

EDC: He doesn't always get spotlighted as a symbol of the franchise <<<

Jeets has 20/20 vision, the rest of the world is wearing bifocals.

(loosely from some movie that I can't think of right now, Paul Newman?)