Mets Hall of Fame opens Monday

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Frayed Knot wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: ... Steve Chilcott's first pro contract?* *Clearly, a "What Were We Thinking" moment, though not exactly on Wilpon's watch What the Mets were thinking is that they were drafting a real good ballplayers. Chilcott's career ended due to injuries not lack of talent so that the Jackson v Chilcott saga ended as lop-sided as it did is obvious in hindsight but not so much at the time. A story - relayed in Baseball America a few years back - had the Mets torn between the two as the #1 overall pick. After going w/Chilcott, then NYM farm-director Whitey Herzog went around to his (then) 19 counterparts asking who they would have chosen. The results were 10-9 in favor of Jackson - making it a dead-heat w/the NYM vote. And, yeah, there's the story about how the conservative NYM mgmt was leery of drafting Jackson on account of his being a black man who (in the parlance of the times) 'didn't know his place' and had a white (actually Mexican) girlfriend to boot. But the only source of that story seems to be Reggie himself - he claims his college coach told him that - and the list of people I'd believe prior to him is a lengthy one.

If you're gonna bring up Chilcott, then you have to put the ones that were lopsided in our favor -- like the David Cone trade. It all balances out.

[HahnSolo]

I'm going to Thursday's game... is the HOF a free thing? Or is there a price of admission? I'd definitely pay to get in there, at least the first time I went.

[Gwreck]

Free. Entrance on the 1B side of the rotunda.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

HahnSolo wrote: I'm going to Thursday's game... is the HOF a free thing? Or is there a price of admission? I'd definitely pay to get in there, at least the first time I went.

Hahn, KC & I will also be there Thurs. I think we're going to meet at McFaddens.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Looking at all the photos people are posting, I'm in awe! Great stuff.

[Guest Edgy DC]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: If you're gonna bring up Chilcott, then you have to put the ones that were lopsided in our favor -- like the David Cone trade. It all balances out.

Draft-wise, maybe. Trade-wise, I'm afraid it doesn't balance out at all.

[HahnSolo]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: HahnSolo wrote: I'm going to Thursday's game... is the HOF a free thing? Or is there a price of admission? I'd definitely pay to get in there, at least the first time I went. Hahn, KC & I will also be there Thurs. I think we're going to meet at McFaddens.

I don't remember McFaddens from last year. Where is it again?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

McF's didn't exist at CF last year; apparently it's apparently on the 126th street side, accessible from outside the park.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I'm all in favor of a gently-ribbing "What Were We Thinking" section. It would be very much in the spirit of the thing. I'm also fairly certain that such a thing will never exist in a Wilpon-run Metland. I agree. The Wilpons don't strike me as the type that can laugh at themselves. But just for fun, what would be the litmus test here? A Mercury Mets jersey? Steve Chilcott's first pro contract?* A Willie Randolph display? *Clearly, a "What Were We Thinking" moment, though not exactly on Wilpon's watch

"Mercury Mets" makes my cut. Mettle and Homer, too. The only transaction I think I'd really consider there is moving The Franchise. Terrible promotional ideas, too, maybe (ideas?).

As long as we're fantasizin', I'd love to see a "Trades We Famously 'Won'" and "Trades We Famously Didn't" toteboard/wall. Also, is there a Mets uni-history exhibit? If not, that's an easy fix, innit?

[batmagadanleadoff]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: "Mercury Mets" makes my cut.... Also, is there a Mets uni-history exhibit? If not, that's an easy fix, innit?

In one display, uniforms are presented in historical chronological order. But several uniform styles are missing from that display, including (or not including) a Mercury Mets jersey.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

No ice-cream hat either, I s'pect.

[MFS62]

Haven't see any mention of whether there will be a tribute/ example/photos of some of the banners from the early Banner Days. Please check it out and let us know.
Thanks,
Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: No ice-cream hat either, I s'pect.

Good one!

[G-Fafif]

No charge for HOF admission (though if anybody asks "how do you get to the Mets Hall of Fame?" I'm going to reply, "Practice, practice, practice...and then wait another eight years for the committee to meet again").

There are all kinds of great things that could be in the Museum that are not, but at last we're coming at it from a position of strength. It has been built and there's lots in there. Eventual additions and rotations seem a lot more achievable than they did a year ago.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Meet the Mets� Memorabilia
By KEN BELSON

With their 7-1 victory over the Marlins on Monday, the Mets officially opened their 49th season. With just two championships to their name, the Mets are eons beyond the Yankees, the Cardinals and the Dodgers. But the team�s history is fabled nonetheless, from lovable losers to miracle Mets to Cinderella upstarts in 1973 and so on. That narrative has found a home in the Mets� year-old home, Citi Field, too. Perhaps a year late, the team�s Hall of Fame and Museum just opened with a tasteful and modest display of jerseys, bats, awards and nods to the team�s most influential characters. The showcase to the right of the entrance included a nice collection of 1960s memorabilia, including a 45-r.p.m. record of �Meet the Mets,� a Mr. Met bobblehead and Gil Hodges�s contract. There was also a bat used by Duffy Dyer, catcher Jerry Grote�s light-hitting understudy for many years. It was unclear whether his bat was a whimsical gesture or a cruel joke, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Tom Seaver and the 1969 championship team were rightly given extra space. One of Seaver�s Cy Young Award trophies was there, as well as his Sportsman of the Year award from Sports Illustrated. Keith Hernandez�s Gold Glove award was impressive, too. There was an interactive exhibit for the Mets broadcasters with a selection of their most famous calls. I chose several of Lindsey Nelson�s, which I had trouble hearing in the crowded room. But it was great to see some of the old game footage. This year�s Mets are wearing uniforms that are basically updated versions of the team�s original home pinstripes. One showcase included jerseys from various eras, like the 1980s look with those wide stripes on the arms. For some reason, the only jersey they could find from the late 1970s and early 1980s was that of Ron Hodges, another backup catcher. A time line stretched across another wall, with lots of historical nuggets. Apparently nothing notable happened between 1973 and 1983, the Mets� lost decade (except perhaps that the team was bought for a record price). Still, there were enough artifacts and curiosities to make the museum a must-see, at least for those with tickets. The museum, for now, will be open only on game days.

http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/meet-the-mets-memorabilia/

[batmagadanleadoff]

Below are photos taken, I believe, at the new Mets Museum. Does anyone here know what the historical significance of these hats are? This is not a quiz.

[Guest themetfairy]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Below are photos taken, I believe, at the new Mets Museum. Does anyone here know what the historical significance of these hats are? This is not a quiz.

No historical significance. They are on display at the point where the line between museum and gift shop merge.

The lamps retail for something like $4,900. Chump change....

[batmagadanleadoff]

themetfairy wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Below are photos taken, I believe, at the new Mets Museum. Does anyone here know what the historical significance of these hats are? This is not a quiz. No historical significance. They are on display at the point where the line between museum and gift shop merge. The lamps retail for something like $4,900. Chump change....

Aha! Thank you. So .... what's bigger? The gift shop or the museum?

[Guest themetfairy]

The museum is bigger than the area where the expensive hats are on display. But you can't leave the museum through the front door - you must leave through the gift shop.

The gift shop is pretty large - I would say roughly the same size as the HOF (but I wasn't really paying attention to the size issue. If someone else thinks differently, I'm willing to defer).

[Ceetar]

The gift shop is in the same place it was last year, with the entire right side (if you're facing the entrance) being the Museum. Hard to describe it's exact size, but the shop is still at least 2x as big.