What if DiPoto was One of Us?

[G-Fafif]

He is, according to Adam Rubin. Tried and true '70s Mets fan, a fact that escaped me as I rued him in the '90s.

The office of the interim general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks is decorated with New York Mets memorabilia. Well, more precisely, Tom Seaver memorabilia. Jerry DiPoto, who grew up in Toms River, N.J., and pitched as a reliever for the Mets in 1995 and �96, grew up a fan of the organization. He even named a son Jonah Seaver DiPoto after the Hall of Fame pitcher. DiPoto was named interim GM of the Diamondbacks this month, when Josh Byrnes was fired. "I've actually developed a little relationship in the years since, particularly toward the tail end of my years with the Mets," DiPoto said, referring to Seaver. "He wrote a letter to my son essentially giving him permission to wear the number 41 should he ever get to the big leagues and play for the Mets. So that hangs over my son�s bed, although he probably isn�t aware of the significance of number 41. Now he almost 14 years old. It�s something if you asked him to name the first baseball player that came to his mind, he might not say me. He might say Tom Seaver, because it�s been drilled into his head."

It doesn't end with the Franchise.

His favorite players -- aside, of course, from Seaver? �Lee Mazzilli, Steve Henderson, Buddy Harrelson,� DiPoto said. �There was a crew of Mets players that kind of stuck together for a while in the period shortly after free agency began that I certainly had an affinity for, and I still do.�

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's a pretty impressive offer, when you consider that the kid's pedigree suggests he has a fighting chance.

[Gwreck]

From the free game program handed out at the park:

"...the most exciting day of my baseball career was he day I got traded to the Mets,
because it was my childhood team growing up, and my second-favorite day was when I got traded away, partly because I didn't have such a good second year."

[G-Fafif]

Gwreck wrote: "...the most exciting day of my baseball career was he day I got traded to the Mets, because it was my childhood team growing up, and my second-favorite day was when I got traded away, partly because I didn't have such a good second year."

Seeing as how he was traded to Colorado for Armando Reynoso the same day the Mets sent Rico Brogna to Philly for Toby Borland and Ricardo Jordan, I can honestly say Jerry DiPoto's second-favorite day of his baseball career was the highlight of my November 27, 1996.