Who's your favorite Met

[Ceetar]

Patrick Flood makes a nice case for Tejada as his favorite Met (and why he should be yours). Tejada took two steps to his left, jumped off his right foot and snagged the ball at full extension, then tumbled into an accidental somersault, checking to make sure the ball was in his glove somewhere in the middle of the roll, and landed seated on the outfield grass. Still on the ground, he tossed the ball to Jose Reyes and flashed a sheepish, I-can�t-believe-I-just-did-that-in-the-majors grin. Tejada normally wears a serious face on the field, eyes narrowed, unsmiling, much like a little brother playing with the big boy and trying to act like he belongs. But that grin will peek out on occasion... He can look overmatched at times, especially last season, but it�s almost always a physical domination. He�s rarely appears fooled or unsure. He�s thinking right along with everyone else: A few weeks ago in Chicago, Tejada came to the plate with no outs and runners on first and second. Thinking the bunt might be on, the Cubs� pitcher threw to second base to see if Tejada would give it away. Ruben waited for the pitcher to throw the ball to second, then squared around as if to bunt. A deke. He dumped the first pitch into left field to load the bases, and the next batter brought in a run on a sacrifice fly. It was a little move � it forced the defense to guard against the bunt, increasing Tejada�s chances of getting a hit by maybe 1% � but it was a smart move. That�s what I like. Tejada is always looking for that little edge. Those wheels are always turning.

[metirish]

Reyes , he makes the game exciting and each AB is must see.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

It's hard to say anyone but Reyes these days. When he's on, he's the most fun to watch.

This might be more of a contest if it were "After Reyes..."

I could also do a favorite Met to grab a burger with, favorite Met to join your bowling team, etc.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I hope we'll have to wait eight to ten years for the "after Reyes" period to begin.

[Gwreck]

Beltran. Both because of his skill and grace. As exciting as Reyes is, Beltran is the best all-around player the Mets have had since...Strawberry?

[Guest themetfairy]

I hadn't really thought of this in a long time. But I have a couple of Wright shirts and a jersey, and I've taken some photos of him connecting for home runs (including my beginner's luck photo taken on the day I bought my first dSLR camera). He signed for MK back when he was playing for St. Lucie, and we associate our minivan with him because we bought it on the day of David's Major League debut. Plus he just seems like a genuinely nice guy, by all accounts that I've heard (including many of how wonderful he has been to sick children on ballpark visits).

Thus, all things considered, I have to choose Wright as my current favorite Met.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Right now it's Jose, because he's currently The Man.

One of my first favorite Mets was Rusty Staub, because my nine-year-old self thought it was cool that he wasn't married. (Now I'm a bit suspicious about the possible reason for that.)

My all-time favorite is now, and probably forever will be, Mookie Wilson. The reason I don't think Mookie will ever be supplanted is because I'm older now, and my overall enthusiasm for the Mets will never again be what it was in the 1980's.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Gwreck wrote: Beltran. Both because of his skill and grace. As exciting as Reyes is, Beltran is the best all-around player the Mets have had since...Strawberry?

The stinky underbelly of the seasonlong Jose contract drah-ma? That Beltran doesn't get the courtesy of a distraction-free victory lap.

[Guest themetfairy]

As far as an all-time favorite Met, it's The Franchise, hands down!

[ashie62]

Generationally, David Wright, Strawberry, Seaver.

[Benjamin Grimm]

themetfairy wrote: As far as an all-time favorite Met, it's The Franchise, hands down!

Not a bad choice, but I'm put off by his off-the-field peevishness.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: themetfairy wrote: As far as an all-time favorite Met, it's The Franchise, hands down! Not a bad choice, but I'm put off by his off-the-field peevishness.

Indeed. As with childrens'-book pigs, personality counts.

I just connect more viscerally with JoseJoseJose. Being able to do great things on a ballfield is one thing; being able to do superlative things that feel cool and make the crowd's collective heart pound and then being able to celebrate in a way that feels at least as "HOLYCRAPIDIDTHAT" as it does "LOOK AT ME"... that's quite another.

Put another way, I love David Wright. I love Beltran. I love Ike and Ruben and Justin and Dickey. I loved Keith.

But Jose makes me love baseball.

[G-Fafif]

It's been Jose since the summer of 2003, or about the time I realized I might want to diversify my Jason Phillips-heavy portfolio.

In terms of contemporary MetCrush, it's totally Tejada. Last year at this time it was mostly Ike, who was making something of a move on Jose, but I'm pretty loyal to my guys as long as they're here, and even afterwards. ALFONZO 13 is still in regular rotation and probably always will be.

Seaver. Gooden. Brogna. Alfonzo. Reyes. That's my chronology. Gap between Seaver and Gooden indicates I never fully accepted Seaver as not a Met.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I've considered myself a Wright Man for many years and still root for him.

JoseJose is the most exciting player they've ever had but he has rubbed me the wrong way from time to time. I also suspect he and Beltran (among others, coughpiazzaahementireteamin1999) have been and/or are on the juice. I'm OK with it because that's what everyone was doing, but I can't help but blame their mysterious injuries on the stuff too, and that gets me mad at them. Is that totally unfair? Yes, it probably is.

I realized last year that Strawberry was probably my favorite Met of his era; before that, Seaver and Kingman; Matlack and Milner.

My next favorite Met is Jack Leatherstich.

[TransMonk]

Wright.

[batmagadanleadoff]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: coughpiazzaahementireteamin1999

John Olerud? Say it ain't so.

[Guest sharpie]

Not going to see much love for Acosta here.

Jose. Has been since he came up.

[Fman99]

Jose Reyes. And it's doubly heartbreaking to think he may be in his last weeks in a Mets uniform. Fucking Wilpons.

[Guest Edgy DC]

We're getting ahead of ourselves again.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Grab a Burger With: Ronny Paulino
Join My Bowling Team: Dale Thayer

[Fman99]

Edgy DC wrote: We're getting ahead of ourselves again.

I know. And, with apologies to/respect to Ceetar, I pride myself on being an optimistic Mets fan.

But he's playing as lights out as I can ever recall, and it's just the impending nut punch/**** kick/neck punch that is Met fandom that is lurking around the corner that makes me think they're looking to ship him off for Victor Zambrano Jr. and a fungo bat.

[Fman99]

Eat blintzes with: Ike Davis

[Guest Edgy DC]

Fman99 wrote: Edgy DC wrote: We're getting ahead of ourselves again. I know. And, with apologies to/respect to Ceetar, I pride myself on being an optimistic Mets fan. But he's playing as lights out as I can ever recall, and it's just the impending nut punch/**** kick/neck punch that is Met fandom that is lurking around the corner that makes me think they're looking to ship him off for Victor Zambrano Jr. and a fungo bat.

Yeah, but let us not be so nut-punch averse that I'm going to live in the constant fear of it and therefore dampen the effect of Jose in all his glory.

If and when it comes, kabammo, I'll crumble harder than any, but I'll be damned if I'm going to die a thousand deaths before then. 'Til then I fight. 'Til then I root.

[Guest sharpie]

My first favorite Met was Ken Boyer. I resented Ed Charles for taking his job. I got over it.

[Guest attgig]

jose. has been since he came up. will be for a long time.

Loved him when he first came up. loved him as the media criticized his enthusiasm (his enthusiasm makes him more lovable). felt bad for him as he dealt with his injuries, but still considered him my favorite.
and his is the first (and only) jersey that I own.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: coughpiazzaahementireteamin1999 John Olerud? Say it ain't so.

dirtier than Dykstra's uniform in the 8th inning. I'm sorry to say...

[metirish]

Piazza is my all time favorite but Rey Ordonez was the first baseball player that made me take notice of the game in NY. I distinctly remember arguing with a Guy that he was better that Jeter, whatever, to me he was. I have always had a soft spot for Rey.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Gwreck wrote: Beltran. Both because of his skill and grace. As exciting as Reyes is, Beltran is the best all-around player the Mets have had since...Strawberry?

Once again, you speak the truth my friend.

Although one CPFer will have you believe the Mets were better-off with Cameron.

OE: And my all-time favorite Met is Bobby Bonilla. Haters gonna hate.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Seaver, of course, was the first, and I was happily spared peevishness in the three times we've met.

I tried to embrace Pat Zachary, but he just wasn't Tom.

Gary Carter was my favorite member of the '86ers. I like happy people.

Eddie Murray in 1992, though he is generally not considered a happy person.

Mickey Weston in 1993

Can Bobby V as a manager be considered a favorite player?

Then Wright.

I voted for Justin Turner because he seems to be having fun and kicking some butt!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

with you on Bobby V.

why is 2nd Spitty so mad at me?