Benjamin Grimm

That's a better reason. (I still think of Rusty as #4)

Does the 10 on the mound represent ten seasons at Citi Field?

Would it be tacky or respectful to have him lie in state in the Citi Field rotunda? If it's a respectful thing, he certainly deserves it, but I'm afraid it probably falls more on the side of tacky.

And that inspired this:

And there it is! Thank you! This cover will have the unenviable task of going up against the 1962 "Baby Met" yearbook.

Frazier and Cespedes are ready to go!

Not too bad. National Weather Service wrote: A 30 percent chance of light rain, mainly before 2pm. Patchy fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 54. East wind 3 to 8 mph. Also, is anyone planning to buy a yearbook today? If so, please post a scanned cover image! (Thanks!)

I remember the first-inning grand slam that he hit on Mother's Day, 1972. Put the Mets ahead of the Giants 4-0. The Giants later tied the score at 4, but the Mets would get the winning run on a solo homer by the new guy, playing against his old team. (That new guy is also known as "Willie Mays".) Final score: Mets 5, Giants 4.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Orange (instead of black) band on the sleeve would be a nice tribute. That's a great idea. Such sad news.

Happy Opening Day! While I'm not nearly the baseball fan I used to be, I still get excited about Opening Day. I haven't seen any baseball at all, other than clips on Mets Hot Stove, in almost exactly six months. So Opening Day, for me, is like suddenly turning on all of the lights in what had been a very dark room. I'm totally ready and rarin' to go! I have the day off from work, and I'm going to be in front of the TV with my favorite local sandwich and a bottle of my favorite beverage. I'm hoping this will be a great season, but even if it's not, it will be a season. "I'm born again. There's new grass on the field..."

I don't really like the 2000 cover, the psychedelic swirl thing is a bit too trippy, but I voted for 2000 because it's certainly better than a closeup of a Mets jacket. It seems like in the down years, the Mets are more likely to feature uniforms and equipment on their yearbook covers. I suppose they feel that they don't really have players to promote, but as someone who was a Mets fan in 1979, I would have been quite happy to see Lee Mazzilli, Steve Henderson, and John Stearns on the cover of the yearbook. One thing I do like about the 1979 cover: Somebody decided that it would be appropriate to include Flushing's ZIP Code. I guess that means that if you don't like your yearbook, you can just drop it in the mail and it would be returned directly to Shea Stadium.

1979 2000

Does case matter?

The previous two versions of this game. We never seem to declare a winner! Let's play: Who's on 'first' 2016 America First? No, Mets First Prediction Contest 2017

1. Record a base hit. CABRERA 2. 1st single CABRERA 3. Double FRAZIER 4. Triple REYES 5. Home Run BRUCE 6. Run batted In BRUCE 7. Multiple runs batted in on a single plate appearance CESPEDES 8. Steal a base REYES 9. Draw a walk NIMMO 10. Reach safely on an error ROSARIO 11. Be hit by a pitch CABRERA 12. Score a run FRAZIER 13. Enter the game as a pinch hitter FLORES 14. Record a sacrifice hit, including a Sac Fly BRUCE 15. Get picked off or caught stealing ROSARIO 16. Drive in multiple runs in a single plate appearance that takes the team from behind in the score to ahead. CESPEDES 17. 1st "walk-off" RBI FLORES * Name the first Met pitcher to: 18. Record a strike out SYNDERGAARD 19. Reach double figures in strikeouts in a single appearance SYNDERGAARD 20. Issue a walk SYNDERGAARD 21. Hit an opposing batter with a pitch SYNDERGAARD 22. Get a win SYNDERGAARD 23. Get a save FAMILIA 24. Appear as a relief pitcher SWARZAK 25. First pitcher to record a hit as a batter SYNDERGAARD 26. Throw a complete game deGROM 27. Be credited with a "hold" SWARZAK * Name the first guy: 28. Not on the opening-day roster called up to the team CONFORTO 29. Placed on the disabled list after 1:05 p.m. opening day d'ARNAUD 30. Pictured on the back cover of the Daily News and the Post on the same day, beginning with Friday's edition SYNDERGAARD Tiebreaker: Which Met will be the last man to bat on opening day? FRAZIER

84 wins. Second place. No playoffs. PROVE ME WRONG, METS! (But in a good way, please.)

I'm hoping he's the Mets closer and gets 40 or more saves in 2019. How likely that is, I have no idea. My guess for 2018 is that they'll try to see if they can lean on him more heavily as the Mets begin to prepare for life after Familia.

I think, when we look back at the end of the year, he'll have been the better of our two catchers. But maybe not by a whole lot.

I went with 1991 and the fireworks. The baseball in front of the "window" on the 1989 cover is kind of dull, although it's nice to see the "Core Four" of Hernandez, Carter, Gooden, and Strawberry. 1989 would, sadly, prove to be a feeble last hurrah with the Mets for both Keith and Gary.

1989 Original Edition 1991 Original Edition

seawolf17 wrote: Plawecki is Thor's personal catcher, no? Makes sense. I'm not so sure about that. Mickey has said that it's going to be based on the opposing pitcher as well as who's better rested, who's hot or cold, etc. He doesn't want to establish any "personal catchers."

Well said. Your point about the "one central image" resonates with my impressions of the two 1987 covers, neither of which have appeared yet in this competition. All that a 1987 cover needs is a full-size image of Jesse Orosco with his arms in the air, and the words "WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION" but no, we got a logo and then an unimpressive montage. But we'll get to that soon. The original 1987 cover comes up next Monday, and the revised cover a couple of weeks later.

I went with 2017. It's colorful and dynamic. 1963, the year that Willard Mullin apparently took a break (although the did the Yankees yearbook cover that year) is a particularly unimaginative cover. Just a stock image of Mr. Met. I think that 2017 is trying to promote the connection between the fans and the players, but to me, in retrospect, all of those backs says "2017: The year the Mets take a big step backwards." The 1963 cover is, somewhat surprisingly, one of only two yearbook covers ever to feature Mr. Met. (The other was 1976.)

1963 2017

Not of the yearbook, I don't think. In 1969, 1973, and 2015, the World Series program had a Mets-themed cover. (And I assume, one for the Orioles, A's, and Royals for their home games.) In 1986 and 2000, there was a generic MLB cover for all post-season games. I would have liked to have included the 1969 program cover (below) but that's not a yearbook. Maybe if we ever do a Scorecard Cover Derby.