G-Fafif

Before and After 1969, which in a way is the story of the Mets as a whole. Gil and 1968 prepared us for the unpredictable. 1970 reflects how we reacted when it became actual. We went nuts. But Gil remained calm, at least on the outside, just as in that watercolor. I'm glad we got to maraud the field, innocent as it was. But there's something prescient in Mullin being present at the creation. A vote for Before. Not in the standings, but for the yearbook.

The Mets as how they wished to see themselves vs the Mets as what they aspired to become. Mets fans loving the Mets for who they were vs the Mets striving to grow into something Mets fans deserved. The Mets at the end of their infancy vs the Mets taking their first tentative steps toward maturity. On all those grounds it's a tough call. Both covers really tell the story of the franchise on a granular level. Graphically, I think 1966 is more striking, blending several elements into a coherent image. 1967 dares to bring us information and honesty -- and employs as its predominant color a hue that isn't readily associated with the Mets. But yellow is sunny and inherently optimistic, which is what the outlook of the upward climb is. I love that those weird guys brandishing the banner are all GO-GO-GO Mets! no matter the record. I love that the Mets advertise their records a year earlier -- all of them. In 1967, Mullin is wrapping up the legacy of the first half-decade of Mets baseball as a keepsake for those of us to come: this is who we've been, here is where we plan on going. And here we are, keeping it going ourselves. Yeah, I gotta go with '67.

Citi Field is the site of much financial action and intrigue not in real life but on the Season Three finale of Billions, aired first June 10, 2018 ("Elmsley Count"). Inside of one of the luxury suites, if you know to look for him, you'll find Keith Hernandez as one of the attendees listening intently to the Axe Capital presentation at this Spartan Ives Capital Introduction Event. Also on Showtime the same night: the May 12, 2017, front page of the Post, in which Photoshopped Mr. Met is asking, "WHY DOES GOD HATE THE METS?" is visible tacked above the Washington bureau workspace of Times reporter Glenn Thrush on The Fourth Estate. (Thrush recently tweeted his dismay that the Mets don't score for Jacob deGrom.)

Cabrera 2B Frazier 3B Nimmo LF Bruce RF Mesoraco C Conforto CF Gonzalez 1B Lugo P Rosario SS Judge out of MFY lineup

I've thought about the 2018 Mets in the context of the franchise's myriad other not very good seasons and sort of wondered what all the fuss is about because -- despite the current 16-33 skein, which is admittedly atrocious -- surely they've been worse, which may not be inspirational, but it's something I can live with.

Whale of a Rumble Pony debut for Justin vs Trenton: 7 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 4 BB, 9 SO

We're down to eight Mets from the Opening Day roster being active every day of 2018.

The Hernandez Oeuvre also includes Shea Good-Bye, co-authored by the prolific (and very good guy) Matt Silverman.

Plawecki was indeed on the 2015 Mets' postseason roster from beginning to end but his only on-field action of note was catching the ceremonial first pitch from Mike Piazza prior to Game Three of the World Series.

Aaron Laffey, after giving it one last try in Las Vegas, becomes one of the Mets in retirement in 2018.

Somewhere inside Shea Stadium, March of 1971... "You sure about the composition on this picture of Grote making the tag for the cover?" "Doesn't matter." "Whaddaya mean it doesn't matter?" "This cover isn't as good as anything that came before." "I don't know, it's pretty good." "It'll never be as good, not this year, not any year." "Why are you saying that? We were kicking around some good ideas last week that we can still use. The Four Mets Who Form a Puzzle is an evergreen. Every Met Who Was Ever An All-Star, if we get a couple more who qualify, is gonna sparkle. Oh, and when we win a pennant, I have a helluva concept!" "Doesn't matter. We've peaked." "How do you know?" "I just know." "So why am I applying Fun-Tak to all these baseballs?"

The kid from Freeport will now be the kid in Binghamton, having just been bumped up to Double-A.

Since off nights suck and good books don't, we're gonna put the two together. If you're in or around the city on Thursday evening, June 28, drop by Two Boots Midtown East (Lexington between 39th and 40th) to hear from JCL, author of Once Upon A Team; Dave Jordan, author of Fastball John and me, I guess. We and whoever shows up will also offer some remembrances of Rusty Staub who, quite frankly, can't be remembered enough by Mets fans. Here are the details. Hope you can join us.

This time, Jacob deGrom's brilliant no-decision will come in a righteous cause. Some worthless prick will pitch for the opposition.

Red Schoendienst, 95, Hall of Famer as a player, a fixture as a manager, an icon as a Cardinal. Member of the world champion 1957 Braves. His passing leaves alive only 18 former New York Giants.

They didn't look any better at the scene of the crime. Bruce did give us the briefest of breath-holding nanoseconds in the ninth, but obviously to no avail. Kids on hand for Weather Education Day didn't seem to mind. At least Reyes didn't get picked off.

So bad that the 2018 Mets are the third club in franchise history to fall from at least ten games over .500 to at least three games under .500 in the same season, joining the 1991 Mets and 2010 Mets in this particular lane of infamy. The 2018 Mets raced high above .500 sooner and plunged uncomfortably beneath it sooner than their unfortunately descending predecessors. That's what 15-28 will do immediately after you've started 12-2. Honorable (?) mention to the 1971 and 1976 Mets who turned similar spikes into precipitous in-season drops. In their cases, the final record didn't suffer nearly so much. Details here.

Edgy MD wrote: Who doesn't love the Orioles? Six-year-old me, specifically during that October.

Hello Todd. Hello Anthony. See you in Las Vegas, Gerson. We've got an Assignment for you, Buddy.

Topps planted the seed of Ken Sanders's eventual acquisition by the Mets in the upper right hand corner on the back of Taylor's card. Very clever.

It was reported last week that two pitchers would go in deference to the off day Thursday and, probably, the sense they won't need an enormous bullpen versus the O's. Somebody will have to be deleted from the 40-man for Swarzak, who was chillin' on the 60-day DL. I've a friend in Baltimore, transplanted there from LI since 1994, whose kids are nominally the opposite of Fman's daughter: the Mets are their favorite National League team, to the extent that they're old enough to know from any of this or care. Mostly it was a promise their father made to me after they were born and I'd sent them proper clothing. I'm pretty sure he was humoring me, but I was touched. I did meet a slightly famous media type several years ago who was dead serious about this sort of thing. His son, a Mets fan, married a girl from Maryland. As an impending grandfather, he got it in blood if not writing: the kid could be a Ravens fan (seemed important to the mother), but the child had to be...HAD TO BE raised a Mets fan. The deal was struck and, as far as I know, hewed to. The same guy also lightly but sincerely scolded me for not having kids and thus not bringing another Mets fan into the world. I don't say this of many, but he's a better fan than I am, Gunga Din.

Not a good month for Mets figures from Tennessee. Chuck, though, never complained about the pressure that came with playing in New York (or, if he did, it didn't make headlines). My three memories of Mr. Taylor are: 1) His inclusion in the October 1971 megatrade that sent Art Shamsky to St. Louis. The biggest trade by volume that I'd experienced as a Mets fan to that point, a hint at the dissatisfaction surrounding consecutive 83-79 finishes (the 1971 club was 16 games over at the end of June and two under by the middle of August...sound familiar-ish?). Shamsky, Rich Folkers (who was one of the first relievers I had it in for) and two minor leaguers for Taylor, Jim Beauchamp and a minor leaguer. The minor leaguer we got turned out to be very valuable 1973 reliever Harry Parker, and Beauchamp was pretty decent off the bench himself for two seasons. Shamsky would wind up contributing to the 1972 champion A's, and Folkers would become part of broadcast lore courtesy of Jerry Coleman in San Diego ("there's Folkers, throwing up in the bullpen"), but the player with the tallest future was Jim Bibby, who'd go on to a long and prosperous career pitching for teams that weren't the Cardinals. Somewhere in all that, was Taylor, not making a huge impact for the Mets. 2) I remember him disappearing from the Mets' roster at midseason 1972 after being basically the last man on the pitching staff. I was surprised, when I looked him up just now, that he pitched in 20 games for us. He seemed more here and gone than that. More Chuck Cunningham than Chuck Taylor. Got two saves, too, before being sent down to Tidewater, and then shipped to Milwaukee. I specifically recall crossing his name off the active roster, either a printed version or the one I'd made as part of a school project (because that's what I was studying in third grade). 3) His 1972 Topps card, an under the brim of the cap special, lest we infer he wasn't really a Met when the picture was taken. Between the lack of identity in the photo and the fairly generic name he carried (I wasn't familiar with the sneakers at the time), he seemed sort of made up, which may be why I decided he barely pitched for the Mets. But he pitched a little more than barely and did so in what became one of the most famous numbers in baseball. Atta boy, Chuck. RIP.

Copeland passes through waivers. Fanfare for this common man to play at Binghamton.

Matz, finger notwithstanding, slated to start Sunday. Syndergaard, finger notwithstanding, may start next weekend vs MFYs.

Gone with the DFA wind to the Dodgers organization. The Irish kid, we called him in our living room. Mrs. Fafif was excited to hear him speak, disappointed to learn he grew up in California. She was hoping for something out of The Commitments. Wasn't terrible for a few innings against the Reds in his debut. Was terrible against the Braves in his followup.