G-Fafif

The no-name look was previewed in the first two games of the '98 Subway Series. Nelson Doubleday invoked the Red Sox in explaining why he liked it for what was considered a special occasion. Nearly a decade later, Jeff Wilpon invoked the Red Sox for why we were saddled with "Sweet Caroline" (though I guess that didn't take much explaining). Why did we bother beating the Red Sox in a World Series? I recall during the portion of '99 when the Mets couldn't do anything right (and were getting beat up for everything they did at all), Fred gave a speech at some upscale booster club luncheon, was asked disapprovingly why the names were taken off. He admitted it wasn't a popular decision. Thus they were back in 2000. Only caught a smidge of tonight's Mets Classic but when I saw 10 with no name, I immediately thought "why doesn't Endy have his name on that uniform?"

Yankees suck. In the light of day, it seems even truer.

Yankees suck. They just do.

Wagner's job = close the game. That he did. No bitching whatsoever.

"He came in with some gasoline in his back pocket. He's just getting lit up." --Keith on Kyle Farnsworth

...David...David!

...Jose...Jose!

="bmfc1"]Al Leiter: "It's definitely a Yankees town." I flipped to YEECH for a half-inning and heard that discussion. I think he was referring to when the Mets were trying to establish their street cred in the early Subway Series games. But he is a traitor.

Everybody dreads the dreaded vote of confidence, but what's the alternative? "No comment"? "No chance he stays, he's terrible"? "Hey, look at that thing over there!" and while the press is distracted, the GM runs away? I guess the dreaded part is that the subject comes up at all.

The part about him being in a slump is kind of sexy.

I wouldn't want to prejudge Ken Oberkfell, not knowing much about him and having heard a few good things, but it wouldn't bother me if the Mets reached for an unorthodox choice not necessarily on anybody's radar. Joe Torre was a left field choice for the MFYs in 1996. Larry Dierker shocked people when the Astros tabbed him in 1997 and he won three straight division titles. Maybe Oberkfell or Manuel is the right guy. I hope that if/when the Mets do make a move they cast a wide a net as can be cast midseason.

When you're going horsespit, every vibe is bad. I can understand the impulse to rest 41-year-old Moises, but at .343, we need all the hitting we've got. He had half a night off Thursday, the weather isn't punishing, there's a long stretch between Saturday afternoon and Sunday night, he's got the DH and there's no game Monday.

Frayed Knot wrote: Anyone got any realistic suggestions? If Art Howe was a "realistic" suggestion in October 2002, then nothing's too crazy.

Two dark-horse names based on nothing more than a braindrizzle on my part: Jose Valentin (owns a team in winter league, good influence on Reyes it seemed, forthright with media where Willie is quietly full of it) and if healthy Andres Galarraga (brief Met pedigree, incredibly respected, possibly healthy).

For years I've worn as a badge of perverse honor that I was at Randy Niemann's and Mike Draper's only Met starts. Sad in retrospect that Philip Humber is in that company now.

It must have been the barometric pressure getting to me.

I've always kind of liked Mr. G. But I booed him and his schoolfriend anyway. In Oughta Be territory, 60 was taken down by Garrett Morris, filling in for an otherwise engaged Chico Escuela. Anyone who remembers 1979 would have to admit there was plenty of Bad Stuff to write 'Bout The Mets in those days, but Chico's presence in blue and orange surely was one of the better things the franchise had going then. You might even say he was "berry, berry good" for the Mets. He certainly brought laughter to a fan base mired in an understandably dark mood. To relive all the 66-60 ceremonies, check it out here.

And for what it's worth, when Cait Murphy signed my copy of "Crazy '08" at a Giants Nostalgia Society meeting, she inscribed it "Let's Go Mets!"

Vet went out in style[/url:ai035tm1]. Saw bits and pieces of the Cardinal countdown of old Busch Stadium via Extra Innings in '05 and they seemed to take it seriously. I liked that they had Joe Torre take down a number when the MFYs were in town that year. They also brought back Mark McGwire, albeit with reduced fanfare, despite his desire not to talk about the past that season. I noticed the Yankees had, among others, Al Leiter take down a number this year. I assume it had something to do with his being in the building at the moment. Not sure which countries' departments of tourism got to take down numbers for those teams, however.

]When asked if it was time for the players to earn their money, Steinbrenner said "Yes." Whoever asked that is a natural-born pot-stirrer. Or a Steinbrenner plant.

="SteveJRogers"]Who was the NY Post hack who always ragged on Bobby Valentine, despite winning an NL pennant, for never winning a division in his major league managerial career? That fact must irk that guy as well. It was actually Murray Chass of the Times who brought that up at the drop of a two-game Met losing streak (hated Valentine). In an era when Wild Card teams are as eligible as any postseason participant to win the World Series, a division title is like good posture. It's nice to have it, you're not necessarily going to fall over if you don't.

Frayed Knot wrote: They've also lost their [...] Wang games My inner Beavis is laughing uncontrollably.

="Benjamin Grimm"]I'm starting to think that everyone, us, the media, the bloggers, everyone, should just ignore this thing except for on the rare occasions when they have someone worthwhile pulling the sign. A Lincoln Mercury dealer from Staten Island? Ignore it! Completely! Guiseppe Franco? Ignore it! Jerry Koosman? Talk about it! Write about it! Celebrate it! Giuseppe Franco? COOL! We snuck Boomer in back at 73 as one of the April 17 babies (led by NJ Devil legend Ken Daneyko, b. 4/17/1964) who took down a number on April 17 -- same birthday as Shea. The connections were tenuous, but as indicated earlier, it was a fanciful choice. As for tonight's Oughta Be pick, 61 is to be removed by Shea visitor turned cause celebre Mike Andrews, the Oakland Athletic Charlie Finley tried to elbow off the roster for making three errors in Game Two of the '73 World Series. A firestorm erupted (this was the same month as Spiro Agnew's resignation and the Saturday Night Massacre; firestorms erupted easily then) and Bowie Kuhn would not allow Finley's on-the-fly rejiggering. Andrews became a victimized hero. Mets fans recognized the raw deal Mike was receiving from Charlie Finley, so when he came to bat as a pinch-hitter in the fourth game of that Fall Classic, Mets fans rose as one and supported him with a long and loud ovation. They gave him a second round of applause as he made his way back to the Oakland dugout after he grounded out. Mike never forgot the reception he got at Shea, normally a tough place for visitors to play, that much more intense with a world championship on the line. Mike would say of Mets fans, "The ovations gave me chills, it surprised me. I don't think I've ever had a standing ovation in my life. To me that meant everything."

The two-time world champion Marlins have never, to my recollection, spent quality time in first place in their checkered history. Now there's a fact to make Bob Costas turn over in his grave.

That interview, however, was good to the core.