stevejrogers

Updated a hobby of mine recently that looks at other teams retired numbers and other forms of honoring or spotlighting their franchise's greats and whatnot, and I thought I'd look to see how many with Metly ties have been honored in such fashion, and make a quiz out of it. Well, there have been 67 that fit the bill! So this will be broken down by franchises: Braves Standard Hall of Fame, 2 Mets - - Brewers While they do have a Walk of Fame that is a standard committee based selected HOF, they have a merits and achievements based Wall of Honor and 6 Mets are honored in this - - - - - - Cardinals Standard Hall of Fame 5 with Met ties - - - - - Giants also have a merit/achievement, SF only, based Wall of Honor as well, with 4 individuals with Met ties - - - - Nationals have a Ring of Honor, with personnel tied to Washington baseball and its own franchise's past 1 of whom has Metly ties - Padres Standard Hall of Fame 1 individual with Met ties - Phillies Wall of Fame, which is a standard Hall, 5 individuals with Met ties - - - - - Reds Standard Hall of Fame, 4 with Met ties - - - - Angels Standard Hall of Fame 7 with Met ties, though to be fair 4 of whom are honored as part of the 2002 World Champions - - - - - - - Astros Standard Walk of Fame with 3 former Mets represented - - - Blue Jays Level of Excellence has 3 former Mets represented - - - Indians Standard Hall of Fame 1 former Met is enshrined - Orioles Standard Hall of Fame 9 members with Met ties - - - - - - - - - Rangers Standard Hall of Fame with 3 former Mets represented - - - Red Sox Standard Hall of Fame with 6 members with Met ties - - - - - - Royals Standard Hall of Fame with 5 members with Met ties - - - - - Twins Standard Hall of Fame with 2 inductees with Met ties - - MFYs Monument Park, standard selected Hall like, 4 members with Met ties - - - -

I think Tris Speaker signed with Philly as well with Cobb after the gambling issue that ended their careers with Cleveland and Detroit respectively.

How about Pete Rose as the lone Redleg?

Zvon wrote: Is this the first number retired away from Shea? 1st Citi Field retirement? Unless you count Ralphie's mic tribute, yes.

Odd non Wrigley day game at the start of the series.

RETURNING HALL OF FAMERS TO THE TOP Aparicio, Luis (1984) Bench, Johnny (1989) Biggio, Craig (2015) Blyleven, Bert (2011) Boggs, Wade (2005) Brett, George (1999) Bunning, Jim (1996) Carew, Rod (1991) Carlton, Steve (1994) Cepeda, Orlando (1999) Cox, Bobby (2014) Dawson, Andre (2010) Eckersley, Dennis (2004) Fingers, Rollie (1992) Fisk, Carlton (2000) Ford, Whitey (1974) Gillick, Pat (2011) Glavine, Tom (2014) Gossage, Goose (2008) Henderson, Rickey (2009) Jackson, Reggie (1993) Jenkins, Fergie (1991) Johnson, Randy (2015) Kaline, Al (1980) Koufax, Sandy (1972) La Russa, Tony (2014) Larkin, Barry (2012) Lasorda, Tommy (1997) Marichal, Juan (1983) Martinez, Pedro (2015) Murray, Eddie (2003) Niekro, Phil (1997) Palmer, Jim (1990) Perez, Tony (2000) Perry, Gaylord (1991) Rice, Jim (2009) Ripken, Cal (2007) Robinson, Brooks (1983) Sandberg, Ryne (2005) Schmidt, Mike (1995) Smith, Ozzie (2002) Smoltz, John (2015) Sutter, Bruce (2006) Thomas, Frank (2014) Torre, Joe (2014) Williams, Billy (1987) Winfield, Dave (2001) Yount, Robin (1999)

Ashie62 wrote: I hope Seaver makes it there this year. His FB page has been silent since January. According to the Hall site's returnees list, Seaver is not among the attendees.

Edgy MD wrote: Yeah, Rogers is winning this thread, but he slowed down at the end there. Is Rizzutto the only questionable retirement by the Yankees? Not Roger Maris/9? Not Guidry/49? *chuckle* Go back up a section! Plenty of WTF selections, Rizzuto is the only one of the HOFers.

Edgy MD wrote: Ceetar wrote: It's fun to poke fun at the Yankees for over-retiring guys, but when you're in the entertainment business I don't really think you can over-celebrate. I would tend to disagree. Asking your neighbors to join you in re-celebrating your baby's birth every month will get diminishing attendance and increasingly indiscreet eye rolls, and eventually devalue birthdays and other, realer, more compelling milestones. I mean, you're also in the legacy business, trying to sustain an ongoing relationship with your fans. Let's keep it real. The Mets, by the way have surpassed the Yankees in ratings. Believe it or not, but MFYLs agree with your assessment. As I said with some of the lack luster names they've been trotting out in recent years in lieu of having bigger names at OTD, but still trying to field two "complete" teams of former Yankees to do their annual exhibition three innings.

soupcan wrote: How many ultimately mediocre players on every other team in the majors have similar accomplishments and don't have their numbers retired? Quite a fucking few I'm thinking. Non HOFers, or questionable by the team that honored them retired numbers as off recently this year: Braves Dale Murphy #3 Larry Jones #10 (well he will be a HOFer) Brewers Hank Aaron #44 (More of a Milwaukee honor, ala what #24 would be as a Met) Rollie Fingers #34 (Bit of a Padres Garvey oddball. Like they were convinced the A's would never do Fingers the honor, so they honored a guy that helped bring them an AL title.) Cardinals Ken Boyer #14 (Tribute to an ailing former MVP) August Busch #85 (Owner) Diamondbacks Luis Gonzalez #20 (For Yankee haters the world over, probably their greatest non HOF player) Dodgers Jim Gilliam #19 (In Memorial tribute) Marlins Carl Barger #5 (Since put back in circulation after being retired for first VP who died before team first started player, big DiMaggio fan) Mets Gil Hodges #14 (In Memorial Tribute) Nationals Technically none, but the Expos had #10 and #30 officially retired for Rusty Staub and Tim Raines respectively, and #83 for owner Charles Bronfman Padres Steve Garvey #6 (odd tribute even if he had an ax to grind against the Dodger organization at the time of his number retirement in 1988 (IDK if this is true, just fishing for a reason) Randy Jones #35 (Padres' Seaver but more like a Ron Guidry type of middling career, and without Gator's '78) Trevor Hoffman #51 (Probably will be in Cooperstown someday) Pirates Billy Meyer #1 (This one has actually stumped baseball historians as to what the reasoning was) Danny Murtaugh #40 (In Memorial, also skipper to two World Champions) Reds Fred Hutchinson #1 (In Memorial) Ted Kluszewski #18 (Apparently was retired in the 1960s, unretired, then put back on the wall when they started retiring numbers again) Dave Concepcion #13 (Captain of BRM era Reds, quality SS for many years) Pete Rose #14 (Finally retired...let's not get into this debate!) Rockies Todd Helton #17 (Very much like the Diamondbacks and Gonzalez, honoring a great with the franchise, though probably not quite a baseball HOFer) Angels Gene Autry #26 (Owner) Jimmie Reese #50 (long time coach and Zimmer like baseball ambassador of sorts in later years) Jim Fregosi #11 (First Angel All Star) Astros Jim Umbricht #32 (In Memorial) Don Wilson #40 (In Memorial) Larry Dierker #49 (Popular pitcher, announcer, etc) Jose Cruz #25 (Best offensive player pre-Bagwell) Mike Scott #33 (Did have some good years, if tainted) Jimmy Wynn #24 (Another offensive star in the dreadful era of franchise) Jeff Bagwell #5 (Still awaiting Cooperstown honors) Indians Mel Harder #18 (Long time pitcher and coach) Fans #455 (Yup, they honored Jacobs Field's consecutive sellout streak) Rangers Johnny Oates #26 (Honoring the ailing skipper of their first postseason seasons) Rays Wade Boggs #12 (Tampa native, and pretty much a signal that it could have been true that he had it in his contract to go into Cooperstown as a Ray) Don Zimmer #66 (Like Reese, honoring a baseball lifer/ambassador, though this one was a posthumous retirement) Red Sox Johnny Pesky #6 (Break from usual Red Sox number retirement system to honor long time Sox employee and the man whom the RF Foul Pole is named for. Royals Dick Howser #10 (In Memorial Tribute) Frank White #20 (Honoring one one of the bigger names not named Brett on those 1970s-1980s teams) Tigers Willie Horton #23 (Grew up in the area, and was a fan favorite for a lot of years) Twins Tony Oliva #6 (Popular player of the 1960s) Kent Hrbek #14 (Popular player of the 1980s and 1990s) Tom Kelly #10 (Skipper of only two Minnesota World Champs) White Sox Minnie Minoso #9 (Long time player and coach, as well as a pioneer) Billy Pierce #19 (Star hurler for the 1959 AL Champs) Harold Baines #3 (Retired while Baines was still active! Good hitter with the ChiSox of the 1980s) Paul Konerko #14 (Put in mothballs last year, very much honoring best productive player not named Big Hurt for the Sox in the last 20 some years) Yankees Thurman Munson #15 (In Memorial to The Captain's tragic demise) Elston Howard #32 (In Memorial to long time player, coach and pioneer with the team) Roger Maris #9 (Honoring an ailing former MVP and a fence mending gesture) Billy Martin #1 (Long time fan favorite player and skipper, but probably leverage to get him back for another managerial tenure) Don Mattingly #23 (Wright supporters will look at this as reason enough to retire #5 in his honor, still a deserving enough tribute if you lower the "HOF or Bust" standard) Ron Guidry #49 (Bit of an odd honor, certainly as big of a Yankee pitcher as anyone not in the Hall, but a loyal Yankee employee probably put his number into official mothballs) Mariano Rivera #42 (Bruce Sutter in 2006 with the Cardinals beat him for the first non Robinson #42 retirement, but he should join Sutter in Cooperstown) Bernie Williams #51 (Things got sillier than ever for the Yankees last year, granted Williams had a great Yankee career, Mattingly-esque even, but the Yankee number retirement jumped the shark years ago, and is now just repeating itself) Jorge Posada #20 (I guess figuring Munson and Howard are not in the Hall of Fame, the Yankees are retiring the numbers of everyone who deserves to be on their all-time great backstop list) Andy Pettitte #46 (See what I wrote for Williams, a cut below Guidry probably in team history, but why wasn't a Monument Park Plaque a sufficient honor) Next category, numbers retired as seemingly more of a "get with it Cooperstown" message before the player was "finally" inducted. Essentially retiring a player that did not turn out to be a first ballot guy (i.e. Tom Seaver getting his number retired in 1988), or in the same year of their HOF induction (i.e. if the Mets retired #31 back in June). Braves Phil Niekro #35 Retired after left the Braves organization, inducted in his 5th year on ballot Cubs Ron Santo #10 Retired in 2003, Santo was honored by the Veterans Committee in 2012 Expos Like Niekro, I kind of have to count it, if I'm being OCD about this Gary Carter #8 Retired 1993, inducted into the Hall 2003, 6th year on ballot Andre Dawson #10 Retired 1997, inducted into the Hall 2010, 9th year on ballot Phillies Richie Ashburn #1 Number retired in 1979, inducted by the Vet Committee in 1995 Pirates Bill Mazeroski #9 Retired in 1987, inducted by the Vets in 2001, pretty much the reason for the shakeup that resulted in the rotation we have today. Astros Craig Biggio #7 Retired in 2008, inducted last year on his third try. Indians Larry Doby #14 Retired in 1994, inducted by the Vets in 1998 Twins Harmon Killebrew #3 Again, a bit OCD, but retired in 1975, made the Hall in 1984, his 4th try White Sox Nellie Fox #2 Retired in 1976, entered the Hall via the Vets in 1997 Carlton Fisk #72 Retired in 1997 Inducted in 2000, second year on ballot Yankees Phil Rizzuto #10 Clearly a shot across Cooperstown's bow by GMSIII, retired famously in 1985 when a certain ex-Met defeated the Yankees for his 300th win, and inducted into Cooperstown by the Vets in 1994 Also put Hoffman, Bagwell, Gonzalez, Concepcion, Helton, Pesky, Oliva, Kelly, Minoso, Konerko, Martin, Mattingly, Williams, Posada and Pettitte in this category, again if you want to be OCD, but probably were meant as many fans think such an honor for Strawberry, Hernandez, et al would be.

Edgy MD wrote: d'Kong76 wrote: I'm gonna start a facebook page like that Hodge's nut has for Gil in the Hall for the Mets to retire Kranepool's #. Original Met, 18 years; what do they want, blood? That guy is a nut's nut. He went nuts on me and then I backed away slowly and quietly withdrew from the Facebook group, and he kept re-adding me unsolicited. He's so unstable and out there and un-self-aware about it, I almost kind of like him, but I tend to think he's hurting the Hodges case more than helping it. After Yogi Berra died, guy went nuts on someone demanding proof to his statement that Yogi Berra was known to be a victim of Alzheimer's, and many in the baseball and Yankee community knew this. The one problem is doing a little Google-fu comes up with an unfunny Onion wannabe for baseball article from 2003 correlating Berra's entire lifetime of quirky linguistics to the disease! Even sayings going back to the 1940s. The only "piece" linking Berra and Alzheimers. You'd think there'd be a little more if it was "well known within Berra's professional communities." The guy still didn't back off despite being confronted with it, despite being told that it was pretty crappy to state something like that in a public forum with no approval from anyone, especially those whom kept a private personal profile in later years. Anyway, on topic. It does seem that the article wants to keep hammering the "Mets done the 1986ers wrong" narrative going, of course the flip is that the Mets do get hammered for "relying on their past too much, and their past isn't that great when its only five league titles and two World Championships in over 55 years" so its kind of a double edged sword when it comes to media, and fan base, narratives. Either the Mets should embrace their entire past (even the ones ownership tends to be embarrassed by), or they should stick with the present-future. The former probably drives the "Backman for manager" cause more so than anything about Backman's qualities as a skipper, as well as the kerfuffle with Piazza's Game Jersey from the First Game Back Since 9/11 game being sold to a third party and sold in an auction. Though I'd imagine the flashpoint of the most recent wave of this narrative started with the opening of the Robinson Rotunda, where it seemed more Dodger icons were presented in Citi Field than Met icons, to say nothing about Citi's behind home entrance invoking Ebbets in its design. The latter tends to come from people that openly mock the idea that Ed Kranepool is considered a Met icon, and conversely laugh at the lack of bonafide superstars the Yankees have trotted out during their OTD celebrations in recent years. I don't know, the Mets seem to do just enough with public and not-so-much public alumni stuff in recent years that I really don't care that we aren't the Reds/Cardinals/Yankees/Dodgers when it comes to this sort of remembering past glories. Plus as stated, there really isn't a whole lot there that needs to be celebrated. FWIW, Strawberry and Gooden kind of were the reasons (according to Howie Rose a few times) the Mets HOF stalled out following Tommie Agee's induction in the early 2000s. Like the Mets weren't quite sure if they should induct them or not. Obviously with the Met Hall being re-constituted as a museum in Citi, it was finally time to let them in, warts and all.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: George Foster - persona non grata? Foster was at Shea Goodbye in 2008.

Along with Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell, Kevin Elster, Doug Sisk and John Gibbons were the only guys from the World Series player roster not there/represented.

Probably the 1965 OTG 7/24/65?

batmagadanleadoff wrote: The original '67 WS cards resembled a TV set (as did next year's WS cards). I wonder why Topps used B&W images for its '67 WS cards. I'm pretty sure that by '67, every prime time network TV show was in color. Maybe it was because more than half of the viewing public still didn't own color TV sets? Who knows? Maybe there was no reason at all. Maybe Topps saved a little bit of money on the production side by using B&W images instead of color? Maybe it was because the '66 WS itself aired in B&W? Quick research, looks like Topps used B&W photos for postseason cards through 1971. 1972 is the first year featuring color photos for postseason coverage cards.

Edgy MD wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Iron Eyes Cody. Supposedly 100% Sicilian Itialian So was Chief Jay Strongbow. Well, not the supposedly part.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: That's an absurd reaction to "Sometimes they deserve stark criticism, sometimes modest criticism, sometimes no criticism. Sometimes they deserve criticism, but the criticism they get is wrongheaded. That's fair, isn't it?" Well, it was meant as a joking comment about how Edgy can be an orange and blue colored glasses wearing pom-pom waver on issues. Especially when it comes to easy and hated targets.

Edgy MD wrote: I'm saying I in no way thought LOLMets would be a thing of the past. I'm not sure about generally. Sometimes they deserve stark criticism, sometimes modest criticism, sometimes no criticism. Sometimes they deserve criticism, but the criticism they get is wrongheaded. That's fair, isn't it? I can't say for certain with regard to this situation. There are times where I wonder if you'd defend M. Donald Grant, or even Walter O'Malley!

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I do too. While I realize that, objectively, Citi Field is a nicer stadium, it will never hold the memories for me that Shea had. And of course I realize that's a factor of the generation I was born in. I do understand that younger fans will build their own memories at Citi Field. Site of first Met no hitter and playing in a World Series does help.

Lifetime ban, pretty much moves him to the Rigo thread category.

Trying to figure out the origin of how Gosger is connected to the photo finds it listed as part of this Goldin Auctions lot of a jacket worn by Gosger during the 1969 season: https://goldinauctions.com/lot-5537.aspx For whatever reason, I can't get too much hits on "Dave Marshall Mets" in terms of an in action photo like that on Google image search for comparison, or if an original was posted to figure out why that would be considered a photo of Jim Gosger during the 1969 season.

Alright, poking around with a Google image search, lands the photo here at a blogspot blog called CenterFieldMaz with a Gosger bio of sorts: http://www.centerfieldmaz.com/2012/11/former-member-of-two-mets-pennant.html He does have an image of a Gosger signed card (oddly its with a fascimile): Amusingly this DIY digital 1974 card pops up with Gosger's name on it!

Why fake a Jim Gosger? I'm thinking that he signed it at a card show without looking at it too closely. It's probably the "'69 Champs" that is the reason for the possible forgery. Get someone thinking they have an item from a member of one of the most beloved teams in the sport's history. Let's do a little Gosger autos comparison: 1967 Topps, granted Topps makes a facsimile of a signed contract signature for facsimile autographs on cards, even to this day with the Bowman line (and why you'll get formal names of players listed or different from how they'd sign it for you), but here is the facsimile of a Gosger signature Note, besides the 1991 SGA set, there are no cards of Gosger as a Met in the TradingCardDB.com I'd go back to the archives of FaFiF to see what Jace has representing Gosger in The Holy Books. eBay auction supposedly PSA/DNA authenticated Gosger sig on an index card: Another Met photo, but without the "'69 Champs" inscription: LOL! Same photo, different auction, but a few dollars more despite not having an inscription: Steiner Sports has a Gosger ball, with the 1969 inscription: And here is one with Gosger inscribing as being on both the 1969 and 1973 teams.