Centerfield

Edgy DC wrote: Don't let this issue die. Agreed. Edgy, you're firing off emails too, right?

TO: DNewman@nymets.com David, This is really spinning out of control. It's all anyone is talking about. I think the Mets need to issue a statement on this and apologize for getting this wrong. Whoever may be at fault, the bottom line is that those hats needed to be on the field during the game, and lots of people are irate that they weren't. I think you should also state that your organization will be relentless in making sure that these hats are worn on the anniversary of 9/11 from here on out.

Selig purportedly outraged that the Mets would throw MLB under the bus by divulging that the denial came from his office. Sources are a bit sketchy, and it's the Post, but it would not surprise me that Selig acted in a self-serving way without intending to be held accountable for it. Story here: http://newyorkpost.com/p/sports/mets/bud_isn_fine_FskZt4hgbiWvBVQwQr3G4M Some more good quotes from JTFS: "Nothing was ordered." Wait, what? What about unanimity? Are you saying MLB didn't actually deny the request? "I think they were sent a memo, but in no way was it heavy-handed." You think? Isn't that something you should, you know, know? "I don't think money was ever an issue or they were ever threatened with a heavy-fisted fine." Translation: "I don't really know if we gave an order. If we did, we certainly didn't intend to enforce it. I don't see how this is our fault." "If that's the case, I have no knowledge of it." Translation: "I'm not here to talk about the past."

MLB bans Mets from scoring.

Jason Bay's OPS is over .700. And there was much rejoicing. He's also the NL Player of the Week.

I think you realize I meant that the sentiment behind the gesture was special.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: And F Fred Wilpon for not volunteering to foot the bill. Yup.

It's amazing that there can something that special that happens to an organization, then the organization finds a way to fuck it up. These guys are morons.

Maybe the Mets, instead of fighting with their commissioner and creditor, should work with them to get permission to wear the hats next year, and/or into perpetuity. Or does no one care because it 's not an nice round anniversary? Good point Ceetar. I sent a follow-up email: One more thing, I hope that everyone will learn from this and the Mets and MLB will work together to see to it that these hats can be worn next year and every year thereafter.

You know how I feel about the city agency hats. But Torre's quotes warrant their own thread. "Certainly it's not a lack of respect." Yes it is. What else could it be? You're saying honoring these heroes is not as important as...as....what was it that was so important again? "We just felt all the major leagues are honoring the same way with the American flag on the uniform and the cap. This is a unanimity thing." Because unanimity is so important to MLB. That's why all MLB teams are limited to one official home jersey, and one official away jersey. That's why all MLB uniforms have the team name at home, and the city on the road. That's why there are no alternate jerseys, throwback uniforms, special "Los Mets" jerseys meant for use during a promotion. That's why all ballpark sizes are standardized and the DH is uniform throughout all of baseball. This unanimity is why when the terrorists truck on 9/11, they chose to hit all MLB cities in the same exact way. "They certainly understood and respected." No Joe, they did not understand. They did not respect. MLB did not understand that this meant more than baseball itself. "I certainly understood what they wanted to do in regards to wearing the hats. I used my history with the fact that we were in the World Series 10 years ago." What the fuck does the World Series have to do with this? It's not about being in the World Series. It's about having been in New York. It was about helping the injured, visiting the victims' families, it was about coping and paying tribute to people who could really be called heroes. It was about trying to help in any way you could and being incredibly frustrated, to the point of tears, that you couldn't do more. It has nothing to do with the World Fucking Series. Fuck you Joe Torre. Fuck you to fucking hell.

Tell the Mets how you feel: To: David Newman, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, New York Mets (dnewman@nymets.com) cc: Adam Rubin (Adam.Rubin@espn.com) David, Thank you for your efforts in attempting to get permission to wear the first responder hats for yesterday's game. The pre-game tribute was also extremely well-done. I will say, though, that I am incredibly disappointed that the hats were not worn during the game. I realize that MLB issued an order, but I thought it was a great chance for the Mets to step up and defy MLB like they did ten years ago. I am reading Todd Zeile's quote today in Adam's article (http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/6958670/new-york-mets-wear-nypd-fdny-hats-9-11-game) and it really sums up what this gesture meant to the players and also to the fans. I thought that the Mets had a great opportunity to show what they were made of, and for the organization to handcuff the players like that is just incredibly disappointing. Adam, thank you for giving this issue the attention it deserves. I couldn't help but notice Joe Torre's quote: "I certainly understood what they wanted to do in regards to wearing the hats. I used my history with the fact that we were in the World Series 10 years ago." Joe Torre continues not to get it. The tribute hats have nothing to do with having been in the World Series. It has to do with having been in New York.

WEAR THE HATS NOW!!!!

Hey dumbasses, Wear them anyway. Fuck MLB. And especially fuck Torre. Give me a Met that has the balls enough to wear it out there anyway.

...look to trade for a guy who punches in-laws and/or murders people.

How can you be sure? Kane Davis never became effective. I'm more impressed with relievers who have two plus pitches they can throw for strikes than I am 100 mph heat.

Keep in mind, God makes an appearance in America the Beautiful too.

I think it's dumb. But I think everything the Yankees do is dumb, so I don't know where that leaves you.

One day major league teams will realize that having a 100 mph fastball does not automatically make a pitcher a candidate to close games. The guy has one pitch. It's not going to work.

Great job BG. Thank you for doing this. What a month by Duda. We should be talking about him more no? He and Davis could be great for us for a long time.

Love the uniforms.

I heard Jeter was upset she was getting too close to this guy:

Ceetar wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Edgy DC wrote: The question, I think, is what kind of tool Craig Carton is. The kind that pretends to be the ultimate authority on all things jock-ish the moment he gets hired by an all-sports station. btw, 601 last night. Ithaca's area code. 607 no?

Oh come on. Look at Nimmo. Look how good he looks.

It's official. This board can and will argue any topic. You guys are certainly entitled to your opinions, but it boggles my mind there is any disagreement on this. The hats were not name-dropping. They weren't part of some organized, pre-planned effort. It was not done for the brand, or to suggest they had cornered the market on helping victims. They wore the hats to honor those that had fallen, and to honor those who were still doing the job, notwithstanding that the dangerous nature of their work had just been horrifically demonstrated to them. They wore them because they looked at the firemen and cops wearing Mets hats and said, "You know what, we're fans of your's. We're going to wear your hats." I liked the fact that they wore them in the years afterwards because it reminded me how great that 2001 team was. Not in the standings, but in what they did for the community. I liked it because they swore never to forget, and every time they wore those hats it demonstrated that they hadn't. I like seeing those hats because they wore them in one of the biggest games in Mets history. Even Chipper Jones said afterwards he was glad the Mets won. When they dropped that tradition it was incredibly disappointing. Something real and heartfelt was replaced by something fabricated. For the ten year, I want the Mets to buck convention and go back to a tradition that was dropped way too early.

Imagine if he stayed in Philly? He'd have 700 by now.