A conversation with Laurie has raised between us a very good question:
Why are the Mets selling Tom Seaver's locker?
I know why: because they can. For $41,000.
Why would the Mets sell it, though? Why wouldn't you preserve the locker of your only indisputable Hall of Famer and display it somewhere at Ebbets Faux? Why wouldn't you fix it up, recreate its 1969 persona, embellish it with era-specific equipment and a few Tom tchotchkes and place it somewhere where Mets fans could ooh and aah over it? And if it doesn't fit in with the Ebbets Faux motif, why wouldn't you make sure it meets the public eye? Why not donate it to the Queens Museum or the Museum of the City of New York or the Sports Museum of America? Why not Cooperstown?
It is understood and accepted as common business practice that you close a stadium, you sell off as much of it as you can. Better than it winding up in a Dumpster. Fine. But everything must go? There is no space at Ebbets Faux for a few key Shea mementoes representing the history of the New York Mets? You can't keep Tom Seaver's locker on the premises? Or at least on the premises of somewhere where it might be appreciated?
Is nothing — besides the cherished tradition of blowing a playoff spot on the final day of the season — sacred to this franchise?
Amen. And while we're at it why not retire #31 this season in the stadium #31 played.
Is nothing — besides the cherished tradition of blowing a playoff spot on the final day of the season — sacred to this franchise?
Do you really have to ask this question about the franchise that traded the actual Franchise for the baseball eqivalent of three magic beans?
Why put it somewhere public and risks fans enjoying/revering it? Better it sits in the basement of some overpaid Wall Street hack, or a pinhead celebrity.
All I can do is shake my head…
Will this franchise ever get ANYTHING right?
On another note, here's something I've been thinking about, vis-a-vis the Mets/Dodgers parallel:
The Mets will win the NL pennant in 2009.
Why? Because the Dodgers won it in 1952.
The Dodgers made one of their (at the time) infequent post-season appearances in 1949. In 1950 they lost a pennant on the last day — to Philly, no less. In 1951, they made some upgrades to the pitching staff and outfield and lost a pennant in even more heartbreaking fashion.
They then won 6 pennants in the next 12 years.
The Mets made one of their infequent post-season appearances in 2006. In 2007 they lost a pennant on the last day — to Philly, no less. In 2008, they made some upgrades to the pitching staff and outfield and lost a pennant in even more heartbreaking fashion…
Hey, whatever I need to tell myself so I can sleep at night.
I mentioned this on Sunday – why are they selling the pennants? the retired numbers? why aren't those being brought over to Shea and being placed in a glass case somewhere?
why did they make a big deal about the old timers crossing home plate for the last time when they already told us that they're not bringing home plate over to Citi Field?
why did they move all the banners inside the concourses before closing weekend? there were certainly enough cops there to have guarded them.
why did they pack up the world series trophies? if we had gone to the playoffs, people wouldn't have enjoyed seeing them? they wouldn't have been inspirational?
it's stupid
btw, did you notice that there is one retired number that's not going over… #41. he must have asked for his.
From Kit Stier on mlb.com on Sunday:
Edgardo Alfonzo, once a stellar Mets second baseman and a member of the 2000 World Series team, took only a second to reply when asked what he'd take home as a lasting memory of Shea Stadium.
“My locker,” Alfonzo said as many of his former teammates and Mets from other decades gathered for lunch before the final regular-season game at Shea Stadium on Sunday. “I'd take it home and put it in my trophy room. That way, every morning I'd come down and see my locker and remember.”
Would it have killed the Mets to have taken care a few of their players, like the members of the All-Amazin' Team, if they really wanted something like Alfonzo is wistful for? Display Seaver's locker, maybe distribute a few if it's really important to a Met great and sell the rest if you must.
I understand you can't put everything in Citi Field, and you probably don't want to. It deserves to build its own legacy. But again, everything must go? As mentioned in Marty Noble's piece, the 410 sign in center has been bought up by the guy running the rummage sale. You couldn't find a little nook at Citi for the 410 sign? For a handful of iconic items? Not even 338 or 371, just 410.
Charlie – I like your thinking. And how many years' difference is there between these two parallel universes? 57. Johan. Or David plus Jose, if you prefer.
How about this more modest prediction/observation: the previous two teams to advance past the Mets were swept in the following playoff series. This means the Phillies sweep the Brewers.
The Crain's story says 41 was sold. I assume they'll print up new retired numbers and flags. The numbers over the left field wall have been redone a few times. It's still a little tacky, but not as blind to their own history as selling off the stuff with real franchise history attached to it.
Clear your schedules for October 2012 and that big parade at last.
And then somebody call a smart lawyer who can get us a new team after the Mets move in 2014.
the AIG panel, too. That couldn't have come with?
you know, i was feeling okay about that for a while. that he asked for it and they gave it to him.
sigh.
Feds own that now.
actually, i think WE do.
maybe we should all have gotten a little piece of that on sunday instead of the toyota lanyard.
So you want to know why I despise Jeff Wilpon so much?
“Is nothing — besides the cherished tradition of blowing a playoff spot on the final day of the season — sacred to this franchise?”
Yes there is: The Brooklyn Dodgers.
If you went into the Mets clubhouse shop outside Shea this year looking for a Ray Knight jersey, tough noogies But if you wanted a Pee Wee Reese jersey for your young one, you were in luck!
Can somebody not named Steinbrenner or Dolan buy this team off the fucking Wilpons, please?
Wouldn't it be weird if the lawyer's name was Bill Citi?
Harry's brother?
Whose law firm traded him for himself.
Greg I told you when I saw you on the 23rd..The day after the season ends the Mets official site will probably read, ” out with the old and in with the new”..Lets face it gang a new and totally heartless era has begun for this club..
Don't even get me started on the clubs adoption of Brooklyn's legacy .
Awesome post, my brother. As you know, I'm actually a fan of Citi Field, but yeah, WTF? I never said I didn't want any part of Shea to be taken over there. Quite the contrary, in fact. The Franchise's locker behind glass? Fans would line up to give the glass a pat for luck before big games. Why wouldn't you want that?
Not to try to lighten the mood, but I couldn't help picturing you as Indiana Prince, dodging ushers throwing rock-hard pretzels and collapsing escalators as you spirit Met treasures out of collapsing Shea.
“IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM!”
That's just flat out not true. In fact, it's a common misconception that they 'cherish' the Dodgers more than the Mets. All evidence I see points to Dodger and Giant references and tributes being the exception not the rule.
I'll be interested to see what they do bring and celebrate in Citi Field. So far I like what I've heard, and i'm looking forward to it. That locker has been well used since (Heilman's right?), and if they really wanted, it'd be no big deal to recreate. No telling if it's actually the same physical locker (probably not), or if it's been replaced many times.
Tommy Lasorda could host the food court ribbon cutting!
Just kidding. I was thinking of crazy Dodgers tributes that they could still host and I laughed when I thought of that one.
I still think they should preserve the home run apple and the retired numbers wall in the new parking lot. It wouldn't take up that much space, and even the Braves, who had absolutely no love lost for old Fulton County Stadium, still had the sense to preserve a few key spots in Turner Field's parking lot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:AFCS2007.jpg
It's good to know that the closest my kids (I'm 23, no kids yet) will ever to Shea is in a book or wikipedia.
Real good.
This is preposterous. Everyone knows the pretzels aren't ready.
I think I'll miss the 410 sign most of all.
It was always visible and I always loved the symmetry of it:
41, 14, 4+10 (Rusty Act I and Act II).
Plus, my birthday is April 10.