A Different Kind of Banner Day

With the Mets on the road for over a week, I took advantage of Citi Field being devoid of fans walking around the outside plaza (which isn't all that different from game days) and decided to take some photos of the banners hanging on the light poles near the various entrances to the ballpark.  In doing so, I noticed some interesting pairings on those poles.

Six particular pairings caught my eye.  As shown in the photos below, these conscious couplings had to have been as intentional as Roger Clemens' broken bat-flinging incident in Game 2 of the 2000 World Series.  Take a look.

The above photo depicts Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura, two former Mets who are connected by more than just a light pole.  In 1993, Ventura famously charged the mound when Ryan hit him with a pitch, only to be confronted by Ryan's Noogie Express.

Ventura's White Sox teammates and Ryan's cronies in Texas separated the two back then, but now the Mets are keeping them together, separated by just a metal light pole.

Ventura appears on another banner outside Citi Field.  This time, he's paired with Bobby Jones, a former Met who won 74 games in his pitching career as a Met, good for the ninth-highest total in club history.

Despite his lofty win total and status as an underrated Met, Jones is known primarily for his complete-game one-hit shutout over the San Francisco Giants in Game 4 of the 2000 NLDS.  Jones would get all the runs he needed in the first inning, when Robin Ventura crushed a two-run homer to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.  Eight innings later, Ventura and Jones celebrated their series clinching victory along with the rest of their teammates.  

This pairing should be obvious to even the most casual of Mets fans.  John Franco pitched for the Mets in 14 seasons (1990-2001, 2003-04) while Ed Kranepool appeared in a Mets uniform for 18 campaigns (1962-79).

Their longevity puts both players atop the team's all-time leaderboard in several offensive and pitching categories.  It also ranks them No. 1 (Kranepool) and No. 2 (Franco) in seasons played in New York.

Unlike the players represented in the first three photographs, Pedro Martinez and Carlos Delgado were teammates for three seasons (2006-08) in New York.  But they could have been teammates longer had it not been for the way general manager Omar Minaya pursued Delgado.

In Minaya's first off-season as the Mets GM, he signed two of the top available free agents in Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran.  But when Minaya sought the services of Delgado, he was turned away because the first baseman was uncomfortable with the way Minaya was appealing to his Latin-American heritage.  Delgado was eventually traded to the Mets in 2006, becoming a teammate of Pedro Martinez - the first player signed by Minaya in what some people have since referred to as the "Los Mets" era of the team.

Gil Hodges made his mark as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers, then became an original Met in 1962.  Seven years later, as the team's manager, he led the Mets to their first World Series championship.  Meanwhile, Lee Mazzilli was born in Brooklyn in 1955 - the same year Hodges helped the Dodgers win their only World Series in the borough.  Mazzilli was one of the team's brightest stars in the late 1970s before being traded away in 1982.  But just like Hodges, Mazzilli was brought back to help the Mets win a championship.

For Hodges and Mazzilli, their seeds were planted in Brooklyn.  But both men blossomed for the Mets in Queens, winning championships and making the entire city proud.

The oddest pairing might be this David Wright-Keith Miller pole.  Wright is the Mets' all-time leader in various offensive categories and is one of the most beloved figures in recent club history.  Keith Miller was a utility player for the Mets from 1987 to 1991, never collecting more than 275 at-bats in any season and finishing his Mets career with just seven homers and 48 RBI - numbers Wright can easily put up in half a season.

As random as this pairing might seem, these two players have quite a personal connection to each other.  Prior to the 2013 season, Wright signed the most lucrative contract in team history, a deal that pays him $138 million over eight seasons.  Every time Wright thanks his agent for that contract, all he has to say is, "Thank you, Keith Miller."  Miller gave the Mets little run production as a player, but he gave the team eight extra years of run production as David Wright's agent.

Plenty of room for more banners, don't you think?

The Mets have set up various banner displays on poles outside Citi Field.  The banners feature several random pairings of the team's best players.  But not all of them are random.  Some of them, as seen in the six photos above, appear to be quite intentional.  And who knows, maybe the Mets aren't done with intentional banner pairings.

For example, there are still no banners pairing up Mike Piazza and Guillermo Mota.  They got into a famous spring training bench-clearing brawl in 2003 when Mota was a Dodger and Piazza was an ex-Dodger.  Similarly, there are no Gregg Jefferies-Roger McDowell pairings in the plaza.  Maybe the reason for that is because Gary Carter had to spend his final home game as a Met separating the two after they got into a brawl following the game's final out.  And don't get me started on an Armando Benitez-Graeme Lloyd pole.  The two had to be separated in a fight between the Orioles and Yankees in 1998, then briefly became teammates with the Mets five years later.

In addition, there are no banners teaming up Jesse Orosco and Jerry Koosman, two pitchers who were traded for each other following the 1978 season and remain the only pitchers who can say they recorded the final out in a World Series-clinching game for the Mets.  (Seriously, Mets, this pairing has to get done.)

If the Mets wanted some comic pairings, they could have a Follicle Follies-themed pole featuring Nino Espinosa and Jenrry Mejia.  Or perhaps Don Aase (a Met reliever in 1989) and Al Schmelz (a Met reliever in 1967) could have shared an Aase-Schmelz pole.  Aase could also appear on a pole with 1969 World Series hero Al Weis, but that pairing would probably be shot down, because no one likes a Weis-Aase.

The opportunity is there for the Mets to have a different kind of Banner Day at Citi Field.  They just need to show a little extra creativity.  They tried (and failed) to be creative by getting "True New Yorkers" to respond to a letter they sent out.  The team was chased up a pole on that one.  At least there were no banners on that pole.  I'd say it's because those are the poles being reserved for the Terrence Long and R.A. Dickey banners, but knowing the Mets, fans would probably get stiffed on that pairing as well.
 

If Mookie Comes Aboard, Castillo Must No Longer Be #1

There have been numerous changes in the Mets' coaching positions this offseason. Manager Jerry Manuel, hitting coach Howard Johnson, bullpen coach Randy Niemann and first base coach Razor Shines will no longer be serving the team in those capacities. The managerial position has been taken over by Terry Collins, while the other positions have yet to be filled.

Various publications, including the Daily News, have reported that Mookie Wilson is a strong candidate for the first base coaching position, a job he held from 1997-2002.

Wilson was a fine first base coach during his first tour of duty there and would be a welcome addition to the 2011 Mets' coaching staff. However, there is one thing that I must make perfectly clear, and I'm writing this specifically for Luis Castillo. If Mookie Wilson does come aboard next season, his uniform number better be number 1.

Mookie Wilson is one of the most beloved figures in Mets history. His omnipresent smile and aggressive, yet intelligent, baserunning catapulted him to an iconic status at Shea Stadium, culminating in his epic at-bat in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

When Mets fans think of #41, they think of Tom Seaver. When they think of #17, they think of Keith Hernandez (although some might think of Graeme Lloyd, but those people are probably also fans of Kylie Minogue and Men at Work). Similarly, when Mets fans think of #1, they immediately think of Mookie Wilson.

Luis Castillo is now wearing Mookie's old number. Castillo (along with Oliver Perez) has drawn the ire of current Mets fans over the past few years. His perpetual limp and one-handed approach to the game are the antithesis of everything Mookie Wilson represented to the Mets. It would be a great disservice to the fans and a slap in the face of Mets history if Castillo didn't give up his number to William Hayward Wilson should Mookie become the first base coach.

If Castillo doesn't take the number off his back, he would not be the first player to cause Mookie to change his number. In 1996, Lance Johnson wore the number 1 when he signed with the Mets, causing Mookie Wilson to don number 51 as the Mets' first base coach. Fortunately, Johnson honored the number well, as his 1996 season was one for the ages.

That season was known for two trios, one good and one not so good. It featured the phenomenal hitting exploits of Bernard Gilkey, the record-setting home run production of Todd Hundley and the the fleet feet of Lance Johnson. Unfortunately, the 1996 season was also supposed to be the first full season of Generation K (Paul Wilson, Jason Isringhausen and Bill Pulsipher). The staff of the future left their talent and health in the past, as injuries and poor performances turned the young pitchers into Generation K-less.

The Mets' 71-91 record in 1996 was far short of Amazin', but the same could not be said for Lance Johnson's performance. The centerfielder became the first player in franchise history to amass 200 hits in a season. His 227 safeties obliterated the previous franchise record of 191 set by Felix Millan in 1975.

He also demolished Mookie Wilson's single season triples mark, as his 21 three-baggers easily surpassed the 10 triples hit by Mookie in 1984. In addition, Johnson stole 50 bases, making him the first Met not named Mookie Wilson to reach the half-century mark in steals and hit .333, which was the second highest single season batting average in team history at the time (Cleon Jones hit .340 in 1969).

Lance Johnson's memorable 1996 season made it easier to digest that Mookie was wearing a number other than 1 on the field. Johnson also showed class on the day Mookie Wilson was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame. On September 1, 1996, Johnson switched numbers with Mookie Wilson, with Johnson wearing number 51 and Mookie wearing his traditional number 1.

Now Luis Castillo has the number 1 on his back. It is the number Castillo has worn since 1997 (He wore number 34 briefly in 1996). However, the Marlins did not have a prominent number 1 prior to Castillo's time in Florida (1996-2005) and the Twins also did not have a history with that number before Castillo wore it for them in 2006 and 2007. The Mets, on the other hand, do.

The most magical moment in Mets history is linked to the man wearing uniform number 1. If that same man becomes the new first base coach, he will be required to be in uniform again. There is no way that he should step onto the field wearing anything other than the number 1. Luis Castillo isn't worthy of wearing Mookie Wilson's jock strap, let alone his number.

Castillo hasn't done much to earn the four-year contract Omar Minaya gift-wrapped for him prior to the 2008 season. Giving up his uniform number to Mookie Wilson still won't justify his contract, but at least he'd be able to do something positive that might earn him his first cheer from the Mets faithful.

For the past few years, fans at Citi Field have screamed "BOOOOOOOO" whenever they saw the number 1 on the field. If all goes well, when number 1 pops out of the dugout next year, they'll be able to shout "MOOOOOOOO" instead.

Reason #17 To Retire Keith Hernandez's Number

Keith Hernandez was the heart and soul of the 1980s Mets teams that went from languishing at the bottom of the National League East to winning two division titles and a World Series championship. The former first baseman was a leader both on and off the field, and was given the captain's "C" to honor his leadership on the team. However, despite numerous pleas by Mets fans to retire his number 17, the Mets have not yet honored their former captain by doing so.

Let's compare Keith's career with the Mets to that of another first baseman who played on the West Coast for another expansion team from the 1960s. Perhaps if the people from the Coalition To Decide New Reasons To Put Off Retiring Keith's Number read the following, they might have to rethink things.

Keith Hernandez was a member of the Mets from 1983-1989. Over his 6½ years with the team, he batted over .300 four times, scored over 80 runs four times and drove in over 80 runs four times (including two 90-RBI seasons). He won six Gold Gloves while with the Mets, made the All-Star team three times, finished in the top ten in the MVP voting three times (including two top five finishes) and won a Silver Slugger Award in 1984.

During his first four full seasons with the Mets (1984-1987), an average season for Keith Hernandez looked like this: .305 batting average, .396 OBP, .836 OPS, 32 doubles, 14 HR, 89 RBI and 88 runs scored. More importantly, he was an instrumental player in the Mets' march to the 1986 World Series championship.

So which of his contemporaries am I comparing him to? Let's peruse over the numbers of a certain Steve Garvey, especially after he joined the San Diego Padres.

Steve Garvey joined the Padres as a free agent before the 1983 season (the same year Hernandez was traded to the Mets). He played four full seasons as San Diego's first baseman and part of a fifth in 1987, playing in only 27 games during his final season in the big leagues. During his tenure in San Diego, Garvey did not win any Gold Gloves (Mr. Hernandez was winning all of those), made the All-Star team twice and never finished higher than 20th in the MVP voting. He also did not win any Silver Slugger Awards. Furthermore, he never batted over .300 in any of those four seasons, never scored more than 80 runs and drove in over 80 runs three times (but no 90-RBI seasons).

During those four full seasons in San Diego (1983-1986), these were the numbers for an average Steve Garvey season: .278 batting average, .311 OBP, .725 OPS, 26 doubles, 15 HR, 77 RBI and 72 runs scored. He helped lead the Padres to one National League pennant in 1984, but did not win the World Series that year.

Clearly, Hernandez's numbers and awards with the Mets were superior to Garvey's numbers and lack of awards with the Padres. However, Garvey can claim one thing that Keith Hernandez can't.

STEVE GARVEY'S NUMBER HAS BEEN RETIRED BY THE SAN DIEGO PADRES!

Apparently, the Padres cared enough to acknowledge the fact that Garvey was instrumental in bringing the team back from being also-rans prior to 1983 to pennant winners in 1984. The Mets were cellar dwellers prior to 1983 as well. Then Keith Hernandez came aboard and things started to change, eventually leading to the World Championship that Garvey wasn't able to bring to San Diego.

How can the Mets not retire Keith Hernandez's number when the Padres have bestowed that honor to Steve Garvey? Instead, they continue to hand out the number to Fernando Tatis and various pitchers like Jose Lima, Graeme Lloyd and Dae-Sung Koo. At least Gary Carter's number hasn't been worn by a Met since Matt Galante wore it as a coach in 2002.

It's time for the Mets to retire the #17 in honor of their former captain and team leader, Keith Hernandez. The left field wall at Citi Field is high enough for more retired numbers. Let's end this oversight once and for all by raising the #17 for all Mets fans to see. Say it loud. Say it proud. Retire #17!

17 Games Left: Can The Mets Hold Off The Nats?

We have reached the most critical stretch of games for the Mets this season. The Mets now have 17 games left in the season after tonight's loss to the Braves. Even a casual Mets fan knows the significance of that number. The Mets held their biggest divisional leads in 2007 and 2008 after their 145th games of each season. They had a 7-game lead with 17 games left in 2007 and a 3½-game lead in 2008 at the same point. In 2007 and 2008, the Mets finished 5-12 and 7-10, respectively. Those poor finishes kept the Mets from crashing the playoff party each year.

Now, we're in 2009 and the Mets have a 12½-game lead over the Washington Nationals with 17 games to play. That might seem like a big lead but remember, the Nats still have six head-to-head games left with the Mets. Those games could erase almost half of the lead should the Mets lose them all. The pressure is now on. Can they hold on to their lead or will they blow it again this year and fail to hold on to their stranglehold on fourth-place?

Studious Metsimus was able to locate some of the most famous 17s in franchise history for their opinions on the topic. The results were quite varied, to say to the least.

Jose Lima

"The Mets wouldn't have choked in '07 and '08 had I been there. Remember '06, when they let me go? What happened then? Did they make the World Series? The Red Sox had the Curse of the Bambino and the Cubs have the Curse of the Billy Goat. I gave the Mets the Curse of Lima Time! Also, had I still been there, we would have had more Merengue Nights! Buy my CD, dropping next Tuesday!"

Mr. Koo

"Why do you call me Mr. Koo? My name is Dae Sung. I have no opinion about the Mets and the Nats. I'm still hurt from when I slid into the bat against the Yankees."

Graeme Lloyd

"I wore #17 for the Mets? I don't even remember being on the Mets! Everything is a blur since I was in that fight against the Orioles when I was a Yankee. I hope you don't show the picture of me missing with a right hook."

Felix Millan

"As a member of teams that did well (1973 pennant-winning Mets) and teams that didn't do so great (1977 Midnight Massacre Mets), I think the Mets will hold off the Nats and at the same time, they will not hold off the Nats. By the way, I'm now bipolar and have identity problems. For some reason, when I go out, people think of I'm some guy named Keith Hernandez. Who's this Keith Hernandez guy? I'm Felix Millan!"

Keith Hernandez

"I'm Keith Hernandez."

There you have it, SMFs. It looks like no one knows where the Mets will finish this year. The magic number to clinch fourth place is now down to 6. If the Mets can split their remaining six games against Washington, they can go back to their losing ways that they've become so fond of.

I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen. If I did that, I might start looking like Brainy Smurf before they clinch (if they clinch?) fourth place. The Mets have teased us too many times before. I won't rest easy until that magic number is down to zero. Then and only then will I pop the cork!