"Sorry - couldn't resist !"
Yesterday I reported that the Mets have announced that for their 50th anniversary they will honor five of their most popular alumni with a day in their honor as well as a bobble head to commemorate the special occasion. The five honorees are Tom Seaver ( April 22), Rusty Staub ( May 26), Keith Hernandez, (June 17), Edgardo Alfonzo ( July 21) and Mike Piazza on August 25.
I personally have no problem with any of the players that have been selected to have the honor of being immortalized in metal springs and plastic. In fact I expect to make it to all five games to honor all five players as well as to collect these premium collectibles.
But I began to wonder – who else should the Metshonor with a bobble head in the near future ? Maybe not this season – but for 2013 and beyond .
Here are six Mets alumni that I think deserve to be bestowed the honor of having their likeness caractureized in plastic.
1. From the ’60′s – Ron Swoboda. Just think how cool a bobble head of him making the famous ” shoestring catch” would look !
2. From the ’70′s – Lee Mazzilli. There is no other player synonymous from the later half of the me decade than good old Maz from Sheepshead Bay.
3. From the ’80′s I believe the Mets Golden Gloved pugalist of a third baseman, Ray Knight is deserving of the honor.
4 From the ’90′s I would go for the folk hero known as Rico Brogna. Did Rico have an illustrious career with the Mets ? No but there are still many fans that grew up during that era that still look upon his time here fondly.
At number five I would choose a player from the early part of this millennium. The player that I would go for is ”Mr Mojo Rising” himself, Robin Ventura. The ” Grand Slam Single” is still considered one of the most important moments in Mets history.
And the sixth person that I would like to see honored with a bobble head is the radio voice of the Mets, Howie Rose. Howie is the most important Mets broadcaster after Ralph Kiner and Bob Murphy in my opinion.
So do you agree/disagree ? Is there a player that I omittedthat you would like to see honored withtheir own likeness with a big head that sways side to side > Please comment below.
And with that said… HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!!
Mets alumni celebrating a birthday today includes:
Spot starter/middle reliever from the ’67 season, Chuck Estrada is 74 (1938).
Middle reliever from the ’92 season, Barry Jones is 49 (1963).
Sadly on this date last year, Joe Frazier – the Mets manager from the ’76-’77 seasons passed away.
The San Diego Padres signed starting pitcher, Bobby Jones of the New York Mets as a free agent on February 15, 2001. Jones spent 8 seasons with the Mets, finishing with a record of 74-56 and an E.R.A of 4.13. He was most certainly the most underrated Mets pitcher of the ’90′s.
The Detroit Tigers signed middle reliever, Vic Darensbourg of the New York Mets as a free agent on February 15, 2005.Darensbourg appeared in 5 games for the Mets during the ’04 season. He finished with a record of 0-1 and a E.R.A of 7.94.
The New York Mets signed free agent reserve outfielder, Brady Clark on February 15, 2008.
The New York Mets signed free agent relief pitcher, Jason Isringhausen on February 15, 2011. Jason was one of the few feel good stories from last season. He earned his 300thcareer save as a Met – the team that he broke into the majors with. Too bad a back injury sidelined him for most of the second half of the ’11 season.
Yesterday Mo Vaughn ate his weight in Valentines Day chocolate !!
7 comments
Ninemoreouts
2/15/2012-7:17am at 7:17 am (UTC -4)
I guess it’s too soon for Beltran, eh?
If the Mets had an ounce of marketing savvy/chutzpah: Gary Carter bobblehead night… give a portion of ticket sales to an organization that conducts research in brain cancer.
kingman 26
2/15/2012-10:23am at 10:23 am (UTC -4)
That is an absolutely incredible idea, and one I am sure they would never think of.
MetsFan4Decades
2/15/2012-8:11am at 8:11 am (UTC -4)
I’m a little surprised one of them this year was not Gary Carter. Maybe they have something separate they’re planning to do to honor him.
You know this is all about marketing. As in which players will fans come out to the park more for, to get a bobble head? Might not always be the best of the Mets alumni but more along the most popular. I have a feeling that most from the Miracle Mets would not produce the crowds they’d be looking for giving the amount of time that’s passed and how many fans still around that remember that team. Of course, Seaver is the exception.
Nice idea with the Mets announcers though.
kingman 26
2/15/2012-10:26am at 10:26 am (UTC -4)
Well, come on Rusty.
A Dave Kingman bobblehead!
It can be really tall, have a giant bat, and carry a pink box with a rat inside!
How about a Ralph Kiner one? It can talk–wind it up and it mispronounces names.
Not sure about Brogna, but Swoboda, Mazzilli, and Knight are great ideas—players truly loved by fans from three different decades.
And ONE fan from four decades I am sure…(shouldn’t it be FIVE decades at this point–or at least four+??)
Julie
2/15/2012-8:22pm at 8:22 pm (UTC -4)
A Howie Rose bobblehead would be tremendous! I have the Ralphi Kiner/Bob Murphy on from several years ago.
Your other suggestions area great too. I’m a sucker for most bobbleheads.
darknova306
2/16/2012-3:13am at 3:13 am (UTC -4)
I’d take a Rick Reed or Masato Yoshii bobblehead. Those guys were two of my favorite non-stars on the Mets when I was in high school for some reason.
How about a Kenny Rogers bobblehead so I could stick some dynamite up its butt and get revenge for ’99…
NJstuckinTX
2/16/2012-9:33am at 9:33 am (UTC -4)
Loved me some Rick Reed too, scab status or not!