The Mets are planning a video tribute for former shortstop Jose Reyes when he returns to Citi Field. From the Daily News:
ATLANTA — The Jose Reyes era is over in Flushing, but the shortstop and Mets plan to share one more memorable moment.
According to a team source, the Mets will acknowledge Reyes’ nine years in New York with a video tribute on April 24, before the shortstop’s Citi Field unveiling as a Miami Marlin. That game opens a three-game series.
Reyes, who won the first batting title in club history last season, agreed in December with the Marlins on a six-year, $106 million contract.
I don’t like it. This is too soon. Yes, the Mets and fans are moving on just fine- having a better season than Reyes’ Marlins- but we are just months removed from his dissing and betrayal of the city that loved and embraced him for so many years. If the Mets had traded him, or it he had been more gracious in his departure, I would have a problem with it. The way he left enraged many in the organization and the fanbase, and there is still tension. I know that I will never look at Reyes the same again. Maybe other Mets fans will be more forgiving.
He deserves at least a little something for his contributions to some very good teams in 2006, 2007, and 2008, but a video tribute is going just a bit too far. It’s not like he is fading away, soon to retire like Mike Piazza was when he returned to Shea as a member of the Padres. Jose is going to be around, in the division, terrorizing Mets fans for years to come with his speed and rocket arm at shortstop.
A little standing ovation is all Jose should get. A video tribute? It’s too soon.
Let me know what you think. I’m sure I’ll be in the minority on this one…
63 comments
NJstuckinTX
4/17/2012-10:45am at 10:45 am (UTC -4)
This tribute stuff has to stop. no tribute to Chipper. Certainly no tribute to Reyes. He can wave his hat, the fans can cheer/boo accordingly and be done with it. They aren’t on this team.
ConnorUAF
4/17/2012-10:52am at 10:52 am (UTC -4)
Chipper named his son Shea,
completely insulting the Metsand yet they have a tribute for him. That’s even worse than the Reyes tribute.EDIT:
Scrap the whole son thing, lol. I mostly don’t like the fact that the Mets will honor Chipper, a player who had so many big hits against the team in his career, causing so much frustration for Mets fans. It just doesn’t seem right.
Prismo
4/17/2012-10:55am at 10:55 am (UTC -4)
You should read any of Chipper’s quotes from the past several years about the Mets. He has a great respect for the franchise and the fanbase. He just loved the rivalry and played it up for entertainment’s sake and because it was FUN.
People treat Chipper like he was freakin’ John Rocker!
ConnorUAF
4/17/2012-10:58am at 10:58 am (UTC -4)
He’s been nothing but classy- except for the son thing.
trs86
4/17/2012-11:02am at 11:02 am (UTC -4)
Were you aware that Barry Larkin named one of his kids after Shea too?
ConnorUAF
4/17/2012-11:05am at 11:05 am (UTC -4)
I didn’t know that.
Prismo
4/17/2012-11:13am at 11:13 am (UTC -4)
Chipper during the last season of Shea Stadium:
And while he hopes to continue the now-affectionate rivalry with Mets fans into Citi Field next season, he is sorry to see the closing of his “home away from home.” He said he will be among the first to purchase seats from the stadium when they go on sale on the Mets’ Web site Monday morning at 9.
“I am hoping to get a seat with a number 10 on it, ” Jones said, referring to his jersey number. “I’d also like to get something blue and orange and something that says Shea Stadium on it.
“I have a corner in my basement, my sanctuary, for all my Shea memorabilia.”
Jones and his wife, Sharon, named their soon-to-be 4-year-old son Shea.
“We both liked the name and it just seemed the perfect name,” he said. “It was just right to name him after this place.”
Jones carries with him a shotgun cartridge that he found in Shea’s left field. It was left over from the 21-gun salute that was part of the ceremony before the first game played here after 9/11.
“I take it with me everywhere,” Jones said. “It was a special night.”
Jones said he will bring his son Shea here when the Braves return next month.
“I want him to be able to at least look out at the parking lot and remember the place he was named for,” said Jones. “And then he can go out and create as much havoc there as I have always tried to do here.”
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/shea-stadium-fate-hits-atlanta-braves-slugger-chipper-jones-hard-article-1.317103#ixzz1sJL3ONsM
Prismo
4/17/2012-11:14am at 11:14 am (UTC -4)
(WHAT A MONSTER!!!)
NJstuckinTX
4/17/2012-11:38am at 11:38 am (UTC -4)
i thought it was his daughter.
NJstuckinTX
4/17/2012-12:01pm at 12:01 pm (UTC -4)
It’s probably more of an insult to his kid that he named a boy Shea than it is a slap in the Mets face. Uff da…
trs86
4/17/2012-10:58am at 10:58 am (UTC -4)
Agreed, Chipper desperately wanted a good rivalry, he needed it for motivation. I can’t fault him at all. Reading his quote from the other day as to what he hoped the Mets fans remember about him just drips class.
trs86
4/17/2012-10:56am at 10:56 am (UTC -4)
I don’t think for one minute, as a married man I know this has to be true, that Chipper named his kid Shea to insult the Mets.
mrose
4/17/2012-11:22am at 11:22 am (UTC -4)
I named my dog Shea only because the wife wouldn’t have allowed a kid (when we have one) to be Shea.
I see it as an honor, just like if/when we have a son, I am going to give him a middle name of one of my best friends who passed away when he was only 22. If he said that when he took a dump he called it Shea, thats an insult, but giving a child or something he obviously loves and cares for? Not in the least.
trs86
4/17/2012-11:51am at 11:51 am (UTC -4)
I mentioned it to my wife for our daughter but we both knew Shea’s in real life that we weren’t fond of. I also mentioned Reagan as I know Kingman will get a kick out of that one. It made the final three but we went elsewhere.
kingman 26
4/17/2012-7:43pm at 7:43 pm (UTC -4)
HAHA!
TRS, when I consider W and Romney, and the utter jokes of Gingrich and Santorum, I pine for Reagan.
He was a real person.
Mr North Jersey
4/17/2012-10:57am at 10:57 am (UTC -4)
How naming your son Shea is an insult I don’t know. It is the highest compliment where I see it. Think about it. He named his son a name that recognizes a place where he had many great moments and it wasn’t the more logical name Turner.
Stick
4/17/2012-11:58am at 11:58 am (UTC -4)
bettter than naming the kid Chipper.
Mr North Jersey
4/17/2012-10:53am at 10:53 am (UTC -4)
Look the man will always be known as one of the best shortstops the Mets ever produced. Recognizing that in his 1st game back to NY now that he is no longer a Met and saying Thank you for all those years to me is nothing more than that.
I think it shows class to recognize him as opposed to not.
kingman 26
4/17/2012-12:12pm at 12:12 pm (UTC -4)
The man was clearly THE best shortstop in team history, and on the short list of best everyday players.
How can fans oppose this? He’s gone because the Mets didn’t want to pay him.
Fans bitch and moan when the Mets don’t honor their history, and now they bitch and moan when they do.
I find opposition to this to be absolutely incredible and really just inexplicable.
Stick
4/17/2012-12:19pm at 12:19 pm (UTC -4)
it’s the timing, and the situation. Him leaving is not all on the Mets.
He was able to get more money from another team than the Mets thought he was worth, so he took it and ran. Certainly his right to do.
But, does not qualify as Met “history” yet IMO.
that is why I think it is inappropriate. he is a member of a division rival (a team that has also had bad blood with the Mets in recent years).
Now, if it was 10 years from now, and he was pretty well done and in his final season? By all means, give him a little montage. Just not now.
Announce him, and give the fans a little extra time to react to him, then play the game.
Prismo
4/17/2012-10:56am at 10:56 am (UTC -4)
Mets should scrap this and do a tribute to Ruben Tejada instead during the same game.
NJstuckinTX
4/17/2012-12:02pm at 12:02 pm (UTC -4)
+1
gategem
4/17/2012-2:01pm at 2:01 pm (UTC -4)
For SS of the week?
srt
4/17/2012-11:45am at 11:45 am (UTC -4)
O.K., I’m exhausted reading about this debate over on MMO all morning. LOL.
Here were my first thoughts on this:
Just curious….how many other teams have done something like this when a FA walks?
I’ll be interesting to see what kind of reception this gets from the Met fans. If they do it right, should be good. Might be the cynic in me, but I can’t help but think some brain in the FO is doing this to offset they way this all went down and attempting to diffuse the loud boos they might be expecting b/c Jose is no longer a Met.
trs86
4/17/2012-11:49am at 11:49 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, go figure that one would turn into a Wright vs Reyes debate for the first time ever…. LOL.
Stick
4/17/2012-11:54am at 11:54 am (UTC -4)
ja ja ja.
I don’t expect boos for the Mets. Fans are fickle. assuming the team is still winning, with Ruben playing well, not a big deal.
trs86
4/17/2012-11:56am at 11:56 am (UTC -4)
I expect some to boo, some to cheer and some to get peanuts and beer.
Stick
4/17/2012-12:14pm at 12:14 pm (UTC -4)
good luck figuring out who they are actually booing!
ConnorUAF
4/17/2012-12:13pm at 12:13 pm (UTC -4)
On Joe and Evan on WFAN today, Evan said he thought it would be 80% cheers 20% boos. I think there will be more boos than 20%.
kingman 26
4/17/2012-12:32pm at 12:32 pm (UTC -4)
5% boos tops.
The average fan doesn’t think like callers to talk radio or Internet commenters.
The average fan just loves the game, treats it as entertainment, and the idea that Jose was “dissing” the team to most people would be, I think, kooky.
ConnorUAF
4/17/2012-12:40pm at 12:40 pm (UTC -4)
That is a good point. If every Mets fan was active on the blogosphere and big listeners to radio, the boos would be much more prevalent
kingman 26
4/17/2012-12:43pm at 12:43 pm (UTC -4)
You have it backwards my friend.
If every Met fan was active on the Internet and talk radio, the opinions that you are expressing would be drowned out, just as the boos will be drowned out by the massive ovation next week.
srt
4/17/2012-12:43pm at 12:43 pm (UTC -4)
I believe Metsblog had a poll up in ST on whether Met fans will boo or cheer Reyes his first game at Citi Field.
When I looked at the results, I believe it was somewhere around 67% would boo.
Not sure how that will change though when they’re adding a tribute to him before that first game.
gategem
4/17/2012-2:09pm at 2:09 pm (UTC -4)
As Kong pointed out the vast majority of fans are not represented by the ones that call-in to talk radio or post on the blogs. Those normal people out there don’t take Reyes leaving as a personal insult. Also, while Jose was here he was well liked by Mets fans.
Stick
4/17/2012-11:53am at 11:53 am (UTC -4)
I think it is a bad idea. Inappropriate.
Announce him, and give the fans a little extra time to “honor” him however they see fit. But that is it.
And having a small acknowledgement (saying goodbye, hopefully with some humor) to Larry does not bother me in the least.
kingman 26
4/17/2012-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
This is absolutely ridiculous, and full of complete falsehoods.
“Dissing” and “betrayal”? “Enraged” many in the organization?
What are you talking about?
By ALL accounts Jose wanted the Mets to make an offer, which they never did. I agree with not matching Miami’s offer for a player so injury-prone.
Jose was with the team for over a decade, and from 2005–2008 was one of the VERY best everyday players in Met history. 2006–2008 were among the best offensive seasons ever put up by a Met, accompanied by excellent fielding.
Jose is gone BECAUSE THE METS DID NOT WANT TO AND/OR COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY HIM.
Sorry man, but this is ridiculous, and much of it is just not true.
trs86
4/17/2012-12:20pm at 12:20 pm (UTC -4)
Kingman I did not take it as him talking about Reyes decision to leave but more about his final AB?
I also don’t think Reyes would have stayed with the Mets regardless of the offer. The chance to go to the new look Marlins be the star in a party culture so near his home was too much to pass up, especially with 100M.
kingman 26
4/17/2012-12:27pm at 12:27 pm (UTC -4)
There’s no “party culture” in NYC?
Sorry man, as much as–as you know–I had issues with Jose’s lack of hitting down the stretch in 2007 and 2008, his softness, his idiotic dancing which incited opponents, etc–I just cannot blame him for taking the only huge offer he was given.
If the Mets even made an offer, it was clearly a non-offer well below what the Marlins offered–and which I agree with.
The guy’s one of the best Mets ever.
He’s not a bad guy.
How can anyone rationally be anti-Jose?
“Dissing” and “betrayal”? Ridiculous, nonsense, and false.
Stick
4/17/2012-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
the way the whole situation played out (from ST), I firmly believe that he had this pre-planned as his goal.
and that being mad at the mets for not upping their offer had more to do with not having the leverage to go back and squeeze more out of the Marlins.
Would he have signed with the Mets? Probably, if Fred had dropped his shorts and overruled Sandy, and offered 8/160 or something like that (where even the Fish weren’t going).
And I also say the Mets DID make an offer, in the way these negotiations go, where both sides toss out parameters. Just a question of how firm they are. If Sandy says they are looking to be a 4 guaranteed for in the 65 range, and the agent laughs at it (keep in mind Reyes was on record with the 100m #), then who cares if he preped a formal offer sheet, once jose got the Marlins to blow that away?
Stick
4/17/2012-12:21pm at 12:21 pm (UTC -4)
so he was just another mercanary FA that grabbed the biggest check as soon as he could?
Yup, that is the way the business works. And a good reason not to do a tribute!
kingman 26
4/17/2012-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
No Stick, he grabbed the ONLY check that was offered. Big difference.
And they could have tried to trade him if they had zero intention of signing him.
I cannot fathom this, and my guess is that the overwhelming majority of fans will stand and cheer for Jose next week.
Stick
4/17/2012-12:32pm at 12:32 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t think we will ever know if Sandy wanted to (or would have) traded him. as soon as he pulled up lame, that was a non-starter since his value was shot.
And the Mets did want to sign him. And told the agent where they were willing to go to. They just weren’t willing to sign him at all costs. And looks like 28 other teams agreed with the Mets here!
but back to the original question (since the Jose resigning horse has beaten dead from the beating for a long time!), I still don’t think the Mets should do a video tribute to the guy.
kingman 26
4/17/2012-12:54pm at 12:54 pm (UTC -4)
There is such a thing as a non-offer offer, which I firmly believe is what the Mets offered Jose–IF there even was a formal offer.
Look, I get where you are coming from, and when I lived in Seattle I did hate it when Randy Johnson and Griffey and ARod left, but this is just different to me. I watched Jose from day one in the minors, really enjoyed most of his career, and he left because things sucked around here for the last three years, he wanted to live in S FLA, and the Marlins–no matter what anyone says–offered BY FAR the most money.
Jose knows he won’t be like Pujols and getting another deal like this; this was the one big deal for him.
I guess I just never root against or have bad feelings for ex-Mets unless it is a case like Bobby Bonilla, Vince Coleman, or someone like that.
Hell, if Oliver Perez resurfaces for the Mariners, I don’t even think I would wish ill for him.
I get mad and frustrated with baseball issues sometimes, but ultimately it is entertainment, I have been going to games with my Dad and bro my whole life, and I don’t get angry at players for exercising their free will.
Except for how the way ARod did it–he rubbed the Mariners and their fans’ noses in sh*t and behaved in a really lousy way.
Stick
4/17/2012-1:09pm at 1:09 pm (UTC -4)
either way (offer or not), the whole situtation certainly was not pretty.
But, my point is that it’s done, he left, and everyone moved on.
It should be now about THIS Mets team. And doing some fawning, we miss you, can’t believe you left video show IMO is dissing the current team. Support them.
someone suggested doing a tribute to Tejada instead. That sounds good!
Like I said, announce him and let the crowd do what they want to do, but that should be it. No special ceremonial display.
Unless you want to give him a couple jet skis to use in south beach?
ConnorUAF
4/17/2012-12:30pm at 12:30 pm (UTC -4)
The wording may have been strong but the main point of why I wrote this is:
You don’t make a tribute to an opposing player who left you to go to a division rival in the prime of his career.
In the future, when he retires, the Mets can acknowledge Reyes all they want for being the greatest shortstop in Mets history, but it’s too soon.
Stick
4/17/2012-12:33pm at 12:33 pm (UTC -4)
exactly.
kingman 26
4/17/2012-12:35pm at 12:35 pm (UTC -4)
I might agree with that, but the idea that Jose dissed and betrayed the team and its fans is demonstrably false; it’s not a 2-sided opinion thing.
He took the only big offer he received.
If the Mets had matched the offer or come close to it–which they most definitely did not–then some of this mindset MIGHT be appropriate.
You can think this all you want, but it is not even close to a reasonable interpretation of what actually happened.
srt
4/17/2012-12:52pm at 12:52 pm (UTC -4)
I think some of the ill will some Met fans have might be more about that last at bat in a Met uniform than the way the whole FA scenario went down. I remembering reading after that last game and the next day – was running like 60/40 Met fans calling it ‘bush league’.
So….
- you’ve got some Met fans who felt betrayed by Reyes right after that last at bat during game 162
- you’ve got some Met fans that blame Reyes b/c he didn’t re-sign here
- some Met fans blaming Sandy
- some Met fans blaming the Wilpons
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of reception he gets.
I’m inclined to believe w/o the tribute he would be hearing a whole lot more boos than he’ll hear with the tribute.
Stick
4/17/2012-1:11pm at 1:11 pm (UTC -4)
and some that think when you sign with the enemy, you become the enemy!
ConnorUAF
4/17/2012-1:14pm at 1:14 pm (UTC -4)
Stick: With some exceptions (Piazza)
Stick
4/17/2012-1:40pm at 1:40 pm (UTC -4)
it’s different when you are at the end of the line, and probably should be retiring. Kind of like when WIllie Mays signed with the Mets. Then you get a pass.
gategem
4/17/2012-2:31pm at 2:31 pm (UTC -4)
I’ve never thought of players on another team as the enemy. It’s entertainment and these players meet on the field before the game and perhaps for diner after a game or during the off-season and are friends. Just like I don’t believe the employees of Burger-King, McDonalds and Wendy’s meet on some great field for the apocalyptic battle. So he bunted for a hit his last time up in a Mets uniform. Damn him to hell. Better that “I got off on a technicality” Mr. Braun should have won the batting title? No one meant more to a franchise than Pujols to the Cardinals yet I don’t see the vitriolic at the Cardinals blogs (of course perhaps I missed it since I don’t visit them very often) for Pujols taking the money and running all the way to the left coast. I don’t blame Reyes for staying in the division since the Marlins were the only ones foolish enough to make that offer and Reyes would have been an imbecile to turn it down.
Stick
4/17/2012-12:34pm at 12:34 pm (UTC -4)
I wonder what the Mariners did the first time A Rod came back with the Rangers?
kingman 26
4/17/2012-12:42pm at 12:42 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t remember if there was a tribute, but the fans booed him so unmercifully that it was almost painful. He was clearly shaken by it. And the fans there are VERY polite and loyal and worship great Mariners.
But ARod publicly stated that he’d never sign a contract if the Mariners traded him, so they got nothing for him; they were able to trade Randy J and Griffey and get a bunch of players. He never, ever spent time in Seattle and hated the weather and never had a permanent home there. He tried to coax Boeing into moving their corporate headquarters to Texas.
A totally and completely different situation.
ARod DID diss and betray the team and the fans.
Reyes didn’t.
NJstuckinTX
4/17/2012-12:48pm at 12:48 pm (UTC -4)
I can let you know in 3 months!
Stick
4/17/2012-1:12pm at 1:12 pm (UTC -4)
finally making the move up north?
NJstuckinTX
4/17/2012-1:21pm at 1:21 pm (UTC -4)
Yes. Have to sell a house and all that first, but figuring to be up there by August/September. now, to roll with NJStuckintheSEA? PacificNewJersey? the options are a plenty…
Stick
4/17/2012-1:42pm at 1:42 pm (UTC -4)
congrats. At least now when you are always wet when you go outside, it will be from the misty rain and not sweat from the humidity.
Go with escapefromtexatraz.
NJstuckinTX
4/17/2012-1:59pm at 1:59 pm (UTC -4)
Sleepless in Stuck-attle?
Starstucks?
Jimi Texdricks?
Prismo
4/17/2012-2:11pm at 2:11 pm (UTC -4)
Needled into Seattle
Tossed Salad and Scrambled NJ
Sorry…best I can do is a Space Needle pun and a vague Frasier reference. Kingman might have some good stuff.
saltygary
4/17/2012-2:20pm at 2:20 pm (UTC -4)
“Jersey-Pacific”
“Salmon Tosser” umm maybe not
darknova306
4/17/2012-2:22pm at 2:22 pm (UTC -4)
I’m 200% moved on from this man. They can give him whatever kind of tribute they want, I watch the games on MLB.tv so I won’t see it, nor will I care.
trs86
4/17/2012-2:54pm at 2:54 pm (UTC -4)
LOL, Agreed!