The NY Post is reporting that what began early yesterday morning after George Willis of the NY Post outed the Mets for insulting our beloved Doctor K, has ended in a complete about-face by the New York Mets.
It all started when George Willis’ column in yesterday’s Post reported that the Mets planned to erase Dwight Gooden’s autograph from a wall at Citi Field — and it induced a public outcry that forced the team to change its mind.
That article was our featured story yesterday morning as we penned our own outrage over the incident and did our part by getting the news out to over 22,000 of our Feedburner subscribers and Myspace friends, urging them to put some pressure on the Mets.
The story captured more steam when Peter Botte of the NY Daily News printed some remarks from Dwight Gooden who was saddened and dismayed by the Mets stance on what was supposed to be a nice gesture for the fans.
“Last year when I came to say goodbye to Shea, the ovation the fans gave me made me want to come around more, but when things like this happen, it makes me feel like maybe the Mets don’t want me around,” Gooden said. “Maybe I shouldn’t be, I don’t know.”
You can read the entire story right here.
Yesterday, we also suggested that the Mets not only keep what they first labeled as graffiti, but have other former Mets sign the wall as well and create a cool attraction for the fans and a fitting tribute to the Mets past.
Thanks to both Botte and Willis and the public outcry they created, the Mets caved in and only hours after saying that Dwight Gooden’s autograph would be erased, Jay Horwitz changed his tune and said the following.
“We got a lot of calls on this and it was a topic on [sports radio] all day, so we’re going to listen to the fans,” Mets PR chief Jay Horwitz said last night.
According to Horwitz, the section of the Ebbets Club wall with Gooden’s autograph will be removed and put behind fiberglass at a to-be-determined spot in the park more accessible to fans.
The Post was quick to report the Mets new found appreciation of Gooden’s autograph yesterday evening when they spoke to Jay Horwitz and finally put the firestorm out for good.
I just love happy endings and I can see the new Mets Wall of Fame becoming almost as big an attraction as the Homerun Apple.
A great job by all Mets bloggers, the media, and Mets fans for getting the Mets to do the right thing, and a big thank you to the NY Post who first brought the issue to all of our attention and kept putting the pressure on until the Mets finally came to their senses and relented.
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This would be really nice to have as a “draw,” especially if the team knows in advance that any former/retired Mets will be in attandance at an upcoming game. They could do a mini signing ceremony 1 hr before game, etc. One thing I like at the braves games is that they have former players come to sign autos, take pics, etc before games on weekends… It would be nice if the mets did the same type of thing in their fan area
If they haven’t already, they need to apologize to Doc. After all, he did it for the fans.
What an absolute joke this whole thing is. So now, the Mets are going to move the wall? Why not paint over the original signature and just select a place to do this — outfield, near the HR Apple, etc., and have Gooden and whomever else just do it again. Instead, they are actually going to move a concrete wall?
Also, I take exception to the original article where Joe D states “…. after George Willis of the NY Post outed the Mets for insulting our beloved Doctor K ….” …. I could have done with “our beloved” …. he is nt my beloved Gooden …. I am glad he is back on the straight and narrow and also glad he is resurfacing at Shea, but I still am angry at him to some degree for letting the team and me down …. I am coming around on him but he is not my beloved Dwight Gooden.
I can understand your feelings toward Gooden. I resented him for a long time, but like you never really stopped appreciating what he did for us his first couple of years with us.
When I saw Gooden at the final game at Shea, it was weird but at that moment I completely was overwhelmed by the moment and I literally forgot all the gripes I had against him.
to be fair to Jay Horwitz, he’s just the public voice for a very private ownership/management group. His tone at this point is probably counting down days until either the vein pops in his forehead from all these fires, or he retires and gets out of this mess for good.
I love that this all came from Doc. Really good to see he’s got things in order and isn’t shy about being around the club.
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