29
2011
Jose Reyes, Ty Cobb and the $64,000 Dollar Question
An article by Former Writers
Jose Reyes, made his 1,000th career game last night against the Detroit Tigers a memorable one. The game’s most dynamic player, went 4-for-4 at the plate with a walk and three runs scored. He was just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle; being the last Met to perform the feat.
There is nothing Jose Reyes can’t do right now and even ESPN agreed last night when they called him the “undisputed MVP of the league” if the season ended today.
Reyes has become a hitting machine and any baseball hurled his way – well – he makes a meal out of it. His .349 batting average will attest to that.
Last night, he set a new Mets franchise record when he notched his 23rd four-hit game of his career. It was also his 40th multi-hit game this season to lead both leagues.
Here’s why the Mets Organization needs to keep Jose Reyes -
In simple language, he brings in the fans.
Citi Field would be lost without him.
You think people are coming to watch the other players??
They are not – Jose is the star, the head of the list, the guy to watch – and he doesn’t disappoint.
Here’ s a paragraph from the Associated Press this morning:
Jose Reyes played his 1,000 game last night. He has 98 triples and 360 stolen bases now. According to statistics from the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other player with that many triples and stolen bases in his first 1,000 games — since 1898, when the modern stolen base rule was enacted — was Ty Cobb, who had 106 triples and 391 steals.
Of course Jose does so much more – I prefer to think of it as baseball as it should be. It is hard to do when today”s baseball is based on dollars, but it really is a child’s game played by the boys who won’t/don’t grow up and love to play their game.
You can always tell the difference.
The Mets as a whole, take their cue from Jose – and are playing at a level we’ve not seen for a long, long, time.
So – Mets officials here’s your assignment – re-sign this player and treat him well. He has few peers playing these days, and he is filling the seats in your building. A player like Jose comes along once in a blue moon – here’s your chance to keep him here where he belongs.
But will this newly revamped regime ,that features three executives whose lives will be portrayed in a new feature film entitled Moneyball, let the game’s most exciting and dynamic player walk at the end of the season because of money? That will be the $64,000 dollar question.
Here is a word of warning for them…
If you can’t make the deal, just close the doors – all the excitement and fun will be gone with him wherever he goes… And so will the majority of the fans who are the only thing keeping this team financially afloat right now.
About the Author: Former Writers
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How old is the writer of this article, 12? Stop making juvenile threats to ownership. I hope the majority of Mets fans, who are a resilient bunch and stick with the team thru thick and thin, aren’t judged by the continued infantile rantings of a vocal few who admitedly follow the team for one player only. The Mets don’t need this type of fair weather fan, nver have. Go root for the Yankees!
I didnt realize there were still any Wilpon suck-ups left in the world, but hey, I guessthey still a have a few minions left to defend the indefensible. Go back to your cubby hole because this site isn’t for fans (or whatever you are) like you. And by the way it is YOU who are in the minority and just a babbling idiot, not those who want Reyes to stay! If we want to send ownership a message we will, just as we did after they traded SEAVER and Shea became GRANT’S TOMB!!
Put down the crack pipe, troll.
Some might find the notion of rooting for a team just because of its name juvenile in its blind loyalty. I demand quality product on the field, like Jose Reyes…especially in NY. I’ve never been fond of this sort of sad sack, un-loveable loser, Charlie Brown image the Mets have. Reyes helps shed that image.
I concur with what Annie writes. If the front office lets Reyes slip away, rest assurred, paying money to go to see a game at Citi Field will be very low on my priority list, if at all. If you’re fine with spending money to go see Mike Pelfrey lick his hands and lips while giving up 8 runs in two innnings just because his jersey says “METS”, that’s fine, but I would hope you’re in the minority. In any event, Ownership LOVES you.
For long time Met fans there would be very little sweeter than to see #7 retired here after 13 years of all around very good and oftentimes spectacular play.
Jose really is an iconic player synonomous with the NY Mets. We should be doing everything possible to get more Jose Reyes’ and keep the one we have.
MVP!!!
MVP!!!
MVP!!!
ohhh annie, i know certain someone who hates this guy (jesseP) who will be mad once he reads this article…
quite franklly, we’re watching a more focus, driven and mature reyes.. he’s taking it upon himself to not let this team be called losers and carry them on their back.. making beltran and everyone around him, more energized and better.. that’s what an MVP does..
we may be for the greatest season for a new york player in history.. of course if he hits 350 240+ hits, 20+ triples 140+ runs 50+ sb 30+ doubles and the mets make the playoffs
wow you did it again. You know I’m starting to realize all of your comments are just a way to mention me. This crush you have on me has to stop.
By the way, go ahead and reply to the thread from this morning. Or you can run and hide from it.
Thanks for your wonderful response, I am going to ignore the one below. Some people don’t recognize greatness:)
I’m not sure I understand the logic that CitiField would be a ghost town without Reyes.
Jose was on the team last year when the “crowds” were about 5,000 people.
If Alderson builds a winning team, CitiField will be packed, with or without Reyes.
mex.. i seriously doubt that..
Alex – I replied to the wrong message above – thanks for having my back and understanding where I’m coming from. I’m not that familiar with JesseP.
This is a wonderful ride Jose is on and I hope it lasts. Francesa did a 15 minute opening this afternoon – he will be broadcasting from Citi Field on Friday and Saturday!!!
Mex is correct. Past history has shown this. Look at the Seaver situation—and Seaver was a bigger fan favorite back in 1977 than Reyes is now. If Alderson builds a winning team, the crowds will pack Citi, regardless of wether Reyes is on the team or not (which I hope he still is!).
Almar, are you joking? Sure, the fans came back…e v e n t u a l l y… but that was only after the team was sold and Frank Cashen caught lightning in a bottle. Shea was a ghost town for years after they got rid of Seaver!
I’m with you as long as history really DOES repeat itself, and unloading Reyes results in such a drop in attendance that the Wilpons sell the team!
“Almar, are you joking? Sure, the fans came back…e v e n t u a l l y… but that was only after the team was sold and Frank Cashen caught lightning in a bottle. Shea was a ghost town for years after they got rid of Seaver!”
Why are you saying that Cashen “caught lightning in a bottle?” You make it seem like he and the organization were lucky tjhey won a WS. Cashen was the best GM this team ever had. He already had championships under his belt with the Orioles. He was an ideal guy at the time. He did not catch lighting in a bottle, he smartly built a WS champion.
As far as Shea being a ghost town after Seaver, their attendance was dropping well before Seaver left town, which had more to do with the team not winning to go along with an incompetent front office + ownership and the Yanks winning across town. In fact, the year after Seaver was traded, they only drew 66K less the following year. It was in 1979 and 1981 that they drew only 700+ due to the fact that they were playing like a AAA team. But those years ironically sandwiched a season where they drew over a million. The question becomes, if they kept Seaver, would the attendance have been significantly higher those year? Based on the trend leading up to 1977, probably not. I remember those days. They sucked, with or without Seaver. Good thing about this year’s team is that even without Reyes, they are far better than the Mets were in 1977 post-Seaver. Let’s hope all if this is a moot point and Reyes is here to stay.
Almar, you make some good points, but I still would argue with your overall conclusion. Trading Seaver was simply the icing on the cake for an incompetent management that had allowed the team to decline. In New York there is always a core of fans who will show up whether the team is winning or not, but it is very small. Most fans want to (a) see a team that is winning, (b) see a team that has a CHANCE of winning, or (c) see a team that at least plays like it cares, and is improving. The key to (c) is ownership/management showing that IT cares and knows what it’s doing. During those mid-late 70s years, fans saw most of their favorites traded away from a team that was going nowhere, and had no confidence at all in the ownership.
Your point about a million+ attendance season in 1980 being sandwiched between two 700K seasons is misleading. The reason attendance spiked upward in 1980 is obvious: Doubleday and Wilpon bought the team, so fans actually had some hope that things might improve. But attendance dropped again in 1981 because it was a strike-shortened season! It was trending upward in ’82; the more significant figure was ’83, when attendance dropped again to just over a million – LAST in the league – DESPITE Strawberry being Rookie of the Year, DESPITE the return of Seaver, DESPITE the trade for Keith Hernandez. Strawberry did not make his Mets debut until May 6; Hernandez did not appear until June 17. Meanwhile, George Bamberger quit as manager after just 46 games, the initial excitement of new ownership was gone, and the team finished in last place. So fans were not convinced that anything was really changing.
Right now, fans have lost faith in the Wilpons. Despite the new management in place, fans will not be convinced anything is really changing unless they step up and sign Reyes.
The future just may be NOW buddy. Half of Buffalo is already on the team and a major contributor to it’s success and Reyes is part of that future.
Sorry Sandy, plans have changed and the future just may be NOW.
Wrong. Just because half of Buffalo is up does not mean the future is now. Just about everyone that has a real future on the team is in AA, just getting to AA or will be there soon. Sandy wont mortgage the system for the hopes of making the playoffs this year, then have to deal with filling holes with crap in the future.
So no plans havent changed jusr because the Mets are 1 game over .500, it just means this year is turning out to be entertaining and not what we we’ve witnessed for the past 3.
The only issue I have with that is trying to figure how resigning an MVP canidate and Gold Glove canidate at an impact position in his prime involves mortgaging the future. I could care less whats wrong with ownership. If a New York ball club can’t keep a player like that, then I don’t want to be a part of that future. Call me whatever you want.
What doesreyes have to do with making trades for a playoff run that hurts the farm more in the long run?
I said “may be now” I didn’t say it was definitive. It could change in a week but you can’t discount the possibility with the way the Mets are playing the future could be now.
I didn’t say it DEFINITELY is now, let’s see how it plays out
This I can agree with. I’m still not comfortable with creating more holes in the farm for a shot at the playoffs this year.
well we’ll see what we have to do and what is available when that time comes
Here we go again with Bayonne
“The future just may be NOW buddy.” Why? Are you telling me the future of this franchise is Paulino(30), Turner (26), Tejada (21)?
Justin Turner is a bench guy… that’s great, you need bench guys. But “the future”?
Lucas Duda still hasn’t shown an ability to hit big league pitching daily…
“Half of Buffalo is already on the team and a major contributor to it’s success”
Half of Buffalo meaning: Acosta, Gee, Parnell, Duda, Tejada, Turner, Pridie? That’s 7 guys… and frankly, any player can have a flash of success no?
I agree that Gee and Tejada are keepers, and I concede Turner’s hot May was a big help, but Turner’s .200 June average has quietly gone uncriticized… and Duda and Pridie “major” contributors? Really?
Manny Acosta a “major” contributor? Don’t think so.
So really you’re talking mostly about Dillon Gee, Ruben Tejada and May Justin Turner.
That’s the future?
so who the hell you want on this team jesseP????????????
can you please actually let us know what the future is on this team? you hate reyes, love wright but wanna trade him, beltran is gone.. what do you want!!!!??????? please elaborate!!
alex: I’m not sure what you are trying to say? Are you trying to say the “future” of the Mets is Turner-Pridie-Duda-Thole?
again, please elabroate who IS Tthe future then?? nimmo?? i am sure you excited for him because your boy saber sandy picked him in the draft right???
tell me what is the future please..
Did Annie say the Mets were going to win any championships this season? No. Did she threaten to stop being a Mets fan if Reyes was not signed? No.
What she said was that Reyes is the most exciting player in the game right now, the leader of this team, and the reason fans are filling the seats. Can anybody honestly dispute any of that?
Of course there will always be Mets fans. Of course people will continue to go to CitiField — IF the Mets continue to win a healthy number of games, and IF they continue to play exciting, inspired baseball. Reyes is the leader and catalyst for that to continue. NOT resigning him sends the message that the Mets can’t afford to keep the game’s most exciting player in New York where he belongs. NOT resigning him sends the message that they hope fans won’t mind losing the team’s epicenter in exchange for being able to afford signing some more faceless position players who may or may not gel, may or may not have any personality, and may or may not win. Is that REALLY what fans are clamoring for?
Thanks JPMNewYork – It’s nice to have another literate adult who understands the English language as well as baseball. I’m enjoying the ride – having been through some years when I desperately wanted to get off the team bus……..I remember Jose as a gangly 17 year old in Port St. Lucie….my how he’s changed
I have been argueing with “fans” who wanted Jose traded his first couple of years and I kept telling them they were nuts. He should retire a MET and hopefully that happens.
s/b –arguing.
JPnewyork
JesseP is the only met fan who hates reyes and will dispute all that, he’s voting in tulowitzki like 1000 times already to be the ASG starting SS…
Chief Wilson, a member of the 1912 Pirates, holds the Major League record with 36 triples in one season.
Will Reyes get close to 30 triples?
MT22: he’s on pace to 33 triples.. but 25+ is just plain amazing!!
One last point that seems obvious, but has not been stated:
If the Question was really $64,000… there wouldn’t be a question!
Hello all – I stayed up and watched this team in action again last night. I also saw Terry Collins’ Dad and sister in the crowd. If this isn’t a wonderful baseball season, I don’t know what would be – 16-9 was just fine. Keep the faith, folks and of course, Let’s Go Mets