Today, I’m going to stray from my usual 3 Up & 3 Down to write an entry that has been kicking around in my head for quite sometime now. This entry is about the first owner of the New York Mets, Mrs. Joan Whitney Payson.

One SNY feature, the only one I consider to be worth watching, is Mets Yearbook. In one particular episode, the year was 1963, they showed the final game at the old Polo Grounds, with Mrs. Payson and Casey Stengel on the field. As I watched, I thought of how remarkable a woman Mrs. Payson was – a woman clearly ahead of her time – and how the Mets will never have another owner as good and as wonderful as she was. Just watching all the video clips of her it was so apparent that Mrs. Payson truly loved her Mets, and it was just as apparent that Met fans loved her back.

When was the last time we saw a Mets owner sitting in the stands with the fans, rooting for our team? Whether eating a hotdog or enjoying a box of Cracker Jacks, there she was sitting with the rest of us and rooting for the team. She wasn’t isolated in an “owners box”, but instead enjoyed being with her people, Mets fans, and enjoying the game with them.

Before taking ownership of the Mets, Mrs. Payson was a shareholder of the New York Giants. In fact, Mrs. Payson tried all she could to talk Horace Stoneham out of moving the Giants to San Francisco. Mrs. Payson, and M. Donald Grant both voted against the Giant’s move. When the National League finally agreed to expansion and awarded a baseball team to New York, Mrs.Payson become the first woman ever to own a baseball team, and they couldn’t have made a better choice.

Mrs. Payson then went about the business of hiring the best baseball people available at the time. She also didn’t meddle and always allowed all of them to do their job. With 50 years of hindsight, the early Mets were a stroke of genius. New York was starving for National League baseball and Mrs. Payson and some other key people brought it back to us.

The Mets also brought back as many former Giants and Dodgers as they could to bring a hometown feel and familiarity to the team. They scooped up the most successful manager in the game in Casey Stengel. They then let the stars of the past play, while beginning the work of assembling an awesome farm system.

The 1969 Mets were amazing for several reasons. First off, before 1969 they never finished in the top of the standings and in fact were perennial cellar dwellars. Second, and even more amazing is that seven years after inception, the Mets were champions. In the pre free agency era, this truly was a miracle.

I became a Met fan in 1973. Sadly Mrs. Payson died in October of 1975, so I have very few memories of her. But to me, the thing that was so striking about her was her genuine, heartfelt love for all the Mets players, coaches and fans. I doubt we’ll ever see anything like it, or anyone like her, ever again. That my friends, is too bad.

Happy Mothers Day to all the remarkable women in your lives.

A member of the SABR once said, “There are 499 ballplayers. And then there’s Willie Mays.”

It was way back in the summer of 1973. Camera Day. I was a few months shy of turning 8 years old. My dad nudged me closer to the railing along the third base line so no grown-ups would block my view. Mets players walked around the warning track, stopping every few feet to smile for the cameras. My dad clicked away on his little Kodak Instamatic. I was just feet away from my Mets. Something I still remember 40 years later.

Tug and Harry Parker rode around on the back of the Mets bullpen cart. Jerry Koosman, void of his cap, stopped within arm’s reach. Lanky Jon Matlack smiled broadly. Cleon Jone carried himself with swagger, looking every part the major leaguer. Rusty Staub carried a teddy bear. Then, an eerie hush, the calm before the storm, came over the crowd. The quietness gave way to a volcanic eruption of cheers and shouts. Carrying a baseball bat as if he was born with it in his hand came # 24.

As game time approached and my dad and I walked to our seats in Loge section 5 along first base, he leaned over and told to remember today. One day I would be able to tell my kids that I saw Willie Mays.

I was 7 years old. All I knew about this guy was that he had once played in New York a long time ago and made some important catch once.
When the topic comes up of who is the greatest to ever play the game, I immediately respond without hesitation: Willie Mays. Ruth didn’t have the speed, Williams didn’t have the glove, Cobb, although he played in the dead ball era, didn’t have the power. The Say Hey Kid didn’t just do it all. He did it better than anyone before or since.

Born May 6, 1931 in Westfield, Alabama, William Howard Mays was taught the game of baseball at age 5. His father, William Howard Taft, named after a US president, played in the Negro Leagues for the local iron plant. His mother was a talented basketball and track star. Willie had the genes.

Attending Fairfield Industrial High, Willie set school records in both basketball and football.

Upon graduating, Willie played for the Birmingham Black Barons. He caught the eye of Bud Maughn, a scout for the Boston Braves. Boston was interested in purchasing Mays. However, they dragged their feet and could not come to an agreement with the Barons. Had the Braves moved quicker, it’s likely that Willie would have been teammates with Hank Aaron.

Brooklyn was also interested in Mays, but by the time they got around to it, he’d already been signed by their crosstown rivals, the hated New York Giants.

There was no Roy Hobbs moment when Willie took the field in 1951. He didn’t knock the cover off the ball in his first AB. As a matter of fact, he went 0-for-his first 12. Then, his first hit came: A towering HR off future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn. Spahn later joked, “For the first sixty feet, it was a hell of a pitch.”

Willie hit 274-20-68 in 121 games and won the NL Rookie of the Year. It was Mays who was on deck later that season when Bobby Thomson hit ‘the shot heard round the world.’

The Giants lost the Series in 6 to the Yankees. Mays, along with Monte Irvin and Hank Thomson, were the first all-African-American outfield in baseball history.

After only 127 AB’s the following year, Uncle Sam came calling. Willie was drafted into the Army. He would not return to the majors until 1954. He missed 266 games.

But when he did return in 1954, he returned with a bang. He won his first of 2 MVP’s, hitting a league best 345 along with 41 HR’s. The Giants crushed the heavily favored Indians in 4 straight. The Series is best remembered for Willie’s iconic catch off the bat of Vic Wertz. In what is possibly the most popular image in Baseball history, The Say Hey Kid thus elevated himself to mythical proportions. This was the start of a legend. Modest Willie stated years later, “I don’t compare ‘em. I just catch ‘em.”

It was the last World Series the Giants ever won in New York. The team would not win another until 2010.

That season Willie earned $12,500.

The Giants played 3 more years in NY and over that span, Willie averaged 316, compiled 122 HR’s, 551 hits, 112 XBH, knocked in 308. Oh, and also managed to steal 102 bases.

In 1957, he became a member of the 20-20-20 club. 20 doubles, 20 triples and 20 HR’s. No player has done that since.

Willie Mays was not just a great ballplayer. He was fun, colorful and exciting. He had ‘a lot of little boy in him’ and that showed, both on and off the field. “I like to play happy,” he stated. “Baseball is a fun game. I love it.”

Willie was not only larger than life ON the field but off the field as well. He’d frequently hang out in Harlem, playing stick ball with neighborhood kids. When the Giants moved to San Francisco, he continued the tradition, playing in the sandlots with local kids. He truly was loved coast to coast.

Willie had no trouble winning the hearts of San Francisco fans. His first year out west he hit a career high 347. And although the Giants initially struggled in San Francisco, Willie continued putting up
Hall of Fame numbers.

On April 30, 1961, Mays hit 4 HR’s in a game. He was in the on-deck circle when the final out was recorded.

In 1962 the Giants won a tight pennant race and met the Yankees in the Fall Classic. The Giants lost in a heartbreaking 7 games. Willie hit just 250. He would not appear in another World Series until 1973.

July 2, 1963 is what many claim to be the best baseball game ever played. Two future Hall of Famers, Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn, dueled it out. For 16 innings the game was scoreless. It was like a heavyweight fight between two warriors who refused to go down. In the 16^th inning, it was Willie Mays who delivered the knockout blow, hitting a HR and giving SF a 1-0 win.

In turn, this added yet another historical fact to the lore of Mays. He is the only player to hit a HR in every inning, 1 thru 16.

It was 1964. Willie’s friend and teammate Bobby Bonds welcomed a son into the world and named him Barry. He asked Willie to be the newborn’s Godfather.

August 22, 1965 is widely regarded as one of the ugliest days in Baseball history. The Giants and Dodgers were embroiled in a tight pennant race. Tension was high, tempers were short. Things boiled over. Juan Marichal hit Dodgers catcher Johnny Roseboro in the head with a bat. And then all hell broke loose. Red Sox/Yankees had nothing on this. This was not the usual bench clearing brawl where a couple guys tousle and everyone else stands around. This was an all-out war that went on for 14 minutes. Players were bloodied, uniforms shredded. It was Willie along with Sandy Koufax who restored order. Just a few years ago, Marichal stated, “Had Willie and Koufax not ended that, we’d probably still be going at it today.”

The following year, 1965, Willie surpassed another historic milestone. He hit his 500^th HR, a blast off of Don Nottebart. When he returned to the dugout he was met by now teammate Warren Spahn. 13 years earlier it was Spahn who gave up Willie’s very first HR. The veteran LHP asked him, “Was it anything like the same feeling?” Willie responded, “Exactly the same feeling. Same pitch, too.”

Shortly after Jerry Koosman got Orioles second baseman Davey Johnson to fly out to left in October 69 and the Mets proved miracles can come true, The Sporting News named Willie Mays ‘The Player of the Decade.’

By early 1972, age was catching up to The Say Hey Kid. The Giants were struggling financially. Owner Horace Stoneham regrettably advised the Giant legend that he could not afford to offer Willie any type of position or financial reward upon his retirement. Enter the Mets.

Mets owner Joan Payson had been a minority shareholder for the New York Giants. In the late 50’s, she fought hard to keep them in New York. Payson watched her beloved Giants move 3000 miles away, longing for the day when her adored and cherished Willie Mays would somehow return to New York. That opportunity presented itself now.

Payson saw the chance, fought hard to get Willie back to New York and offered him a coaching position upon retirement. In early May the Mets sent Charlie Williams and $50,000 to Stoneham. The Say Hey Kid was back in New York, just 10 miles away from where the Polo Grounds once stood. And where the legend of Willie Mays was born.

It was a rainy Sunday, May 14, when Willie wore “NY” on his cap for the first time in fifteen years. In the fifth inning of his debut game, Willie, as always, rose to the occasion. He hit a HR that put the Mets ahead to stay. The losing team was, yes, the Giants.

August 17^th of the following season, 1973, Mays hit a solo HR off Reds starter Don Gullett. It was # 660, the final one of his illustrious career.

The Mets shocked baseball once again, coming back from the dead and from last place to find themselves battling the A’s in the World Series. At age 42, Willie became the oldest player to appear in the Fall Classic. He got the Mets first hit in the World Series.

Willie only had 7 AB’s against Oakland. He got 2 hits, including the game winner in the 12 inning Game 2. In spite of Willie’s hit tying up the Series, it was a heartbreaking day for fans of the game. And for fans of Willie. He misplayed a routine fly ball, losing it in the glare of the northern California sunlight. Just across the bay from where Willie established himself as the best fielding CF-er of all time, he dropped a fly ball hit directly to him. After the game, he commented, “Growing old is just a helpless hurt.”

In 1979, William Howard Mays was enshrined in Baseball immortality. He was elected to the Hall of Fame with 95% of the vote. Amazingly, 23 sportswriters did not include Mays on their ballot. Caustic New York columnist Dick Young, never at a loss for biting sarcasm, stated, “If Jesus Christ were to show up with his old glove, some guys wouldn’t vote for him. He dropped the cross three times, didn’t he?”

Willie was at or near the top of every offensive category at the time of his retirement. And in spite of the steroid era, smaller stadiums and weaker pitching staffs, he remains a “giant” among the greats: 660 Home Runs (4^th), 1903 RBI’s (10^th), 3283 hits (11^th), 2062 runs (7^th), 10881 at-bats, 557 slugging (19^th now but 10^th at retirement). All this plus a lifetime batting average of 302 and oh yea, 338 Steals, a 77% success rate on the base paths.

As impressive as these stats were and still are today, keep in mind Willie played the bulk of his career in the 1960’s, a decade dominated by pitching and cavernous stadiums.

He was a 2 time MVP winner (1954, 1965). He won a record 12 Gold Gloves for CF, a remarkable feat considering Willie had 6 years under his belt before the award was even created. And the fact that he played in the swirling unpredictable winds of Candlestick Park. His 24 All-Star games tie him for the most mid-summer classics with Stan Musial. In 1999, Mays was chosen as #2 on the Greatest Players of the 20^th century, the only living member. He holds the record for 13 straight years playing 150+ games.

In addition to his accolades, Willie, usually bashful, was honest and forthright. He knew he was good. And so did we. Some of his quotes:

“They throw the ball, I hit the ball. They hit the ball. I catch the ball.” “When I’m not hitting, I don’t hit nobody. But when I am, I can hit anybody.” “The game was easy for me.” When asked who he thinks was the best ball player he ever saw, Willie replied with a broad smile. “I think I was the best I ever saw play.”

As much as fans loved seeing him play, he was equally respected and admired by his peers and contemporaries.

Ted Williams: “They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays.”

Ted Kluszewski: “I’m not sure what charisma is but I get the feeling it’s Willie Mays.”

Mays’ manager Leo Durocher: “He can hit. He can run. He can field. If he could cook, I’d marry him.”

Reggie Jackson: “You used to think if you were winning 5-0 somehow Mays would find a way to hit a 5 run HR.”

Opposing manager Gil Hodges: “I can’t tell my batters not to hit it to him. Wherever they hit it, he’s there anyway.”

It’s been 4 decades since this little scrawny 7 year-old kid with a front tooth missing was nudged closer to the railing at Shea on Camera Day 1973, trying to see past all the tall grown-ups. It’s been 4 decades since my dad told me to remember the day I saw Willie Mays on a Baseball field. It’s been 4 decades and this little kid is now in his late 40’s. And yes dad, I still remember.

The San Francisco Giants surprised the game yet again this past fall by making an improbable October run to capture their second title in the past three seasons. The first of which was even more unlikely than the latter when a young pitching staff coupled with a patchwork lineup managed to best the powerhouse Texas Rangers and take home the 2010 championship, the first in their history on the West Coast.

The season prior marked San Fran’s first .500 season since 2004. The club consisted of a fearsome 1-2 punch, a steady bullpen and an above-average third baseman; and not much more. The Giants managed to hang around for the first few months and remain competitive with a rag-tag offense and a shaky back end of their rotation. That was until the infusion of their two top prospects.

On May 29th, GM Brian Sabean called up their top catching prospect, Buster Posey, to hopefully ignite an offense that had lacked a star bat since the retirement of Barry Bonds. That night, the Giants crushed the powerful Arizona Diamondback 12-1 at AT&T Park. Posey had three hits and a trio of RBIs to match, and from then on, the San Francisco Giants became a force to be reckoned with in the NL West.

One month later, top-pitching prospect Madison Bumgarner, was promoted to the big leagues. After a rough first start against the Redsox, the top pitching prospect found his stride, finishing off the year with an even 3.00 ERA and 3.31 SO/BB ratio. Now paired with Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as well s a flourishing Jonathon Sanchez, the Giants had a rotation that would make any team cringe at the sight of.

Armed with their two young talents, San Francisco went on to become a key contender in a pennant race, capturing the division crown from the San Diego Padres on the last day of the season. Bumgarner handed the Giants a win just three days prior to make the clinching number just one. On October 3rd, the Giants squeezed into the postseason by besting the Padres 3-0, in part due to a home run in the eighth inning off the bat of their rookie sensation, Buster Posey.

The rest is history, as the “island of misfit toys” –as they called themselves–went on to win the World Series, very much due to the contributions of their two young rookies.

Do these 2010 Giants remind you of the current New York Mets? Does the idea of a young catcher and starting pitcher making a significant impact on the big club midseason sound at all familiar? Well, it should.

The run differentials pretty much say it all. These were two very similar teams up until the All-Star Break, where each went in opposite directions. The difference is the Giants had an infusion of an all-star quality bat in the lineup and arm in the rotation to put them over the edge; The Mets didn’t.

The Mets were 46-40 at the break last season, and the 2010 Giants were 47-41. Both teams had a solid rotation and an underwhelming offense outside their third baseman. The Mets lost Dillon Gee and Johan Santana to injury and David Wright became mired in a slump, and with no one to replace them, they foundered. The Giants stayed healthy and added depth with their two top prospects coming in and making an huge impact.

Now entering a season with a similar situation, could Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud be the Mets Posey and Bumgarner? Could the emergence of another young pair of battery mates breath life into another team and give the fans some excitement down the stretch come September?

Why not? Both are expected to come up around mid-season and are putting on a show this spring. Both have a fiery, competitive nature and want to win. With so much talent given up to acquire both of these young phenoms, why not expect them to deliver sooner rather than later? Are   Mets fans so entrenched in expecting to be let down that they forget this franchise’s hallowed motto of “Ya Gotta’ Believe!”?

Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud have given us reason to believe about the future, but why not look at the recent past to have faith in the here and now? In the present?

In the 2013 New York Mets?

Through the use of the scorecard, let’s take a look at how Johan Santana did this week:

Despite not having any wins this week between his two starts, the Mets won both games. Santana had an absolutely stellar start Tuesday against the Marlins, holding them to 1 run through 6.2 innings, striking out 11. Yesterday, the Mets finally scored with him on the mound, spotting him a 4-0 lead, which he left with, but the bullpen blew the lead and he wound up with two non-decisions this week.

Honorable Mentions

These players, although not winning the Player of the Week award, had a very strong showing this week and deserve to be recognized. We will also show how strong a showing they had through the use of the scorecard.

David Wright

Lucas Duda

Ruben Tejada

Not So Hot

The Not So Hot area mentions a few players who did not have a good week this week.

Ike Davis

Frank Francisco

Manny Acosta

Miguel Batista

Player Of The Week Scoreboard

This area shows the scoreboard of the Players of the Week, and who has won already this season and how many times.

T1. David Wright – 1

T1. Kirk Nieuwenhuis – 1

T1. Johan Santana – 1

Trivia

To finish off the Player of the Week announcement each week, I’ll be asking you a trivia question. The answer will be announced during the next Player of the Week announcement, as well as the first person who answered correctly. Another question will then be asked. Last Week’s Answer is: Pittsburgh Pirates. Alex68 was the first person to correctly answer the question. So here is this week’s question:

What Met was traded for himself?

Through the use of the scorecard, let’s take a look at how Kirk Nieuwenhuis did this week:

This week, rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis got the Player Of The Week honors. While not bringing in many runs (2 runs batted in), he scored 7 and got on base quite a bit. He put himself in scoring position right away with two doubles and also had a home run.

Honorable Mentions

These players, although not winning the Player of the Week award, had a very strong showing this week and deserve to be recognized. We will also show how strong a showing they had through the use of the scorecard.

David Wright

Jason Bay

Daniel Murphy

Mike Pelfrey

Dillon Gee

Not So Hot

The Not So Hot area mentions a few players who did not have a good week this week.

Johan Santana

Frank Francisco

R.A. Dickey

Lucas Duda

Player Of The Week Scoreboard

This area shows the scoreboard of the Players of the Week, and who has won already this season and how many times.

David Wright – 1

Kirk Nieuwenhuis – 1

Trivia

To finish off the Player of the Week announcement each week, I’ll be asking you a trivia question. The answer will be announced during the next Player of the Week announcement, as well as the first person who answered correctly. Another question will then be asked. Last Week’s Answer is: Rick White. No one got the answer correct. So here is this week’s question:

Who did the Mets beat for their first win?

Today, I’m going to stray from my usual 3 Up & 3 Down to write an entry that has been kicking around in my head for quite sometime now. This entry is about the first owner of the New York Mets, Mrs. Joan Whitney Payson.

One SNY feature, the only one I consider to be worth watching, is Mets Yearbook. In one particular episode, the year was 1963, they showed the final game at the old Polo Grounds, with Mrs. Payson and Casey Stengel on the field. As I watched, I thought of how remarkable a woman Mrs. Payson was – a woman clearly ahead of her time – and how the Mets will never have another owner as good and as wonderful as she was. Just watching all the video clips of her it was so apparent that Mrs. Payson truly loved her Mets, and it was just as apparent that Met fans loved her back.

When was the last time we saw a Mets owner sitting in the stands with the fans, rooting for our team? Whether eating a hotdog or enjoying a box of Cracker Jacks, there she was sitting with the rest of us and rooting for the team. She wasn’t isolated in an “owners box”, but instead enjoyed being with her people, Mets fans, and enjoying the game with them.

Before taking ownership of the Mets, Mrs. Payson was a shareholder of the New York Giants. In fact, Mrs. Payson tried all she could to talk Horace Stoneham out of moving the Giants to San Francisco. Mrs. Payson, and M. Donald Grant both voted against the Giant’s move. When the National League finally agreed to expansion and awarded a baseball team to New York, Mrs.Payson become the first woman ever to own a baseball team, and they couldn’t have made a better choice.

Mrs. Payson then went about the business of hiring the best baseball people available at the time. She also didn’t meddle and always allowed all of them to do their job. With 50 years of hindsight, the early Mets were a stroke of genius. New York was starving for National League baseball and Mrs. Payson and some other key people brought it back to us.

The Mets also brought back as many former Giants and Dodgers as they could to bring a hometown feel and familiarity to the team. They scooped up the most successful manager in the game in Casey Stengel. They then let the stars of the past play, while beginning the work of assembling an awesome farm system.

The 1969 Mets were amazing for several reasons. First off, before 1969 they never finished in the top of the standings and in fact were perennial cellar dwellars. Second, and even more amazing is that seven years after inception, the Mets were champions. In the pre free agency era, this truly was a miracle.

I became a Met fan in 1973. Sadly Mrs. Payson died in October of 1975, so I have very few memories of her. But to me, the thing that was so striking about her was her genuine, heartfelt love for all the Mets players, coaches and fans. I doubt we’ll ever see anything like it, or anyone like her, ever again. That my friends, is too bad.

Happy Mothers Day to all the remarkable women in your lives.

But we’re not. We’re Mets fans. And like a marriage, we’re in this for better or worse. Lately, however, it’s becoming hard to remain faithful and to love, honor and cherish this team.

Why exactly did we become fans of this team in the first place? Was it an older brother, a parent? For me it was my dad, a former Brooklyn Dodger fan who followed the Mets since their inaugural game. When I first learned baseball and incorporated Mets hats, jackets and t-shirts into my wardrobe, it was easy. The year was 1973, we went on to be NL Champions and were a good, competitive ball club. We had players, heroes, that a young boy could easily idolize. But what if it was now?

Imagine you have a son or nephew or younger brother who wants to become a Baseball fan in 2010. Would you steer his allegiance to this team? Why would you ask an impressionable child to devote a lifetime of baseball loyalty to a team and an organization such as this? Especially when there’s that other team in The Bronx?

It’s now approaching 25 years–a quarter of a century–since these Mets were Champions. To a young child, that is an incomprehensible amount of time. 25 years ago??? You might as well be talking about Babe Ruth. In the same time that we have won 1 championship and 2 pennants the Yankees have taken home 5 Championships and 7 pennants. They have won more Series’ in the last 11 years then we have won in almost 50. Now try to convince that young boy or girl to root for the Mets instead.

But it runs deeper then that. There is losing–and then there is losing. The Red Sox were cursed for 86 years but yet Fenway sold out seemingly every night and Red Sox Nation stayed faithful. The last time the Cubs were champions was 1908. Christy Mathewson led the league with 37 wins and Tim Jordan of the Brooklyn Superbas led the league in HR’s with 12. But yet, can you think of a more devoted fan base then the Cubs? The last time the Giants were Champions the highlight of that series was ‘The Catch’ by Willie Mays. The Giants, despite having some of the best HR hitters in the last half-century, have yet to win since leaving The Polo Grounds for San Francisco. Yet, their fans remain dedicated.

We, too, are no strangers to losing. For the first 8 years in our history we averaged 105 losses per season. But we were ‘lovable losers.’ Sure, we lost, but at least we were funny. Entertaining. It was Casey Stengel who said, ‘I’ve been in this game 100 years and I find new ways to lose every day I never knew existed.’ In the late 70’s/early 80’s we lost, too. The players we had were barely one step above AAA. But they hustled and they played with heart. And although Shea had 45000 empty seats every game, no one booed. We still cheered for them because at least they tried. One rare highlight during those dark days was when we won 5 of our last 6 games in 1979 to stay under 100 losses for the season. Times were so bad we were actually proud of that “accomplishment.”

When my father taught me the game, I asked plenty of questions. But they were all baseball-related. What’s the difference between a sacrifice and a suicide? What’s the difference between a passed ball and a wild pitch? But nowadays if your son is asking questions, they are of a different nature. How does one explain to their son or daughter why your closer beat up his father-in-law. Or explain Rape to a young child when they read about accusations surrounding your ace. Or explain why certain members of this so-called “team” refused to go to a hospital to visit wounded soldiers.

Even our own heroes have checkered pasts. I was too young to remember 1969. But when I asked my dad where those players were now the answers made sense to a 7 year old. Ed Charles retired. Donn Clendenon became an attorney. Tommie Agee owned a restaurant. Ron Swoboda was the sports anchor on Channel 2.

Move forward. How do you answer your 10 year old when they ask, ‘Whatever happened to Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry?’ Try to explain why part of the reason Keith Hernandez is not in the Hall of Fame may be due to his cocaine use. Or why Ray Knight, although series MVP in 86, was gone the following year for more money. Whereas my dad explained to me what a balk was nowadays one must explain what Rehab means.

Even our expensive new stadium has done little to increase interest. As bad as things may seem now, imagine how bleak they may look in 15 years. The kids of today are becoming the Yankee fans of tomorrow.

It’s difficult to be proud of anything Mets-related. What happens ON the field has taken a back seat to what happens OFF the field. This club has been transformed from a major league team to a reality show. But this season will end shortly. Jerry Manuel? Omar Minaya? Howard Johnson? Luis Castillo? Who will be voted off next? Stay tuned…

Regardless, the Mets are striking out 21.6% of the time (241 K’s in 1112 at-bats).  It’s not worst in the majors by any means, but still.  The pitching has been a surprise for the most part, but this team still has a problem that has plagued them the last few years–they need to take more pitches and work the count in order to get to the other team’s bullpen as soon as possible.  And they need to stop killing rallies with by going down on strikes.

The umpires seem to shrink the strike zone every year, making games longer, so why not make the games even longer by not swinging every once in a while?  At the very least, this has to be the way Wright and Bay approach every at-bat.

Riding an eight game winning streak, including a series opening thumping of the Phillies on Friday night, the Mets had to feel pretty good about climbing from last to first in two week’s time.  But the Phils and their new, shiny ace, Roy Halladay, flustered the Mets’ hitters and their bats made short work of Mike Pelfrey’s scoreless innning streak, roughing him up for six runs in just four innings, on the way to a 10-0 rout.  If that wasn’t enough, the Mets sent their ace Johan Santana to the hill against lefty slow-baller Jamie Moyer on Sunday night, and staked him to a 5-2 lead.  But guys like Victorino and Utley hit home runs against Johan, turning a 5-2 advantage into an 11-5 loss.

My blood starts boiling when I think of guys like Victorino and Utley and how they torture us, but you have to admit they sure can play baseball.  And they went deep on one of the best pitchers in the game, even if he has lost some of his velocity.  What this all does, if nothing else, is it reminds us just how far the Mets have to go to be real contenders.  We can let the 10-0 game go, because everything was going right for 8 games.  But that game Sunday is a game we should have won and didn’t.  And it might come back to bite us in September.

Granted, many of us thought the Mets would wallow near the bottom of the division all season, and they sparked an amazing turnaround against the suddenly mediocre Braves, Cubs and Dodgers.  So the fact we’re even talking about September and the fact that the Mets sit just 0.5 games back of the Phillies on May 5 after a horrendous start is still pretty remarkable.  However, Omar Minaya needs to realize that he’s still a few steps behind the Phillies, and should bolster the starting rotation now to help keep his team in contention.  He sure owes us that much, and owes it to himself.

New York Mets acquire OF/1B Willie Mays for P Charlie Williams

I was just a lil’ boy when the New York Mets acquired Willie Mays from the San Francisco Giants to bring him back to New York for the end of his majestic, Hall of Fame career.

“Willie Mays was the best all around center fielder I ever saw play the game. Period. End of story.”

That’s what my 73 year old father told me recently as we talked about baseball over a cup of coffee and cocoa on a snowy day after Christmas in Western Pennsylvania where he was born and raised before moving to metropolitan NYC in 1961.

Willie was acquired by the Mets on May 11, 1972 for pitcher Charlie Williams, who, in a twist of irony, was born in Flushing, New York – - the only Met to ever be born in Flushing.

Willie Mays may well have been, arguably, the greatest center fielder to ever play the game. Many who saw him play, including my own father, even say he was the best all around player.

My Dad, who loves Stan Musial, said he thought ‘Stan the Man’ might have been better, but sipping slowly and after some reflection, he said, “that’s hogwash”. His own memories had been skewed by the bias of favoritism and time. Stan Musial was great, but Willie Mays was the best. That’s the beauty of baseball…we all have our favorites and opinions…

Willie was well past his prime when he was dealt to the Mets. Horace Stoneham, owner of the Giants, who had moved the Giants to San Francisco when the Dodgers left Brooklyn for LA at the end of the ‘57 season, was running into financial problems in the early seventies, and the Mets, owned by Mrs. Joan Payson, loved Mays. It was a perfect match. So, Willie came back to New York in exchange for Charlie Williams. (It’s a wonder Stoneham didn’t try to obtain more from the Mets. No doubt he tried.)

In his first game as Met, on May 14^th 1972, Willie was penciled into the lineup leading off and playing first base against, you guessed it, the San Francisco Giants at Shea Stadium. Willie walked and scored on a Rusty Staub grand slam in the first inning off Giant pitcher Sam McDowell.

After the Giants rallied to tie the score off Met starter Ray Sadecki, Willie came to the plate against Giant reliever Don Carrithers in the bottom of the 5th and proceeded to hit a game winning home run. The Mets won 5-4. As Casey Stengel would have said, “Amazin’ Amazin’ Amazin‘ ”!!!

Over the ensuing 1 ½ years Willie Mays became a leader on that Met team and helped the team to the ‘73 pennant. He was a shadow of his former self as a player, but was always a threat because of his ability and flair for the dramatic.

He commanded the respect of everyone that played, and opposing managers never wanted him batting in tight games as a pinch hitter.

There are many recollections from Mays’ fans. As for me, I remember a weeping Mays on his tired knees begging the home plate umpire to call Bud Harrelson safe in Game 2 of the 1973 World Series. As a young boy, I was in awe, asking my dad why Willie was crying. To this day, I recall looking back in the chair as I sat on his lap, to see my father with tears on his cheek. It left an indelible impression on me, as I’ve only seen my father cry on few occasions in my whole life. Two of those after his parents passed and once more after my mom’s father passed away.

I asked my father this past day after Christmas, why he cried that day, and he told me,

“Son, it was one of the more poignant moments I’ve ever seen. A grown man, who’d accomplished so much, and had been one of the best, with Father Time galloping away with his skills, on his knees pleading for the chance to go out a champion”.

Ultimately, the Mets lost that series, and Willie his chance to go out a champion. The opportunity absconded by a bad managerial decision, an injury to his teammate Rusty Staub, and Father Time…How sad…What could have been…

After having a 3-2 lead The Mets were in a position to bring home their second World Series triumph in four years. Alas, upon returning to Oakland, Met manager Yogi Berra decided to bypass George Stone to pitch Tom Seaver on short rest. A decision that has left many Met fans befuddled to this day.

Willie went on to be a coach for the Mets from ‘74-’79, ending his tenure and affiliation with the club as a hitting instructor in 1979.

Then Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, in one of the more foolish decisions he ever made, suspended both Willie and Mickey Mantle in ’79 for being associated with casinos’ in Atlantic City NJ. Neither of them endorsed gambling, they were just trying to make extra money through endorsement deals as greeters to customers. Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, realizing the foolish decision made by Kuhn, rescinded the suspensions in 1985.

So, on this new year 2010, for those who can’t remember, I implore you to go to your elders and ask them to share their thoughts on the “Say Hey Kid”.

And never forget that Willie Mays, arguably the greatest to ever play the game, was a New York Met, if only for a brief moment in time…

Yeah, I know, that’s not exactly being a die hard fan, but as I wrote in a recent blog entry, as you get older, more important things (especially our kids) start to vie for our time, and watching a crappy baseball team that was supposed to be a contender is one thing I can personally do without.

So as I’ve been watching more football (the Giants and Jets are stunningly mediocre right now), and watching a World Series between two teams I can’t stand, my mind has wandered back to the Mets and how important this off season to them and to us as fans.  Watching the Phillies and Yankees with their patient hitters, power bats, (mostly) smart base runners, and pitchers who know the importance of getting ahead in the count, I hope that Omar Minaya is taking notes on how to improve his club.  He’ll likely tell us again at some point that injuries marred the season, but he’d better know that’s only part of the equation and changes need to happen this winter.

I mean, by the time my 2 year old boy is old enough to understand, I want him to be rooting for a better team than the one we just witnessed in 2009.

Fast forward to 2009.  In various e-mail exchanges with Tom this season, he would tell me before each series that the Mets were going to sweep.  And a few times they did, but a few too many times they were the on the sweep’s receiving end.  As recently as last week, Tom sent me a message saying “Go Mets…if we sweep the Rockies we can gain ground in the wild card race.”  I replied, “Do you know how many teams we have to climb over?”  Then I remembered Tom’s optimism from ’86 and thought that yes, stranger things have happened.  Tom was even telling me I should root for the Phillies against the Giants last weekend because our best chance was the wild card.  Dude was serious.

But then this morning, he sends me this….”Don’t even discuss our Mets…I can’t talk…I am close to throwing in the towel.”  And therein lies a sure sign that the season is basically lost.  Tom went on to talk about the injuries, and about how all of these 15-day DL stints have turned into 90 days or more.  Really, the current level of talent in the starters we’re fielding is pretty much on par with the Royals, so yeah, the injuries don’t matter in the short term, but over the course of a whole summer they sure do. 

These last few weeks I’ve been feeling a bit detached from our Mets.  I watch the games but I find myself not getting as upset over the outcome.  How can I let it bother me when we’re in fourth place and almost as far out in the wild card race as in the NL East race?  We’ve reached the point of looking toward 2010, and hoping Reyes, Beltran, Delgard, Putz, Maine and Wagner will all be back and healthy. 

I know many of you feel the same way, but then again….if you’re even more optimistic than Tom, I certainly wouldn’t fault you, either.

The Mets have 53 home runs, worst in the majors.  The Phillies have 126 and the Yankees 136.  Gary Sheffield leads the team with 10 homers, and David Wright still only has 5.  FIVE. 

Speaking of Wright, while he’s batting a respectable .322, his 5 homers and 44 RBI puts him in the company of guys like Jacoby Ellsbury (5, 29), Freddy Sanchez (6, 34) or Pat Burrell (5, 32).  Those are decent players, but Wright is supposed to be more in the company of guys like Ryan Braun (16, 58) or Albert Pujols (34, 90).  In fact, Wright has similar power numbers to teammate Daniel Murphy (5, 29).  What the hell is that?

The Mets have 814 hits and 362 RBI.  The Phillies have 804 hits and 457 RBI.  Think about that….less hits, but almost 100 more runs batted in? 

The Mets have one complete game, and it’s not by Johan…it’s by Livan.  The Giants and Royals each have 8 complete games to lead the majors.  The GIANTS and ROYALS.

Mets’ pitchers have given up 361 walks, trailing only Washington (365) for worst in the majors.  And of course, their 10 balks leads the majors by far, thanks mostly to Pelfrey’s “yips.” 

The Mets could have had Raul Ibanez, who has 24 homers, 65 RBI and is batting .316 for you-know-who.  

The Phillies’ notable rookie this year is pitcher JA Happ, who is 7-0 with a 2.68 ERA and 65 strikeouts.  The Mets’ notable rookie is F-Mart, who is batting .176 with one homer and 8 RBI. 

Amazingly, the Mets’ hitters have only struck out 501 times, which is best in the majors.  But I guess power hitters strike out more, and the Mets have almost no power, so in that context it makes sense. 

The Phillies’ top home run hitters are Ibanez (24), Ryan Howard (23), Chase Utley (21) and Jayson Werth (20).  The Mets’ top home run hitters are Sheffield (10), Carlos Beltran (8), and Wright (5).  Oh, and Jeff Francoeur also has 5, but he hit most of those with the Braves. 

I probably just made you all sick, and I’m right there with you.  I can’t wait for this season to be over so we can move on!

So while Mets fan talk has been centered around whether or not they can keep pace with the Phillies or with whoever is leading the wild card race (the Cardinals right now), or our rapidly growing disabled list, or possible trade rumors, I’d like to offer a diversion: What will happen first in Mets’ history—a player leading the league in batting for a single season, or one of our pitchers throwing a no-hitter?

Neither has happened yet, but the idea for this column crossed my mind when an announcer brought up the fact that third baseman David Wright is currently the National League’s leading hitter (.365 as of today), and that no Mets’ player has ever led the league in batting for an entire season.  And as we’re all painfully aware, we’ve only experienced no-hitters from the batting side.  (I think as a kid I cried both when San Diego’s Leron Lee broke up one of Tom Seaver’s many no-hit bids, and when the Giants’ Ed Halicki no-hit the Mets). 

I have to say that, for as freaky as it is that the Florida Marlins have four no-hitters in less than 17 seasons of existence, and the Mets have zero in almost 50 years, I think it will happen for a Mets pitcher before someone leads the league in batting.  There now, I hope I didn’t curse it.  Further, I see Johan Santana as the guy to take us fans to that uncharted promised land (yeah, I know, not after these last two outings, but he’s still Johan Freaking Santana).  No offense to David Wright, but he’s a .314 career hitter who, despite his ridiculous lack of power (he’s on pace for ELEVEN homers), is having a career batting season.  I hope he keeps it up, but I just don’t see him leading the league this year or any other season. 

What do you all think?