November 2012
The Only Alternatives and Other Possibilities
So we all knew Mets did a poor job of keeping the fact they would have a few new uniform looks in 2013 a secret but all the same was anyone as shocked as me by how softly they revealed them today given the potential for the new look to spark a retail renaissance and maybe sell a few tickets? Couldn't they have asked Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum to come along for a big runway show instead of unceremoniously Tweeting the news that these new looks are available?
Come on Mets, you don't need geeks like me to tell you there are thousands of fans who eat this kind of stuff up. I mean, new unis is something the Yankees never get to do, why the sudden soft sell? And why do you suppose when they showed this rather handsome new road-blue jersey they showed it with ... Ronny Cedeno's number? (never mind, I get that now. Sheesh).
Those curious asides aside, I think we've got a handsome jersey, particularly the return of the silvery letters that last appeared on the Mets' jerseys the last time they were blue. I'm not necessarily sold on the piping but at the same time welcome the orange back to the color scheme. My other critique, such as it is, is that the shade of blue is much darker than it was 30 years ago, as though someone dumped half a bottle of purple into the royal shade of yesteryear. I guess black dies hard.
Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those Howie Rose types who bemoans every moment the Mets aren't outfitted in baggy wool pinstripes: I like that things can change from time to time and I believe the Mets could easily and successfully get away with going further in this change: How about an alternate hat with a Mr. Met logo? As I mentioned above it's something the Mets have on the Yankees, at least when they do it right. Here I think they have a good looking alternate, and it's weird that they're keeping it to themselves.
Hello! And Goodbye!
So long, Jason Bay, and sorry it didn't work out. I'm not so certain the agreement to tear up Bay's contract and all its associated evils will necessarily garner the team any more flexibility with regards to the payroll -- he shouldn't settle for a nickel less than his moronic bosses agreed to pay him -- but in the sense it means Someone Else will play left field for the Mets next year, I'm delighted.
And so ends yet another Omar Minaya Free Agent debacle, guys who signed back when the Wilpons were awash in free money and absolutely convinced of the wisdom of paying full retail for Brand-Name Stars. I will always associate Bay with Johan Santana, Francisco Rodriguez, and a lesser extent with Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez, as foreseeable wastes of good money who played their way off the team despite money on the table. (Yeah, Santana earned some of his and still belongs to the organization, but I'm convinced if Sandy Alderson only could, he'd have sent him packing already).
We pointed out numerous times that Bay was a poor fit in the No. 44 jersey, not only because the number itself tends to be a poor one on Mets, but because the whole assignment reeked of forced equity from the start. Bay was not a 44: He was just a guy. We should have paid and treated him like one.
Yes, guys, I know, it's my first post in months, and I apologize for the lengthy funk. Part of the delay had to do with my struggling with a redesign of the site, which remains in need of some engine and bodywork, and part was my running out of ways to make the end of another disappointing season fun and interesting. During the time off I made some progress toward a solution which hopefully will make the site better looking, easier to read (and from my perspective, manage) but it may take some time to get together so be patient. I will endeavor to update when I can and as always am happy to engage in the comments section or via email. I also twitter sometimes at @springer66 but that too tends to come in bursts.
Hope everyone survived the storm, by the way. MBTN Headquarters stayed dry and with power/Internet almost throughout although I know lots of friends and neighbors who didn't.