My favorite moment from last night’s 1969 celebration

It was absolutely awesome to watch Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman throw out the ceremonial first pitch(es) to Jerry Grote, Duffy Dyer and Yogi Berra.This, by far, was my favorite moment of the 1969 celebration.

What was yours?

A look at Citi Field’s new additions [Photos]

I was at Friday night’s Mets game at Citi Field and snapped a few grainy photos of the new additions around Citi Field.  Take a look…

The new video board in the RF corner…

The new banners on the LF wall…

The new photos viewed from the Field Level…That was all I saw as I walked around.  I didn’t get a chance to look at the improved sightlines, but I’m going back Monday, so I will see if I can spot any changes.

Thirty-one years ago today

Yesterday, I posted a little homage to Tom Seaver being traded away on June 15, 1977.  And if you were alive, you probably remember what happened on June 16, 1978.

If you don’t remember, here’s the painful reminder…

Tom Seaver: W 4-0, 9 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (15 GB, 9 FB)

That’s right.  Seaver threw his first career no-hitter as a member of the Cincinnati Reds exactly one year and one day after being traded away by the New York Mets.  The Reds bested the St. Louis Cardinals that day.

Ironically, Keith Hernandez (who the Mets acquired on June 15, 1983) was playing first base for the Cardinals that day.  He went 0-2 with a walk.

I’m sure we’ll hear about it during tonight broadcast.

June 15 is quite a day in Mets history

Via Baseball-Reference…

June 15, 1977: Traded by the New York Mets to the Cincinnati Reds for Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, Dan Norman and Pat Zachry.

Ugh.

But also on June 15, this time six years later…

Via Baseball-Reference…

June 15, 1983: Traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the New York Mets for Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey.

Thank you, St. Louis. Thank you.

Think Omar Minaya has something up his sleeve for this June 15? The Mets do need some help. It could happen.

Opening Night nuggets

Here are some nuggets of info from the gameday press pass for tonight’s game…

• Tom Seaver will throw the first pitch to Mike Piazza.
• On hand for tonight’s game: Rusty Staub, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry and John Franco.
• The Broadway cast of West Side Story will perform the National Anthem.
• 200 veterans will be on the field in a pre-game ceremony to unveil a football-field size American flag.
• Four F-18 Hornets will fly over as the National Anthem comes to a close.
• Sgt. Felix Perez, the wounded solider who was in the clubhouse after the Team USA WBC win over Puerto Rico, will be in attendance tonight as a guest of the Mets ownership.
• The Empire State Building will be lit up in orange and blue.
• The game will be broadcast in front of SNY’s studios and will also be carried on the ABC SuperSign  above the Good Morning America studios in Times Square.
• The Mets are 30-17 all time in home openers. (0-2 at the Polo Grounds, 30-15 at Shea Stadium.)

Highlights from the 2009 promo schedule

The Mets have posted their promotional schedule for the 2009 season. Here are a few highlights...

• Saturday, April 18 -- Johan Santana Drawstring Bag
• Wednesday, May 6 -- Visor
• Friday - Sunday, June 26-28 -- Cap Trade (all against Yankees)
  
• Saturday, July 11 -- Lunchbox (also, my birthday!)
• Saturday, August 1 -- Build-A-Bear Workshop
• Saturday, August 22 -- Tom Seaver Bobblehead
• Sunday, August 23 -- Citi Field Ballpark Replica
• Sunday, September 6 -- "Frankie Rodriguez Bobblehead"

Seaver bobblehead? I am there. Not sure why it's "Frankie" Rodriguez. Will he be Frankenstein?

The schedule stresses "All giveaways and event dates are subject to change."

WCBS-AM's Suzyn Waldman singing a tribute to Tom Seaver

This is priceless.

Via The Final Score.

I'm waiting for "THOMAS SEAVER IS IN WILPON'S BAWX!! SEAVER IS IN WILPON'S BAWX!!"

A tearful goodbye

I didn't think I'd be so beat up over this, but I already miss Shea Stadium. That final send off had me in tears from beginning to end, and I wasn't even around for most of that history.

Seeing Mike Piazza and Tom Seaver walk from home plate, out to center field, and "shut the door" on Shea Stadium has me teary eyed even writing about it.

Goodbye, Shea. You served us, the fans, admirably for 45 years. We'll all miss you, but we'll never forget the memories we saw within your walls.

Tom Seaver won't be sad to see Shea go, and either will I

I like pretty things, as does anybody. I love architecture, and I will be taking AR316 this semester. That is why I won't be sad when the Mets move to Citi Field next season.

Tom Seaver holds the same thought process.

Newsday provides the quote:

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not a big fan of the stadium," Seaver said. "It's strictly an architectural observation ... Now the physical is just going to move across the street."

Shea is not pretty. It has great memories, but it's nothing to look at. Citi Field will be much more special, I promise.

Answers: Best pitching seasons

I received a few guesses for the four pitchers named in the Sports Illustrated list of 15 best pitching seasons.

Everyone nailed down the four pitchers names, but only one person correctly identified the year picked out by SI. Half-congrats to Andrew Fletcher of Scott Proctor's Arm.

The pitchers, and the years they had their best season are:
Tom Seaver, 1971.
Dwight Gooden, 1985.
Pedro Martinez, 2000.
Johan Santana, 2005.

Here are the blurbs:
Seaver won three Cy Youngs, but his best season may have been in a year in which he didn't win the award. In 1971, "Tom Terrific" validated his nickname by leading the league in ERA (1.76) and strikeouts (289) while going 20-10 for the Mets.

Few pitchers have burst onto the scene with as much promise and dominance as Dwight Gooden. "Doc" was a mere 20 years old and in just his second big-league season when he cut through the National League in 1985, going 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA, eight shutouts and 268 strikeouts.

Pedro Martinez's power pitching style was on full display during the 2000 season in which he won 18 games, posted a 1.74 ERA, hurled seven complete games, and whiffed 284 hitters. He also set a number of marks. His WHIP was 0.74, breaking a 77-year-old record set by Walter Johnson, and he also became the only starting pitcher to have more than twice as many strikeouts in a season (284) as hits allowed (128). The only question: How did he lose six times?

During his first full season as a starter in 2004, Johan Santana enjoyed one of the best second halves of a season for a pitcher. He went 13-0 and achieved a 1.21 ERA to finish the season with a 20-6 record, 2.61 ERA and 265 strikeouts on the way to his first of two AL Cy Young awards.

I'm predicting John Maine being added to this list after this season.

Also, I left off a player who completed the task with another team, and later pitched on the Mets for one season. Orel Hershiser's 1988 season was recognized, which he pitched over 10 years before coming to the Mets.