In an earlier post, George Willis, of the New York Post, explained how Doc Gooden signed his name on a wall in Citi Field’s Ebbetts Club last week, after which he took pictures with fans leaning up against the autograph.
However, according to Willis, “The Mets, who have been criticized for not showcasing enough of their history in their new ballpark, plan to erase Gooden’s signature from the wall, treating it as if it were unwanted graffiti.”
In the meantime, Peter Botte of the Daily News talked with Gooden, who doesn’t understand why the team is so adamant about removing the signature, saying, “I definitely didn’t think it was going to turn out to be this big deal. I didn’t do anything intentionally for the Mets to get upset. I was just doing it for the fans. I don’t see what the big fuss is.”
In a response on Mets Today, John Fitzgerald writes:
“It should be allowed to become part of the stadium and part of the team’s history. The minutiae and folklore of this team – like skydivers, black cats and Bill Buckner – are created and shared by players and fans. Ownership can build the ballpark, assemble a roster and sell the tickets, but they can’t control the memories. Unfortunately, that is exactly what they are trying to do.”
…i swear, this could only happen to the Mets…
…i understand the team not wanting to encourage people to write all over the walls in their new stadium… so, they should take their cue from gooden, and either keep the autograph where it is, or erase it and have him sign a new, designated section in the ballpark, be it by the old apple, the bullpens, the Mo’s Zone, whatever, and begin a tradition of current, former and future players tagging the wall like a fraternity… the Mets should embrace the idea, and go with it… instead, it feels like they’re fighting the fans, and so they come off sounding like a teacher lecturing students about not writing on the desk…
…frankly, this probably would not be an issue if so many fans were not already worked up about a lack of Mets memorabilia and history inside the building to begin with… personally, this is not keeping me up at night, though i do find it peculiar…
Last week, Fred Wilpon announced that the team plans to open a Mets museum beyond center-field, however there is no official timetable for its opening.
…even this, while awesome, and great to hear, was received as being too little, too late, with lots of fans seemingly questioning why something like this was not done in the first place…
…and so, i don’t believe today’s dust up is truly about a signature… instead, i think some people are worked up because they feel graffiti-gate is yet another example of the team turning its back on its history, which most fans, myself included, are proud of… this is not to say the team is intentionally doing this, or is even aware if they are, but, believe me, a simple peak in to my e-mail or the comments on this blog and they’d realize it is how lots of fans are feeling…
{ 103 comments }
Shea was a dump, and rundown, and it's hard not to sympathize with the desire to keep things "nice." But this shows a tin ear to what is really meaningful, and what fans really grow to love about a ballpark. They're not giving people a chance, here. There is little or no history, little to touch in Citi. A spontaenous gesture from Doc Gooden, of all people, would have been a wonderful thing to embrace.
And inagine how Doc must feel, like getting his hand slapped, like a misbehaving little kid, just for shwoing some love to the fans and the new digs.
The field is really the only place for spontaneous things to be happening.
Dwight was just making yet another poor decision, in all honesty. He really should have asked someone before he began tagging the walls.
Hi Matt,
Just wanted to let you know that Joe Janish is out of town until tomorrow. I actually wrote that post. No worries, just wanted to let you know.
Thanks,
John Fitzgerald
I'm sure everyone here appreciates shameless self-promotion by another blogger — even if he's named after someone who slept with Marilyn Monroe.
Pssssss, don't tell Omar, Felix Milian is thinking about a comeback!
Maybe if a ceo of a big company signed the wall they would just let it go
Bernie Madoff wuz here.
I’m sorry, but this is the line for me. Its clear Wilpon is a tried and true Dodger fan, who just doesn’t care about Mets fans. That signature comes down, and I will not buy one ticket, one iota of merchandise until someone else owns this team. I’ve been leniant with freddy’s gaffs for years, never called him coupon, mostly because spending has never been an issue. Its his donald trump like delusion of “cl-a-s-s” that just gets under my skin.
If that sig comes down, nothing would make me happier then a fan revolt….everyone should graffiti DrK in citi field
Pssst !. The Wilpons don't need your money.
Also, now we can all probably expect a crack down on grafitti, especially around the junk yards across the street.
how ridiculous. could you IMAGINE this happening in the bronx?
fred & jeff: it's not the losing that makes us the laughingstock of baseball
People need to please stop saying "can you IMAGINE this happening in the bronx?!" They gave up 14 runs in one inning in the Bronx. The star player is a steroid cheat in the Bronx. They blew a 3-0 ALCS lead in the Bronx. They signed Carl Pavano and Kevin Brown in the Bronx. Enough with the Bronx.
and very little of any of that has anything directly to do with ownership. this isn't a discussion about relative bullpen strengths or good free agent signings or playoff performances, it's about how much effort a team's management is willing to put into preserving the history of its franchise.
baseball, more than any other sport, and arguably more than anything else in this country, is about history, about connecting the past with the present. sure jackie robinson and ebbets field is an important part of that history, but so are the giants and the polo grounds and shea and everything about the mets.
Wow, this team's new logo should Mr. Met with his foot in his mouth. I just don't get how this organization just can't get anything right sometimes. They have no feel for the fans. If you didn't know any better you'd think a bunch of novice foreigners bought the team with no clue about the Mets or NY fans.
NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH. I work at Citi Field in the Modells Clubhouse and I personally saw Dwight Gooden sign the wall. HOWEVER, overnight a bunch of VANDALS thought it would be funny to write their names around DOC'S name. The wall looked disgusted and security was forced to put up a white board on top of it. The wall was going to be signed by every former met if it wasnt for the jackasses that signed their names. Dont blame the METS, blame those jackasses who were given a job in this rough economy and decided to thank the mets by vandalizing a clubhouse and a legends rep.
There ya go……..there's always more to the story than is reported. Thanks for sharing.
if you're going to make up BS, at least read the original story
Dude, maybe YOU should read the story. In the Daily News link it says that Gooden did sign a second wall over by Modell's. I don't know about letting anybody walk around the park with a marker writing their name all over the place. This was a stupid thing to do. It was disrespectful to the ownership, and now we can look forward to Yankee fans writing shit all over the walls with their markers.
Like someone said…..only the Mets could be in this predicament.
Overnight? So you're saying employees added their names ('cause it can't be fans if it happened overnight). And if it was employees, how do they still have a job there?
And if this rendition of facts is true and you are reporting the truth – thanks for the info. This story has taken on a life of it's own….
F da post for being the hack journalists they are. Great reporting!
Well, I'm probably in the minority here, but this is how I see it:
I was happy to see him come back to the Mets, and I feel he is part of the overall history of the Mets, just like Straw, and Darling, and Bobby O, but I wouldn't expect those guys to go around the stadium essentially writing graffiti on the walls without permission.
I feel Doc had a moment. He didn't think, and now he has put the Mets in an impossible situation. If I understand this correctly, the area where he put his mark is only accessible to certain ticket holders, so that is a problem right off the bat. I know I would never be able to enter the Ebbets Club unless someone gave me a ticket.
I have nothing against Doc, or the idea of autographing walls, as long as it is done in an area where the common folk can have access. I think the Mets are correct in erasing the wall, and they should invite all former Mets to sign a wall somewhere else where EVERYONE can see it. That is probably a good start for the so-called museum.
My suggestion for the location…….as soon as you come off the rotunda escalators.
this is reasonable
fxcarden, I don't think your suggestion is a problem at all, but its how the Mets go about these things, that's the problem. For them to comment that its graffiti, and to say they are going to wipe it off and have it covered with foam…how about saying its a good idea what Doc did, but we'd rather have a designated area for it and for all our old players to sign. Don't disparage the act and the player like that, act as if you are disgusted and insulted by what he did. Its a lack of understanding of your fans and the history of the franchise that continues to be a problem with this organization
I understand, but now read some of the other posts about Citi Field being vandalized already (over by RF), and put yourself in the place of Mets' management……the LAST thing you need is for a Mets player to be encouraging this stuff.
Overall, it is a very unfortunate incident.
leave the signature, wilpons!!! get everybody to sign next to it!
my only question is, what is all this mets history that we're supposed to be celebrating and seeing all over citifield? with the history we have, i'm glad there's not a lot around the new ball park to remember it. Some of you have been misguided. I don't want a stadium like the Yankees have, because frankly, we're no the Yankees. We DON'T have a great history. Deal with it.
ever been to citizen's bank ballpark?
I want to celebrate the Mets history. Who cares about the Yankees' success. There have lots of great moments and players who came through here. Win or lose, they mean something to fans.
A lot of Mets fans bleed orange and blue. I mean, green. Or Dodger blue!
Dwight Gooden was the Mets in the 1980's along with a bunch of others. Fans lined up to see the guy pitch. He finally comes back to Flushing and the Mets cause a drama.
You don't want to see a bronzed statute of Bob Bailor embracing Doug Flynn after another 90 loss season?
I'm so sick of this franchise. If it wasn't for the fact that I've been a Mets fan for 40 years, I'd take a hike. I might anyway. God knows, I can't afford to go to the games anymore. Maybe the Madoff thing will eventually force the Wilpons to sell. I hope so. They're an embarrassment.
Yeah, all that money they gave to WTC relief after 9/11. What a joke. First they go out and get the top CF in the free agent market a few years ago. Laughable. Then they go out and trade for the best starting pitcher in baseball last year. Pathetic. Then the very next year, they sign one of the top closers in the game. Thoroughly embarrasing.
Mets World Series Won Since Doubleday Sold His Stake to Fred: 0
They might be good people willing to spend money, but they're obviously not spending it well–given their financial resources, this team should be in the playoffs every year, ala the Red Sox and Yankees. And the Wilpons haven't a clue when it comes to relating to their fan base. Yes. They're inept, and that's embarassing.
A huge laugh, btw: The Mets TV ads this year boast about Citifield being Mets' new "world-class home." Dudes, this is NEW YORK! The freaking McDonalds' are world class! New York is by definition world class! The fact that they feel like they should brag about suddenly joining the ranks of the "world class" is–yes–embarassing.
"given their financial resources, this team should be in the playoffs every year."
So let me get this straight – You think the two collapses in 2007 and 2008 were THE WILPONS' fault? Damn, you're right – Fred should've told Reyes to stop swinging at all those bad balls and should've taught Wright to hit in the clutch.
Toasty my man: Who's in charge? Who ultimately makes the decisions? Who takes responsibility? No one, I guess. It's the fault of the component parts, not the owner.
You probably thing it's the fault of the guy installing the widgets that GM's going in the toilet.
All you can ask from an owner is a willingness to spend his money and take advice from his "baseball people."
The Wilpons spend more money than any other NL owners and more than any other team but the Yankees.
It's difficult to fault the owners for the team's lack of success.
And "success" is relative. How many other teams were in playoff contention each of the last three years right up until the last day of the season? I promise you the Yankees, Red Sox , Phillies and Angels are not on that list…
The difference in the last two seasons was the drop of a ball, one hit, one blown save, etc. How is that the owner's fault?
I agree that Wilpon's decision to finally leave the decisions to the "baseball people" was the right move. The only problem is that he hired the wrong baseball people. It is just representative of the incompetence of the Mets organization.
A great example occurred the past couple days…First with the Dave Howard's assurance that the Mets are working on a hall of fame. Why wasn't it already built? It really takes all this fuss to inform them that they should have recognized the past a little more.
Second, why does Jay Horowitz, the PR director, come out and state that they will be erasing the signature and be so adamant that it is unacceptable to sign the wall. Then Wilpon calls up the fan like that never happened. I think the PR director shouldnt say anything until ownership has discussed it. Why is the old HR apple hidden. It just seems like they are using A-rod's PR firm.
So you're saying the Mets should let a convicted felon / ex drug-addict walk around defacing an $800 million building just because he played there once ?.
Is that the embarrasment ?.
No he's saying that the Mets should allow a former ROY, NL Cy Young award winner and '86 World Champ do that. There are streets named after Pete Rose in Cincinnati for god sake.
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No he's saying that the Mets should allow a former ROY, NL Cy Young award winner and '86 World Champ do that. There are streets named after Pete Rose in Cincinnati for god sake.
Yes this is a shame.
Yes! Somebody who gets it!
Sometimes I don't understand Mets fans. They are OK with this, but get upset about the fact that the walls aren't blue and orange. Doc's signature should mean more than some Mets logo on the right field wall.
So what if you don't see it, just know that it's there.
BX and Retire….you are both dead wrong on this…..nobody, regardless of their previous accomplishments should be entitled to just write on a wall of a brand new building. Period. The Mets handled it wrong, but Doc's actions, regardless of him being asked or not, are questionable at best.
I am sure they wouldn't mind that if it was a yr ago
Matt, that really had more of a "Fitz" flavor.
Are you sure Joe wrote that?
I was not at all worked up by the lack of in my face Mets stuff around Citi Field, I know why I'm there I don't need a history lesson to remind me, but I do understand how that sort of thing is important to others and I don't begrudge them their complaints about a lack of it. But the idea that they feel the need to remove Doc's signature as if it were common graffiti is very upsetting to me. I was very happy how we had recently been able to "reacquire him" from the Yankees, and now this. Ugh!
There should be something similar to a Met Museum there.
The fact that there is a Jackie Robinson Rotunda really doesn't stick in my craw, the fact that the first item you see when walking into a Mets Team store in Citifield is a Brooklyn Dodger Jersey irks me to no end.
Do I think Gooden was right for writing on the wall… No.
Should it be this big of a deal.. Absolutely not.
But, there should be some sort of acknowledgement of Mets history, not the history of NY National League Baseball, not the Ode to Flatbush, but NY Met history.
And there should DEFINITELY be more than a scribble on a wall for Doc. who absolutely lit this town, and Baseball on FIRE in the mid 80's.
The thing that amazes me is how out of touch the owners are. Before they make any decisions, they should use google and read some of the mets blogs out there to see what the fans are saying. They simply have no idea. I'm stealing this positokn from Bill Simmons, but we need a VP of common sense.
[polldaddy 1555032 http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1555032/ polldaddy]
Why is this such a big deal???You met fans are crazy….dont you go to a ballpark to watch games?????or are you going to spend your time walking around and looking at pictures i bet you that half the people on this blog have not been to citifield. I went on saturday and i loved it. Why dont you go see for yourselves before…making judgements based on some stupid NYPOST hack. btw…I only paid $42 to sit by the bull pen and $24 to sit at the pepsi porch.
How dare Dwight Gooden – and his 150 wins as a Met and his Cy Young and ROY and World Series ring – sully the memory of Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers?
You can say this for the Wilpons. They get it. they always have. No wonder the fans are so universally accepting of them.
What a bunch of losers. Then again, Cerrone things our history is "subtle" and "spotty" and something to be embarassed about, so he would seem to agree. I guess Doc is just the junkie you let back in your house just to see him scribble on the walls. Let's erase that signature and name something else after a doddering, senile old man who lost 70% of his games, because who else would we want to be the face of the franchise?
I wish the Wilpons would sell this team. Not because they don't spend money, because they do. But because they are frauds who have always been completely out of touch with their fans and always will be.
Could be that the fans will forever be out of touch with reality. I mean that is distinctly possible.
How about the "Dodger Tradition" T-shirts for sale in the gift shops. I mean, you can't even make this stuff up.
In my opinion, while touring Citi Field two weeks ago before the Mets home opener, the lack of Mets history in the park is very obvious. The Mets are not the Brooklyn Dodgers or the New York Giants pre-1950s. Don't get me wrong but I love the new stadium (I simply hate the name!)… I am all for leaving Gooden's signature as well as signatures from past Met heroes with the lone exception (actually two) – fans not scribble their name on to the wall and second, if the Wilpons are that sincere about a Met Museum, it shouldn't take several years to put one together. The Wilpons (Jeff & Fred) should show more respect to both Met fans and past Met players/personnel. How about a Davey Johnson Day at Shea Stadium — opps I mean Citi Field?
I could care less about the lack of Mets history as of now, would have loved to see a Tom Seaver monument though.
They say they are willing to address this, so thats OK. However they do need to re-evaluate the way they treat former players a'la Doc Gooden etc. As an African American, I have the utmost respect for Jackie Robinson but lets have something out there for "our guys". Leave Doc's "graffiti" out there, it was a memorable day for him and for plenty of fans who hadn't seen him in Queens in years.
I was there on Opening Day…Citi is a state of the art facility and should be treated as such. But lets start paying our respects to the guys who built Mets' Legacy and not necessarily a guy who never even put the uniform on.
love the name btw!
Alright, i understand your need for having mets history (and doc is a big part of that) in the new citi field. However i have to agree with a few of the previous posts that discuss the idea of having a designated area for this and many more signatures to go up. If people are allowed to write on the walls where ever they please, regardless if they are legendary mets players or not, the new stadium will quickly become very unattractive, with writing from random fans and even writings from opposing fans(and frankly some of the things that may be written may not be suitable for our younger fans to be reading). So please be logical and consider what would result from the allowance of any writing to be allowed on the walls.
P.S. if your really not going to go to games because of a little paint over a signature, i thik your the only one that will be losing out.
how about rather than making this bigger than it has to be, have every met, former met, future met, unborn met, white met, black met, etc sign the old homerun apple. That is something that has lasted the move to Citi and is a staple in mets history and fans minds.
Just my two cents
does it not seem strange that their is more dodger tradition in this park then mets tradition it seems like fred wilpon built a tribute to the dodgers while ignoring mets history
I agree. If MLB would allow him to change the Mets name to Brooklyn Dodgers he would do it in a heartbeat. I was at the Stadium Sunday. While it was nice, there was not much Mets stuff there. I heard so much from the old timers talking about how they were in a time machine back in Ebbetts Field. This park should have been all Mets stuff.
Posting this again because this new comment format is terrible and i have no idea where it showed, if it showed
how about rather than making this bigger than it has to be, have every met, former met, future met, unborn met, white met, black met, etc sign the old homerun apple. That is something that has lasted the move to Citi and is a staple in mets history and fans minds.
It's the little things that get me where the Wipons are concerned. i don't think they are cheap, and i do think they care about winning a championship. But when it comes to Sweet caroline in the eighth inning, or this deal with Doc's signature, they constantly dissappoint. i know in the end these issues are not big deal issues, but all they have to do is give a word: "stop playing boston's song in the eighth, the fans are booing it for a reason." or "leave Doc's signature alone." And their refusal to listen to their fans on these little issues, leaves a feeling of disconnect.
What happened to the vote last year to replace sweet caroline last year? Were they so desperate to copy the red sox that they forgot that it even happened? Why not meet the mets. Its cheesy but its our song. It will make people feel more at home.
Ask yourself honestly this: If Sandy Koufax or Rachel Robinson spur of the moment signed the Ebbets Club wall and added 1955 Champs! , would the Mets dare remove it?
Fred would have hired an armed guard, bathed the wall inDodger blue and seal the signature behind glass
I really can't get all that worked up about a signature on a wall in a part of the ball park that I'll never see. I think it was a nice, spontaneous gesture on the part of Gooden… but if the Wilpons think it has to go, then it has to go — it won't be the end of the world.
I liked what I saw of the ball park, but I do wish somebody put more thought into honoring the Mets history.
Whether or not you agree with the Mets actions in this case, I think it's ridiculous to criticize the Wilpons' loyalty to the Mets. If their loyalty really remained with the Dodgers, they could have easily sold the Mets a few years ago and bought the Dodgers when Fox was practically begging for someone to take it, lived in sunny LA where the winters are warmer and the summers cooler, and have an easier-to-appease fan-base. Instead they continued to pour money into our Mets, which is why the Dodgers got stuck with cheap, not AS rich, Frank McCourt. They have financed a team with perennially one of the highest payrolls in the game, and annually lose money on the team.
That said, money can't buy taste, and the Mets have been left with something undeniably bland. Between a lack of Mets memorabilia, the world's most uninspiring inaugural season badge, and the plans to wash out Doc's signature at the club, we as fans are starving for ANYTHING that is uniquely Mets. While Shea was a __hole, Shea was OUR __hole. While Citifield is, by all accounts, a great place to catch a game, we as fans need more than refurbished apple to make it feel like ours (and with the tax money that went into it, I feel like taxpayers DO deserve some say). The thing is, while very cool, former players signing the wall of the club is not the kind of memories we need. No matter how much you want to deny it, it's an invitation for more graffiti. I suppose that with enough security, you could keep most of it away, but all it takes is one swipe of the Sharpie (perhaps a drunk Phillies fan) and a cool piece of Mets history is turned into nothing more than defacement of our homefield.
The Wilpons should not succumb to the will of the fans here, but should take note of the backlash caused by this action as a message that they have come up short in their efforts to celebrate the history of this great franchise and they should address it without delay.
Perfect. Well said. Agree with you 1000000 %.
+10. Especially the last sentence. I don't think Doc meant any harm, I don't think they can encourage writing on walls, I do think they need to pay attention to the fans overall sentiment on this one.
The Wilpons tried to do a good thing and should be proud of Citi field. However, as a 40+year fan, I too would like to see a little more attention paid to Met history at the field.
The mets can never seem to figure out how to make their fans happy… Perhaps PR man jay horwitz needs to go…
jay horowitz was probably toeing the company line – he is a good man in a bad position
According to Mike F. on WFAN, Jay NEVER called it graffiti. He said the signature had to go, but never called it graffiti.
This story is starting to take on a life of it's own….
I actually have thought about this quite a bit. I know everyone says he is such a great guy but apparently he is losing touch. They just look silly when they say one thing and then the owner comes out and says the complete opposite. He is your PR director, he should be the last word after it has been discussed.
80% of the Yankees team from 2000 that beat the Mets were on steroids.
The WIlpons are still mad at Doc for being an addict? Get over it. He's the best pitcher other than Seaver. Fans lined up to see him. The building was more electric during his starts than any other time in Mets history.
Sell the team. Please.
And you know that 80% of the Mets team was not using how?
This is the thing I don't understand. Why don't they just cover it up with some glass, frame it, make it look nice. Everybody can say "I remember when Doc did this".
This is nothing new, alot of you must have never been in restaurants where celebrities frequent. These establishments actually ENCOURAGE autographs on the walls. Random people don't just go signing on there, why here?
According to the Schmooze, Wilpon called WFAN and clarified….saying that they will put in a prominent place in centerfield- it will NOT be erased, and other METS will be able to sign as well.
Now, let's move on!!
Good
luv da schmooze. so that's that, right?
Why does Mo Vaughn get his own zone?
Would you want to use the same bathroom he uses?
Th mo zone. At least ONE part of the stadium is named after a Met
Tone deaf idiots. How you can build a new multi-gazillion dollar park and not have a Met museum, '86 champs exhibit, etc., etc., is just inconceivable. This is stupidity on a monumental scale. The Mets have concave patches on their sleeves that they've all but admitted are supposed to look like credit cards, play in a phony Ebbets field with built-in faux-historical idiosycracies fully two decades after that sort of thing was at all novel, interesting, architecturally relevant, etc., spend much of each broadcast hyping the "Pepsi (TM) Porch", are worried about their icons defacing the Citi "brand," and oh yeah — TWICE failed to clean house after an embarrassing September faceplant that left their rivals mocking them during a World Series celebration. Amateur hour on a permanent basis.
Whew — annnnnnnnnnnd, I'm done. Go Mets.
Good. See ya. There are precious few seats to waste on a bandwagoner who prefers a museum to a baseball field. You should try going to the game, sittin in your seat and watching it, rather than roaming around looking for a history lesson.
The 1986 Mets were the most popular team in New York City over the past 30 years. The Yankee teams had plenty of attendance, but never captivated the city in the same way. The Wilpons have no clue.
No he's saying that the Mets should allow a former ROY, NL Cy Young award winner and '86 World Champ do that. There are streets named after Pete Rose in Cincinnati for god sake.
Yes this is an shame.
I can't help but see the incredible irony in Joe Janish's little statement, “It should be allowed to become part of the stadium and part of the team’s history. The minutiae and folklore of this team – like skydivers, black cats and Bill Buckner…"
that is the Mets history in a nutshell…a nutjob fan, a cat and another team's player. That is how Mets fans routinely identify with this franchise and then they are upset by having the absurdly trivial dismissed for a fresh start in a REAL stadium.
I'm curious to read Matt's Q & A with the stammering GM tomorrow. After all, he's another one of the Wilpon's crowning accomplishments.
fiya, i said the marlins will be good and noone paid attention an when i said the offense will struggle all i kept hearing was "we score 799 last year"..
hey guts its time for the newly ticked off at the wilpons for the gooden autograph-gate edition of the aptly titled "this date in mets infamy with rusty" so lets go before i shoot my pc
first off happy b-day wishes go out to our first japaneese pitching stud (kida a oxymoron for us mets huh) Masato Yoshii (1965)
Jason (smoke it – kinda ironic he was born on 4/20 doncha think)Roach (1976)
Sean"i'm not thekosher kid"Green (1979)
Wow Masato Yoshii lol.
Redsox allow people to sign the Pesky Pole
the schmooze claims that all kidding aside jeff wilpon called the fat man and said that thwe autograph will be moved to a "legends wall in the museum when it is built" – ill believe it when i see it
Look, say what you want about Jay Horowitz and how he's such a great guy, been with the team forever, etc, etc. But it just seems that the Mets go from one PR stumble to another and they are constantly fighting the fans and popular opinion. Telling us we are wrong to think something is a good or bad idea.
This situation is another example of how there is such a huge divide. The Mets can't do everything based on what the fans want, or what the beat writers want…but at some point they have to pretend we exist and not treat us like 5 year olds.
The most important thing to remember in marketing is if you think you are smarter than the general public, you're wrong. The Mets organization has always felt it could walk above popular opinion. I guess in a way they can because I know I'll still buy tickets…but things like this don't help their image and it allows columnists who already dislike the Mets to use column inches writing negative things about them.
im just wondering why now that they mended fences with doc – that they are ripping the scab open again and putting salt in it. i feel bad for gooden and us mets fans alike
How about the Mets put the entire Doc Gooden signature complete with the ROY / MVP / CHAMP thing on T-Shirts…..sell them for $20 a pop, and donate the proceeds to a charity of Doc's choice ?. Or…..use the money to buy tickets for children whose parents can no longer afford to go..
THEN move the piece of the wall to the "museum".
I can just see Mets fans tagging up all over Citi Field next week.
I hear ya'. I walked in and was certainly impressed with the rotunda, but definitely didn't feel this was my home as a Mets fan.
It is a beautiful stadium with lots of fun things to explore, and I really hope it becomes "ours" sometime soon.
david wright is the poster child for the mets struggling wit men on base..
Just curious, did Wilpon address why Jay Horowitz was so adamant they were erasing it at first? Was there a change of heart or the reports that they were going to erase it were false?
FYI…the signature is not on a concrete wall. The wall is covered with gray fabric and it's currently being hidden by another piece of fabric inconspicuously tacked over it. The bartender let me sneak a peek at it, but their orders are to keep it covered. Honestly, it's kind of cool, but at the same time, I understand why Mets personnel are annoyed that some employee let Doc deface the wall of their brand new stadium. It's just not that big of a deal. They should have built some kind of etched autograph wall somewhere in the stadium as a tribute to their past. http://twitpic.com/3i6lv
I think most of us learned a valuable lesson today: the New York Post isn't afraid to omit facts in order to create a more interesting and more controversial story (especially when it is anti-Mets) and should not be listened to.
I echo the sentiments of many here about ownership being completely out of touch with the fans. When I heard what Doc did my first reaction was "Awesome"
Then I hear how the team is handling it and I think "typical"
As for the Rotunda issue, it is my belief the Rotunda should have been dedicated to the Mets and a seperate museum dedicated to Jackie, the Dodgers AND the Giants (someone should tell Fred they were a NY NL team too). The problem is the crown jewel of this new ballpark, architectually speaking, is the Rotunda. Although at this point I would happily make the Rotunda a shrine to Roger Clemens, the Yankee Years, if it meant I could actually see more than 60% of the field from my seat. I go to a ballpark to watch baseball, and right now I can follow the game better on Gamecast, than I can from section 136.
Clearly, we can now expect shit to happen everywhere around the park.
nice language! next time make your post a little clearer. and that sucks about the vandals.
You can find Ebbets Club tickets for $45 on Stubhub.
For which game ?. I can't find anything below $100.
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