He was a great player. He was the best all-around baseball player of all time. The highlights of his career can be found in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mays was not a great player when he wore a New York Mets uniform. It was a bad experience. Imagine Mays, one of the greatest centerfielders of all time, making a mistake in the centerfield. Mays was also fast on his feet, stumping and trying to score. That is the stuff you remember about Mays when he was at the stadium. It was embarrassing and unnecessary for the Mets to announce the retirement of his number 24 as part of Old Timers' Day. He was a giant. New York and San Francisco were the first places to visit. Even though he played in Queens in 1972 and 1973, he wasn't a Met. People don't remember Joe Namath as a Ram. It was a touching moment for some Mays' fans. There are other former Mets who are deserving. We need to stop and start with the man. He had an impact on this franchise. When he broke into the bigs in 1983, he was seen as a star, but he only played for the Mets until 1990. The Mets dominated the backpages of the tabloids. He was the NL's first baseman. He played on seven All-Star teams for the Mets from 1984 to 1990. He won the award two times. He led the NL in home runs.
The Mets won the World Series in 1986 thanks to him. The home run off Bob Nipper that sealed the deal in Game 7 will always be remembered by Mets fans.
The Mets have an all-time HR leader in strawberry. He is second in the monetary system. Straw is ninth on the all-time hit list. No. 18 was a fan of the Mets.
Straw cleaned up his life and became a good member of society after going through Hell in his personal life.
Straw gave the thrills he provided. It is an example of the Mets doing too much.
The Yankees are arguably the most-storied team in sports history.
They don't have a shrine of Mays.
It is not disrespectful. It doesn't make sense.
The Yankees celebrate their history. There is a Baseball Hall of Fame. When new fans come to the ballpark, they can learn about the players that came before the current stars they root for.
Steve Cohen is a Mets fan who has embraced the team's past. He has failed to recognize what and who is important in Mets' lore.
Tom Seaver Day wasn't handled well. The Mets had a statue dedication on April 15th.
On the day that Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, Seaver was playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Seaver's story was overshadowed by Robinson's.
It should have been a topic of discussion. The greatest Mets player of all time was the Hall of Fame pitcher. He shouldn't have been sharing a stage with someone else. It was recently retired by the Mets. He helped the Mets win a World Series. It flew under the radar as well.
Then Saturday's Mays' celebrations. There was a party in San Francisco. There is a statue in front of the baseball stadium.
It is appropriate and proper.
It felt like a stretch 40 years later to keep a promise to Mays.
Mays was a great pitcher for the Mets. It was strawberry.
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