Brian Biegel - NY Daily News Opinion Section has written about the Mets obsession with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and have slighted the NY Giants. Some of Biegel’s claims are viable, other’s are not.
He seems perturbed that the Mets new ballpark, Gil Hodges Memorial Park (as we all know by now I refuse to call it by it’s corporate sponsored name) pays tribute on to the Dodgers and not the Giants.
True, the Mets first owner, Joan Payson, was on the board of directors for the Giants, and M. Donald Grant, former Director for the Giants, was the Mets first Chairman of the Board. Biegel also notes that the Mets first home was indeed the Polo Grounds.
He goes on to note some great plays at the Polo Grounds: Bobby Thompson’s ‘Shot Heard ‘Round The World’, Willie Mays’ catch of Vic Wertz’ fly ball, etc, and concludes that Willie Mays played his last two years as a Met.
What he neglects to mention are: Don Zimmer, a former Brooklyn Dodger, was the Mets first third baseman, Duke Snider, the Brooklyn Dodger Hall of Famer, patrolled CF for the Mets in 1963, Gil Hodges, the should be hall of fame first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, played for the Mets in 1962 and 1963. He also skippered the Mets to their first World Championship in 1969.
Some other Brooklyn Dodgers that played for the Mets are: Roger Craig (1962-1963), Bob Aspromonte (1971) and also coached for the Mets, Chico Fernandez (1963), Clem Labine (1962), Charlie Neal (1962-1963), and Joe Pignatano (1962), who also served as a coach for the Mets (where do you think the tomato garden in the bull pen came from?).
It is true that the Mets are an amalgamation of both former NY National League teams, and it is also true the Mets relate themselves more to the Dodgers than the Giants, but if you really look at it, the Dodgers have affected the Mets history more than the Giants.
Oh yes, the Mets current owner is a Brooklynite, who grew up and played with Sandy Koufax, the Hall of Fame pitcher, in high school, who also shows up almost every spring training to help with the pitchers.
History is a beautiful thing, and it should be remembered, lest be repeated, but the Mets have been in existence for 48 years, and they do have their own history, which is much like the Brooklyn Dodgers, our lovable losers.
He seems perturbed that the Mets new ballpark, Gil Hodges Memorial Park (as we all know by now I refuse to call it by it’s corporate sponsored name) pays tribute on to the Dodgers and not the Giants.
True, the Mets first owner, Joan Payson, was on the board of directors for the Giants, and M. Donald Grant, former Director for the Giants, was the Mets first Chairman of the Board. Biegel also notes that the Mets first home was indeed the Polo Grounds.
He goes on to note some great plays at the Polo Grounds: Bobby Thompson’s ‘Shot Heard ‘Round The World’, Willie Mays’ catch of Vic Wertz’ fly ball, etc, and concludes that Willie Mays played his last two years as a Met.
What he neglects to mention are: Don Zimmer, a former Brooklyn Dodger, was the Mets first third baseman, Duke Snider, the Brooklyn Dodger Hall of Famer, patrolled CF for the Mets in 1963, Gil Hodges, the should be hall of fame first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, played for the Mets in 1962 and 1963. He also skippered the Mets to their first World Championship in 1969.
Some other Brooklyn Dodgers that played for the Mets are: Roger Craig (1962-1963), Bob Aspromonte (1971) and also coached for the Mets, Chico Fernandez (1963), Clem Labine (1962), Charlie Neal (1962-1963), and Joe Pignatano (1962), who also served as a coach for the Mets (where do you think the tomato garden in the bull pen came from?).
It is true that the Mets are an amalgamation of both former NY National League teams, and it is also true the Mets relate themselves more to the Dodgers than the Giants, but if you really look at it, the Dodgers have affected the Mets history more than the Giants.
Oh yes, the Mets current owner is a Brooklynite, who grew up and played with Sandy Koufax, the Hall of Fame pitcher, in high school, who also shows up almost every spring training to help with the pitchers.
History is a beautiful thing, and it should be remembered, lest be repeated, but the Mets have been in existence for 48 years, and they do have their own history, which is much like the Brooklyn Dodgers, our lovable losers.
Other Sources: Ultimate Mets Database
9 comments:
I think the team relates more to the dodgers mostly because of the owner. He does not say more then 3 sentences without something relating to Dem Bums...
I think the Mets are more like the Dodgers because of the working class natures of both teams. The Giants played in lofty Manhattan, while the Dodgers played in gritty, working-class Brooklyn. The Giants were the Yankees of the pre-Yankee era; they were the powerhouse franchise of the 1900's and 1910's, while the Brooklyn club didn't do much at all. The Dodgers had a lot of colorful characters through the decades, while the Giants seemed more business like and stolid.
The NY cap logo, the look of the road uniforms, as well as adoption of the colors orange and black, are direct linage from the Giants.
The blue and white colors, passionate fan attitude, and the Mets logo on the home jerseys were all patterned after the Dodgers. Moreover, the general look of the new Mets Ballpark is a direct descendant of Ebbet's Field (which was a much better ball park than the Polo Grounds cavernous realm). Since the home park of the Mets has, since 1964, been closer to Brooklyn than the Polo Grounds was, many more fans have traditionally come from areas which previously would have supported the Dodgers.
I think that since the Mets are the living tradition of NL baseball in NYC, they should pay some sort of homage to the various Giant and Dodger players that were NYC greats prior to 1957. I'm not saying to retire numbers (although perhaps in some cases that should also happen, such as #24 since Willie Mays will always be remembered more for the NY Giants than the SF Giants), but perhaps putting up pennants with either a black and orange NY and a player's name (i.e. NY - Matthewson) or a Blue and White B with a player's name (i.e. B - Reese)should be done since either the majority or entire career was played in New York and not California.
The Mets are almost 50 y/o. They may have been a nod to both the departed teams but they have their own history. Wilpon and Met Fans need to let this go!
When the Mets fan screams his head off in a fashion a little out of step from what is considered civilized behavior, he's descended from the Dodgers. When the Mets fan sits and suffers stonily in silence, he's Giant progeny. There's a lot of each in us that goes beyond colors and insignias. We do a lot of scream and we do a lot of silent suffering.
That said, after a half-century, the Mets fan is a Mets fan.
First Owner and best Owner was Joan Payson who owned a stake of the NY Giants. Hat more related to the Giants and history more frenetic to the Giants. Also the Giants did not play in a glamorous part of Manhattan, right across from Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds was doldrums as was Ebbets Field that somehow has become a model ballpark for exterior. Shea and the Polo Grounds were full of more quirks, plus the Mets played at the Polo Grounds.
Wilpon can live his childhood fantasy all he wants but we are definitely closer to the Giants.
But anyway I am sick of hearing about Old Dodgers fans, Giants fans immediately switched their allegiances to us even though they were screwed the most, whining about Dem Bums and Walter O'Malley. GET OVER IT BROOKLYN!
That all being said Mets fans in this generation have definitely taken their on their own being. Whiny, passionate, fear & loathing, blind faith, and hope all in a potent mixture.
There should be a museum honoring baseball history of both the Dodgers, Giants, and even the Negro League/Defunct teams in the city but it has no place at Citi Field. I believe we have our own history that while limited it is certainly not something to scoff at.
I don't think the Mets really resemble either team, to tell you the truth. They have their own identity. I wouldn't call the Mets ''gritty.'' And I think the ''working-class'' nature of Brooklyn, historically speaking, is overly exaggerated. The Yankees have their own identity too. I wouldn't want to be like either team. I'm happy with the Mets being themselves. The one resemblance the Mets really have with the Giants is the hat though. Of course there's influences from both teams, but most Mets fans are from nowadays are from a generation that never lived with the Dodgers or Giants.
Some very good comments from all, and they are appreciated. I agree that the Giants are like the bastard child, and as stated, the Brooklyn fans were more passionate in the sense that they lived and died with the BUMs. Brookly was an intimate borough where the players of the Dodgers were neighbors. Nowadays, that isn't seen, granted, but with the Mets finally in Flushing in 1964, I believe, to the fans, that the type of fan and players more closely resembled the Dodgers.
The Giants do deserve their respect, and the Mets should be cognizant of that.
But, there is no dismissing that there were many players in the early Met years that were former Dodgers (see post).
History is a beautiful thing, and I am so glad that all of you are passionate - whether it be Giants or Dodgers allegiance. But, we must remember, those teams left us 52 years ago. We are Mets fans, and that should be similarly embraced.
~ Metsfan73 ~
Coop is right in her comment - the Mets have their own history. 40 years ago, the question asked in the title of this post was relevant. But today it really isn't. Yes, the new stadium has a resembelance to Ebbets Field (which is not really a bad thing), I always said it should have one of the Polo Grounds' distinct features - have the 500 foot center field.
The Mets DO have their own history, but why was so much of it put up for sale 6 months ago when they moved? When you move from an older house to a newer one, do you sell family portraits or the kids' beds? Only time will tell (and that time is about a month from now) whether "new Shea" has the feel of Mets, Dodgers, Giants, or the Wilpon's summer home. And it'll be the fans, on blogs like this, that I will read to find out before my first game in late April.
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