I’m filling in for MetsPolice.com all week long, here is one of the posts from their site that I recently uploaded. Give it a look on their site. 

Yesterday, as I was watching the game, I had my phone on the At Bat app looking at the balls and strikes (yep, I’m one of those fans).

When out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the black skyline ball logo on the left field wall, to the left of the MLB Network sign.

Now, it should be noted that for anything digital, like a video game or background photo, MLB Advanced Media typically only inserts generic team and MLB ads in place of the typical “Delta” and “Geico” signs that you would actually see at a ballpark. This is done only to keep the visuals realistic, as I doubt many people actually tune into MLB Network when they see their logo on the outfield wall.

That being said, this isn’t the first time the black skyline logo has appeared, it was in previous versions of MLB The Show, before being removed, but has popped up again.

What’s especially interesting is that the Mets got rid of their black alternates officially after the 2014 season (they stopped wearing them after 2011, which is when I consider them to be out of circulation) yet here we are in 2018, and MLB still inserts it whenever possible, but only in the outfield fence in that one specific spot.

My hunch is that someone tried to replicate the wall from 2012, where in that exact space, there was a circle (50th Anniversary) next to a home plate logo (Carter).

Now, sure, there are more important things MLB could change before this, like keeping the volume level on the Mets feed of WOR, or making World Series games end before 12:30am, but I dislike the black uniforms as much as the next guy, and I continue to scratch my head at this mystery that will probably never see a resolution.

One thing I love about this blog is how we come here to laugh about things that aren’t really that important, but are still fun to talk and joke about.

Unfortunately, this post isn’t one of them. Long-time GM Sandy Alderson, in the middle of his eighth season with the Mets, will step down from his position as he works to recover from a relapse in his cancer, which will require a surgery.

Sandy Alderson and Jeff Wilpon held a press conference moments ago at Citi Field to discuss his health and the plan going forward, in which Sandy mentioned that he is unsure if he deserves to come back, given his health and the performance of the team this year, so the interim trio of Ricciardi, Minaya and Ricco might not be temporary.

The good news is that Sandy’s immediate prognosis is positive, and he feels confident that he will recover in time. I send my thoughts and well wishes to Sandy’s family and friends, as well as the Mets family as a whole.

See the full post on MetsPolice.com. 

Hey folks.

Quick reminder, I’m over at MetsPolice.com all week long, with over five posts per day!

Feel free to check out my posts and leave feedback over there, we will be back here on Friday. Lets Go Mets – Niko.

Passing this along from the Mets, who are in the midst of their 2018 All-Star campaign.

Coincidently, the two all-stars that will probably be on the team, Jacob deGrom and Brandon Nimmo, are both not on the ballot. deGrom because pitchers aren’t voted in by the fans, and Nimmo because he started as a reserve player, and you can only have three players on the ballot.

The 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Ballot is open. Vote today. Vote tomorrow. Vote only online. Vote for your New York Mets at mets.com or at MLB.com, on your computer, tablet and smart phone. Voting ends on Thursday, July 5 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

You may vote in the 2018 Camping World MLB All-Star Balloting Program a maximum of thirty-five (35) times between June 1, 2018, and July 5, 2018, with a limit of five (5) times during any twenty-four (24) hour period (with that twenty-four (24) hour period to begin as of the time of the first vote; following the expiration of the initial twenty-four (24) period, the next twenty-four (24) hour period begins at the time of your next vote).

In addition, fans who vote 5 or more times and select the New York Mets as their “favorite” club will automatically be entered into the 2018 Vote Mets Sweepstakes with a chance to win four (4) Field Level tickets for one (1) New York Mets 2018 regular season Monday-Thursday home game

Campaign Hashtag

#VoteMets

Player Hashtags

#VotePlawecki
#VoteCabrera
#VoteFrazier
#VoteRosario
#VoteCespedes
#VoteBruce
#VoteConforto

Photo Credit: Gary D.

Here’s some exciting news.

Next week, I’ll be filling in for the good folks at MetsPolice.com, providing everything from my experiences at the ballpark during the Mets vs. Pirates series, calling out the uniform mishaps, and of course providing the same pulse of the team that they’ve done so well for a decade.

Yes, there will be plenty of this: (Back at the track, back at the wall?)

A little bit of this: (it’s almost the Fourth of July, which is apparently a weekend….)

And of course, I like Murphy too, so you aren’t getting a break there, either.

In all seriousness, though, I’m really excited and incredibly honored to be filling in for the week while Shannon takes a nice vacation, I’ll try my best to make sure it’s the same content you’ve all grown to love, with my unique twist.

I’ll be taking a break from MetsPlus.com for the week while I’m over there, but once they give me the boot on Friday evening, I’ll be back here.

I hope you’ll all give me a read over there; Let’s Go Mets!

Do me a favor. Close your eyes, and picture you are at the game.

When you’ve done that, click play on the video below (you might have to open your eyes for that).

“No, Niko, the seventh inning stretch was never played on the organ at Citi Field”

And you’d be right, that’s because that was played before the game.

“Seventh Inning Stretch before the game, and you want that back, aren’t you a traditionalist?”

Well, not necessarily the stretch, I want the organ. Instead of the loud obnoxious pop music, I want the sweet sounds of a ballpark organ.

The organ, or, organ tracks, was in-use from 2009 until 2014, when it was retired in favor of generic tracks.

So Mets, you’ve done things to win back the hearts of old-school Mets fans before, why not bring back this organ? I don’t think anyone dislikes it, and if you use organ tracks, there is no cost associated with it…

First, let’s take a look at the graphic provided by UniformLineup.com:

Here is a breakdown of the Mets March/April uniforms:

• Home White Pinstripes: 14 games out of 28.  Paired with Primary cap.
• Blue Home Alternate: 1 game out of 28. Paired with Home Alternate Cap
• Road Grey: 8 games out of 28.  Paired with Primary cap.
• Road Blue Alternate: 2 games out of 28  paired with Road Alternate cap.
• Holiday: 3 games out of 28 (Memorial Day)

And here is a breakdown of the Mets March/April Caps:

• Primary Mets cap: 22 games out of 28
• Home Alternate cap: 1 games out of 28
• Road Alternate cap: 2 game out of 28
• Holiday Cap: 4 games out of 28 (One Mother’s Day; Three Memorial Day)

Nelson sums up Mets fans’ frustrations pretty well there.

deGrom, once again, pitched well through 7 innings, giving up only one run, and lowering his league-leading ERA from 1.57 to 1.55.

Of course, credit has to be given to Braves 20 year old starter (and fellow Canadian) Mike Soroka, who pitched 6 no-hit innings, before giving up a very soft infield hit to Michael Conforto.

The offense, though, had absolutely nothing going for them. In the field, the team looked flat footed, and the Braves were running all over them. The Mets have now lost or split their sixth straight series, and there is virtually no one on the horizon to come in and save the team.

Beyond that, the ubiquitous 11-1 start has disintegrated to the point where we are 8.5 games behind the first-place Braves, and are seven games below five hundred.

So what should the Mets do?

Well, for one thing, Callaway isn’t going to be fired today, tomorrow, or any time this year.

However, Mickey is under the microscope. He has made some truly dumb in-game decisions, refused to take accountability for plays that he has put on, and hasn’t been able to motivate his team after countless pleas to the press for patience.

Mickey might not get fired today, but his lack of leadership might limit him in terms of the length of his tenure. In other words, Mickey Callaway might not be the next Mike Scioscia.

That turns the spotlight on the coaching staff, whom collectively have little to no National League experience.

Gary DiSarcina, the bench coach with experience exclusive to the American League (who forgot to double switch yesterday after Mickey’s ejection) will probably stay with the team though the end of the year, unlike Pat Roessler, who might have to go the way of Dave Hudgens, back in 2014.

If you have forgotten, Hudgens, the hitting coach back in 2014, was fired after a bad stretch back in 2014, and was replaced, which energized the team for a few days, before the fizzle continued.

Of course, this is pure speculation, any possibility could happen, all with some merit, but something, and I mean anything, has to happen. You can’t just keep on grinding it out and watch the team fall into the cellar. If you want to sell, do that, if you want to re-energize the team, make some changes at the top, and get things going.

The Met career of Jose Reyes has finally come to an end.

Hold on, I’m being passed a note.

Well, after two months of joy and a free fall, the Mets are finally deciding to switch things up. Gonzalez is gone, and Lobaton (who wasn’t given much playing time, at all) has been designated for assignment.

In return, we will finally get to see what slimmed down Dom Smith has to offer, and journeyman Ty Kelly makes his return to Queens, after spending a good portion of last year in Philly.

Overall, these are the right moves. Gonzalez gave you two months of buffer time, but nothing was left in the tank there, and Lobaton had really become a square peg in a circular hole, so there was no reason to keep him on the roster.

Of course, the future of Jose Reyes is still up in the air, and the Conforto Triple-A rumors continue to swirl, so there is a lot to follow in the coming days.