Dipping Into The Archives (Kind Of) Vol. 10

1980 & 1981

As I mentioned last week, my copies of the 1980 & 1981 Mets yearbooks suffered significant water damage - the pages are stuck together; it’s impossible to crack either of the two books open. But I can’t let that stop me from continuing my journey through team history, especially because a lot of important stuff happened these two years. So, rather than thumb through the yearbooks as I had been doing I’ll instead offer my reminiscences of these years.

The losing continued; the Mets finished 5th in 1980, and in the split season caused by the 1981 strike, the team placed 5th & 4th in the two halves. There usually seemed to be a recurring pattern each time. A new season would begin with misplaced hope and promise. Really, this would finally be the year that the kids reach their potential. It would be followed by the inevitable slow start, but they still found a way to hover around .500, never quite able to surpass that mark. Then, once the late summer slump began, it turned into the boulder rolling downhill with a late summer collapse followed by many of the regular players seeing their playing time drastically reduced. The annual collapse would generally coincide with my family’s summer vacation. My ability to closely follow the team would be dependent upon the actual vacation locale. If we were close enough to New York, I could still keep track of the season, but if we traveled further I would return home to find a lineup filled with rookies I had never heard of who had just gotten promoted.

As bad as the team was, I likely attended more games in that era than in any other time in my life. I grew up a fast and easy subway ride away from Shea Stadium, and general admission tickets only cost $2. Sure, that meant my seats were closer to the planes approaching LaGuardia than they were to the field, but any day at the ballpark is a good day. And let’s just say it was never an issue to get game day tickets; there were always plenty of available seats and lines at the concession stands were short.

But hope was on the horizon. In 1980 the team was sold to Nelson Doubleday; it was also noted at the time of the sale that a man named Fred Wilpon came in as a minority partner. Baltimore Orioles architect Frank Cashen was the new GM. It took some time to rebuild the major league roster, but the most significant change was the rebuilding of the minor league operations. The team had traditionally done a poor job of scouting, drafting, and developing. That would soon drastically change.

The new regime did still make one crucial mistake. They antagonized and ultimately chased away Karl Ehrhardt. He was the fan known as the Sign Man, one of the most recognizable fans anywhere. The club was getting annoyed at his increasing negativity - but who could blame him? - and they started to distance themselves from him. So he stopped attending games. It took a couple of decades until he returned to the stadium, but it was a one-time only appearance. I insist that the Mets need to induct the late Ehrhardt into their Hall of Fame as a symbol of the faithful fanbase.

Removing the stench from the organization didn’t happen overnight. There was still a litany of past their prime veterans who made their way to Shea. Remember when Jose Cardinal was on the team? Jerry Morales? Bill Almon? Randy Jones? Going back to 1979, remember when Dock Ellis was a Met?

I do want to acknowledge one veteran who made a cameo in 1980. Claudell Washington was acquired in a trade and immediately made a splash, hitting three home runs in a game. All told, he hit 10 home runs in his half season, placing him second on the team. 1980 was the infamous season in which the Daily News ran a season long Mets vs. Maris graphic. The Mets as a team finished the year with exactly 61 home runs, the total that Roger Maris reached by himself in 1961. I realize that with its deep fences and swirling winds Shea was a tough home run park, but that’s just embarrassing.

Two old friends returned to the team in 1981 - Dave Kingman and Rusty Staub. Kingman was what you would expect, the ultimate all or nothing hitter combined with an exceedingly unpleasant personality. Staub, on the other hand, was one of the most popular players in team history. In his second tenure with the club he became one of the premiere pinch hitters the game’s history. His specific role is practically impossible to replicate today. He was so slow by this point in his career that he would almost always need to be replaced with a pinch runner after one of his pinch hits. Modern roster construction leaves no room for a guy like him.

We didn’t yet know it at the time, but there was light at the end of the tunnel. By the end of 1981 Jesse Orosco and Mookie Wilson were established major league players. Darryl Strawberry was moving up the minor league ladder. And the Mets would use their first round pick in the 1982 draft on a high school pitcher from Tampa with an explosive fastball. Next week I’ll open up the 1982 yearbook. That offseason they made a splashy trade for a recent NL MVP award winner. I hope that one works out.

SNL Season 6 Reboot

I’m pushing the pause button on my season 6 for one more week in honor of Dick Ebersol’s similar pause more than 40 years ago. One of his stipulations when he took over the show was that it would need to go dark for a month in order to retool and NBC accommodated his wishes. He let some writers go, but the most tangible change was that 3 cast members were also fired.

More significant than the new cast members was his choice as head writer - he brought back the infamous Michael O’Donoghue. Mr. Mike was an avatar of a dark, mean-spirited form of comedy, and although he burned out relatively quickly and didn’t last long in his returnas the show’s primary creative voice, his brief tenure had one major ramification. Ebersol had hired Catherine O’Hara as one of the replacement cast members, but O’Donoghue freaked her out so much that she left without actually appearing in an episode. Just imagine an early 80s version of SNL featuring both Eddie Murphy AND Catherine O’Hara in the cast!

After a hiatus of a month, the show returned with what was essentially a soft launch for season 7, as it also served as introductions for Robin Duke, Tim Kazurinsky, and Tony Rosato. As proof that time is a flat circle, the show returned with the threat of a WGA strike looming. In fact, the strike began during show week, but they went ahead with the scripts completed early. The only ramification of staging a show during the strike is that they were unable to make any last minute script changes. The strike eventually cancelled the remainder of the season, which was a bit of a silver lining as it afforded more time for Ebersol to shape the program as he wished; as well as to complete the firing of lesser members of the cast. Episode 13 will be the last time we see Denny Dillon or Gail Matthius.

So, next week I’ll wrap up season 6. There was no host per se, but multiple familiar faces from the show’s past appeared. Perhaps it was meant to stamp the rebranded show with a seal of approval as well as to reassure the audience that the show is back in good hands.

Welcome To Ohtani Week

The MLB trade deadline is only days away, but this year it’s drastically different from the norm. Shohei Ohtani rumors are going to suck all the oxygen out of the room. What differentiates any potential Ohtani move from most deadline deals is that whatever does or does not happen will be a lose-lose situation for both the Angels and whichever team ends up trading for him. That is, of course, if he even goes anywhere this week.

Look at it from the Angels’ perspective. As much as they would like to convince themselves otherwise, their chances of making it to the postseason are shaky. With seemingly little chance of resigning him this offseason, it would be in the best interests of the franchise to trade him. But all indications are that Angels owner Arte Moreno does not want to be known as the guy who traded away such a historically great player. But to do that would mean they would lose him with only a compensatory draft pick to show for it, instead of the large haul that would come with a trade.

But what of a potential trade partner? You would need to give up a LOT to obtain his services for the last two months of the year. A team would have to move multiple highly rated prospects along with a vital major league player or two for a rental. There would be no guarantee that Ohtani would sign with his new club when he hits free agency. As great as he is, is it worth the risk? Conversely, is it worth risking sitting it out under the belief that signing him to a huge deal this offseason only costs money (a lot of money) rather than players, knowing that any team that trades for him would theoretically have a built-in advantage?

It’s also worth noting that with all the attention that will be drawn to Ohtani’s immediate future, all other deals made this week will barely be acknowledged. It’s often the quieter moves that hold greater significance come October. Ultimately, the biggest loser when all is said and done will likely be Tungsten Arm O’Doyle. Chances are high that whichever team does acquire him will not be as inept as the Angels are. We may be seeing the death of a reliable meme.

McGriff & Rolen Join An Awesome Club

Yesterday was Hall Of Fame Induction Day, arguably the off the field highlight of any baseball season. Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen are the newest inductees and you have to feel great for both men. McGriff in particular had always seemed to be a very nice guy; you could sense the affection that so many feel for him.

My favorite part of the ceremony is always the introduction of the returning Hall of Famers. In a perfect world there would be 100% attendance, but I recognize that it’s simply not possible. Sometimes a guy has a scheduling conflict. Additionally, travel to Cooperstown can be a difficult trek for some of the elderly members. No one can expect 92 year old Willie Mays to make the journey. For the record, of the 73 living members, 48 attended this year. And Ken Griffey Jr. had the honor of being the last man introduced.

Next year Adrian Beltre figures to be an easy choice. We’ll have to wait a few months to see who else will join him on the podium.

The Barbenheimer Aftermath

Barbie and Oppenheimer both appear to be artistic and commercial successes. Each has received overwhelming positive reviews along with spectacular opening weekends at the box office. Barbie in particular looks like a real cultural phenomenon. The response from certain corners of the world sadly reminds me of the reactions to Black Panther several years ago. It’s causing some of the worst people in the world to absolutely lose their s**t.

I usually hesitate to spotlight the usual cast of characters too much. They seek attention, so highlighting their idiocy, even if it only to dunk on them, plays right into their hands. But in this case it’s tough to ignore Ben Shapiro. The day after seeing Barbie he released a 43 minute long video in which he tore the film to shreds. 43 minutes? We only have a short amount of time in this world. If this is how you choose to spend some of that precious time, it might be time to seriously consider what life choices one made to reach this point. Oh well, at least Ted Cruz has his priorities straight.

Dropping The Curtain

Thanks again for reading Tending The Herd. Let’s do this again on Wednesday. See ya then!