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Random Met collectable crap from the past

SteveJRogers May 22 2013 10:40 AM

Or Mets Junk In The Trunk 2013! Looking for Metly SI covers, and caught what looks to be Ron Hodges sitting on the bench in this 1978 SI cover: Oddly enough this type of situation happened two more times, with Ozzie Smith and later Matt Williams, but the Mets in the dugout are too blurred or blocked to make out who they are.

batmagadanleadoff May 22 2013 10:43 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

Or Mets Junk In The Trunk 2013! Looking for Metly SI covers, and caught what looks to be Ron Hodges sitting on the bench in this 1978 SI cover: Oddly enough this type of situation happened two more times, with Ozzie Smith and later Matt Williams, but the Mets in the dugout are too blurred or blocked to make out who they are. I'm gonna like this thread. Rose's cover was shot at Shea Stadium, where he tied and then passed Tommy Holmes, the holder of the then NL hit streak record. (I was at that game, and was appalled at the ovation Rose got during the pre-game ceremony in his honor. I hadn't gotten over 1973). But I'd hardly call those covers "Met collectible" stuff.

batmagadanleadoff May 22 2013 10:50 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 22 2013 10:52 AM

Fernandomania comes to New York and blows up big-time. Amid a media presence fit for the seventh game of a World Series, Valenzuela makes the cover of SI after he out-pitches Met Mike Scott in a battle of future Cy Young Award winners. Dodgers edge Mets 1-0 on an unearned run. Scott pitches seven brilliant innings in what is easily the best outing of his mediocre Mets career. I was at that game. Valenzuela's shutout streak remains intact.

Edgy MD May 22 2013 10:52 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

Scott was wonderful that day. And I kinda felt like I knew he had it in him.

dinosaur jesus May 22 2013 11:04 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 22 2013 11:25 AM

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Fernandomania comes to New York and blows up big-time. Amid a media presence fit for the seventh game of a World Series, Valenzuela makes the cover of SI after he out-pitches Met Mike Scott in a battle of future Cy Young Award winners. Dodgers edge Mets 1-0 on an unearned run. Scott pitches seven brilliant innings in what is easily the best outing of his mediocre Mets career. I was at that game. Valenzuela's shutout streak remains intact. As I recall, Ralph had Valenzuela, Lasorda translating for him, and Scott on Kiner's Korner after the game.

SteveJRogers May 22 2013 11:08 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

I think you had this question come up a few times in determining where to place certain cards that list a team different than the cap/uni the player is pictured on, SOOOO... It's about his final days as a Dodger and he is wearing Dodger gear in the photo, but the cover date is a few days after his trade from the Marlins to the Mets. Should this officially be considered a Met collectable? Or... Article is a feature on him, but not really about his season. And he was still a Met when the photo and article took place. BUT, the cover date is the same as when he was traded to the Blue Jays, and he is in civies. So should this be considered a Met collectable?

Farmer Ted May 22 2013 11:33 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

I wish the Mets would bring back the wood paneling in the dugout. That was classy.

Zvon May 22 2013 11:38 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

Great thread. We need more threads like this. Between us we must have a treasure trove of Metly doo-doo.

Zvon May 22 2013 12:14 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

My very first baseball board game. I got da fever for the game! GRASS-CUTTER UP THE MIDDLE!

Frayed Knot May 22 2013 12:57 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

I had that game too! (GHPF)

batmagadanleadoff May 23 2013 10:38 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

My very first baseball board game. I got da fever for the game! GRASS-CUTTER UP THE MIDDLE! I have that game, but only because I collect Mets memorabilia. Didn't have it when I was a kid. The makers of that Gil Hodges game also produced a hockey version: Rod Gilbert's Violent World of Pro Hockey, which I owned and played intensely for about a year when I was about eight or nine. Ironic because I don't follow hockey at all, and today, I probably couldn't name you two active NHL players. My time spent with that Rod Gilbert game was the most time I ever spent on pro hockey. Here's a metal Tom Seaver board game that came out around 1969, replacing the Carl Yastrzemski version (same game). Same deal, here. Own it now, but not as a kid, although I remember the older kids in the neighborhood having that game. When I discovered Strat-O-Matic, I had no interest in those types of games, now deemed childish by the childish nine-year old me.

Edgy MD May 23 2013 10:44 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

Farmer Ted wrote: I wish the Mets would bring back the wood paneling in the dugout. That was classy. Add a pingpong table and a minibar and it would be complete. batmagadanleadoff wrote: Sometimes The Simpsons isn't necessary, and life provides all the satire you need.

seawolf17 May 23 2013 11:18 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

I love baseball table games. No Mets in it, but I loved this as a kid: And my friend and I played a crapload of Statis Pro: He was a Yankee fan, and I distinctly remember 1984 Jay Howell to be unhittable.

Edgy MD May 23 2013 11:24 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

You've got to love the no-BS marketing approach here. Who is the Jet flying across the top right? Boozer?

batmagadanleadoff May 23 2013 11:31 AM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

You've got to love the no-BS marketing approach here. That's also an RGJ game, like the Hodges and Gilbert games. Here's their basketball version:

Zvon May 23 2013 02:33 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

More Game Talk: I was playing Gil Hodges Pennant Fever in around 71, I guess. I liked the game but it was slow moving. Couldn't get my brothers into it. Some how we ended up with this game, All Star Baseball, and we played this for years. It was a much simpler game and we got all into it. We would use a coiled desk lamp for an ump, setting it up so it would shine right down over the top of the board. If any spin was protested by an opponent for landing on "the line", we would consult the ump, which consisted of looking at the shadow of the pointer on the game board. It saved quite a few arguments. These games went quick and we'd play 2 or three a sitting. We even kept entire scorebooks that covered 162 season games. We were pretty nutty with this game. My best player by far was Rod Carew, who batted over .400 one season.

Ceetar May 23 2013 02:39 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

Swan Swan H May 23 2013 02:41 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 23 2013 07:20 PM

Loved All-Star baseball. I seem to remember that in some versions the player disc had a hole in the middle that slipped over a guide of some sort, kept it from sliding around and causing disputes. Your lampump is a clever idea. oe: edited typo

Edgy MD May 23 2013 02:54 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

The game seemed designed to cause fights and lead to brawls. Great concept, but I'm not sure if I ever finished a game. All the slipping cards out from under the spinner and back under the pile again could also warp the transparent foundation and make the spins not so true.

Zvon May 23 2013 04:26 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

All you guys say is true. It was far from a perfect game. But it was fun. And we were very aware if we wanted a true/fair spin the disc would have to be sitting properly in the transparent holder thing (never had the warpage of the plastic holder experience), and if it wasn't it hurt your chances for a good call (the pointer shadow would never properly line up with the line). Even with this system, we would have brawls, so you may have a point Edge. I remember once when it was a big play in the game and a disputable homer, I called for the lamp ump. When we got up to look my brother accidentally knocked the table. All hell broke loose.

G-Fafif May 23 2013 04:49 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

I played this at a friend's house. I had a slightly earlier version, perhaps with Johnny Bench's or Brooks Robinson's name attached. I fucking loved that chute used for pitching.

batmagadanleadoff May 23 2013 05:09 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

G-Fafif wrote: I played this at a friend's house. I had a slightly earlier version, perhaps with Johnny Bench's or Brooks Robinson's name attached. I fucking loved that chute used for pitching. Before Hank Aaron endorsed that game, it was simply known as Sure Shot Baseball.

G-Fafif May 23 2013 07:19 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

Sure as shootin', Sure Shot it was. I think I was mixing up the Bench/Brooks endorsement on Pitch Back with this super fun item.

G-Fafif May 23 2013 07:24 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 23 2013 08:05 PM

And yes, the Pitch Back was a hunk of crap.

Zvon May 23 2013 08:04 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

My youngest brothers are twins and they got Sure Shot BB one Christmas. We also had a pitch back after we moved to Jersey, set it up in the back yard and played a game I can only compare to "stoop-ball".

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 23 2013 08:11 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 23 2013 08:14 PM

G-Fafif wrote: And yes, the Pitch Back was a hunk of crap. That was a funny article. All of my pitch-back's flaws came rushing back as he explained them. I forget what it was called but I also had that ball-on-a-stick trainer that spun on a column with large rubber bands returning the ball the other way after you hit it. It was a cool thing but required a cement base which made it impossible to move without bothering your dad. Also, it had to stay outside but the bands, stick and ball couldn't withstand cold weather. It wasn't long before I cracked my ball in half on a cold day. What was that thing called? (edit .. I luv U Internet) [youtube]IMWKlgjXdlw[/youtube]

Swan Swan H May 23 2013 08:13 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

Hitaway?

batmagadanleadoff May 23 2013 08:35 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

I had one of those plastic kids' pitching machines in the early '70's that you'd bat against. I actually liked it, but the thing was mostly flimsy and didn't last long. Plus it took at least four of those fat cylindrical batteries, and the batteries were always running out. The bat was like a plastic whiffle ball bat, only half-sized, and it opened and closed like a telescope. I remember that the two sections of the bat eventually separated and couldn't be put back together. In other words, the bat broke. The plastic bat.

batmagadanleadoff May 23 2013 08:51 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I had one of those plastic kids' pitching machines in the early '70's that you'd bat against. I actually liked it, but the thing was mostly flimsy and didn't last long. Plus it took at least four of those fat cylindrical batteries, and the batteries were always running out. The bat was like a plastic whiffle ball bat, only half-sized, and it opened and closed like a telescope. I remember that the two sections of the bat eventually separated and couldn't be put back together. In other words, the bat broke. The plastic bat. Then I got this Dwight Gooden pitchback for my collection. This machine probably had a short shelf life because I know many hard core Mets collectors who never heard of this item.

John Cougar Lunchbucket May 23 2013 08:56 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

Love that the package shows Dwight batting.

Zvon May 31 2013 04:57 PM Re: Random Met collectable crap from the past

My first baseball glove was a Christmas gift in the late 60's. The big deal in my house was the Sears Christmas catalogue and my brothers and I would look for our favorite toys and things and beg for em. I selected this glove because it had the Met logo. I wasn't really a Met fan when I got it but I was becoming one. I think the glove might have been made by Wilson (for Sears). It was not a bad glove considering it was cheap and from Sears. I dont have the glove anymore and cannot find any pics of it anywhere, so I recreated it here: I'd love to find one of these for old times sake. The I started playing serious baseball in the 70s (becoming a big baseball fan and Met fan) and got my new Billy Williams fastback in around '71, and I have no idea what happened to the old Met logo glove. I hope one of my younger bros used it.