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Being Mookie Wilson

Willets Point Feb 28 2006 01:04 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 28 2006 03:01 PM

As a kid it took me a long time to warm up to baseball. Until about the age of ten I considered myself a New York baseball fan, but never really watched the sport. However, despite that I always leaned toward the Mets over the Yankees. Partly, I liked the stories about the '69 Miracle Mets better than the majesty and aura of the Yankee dynasties. Then there was the game in 1980 my father went to won by a walk-off homer by Steve Henderson and the way the fans at Shea went wild. The next step in my becoming a diehard Mets fan came in 1983. My dad was excited that Seaver was back with the team and we watched several games on TV. Being a novice baseball spectator, I wasn't too impressed by Seaver, but did like that the Mets had players named Hubie and Mookie. The more I followed the Mets the more Mookie Wilson became my favorite player. Of course, he's most remembered for diving from a passed ball and hitting a dribbler between Buckners legs, but before being overshadowed by Keith, Daryl & Doc he was really the heart of the team with his speed and grace. He may just be one of the nicest people ever to play the game. One thing that impressed me is that he's devoutly Christian and into clean living, and yet amid all the wild antics of the 1980s Mets he never seemed judgemental of his teammates. I almost met Mookie in 1987 when he came to my (soon-to-be) high school for an autograph-signing fundraiser. While I got autographs from Tim Teufel and Lee Mazzili, Mookie's line was way too long and I never got to the front. The line was long not just because Mookie was popular but because Mookie was taking his time to chat with the fans and write personalized messages to them. I was excited when Mookie came back to coach the Mets in the 1990's & as you saw in the Photo of the Week thread I saw him bat in the exhibition game against the Tides. Anyhow I've rambled on long enough. I need to slow down my posting rate because I like being Mookie Wilson.

Bret Sabermetric Feb 28 2006 02:31 PM

No, no. You need to ramble on much longer than that if you want to hold on to being Mookie. Read some long posts by other people to get an idea of how you might stretch a post out. I recommend using the EE method: Endless Editing. Instead of reposting in a new thread or a new post, just append your thoughts to current posts. Theoretically, you'll never NOT be Mookie.. Me, I worship Mookie's feet. When my older girl was born in late October of '86, there was never any doubt which Met I would name her for (it took me a while to get to calling her Elizabeth. She used to post on the MOFO, for you newbies, as "MookieEWilson.") I just loved Mookie as a player and as a person, but so did everyone. I think my first post, under my real name, on the MOFO had to do with defending the Mets from accusations of racism. I asked how we could possibly be considered racist when Mookie was my favorite and Kingman was despised. Someone, I'm pretty sure KC, answered me by saying something like "Hey, dumbass, we ALL like Mookie, what makes you think you're something special?" What I also liked was that Hookie and Mubie were young and fresh and played hard and hustled and filled me with all sorts of hope that maybe the Mets would be a good team once again, and as players got added, year after year, and a championship team got built, Mookie never stopped hustling. He moved to left, no prob, when Dykstra came up (though he could have made a stink about seniority and respect, if he was like that) and was just the most compleet Met I ever saw. A beautiful player to see, and a beautiful man.

KC Feb 28 2006 02:44 PM

I never called you a dumbass on any forum. I may occasionally refer to you as an assclown and even a caustic fucktard, but never a dumbass.

Johnny Dickshot Feb 28 2006 02:45 PM

The gentleman I would up talking with for 3 hours in line for Met tixx the other day mentioned that no player reminded him of Jackie Robinsobn as much as Mookie -- "the way he moved" -- he said. I was into Mookie. Who wasn't into Mookie?

Benjamin Grimm Feb 28 2006 02:54 PM

See the fifth post in this thread.

Rotblatt Feb 28 2006 03:08 PM

My first exposure to Mookie was as a kid, watching baseball with my dad, who loved him. I liked him too, partially because he seemed to be having fun, but mostly because I loved his name. It did take me aback a bit the first time I heard the Mooooos--I thought they were booing him and was kind of upset about it until my dad set me straight. After that, I was a total convert. And then, of course, there was the magic of Game 6. I was hiding under the table for most of that inning, but Mookie's at bat had me dancing on top of it. More recently, I recall an atrocious double header two years ago, where the Mets (Burnitz especially) were playing like crap. Mookie was coaching first base, and a bored and frustrated crowd started chanting "Moooooo-Keeeeeee," since the rest of the team wasn't doing anything. Mookie never acknowledged us--I decided it becasue he had too much class to dignify our backdoor insult of the team with a response. Helluva guy.

MFS62 Feb 28 2006 03:21 PM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: I was into Mookie. Who wasn't into Mookie? When he first came up, I wasn't really into Mookie. (ducking) I didn't think he had the arm to be a great center fielder. I honestly thought he would turn into a decent left fielder, lacking the power for that position, but bringng speed to the table. But he grew on me, I began to appreciate the joy of playing that he exhibited with every move. And my appreciation for him increased when I began to read about him as the person, not just the ballplayer, he was (is) and the contributions he made to the organization. He never really became my favorite Met, but he was close. Later

cooby Feb 28 2006 03:25 PM

We liked Mookie so much that my daughter was him for Halloween one year, and my mom even knew who she was supposed to be

ScarletKnight41 Feb 28 2006 03:29 PM

You can't not love Mookie, for the reasons already cited above. He's a good man and a devout Christian, yet he apparently isn't judgmental of others. He played hard and was a good team player, and the only person who smiled more consistently than Mookie was Mr. Met. He's the kind of player who reminds you why you love the game of baseball.

DocTee Feb 28 2006 03:35 PM

]the only person who smiled more consistently than Mookie was Mr. Met. A fitting tribute-- that should be his epitaph. Honestly, I think Mookie would really appreciate that.

Centerfield Feb 28 2006 03:45 PM

Mookie played centerfield. 'Nuff said. One of my buddies bought my son a Met bear from Build A Bear Workshop. He came with a #1 jersey. He is, of course, now named Mookie.

Johnny Dickshot Feb 28 2006 04:55 PM

On David Letterman in the fall of 86, I recall he did a show where he phoned the Mayor of Houston and made a bet, something to the effect of, if the Astros win, we'll send you some bagels or knishes or something, and if the Mets win, you have to hang this photo of Mookie Wilson in your office for a week. The TV audience of course saw the photo, but the Mayor didn't -- as he said it, a gigantic blowup of Mookie's Met mug shot unfurled from the ceiling -- it was the size of a small movie screen. Never knew whether he actually hung it or not, I assume so. Anyone recall this great moment in Late Nite history?

seawolf17 Feb 28 2006 05:24 PM

Might as well be Mr. Met. I'm tempted to demand that they retire his number. Plus, a lot of people named their pets Mookie. He loves that.

ScarletKnight41 Feb 28 2006 05:54 PM

I remember the bet JD. IIRC, the mayor of Houston at the time was a woman.

martin Feb 28 2006 06:17 PM

when i was a kid in louisiana, the only baseball regularly on tv was the cubs and braves. so i was only familiar with the national league and i always cheered for them in the world series. and in 1986 my dad and i were hoping the mets would win the world series because my dad is from bamberg south carolina, and went to the same high school as mookie. my dad played baseball there, and my grandfather taught history and helped coach the baseball team (pre-mookie). my family loves mookie. late in game six my dad was sleepy and we were about to give up, but we stayed up to at least watch mookie bat. it was awesome. i cant imagine anyone not liking mookie.

Zvon Feb 28 2006 07:20 PM

All these things said about Mookie pretty much echo my sentiments. Mookie was many things to many Met fans. #1, Mr Met, and just a great guy. And lemme add that if it wasnt for him during the early 80's (after the horrible late 70's) the Mets may have lost me as a fan ( if that was indeed ever possible). I find it hard to say now, after sticking with the team thru thick and thin, but I have to admit after 78,79, & 80 my Met fan feelings were hanging by a string. I still loved those teams, but I was a very fickle and frustrated fan. Mookie pulled me back in just by being Mookie. His play and exuberance put the smile back on my game face.

cooby Feb 28 2006 07:40 PM

In 1981, when Mazzilli was traded, I was very upset and my husband said "They still have Hubie and Mookie". I can remember it like it was yesterday. Nothing like a good husband to console a heartbroken female fan. But Mookie was everything and more than Lee ever was, to our family and to the Mets. Check out this Mookie the Meerkat coffee mug. I have a tee shirt with him on it, and a clock, but I couldn't find pictures, lol...

Frayed Knot Feb 28 2006 08:08 PM

What made Mookie Mookie was his Mookiness

Edgy DC Feb 28 2006 08:24 PM

Letterman, shortly after coming to CBS in 1993, had the following top-ten list: Top Ten New York Mets Excuses 10. All those empty seats are distracting. 9. Part of a grand plan to make Florida Marlins overconfident next year 8. Pitchers on other teams throw the ball really fast! 7. Two words: guaranteed contracts 6. Mistake to let Don Knotts bat cleanup 5. Play so much golf during season thought lowest score wins 4. Baseballs are harder to throw than explosives. 3. Drank slurpee too fast; got a "brain-freeze" 2. Didn't scratch themselves enough 1. No one named "Mookie" That's a pretty fun summary. I have other Mookish things to offer, but I have to go feed the bear.

PatchyFogg Mar 01 2006 08:24 AM

In business meetings, I had a co-worker who used to use the phrase "My Mookie Priority is to......." to refer to his #1 priority. That damn Lance "1 Dog" Johnson made that guy stop using that phrase. I mean who would sit though 51 priorities?

Elster88 Mar 01 2006 08:42 AM

The bear? Edit: Why is it always a post like this that starts a new page and a longer one that I like gets buried last on a page so no one ever reads it? Why? Huh? Tell me. NOW

Benjamin Grimm Mar 01 2006 11:02 AM

I just discovered (through following links in the UMDB log file) that Mookie is only a "stub" on Wikipedia. They're looking for more information about Mookie. Anyone interested?