Mar 17 2019 06:45 PM
When I own the Mets, in whatever alternative universe this may come to pass in, I have the team begin their Spring Training schedule in blue hats and helmets without insigniae. These guy aren't Mets yet, and some of them never will be, so they shouldn't get to pass themselves off as one.
A few weeks into camp, the best/most obviously going to be on the team gets to wear the insignia. Just him. Then every day, thereafter, a new guy gets his cap. Maybe he just walks into the locker room to find his hat and helmet suddenly have an NY. Or maybe it's presented to him semi-ceremoniously. While he's taking ground balls on the field, the manager comes up behind him — or maybe the player who got his hat the previous day — and hands him the cap, leading to an encouraging round of applause from the field.
It's cheesy drama, but Spring Training could use a little more drama than wondering how badly the injured guys are doing.
>>> "What happened to the Mets yesterday?"
>>> >>> "They lost 10-5."
>>> "Woosh, that sucks."
>>> >>> "Yeah but they started that Santiago guy, and he gave up six in the first. They played the Nats dead even after that. And Santiago probably isn't even going to be a Met, and even if he is, hopefully he won't be starting.
>>> Speaking of which, who got hatted?
>>> >>> They tagged Nimmo in fourth inning. You should have seen his goofy smile when everybody cheered.
>>> Already? Wow. He didn't make his bones until the last week of spring last season.
>>> >>> Well, I guess he's a big shot now.
They'd probably get fined for not following uniform regs. But that would only make it better.