Throughout their history, the Mets have always been reluctant in retiring numbers that its franchise's greatest players have worn. The current front office's perception of retiring numbers is most likely more exclusive than what fans would like to see. To date, only four numbers have been retired in Mets history. The first was #37 for the legendary Casey Stengel, the Mets' first manager. His teams were not good, but Casey and his sayings all stood out during those years and it was only appropriate for him to be recognized. The second number was 14, for Gil Hodges, who managed the 1969 championship team. Hodges passed away a few years after that season and at the time was the Mets' greatest manager. Some would say he still is. The third and only player number to be retired was 41 for the "Franchise" himself, Tom Seaver. Arguably the greatest Met ever, Seaver brought the team from the gutter to the very top by leading the Mets' 1969 championship squad and the 1973 National League Champions. The first genuine superstar the Mets had, he set the standard for Mets pitching that others like Dwight Gooden would eventually follow. The only other number retired by the Mets is Jackie Robinson's 42 that every MLB club retired in 1997 to celebrate his achievements. Butch Huskey and Mo Vaughn were still allowed to wear the number during their respective Mets tenures due to a grandfather clause. The Mets' left field wall looks rather empty, even though since 2008, another logo stands that commemorates William Shea's contributions toward the Mets. However, it is not a number and there are more numbers that deserve to fill the left field wall. Here are the top 10 Mets numbers that deserve to be retired, hopefully sooner than later.
- Login to post comments