RICH MACLEOD: the blog

Why the Mets Have to Retire #8

Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter passed away early yesterday evening after a valiant battle with brain cancer at the age of 57. In Decemeber of 1984 the New York Mets made the blockbuster trade to acquire arguably the best catcher of the decade which was the cog that was the final piece of an eventual championship team in 1986.

The only player number retired by the Mets is #41, Tom “The Franchise” Seaver’s number. I know that people have clamored for players like Keith Hernandez and Mike Piazza’s numbers to be retired and perhaps they will be in due time but I believe that the number this team should retired is #8. Gary spent just 5 seasons in New York and while his numbers dipped towards the end of his career, I believe it’s not all about statistics. Carter was great in his first two seasons and his “never say die” mentality not only inspired others but was on full display when down two runs, with two outs in the 10th inning facing elimination Gary singled to left field which led to the infamous “gets through Buckner” moment and a championship for New York. Gary Carter’s presence on the field and in the clubhouse led to a championship, some great thrills and changed the face of the franchise. That, in my opinion, is more than enough reason to retire Gary Carter’s number.

The Mets won the World Series 4 years before I was even born and I feel very strongly about this, so I’m sure that the Mets fans who have been around longer than me feel the same way if not stronger. This man was a hero and a role model to all and was the kind of person that I can only hope that my one day future children would resemble. The Mets play at home on Opening Day this season and I can think of no way to honor Gary Carter better than to have everyone on the Mets to wear #8 that day and retire the number following the game.

I’m not sure who, if anyone, will read this but I can only hope that the Wilpons, Sandy Alderson or anyone else in management will realize what I have and retire #8.

Stevie Johnson Shoots Himself (and the Bills) Figuratively, Then Literally

After catching a touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to give the Bills a 14-7 lead in the second quarter Sunday, Stevie Johnson celebrated by mocking Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg. Unknown to Johnson at the time, he would later really shoot himself and his team by dropping at least one sure game winning touchdown.

Johnson was not too happy after the game… Hey Stevie, why so serious?

Remembering “The Catch”

On the morning of Game 1 of the 2011 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals I’m taking a look back.  Five years ago today, October 19, 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals played the New York Mets at Shea Stadium in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.  We all know the end result, as the Cardinals would win 3-1 because of a Yadier Molina homerun against Aaron Heilman and an Adam Wainwright curveball that still gives fellow Mets fans nightmares.  But this is also a remembrance of one of the greatest catches, if not the greatest, in postseason history.  Us Mets fans will never forget when Endy Chavez took away Scott Rolen’s what-would-have-been go-ahead 2-run homerun and kept the game tied at 1 in the 6th inning.  On the national scale, this play is widely forgotten 5 years after the fact because of the final result but if you’re looking back at Game 7 today or any other day don’t remember the homerun, don’t remember the strikeout, remember The Catch.

How Stevie Johnson Changed the Face of the 2011 NFL Postseason

Now that the preseason is over and all eyes are looking toward the future 2011 NFL season, but today I’m taking one final look back at 2010.

A Week 12 match-up of the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t seem like a game with playoff implications at the time but that would change after a Buffalo comeback would force overtime. With the score tied at 16 with just over 10 minutes remaining, after a play fake, Ryan Fitzpatrick would make a perfect 39 yard throw into the endzone to a wide open Stevie Johnson for what looked like the game-winning touchdown. Unfortunately, Johnson would (in)famously drop the ball in the endzone and the Bills would go on to lose 19-16 in overtime.  You may be asking, “how did this change the playoffs?”  Well, here’s how…

The playoff seeds in the AFC were as followed:

1. New England Patriots
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. New York Jets

The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the season 12-4 and in first place in the AFC Northern Division.  However, if the Steelers dropped that game in Buffalo as they appeared to have, this changes everything.  Not only would they have finished 11-5, they would have won the Wild Card instead of the AFC North, become the 6th seed because the Jets would own the tiebreaker after their Week 15 victory and that is when the playoff picture changes to this:

1. New England Patriots
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. New York Jets
6. Pittsburgh Steelers

Now this may not appear to be a radical change but in fact it is.  Instead of the Colts playing the Jets in the Wild Card Round and the Chiefs playing the Ravens, that switches with Pittsburgh playing in Indianapolis and the Jets playing in Kansas City.  This also gives the Baltimore Ravens a bye-week and home field advantage.  Assuming the Jets would go on to defeat the Chiefs and the Steelers win over the Colts, there would have been no Jets-Patriots rematch and therefore, no monumental upset.  Say the Jets and Steelers both wind up in the AFC Championship Game as they did last season, the tables would have turned and the Jets would have been playing their first home playoff game in the Mark Sanchez era and who knows what happens then.

Looking back it’s amazing to think that a rookie wide receiver on the last place Buffalo Bills could impact the NFL postseason so greatly but there’s no doubt that he did.  Oh what would have been if Stevie Johnson made that catch… We can only wonder.