Hats

Here's how long Mets owner Fred Wilpon conversation should have been with Bud Selig regarding September 11th first responder hats on the 10th anniversary.

WILPON: Mr. Commissioner. We want to wear hats honoring the NYPD, fire department and Port Authority on September 11th.

SELIG: During the game?

WILPON: Yes.

SELIG: Well all the teams are wearing special September 11th hats that day already. We don't like having teams wearing unofficial uniforms during a game.

WILPON: I understand, but we are a New York team and there will no doubt be fire fighters, police officers, rescue workers who were at the Towers that day at CitiField. And also relatives and friends of those who didn't make it. And we'd like to show a sign of solidarity on this 10th anniversary.

SELIG: What if we had every team change their hats on a whim?

WILPON: What other city had a September 11th? If the Nationals wanted to do something, they should. That's up to them. But September 11th was unique and this is the 10th anniversary and we are the only team playing in New York. I think an exception can be made.

SELIG: You aren't going to sell the hats or try any September 11th merchandise, are you?

WILPON: No. Certainly not.

SELIG: And it is JUST for September 11th, not the whole weekend?

WILPON: Just the Sunday night game.

SELIG: Well, I can't see how that's a problem. It's a nice gesture. Go ahead.

WILPON: Thank you Mr. Commissioner.


Boom!

All the bases covered.
That conversation would last, what? A minute? 90 seconds?

The fact that it WASN'T that simple and it has turned into a "He Said... She Said" spat involving rules that may or may not have been enforced, fines the Mets were worried they had to pay and Bud Selig was mad that it became public shows how incompetent the two parties.

Those parties of course being the Mets organization, who took every baseball advantage in the world and ran the team into the ground... and Bud Selig who every day finds new reasons to want to throw him out of office. How could Selig not see this was the right thing to do?

And of course Joe Torre was thrown into the middle of this, trying to destroy whatever good will is left for him in New York.

A simple thoughtful act of wearing a hat to honor the memories of brave men and women instead became a nice barometer of people who have lost perspective.

And frankly it is kind of fascinating.

Quite a night...

Well, call me crazy but the events of tonight have kind of distracted me from writing up my thoughts on the Indians latest win and the great game in Philadelphia.

It should be a night of reflection, some celebration, some sadness for those who are gone and some closure. I am feeling a little of all tonight.

I am sure I am not alone.

Don't make today worse

I usually stick to baseball and whatever silly obsession has my attention... but I can't let today just come and go.

Last year I wrote about how I hated this day on the calendar. I feel this day should be one for reflection and to not take things in life for granted.

And more importantly it is a day to remember that the worst events can bring out the best in people. As someone who lived in New York on that day, I saw how people reacted to an unspeakable tragedy with resolve, dignity and a compassion that made me realize that there is more good than bad in humanity.

However, I am seeing people using this date to bring out the worst in people... bigotry, ugly politics, paranoia, outlandish conspiracy theories, using the event to justify ignorance and xenophobia.

Knock it off!
Wasn't there enough REAL anger, REAL fear, REAL conspiracy and REAL hatred caused on that day to last a lifetime, let alone less than a decade?

Shouldn't the lesson of that day be that New York and by extension America is a place where, even under the worst adverse catastrophes, can overcome and work together no matter what your ancestry and no matter what God you pray to or whether or not you pray to one at all.

You want to send a middle finger to the thugs to forever altered the skyline I loved so much as a kid? Then show them that not only are we still strong, but we won't crumble to fear and paranoia.

Baseball played a huge part of healing after September 11th. And baseball is going to be the topic for the rest of my posts this month. But there has been enough pain for September 11.

Let's make it about healing and our resolve.

Give to The Children of September 11... or the Officer Down Memorial... or to your local police or fire departments.

Now back to baseball.