New York State of Mind: The Grimace Era has Arrived for the Mets

Whoever wrote the script for the 2024 New York Mets season and inserted Grimace into the plot deserves a raise.

The Mets have turned around what was originally looking like a long season into something much more interesting. Enter the Grimace Era.

The madness started earlier this month in the Big Apple when the iconic McDonald’s character threw out the ceremonial first pitch. After that, the Mets woke up and ran off seven straight wins. Grimace then became the unofficial mascot for the 2024 Mets. The fans embraced it and baseball appears to be fun again in Queens.

After the win over the Chicago Cubs on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, the Mets improved to a MLB-best 13-6 in the month of June. They are still two games under .500 this season and sitting in fourth place in the NL East, a division that the Philadelphia Phillies might be on the verge of running away with. However, the Amazins’ are hanging around the Wild Card chat.

Yet, in true Mets fashion, there was more drama on Sunday night as closer Edwin Diaz was ejected in the ninth inning before even throwing a pitch. The umpires tossed him after finding foreign substance on his hand. Chances are it’s not from a Grimace shake. Diaz is likely facing an automatic 10-game suspension from MLB over the matter, the norm for sticky stuff convictions.

I’m now officially convinced the Mets are a sideshow that Larry David is writing for MLB this season.

New York State of Mind: Time for the Mets to Retire Carter’s Jersey Number

Over the weekend, the New York Mets honored Darryl Strawberry by retiring his No. 18 jersey. Once upon a time in Queens, the outfielder known as “Straw” was once of the most feared hitters in baseball. He was also an important part of that 1986 World Series championship team.

However, while listening to the Mets radio broadcast, one of the announcers brought up a good point. The Mets have yet to retire the No. 8 jersey, which was wore by Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter.

The No. 8 jersey has not been issued since Carter was inducted into Cooperstown in 2003. Yet, it’s still hasn’t been officially retired by the organization. “The Kid” played with the Mets from 1985 to 1989 and is in the Mets Hall of Fame.

Carter, considered one of the best catchers in history, also played an important part of that ’86 team. He hit two home runs in the Game win 4 in Boston against the Red Sox and started the two-out rally in the tenth inning of the miraculous Game 6 comeback. Carter also had an eighth-inning sacrifice fly that tied the game. He finished the series hitting .276 with two homers and nine RBI’s in the seven game series.

While Carter may be more associated with the Montreal Expos, he was a beloved figure in Queens during his days with the Mets. His impact is still felt with fans who remember the ’86 team.

Carter passed away in 2012 from brain cancer. There may be no better honor left for The Kid than to have the No. 8 retired and immortalized in Mets history forever.