Retire 17

This is the first in a series of articles demanding the retirement of Keith Hernandez's Number 17. The series will continue until the Mets do the right thing.

On June 15, 1983 Mets General Manager Frank Cashen received one of the most important phone calls in the history of the New York Mets. The call came from Cardinals GM Joe McDonald who asked Cashen if he “ever thought about trading Neil Allen?'” Taken aback by the unexpected phone call, Cashen asked, “Why would I want to trade him?” Little did McDonald know that his answer would spawn one of the most defining moments in New York Mets history because ten minutes after his phone call Keith Hernandez was their new first baseman.

While rumors of Hernandez being devastated over the trade have been overblown, the fact is that he was disappointed; and understandably so. After all, he had been traded from a franchise where he had won an MVP and World Series to the lowly Mets. But he was able to take solace in the fact that he was a free agent after the season and could walk away from what seemed to be a hopeless situation. But with some guidance from Rusty Staub and his father, the insightful Hernandez would soon learn that things were not what they initially seemed.

From La Grande Orange Hernandez learned about New York City and all its cultural offerings. And from his father, who would watch Mets minor league games, he learned about what appeared to be a bright future in the the organization. This, coupled with a little nudging from Cashen, convinced Hernandez to stay. And thank goodness he did.

Hernandez would go on to be the heart and soul of the greatest era in New York Mets history. It was an era where they ruled New York City and made Shea Stadium the only place to be night after night.

And why did New Yorkers love their Mets? Well, simply for all the reasons that everyone else hated them: their in your face brash attitude, which they backed up by not only winning, but by doing it with a style all their own. They were superbly talented and went out of their way to let the world know it. In other words, they were a reflection of their first baseman, whose rare mixture of confidence, intensity, talent, and intellect made him their undisputed leader.

Yet despite Hernandez’s place in Mets history, his number 17 does not sit next to 37, 14 and 41. And to add further insult to injury, it is recklessly handed out year after year to the likes of Jeff McKnight, David Newhan, and Fernando Tatis.

It is time to put an end to the nonsense. It is time that the Mets honor the leader of their most successful era.