Excellent!!! Who doesn’t love an old-timers game?

A WFAN host said he just talked to John Franco, who told him that they will introduce 60 players to represent 60 Mets seasons. Frank Thomas The First played for the Mets in 1962, smacking 34 of his 286 career homers.

(where do the 807 combined HR for the Frank Thomases rate among most HR by players with the same name?)

for 1963, Cleon Jones had his first cup of coffee and Ed Kranepool - briefly a 1962 Met - had 294 PA in '63.

I want Joe Torre there also, so they can recreate this traumatic Mets childhood memory.

Millan singles, Torre erases him on a DP.
Millan singles, Torre erases him on a DP.
Millan singles, Torre erases him on a DP.
Millan singles, Torre erases him on a DP.

at least the game didn't go into extra innings !

(where do the 807 combined HR for the Frank Thomases rate among most HR by players with the same name?)

Ahead of the Griffeys.

wow, the Ken Griffeys 630 + 152 = 782

Doubt any name combo reaches Pete Rose for hits 4256 + 2 = 4258. I figure the SB for same name has to be Tim Raines (808 + 10 = 818), although the Griffey's gave it a shot (200 + 184 = 384) but didn't reach half way.

The Billy Hamiltons (1,228) blow the Raineses away.

Why did Old Timers Games go away? They were awesome.

In fact, there are several things from the 1970s and early 1980s that were awesome, but just sort of went away:

- Old Timers games
- Those bullpen cars that were often in the shape of the home team's baseball hats
- Road blues (though those are coming back, I guess...)
- Managers wearing the team uniforms
- San Diego Chicken and Youppi
- Awesome Monday Night Baseball intro music
- The Baseball Bunch (who would be the Johnny Bench of a series reboot?)

The Ken Griffeys are way ahead on hits: 2781 (Jr) + 2143 (Sr.) = 4924

I suspect the Vladimirs Guerrero may challenge for the combined hits and HR records in the future.

In fact, there are several things from the 1970s and early 1980s that were awesome, but just sort of went away:

Morgana the Kissing Bandit!

Please tell me Bobby Bonilla has played in a Mets' OT game ...

Is Dykstra doing any time? No? Then he should be there...if only to pick Cohen's pockets.

Why did Old Timers Games go away? They were awesome.

True, but IIRC, at one time fairly recently the Yankees were the only team still holding an annual Old Timers Day. Presumably, it costs a bit for travel & lodging expenses but that shouldn’t be enough to matter. Maybe recent expansion teams would do better with other promotions, but teams with long records of some success should embrace their history.

Managers wearing the team uniforms

I don't understand, doesn't every Manager still do this?

I don't understand, doesn't every Manager still do this?

Quite a few of them wear some kind of non-jersey top, but many of them still wear the full uniform.

It certainly hasn't disappeared the way the bullpen car or baby blues have (the latter of which I'd say, good riddance).

The Red Sox did one a few years ago for the first time (2019?). It was a TON of fun. I think the plan was to keep doing it but of course COVID.

IIRC the Jays used to do old timer games in the 80's which seems silly now given the players often were only a few years retired. But as a kid I enjoyed them anyways. I figure they stopped in part due to one old timer deciding he still had it (Dave Stieb) who then made a comeback in 1998. Still, I'd love to see guys play again - maybe even a Jays vs Expos one - see how many you can get from the '93 Jays and '94 Expos, that would be a blast.

Why did Old Timers Games go away?

Because we as nation had...outgrown such things? I don't really have an answer. Maybe they were too expensive/difficult logistically?

A book chronicling all of the Old-Timer Games across history would be an interesting read.

I could be wrong but in swear I remember an old timers game in Stl where they recreated the famous Enos Slaughter’s mad dash from the 1946 series. They had Pesky and walker and slaughter all there and he did it again ! Maybe it’s the imaginings of an eight year old mind but I swear they had a true re-enactment and he beat the throw again

It's gonna suck now because many of the old timers are gonna be younger than me!

Maybe it will be a Max Scherzer start. He's a year older than Daniel Murphy.

Why did Old Timers Games go away? They were awesome.

In fact, there are several things from the 1970s and early 1980s that were awesome, but just sort of went away:

- Old Timers games
- Those bullpen cars that were often in the shape of the home team's baseball hats
- Road blues (though those are coming back, I guess...)
- Managers wearing the team uniforms
- San Diego Chicken and Youppi
- Awesome Monday Night Baseball intro music
- The Baseball Bunch (who would be the Johnny Bench of a series reboot?)

Ahem. This will not ####### stand.

THIS WEEK IN BASEBALL THE GREATEST TV SHOW THAT EVER TV SHOWED!!! (21:27 for the theme song)

Why did Old Timers Games go away? They were awesome.

True, but IIRC, at one time fairly recently the Yankees were the only team still holding an annual Old Timers Day.

Except for 2020, the Yankees have had uninterrupted Old Timers' Days since 1947.

The only one I ever went to, in 1961, featured players from the Yankees, the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers, with tons of Hall of Famers, but in hindsight the main attraction might've been Wally Pipp. It took 45 minutes to introduce all the players, and then with rain threatening they decided to go straight from the introductions to the regularly scheduled Yankees - Orioles game.

I was at the 1975 NYY OTG at Shea Stadium. It was 8/2/75, the day Billy Martin replaced Bill Virdon. I wish I had more vivid recollections of it. DiMaggio, Mantle, Mays....they were all there.

Wasn't there some company that tried to nationalize all the OTGs? Shortly thereafter it went the way of the dodo.

I've been to several Mets OTGs, including the 94 reunion of the 69 team. Was so poorly attended, but for me to see Seaver, Agee, Shamsky, McGraw, Jones, etc., all in uniform was tremendous. Have a picture of Seaver pitching, Al Weis at 2B and Swoboda in RF signed by Seaver and Swoboda.

Just another reminder that getting old is for the birds.....

I suspect the Vladimirs Guerrero may challenge for the combined hits and HR records in the future.

Doubtless, but Junior is on the Prince Fielder path and will be finished by age 30 or 31.