SHAME on MLB - Prohibits NY Mets from wearing first responders hats on 9/11 anniversary

IT'S ALL ABOUT - MONEY!

Major League Baseball DENIES & PROHIBITS the New York Mets from wearing the 1st responders hats in a 9/11 tenth anniversary tribute to the NYPD, FDNY, PAPD.

"They contacted the club and said it's an absolute 'no chance' at all," said NY Mets second baseman Josh Thole. Josh continued, "I guess the fines would be (prohibitive). I spoke with some of the guys and with Terry (Collins) and he said the same thing. They came down on the club very hard and there's nothing we can do.
They sent out a big memo that was very adamant about what they wanted done."

MLB said the same thing right after the attacks in 2001 when the Mets took the field in Pittsburg against the Pirates on September 17 the first game after 9/11 and again on September 21 at Shea Stadium against the Atlanta Braves the first baseball game in New York.

Jose Reyes During Batting Practice 2011

Bobby Valentine, former Mets manager in 2001 said,  "We were getting ready to wear them in Pittsburgh for our first game back, when (GM) Steve (Phillips) came in and said, 'You can't wear them.' I said, 'Oh, OK, and I called a meeting and said, 'Hey, guys, you can't wear the hats. Then Steve went upstairs, and as the guys came down the runway to the dugout, I stood there, handing out the caps we weren't supposed to wear."


"MLB said we couldn't wear them in 2001 - we said the heck with that,"  said former Met John Franco. "They (the current Mets) should have done that, too, and pay whatever the fine is." Last week, former Met Todd Zeile said MLB "would've had to rip the hats off our heads" in 2001.

2011 NY Mets Cap

"I find it ironic that 10 years later, they still can't get it passed for one day of tribute," Zeile added Sunday night. "But I guess they feel it's a slippery slope."

But during batting practice and a moving pregame remembrance ceremony, the Mets wore hats reading "NYPD," "FDNY," "PAPD" and initials of other first-responder organizations. Afterward, each player was supposed to autograph his hat and they were slated to be auctioned to benefit various Sept. 11 charities.

"We did it to be consistent around the league," Joe Torre, MLB's VP of baseball operations, told The Associated Press. "It's just something we feel is the right thing to do. I've had several talks with the Mets the last month or so. They understood and respected it. . . . It's certainly not a lack of respect."

R.A. Dickey weighed in later on Twitter: "For all those upset that we didn't wear the hats, I understand your anger. However, they physically took them from us after the ceremony ... We had conspired to wear them but we got found out and MLB got involved.

WHY?

Because MLB's contract with cap-makers NEW ERA is much bigger than it was 10 years ago. 

 

IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY. 

 

All teams wore there regular cap with an American flag sewn into it. A small portion of the proceeds to go to the 9/11 memorial and museum. 

 

WHAT! ALL of the money should go to the 9/11 Memorial & Victims fund. NOTHING should go to MLB or any of the teams.

All I can say is shame on MLB, Shame on Joe Torre. This day, September 11, IS NOT ABOUT MONEY, MLB, SPORTS or anything else. It's about those who lost there live, there families and ALL of us to remember that horrific day that changed us forever!