It's a sign of the times.
Joyously watching the (mostly) 50th Anniversary-themed banners go by on Sunday from a carefully staked perch on the Delta Club patio, I couldn’t help but think about the banner parades that nobody seems to remember seeing — you know, the ones from after 1996 and before 2012. Somebody claimed the Mets stopped having Banner Days during that rich and textured period in Mets history, but how could a franchise with that kind of brand equity in something as singularly beloved as Banner Day allow such a crime against tradition to transpire?
Nah, nobody would’ve been that dense for that long.
Still, it was hard to find any solid information from those years…even my usually reliable Met memory was coming up empty…but by the time I got home, chock full of bedsheet goodwill as I was, I was able to dig deep into the Oughta Be archives and recapture some of the best banners from 1997 through 2011.
Banner Day 1997 Finalists
THERE ARE NO BIESER-BEATERS IN THE N.L. EAST
I’M JONESING TO REED ’EM & MAKE ATLANTA WEEP
“RUMBLE IN THE BRONX” STARRING DAVE MLICKI
EVERY DAY IS VALENTINE’S DAY THESE DAYS
REEL IN THE MARLINS, CATCH THE WILD CARD!
Banner Day 1998 Finalists
WE’VE GOT ONE PIPING HOT PIAZZA
THIRTY MINUTES OR LESS, THIRTY HOME RUNS OR MORE
SORRY “SEINFELD,” MIKE’S THE BEST THING ON TV NOW
EVEN GODZILLA FEARS MIKE PIAZZA
HEY BOBBY! PLAY MIKE IN LEFT & LET TODD CATCH!
Banner Day 1999 Finalists
THERE’S NO “E” IN OUR INFIELD, BUT PLENTY OF “D”
AVOID THE Y2K BUG — PARTY LIKE IT’S 1969
TURK PUTS TEETH IN OUR BULLPEN
HAWAIIAN PUNCH: OFFICIAL DRINK OF THE NY METS OUTFIELD
NO DISGUISING IT BOBBY: WE’RE GONNA WIN IT ALL THIS YEAR!
Banner Day 2000 Finalists
MOJO’S RISIN’ AGAIN
THIS TIME TANK, LET ROBIN SCORE
YO BENNY, THERE’S ONLY TWO OUTS
THE PENNANT EXPRESS IS NOW BORD-ING
AIN’T NOTHING LIKE THE ZEILE THING!
Banner Day 2001 Finalists
TIMO’S REDEMPTION: COMING TO A SERIES NEAR YOU
THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM
2001: A METS ODYSSEY TO VICTORY
SHINJO MEANS AMAZIN’ IN ANY LANGUAGE
NYC SCHOOLS: GOOD ENOUGH FOR FRANCO, GOOD ENOUGH FOR US!
Banner Day 2002 Finalists
SCOREBOARDS AREN’T SAFE WHEN MO BEGINS TO STRAFE
FONZIE’S STILL COOL
MET LIFE BEGINS AT 40
UNIT’S NOT THAT’S BIG WHEN JOE IS THIS SUPER
SPEED IT UP, STEVE…WHILE WE’RE STILL YOUNG!
Banner Day 2003 Finalists
JOSE CAN YOU SEE REYES WILL BE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
NOW WARMING UP: GENERATION KAZMIR
DUQUETTE’S QUITE A DEALER, BUT WE STILL HAVE DAN WHEELER
WELCOME BACK SHINJO
HEY ART! PLAY MIKE AT FIRST AND LET PHILLIPS CATCH!
Banner Day 2004 Finalists
KAZ IS THE BEST MATSUI IN TOWN
REYES AND WRIGHT WILL PUT US BACK IN THE FIGHT
AL LEITER FOR PRESIDENT
THIS BANNER MISSES BOB MURPHY
LET’S HIDAL-GO METS!
Banner Day 2005 Finalists
FLOYD WILL PUSH THE BRAVES OFF THE CLIFF
PEDRO ENDED ONE CURSE, WILL MAKE ANOTHER DISAPPEAR
I JUST LEARNED TO SPELL MIENTKIEWICZ
DAVID HAS THE WHOLE GAME IN HIS (BARE) HAND
HEY MIKE! THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!
Banner Day 2006 Finalists
JULIO FRANCO PLAYED BALL WITH YOUR GRANDPA
TELL CHIPPER THE BEL-TRAN TOLLS FOR THEE
DELGADO’S NOTEBOOK SAYS “HIT BALL FAR”
BET ON PAULIE TO WIN, PLACE AND SHOW
ALL THIS AND SHAWN GREEN TOO!
Banner Day 2007 Finalists
YOU CAN’T HIT ’EM OVER ENDY
CAME CLOSE LAST TIME, GETTIN’ IT WRIGHT THIS TIME
OLLIE AND MAINE WILL BRING BATTERS PAIN
WE FOUND JESUS IN ’75…AND HIS NEPHEW MOISES IN ’07
JIMMY ROLLINS & PHILS: TEAM TO “BEET” & TURN INTO BORSCHT!
Banner Day 2008 Finalists
SEND THIS PARK OUT A WINNER
REVENGE OF THE CARLOSES
NEVER MIND LAST SEPTEMBER, GET READY FOR THIS OCTOBER
LAST GAME AT SHEA: CHECK WORLD SERIES LISTINGS
HEY JERRY! PUT DOWN THE PHONE!
Banner Day 2009 Finalists
I LEFT THE SHAKE SHACK LINE TO BE HERE
HOW ABOUT A ROTUNDA FOR JOHAN?
GET WELL SOON ROSTER
ATTENTION MET BASERUNNERS, PLEASE TOUCH THIRD
PRAY FOR ANOTHER OMIR-ACLE!
Banner Day 2010 Finalists
YOU WON’T LIKE FRANKIE WHEN HE’S ANGRY
IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT’S HOLY, BRING UP JOSH THOLE
R.A. DICKEY GIVES GREAT QUOTE
IT’S THE 7TH INNING, DO YOU KNOW WHERE PEDRO FELICIANO IS?
I’M FLIPPING FOR IKE!
Banner Day 2011 Finalists
DANIEL MURPHY IS BLESSED WITH VERSATILITY
WILLIE HARRIS, CAN YOU BE MORE LIKE THE REAL WILLIE HARRIS?
TERRY’S NOT SO TERRIBLE AFTER ALL
GIVE THAT MAN A BATTING CROWN
SEE YOU AT NEXT YEAR’S BANNER DAY…AS ALWAYS!
I trust now that we’re all pretty sure Banner Day took place at Citi Field this year, we won’t have any more problems confirming its existence in the future.
Later this week: An on-field photo essay from Faith and Fear photographer Sharon Chapman, who (as evidenced above) followed the procession from beginning to end and beyond.
The story of the banner pictured at the top of this column can be found at Remembering Shea.
Nice to see people still remember my creation THE K KORNER after all these years. Over those 3 seasons that we were stationed up in Section 42 of the left field upper deck at Shea Stadium (1984-86) keeping track of Doc Gooden’s strikeouts we made a lot of people very happy………and I’m eternally grateful for all the kindness and enthusiasm we received from Mets fans during that time. THANK YOU !!! ;-)
This is classic GFAFIF!
The thing that kills me about this is how you just thought it all up.
I couldn’t have come up with a third of this stuff if you had given me a year….
Brilliant. You win the Ehrhardt.
OK, you’re doing all the banners next year. Participants will just queue up prior to the game carry your work.
there were some pretty funny banners this year, too.
the best was the guy who had: “occupy wilpon”. that was hysterical. i don’t know how he got that one through.
there was also, “We don’t stink like you might think”
anyway, Dennis, YOU created the K KORNER? excellent! last night they were talking that a new one might need to be created for Kirk…. but for a different reason!
good win last night.
It was a delight to have Banner Day again, it’s nice to see this team finally embrace one of its special traditions as opposed to pretending it never existed. Just seeing Casey doing his “placards” bit during the game telecast made the whole thing worthwhile. Plus it gives Gary & Keith a reason to be goofy which is likewise a good thing. Gary even mentioned Mettle during the game, much to Keith’s amusement.
Great stuff. My favorite about Delgado’s notebook says ‘hit ball far’ haha – and often he did too!