Offseason’s greetings everyone!
Hope you enjoyed the World Series, and aren’t too anxious yet about who will be next to employ Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz or both. There’ll be time for that, promise.
For now, something to fill an hour very pleasantly: Welcome, Josh Levin, to the Wilbur Huckle Appreciation Society!
Twelve years ago — the night Dom Smith got drafted, as it happened — I wrote a little post about early Mets farmhand Wilbur Huckle, a pair of strange campaign buttons I’d run across, and the unlikely story of a cult hero who never quite got the call.
Levin found a Huckle button in a Kensington, Md., antique store, and had a lot of the same questions I did. But unlike me, he answered them — and those answers add up to a fascinating tour through American pop culture, political theater, and of course Mets history. Before you come out of the Huckle rabbit hole, you’ll have heard from Ron Swoboda, Rod Gaspar and from Huckle himself — who may never have been an official big-league ballplayer but sounds like he’s lived a pretty wonderful life.
This is the inaugural episode of Levin’s new podcast series Replay Booth, and if the premiere is any indication, we’re all in for a treat. To which I’ll add my own little afterword: A while back, using an old Topps photo unearthed and shared by Keith Olbermann, I made a custom ’65 Huckle. (Which of course recognizes his Metropolitan Party candidacy in the back bio.)
It’s not a card that ever existed, just one that should have.
So I’m reading this post and clicked on the link to the podcast.
All the while I’m thinking Josh Lewin, which of course makes perfect sense.
Until I hear the unfamiliar voice, then double check back.
Ooops, never mind.
Good show though. Thanks for the link.
Hey, great card!
Toronto would have won the WS if they had left in Yesavage to finish the 8th and possibly the 9th.
Many teams made the playoffs without Pete and Diaz. We can, too.
Mariners fans did achieve a bit of sweet revenge, though. They were 6 outs away from going to the World Series, then blew it — and then Toronto was 6 outs away from winning the WS, until they blew it.
I would love to have both Alonso and Diaz back, but particularly Diaz. I think we always forget how hard it is to find or develop a lockdown closer until we no longer have one.
I’m thinking you can’t get through the darkest part of the offseason without at least one shoutout to Sidd Finch. You’re welcome.