Hello all.  It’s been quite a while since I last posted, I apologize for that.  I’m writing tonight not to speak about the Mets (although you have to admit they have been Amazin’ so far, despite a 2-1 loss tonight.)  I am writing because of an idea I first heard about last week, that has won me over.

     For those of you outside of New York who may not be aware, the Mets are making plans to build a new stadium by 2009.  The plan has already been approved by the state, and has a lease to hold the Mets in New York until 2049.  Preliminary design plans are to have the park be very reminiscent of Ebbets Field.  There will be less seats (actually, about 10,000 seats will be lost, give or take), but the park will be state-of-the-art, and similar to newer parks such as Camden Yards.  What caught my attention, though, was a proposal for a new name for the stadium, which as of now is known as New Shea Stadium, until a permanent name is approved.  The name, first proposed by editors at the New York Post, have asked for the stadium to be named: Jackie Robinson Stadium.

     In an era where corporations have placed their moniker on every object from here to the moon, I have been horrified at some of the developments that have come around.  The latest one: AT&T Park, in San Francisco.  How can you even utter that to friends and family?  "Come on son, we’re going to the ballpark!"  "OOO Daddy, what’s it called??"  "AT&T Park, my boy."  "…I think I’ll pass."  AT&T Park?!?!  What has the world come to?  It’s bad enough that walking through New York feels like one gigantic awful commercial, must I now be subjected to the same horror to go to a ballgame?  "Come on Jim, let’s head on down to Microsoft Stadium, I hear they’re giving away promotional bumper stickers with their name plastered all over!" 

     This brings me to Jackie Robinson Stadium.  This needs to be jumped on immediately.  Jackie Robinson was more than a player.  He was a symbol for great things in life.  What can you say about a man that helped a country confront something as powerful as racism?  Before Brown vs. Board of Topeka, Jackie Robinson helped to begin breaking the color barrier.  He actually was not the first black man to play in the major leagues; that honor went to an 1800s player named Moses Fleetwood Walker.  Robinson, however, is perhaps one of, if not the most easily recognized figures in baseball history.  Strictly from a baseball standpoint, Robinson was incredible.  In a mere 10 seasons, Robinson held a career average of .311.  He had 137 home runs and 734 RBIs.  In his rookie season, he hit .297 and led the National League in stolen bases, winning the first ever Rookie of the Year award.  He also has 19 steals of home plate, a record no one has touched since before World War II.  In his short ten years, though, Robinson defined a generation.  The fact that I, a person of a mere 19 years, can speak of Robinson in such admirable terms, speaks volumes about his impact.  Players of his generation noted that no one played with as much ferocity and determination as Robinson.  Also notable was his incredible loyalty.  In 1957, after being traded to the rival Giants, Robinson decided to retire.  Not much chance of that happening in this generation, when the almighty dollar holds precedence over loyalty and your team (look no farther then the Bronx, where Johnny Damon traded in his beard and long locks for pinstripes and an ‘N Sync look.)  Robinson represented so much; Strength, determination, loyalty, heart, respect, and the belief that one man can make a difference.  In the fight for civil rights, Robinson stands as a symbol for what men can accomplish. 

     It is with all this in mind that I believe the Mets must name their new ballpark Jackie Robinson Stadium.  As the team created to replace the Dodgers, the Mets hold the legend of the Brooklyn Dodgers with them, notably Robinson.  The Mets were the first team in baseball to honor Jackie Robinson day, a trend that now occurs throughout the Major Leagues.  Robinson’s memory lives on even today, almost 60 years after he changed the country by playing a game.  The least we can do to honor the memory of Robinson is to make a monument to him in the form of the Mets’ new stadium, a tribute to a man that was truly above the game.

De Lao.