Why haven't the Mets retired Carter and Piazza's numbers?

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I mean formally retired them. They've already "effectively" done it - neither 8 nor 31 have been issued since those players left the team (and probably never will be again). So why not make it official? It's not like they've got a huge surplus of retired numbers like the Yankees do.

And wouldn't this Opening Day, with that great tribute to Gary, have been a perfect time to retire his number?

[richiek]

I mean formally retired them. They've already "effectively" done it - neither 8 nor 31 have been issued since those players left the team (and probably never will be again). So why not make it official? It's not like they've got a huge surplus of retired numbers like the Yankees do.

And wouldn't this Opening Day, with that great tribute to Gary, have been a perfect time to retire his number?

I suspect that once Piazza is inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Mets will retire #31.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ So you think they'll retire 8 and 31 together? Gary's already in the HOF after all...

[redban]

I mean formally retired them. They've already "effectively" done it - neither 8 nor 31 have been issued since those players left the team (and probably never will be again). So why not make it official? It's not like they've got a huge surplus of retired numbers like the Yankees do.

And wouldn't this Opening Day, with that great tribute to Gary, have been a perfect time to retire his number?

Desi Relaford and Carlos Baerga wore #8 when they played for the Mets.

As for #31 - recently there was a report from Newsday saying the Mets are truly waiting for Piazza's HOF induction before retiring his number.

Better late than never, but I feel they should have retired it in 2008, the season Shea went down.

Piazza's number is the only one they should retire for now. If Wright ends up staying with NYM, then his number can follow many years from now. Besides them, they should leave everything alone.

Carter didn't spend enough time with NY - just 4.5 seasons, and only 2 of those seasons were MVP-quality. It's just not enough. I think the Expos have retired Carter's number though.

[Strawman]

Desi Relaford and Carlos Baerga wore #8 when they played for the Mets.

As for #31 - recently there was a report from Newsday saying the Mets are truly waiting for Piazza's HOF induction before retiring his number.

Better late than never, but I feel they should have retired it in 2008, the season Shea went down.

Piazza's number is the only one they should retire for now. If Wright ends up staying with NYM, then his number can follow many years from now. Besides them, they should leave everything alone.

Carter didn't spend enough time with NY - just 4.5 seasons, and only 2 of those seasons were MVP-quality. It's just not enough. I think the Expos have retired Carter's number though.

I'm on the fence about Piazza - I lean "yes" but not fully convinced. He had four great seasons and four mediocre ones, but is clearly all-time franchise catcher from a pure hitting standpoint. But if I was building a team of Mets catchers to actually play from the all-time list, I'd go with Carter as the starter and Grote as the back-up. So that makes me hesitate about Mike.

[milladrive]

As long as we're on the topic of numbers that haven't been issued since the last player it was issued to, has anyone noticed that, aside from Kelvin Torve, who wore it for a week in 1990 because his own uniform wasn't available on a road trip, and Rickey Henderson, who wore it briefly both as a player in 2000 and a coach in 2007, the number 24 hasn't been officially issued since 1979. Wonder why that is.

[Strawman]

As long as we're on the topic of numbers that haven't been issued since the last player it was issued to, has anyone noticed that, aside from Kelvin Torve, who wore it for a week in 1990 because his own uniform wasn't available on a road trip, and Rickey Henderson, who wore it briefly both as a player in 2000 and a coach in 2007, the number 24 hasn't been officially issued since 1979. Wonder why that is.

Say Hey, yeah that's a good question

[mandrake]

As long as we're on the topic of numbers that haven't been issued since the last player it was issued to, has anyone noticed that, aside from Kelvin Torve, who wore it for a week in 1990 because his own uniform wasn't available on a road trip, and Rickey Henderson, who wore it briefly both as a player in 2000 and a coach in 2007, the number 24 hasn't been officially issued since 1979. Wonder why that is.

If "He" had been a Dodger and not a Giant/Met , then the "42" in the rotunda would be a "24".

[Mr. Laser Beam]

number 24 hasn't been officially issued since 1979. Wonder why that is.

Kiefer Sutherland wants that number.

[Joe Rigatoni]

As long as we're on the topic of numbers that haven't been issued since the last player it was issued to, has anyone noticed that, aside from Kelvin Torve, who wore it for a week in 1990 because his own uniform wasn't available on a road trip, and Rickey Henderson, who wore it briefly both as a player in 2000 and a coach in 2007, the number 24 hasn't been officially issued since 1979. Wonder why that is.

Rickey Henderson also wore number 24 with the Mets in 1999.1999 was Henderson's signature year as a Met as he had a
very good year that year and was also 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored with a home run in the one game "playoff" against the
Reds.In 2000 he had a very bad year with the Mets and after "admiring" a potential home run shot that hit the left field
fence and as a result of him not running only got a single on a Friday night game at home in May against the Marlins in
which the Mets lost was the last straw as the Mets ended up releasing Rickey the next day after the day game ended.