Wear a mask!!

Wear a mask!!!

It's common sense.

And be safe in all you do.

 

>>>>>>>>Mets Retire Jerry Koosman's Number 36!

 The New York Mets announced that they will retire Jerry Koosman's number 36 on June 13, 2020, making him only the third former Mets player to have their number retired. 

 Koosman was discovered by the son of a Shea Stadium usher who caught Koosman when he pitched in the United States Army at Fort Bliss, Texas. The Mets offered Koosman a contract after his discharge from the military. 

 Koosman was about to be cut from the Mets in 1966, when Joe McDonald, the assistant farm director, requested Koosman be retained at least until his first payday, as he owed the Mets money they had wired him after his car broke down en route to spring training. The rest is Mets History.

Koosman has the third most wins in Mets history (140) behind Tom Seaver (198) and Dwight Gooden (157).

>>>>>The Curtis Granderson Collection

Hearing the news that Curtis Granderson retired my first thought was, "Damn, I thought he would play forever." He never seemed to age or lose a step. But he's hanging up his cleats after what I consider a grand career.

Granderson, a three-time MLB All-Star,

 made the announcement on Twitter. 

 The 38-year-old outfielder ends his career with a .249/.337/.465 slash line to go along with 344 home runs, 937 RBIs, 1,217 runs scored, 153 stolen bases, and an .803 OPS in 2,057 games. 

Nice numbers.

In 2014 and 2015 I whipped up "MFC SEASON SET(s)"which consisted of one card for each game during the season. Granderson appeared on a good number of them.

The Grandy Man

 played 2,080 games of his big-league career with seven different MLB clubs, but enjoyed his prime with the Tigers, Yankees and Mets.

His best season came in 2011 when he finished fourth in American League MVP voting after belting 41 homers and accruing a .916 OPS for the Yankees. He won a 2011 Silver Slugger award and finished fourth in the American League MVP voting.

He made eight trips to the playoffs, including three World Series appearances, with the Tigers in 2006, the Mets in 2015, and the Dodgers in 2017. 

You make a catch like that and I'll make three cards for it. Why? Because I LOVE THE GLOVE!!

He reached the World Series with three different teams (2006 Tigers, 2015 Mets, and 2017 Dodgers) but never won a title.

 In 2015 Granderson was named MFC's Most Valuable Player of that years squad, a dubious distinction.

Granderson also led the majors in triples in 2007 (23) and then the AL in 2008 (13) while with the Tigers.

The 2016 Roberto Clemente Award recipient left a mark off the field, too. He was also chosen as the Marvin Miller Man of the Year four times by the Players' Association.

Curtis made this statement:

"I'm eternally grateful to every team and every city I've had the opportunity to call "home:" Detroit, New York (both the Bronx and Queens), Los Angeles, Toronto, Milwaukee, Miami, and of course, my hometown of Chicago. It is these communities that allowed me to take my Grand Kids Foundation to new heights and use my platform for positive change."

"His skills on the field were surpassed only by his sense of leadership and devotion to his family, friends, and fellow players, whom he served with dignity and grace," MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in a statement. "He has earned the respect of everyone he's played alongside or against as well as those whose lives he touched in the community through generosity and compassion."

Curtis Granderson was a class act and a joy to watch play. MFC wishes him the best in all he does. May he live long and prosper.