#Popups: Mets ‘rap’ it up

On Saturday, May 28, 2016, the New York Mets will be honoring the franchise’s most recent World Series Champions – their 1986 incarnation. As this is the 30th anniversary season of when Darryl Strawberry, Dwight “Doc” Gooden, Keith Hernandez, et al won the World Series, not only is this the perfect time to honor the team that won it all, but also to critique their musical abilities.

In the spring of 1986, the Chicago Bears had just dominated the NFL with a 15-1 Super Bowl winning season and celebrated with the famous Super Bowl Shuffle. The song peaked at #41 on Billboard Hot 100 Chart and netted $300,000 for the Chicago Community Trust – a charity. In the world of baseball, the New York Mets were the favorites of many to take a deep run into the playoffs, if not win the World Series. This led the Mets to record their own celebratory album, Get Metsmerized. When the Bears recorded their album, they were owners of a 12-1 record and had already clinched a playoff berth. When the Mets recorded their album, it was a bit sooner in the season.

The Mets opened the 1986 season in Pittsburgh on April 8 as they defeated the Pirates 4-2. The Mets had the next day off. Many of the team members used this opportunity to record Get Metsmerized. That’s right, with a 1-0 record the Met’s recorded the single that started with, “I’m George Foster, I love this team, the Mets are better than the Red Machine...this year we’re gonna win the series ring.” That is quite the statement coming from a team that was yet to finish a single series in the season, let alone win a World Series.

Anyone who was a baseball fan in 1986 knew that the Mets were a confident group of players. Nevertheless, supporting their claims of greatness was the strength of the ’86 Mets. Third Baseman Ray Knight won the Babe Ruth Award for MVP of the Post Season and MVP of the World Series. First Baseman Keith Hernandez won a Gold Glove Award in 1986 and Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter won the Silver Slugger Award. The Mets would also send five players to Houston for the 1986 All-Star Game, four of whom were starters. Pitching also dominated the 1986 season. The Mets had four pitchers with 15 or more wins and reliever Roger McDowell had an impressive 14 wins and 22 saves.

Despite the World Series win and the pile of awards and accomplishments earned by the 1986 Mets, the Album Get Metsmerized is proof that the team did not have a Midas touch. Despite being recorded in April, the album was not released until August. By this time, the team member responsible for promoting the idea of Get Metsmerized, George Foster, was no longer a Met and was playing in Chicago. The delay was due in part to the Mets franchise refusing to promote the album. Once the album was finally released, one thousand copies were printed in a special “collector’s edition”. Additionally, unlike the Super Bowl Shuffle, Get Metsmerized was not recorded to raise funds for charity, it was strictly for profit. Between the lack of a charitable benefit and apparently complete lack of tone and music ability, the album initially sold only around one hundred twenty copies of the original one thousand printed.

Unless you are looking for a good laugh, you should hope that you never have the infamous tune Get Metsmerized pop up on your radio.