Bobby Bo, We Luv U

(Note: A piece by Cheddar Ben scrutinizing the New York media's coverage of Tom Coughlin the day after the Giants were eliminated follows this one from Sip.)

We are approaching a big moment in the lives of all Mets fans.

Later this afternoon, when Hall of Fame votes are tallied up and the inductees are announced, Mets nation will be popping champagne bottles and dancing in the streets.

The reason: Our favorite son and all-time great Bobby Bonilla will be making his way into Cooperstown.

Bobby Bo. This guy was such a great Met that we didn't get him once but twice.

I'll never forget that day in Winter of 1992 when I got that important phone call from my barber to tell me that the Mets had signed Bobby Bo to a then all-time record 5-yr, $29.5 million deal.

The richest deal in baseball history belonged to the New Mets RF. We had our monster bat in the lineup with a long track record of winning in Pittsburgh.

Bobby Bo! Coming to Shea!

Bonilla tore thru the National League in 1992 with an overwhelming .249 BA to go along with his 19 home runs and 70 RBI. But when Bonilla wasn't filling up the stat sheet, he was leading the team to an impressive 72-90 record.

1993 brought more excitement to Shea. Bobby Bo bounced back to mash 34 dongs and drive in an astounding 87 RBI while tearing up National League pitching to the tune of .265.

But again, what Bobby brought to the stat sheet didn't reflect his contributions to the team's record. The Mets posted a 59-103 record in '93, perhaps the most disappointing season in team history. Bonilla's response to his improved stats and shittier record:

"I believe in inverse relationships. As long as Bobby Bo is Bobby Bo, we'll be cool."

Bonilla had another impressive 1.5 seasons at Shea before being shipped off to J Schubes O's for another Met great, the rifle-armed, hittingly challenged Alex Ochoa.

You might say we missed Bobby Bo.

We all remember the early late 90's. This was a time for the Mets to rebuild, the era when Generation K -- Izzy, Pulse and Paul Wilson -- were set to lead the Mets to greatness only to come up just short.

But 1999 was the year when the Mets finally got over the hump. In a season that many remember as one of the best in Mets history, Bonilla proved to a vital part.

He was acquired in November of 1998 for the flame throwing Mel Rojas, yet another Mets legend of the hill, a player that would be sorely missed.

Here's how the Milwaukee Sentinel wrote it up: "The Los Angeles Dodgers sent Bobby Bonilla to the New York Mets for reliever Mel Rojas on Wednesday, giving two high-salaried players coming off poor seasons an opportunity to revitalize their careers.

In addition, the deal paves the way for 20-year-old Adrian Beltre to play third base on an everyday basis for the Dodgers next year."

Bobby Bo came back to lead the Mets along with his good pal Rickey Time to a wild card and a trip to the NLCS where the Mets lost a heartbreaker to the Braves on a Game 6 bases loaded walk thrown by Kenny Rogers.

We all remember where we were for that pitch. I was standing on the front step to my living room, like I often do for big games.

But I am no future hall of famer. Bobby Bo is, which is why where he was is far more important than the location of a 17 year old Sip.

Where was Bobby Bo? He was where all great leaders and ambassadors of the game are at the end of the biggest game of the season against your most hated rival: playing cards in the locker room with fellow HOFer Rickey Henderson.

You want pokerstars, forget Fox Sports and take me back to that clubhouse. Bobby Bo unknowingly was starting the poker boom that has torn through the world in the new millennium.

So there you have it. Great player, winner, citizen and teammate, Bobby Bo.

When good old #25 gets his jersey immortalized in Cooperstown, I will shed a tear. This is perhaps the greatest of Mets, but more importantly, the greatest of people.

I feel priviledged to be a fan of a man that the Mets will be paying $2 million annually through the year 2021, just so they could rid their 2000 team of his talents, a move that was made at the time because other players just didn't feel worthy to share a clubhouse with Bobby Bo.

We will miss you Bobby, but more so, we are all so very proud of you.

Vaya con dios,

Sip

(Pics courtesy of augustasports.com, mbtn.net, mlb.com, talkingpoker.com)