The Mets will play host to 300 seriously ill children for a night of fun, food, and baseball on June 11th. John Franco and Mookie Wilson will also be on hand. Here’s the press release with all the details:

LOCAL NINE YEAR-OLD HAS CHANCE OF A LIFETIME TO THROW FIRST PITCH AT NEW
YORK METS GAME

More Than 300 Seriously ill Children Will Attend the 11th Annual Starlight
Night at Citi Field for a Night of Fun, Food and Baseball on Tuesday, June
11, 2013

WHO: Ernesto Martinez, a nine-year-old boy from Yonkers, New York
battling Acute Leukemia Lymphoma (ALL), will get the opportunity of a
lifetime on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at the 11th Annual Starlight Night at
Citi Field. As part of the event, Ernesto will have the coveted chance to
walk onto Citi Field and throw the ceremonial first pitch before the New
York Mets game against the St. Louis Cardinals

The event will also include more than 300 seriously
ill children who spend a significant portion of their
lives in hospitals and clinics, as well as Mr. Met and
New York Mets greats John Franco and Mookie Wilson.

More than 300 seriously ill children who spend a significant portion of
their lives in hospitals and clinics will attend the event and enjoy a
night of fun, food and baseball at Citi Field, courtesy of the Mets and
ARAMARK. The event will include face painters and clowns and the children
will receive a special visit from Mr. Met, along with New York Mets greats
John Franco and Mookie Wilson.

WHAT: The event brings seriously ill children and their families out
for a night of fun, food and baseball at Citi Field, courtesy of the Mets
and ARAMARK. It includes face painters and clowns along with appearances
by several of the New York Mets’ wives.

The event will support the mission of the
Starlight Children’s Foundation, which brightens
the lives of seriously ill children and their
families through entertainment, education and
family activities.

www.starlight-newyork.org/<http://www.starlight-newyork.org/>

WHERE: Citi Field, Flushing, NY
WHEN: Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Media Call Time: 6:00 p.m.
First pitch: 6:30 p.m.

With the release of Luis Castillo, Mets first-base coach Mookie Wilson will reclaim uniform #1.

Regardless of what number was on his back, he was always #1 in the hearts of Mets fans.

Looking forward to seeing “The Mook” in his old number again.

We’re down to the nitty-gritty, folks: there is 1 Day Until Pitchers And Catchers Report (yes, I’m aware there are already players running around the grounds of Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie — but they are doing so on their own accord). In honor of this auspicious day, we focus on former #1 Mookie Wilson.

How can you not like a guy named “Mookie”? The fact that he was actually good didn’t hurt, either. Mookie was the lone source of excitement on the really bad Mets teams that opened the 1980s — but at the same time, he symbolized the hope and optimism we Mets fans so desperately clung to back then.

As a leadoff hitter, he struck out far too often and didn’t take nearly enough walks. But that was what speedy leadoff hitters did in the late 1970s and early 80s (see: Omar Moreno, Mickey Rivers, Al Bumbry, Bake McBride, Lou Brock, et al). It was a different time, so it’s hard for the youngins to understand, but basically it worked like this: you put a guy with disruptive basestealing skill at the top of the lineup, regardless of OBP, because if he gets on base he’ll wreak havoc with the minds of the pitcher and catcher, break their concentration, and induce more fastballs thrown — to the best hitters in the lineup (#3 and #4). The strategy doesn’t make sense now, because MLB talent is diluted and the pitchers stink. But back then, when pitchers dominated, it wasn’t the worst strategy in the world — no matter what Bill James says.

Anyway, back to the Mook …

William Hayward Wilson gave a preview of what was to come during a 27-game audition in 1980, when he was inserted into centerfield and penciled into the leadoff spot on September 2 and left there through the end of the year. It was a smart move, especially considering that the alternative was Jerry Morales. Mookie electrified Shea Stadium with his blinding speed and balls-out approach to the game. He hit only .248 but it felt like .400 — maybe because he and Wally Backman were the first legitimate, home-grown position prospects since Lee Mazzilli became a regular in 1977.

Wilson remained the starting centerfielder until he tore cartilage in his shoulder in 1985, opening the door for another speedy, homegrown centerfielder — Lenny Dykstra. Wilson and Dykstra platooned in ’86, a situation that turned Mookie into a more valuable player and helped the Mets win the World Series. By then, Mookie was 30 years old and beginning to break down, but Davey Johnson was masterful in keeping him fresh and extracting great performance from the Mook. Wilson responded with the three highest batting averages, OBPs, and OPS totals of his career from 1986-1988.

To top it all off, Mookie Wilson was a gentleman, humanitarian, and caring teammate — in short, an ideal role model for all ballplayers to imitate. To this day it’s difficult to find someone who has a bad word to say about Mookie, and it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t smile at the mention of his name.

Though there may be some pessimism about this upcoming season, the fact that Mookie Wilson will be standing in the first base coach’s box is one reason to look forward to it.

Which #1 do you remember best and why? Leo Foster? Gene Clines? Bobby Pfeil? Vince Coleman? Esix Snead? Lance Johnson? Fernando Vina? Anderson Hernandez? Chuck Carr? Someone else? Share your memories in the comments.

We’re all done, folks … here is the full list:

#1 Mookie Wilson
#2 Mackey Sasser
#3 Bud Harrelson
#4 Ron Swoboda
#5 John Olerud
#6 Wally Backman
#7 Hubie Brooks
#8 Gary Carter
#9 Gregg Jefferies
#10 Rusty Staub
#11 Lenny Randle
#12 John Stearns
#13 Edgardo Alfonzo
#14 Gil Hodges
#15 Jerry Grote
#16 Dwight Gooden
#17 Felix Millan
#18 Darryl Strawberry
#19 Anthony Young
#20 Howard Johnson
#21 Gary Rajsich
#22 Ray Knight
#23 Doug Flynn
#24 Kelvin Torve
#25 Willie Montanez (no link … sadly, didn’t have time to write a post)
#26 Dave Kingman
#27 Pete Harnisch
#28 John Milner
#29 Alex Trevino
#30 Jackson Todd