Famous campaign for Dwight D. Eisenhower. (Public Domain)
My dear wife Karen noticed the words on one of the TVs over the bottles at our neighborhood sports bar Chadwick’s first.
Mets Trade Ike Davis to Pirates, the Friday happy hour sports news show revealed.
“Oh, no,” Karen said, pointing to the volume-muted flat screen.
We were sad. We liked Ike Davis. Big bat flailing from the left side of the plate. Big misses. Big home runs when he connected. Blue helmet flying in frustration from the strikeouts. Two-footed hops onto home plate after the rainbow shots to right field.
Truth be known, we knew it could be coming. Our Mets had 450 pounds of first basemen in a 225-pound sack. Management had given Ike Davis all the rope that could be bought around CiitField. But two seasons in a row, Davis had been so miserable with the bat that he’d been sent to the minor leagues to work his way out of the misery.
That’s not what usually happens to a guy who was the team’s first-round draft pick, for Davis in 2008, who made quite the big entry with massive moonshots over the fence his first dive into the major league pool.
We liked Ike a lot. His father was a major-league pitcher I’d watched and appreciated, Ron Davis.
Ike was a good interview on the SNY post-game shows.
Then he couldn’t hit anymore.
I’ll leave the statistics for the hardcore sports sites.
Let’s just say the paper bag felt safe when it was Ike Davis inside. You could see it in his eyes. Ike Davis had become a head case about his failure to get basehits.
Every now and then, though, he’d remind you of all that talent and look like he’d figured it all out.
Ike Davis, one of the Mets we liked. (Getty Images)
Earlier this season, Davis was summoned to pinch hit in the ninth inning, bases loaded, Mets trailing. He smoked a grand slam to right. Mets win.
Karen and I cheered.
We liked rooting for Ike to do well. There was always the hope that he was just one at-bat away from discovering the key to consistent success and Met Nation happiness.
Now he’s a Pittsburgh Pirate, traded for a pitcher I’ve never heard of and a player to be named. On the Mets broadcast last night, they said PTBN is likely to be a better prospect than the minor league pitcher nobody’s heard of yet.
Lucas Duda is officially the Mets first baseman … except when Josh Satin is sent in against left-handed pitchers. We like Lucas despite his tendency to go long hitless stretches between bursts of productivity, too. But not yet like we liked Ike.
The Mets broadcast — they lost the game 6-0 to the Braves and mustered just one hit — showed the tape of Ike being interviewed about the trade. The Mets have been his only organization. He looked and sounded sad.
“Your first trade is tough,” said announcer Keith Hernandez, famously traded from the Cardinals to the Mets in the mid-1980s to lead the charge that became the Mets’ 1986 World Series title. After the 1989 season, Hernandez less famously went from the Mets to the Cleveland Indians.
Now we will be rooting for Ike to find himself with his new team, hit lots of homers, meet that potential. Except when the Pirates play the Mets.
Here’s the source for the We Like Ike button.
Here’s the source for the Ike Davis photo.
Do you remember trades your teams have made that left you missing a player you liked? How do you think you would feel if your organization told you you’ve been traded to a company in another city?
Mark Bialczak 
I’d say the prospects don’t look good for ol’ Ike. The Pirates have been a veritable graveyard for offensive “project players” looking to rejuvenate their careers over the past few decades. I think he would have fared better had those Brewers rumors over the offseason panned out…
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Yeah, maybe the Brewers would have worked out better. Or maybe Ike can surf the momentum in Pittsburgh. We shall see, ESN.
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Davis is definitely a power player, and I can imagine the frustration losing him. I felt the same way when the Yanks let Swisher go to Cleveland. I’m still going to wear my Swisher Yankees shirt, and I’ll continue to root for the constantly-smiling player.
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He was a happy guy, that Swisher. Happy Easter, Chris, see you Monday at the BP!
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Happy Easter to you as well, sir. See you Monday at BP!
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Can I ask a question – as an ignorant British person – where does the title ‘World series’ come from?
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I would say that the term “World Series” for our baseball championship was likely coined by some arrogant American, Rachel.
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Maybe not arrogant, just full of national pride. Since asking you I’ve asked google (always willing to help) and one suggestion is that two teams who were already champions in 1903 played each other and a new title was needed for the winner. Of course this could all be gobbledygook or googledygook for that matter.
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I love it, Rachel. Googledygook, my new favorite search engine word. This time, though, I think Google was correct. Even today, it’s National and American League champions playing in the World Series.
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you know what’s coming – another request for a guide to an American sport for the totally uninitiated. Please.
Glad you like the new search engine word.
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You ask and I will deliver, Rachel. Do they show American baseball often there, or do is my deadline the week before the World Series come the end of October?
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I don’t think we have it here at all – but I’ll check. We are cricket and rounders – mainly cricket. So no deadline as such.
http://www.baseballgb.co.uk/
This might be a useful link.
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OK, I will. Promise.
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looking forward to it – but in your own time. I still have to sort out the award you gave me!
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absolutely, this is a very real example of altruism, doing something anonymously or with no publicity.
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i’ve felt this sting too, mark. when inge got traded. he has lost his power here on the field, but lived near me and did many generous things for the community, was a great dad and a solid and kind guy in the dugout and with the press. if it happened to me, i would be very sad, and would take it personally at first, though i know logically it’s all about business and winning, but hard to take none the less ) (loved the title)
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The thinks that a player does for the community are never taken into account in sports trades, Beth, I don’t think, anyway.
Yes, it is a business, but I too would have a heap of hurt feelings if it were me.
Thanks for liking the title, too!
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not at all, i’m sure. one summer when i was volunteering at the um hospital’s peds oncology dept., he and his wife donated all of the money to build a playroom for the sibs of kids who were in the hospital. it made a huge difference to the families who spent hours there visiting and caring for loved ones. he had no experience with this but did it because he saw the need. that’s the kind of guy he is, and i’ve never forgotten it. and, i must add, you are quite a natural with the titles )
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I think some players like Inge do great things and the word never gets out. And they do it because they want to help, not for any publicity. I love that, Beth.
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I know this feeling. I was sad when I found out Brian Wilson was no longer in our bullpen. Baseball sounds like it can be brutal psychologically. So glad baseball season is back!
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Brian Wilson is the most imposing looking relief pitcher in the history of baseball, Sandra. I would grab my bat and run back into the clubhouse! Yes, we are glad that it’s baseball season.
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It’s all smoke Mark. His backstory endeared me to him. He plays his heart out for his pop. I think he’s an east coast boy now. But yes I agree he looks very intimidating.
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Eek! Correction: Dodger boo! not east coast fella.
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Your hated rival the former-Brooklyn Bums!
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