RIP to a Met who knew how to take a pitch

Manhattan: I was saddened to hear of the passing of ex-Mets second baseman Ron Hunt. In 1961, I reported to Waycross, Ga., for my first spring camp with the Milwaukee Braves organization. Like Hunt, I was a second baseman competing for a job at the highest classification. We were on different squads in Waycross, fighting for the same Cedar Rapids, Iowa, second base job in the Class B Three I League. The more experienced Hunt won the job.

He was as tough as they came! He played second base skillfully and ran the bases with ferocity. Hunt’s rough-and-tumble style of play caused him to be involved in many on-field fights throughout his career! Most older Mets fans were used to seeing him crowd home plate when he was batting. This was his method to draw walks or get hit by pitches. Hunt loved playing at Shea Stadium, starting in 1963. The team was awful in those years, but he was angry at being traded to the L.A. Dodgers. He wanted to finish his career with the Mets.

If Mets owner Steve Cohen and team president David Stearns want to educate themselves about what key elements go into winning, study Hunt — a high-character ballplayer who played the game with passion, smarts, mental toughness and, most importantly, an unquenchable thirst to win!

Manhattan: The legal principle that no man is above the law appears to have eluded the City Council. Its recent initiatives to both significantly increase its own salary and circumvent collective bargaining to raise city worker salaries reflect disturbing governmental arrogance. The mayor should veto such unlawful actions. If not, where does governmental lawlessness lead?

Optimistic........

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