It is understood Fred Wilpon wanted to come as close as possible to replicating the Ebbets Field aura while overseeing the construction of the ballpark that replaced Shea Stadium in 2009.
Perhaps less understood is that the Mets have been trying for years to replicate the starting rotation that took the team to the 1969 world championship — with Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Gary Gentry — and the 1973 NL pennant — with Seaver, Koosman and Jon Matlack.
And if not those groups, then the Doc Gooden-Ron Darling-Bob Ojeda-Sid Fernandez consortium that nailed down the 1986 World Series championship and, with David Cone joining them, the 1988 NL East title.