Mets fans "are reluctant to buy team gear" with 2B Daniel Murphy's name on it "because they know he could hit the road after the World Series," according to Rosenbaum, Fenton & Wilson of the N.Y. POST. Uncertainty about his future when he becomes a free agent "has led to unsold stacks of Mets jerseys and T-shirts bearing his name and No. 28" at Modell’s stores across N.Y. Even The 7 Line, the Mets boosters who sell their own line of gear and pack Citi Field for games, "are wary of inking their love of Murphy before he re-signs." Founder Darren Meenan said that he "doesn’t plan to restock their #ImWith28 shirt that quickly sold out during Murphy’s postseason hot streak." He said, "It doesn’t make sense to reprint or restock it right now. If he’s gone, they may just collect dust next year" (N.Y. POST, 10/27).
DOING THE RIGHT THING: ESPN.com's Darren Rovell reported that a young Mets fan who bought a Murphy-signed bat online -- only to be told it was no longer available -- "will get his piece of memorabilia after all." Will Smith "clicked to order the signed bat for $175 off the Topps website for his 12th birthday, which is Nov. 3." Soon after Murphy broke the MLB record with home runs in six straight postseason games, however, the bat "was suddenly referred to as being out of stock and Smith's order was canceled on Oct. 23." Topps and the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association in a joint statement said, "Topps and MLBPAA apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused and are fully committed to giving baseball fans and its collectors nothing but the best customer experience possible." Rovell noted Murphy is a "hot commodity in the autograph world thanks to his postseason success." But he "does not have an exclusive autograph deal, and top memorabilia companies are mulling their offers that will be presented to his agents" (ESPN.com, 10/26).
