Yohan Ramirez and Michael Tonkin were both in the bullpen for the Mets on Opening Day. Neither one lasted long with the organization and got to participate in the team’s thrilling ride to the NLCS. But this season will be a memorable one for at least one of these players. That’s because one of them is going to end up with a World Series ring. Ramirez played 27 games with the Dodgers and Tonkin appeared in 39 games with the Yankees. And while neither player was still on the MLB rosters for those clubs when the season ended – Tonkin finished with the Twins while Ramirez was in the minors with the Red Sox – that’s not the determining factor for who gets a World Series ring.
Sam Blum and C. Trent Rosecrans wrote an article in The Athletic about the unique situation of Taylor Trammell, who is guaranteed a World Series ring because he played for both the Yankees and Dodgers this season. The article reached out to other players who had a cup of coffee with an eventual World Series winner and got their thoughts on receiving a ring, despite doing little or nothing to actually help the team finish as champions. And they noted how the process works for getting a ring, which turns out to be – however the team wants to do it.
Not every ring is created equal, nor is every team’s process. Some teams give rings to every player who appeared on the 40-man roster. Some only to players who competed in a game. Some teams give better rings to better players. Ben Ford, who pitched 11 innings for the 2000 New York Yankees, said he never got a ring at all. Some faced more complicated decisions.
“When they came to me with, ‘Do you want a World Series ring,’ I was like, ‘No.’ … I mean, this is a team that DFA’d me,” said Austin Adams, who recorded three outs for the 2019 world champion Washington Nationals. “It was hard for me to accept that ring.”
I’m not a jewelry guy so a ring by itself doesn’t mean that much to me. But it’s impossible to ignore how much it means to most individuals who play professional sports. They want that ring. Maybe less so for the fashion and more so as a reward for the effort they put in to reach the majors and to be recognized as part of a championship team.
Here’s hoping that sometime soon guys that made the Mets’ Opening Day roster qualify for a World Series ring because the Mets won it all, rather than they wound up on another team that pulled off that feat.
Im sure it varies from person to person, but for sure it would be nice to see a new Mets WS ring.
Im already done with baseball, and thinking about the Mets off season. I hardly care who wins the WS, but I dont want to hear about that other NY team for ages, so I guess its the dodgers for me. cant envision watching anything other than mlb video highlights.
Im running through the Mets FAs and thinking who I would want to stay and who I dont want to see again in Orange and Blue
Heres the list courtesy of SI:
Pending Free Agents:
1B Pete Alonso, OF Harrison Bader, RHP Shintaro Fujinami, INF Jose Iglesias, DH J.D. Martinez, RHP Adam Ottavino, LHP José Quintana, LHP Brooks Raley, RHP Luis Severino, RHP Drew Smith, RHP Ryne Stanek, OF Jesse Winker
Options:
LHP Sean Manaea (opt-out), RHP Phil Maton (club), Quintana, Raley
My Hard no list:
Bader, Fujinami (? who is that), Martinez, Ottavino, Maton, Smith
My Thinking about it list:
Alonso, Iglesias, Severino,
My yes list:
Stanek, Winker, Manaea
Prior to this year, Winker’s BA was less that Alonso’s. McNeil can replace his production as a better hitter and plays second base.
Whoops, I pasted Raley and Q in the “options” list, but meant to put it in the Hard No list.
I’d consider Raley , depending on his health