It seems every few days now, an article or blog posting pops up saying "Yes, the Mets' Big Apple will live on at Citi Field." Yesterday, Jim Baumbach on his Newsday.com Blog used that exact headline and in a second article that should have been in today's Newsday, says "Looks like Mets will have big apple at Citi Field." In his blog posting, Baumbach says, "So they can shut down this Web site."

Well, thank you Jim. You've done some mighty fine reporting, sir. [Let me pause here, I've read Mr. Baumbach's articles before, and I don't generally have a problem with him, and if it seems like I'm picking on him in particular, I'm not. I'm using him as an example of what a lot of reporters have been doing to us.] He says that he's seen with his own eyes the new concrete home of the apple. Well, so have our readers, Jim - February 25th, photos from Tom Kaminski clearly show this same concrete structure. Further, he goes on to say "Wilpon didn't know if it would be the same apple or a new apple, but my bet is on a new apple. In any case, the apple lives on. Rejoice."

Now what have you done here, Jim? You have BLATANTLY misinformed people, you have obviously NOT done research on us or our cause, you have obviously not read the AP article from FEBRUARY 25TH which says pretty much EXACTLY THE SAME THING AS YOU, and you have done this campaign a major disservice. As far as I'm concerned, in this case, you have absolutely not done your job as a reporter.

And now, what do WE have to do? We have to keep telling people that The Apple has, in fact, NOT been saved yet. And that gets tougher and tougher every time another article comes up like yours Jim.

But I have to hand it to the Wilpons. They have gotten reporters, over and over again, to report that the apple has been saved, and then as an aside mention it might not be the same apple. The Wilpons can call up reporters, tour them around Citi Field, and trick or convince them in to writing articles that hurt our cause; and we can't do the same in our favor. We're fighting an uphill battle, and it's not easy. And now, it's even harder.

And, though I hate to admit it, it looks like we've already partly lost. The Top Hat doesn't have a place in that concrete hole.

As I posted to Jim Baumbach's blog, "Blog postings and articles like yours do us a great disservice. You are making it easy for the Mets to not take The Apple by making people think that The Apple is already coming. The original Citi Field construction photos show AN apple, but that is not what our website is about. To us, it is about honoring a small piece of Shea in a stadium that is made to honor Ebbets field. Why shouldn't the Mets honor their own history?" And why not a new apple? Because a new apple wouldn't be Shea-like. I love Shea Stadium, but it is NOT a new apple, it IS The Apple - its dents and imperfections are what makes it great.