Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

Before Cespedes, there was another Met with amazing armbands: Tsuyoshi Shinjo

By Matt Monagan

Today is Tsuyoshi Shinjo's 44th birthday. While he's probably busy hanging out with Paris Hilton or something, we figured it's a good time to remind Mets fans that before Yoenis Cespedes and his neon armband (you know the one),

Shinjo was New York's colorful armband/wristband king. While cracking dingers:

Making sliding catches (and making sure umpires knew he made sliding catches):

Or just taking his leads off of second base:

The armbands may have not called on some magical parakeet and helped him hit home runs, but they were quite cool and matched the Mets' colors. He also had orange hair. If that's not dedication to a team, I don't know what is.
Anyway, let us wish a happy birthday to Mr. Shinjo and give thanks to Mr. Cespedes for continuing the chromatic armband tradition in Queens.

Up Next
What do you get when you combine a block party and a baseball league?
BarberJordan
When baseball's biggest stars need a haircut, they come to José 'Jordan' López
By Matt Monagan •
beephero
Competition, joy and a little pain: Beep Baseball is a world of freedom for blind athletes
By Eric Chesterton •
AP_702417634020
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the best baseball card collections in the world thanks to one man
By Michael Clair •
NYC
Where to live in New York if you've just come into $324 million
By Matt Monagan •