Comments on: Mets Trades Of The Past: Dumping The Heroes of ’69 http://metsmerizedonline.com/2013/01/mets-trades-of-the-past-dumping-the-heroes-of-69.html Sun, 19 May 2013 18:41:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: tlagee http://metsmerizedonline.com/2013/01/mets-trades-of-the-past-dumping-the-heroes-of-69.html#comment-340487 tlagee Sun, 13 Jan 2013 23:23:52 +0000 http://metsmerizedonline.com/?p=104753#comment-340487 I love Tommie – obviously – but he was not the same player in ’72 that he was in ’69, ’70 and ’71.

What an exciting player when he was healthy! In 1969 he led the Mets in RBI AND HOMERS AS THEIR LEAD OFF BATTER! – not to mention runs scored. He came in 6th in the MVP voting behind McCovey, Seaver, Aaron, Rose and Santo – and with the exception of the all time major league hits leader Rose – all Hall Of Famers!

Tommie had arguably a better year in ’70 than ’69 raising his average fifteen points to .286 with 31 steals, had the most dingers and set a runs scored Mets record at the time with 107. He also won the Gold Glove (his second).

He had 28 steals with a .285 ba in ’71 but after that injuries did catch up to him. He batted only .227 with 8 steals in ’72 and he was traded that off season – never to really perform well again.

Hahn was a bust! I agree that it was sad that such a player would be traded for a fan favorite like Swoboda – which is why they played him a bit in ’73 – but it also forced them to get Willie in his twilight.

]]> By: Chicago Days http://metsmerizedonline.com/2013/01/mets-trades-of-the-past-dumping-the-heroes-of-69.html#comment-340141 Chicago Days Sun, 13 Jan 2013 14:42:53 +0000 http://metsmerizedonline.com/?p=104753#comment-340141 Tommy Agee was my favorite Met back in ’69. In fact, i like to think (my fantasy) i initiated that trade with the White Sox (Fisher for Tommy) with a swampy letter dispatched from the Nam rice paddies in -67 – ’68. But, regardless, i’ll cherish that ’69 Season and the heroics of Agee & Swoboda & Clendenon.

]]> By: Joey D. http://metsmerizedonline.com/2013/01/mets-trades-of-the-past-dumping-the-heroes-of-69.html#comment-340077 Joey D. Sun, 13 Jan 2013 06:19:19 +0000 http://metsmerizedonline.com/?p=104753#comment-340077 By 1973 in spring training I remember reading an article where Tom Seaver was commenting about how slowly a lot of those from the 1969 team were gone. Boswell, Swoboda, Shamsky, Agee, Clendennon, Taylor, Cardwell, Gentry

]]> By: Metsie http://metsmerizedonline.com/2013/01/mets-trades-of-the-past-dumping-the-heroes-of-69.html#comment-340076 Metsie Sun, 13 Jan 2013 06:15:39 +0000 http://metsmerizedonline.com/?p=104753#comment-340076 No matter what you think of a trade at the time….
And no matter how you try and evaluate it after the fact the truth on trades is…
There are TWO MINDS on each side of every deal and in most cases you get JUST as much as you gave unless you trade an MLB player for Kids where in most cases you get less because Kids don’t always make it to the MLB let alone stay long enough to be as good as you gave away to get them.

Lets Hope d’Arnaud is good enough to make up for the loss of Dickey because Snydergaard may be highly rated for an A Ball pitcher but two years is a long long time and anything can happen to make him a bust in that time.

]]> By: Joey D. http://metsmerizedonline.com/2013/01/mets-trades-of-the-past-dumping-the-heroes-of-69.html#comment-340075 Joey D. Sun, 13 Jan 2013 06:14:33 +0000 http://metsmerizedonline.com/?p=104753#comment-340075 Hi Barry,

Have to agree with Ray on some of this.

Tommie had missed more than 40 games his last two seasons with the Mets and his stolen bases plummeted to where he had only 8 back in 1972. It was obvious injuries had been taking their toll on him fast.

Hahn was a slick fielding center fielder without a big bat, however, he was not obtained to be the heir apparent for Agee since he was traded for Swoboda after the 1970 season. Agee had not yet been on the downhill slide. The Mets also obtained Dave Marshall. Swoboda was still basically a 235 hitter with a little bit of power.

Swoboda admitted he was immature at that time and it was his fault that he and Gil did not get along so well, not the other way around. Swoboda was not the complete fan favorite by that time. I was in the stands for the 1970 old timers game when Kranepoole had aready been sent down to the minors and after Swoboda made an out (I think he fanned, but not sure) those around me were saying that he should have been sent down as well. It was not a spur of the moment comment either, for they were saying that as he was coming up to pinch hit.

]]> By: ray sadecki http://metsmerizedonline.com/2013/01/mets-trades-of-the-past-dumping-the-heroes-of-69.html#comment-340064 ray sadecki Sun, 13 Jan 2013 05:45:25 +0000 http://metsmerizedonline.com/?p=104753#comment-340064 In hindsight, the Swoboda for Hahn trade made sense for the mets. Yes, Hahn was a terrible hitter but he was a very good CF. By 1971 the mets front office must have known Agees knees were gone and they needed somebody out there who could catch the ball. That team was built on pitching and you waste that pitching if you dont have good fielders behind them, especially up the middle. It was a Godawful lineup from 6 to 9 with Hahn, Grote , Harrelson and Pitcher. It was always a good time to fix a snack when they were coming up but hey, It worked out in 1973. Hahn even had a big hit in that series.
Rocky bounced around after he left, I remember him on the yankees and braves after and he didnt last too long either. Trading Otis for drug addicted third sacker Joe Foy was the real disasterous trade here. They tried to make Amos a third baseman and he balked so they traded him for Foy. Oh the pain.

]]> By: L.J. Phipps http://metsmerizedonline.com/2013/01/mets-trades-of-the-past-dumping-the-heroes-of-69.html#comment-340037 L.J. Phipps Sun, 13 Jan 2013 04:21:38 +0000 http://metsmerizedonline.com/?p=104753#comment-340037 Well outside of a few outfielders (Straw, Dykstra, and Mookie) the Mets either trade them or can’t develop many outfielders. Imagine if they would have drafted Reggie Jackson, and never traded Amos Otis and Ken Singleton? What an outfield that would have been for so many years, perhaps only until free agency, but how much could they have changed the Mets coupled with the pitching they had (Seaver, Koosman, & Ryan)? Do the Mets win a few more World Series in the 70′s? A’s would be missing Jackson, Royals don’t have Otis, & Baltimore no Singleton. Plus you have Cleon Jones & John Milner . What could have been ………….!

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