This week I will start an off-season feature where I’ll take a look back at the life and career of some influential people, both on and off the field, in the history of our beloved Mets. It’s only fitting that the initial one be dedicated to our first manager. Charles Dillon Stengel was born in Kansas City, MO on July 30, 1890. Although gifted in Baseball, Football and Basketball, Stengel’s dream was to be a [...]

The 2008 Mets went quietly into the night. There was no fanfare, no curtain calls. The final chants ever shouted at Shea of Lets Go Mets were more out of desperation than of hope. As we reached into our gut one final time, we were dreaming of summoning the ghosts of rallies past. That did not happen. As we turned off our TV sets and fans shuffled tired feet out of the stadium for the [...]

October 13: 1903: The 1st World Series ever played is completed as the Boston Pilgrims defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 and take the series, 5 games to 3. 1914: The Boston Braves, who were in last place in mid-July, rebound to win the World Series. “The Miracle Braves” defeat the Philadelphia A’s in the first sweep in Series history. 1921: In the first all New York “World” Series, the Giants beat the Yankees, 1-0 and [...]

Maybe I’m mistaken but when we made a managerial change on June 17, I thought the purpose was to get us into the Post-Season. When Omar Minaya fired Willie Randolph in the early morning hours and replaced him with bench coach Jerry Manuel, I, along with most Mets fans, were hoping for the best. We all thought to ourselves, ‘Good, maybe this is what we need to get us into the Post-Season.’ I don’t think [...]

There’s a world of difference between good teams and great teams. There is a vast disparity between being a winner and being a champion. The 2008 Mets are a good team, not a great team. They are winners, but definitely not champions. Many people this season have accused this club of having no heart. This weekend, I believe, the Mets showed that to be the case. After Johan Santana breathed life into a dying team [...]

On the surface, the MVP is a bit misleading. The person who does not follow Baseball would think the MVP award goes to the best hitter or top pitcher. This is not the case. The best pitcher wins the Cy Young Award. The top hitter may win the Silver Slugger Award or the Home Run title. The Most Valuable Player is just that: The Most Valuable. It goes to the one individual who has the [...]

September 22: 1911: At 44 years old Cy Young beats the Pirates for the 511th and final win of his career. 1925: Dodgers pitcher Burleigh Grimes accounts for 7 outs in a single game when he hits into 2 double plays and a triple play. 1948: Stan Musial goes 5-for-5 for the 5th time this season. Musial’s 5 hits come against 5 different pitchers on 5 consecutive pitches. 1954: En route to a 3-0 win [...]

Here we are once again in a painfully all too familiar scenario. For the second consecutive year we are spending September looking over our shoulder. Yet again as October approaches, the Mets can not seem to do anything right. The hot breath we feel on the back of our neck is that of the Phillies. The team 90 miles to the south is threatening to thwart our post-season dreams for a second straight year. The [...]

September 12: 1914: At only age 23, Yankees SS Roger Peckinpaugh becomes the youngest manager in baseball history . 1947: Ralph Kiner hits 2 HR’s, giving him 8 round trippers in just 4 days. 1962: Tom Cheney of Washington fans a record 21 batters (in 16 innings). 1962: With the Giants just 1 game behind the Dodgers, superstar Willie Mays is hospitalized with ‘nervous exhaustion.’ The Giants lose 6 straight but upon Willie’s return, they [...]