The 1985 season was Gooden’s best, coming off his rookie season of 1984 when he put up a 17-9 record, led the league in strikeouts with 276, and won the National League’s Rookie of the Year award. Gooden also led the league in strikeouts in 1985, and had 16 complete games, which was the most in the National League.

For fans who watched Gooden in 1985, it was absolutely must-see television. Matt Harvey‘s 2013 season and Jacob deGrom‘s 2018, 2019, and 2021 seasons were close, but no pitcher electrified the fanbase as Gooden did in 1984 and 1985. He was dominant, with a high-90s fastball and a roundhouse curve that would freeze hitters.

Gooden’s Mets career covered 11 seasons, over which he posted a 157-85 record. The Doctor never again reached the heights of his 1984 and 1985 campaigns, and was suspended for drug use at the beginning of the 1987 season. His 1986 season was very good, with a 17-6 record, however, his strikeouts were down to 200 in 250 innings pitched, and his WHIP climbed to 1.108 (an excellent number but above his previous seasons). His ERA+ in 1986 dropped to 126, while his ERA increased to 2.84. Gooden’s 1987-1991 seasons remained solid, if not spectacular. His last three years with the Mets, 1992-1994, Gooden’s record was below.500 in each season.

Back to the game on August 25, 1985, the Mets jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on run-scoring hits by Darryl Strawberry (two RBIs) and Howard Johnson. The Padres answered with two runs in the top of the third inning. Strawberry belted a home run in the fifth inning, putting New York ahead 4-2. In the top of the sixth, a Terry Kennedy groundout scored Steve Garvey, cutting the Mets’ lead to 4-3.

The Orange and Blue took over from there, plating four runs in the bottom of the seventh. George Foster drove in two with a single, Rusty Staub added an RBI single, and Roger McDowell, who had replaced Gooden on the mound, doubled in a run. The Mets held an 8-3 lead into the bottom of the eighth, when Strawberry completed his fine day with another RBI, this time on a single.

The 1985 Mets won 98 games, finishing second to the St. Louis Cardinals and missing the playoffs. The Mets went into St. Louis trailing by three games for a three-game series with six total games left to play. The Mets won the first two, but could not complete the sweep, and went home for their final three games, two games off the division lead. The Cardinals would clinch on the second-to-last day.

The Mets would use the 1985 near-miss as fuel for the following season, when they dominated the National League, and persevered through the postseason to bring the franchise’s second championship to Flushing.

The post OTD 1985: Gooden Notches 20th Win appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The day has finally come! Major League Baseball Opening Day is officially upon us!

Unfortunately, the Mets have to wait another day. But let’s take a look at some of the games on the slate for today.

The first game on the docket is the Orioles who will be hosting the Angels while Corbin Burnes makes his Baltimore debut. The Mets’ crosstown rival Yankees go to Houston as they will throw Nestor Cortes against the Astros’ Framber Valdez in a 2022 ALCS rematch. One final matchup to look at will have the reigning champion Texas Rangers hosting the Chicago Cubs in a battle of Cy Young hopefuls, as Justin Steele will be going head-to-head against Nathan Eovaldi. 

What games are the MMO readers looking most forward to? Click here for the full opening day slate.

Latest Mets News

Opening Day for the Mets this season will be delayed as their Thursday game has been postponed until Friday at 1:40 p.m. Click here for more information on Mets Opening Day. 

A non-profit started by Rusty Staub will present the family of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller with a check for $50,000 to help the family through immediate financial concerns.

Kodai Senga played catch at Citi Field as he continues to progress in his rehab.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced that DJ Stewart has made the team, following his hot end to the 2023 season. Click here to learn more about the decision and J.D. Martinez‘s status to start the season.

Mike Petriello of MLB.com went into detail on why Martinez is such a good fit for the Mets and Citi Field.

Latest MLB News

The Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Will Smith agreed to terms on a 10-year, $140 million contract extension, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Max Scherzer is progressing well according to Rangers GM Chris Young, as reported by Buster Olney of ESPN. Young does not plan to place Scherzer on the 60-day IL, which could mean a possible May return.

The Cincinnati Reds announced that their up-and-coming second baseman Matt McLain had successful surgery to address cartilage damage and repair his labrum in his left shoulder. There is no timeline but the Reds hope to have him back this season.

Major League Baseball’s owners approved the sale of the Baltimore Orioles to David Rubenstein, who released a video message to Orioles fans. 

The Marlins traded infielder (and Mets killer) Jon Berti to the Yankees, per Craig Mish of Miami Herald Sports.

Red Sox RHP Noah Song is undergoing Tommy John surgery, per Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com.

Diamondbacks top prospect Jordan Lawlar will be having surgery on his right thumb and is expected to miss at least a couple of months, per Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. 

The Boston Red Sox acquired RHP Naoyuki Uwasawa in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, per Jeff Passan. Uwasawa spent nine years pitching in Japan prior to this season. 

The Houston Astros claimed RHP Penn Murfee off waivers from the Atlanta Braves, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The Astros put Kendall Graveman on the 60-day IL to make room. 

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano and starting pitcher Alek Manoah are “likely” to start the season on the IL, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.

Latest on MMO

There is a new Metsmerized Pod out with Mets broadcaster Keith Raad!

MMO is giving away a code for Out of the Park Baseball 25!

The Mets are ready for opening day! Read about the players’ feeling towards the 2024 opener!

On This Date in Mets History

2019: Pete Alonso records his first major league hit in the eighth inning of his MLB debut against the Washington Nationals.

Birthdays: Brad Emaus (38), Paul Wilson (51), Craig Paquette (55)

The post Morning Briefing: Happy Major League Baseball Opening Day! appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Wednesday night, the lone game on the docket was the Houston Astros going into Arlington to take on the Texas Rangers in Game 3 of the ALCS. The major headline heading into the game was the return of former Met Max Scherzer, who would make his postseason debut as a Ranger. The last time he was on the mound in October, it did not go well, to say the least, Scherzer went 4 2/3 innings while getting smashed for seven runs on four home runs in game 1 of the Wild Card Round against the Padres. Unfortunately for Max, this time was not much better. 

After a clean first inning for Max, which included a strikeout of Michael Brantley, it was all downhill from there. The Astros poured on three runs in the second inning behind a wild pitch and a timely Martín Maldonado 2-run single. Jose Altuve would add on as he put a high fastball over the left field wall, followed by a Mauricio Dubón RBI single in the fourth inning to cap Scherzer’s night.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Max finished the night with four innings pitched and five earned runs on five hits in his first outing in over a month. However, his Rangers are still up 2-1 in the series and are only two wins away from the team’s first World Series appearance in over a decade. 

Latest Mets News

Will Sammon of The Athletic gave an update to the Mets managerial search, as he reported that David Stearns and company would look outside of the organization to fill the role. This rules out names such as Carlos Beltrán and Eric Chavez while making the Craig Counsell rumors more credible. 

Francisco Alvarez has been nominated for the Luis Aparicio Award, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online. The award is given annually to honor the Venezuelan who was deemed to have the best individual performance in MLB that season. A total of 33 Venezuelans are up for the 2023 award, in which the winner will be announced on October 28 before Game 2 of the World Series. 

Rawlings announced the 2023 Gold Glove finalists on Wednesday afternoon, and Francisco Lindor is the Mets’ lone Gold Glove finalist. Lindor is up against Dansby Swanson of the Chicago Cubs and Ezequiel Tovar of the Colorado Rockies for the NL shortstop Gold Glove award. Francisco is going for his third Gold Glove award overall and his first one as a Met. The winners will be announced on November 5 on ESPN. 

MLB Pipeline released their All-Rookie teams for the 2023 season, and the Mets were well represented as both Kodai Senga and Francisco Álvarez made the cut. Kodai Senga was one of two starting pitchers to make the first team, and Francisco Álvarez made the second team, only being beat out by Yainer Diaz of the Astros for the first team’s catcher position. 

Latest MLB News

On Wednesday, there were major updates to the Boston Red Sox’s search for a general manager following their firing of Chaim Bloom. One of those updates came from Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, who reported that Boston talked to former Astros general manager James Click, but he has elected not to pursue the job due to family considerations. 

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic wrote an article detailing how Boston and Cubs executive Craig Breslow have been in advanced discussions on having him take over Boston’s highest job in baseball operations. 

The Major League Baseball Players Trust announced they are holding their second annual “Playmakers Classic” presented by Fanatics. The event supports the organization’s youth development, disaster relief, and other charitable initiatives and will be held in Las Vegas this year. Many current and former MLB players will be in attendance, including former Mets Tony Clark, Bobby Bonilla, Chris Capuano, Josh Thole, and others.

Latest on MMO

Christian De Block did a full breakdown of the full list of 2023 Gold Glove finalists.

The remembrance of the ’73 Mets continues as Brian Wright looks back at the one and only Rusty Staub. 

Jack Ramsey looked at some of the veteran pitching options for the Mets this upcoming offseason. 

On This Date in Mets History

1965: The Mets traded pitcher Tom Parsons to the Astros for catcher Jerry Grote. Grote was a two-time All-Star and part of the 1969 World Champion Mets.

2006: In the sixth inning of game 7 in the NLCS, Endy Chavez rises above the left field wall to rob Scott Rolen of a two-run home run and proceeds to double off Jim Edmonds at first base. Despite Chávez making one of the greatest grabs in MLB history, a Yadier Molina two-run shot in the top of the ninth put the Cardinals ahead, 3-1. Carlos Beltrán‘s knees would infamously buckle to an Adam Wainwright curveball with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, ending the Mets season. 

“He made the catch!”#OTD in #Mets history Endy Chavez made one of the most unforgettable plays in baseball history. pic.twitter.com/IHuY4RwcSQ

— New York Mets (@Mets) October 19, 2018

Birthdays: Rajai Davis (43), José Bautista (43), Joe McEwing (51), Sandy Alomar (80)

The post Morning Briefing: Astros Best Scherzer in Game 3 Win appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The passion exuded by redhead Daniel Joseph Staub was not outward. He was a gentle soul with a quiet intensity underneath. He ensured each season, each game, and each at-bat had his utmost attention.

Staub didn’t become the first player to tally at least 500 hits with four clubs by accident. He totaled 11,229 plate appearances over the course of a career that encompassed 2,951 games. The 1973 season was not Staub’s best, but it was the closest he ever got to a World Series title. Despite a key injury during that postseason, he nearly willed his team to the ring.

Staub came to New York from Montreal, where he was embraced, unlike any player in that franchise’s history. “Le Grand Orange” represented the Expos’ early years. However, the locals were forced to deal with the news of a trade to Queens in April 1972. Gil Hodges, shortly before his death, insisted on getting Staub to strengthen a weak Mets offense. The Expos agreed to part with Rusty in exchange for three youngsters.

Just as the trade was devastating to Montreal’s fan base, New York reveled in getting someone of Staub’s caliber—someone who could add spice to a lineup that was getting rather bland.

Staub, who had played well for perennial second-division clubs, fed off the talent around him and the Mets benefited from Rusty’s arrival. New York jumped out by winning 25 of its first 32. Staub’s insertion in the cleanup spot expanded the possibilities of the offense and lessened pressure on Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones. Combined with their usual supply of great pitching, the Mets were six games up on Pittsburgh by May 21.

The good times, though, would end abruptly. Staub, hitting .315 with eight homers and 31 RBIs, was plunked on the right hand by a pitch from soon-to-be teammate George Stone of Atlanta on June 3. Although he tried to fight through the pain, the soreness was too much. X-rays disclosed a fractured hamate bone. It was part of an epidemic that engulfed the Mets, as Agee, Jones, and others were also set back by injuries. When Rusty went on the disabled list, the

Mets were perched in first place. When he came back on September 18, the Mets were 16.5 games out. The start of the 1973 season charted an all-too-familiar and unwelcome pattern. Staub couldn’t shake the injury that derailed his ’72 campaign, while other vital members of the Mets succumbed to similar fates.

He missed only 10 games but couldn’t get the Mets out of last place. With a little more than a month left in the regular season, they were still in the NL East cellar. A grand slam on August 27 against San Diego helped to forge New York’s resurgence.

Staub stayed at the forefront by batting .321 with five homers, 21 RBIs, and 24 runs scored over the final 33 games. He ended on a 15-game hitting streak, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI in a 6–4 NL East clincher in Chicago.

His scorching bat kept blazing in the third game of the NLCS. Two home runs in two at-bats gave him three for the series and jump-started the Mets to a 9–2 victory that put them on the precipice of an unlikely pennant. Staub’s offense decidedly won Game 3 and his defense almost won Game 4.

Rusty made an over-the-shoulder grab in the top of the sixth to preserve the Mets’ slim 1–0 lead. In the 11th, Dan Driessen had what appeared to be a tie-breaking extra-base hit, but Staub raced back to the warning track and hauled it in.

This valiant effort, though, came with a price. As Staub secured the catch, he careened into the right-center-field wall. Though he pressed on through the Reds’ 12-inning victory, a separated shoulder made him unavailable for the deciding Game 5.

Staub’s status remained in doubt heading into the World Series. The designated hitter, introduced during that regular season, was not implemented for the Fall Classic. Manager Yogi Berra chose to sacrifice Rusty’s limitations in the field for what he could do at the plate.

Though he toughed it out, Staub’s shoulder pain forced him to throw submarine-style. It had no effect on his hitting, though. Staub batted .423 against Oakland, hitting safely in each of the six games he played. He drove in five of the Mets’ six runs while belting a pair of homers in a Game 4 victory that helped New York draw even with the A’s.

But Staub’s weary body could only take the Mets so far. Despite going 2-for-4 in the seventh game, driving in one of his team’s two runs, New York produced little else in a 5–2 defeat that gave Oakland the title.

Both the Mets and their outfielder regressed in 1974, but Staub rebounded the next year to have his best performance yet—becoming the first player in team history to surpass 100 RBIs in a single season.

A year like 1975 should’ve made him an indispensable piece to a team lacking in run-producing hitters. But team chairman M. Donald Grant had a fondness for bad ideas. Planting seeds of public discontent that would grow in the coming years, he sent Staub to Detroit for a prospect and a washed-up Mickey Lolich.

Staub returned in the early 80s to finish his lengthy career. From there, his popularity and impact in New York only got bigger.

The post Spirit of ’73: Rusty Staub appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 baseball season will see pitch clocks, larger bases, a restriction on infield shifts, and let’s not forget, a new schedule format in which every team will play every other team for the first time in history. That’s a lot, but why stop there? Commissioner Rob Manfred wants to expand to 32 teams,  but questions remain on when this will happen, and which cities would be awarded expansion franchises.

The “when” part is simultaneously clear and undefined. Manfred has stated that though he wants to expand in the near future, he will not green-light the idea until the situations are determined in Tampa Bay and Oakland. Both of these teams want new ballparks, and both are in the in the middle of negotiations with their current cities, having threatened to relocate if their demands are not met. It’s understandable that the fates of the As and Rays have to be scored out first, as they may move to potential expansion cities. However, Manfred is growing impatient waiting for decisions, as are Major League Baseball owners.

It is estimated that MLB will net over $2 billion per expansion franchise (from CBS Sports). Rough math would show that $4 billion divided among 30 teams would result in a payday of $133 million per team. That’s more than the 2022 payroll of 12 teams, according to SportTrac. It would be interesting to see if team payrolls went up after expansion, but that’s an entirely different story. There would be inter-league play every day. Expansion would also create 52 more MLB roster positions, something the Major League Baseball Players’ Association would welcome (from the CBS Sports article cited). They finally agree on something!

If MLB were to expand, which cities are being considered? In an article by Chris Branch recently published in The Athletic, the author reviewed a couple of the top candidates for an expansion franchise.

Portland

A group called the Portland Diamond Project is actively campaigning for a team. They have picked out a spot by the Willamette River for a 32,000-seat stadium. The area would be built into a bustling area with restaurants and bars. Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, and his wife, singer Ciara, are providing their celebrity statuses to the cause of bringing baseball to Portland. How would the fans respond? From the Athletic article:

If those behind PDP had harbored any initial concerns about fan interest — they swear they didn’t — those abated when the project went public, and vanished once Wilson and Ciara were on board. “It wasn’t mission accomplished,” Barrett (Mike Barrett, former Portland Trailblazers’ broadcaster) said, “but, to a certain degree, getting on the map was. Everybody knew us by then.” Barrett and Cheek got emails from strangers asking if they could put down season ticket deposits.

Portland would be geographic rivals with the Seattle Mariners and the San Francisco Giants. A team there would likely have to pull fans from those two franchises, but another team on the west coast would make for a few more games in the Pacific time zone for fans in the area.

Nashville

The Braves would have a geographic rival if MLB were to expand to the country music capital of Nashville, Tenn. A group led by former MLB pitcher Dave Stewart is championing the cause for a new team in Music City. Stewart is trying to encourage investors to get behind what would be the Nashville Stars. From The Athletic article:

The Stars derives its name from the Negro Leagues franchise. The group partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and invited the museum’s president, Bob Kendrick, to join its board. The group aims to market the brand across the city while forging relationships in the community. The Stars already sell merchandise. There is a social media arm and a regular newsletter. Music City Baseball introduced Don Mattingly as a member of the group’s advisory board that already includes Tony La Russa.

For some reason, it feels like MLB will go to Nashville, either as a relocation or expansion. It would be a great tribute to the Negro Leagues, and visiting that city would give fans so much to do outside of attending games.

Montreal

Does it make sense to go back to a city where MLB did not succeed in the fairly recent past (the Expos left after the 2004 season)? The residents of Montreal (and the province of Quebec) seem to think so. In an article in The Athletic by Stephen Nesbitt, the author cites the following:

A study determined The Project was plausible; Montreal could be a baseball city again. 69 percent of Quebecers and 81 percent of business owners surveyed supported MLB’s return. To do so, the study concluded, would require $1.025 billion in government and private funding, a strong ownership group, a 36,000-seat ballpark constructed within two kilometers of downtown, and a spot in the American League East for regional rivalries and a better media rights deal.

Interestingly, Stephen Bronfman is heavily involved in the push to bring baseball back to Montreal. Stephen Bronfman is the son of Charles Bronfman, who owned the Expos. MLB floated the (silly) idea of the Rays splitting their schedule between Tampa and Montreal. While Montreal was in favor, the idea ultimately failed.

“The people really love baseball,” former Expos pitcher Dennis Martínez told The Athletic in 2019. “Montreal knew baseball, and baseball knew Montreal.” This quote is from Nesbitt’s article. Perhaps there’s a bit of romanticizing in retrospect going here. The Expos did not draw very well, with the exceptions of their 1981 and 1994 seasons. Their last game in Montreal drew over 31,000 fans, but the night before drew just over 5,000.

There is a rich history of talented players in Montreal, with players such as Gary Carter, Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Rusty Staub, and Warren Cromartie having donned the red, white, and blue. Jackie Robinson also played there when Montreal was a minor league city. There would be a natural rivalry with the Toronto Blue Jays, and fans from New York and Boston could easily make the trip north to see their clubs on the road. While it may be nice to give it another go in Montreal, it remains to be seen if MLB would want to go back there with other options available.

Las Vegas & Charlotte

Other cities are also in play for teams. One would be Las Vegas, which has been long-rumored to be the next home of the Athletics if the city of Oakland does not agree to help fund a new stadium. Las Vegas has the Aviators, a minor league team, and will host major league spring training games in March. The city has NHL and NFL teams, and will host the 2024 Super Bowl. The sports world has become comfortable with teams being located in the gambling capital of the country.

Charlotte is another city with aspirations for a big league team. Its proximity to Atlanta would set up a natural rivalry, and North Carolina has many minor league teams that have done well over the years. The closeness to Atlanta, and the Braves’ nearby minor league affiliates, may create san allegiance issue, which may impact initial uptake of the franchise.

Baseball will expand. There is too much money available for it not to happen. The new schedule format was probably implemented to prepare for a new world where all teams play each other every season. After expansion, what’s next? Geographic divisions? Imagine the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies in one of four divisions in a league (what would that league be called?).

Baseball, after being fairly stagnant for 50 years, is going to be evolving much more rapidly. Buckle up, the times have changed.

The post MLB Wants To Expand; Candidate Cities Identified appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

We all have Aunts down in Florida.  Okay, maybe not everyone, but I do.  And recently she sent some “vintage” mid-80s Mets cards up to me in NY from a neighbor who wanted to get rid of them after her spouse passed on.  In looking through them, I came across the 1986 Mets card shown below:

Several things about this card. Firstly 1986 is not “vintage”.  In 1986 I was in high school, had a full head of hair, and weighed about 150 pounds.  The Mets had a young Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, and Lenny Dykstra and would win their second World Series. Truly just a few short years ago.

Secondly, while I remember Tom Paciorek, I don’t remember him ever being a Met. Paciorek had come up to the Dodgers in 1970 as a corner outfielder and had become an All-Star with Seattle in 1981 when he was second in the American League with a .326 batting average.  In 1985 he was a 38-year old fourth outfielder, and back-up first baseman with the White Sox when the Mets acquired him for good glove but no-hit shortstop project Dave Cochrane, who was batting .223 in AA when traded on July 16. That was at the All-Star break in 1985 and the Mets were in second place, 2.5 games behind St. Louis.

It was a trade to shore up the bench as young outfielder John Christensen was hitting .190. Paciorek could also serve as a defensive placement for an aging George Foster in left, provide Strawberry a day off in right, spell Keith Hernandez at first or serve as a right-handed pitch hitter while Rusty Staub was the left-handed pitch hitter.

Paciorek did exactly that in 1985 with the Mets, hitting a solid .284 while playing 8 games at first, 29 in the outfield and pinch hitting 17 times as well.

The picture on the card is easy to determine where and when it was taken.  Shown in the home uniform and high-fiving after a home run, Paciorek only hit one home run for the Mets.  A check of BaseballReference.com shows that occurred on August 15, against the Phillies in the bottom of the first off of Jerry Koosman, who was pitching in his final year of baseball.  Wally Backman, who had walked, scored ahead of him, so that’s likely Wally on the left side of the card shown.

Alas, the 1985 Mets remained where they were at the All-Star break, as despite winning 98 games, the second-best record in the National League and the third-best in baseball, the Cardinals won 101 games, finishing 3 games ahead of the Mets. St. Louis won the pennant that year but fell to the Royals in the World Series.  At least the way Don Denkinger saw it.

After the season, with a young Kevin Mitchell on the way, Paciorek was released.  He signed with Texas and played two seasons with the Rangers, finishing his career with a .282/.325/.415 slash line, and at least one card showing his 1/2 season with the Mets so “vintage” fans can be prompted that Tom Paciorek was once a New York Met.

The post Shoebox Memories – 1986 Topps Tom Paciorek appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The pages of Mays’ storybook career were yellowing at the edges. But his star had yet to fade. Now, the Giant icon was returning to the city where it all began.

Willie Mays became the game’s best player in San Francisco. Yet he remained a beloved figure in New York — even 15 years after the Giants had moved to the West Coast.

Mets owner Joan Payson, once a New York Giants stakeholder when Mays began reaching his height, gave her endorsement for a trade that would bring Mays back to the Big Apple. On May 11, New York obtained the 41-year-old from San Francisco in exchange for pitcher Charlie Williams and $50,000.

It seemed more sentimental than practical.

Mays batted .271 in 1971 with 18 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 123 strikeouts. It only got worse to start 1972. In 49 at-bats, he was hitting .184 without a home run. It got so bad that Giants manage Charlie Fox benched him.

“It’s a wonderful feeling and I’m very thankful I can come back to New York,” Mays said shortly after the trade. “I don’t think I’m just on display here. There’s no doubt in my mind that I can help the Mets if I’m used in the right way.”

For the greatest center fielder ever who stirred at the notion that the team he helped for so long found him expendable, it was a measure of motivation. Especially when his first game as a Met came against the Giants three days later on a damp Shea afternoon covered in raindrops and dripping with nostalgia.

It took until the fifth inning for Willie to remind the fans and his newfound opponents what he had done 646 times already. After walking and scoring in the first, he stepped in against starter Don Carrithers.

Mays connected and drove it over the left-center field fence—a literal blast from the past. It would be the difference in a 5–4 Mets victory. His trot around the bases was unsurprisingly accompanied by a raucous ovation, indicative of the adoration he still carried in New York.

Mays’s storied MLB career would end as a Met, which ran through the 1973 season. In that time, he made the last two of his 24 All-Star Games and ultimately a final World Series send-off that was far from the legend to which all baseball fans had been accustomed.

Following retirement, Mays remained in the Mets organization as a coach until 1979 before eventually making amends with the Giants.

The post OTD 1972: Willie Mays Homers in Mets Debut appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On April 2, 1972 Mets skipper and  Gil Hodges passed away from a heart attack during spring training after playing a round of golf. He was two days shy of his 48th birthday.

Rob Silverman of MMO accurately wrote that Donn Clendenon was the final piece to the championship puzzle in 1969. Hodges was the first piece.

Hodges, who played 18 seasons (16 with the Dodgers, two with the Mets) and slugged 370 home runs, was named manager of the Mets for the 1968 season, taking over a team that had struggled since its inception in 1962.

The Princeton, IN native had managed the Washington Senators of the American League from 1963-1967, posting a 321-444 record over five seasons. In Hodges’ first season, the Mets showed notable, if not significant, improvement finishing with a 73-89 record.

Beyond their record, the Mets had a pitching staff of young arms that was starting to come together. Tom Seaver won 16 games in 1968, and southpaw Jerry Koosman logged 19 wins. Fireballing right-hander Nolan Ryan was on the staff, along with fellow righty Jim McAndrew.

After 1968, it seemed better days were ahead for the guys from Flushing, how quickly those better days came shocked the baseball world.

Mets’ shortstop Bud Harrelson famously said that Hodges watched the 1968 team as if he were studying for an exam.  Hodges, the former Marine who was honored and decorated for heroism recognizing his service in World War II, developed a strong sense of what he had and did not have on his ball club, and used that information to help deliver a championship the following season.

In an article from Radio.com, former Met Ed Kranepool recalled Hodges’ style as a manager, where the manager’s Marine pedigree clearly came through:

“You know, he was a strict disciplinarian, but he was a great leader,” Kranepool said. “It’s because of his leadership that we really have changed everything around. We went from the last-place laughingstock to a championship team in ’69.”

Art Shamsky agreed with his former teammate.

“You know, you’ve got 25 personalities and you really have to deal with certain things,” he said. “But Gil was a very strong disciplinarian and when he talked, we listened.”

Many people point to “the Cleon Jones incident” as an example of Hodges’ focus on discipline, though the former left fielder said it was anything but. Resetting the scenario, in July of 1969, the Mets were being pounded by the Astros in a game at Shea Stadium.

Johnny Edwards of the Astros hit a ball down the line that went for a double, and the manager came out of the dugout to ask why Jones could not have held Edwards to a single. Jones told the story in article by Kevin Kernan of The New York Post:

Hodges asked, “Are you all right?”

“I said I’m fine. He said, ‘Do you think you could have held him to a single?’ I said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Gil, look down.’

“When he looked down, his feet were under water and so was mine. It had rained pretty good that day. And we had had a talk in Montreal, a week or so before that. I had a bad ankle. It comes from my old football days and every now and then it would puff up on me.”

After the exchange, Hodges felt it was in Jones’ best interests to leave the game and not risk injury. Though a stern leader, Jones said his manager would never publicly embarrass a player. However, Hodges cleverly used the event to motivate his team.

“He had a plan and a purpose, and the plan and the purpose was, if I can go out and talk to Jones and when I’m hitting .350, maybe all these other guys will get the message,” Jones said. “And sure enough, it worked.’’

Indeed, whatever Hodges was trying to do on that July day, and during the entire 1969 season, day did work. The Mets ended their regular season with a record of 100-62, swept the Braves in the NLCS, and defeated the heavily-favored Orioles in the World Series.

In a sadly ironic twist of fate, as written on MMO by Joe D., the day of Hodges’ death he and some coaches met Expos’ outfielder Rusty Staub in church on Easter Sunday. The Mets had completed a trade for Staub, though the right fielder was not yet aware.

It’s a shame that they never had the opportunity to work together, as Hodges passed just hours later. Yogi Berra was named manager for the 1972 season.

The combination of Hodges’ playing career, managerial achievements with the Mets, and military service led to his long-awaited election into baseball’s Hall of Fame in December of 2021. Hodges had been passed over for the Hall of Fame for many years, and his getting the call delighted Mets fans and former Mets players.

In an article by Christian Red in Forbes, Jones put it this way:

“Well, it’s been a long and grinding road for the (Hodges) family,” said Jones, the 79-year-old former Mets All-Star left fielder. “I was tickled to hear about it, that he got in. My personal opinion? I thought that he should have been in years ago.”

“Every first baseman in America in the ‘50s emulated Gil Hodges,” said Jones. “When we think back to that particular time, with Campy (catcher Roy Campanella), Jackie (Robinson), Duke Snider, Pee Wee (Reese), all the big names, Gil was just as big and just as good.”

Ron Swoboda, who made the amazing catch in Game 3 of the 1969 World Series, added:

“Although Hodges’ baseball numbers fell a little short of classic Hall of Fame numbers, as a manager he lost a whole lot of years because of a second heart attack that took him,” said Swoboda, 77. “When you consider what a strong, and decent character he was, what he meant as a player in that (Dodgers) clubhouse, what he meant in our (Mets) clubhouse… I think all of us 1969 guys were over-the-top happy that Gil was voted in.”

While Hodges had the disciplinarian reputation as noted above, his ability to use his roster to its fullest potential was perhaps his greatest strength as a manager. Here’s Jones from the Forbes article:

“When you think about ‘69, you think about only four guys who were starters — that was (catcher Jerry) Grote, (shortstop Bud) Harrelson, (center fielder Tommie) Agee and myself,” said Jones. “Everybody else platooned. All of these guys were excellent teammates, and somewhere down the line, they contributed to winning.”

Gil Hodges had as much of an impact on the Mets ascension to champions as anyone else affiliated with the team in the late 1960s. Could the Mets have won another championship in the 1970s if he had survived? Of course, we will never know.

Rest in peace, Gil Hodges.

The post OTD 1972: Mets Manager Gil Hodges Passes Away appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On March 29, 2018 (Opening Day of the baseball season), Rusty Staub, one of the most popular players ever to wear the orange and blue of the New York Mets, passed away in a West Palm Beach, Florida hospital from multiple organ failure just three days shy of his 74th birthday. He had spent eight weeks in the hospital prior to his death.

The Mets had obtained Daniel Joseph Staub before the 1972 season, trading Tim Foli, Mike Jorgensen, and Ken Singleton to the Expos in return. Staub, a New Orleans native who began his career with the Houston Colt 45s, was a very good player with Montreal, accumulating an 18.5  bWAR over three seasons. The Mets had acquired a five-time all-star in his prime. Staub did not disappoint in New York.

He was limited to 66 games in 1972, and put up a slash line of .293/.372/.452 with 9 home runs and 38 RBIs. In the pennant-winning season of 1973, Staub played in 152 games (.279/.361/.421 15 HR, 76 RBIs). He was injured in May of that season, and played through the pain for much of the year. In the NLCS, he separated his shoulder in game four making a catch while crashing into the wall. He missed game five, yet played in the World Series and was able to hit .423 with one home run.

You can see the catch on which Staub was injured in the video below. It’s the second one of two excellent catches in the video. Staub was an outstanding outfielder in his early years, with a very strong throwing arm.

Ask a Mets fan about the darkest days in franchise history. Many will have June 15, 1977, listed somewhere, the day the Mets traded Tom Seaver to the Reds. Some might point to November 1, 2015 (World Series loss to the Royals), October 21, 1973 (WS loss to Oakland), or, gasp, October 26, 2000 (WS loss to the Yankees). I’ll put December 12, 1975, near the top of the list.

On that day, the Mets dealt “Le Grand Orange” to the Tigers for pitcher Mickey Lolich as headliners in a four-player trade. Why would they trade Staub? After becoming a Met in 1972, he had led the Mets offensively to the 1973 World Series, hitting three home runs in the NLCS, and posting the .423 BA in the World Series noted above. In 1975, Staub had set a franchise record for RBIs in a single season with 105, becoming the first Met to drive in more than 100 runs in a season.

Again, why did they trade him?  The answer is that Staub was one year away from becoming a 10/5 player, and with 10 years in the majors and five with one team, he could have vetoed trades. So, the Mets dealt him while they could (and before he could seek a higher payday).

Let’s talk about the return. Lolich had some very good years in Detroit, with 25 wins in 1971 and 21 wins in 1972. However, he had not had an above .500 record since 1972, and his ERA had gone from 2.50 in 1972, to 3.82, 4.15, and 3.78 in the next three seasons (keep in mind, offense in baseball was not as it is in current day). Lolich was also a 10/5 player, and initially delayed the finalization of the trade by contemplating exercising his veto power.

Lolich agreed to become a Met, and was in Queens for one season. He went 8-13 that year, and to be fair, was victimized by the Mets weak offense in 1976. He had a 3.22 ERA that year, and had a respectable WHIP of 1.22. He allowed less than a hit per inning that season, posting a K/9 rate of 8.6.

In Detroit over four seasons, Staub, 31 at the time of the trade, slashed .277/.353/.434 with 70 home runs and 358 RBIs. It’s fair to say that the Tigers got the better end of that deal.

After returning to Montreal from Detroit during the 1979 season, Staub played for the Texas Rangers in 1980 before coming back to the Mets in 1981, where he remained through the 1985 season, his last. He became an outstanding pinch hitter in his later years in Flushing. In 1983, he had hits in eight consecutive pinch hitting appearances, tying a National League record, and tied a Major League record with 25 pinch-hit RBIs.

Staub ended his playing career with a slash line of .279/.362/.431, along with 292 home runs and 1466 RBIs over 23 seasons. Staub was enshrined in the Mets Hall of Fame in 1986. He worked in the Mets television booth from 1986-1995.

Staub owned a popular restaurant in New York (Rusty’s), and opened a second restaurant of the same name to build upon the success of the first. One thing that differentiates Rusty from most other players is the depth of his philanthropic work. He founded The New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund in 1985, whose work provides for families of police officers and firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Looking at Staub’s Mets legacy, particularly the charity work, a case can be made that Staub deserves some type of acknowledgment at Citi Field. Now that the Mets, under new owner Steve Cohen, are doing a better job of honoring their past, perhaps Rusty can be in line for a statue at the Mets’ home park.

Here’s a Mesmerized hat-tip to the late Rusty Staub, a very good player and a better man.

The post OTD 2018: Mets Icon Rusty Staub Passes Away appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

One by one, the players who helped establish and sustain Mets success in the late 1960s and early 1970s departed. Rusty Staub in 1975. Tom Seaver in June 1977. Jerry Grote in August 1977. Jerry Koosman in 1978.

All were traded, either due to front office negligence, player request, or some combination of the two. Harrelson’s turn came during spring training of ’78. The beloved shortstop which helped New York to a pair of World Series appearances made it known he wanted a new home after it was clear he’d be a backup on a team without identity or optimism.

“I feel unwanted here,” he said.

The Mets answered his request, trading him to a perennial contender in Philadelphia which already had a shortstop in Larry Bowa but at least gave him a chance to win. In return, the Phillies sent minor league infielder Freddie Andrews and about $50,000.

So after 11 seasons, Harrelson said goodbye to the only baseball organization he’d ever known.

At 5-11, 160 pounds, toughness defied his small stature. While the limitations at the plate were undeniable — batting .236 with seven home runs over a 16-year career — his value as a fielder was tremendous. Harrelson’s importance wouldn’t have been felt had he played on a club less dependent on pitching and defense. From the late 1960s through the mid- 1970s, the Mets cherished a reliable glove as much as a potent bat.

Harrelson had the glove his pitchers could trust — finishing with a lifetime fielding percentage of .969. In 1970, he set a then-major-league record of 54 consecutive errorless games at shortstop — the same year as his first All-Star selection. He’d make the Midsummer Classic in 1971 as a starter and by year’s end was awarded his first (and only) Gold Glove.

However, it wouldn’t be long before Harrelson’s frailty couldn’t stand the rigors of a full season. Bud missed 300 games over the next six years due to damaged hands, sternum, back, and knees. In none of those seasons did he suit up for more than 118 contests.

The trade to Philadelphia ended Harrelson’s Mets playing career at 1,322 games. But it by no means ended his Mets career.

Harrelson served as coach, broadcaster, and minor league manager before moving back to the parent club as part of Davey Johnson’s staff, where he became the only man to wear the orange and blue for both world championships. Harrelson got a firsthand perspective of the 1986 World Series and helped escort Ray Knight home from the third-base coaching box in the winning moment of Game 6. When Johnson was let go in May 1990, Harrelson got his opportunity as manager — and held it until late in the 1991 season.

Even though he spent time with other teams — first the Phillies, then briefly on the Texas Rangers — Bud Harrelson will always be a Met for life.

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