The Mets of the late 90s are remembered for the acquisition of Mike Piazza in May 1998, Robin Ventura’s “Grand Slam Single,” and the postseason run of 1999. But the foundation for a winning culture began during a season in which they had low expectations and little experience with success. Bobby Valentine’s first full year as Mets manager may have been his most...
Pete Alonso’s power had become a common sight five months into a remarkable rookie year. But this swing and a drive to the opposite field in the fourth inning against Chicago Cubs starter Yu Darvish had special meaning. The 407-foot blast was his 42nd, breaking the Mets’ single-season home run mark once shared by Carlos Beltrán and Todd Hundley. It’s hard to believe there was...
Dave Mlicki’s major league career lasted ten seasons. By comparison, it was a rather modest decade: 66-80, a 4.72 ERA, and a 1.47 WHIP. He spent four years with the Mets registering a 24-30 record and an ERA+ of 98. Of the 66 victories in the majors and 24 as a Met, his night at Yankee Stadium clearly stands out. It wasn’t any ordinary game, contrary to what some players may have...
The rate at which Pete Alonso is hitting home runs has already put him in elite company for both Mets and major league history. When he recorded his 100th last September, he was the second-fastest to reach that milestone. His two-home run day in Philadelphia brought his total to 113 in 400 games–good for 13th-most by a Met. For the sake of comparison, it took franchise leader Darryl...
The 1998 season was an interesting, though ultimately disappointing, one for the New York Mets. They acquired future Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza and were in the National League’s Wild Card race until the last day of the season. On September 16, 1998, the Mets and Astros engaged in an exciting extra-inning game at the Astrodome, with Mets coming out on top. Bobby Jones made the...
At times it’s hard to believe that Pete Alonso is in just his third season with the Mets. He has become a leader on the team and is one of the more quotable players on the 2021 squad, often front-and-center in the post-game Zoom press conferences. It was on August 18, 2019, that Alonso, in his rookie season, set the first of three home run records in a six-week period. Alonso was sitting...
June 16, 1997 was a historic day in the chronicles of the New York Mets. On that date, they played their first regular season game against the cross-town rival New York Yankees, defeating the Bombers in the Bronx by a 6-0 score. On June 13, 1997 the Mets played their first regular season Interleague game in franchise history, losing 8-4 to the Boston Red Sox at Shea Stadium. The Red Sox would...
The sights and sounds of baseball are back, though what usually happens in March is happening in July. The 2020 baseball season is set to begin on July 23rd, almost four months to the day after it was originally was planned to start. It’s not unprecedented for a baseball season to experience a late opening, though nothing of this magnitude has happened in history. Let’s take a look...
The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t want to see New York again so soon. After snow on April 9 forced a postponement, the scheduled makeup game was considered far too quick a turnaround for the visitors. “I didn’t like this [the rescheduled date],” lamented Dodgers manager Davey Johnson to the Los Angeles Times, displeased with the second Big Apple visit in three weeks. But if the Dodgers...
The New York Mets have had an odd variety of superstars, consistent cogs, placeholders, and prospects behind the plate over the course of the team’s 59-year run. While the catcher position hasn’t changed by definition over baseball’s hundred-plus-year history, the expectations and sources of value from the position have evolved over time and will continue to do so. Jerry Grote...
Todd Hundley was at Citi Field on Friday night and you bet that he and Pete Alonso met after batting practice to talk home runs. This was the first time that the two had met. For those who may have forgotten, Alonso recently broke Hundley’s franchise single-season home run record (which he was tied at 41 with Carlos Beltran for). Obviously, this was a hot topic of conversation for the two....
With his go-ahead three-run homer in the fifth inning of Saturday night’s tilt versus the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field, New York Mets rookie slugger, Pete Alonso, tied the franchise’s single-season home run record with his 41st blast of the season. Off Atlanta’s Max Fried with Joe Panik and Amed Rosario at second and third, respectively, representing the tying runs, Alonso...
