Tommie Agee hit for the cycle 50 years ago this week, achieving the feat on July 6th, 1970 in a 10-3 Mets win against the St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium.
Agee had four hits in the game, along with four RBIs. Agee made an out leading off the game, and proceeded to reach base safely in each of his next four at-bats. His home run came in the fourth inning off Jerry Reuss, giving the Mets a 5-0 lead.
When Mets fans think about Agee, they almost invariably think about his two outstanding catches in game three of the 1969 World Series. However, Agee’s contributions to the Mets went well beyond those amazing grabs. Agee is credited with hitting the longest home run in the history of Shea Stadium, blasting a shot into the upper deck on April 10th, 1970 against the Expos. The seat that the ball hit remained appropriately marked until Shea was demolished before the 2009 season.You can see Agee’s power and defense on display in the video below.
Agee had a career WAR of 25.9, while posting a WAR of 5.4 in 1969. That year, his BA was .271, he slugged 26 home runs, and drove in 76 runs. He also stole 12 bases. Agee won the gold glove in 1970. Early in his career, some compared him to a young Willie Mays, as Agee had the rare combination of power, speed, and outstanding defensive prowess. Both Agree and Mays (along with Cleon Jones) hailed from Alabama, which served as another point to enhance the comparison.
Tommie Aree passed away in January of 2001 in New York, where he made his home after his playing career.
The other New York Mets to have hit for the cycle are listed below.
Jim Hickman (1963)
Mike Phillips (1976)
Keith Hernandez (1985)
Kevin McReynolds (1989)
Alex Ochoa (1996)
John Olerud (1998)
Eric Valent (2004)
Jose Reyes (2006)
Scott Hairston (2012)
Of these, the most unlikely to me was John Olerud. While Olerud was an outstanding hitter, he lacked the speed often required for the triple. The same could be said of Keith Hernandez, though Hernandez had better speed than Olerud.
Cycles are interesting, because the player achieved all four ways of reaching base via a hit in the same game. However, I never agreed with the degree of hype that cycles receive. A cycle is not the best possible offensive achievement in a baseball game. Multiple home runs games would do more to help the team. How about Fernando Tatis hitting two grand slams in an inning? Or Shawn Green (among others) hitting four home runs in a game?
In any event, let’s take a moment and remember Tommie Agee‘s career. He was a key contributor to the 1969 championship team, and his accomplishments are firmly established in Mets lore. Agee was posthumously elected to the Mets Hall of Fame in 2002.
