In this series leading up to the MLB Draft on July 17, we’ll look back at the backgrounds of some notable Mets picks prior to their arrival in the big leagues. We begin with the No. 1 overall selection 42 years ago. With a smooth hitting motion, Darryl Strawberry belted out 252 homers and drove in 733 runs for the New York Mets. With swift legs, he stole 191 bases. He made seven All-Star...
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The departure of the Brooklyn Dodgers was a contributing factor towards the birth of the Mets (and the blue in their uniforms). But the connections don’t end there. Gil Hodges, whose number will be retired by the Dodgers this weekend, played in Brooklyn and Los Angeles before finishing his playing career with the Mets and later performing miracles as manager. Steve Cohen even put in a bid...
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No-hitters come in a variety of ways. But for the New York Mets before June 1, 2012, it had not been presented to them in any fashion. Then came the 8,020th game for the franchise—started on the Citi Field mound by Johan Santana. It may not have been the best pitching performance in Mets history, but it was certainly unlike any that had preceded it. Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Dwight Gooden, and...
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The only thing more unique than Mike Piazza’s journey to the Mets was the way in which he arrived in professional baseball. He was chosen in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a favor by manager Tommy Lasorda to his friend and Mike’s dad, Vince. All Piazza did in his first five seasons was bat .337 and average 33 homers and 105 RBIs—remarkable for any...
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The universal designated hitter has rendered pitchers at the plate and, if they’re good enough, on the basepaths virtually extinct. That makes moments like this extra special—not like it wasn’t special before. There was a time in which even the best left-handed major leagues found excuses to avoid facing Randy Johnson. Dae-Sung Koo, though, had no fear. Or he simply didn’t know...
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