On March 23, 1978, the New York Mets traded shortstop Bud Harrelson to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league infielder Freddie Andrews (who never played a game for the Mets) and cash. The trade left pitcher Jerry Koosman and infielder/outfielder/pinch hitter Ed Kranepool as the lone remaining players from the 1969 championship team.

Key players from the 1969 team, such as Tom Seaver, Cleon Jones, Tommie Agee, Ron Swoboda, and Jerry Grote were already gone, and the Mets were in the beginning phase of a long rebuild that would last until the 1984 season. Harrelson was three months shy of 34 years old at the time of the trade.

The Niles, California native was born on D-Day (June 6, 1944), and spent his youth in California, attending college at San Francisco State University. “Buddy” was drafted by the Mets in June of 1963, and made his debut in Queens in 1965, appearing in 18 games.

The defensive whiz played 13 seasons for the Mets, slashing .234/.324/.287, and stealing 118 bases. Harrelson was known for his outstanding glove, winning the National League’s Gold Glove award in 1971, a year in which he led NL shortstops with a defensive bWAR of 3.1.

Harrelson was a two-time All-Star, representing the National League in both 1970 and 1971. His best overall season using bWAR was 1971, when he posted a 4.6 mark, and posted a .252 BA, .319 OBP, and stole 28 bases.

Harrelson stood just five feet, eleven inches tall, but had the heart of a lion, and a bit of big mouth to go with it. Many associate Buddy with the fight with Pete Rose in the 1973 NLCS.

That incident was precipitated by Rose’s slide into second base, but also by Harrelson’s remarks after Game 2 of the series, when Jon Matlack shut the Reds out. Harrelson said Matlack made the Big Red Machine look like him at the plate, which rattled the Reds’ cages.

One of my favorite Harrelson moments comes from the 1973 World Series, when he was “thrown out” at the plate in extra innings of game two. You can make your own call. The Mets won the game anyway.

During the argument, Bud was ejected, and then yelled to the umpire, ‘You can’t throw me out because of your incompetence!” That’s classic Bud Harrelson.

Bud spent two years in Philadelphia, and was part of a division championship team in 1978. He finished his career in 1980 with the Texas Rangers.

After his career, Harrelson became a Mets coach in 1985, and was coaching third base when the Mets won the 1986 World Series. He became Mets manager in 1990 when Davey Johnson was fired during the season, and managed the team until the last week of the 1991 season when he was relived of his duties.

Harrelson resides on Long Island, and took an ownership share with the Long Island Ducks in 2000. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.

Here’s a tip of the cap to Bud Harrelson, an iconic Mets shortstop who was on the field of play for both of the team’s championships. We wish him him well in his battle with Alzheimer’s disease.