Tag: Bobby Valentine

Mets Madness Series Preview: 2022 Mets vs. 1999 Mets

MMO’s partnership with Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP) continues as our 16-team Mets Madness bracket is well underway. Next up, MMO and OOTP pit the 2022 Mets team against the 1999 Mets team. Jack Ramsey, MMO and Mets Minors writer, is set to control the 1999 team, while James Villani, MMO editor and writer, will control the 2022 team. Each round will be best-of-seven. We will be posting...

OTD 1999: Ventura’s ‘Grand Slam Single’ Caps NLCS Epic

Robin Ventura finished his major league career with 18 grand slams. But it’s a hit that only looked like a grand slam which is his signature Mets moment and a unique ending to a 15-inning, five-hour and 46-minute postseason classic. For a team that spent three weeks walking a tightrope, Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the rival Atlanta Braves was the latest (and...

Examining Former Dodgers And Mets Crossovers

The Dodgers may be long gone from New York City, but the remnants of the franchise remain. Not only does the primary color, but also the Jackie Robinson Rotunda at Citi Field as a tribute to Ebbet’s Field as well as the continuous memorials around the borough of Brooklyn. Two of the biggest markets in the country have been welcome attractions for many players. Here are a few. Duke Snider...

Mahomes, Mets, And The Ties That Bind

It is safe to assume that the vast majority of New York Mets fans will be rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday. And not just because it is a cardinal sin for any born-and-bred New Yorker to cheer for any Philadelphia sports team. No, Mets fans will be all in on Kansas City during the big game because one of their own will be playing in it. We’re talking about...

Mets Best Free-Agent Signing No. 1: Mike Piazza

This offseason, we’re looking at the Mets’ history with free agency. This list may change in the coming years in terms of rankings and new additions (Maybe Carlos Correa? Possibly Justin Verlander?). But for now, we’ve featured an underdog pitcher at No. 10 up to the greatest center fielder at No. 2. And at the top of the list is a player who joined the team mid-season via...

OTD 2000: Benny’s Walk-Off Blast Beats Giants

Postseason baseball has a way of shining the spotlight on the unheralded—those who happen to be in the right place at the right time. The Division Series match-up between the Wild Card Mets against the 97-win San Francisco Giants offered up the usual headliners: New York’s duo of Mike Piazza and Edgardo Alfonzo along with San Francisco’s odd couple of Barry Bonds and former Met Jeff...

A Look Back at the 1997 Mets

  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...

OTD 2001: Mike Piazza’s Home Run for New York City

Mike Piazza was the driving force behind consecutive playoff appearances and a National League pennant. He ensured the Mets were an annual contender once he came over from Los Angeles to the Big Apple, hitting 101 homers and 313 RBIs through two-plus seasons. He was already a local sports icon, but September 21, 2001 carried an entirely different significance. Piazza lifted the spirits of broken...

Remembering 9/11: When the Mets Helped Us Heal

Twenty-one years. It’s been 21 years since the horrible events that took place in New York City, Washington D.C. and Shanksville, Pa. In a matter of hours, 2,977 people died and the world as we know it changed forever. Of the nearly 3,000 victims, 2,753 died when the North and South towers of the World Trade Center were struck by planes, and ultimately collapsed. New York came to a near...

MMO Exclusive: Reliever, Turk Wendell

While many fans remember Turk Wendell as a relief pitcher with some amusing quirks and routines that he’d perform on and off the mound, he was also one of the more durable and reliable relievers for many seasons. Over a six-year stretch from 1996 through the 2001 season, Wendell appeared in 428 regular season games, which were the seventh-most appearances among relievers for an average of...

OTD in 1997: Mlicki Dominant in Subway Series Opener

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...

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