On Wednesday night, the MLB season officially ended as the Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 World Series, four games to one. Winning Game 5 of the series by a score of 5-0, the 2023 Rangers gave the franchise their first-ever World Series trophy since its inception in 1961.

Game 5 was the definition of a pitcher’s duel, even though each side’s pitcher did it in their own way. Nathan Eovaldi did a masterful job of wiggling in and out of trouble throughout his six innings of work, as the Diamondbacks were getting runners into scoring position consistently. While the D-backs couldn’t cash in on any of their early chances, their ace Zac Gallen did more than keep them in the game as he started his outing with six no-hit innings. However, Mitch Garver helped the Rangers scratch across a run as he was the third of three consecutive hits off of Gallen in the seventh inning. But the final blow came in the ninth inning; Jonah Heim scorched a two-RBI single, which was followed by a Marcus Semien two-run home run, as the Rangers solidified their championship win.

Corey Seager won his second Willie Mays World Series MVP as he tallied three home runs, six RBIs, and hit for a 1.137 OPS during the five-game series. Additionally, three former Mets — Max Scherzer, Travis Jankowski, and Jacob deGrom — became World Series champions, Scherzer winning his second. Rangers GM Chris Young also played for the Mets, and interviewed for their GM opening in 2020. 

Just over a decade after losing back-to-back World Series, even being an out away from accomplishing the feat, Texas overcame all of the odds to win this year’s commissioner’s trophy. They became the third team in MLB history, including the 1969 New York Mets, to win the World Series just two seasons after losing 100 games. 

Latest Mets News

Andy Martino of SNY reported that Mets third base coach Joey Cora has heard from several teams regarding open coaching positions. Cora is not under contract with the Mets any longer, and his future with the team is uncertain as the Mets continue to make changes after the hiring of David Stearns. 

Joel Sherman of the New York Post gave two significant updates to the Mets managerial search on Wednesday, as he reported that the Mets have interviewed Carlos Mendoza and Andy Green for the position. Mendoza, who has been with the Yankees organization for 15 seasons and has spent the past four as their bench coach, is reportedly also in a second-round callback interview with the Mets per Andy Martino of SNY. Green is a former major leaguer, playing four games for the Mets, and has managing experience as he formerly managed the San Diego Padres. 

Latest MLB News

Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that Major League Baseball will no longer use uniform employee contracts, the agreements with standardized language that MLB long required managers, coaches, trainers, and salaried scouts to agree to across the 30 teams. Clubs are now to draft their own contracts, allowing terms to vary as the MLB makes this move to protect the league office against liability. However, Drellich reports that many are worried that clubs will now attempt to include language that works against employees in new ways. 

MLB’s Arizona Fall League announced the participants for their 2023 Home Run Derby, which will take place on Saturday, November 4. The field has several top prospects: Kevin Alcántara, Kyle Manzardo, Aaron Sabato, Ivan Melendez, Wes Clarke, Damiano Palmegiani, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Kala’i Rosario.

The San Diego Padres recently took out a $50 million loan to help cover payroll, per a report from Dennis Lin, Evan Drellich, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Despite being in a bottom-third media market in the league, San Diego had one of the highest payrolls in baseball, as they are obligated to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., and others. According to the article, the loan was taken out to “address short-term cash flow issues and meet their obligations, including payroll.”

Latest on MMO

Allison Waxman looked back at the infamous Matt Harvey ninth inning in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series and asked the readers, should he have gone back out?

Jett Williams‘ plan to make his major league debut in 2024 was highlighted by Alexis Farinacci. 

Evan Mazza looked into the Mets’ recent interviews for their open manager position. 

On This Date in Mets History

2015: After a historic postseason run in which he led the Mets to an unexpected World Series appearance, Daniel Murphy graces the cover of Sports Illustrated, titled “The Amazin’ Murphy.”

1972: The Mets traded Gary Gentry and Danny Frisella and, in return, acquired Félix Millán and George Stone from the Atlanta Braves. Both players the Mets received played crucial roles in their 1973 pennant-winning season; Millán hit .290 and received MVP votes, while Stone went 12-3 with a 2.80 ERA.

Birthdays: Denyi Reyes (27), Tom Paciorek (77)

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Felix Millan was one of my favorite Mets growing up.  Partly because he was a gritty ballplayer who played the keystone well, and partly because I also had the following card from the 1976 set, which showed the Mets second baseman with one of the most pronounced choking up batting positions in the history of the sport.

Choking up to maintain bat control, and avoid striking out, just the way ol’ Dad said to.

Millan had a very nice career as a player.  Playing from 1966 through 1977, Millan was a three-time All Star form 1969 to 1971, won two gold gloves, and despite the less-than-fearsome stance showed on the 1976 card above, had a lifetime .279 batting average.  Millan had the lowest strikeout rate in the National League four times (1971, ’73, ’74 and ’75).  In 1973, the Mets acquired Millan and George Stone from the Braves in exchange for Danny Frisella and Gary Gentry. Stone went 12 – 3 with a 2.80 ERA in 1973, and Millan capably replaced Ken Boswell, hitting .290 and playing defense well enough to get down ballot MVP votes while the Mets won the 1973 National League pennant.

Turning our attention to the 1978 card, let’s put our Sherlock Holmes deerstalker hat on our head and fire up the computer and turn to baseballreference.com to determine if we can answer the obvious questions being asked by the picture on the card:

1. Who is the base runner?
2. What date is the action taken from?
3. Was the batter safe or out at first?
4. Who was the pitcher?
5. Did the Mets win the game?

1) For those who don’t recall that for years #39 on the Pirates belonged to Dave Parker, we can turn to the Uniforms page on baseballreference.com for the 1977 Pirates and note that indeed, in 1977 Dave Parker wore number 39.

Parker had a stellar 1977 season for the Pirates as their full time right fielder.  He led the National League in hits with 215, and doubles with 44 while leading the league in batting with a .338 average.  Parker won his first gold glove in 1977, and had 7.4 bWAR while finishing third in National League MVP voting.

2) Looking at the card, we see the action is from a day game, and Millan is wearing the home uniform of the Mets while Parker is wearing the road uniform of the Pirates in 1977.  Also the field is grass.  We’re therefore looking for a day game from 1977 where Felix Millan played second against the Pirates and Parker was forced out at second, perhaps but not necessarily as part of a double play.

Using the Schedule & Results page from the 1977 Mets, we see the Mets mostly played night games against the Pirates in 1977.  The days were played on April 23, July 16 and a double header on July 17.  Turning to the box scores from each game, the April 23rd game can be eliminated as Millan did not play in the game for the Mets.  The July 16th game can be eliminated as Parker was never forced at second.  In the first game on the July 17th doubleheader, Parker went 0 – 4 and never reached base.  By process of elimination, the game was taken from the second game of the double header on July 17th, 1977 at Shea Stadium.

Indeed, looking at the box score and play by play from that game, we have two possibilities.  The first is the top of the first when Jerry Koosman was pitching and Parker on first, Al Oliver hit into an around the horn double play, Lenny Randle to Millan to John Stearns.  Looking at the clean uniform pants of Millan, that is my choice for the play.  However, in the top of the eighth, with one out and Skip Lockwood pitching with Parker on first, Bill Robinson hit into an a double play, Millan unassisted to Ed Kranepool at first.  However, seeing how close Parker is to second, a grounder to second would be unlikely to have Millan turned that way if he was touching second, nor Parker getting that close to second, especially compared to an around the horn double play.  In addition, by the 8th inning, Millan had already tripled, scored 2 runs and to me would not have had such a clean uniform.  Also, Parker’s uniform would also be dirtier from the double play in the first, if it were the eighth inning.

3) Likely Al Oliver (first inning) or perhaps Bill Robinson (eighth inning) in either event the runner was out at first as no other times was Parker retired on a force at second.

4) Likely Jerry Koosman (first inning), less likely, Skip Lockwood, (eighth inning).

5) The Mets, who finished the 1977 season with a dismal 64 – 98 record, have one of their victories shown on the card, as the Mets won the game 9 – 3.

Let’s take a deerstalker hat off now my fellow baseball card sleuths and hang it on the peg on the wall.  Remember until next time………………………

Lets Go Mets 

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