After hitting two home runs in Friday night’s game, Francisco Lindor improved his career total to 260, matching him with Derek Jeter on the all-time leaderboard. Lindor is now tied for the fourth-most home runs all-time among players who spent 60 percent of their career playing shortstop. The Mets’ superstar now has 12 home runs on the year and will surpass Jeter with just one more long ball.

Francisco Lindor

Latest Mets News

The Mets (35-22) defeated the Rockies (9-48) 4-2 on Friday night. Lindor recorded two home runs, Juan Soto had two hits including an RBI double and Edwin Díaz recorded the save with three strikeouts.

Prior to Friday’s game, the Mets sent down lefty Brandon Waddell, who pitched five innings on Wednesday to save the bullpen. In a corresponding move, they called up Chris Devenski.

Carlos Mendoza provided updates on two key injured pitchers. According to Mendoza, Paul Blackburn is “in play” to be activated and start a game in the upcoming series against the Dodgers. Meanwhile, Sean Manaea threw 20 pitches during a live batting practice on Thursday and threw an additional 15 pitches in the bullpen.

Will Sammon of The Athletic wrote about how Juan Soto began a ritual with the Mets outfielders to share an embrace after each defensive half-inning before heading back into the dugout.

Former Met Howard Johnson told Jay Horwitz that he underwent his 19th, and hopefully final, surgery on his foot and is moving around much better than he used to be able to.

Latest MLB News

The Braves signed former Met José Azócar to the major league roster and placed Stuart Fairchild on the injured list. Azócar had been with the Mets as recently as this week and had a .628 OPS in 12 games with the team.

The Angels officially reinstated superstar Mike Trout from the injured list. Trout played in the Angels’ game on Friday and went 1-for-5 while batting fifth.

Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips is undergoing Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. Phillips had not allowed a run in seven games this season.

MLB announced that Opening Day in the Dominican Summer League will take place June 2 at the Boston Red Sox Academy, and that there will be a new playoff format starting this year.

Latest on MMO

David Melendi asks how Ronny Mauricio fits into the Mets’ plans.

On This Date in Mets History

1964: The Mets and Giants played the longest doubleheader in MLB history. It took nine hours and 52 minutes from the start of the first game to the conclusion of the second game, with the nightcap lasting a whopping 23 innings. The Giants won both games.

Born on This Date: Gerson Bautista (1995), Joe Orsulak (1962), Dwight Bernard (1952).

The post Morning Briefing: Lindor Ties Jeter on Home Run Leaderboard appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

When it began in 1997, it was more than just a novelty. City bragging rights were on the line, and the stakes were heightened further when the teams met in the World Series just a few years later. The energy is almost always electric, and this weekend is certainly no exception, providing another chance to etch new moments into Subway Series history.

June 16, 1997

The inaugural regular-season meeting turned into Dave Mlicki‘s finest hour.

The 29-year-old started this historic meeting and proceeded to become the only Met to throw a shutout at Yankee Stadium—current or previous. Although he allowed nine hits and two walks over 119 pitches and managed to record a 1-2-3 inning just once, he struck out eight and avoided trouble.

Bernard Gilkey scored three times, with his initial run coming on a John Olerud first-inning double off Andy Pettitte as the Mets jumped out to a 3-0 lead. They added two more on Olerud’s seventh-inning single and another on Gilkey’s ninth-inning sac fly. The Yankees had more traffic on the bases in the ninth, but despite three singles, Mlicki preserved his scoreless effort—striking out Derek Jeter to finish off the 5-0 victory.

July 10, 1999

Mariano Rivera and the Yankees had won 124 straight times after taking a lead into the eighth. That wasn’t going to stop the Mets, even if they had to overcome six home runs.

A Mike Piazza 482-foot moon shot in the seventh was countered by the power of Yankee bats.

Down to their final out and behind by a run, Matt Franco helped defy the odds. His bases-loaded single to right field brought in Rickey Henderson and Edgardo Alfonso to put an exclamation point on a 9-8 win that remains arguably the best Mets victory of the Subway Series era.

June 27, 2008

Carlos Delgado came out of a slump in historic fashion by setting the Mets’ single-game record for RBIs in a 15-9 rout. This was the opener of a cross-town, two-stadium doubleheader, but Delgado helped make Yankee Stadium feel like Shea. With the score tied at four, Delgado drove in two with a fifth-inning double into the right field corner. His next opportunity came in the sixth with the bases loaded. One swing turned a relatively close game into a blowout on a no-doubt grand slam to right center.

His 443rd career homer put him ahead of Dave Kingman on the all-time list, the same man who previously held the single-game franchise mark for RBIs. The contest was 12-5 in the eighth, but Delgado didn’t ease up. Locking in on a LaTroy Hawkins pitch, he rocketed it into the right field stands that were now half-empty, and many of those who remained were happy.

June 12, 2009

You know the Subway Series has weight when a regular season loss still stings. I needed a drink just to help while researching on Baseball Reference. For those who saw it, I’m sorry. For those actually at Yankee Stadium, I’m really sorry. For those who were lucky to miss it, don’t watch. Here it is in excruciating detail.

The Yankees trailed by one and were down to their last out with runners on first and second as Francisco Rodríguez graced the mound. Alex Rodriguez popped it up in the vicinity of second baseman Luis Castillo, who drifted to his left for an easy game-ending catch … not.

It clanked off the heel of his glove. Jeter scored, as did Mark Teixeira. Yankees 9, Mets 8. The career of Castillo, as well as the ’09 season, never recovered.

May 28, 2013

Matt Harvey continued his stellar first full season with ten strikeouts and one run allowed, but encountered tough luck.

Hiroki Kuroda’s seven shutout innings, followed by David Robertson’s easy eighth, made Harvey prime for a loss. That Yankee lead disappeared after a rare spurt of Amazin’ offense, however. The Mets honored Rivera in his farewell season by having him toss out the series finale’s honorary first pitch. He also threw the last pitch—but this time, the only ceremony was to initiate a Mets win.

He came back onto the Citi Field mound with the Yanks up 1–0 in the ninth. When he left, the Yankees had lost 2-1 and Rivera didn’t record an out. Three straight hits by Daniel Murphy, Wright and Lucas Duda engineered the game-ending rally.

September 12, 2021

This game rekindled the tension and combativeness of the Subway Series. The Mets opened the three-game set with a 10-run outburst, followed the next night by an emotional 8-7 Yankees victory on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Then came the finale: also known as Francisco Lindor‘s first signature Mets moment.

For all his struggles during his initial season in Queens, this night was a turning point. His home run in the second turned a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead. His next long ball in the sixth increased the Met lead to two. After exchanging words with the opposition (with support from Javy Báez) an inning later, Lindor backed up the talk with more action: a tie-breaking blast to deep right field that put his team in front for good in the eighth.

June 25-26 & July 23-24, 2024

The Yankees hold a 84-67 advantage dating back to ’97. The Mets, however, have had the edge of late, including last season’s four-game sweep. Outscoring them 36-14 and hitting 13 homers, it was just the second time the orange and blue went unbeaten against the Bombers in a single season.

How well did it go for the Mets? Lefty reliever Jake Diekman, sporting an ERA of 5.63, was given the chance to face Aaron Judge in the ninth inning of a 3-2 game…and struck him out. Just like we all thought he would.

The finale was a Mets party in the Bronx: a 12-3 victory at Yankee Stadium in which Gerrit Cole was inefficient for the second time on the year while Lindor hit two homers and drove in five.

The post Big Apple Battles: Greatest Subway Series Moments appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets fans!

Derek Jeter announced on the Super Bowl that he will be joining the FOX Sports baseball team this season. The five-time World Series champion will join his former teammate Alex Rodríguez and fellow Hall of Famer David Ortiz in the FOX studio. Jeter headed a group that bought the Miami Marlins in 2017, but he left his post as the team’s CEO last February.

Latest Mets News

Patrick Mahomes II led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl LVII. The son of former Mets reliever Patrick Mahomes has now won two Super Bowls in the last four seasons. With the Super Bowl being over, Mets pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Port St. Lucie in just two days.

Latest MLB News

The Pirates have signed catcher Kevin Plawecki and left-handed pitcher Caleb Smith to minor league contracts with invites to spring training. The former Met Plawecki struggled in his time with the Red Sox and Rangers in 2022, hitting just .220/.286/.286 (61 OPS+) with one homer in 186 plate appearances. Smith meanwhile made 44 appearances for the D-Backs this past season, turning in a 4.11 ERA/5.57 FIP with 65 strikeouts against 39 walks in 70 innings.

Latest on MMO

Ricky Keeler ranks all the position players participating in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

On This Date in Mets History

2003: The Mets sign five-time All-Star David Cone on a minor league contract, bringing him out of retirement. Cone pitched for the Mets from 1987-92, going 80-48 in that time and finishing third in Cy Young voting in 1988. He last pitched in the majors for the Red Sox in 2001, tossing 135 2/3 innings with a 4.31 ERA. He is going to be competing for the fifth spot in the Mets’ rotation.

Birthdays: Howie Rose (69), Brian Rose (47), Mike Nickeas (40)

The post Morning Briefing: Derek Jeter Joins FOX Sports Team appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Amid a busy offseason for the New York Mets, in which the club committed nearly $500 million to free agents, utility player Danny Mendick may have gone unnoticed.

Signed to a one-year, $1 million deal in late December, Mendick, 29, offers the Mets a versatile depth option who still has two minor league options remaining.

The Rochester native’s story is one of perseverance, as he received no collegiate offers out of high school and was later drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 22nd round of the 2015 MLB Draft.

Mendick has played all over the diamond in the White Sox’ organization, including 3,000+ plus innings at shortstop, 1,600+ innings at second base, 750+ innings at third base, over 150 innings in the outfield and one scoreless inning pitched.

He made his major league debut on September 3, 2019, appearing as a pinch runner in the White Sox’ 6-5 win over Cleveland on the road. Mendick posted a .308 batting average with a 107 OPS+ in 40 plate appearances in the last month of the regular season.

Since then, Mendick has appeared in parts of the next three seasons, playing in a career-high 71 major league games in 2021.

His breakout year came in 2022 when he appeared in 31 games and posted career highs in on-base percentage (.343), wRC+ (125) and fWAR (0.8). Mendick got a prolonged look at shortstop, as he filled in for two-time All-Star Tim Anderson after he went on the IL with a groin injury in late May.

Unfortunately, Mendick’s ’22 season came to an abrupt end on June 22nd, as he collided with teammate Adam Haseley on a foul popup down the left field line. He underwent surgery on his right knee to repair a torn ACL and has been rehabbing and working his way back to full strength.

After being non-tendered by the White Sox this offseason, Mendick is excited for a new opportunity with the Mets. While his signing didn’t provoke much fanfare, adding a versatile player such as Mendick provides the Mets a solid depth option, which is always needed over the course of a 162-game season.

I had the privilege of speaking with Mendick in early January, where he discussed growing up in upstate New York, how former Mets Willie Harris and Joe McEwing aided in his development and signing with the Mets.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Mendick: I was always a big Derek Jeter fan, and I really liked Mike Piazza. I didn’t really watch the Mets as much, but I loved the way that guy played and his story. But I was always a Jeter guy.

As I grew older, I enjoyed watching the game. So, that’s kind of what it came to.

MMO: What was it like growing up and playing baseball in upstate New York?

Mendick: It was cold, that’s for sure. [Laughs.] It’s cool though because it’s different from the guys that always lived in the warm weather. When the warmth started to come around, and you were getting closer to springtime, you were really chomping at the bit.

I always felt like I had that kind of edge where once the weather started to get nice, you were like, man, I can’t wait to get outside and play, rather than those guys that just played year-round. That’s what I enjoyed the most was looking forward to when the snow was gone, and being able to play.

MMO: I read that your grandfather has been a season ticket holder of the Rochester Red Wings for decades. Is that right?

Mendick: Yeah, I kind of grew up on that. We would go to Red Wings games whenever they were home, and on Friday nights we would always go. I was always around the game and watching that I was like, Man, I can do this.

My dad was the one that said, “There’s nothing you can’t do.” Fast forward a little bit, and here we are.

MMO: There’s nothing like watching a minor league game. The atmosphere is great and it’s fun to see the future talent of the sport early on.

Mendick: I think that’s what sometimes gets lost. When people watch you in the big leagues, sometimes they forget how many levels you went through, and how many guys got whittled away. When you get there, you’re playing against the best of the best.

MMO: Can you talk about your journey from not receiving any collegiate scholarships for baseball out of high school to eventually ending up at the University of Massachusetts Lowell?

Mendick: I was a smaller guy out of high school, and I never really got looked at like that. I had a look at Niagara my senior year, but it just didn’t end up working out. I went to Monroe Community College in Rochester and played there.

In my sophomore year, they had a pro day, and I’ll never forget this, I wasn’t invited. Long story short, I was the only one that ended up playing pro out of all of the guys that went.

I ended up going to UMass Lowell because the coach liked how I played. We were playing against Hartford, Connecticut, and Sean Newcomb was pitching that day. In BP (batting practice), my thing was I just laid out for balls. I was at short, and I’d just lay out there in BP.

That’s how I ended up getting drafted because all the scouts there were looking for Newcomb, and they were there watching BP and kind of just picked up on my attitude and play. I got drafted by the White Sox because of that day.

MMO: What are your memories from the 2015 MLB Draft in which you were selected in the 22nd round?

Mendick: The Cubs told me that they were going to take me in the back-half of the top ten. That went through, and that was the second day, and I didn’t get drafted. I was like, All right, tomorrow I’m going to play golf. And if it happens, it happens.

I played 36 holes that day. On the second half of the second eighteen, I got a call from the White Sox telling me they drafted me in the 22nd round and if I wanted to come to Arizona. It was a plane ticket and a dream.

MMO: I read an article where you talked about the impact Willie Harris had on you in the minor leagues in 2017. Can you talk about how Harris aided in your development?

Mendick: He was really helpful. I was a grindy little player, and that’s what I pride myself on. He really emphasized and talked to me about how to not care about the stuff that you can’t control and to just have a chip on your shoulder when you play.

Obviously, it’s a team sport, and you’re playing with the guys on your team and playing for them, but when you get in that batter’s box, he really taught me how to put that mentality of it’s me versus this guy. I’m not going to go up there and half-ass something; I wouldn’t do that in general in life, why would I half-ass an at-bat? I’m going up there one-on-one, and I’m going to get mine. I’m going to beat this guy.

Sometimes you go up there, and early on it was like, I have to get a hit here; I have to go 1-for-3 because my numbers have got to be good. But my mentality has changed to every pitch, every at-bat, I’m going to beat this guy, and I’m not going to give in and let him beat me. That’s kind of what he instilled.

MMO: It seems like Harris was instrumental with the mental side of the game.

Mendick: As I got bigger and stronger, the skill was there. The mental part of it just kind of took over, and then when I started to compete and not really give in to what these guys were trying to do. You start to get up there and think you’re really going to beat this guy.

MMO: Versatility is a big calling card of yours. Growing up, were you always a player that moved around defensively? And do you have a favorite position?

Mendick: I grew up playing shortstop, so I always will love that position and it’s natural to me. I played the majority of middle infield when I was growing up because I was smaller and had good hands.

I’ve said this before, no matter what the position is, you just have to catch the ball, field the ball, throw the ball, throw it to the right base and before the runner gets there. That’s kind of my mentality, whether it’s left field, shortstop, second base; guy hits a ground ball to me I’m going to do the same thing as if it was in the outfield, it’s just a little different dimension.

You take pride in that. Even in BP, take [grounders] everywhere! That’s how you get practice in and gain confidence.

MMO: You had Joe McEwing as a coach for a couple of seasons in the majors. Mets fans remember him well and he carved out a nice career as a versatile player. Was McEwing someone that aided in your development?

Mendick: Yeah, absolutely. He was one of the first ones when I got to the big leagues that I could relate to because we’re the same kind of person. It was great having somebody who has been in the same shoes as you, and have that knowledge of what it was like and how they went through it and handled it.

I had the ability to talk to him about different things. Certain times you’re not playing every day, and you get in there one day and you’re struggling a little bit. Then one day leads to not playing for another four days, and now you’re thinking about it, and how you handle that and remain emotionally strong is important.

To have a guy that’s done it before and also a guy like Willie, they tell you how to get through it and how they did it. Then you come up with your own ways, but they help you transform to what you need to do.

MMO: You’ve been a utility player in the majors after starting in the minors. How do you adjust your mindset and keep yourself ready when you’re not playing every day?

Mendick: I love the game, and I always look forward to the unexpected. I used to have this saying that you have to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. If you don’t play every day, you have to always be ready to play and always ready to make an impact on the game somehow.

When you’re a kid and play sandlot baseball, if you weren’t doing something that day or say you weren’t playing, how can you get in the game? How can you make a play? That’s kind of how I look at it.

I’m going to be the guy that comes off the bench or plays that day and sparks the team and be a sore to the other team.

MMO: You got to pitch in a blowout game on April 19, 2021, against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway. You tossed a scoreless inning and struck out Franchy Cordero. What are your memories from that game, and when did you learn to throw a knuckleball?

Mendick: It was awesome, dude. I don’t even think I threw a knuckleball; it registered as a knuckleball because I threw it so slowly. [Laughs.]

I was talking to Zack Collins, the catcher that day, and I used to throw this type of air-cutter, which sometimes if you grip the ball the right way, it’ll cut based off the wind and the way it catches. That’s what I was trying to throw.

It was just super slow and hung up in the air. Other than that, I was just trying to flick it in there and throw strikes because we were getting absolutely crushed. It was a little nerve-wracking.

They were like, “You’re going to pitch the eighth.” I had to get my arm warm because I was coming off the bench and just went out there and threw strikes. I was just afraid that somebody was going to hit an absolute laser back at me! [Laughs.]

MMO: I assume that you were aware that you were an emergency pitcher for the team?

Mendick: Yeah, I was aware because Tony [La Russa] knew I could throw strikes. He knew I had good accuracy and I could just put the ball in there.

I used to throw BP when I was younger, and I still practice and mess around with it sometimes. He always knew that I could do that and would say, “If we need a guy, are you ready?” I would tell him, ‘Yeah, are you kidding me? I’m always ready.’

MMO: Did you keep the baseball from your first career strikeout?

Mendick: Oh, yeah! That one is sitting in the man cave.

MMO: A couple of numbers stood out to me from your 2022 season. You increased your zone swing percentage by over 4 percent compared to 2021, and you lowered your chase percentage by nearly 7 percent. Was that a specific adjustment you made heading into the ’22 season?

Mendick: I have kind of just been working on my swing. With working on the swing and creating it more efficiently, it’s allowed me to, and I kind of go back to what I said earlier: hunt what I want to hunt.

Nowadays, you get a scouting report, and it tells you everything that the pitcher is good at, and the same thing vice versa. If I go in there and I look and see where he’s going to pitch me, I’m going to have no success because I’m just going to collapse and fall into what he wants to do.

You have to look for the mistakes and look at the heart of the plate and what you’re going to hit and what you want to hit. And then obviously, with two strikes, it becomes a different story; you have to protect and find a way to win the battle.

Early in the count, and what has kind of changed for me, is I would go in there and just be like, Okay, I have two strikes until I really have to hone in. I’m going to look for my pitch until I get to two strikes.

Sometimes you get in there, like when I first got called up, and you’re chasing because you just feel like you have to make contact. Now I give myself two strikes. The first two strikes are mine, and then the third one is on the team. I look for my two strikes, and then I change my swing up a little bit and stay short and change it for two strikes.

MMO: I also noticed that your pull percentage increased by over 8 percent from 2021 to 2022. Was that a conscious effort on your part as well?

Mendick: Yeah. I think early on, and I hate to say this, I had a lot of coaches trying to just get me to hit the ball the other way. The way the game is nowadays, you just have to hit the ball hard. Hit the ball on the barrel, and see what happens.

I was a good pull hitter, and changing what I could do successfully was stupid. I looked at my numbers and knew I can pull the ball, and I can also swing at strikes, and I can still hit the ball the other way. So, it’s like, why would I just try and force it the other way when I can do both? It’s more of a reactionary thing for me now.

MMO: You suffered a torn ACL in your right knee after a collision with Adam Haseley in late June. How was the rehab process, and how is your knee feeling now? What’s the ETA for getting back on the field?

Mendick: Everything is great. I know I’m ahead of schedule, and rehab has been great. I think the plan is to build me up and be ready for Opening Day.

I’m doing everything that’s baseball-related: running, cutting, hitting, taking ground balls, all of that stuff. Shouldn’t see anything that’s holding me back.

It was weird, too, because it was the first time in my career that I’ve been injured. I take pride in that. You’re going to have bumps and bruises, and you’re going to be aching, but even in the minor leagues, I wasn’t going to take a day off if I didn’t have to.

The injury was fluky, but I looked at it as God has a plan. The White Sox ended up non-tendering me, and I came here with the Mets, and I’m super excited to be with the Mets and try to go out there and win a World Series with them.

It’s been a blessing to get here, and I don’t know if it would’ve worked out any other way.

MMO: So you should have a fairly normal spring training with no restrictions?

Mendick: Yeah, it should be good. It should be a normal build-up with three innings to five innings to seven innings to let’s go.

MMO: Can you talk about signing with the Mets this offseason, and what made you find them an appealing destination?

Mendick: I was always with the White Sox, and when I got non-tendered it was, okay, let’s see what else is out there. The Mets were one of the first teams to reach out. They stayed in touch and gave me a good deal. And for where I was at, especially after an ACL [injury], I felt like they really believed in me.

What drew me to becoming a New York Met was the owner and his pride in winning, and the organization and way they go about their business.

The biggest thing I take pride in is going out there and winning. You do it for the fans and for yourself, and you just take pride in it. To have an organization that felt the same way, I knew right there and then that it was what I wanted to be a part of.

MMO: Thanks very much for some time today, Danny. Best of luck in 2023.

Mendick: I appreciate it. Thanks!

Follow Danny Mendick on Twitter, @dmendick01

The post MMO Exclusive: Utility Player, Danny Mendick appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

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 said. It was the first-ever regular-season meeting between the two New York clubs

The advent of interleague play gave great anticipation to several regional match-ups that had not yet been seen. And because of New York’s storied history, the Mets and Yankees had the most build-up.

It was the 29-year-old Mlicki who got the start on the historic occasion. All he did was become, still to this day, the only Met to throw a shutout at Yankee Stadium—current or previous.

“It was one of those days where everything was working,” Mlicki said to the New York Post last year. “I had confidence in my stuff. The fans were into it. It was such a big deal.”

Although he gave up nine hits and allowed two walks over 119 pitches and managed just a single 1-2-3 frame, the Yankees were unable to get on the scoreboard. Much of the credit goes to Mlicki of course for striking out eight and preventing any trouble. But he also got assistance from his defense—including sharp glove plays from Matt Franco at third base and Bernard Gilkey in left field.

Gilkey scored three times on the night. He crossed the plate on a John Olerud double off Andy Pettitte in the first as the Mets jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. The Mets added two more on an Olerud seventh-inning single and another on Gilkey’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly.

The Yankees added more traffic on the bases in the ninth. But despite three singles, Mlicki stayed in and preserved his scoreless effort—striking out Derek Jeter to finish off the 5-0 win and earn bragging rights over the defending world champions.

Mlicki finished ’97 at 8-12 with an ERA of 4.00. But his season, his Mets career, and his big-league career is forever remembered by his stellar night at the Bronx. As Mlicki told the Post last year, many haven’t forgotten.

“I’ll be at a golf tournament and some Mets fan will come to me and say, ‘Oh my God, I was at that game! I still have the ticket stub!’ All New York fans are so passionate about their sports. It’s what makes it so great. It’s nice to still be relevant sometimes.”

The post OTD in 1997: Mlicki Dominant in Subway Series Opener appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On January 7, 1992, Tom Seaver was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame along with Rollie Fingers.

Seaver was elected with 98.8%  of the vote in his first year of eligibility, which was the highest percentage for any player at the time (Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, and Ken Griffey Jr. have since been elected with higher percentages).

So much has been written about Seaver, especially since his passing on August 31, 2020. He had the nickname of “The Franchise” for a reason, as he was the most popular and accomplished player ever to wear a Mets uniform. He was the first player to enter Cooperstown sporting a Mets cap.

On the anniversary of his election into baseball’s hallowed hall, here is a reflection on Seaver’s accomplishments that earned him the honor of Hall of Fame inductee, with such a large, almost unanimous vote.

Personal Statistics

12-time all star

1967 NL Rookie of the Year

3 Cy Young Awards (1969, 1973, 1975)

Career WAR of 109.9

3 NL ERA titles (1970, 1971, 1973)

311 career wins

3 time leader in NL in WHIP (1971, 1973, 1977)

6 time leader in NL K/9 (1970, 1971, 1973, 1973, 1974, 1976)

5 time leader in NL in Strikeouts (1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976)

2 time leader in NL in shutouts (1977, 1979)

4 time leader in NL in FIP (1971, 1973, 1975, 1976)

MLB Ranking in Key Statistics

Wins- 18th with 311

Strikeouts- 6th with 3640

Innings pitched- 17th with 4782.2

WHIP- 23rd with 1.12

Opponent BA- 13th with .226

Ranking Among Mets Pitchers

Wins- 1st with 198

ERA- 1st with 2.57

Innings pitched- 1st with 3045.2

Strikeouts- 1st with 2541

Games started- 1st with 395

Complete games- 1st with 171

Shutouts- 1st with 44

Pitcher bWAR- 1st with 76.1

It’s unfortunate, and almost hard to imagine, that a player with such overwhelming team accomplishments could have had anything other than a harmonious relationship with the organization. However, Seaver’s time in uniform and in retirement were choppy in terms of his dealings with the Mets.

In 1977, Seaver wanted to renegotiate his salary to have it more closely align with the higher salaries pitchers were earning through the newly established free agency system. He had a difference of opinion on the matter with Chairman of the Board M. Donald Grant, which resulted in Seaver’s being traded to the Reds.

After being reacquired from Cincinnati for the 1983 season, Seaver was left unprotected in a free agency compensation draft after the season. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox, and won his 300th game in a White Sox uniform at Yankee Stadium.

When he retired, Seaver had a lukewarm relationship with the Mets, returning to Shea Stadium for Tom Seaver Day on July 24, 1988. After that, he worked in the Yankees’ television booth from 1989-1993. As a sign of detente with the Mets, he worked in the Mets’ television booth from 1999-2005, before becoming infrequently publicly available after that point.

The issue of the Tom Seaver statue at Citi Field is set to come to resolution on Opening Day 2022, which (lockout willing) will take place on March 31. Citi Field now sits on 41 Seaver Way. The Mets are slowly coming around to permanently recognizing their most iconic player, which for many fans cannot come a day too soon.

Here is an MMO hat tip to The Franchise, Tom Seaver.

The post OTD 1992: Tom Seaver Elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The story of T.J. Rivera is one of resilience and taking the opportunities given and making the most of them. After going undrafted as a college senior in 2011, the Bronx native was unsure of how he’d reach his dream of playing professional baseball.

Unbeknownst to Rivera at the time, his junior college coach and former Mets alum Mackey Sasser put in a good word for him with Mets scout Tommy Jackson. The Mets took a chance and signed Rivera shortly after the Draft, giving Rivera new hope for a dream he had since his childhood growing up in the Bronx, emulating Derek Jeter.

Throughout his minor league ascension, Rivera hit under .300 just once (2013, .289) and routinely displayed his incredible ability to make contact and hit for a high average.

On August 10, 2016, Rivera made his major league debut after playing more than 550 games in the minors dating back to 2011. In front of dozens of family and friends, Rivera made his debut at Citi Field, batting sixth and playing third base against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rivera recorded his first career hit (single to center) leading off the bottom of the tenth off right-hander Daniel Hudson in the Mets’ eventual 3-2 loss in twelve innings.

In 33 games in ’16, Rivera slashed .333/.345/.476 with a 120 OPS+ as the Mets surged in their last 40 games to make the postseason in back-to-back seasons for just the second time in franchise history.

Just a few short months after Rivera received his call up, here he was batting fifth and playing second base in the National League Wild Card game against the San Francisco Giants at home. A pitching duel ensued between Madison Bumgarner and Noah Syndergaard as the game remained scoreless until the top of the ninth, when the Giants scored three runs off Jeurys Familia. Rivera was one of four Mets to record a hit off the lefty ace and the only one to hit for extra bases.

Rivera showcased his versatility in 2017, playing double-digit games at first, second and third base. He once again showcased his high contact, low swing & miss rate, posting an 81.3 percent contact rate and 9.9 swinging strike percentage. Rivera’s 104 wRC+ was the 12th-highest mark among qualified National League rookies.

Unfortunately, Rivera played in just 73 games in ’17 after he was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in late July. After a little over a month of deliberations, Rivera chose to undergo Tommy John surgery and hoped that being a position player would minimize the time he was away from the diamond.

July 26, 2017, would be the last game Rivera would play in as a Met, as complications in his rehab led to his eventual release from the Mets during spring training in 2019.

Since his release, Rivera has bounced around baseball quite a bit. Rivera played for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League in 2019, along with 15 games with the Washington Nationals’ Double-A affiliate that same season. He signed a minor-league pact with the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2020 season before he was released in late May and unable to play in any minor league games due to COVID-19.

After playing in Puerto Rico this offseason, Rivera is feeling healthy and ready for another opportunity. Rivera hopes that he can at least sign with an organization and give it another try to reach the majors.

As he awaits a potential opportunity with a club, his main goal is simple: to go out on his own terms.

I had the privilege of speaking with Rivera earlier this year, where we discussed growing up in the Northeast, his time with the Mets and playing in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Rivera: Growing up in the Bronx, I grew up a Yankees fan; my dad was the only Mets fan. I kind of stuck with [Derek] Jeter, he was my guy growing up. It was tough not to love him; he was just something else the way he conducted himself on the field and, I guess, off the field as well. He just handled the pressure so well, and that was the guy I always looked up to.

I was a shortstop growing up as a kid, and he was just the man at the time. He was the guy I kind of tried to focus my game [after] and tried to play the way he did.

Another guy I really liked watching was A-Rod because his swing was my favorite as I got a little older and started understanding the swing a little bit. But [my] favorite player overall was definitely Jeter.

MMO: You grew up locally in the Bronx, where weather conditions weren’t always conducive to being able to play consistently. How did you continue to train and hone your craft despite the inability to play year-round like kids in warmer weather states?

Rivera: That’s a good question. I live down south now, and you can see how much easier it is to train and be outdoors a little bit earlier in the year and to get the work in. It’s more convenient being down here.

I guess you don’t know the difference as much when you’re growing up in the city and you don’t know anything different. I used my Little League field a bunch during the summers. My buddies that grew up in my building and all of my friends that played together would ride our bikes over to the Little League field that had a batting cage. If it was locked, we’d hop over the fence and get some work in.

As I got a little older, I started playing with some other teams that would rent out indoor facilities and gyms, really just gyms. I went to Lehman High School, and we just used the gym; it had a cage that would pull out, some cones and some tees to hit off of, and tennis balls. [Laughs.] We just got our work in. Then the summer came around [and] we’d be back outside on the fields.

I played a lot of Wiffle Ball, too, so I don’t know if that had anything to do with my hand-eye coordination, but I played so much Wiffle Ball.

It’s tougher, for sure, being up in the Northeast and not being able to be on the field. But you find a way to get your work in.

MMO: Mackey Sasser was your head coach in junior college, and he gave you a glowing recommendation to Mets scout Tommy Jackson. What kind of role did Sasser play in your development during your time at Wallace Community College?

Rivera: I was with Mackey for two years. It was a big change for me and a couple of other guys coming down south to see how things were done and see how ball was played down here and how they coached. It was a little bit of an adjustment period for us. Once we got used to everything, we were fortunate to have him as our coach because he had big-league experience.

The way he coached kind of let us go play and learn through our mistakes. I had Pete Coachman there as well, and they would tweak us, work with us here and there, but they let us learn through our mistakes and let us go out there and grind it out, and let us be ourselves on the field.

I had a lot of fun in my time with Mackey at Wallace. I think it was me and four other kids from New York that came down as well. We were on our own, and we were working our butts off whenever we played. When practice was over, we would try to sneak back over to the field because we lived right across the street and we had nothing else to do in the beginning; it wasn’t like we had friends and family around, so we’d just sneak back onto the field and get our work in and hit in the cage when we could. But my time with him was great. He taught me a lot, and I think I learned a lot about myself as well from those two years.

It’s funny; when I got signed by the Mets, I didn’t know how it even came about until my last couple of years with them. I never asked anybody; I just kind of went about my business. I don’t know if it was Tommy [Jackson] when I met him in person or who it was that told me, but I finally found out that Mackey was the one who recommended me. I thought the whole time it was my Troy coaches. I thought they called and put some good words in for me when I didn’t get drafted, and I finally found out my last couple of years with the Mets that it was Mackey that was the way I got the recommendation.

It’s funny that it took so long for me to find out that he was the one to do it, but I was definitely appreciative of it.

MMO: I certainly hope Mackey received a nice bottle of something after you found out it was him!

Rivera: I need to, I need to! We still talk here and there. I’m in Alabama now, so I’m like an hour and a half from them [Wallace]. I need to go stop by, but we always keep in touch.

I saw him when they had the Fantasy Camp in Port St. Lucie, he always does that. I’d see him a couple of times when he did that. And then he came and saw me in Atlanta when we were playing, so we always keep in touch.

He definitely helped me out and gave me that opportunity, which I needed obviously, because there was no telling if I would’ve gotten an opportunity if not.

MMO: Can you talk about your memories of going undrafted, but then having the Mets reach out and sign you just a few weeks later?

Rivera: It was a weird situation, it’s like the situation I’m in now trying to figure out what to do next and what’s the next move. It was a couple of weeks out of the Draft, and I was graduating – I had one class left – and I finished that. I was thinking, Man, what do we got? What’s my next move? What are we going to do here?

Then I got the call, and I wouldn’t say it surprised me because I was going to try and do pro ball; I just didn’t know how it was going to come about. I got the call, and I was really excited, first off. And then it was the Mets, too, and I remember Tommy asking if I played shortstop. I told him of course. I mean, if he would’ve asked me if I pitched, I would’ve told him yes. [Laughs.] I would’ve made something up and said of course I pitch. It hasn’t been since I was 12, but I’ve done it!

I just remember getting the call and just thinking, Man, this is crazy. This is going to be an opportunity; let’s hope it goes through and everything works. Being able to tell my parents that [I signed], obviously the goal was to be drafted, but things happen and you just got to keep moving forward.

When I got that call, I was super excited. My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, was a little let down because I was leaving her. But it all paid out, and we all made some sacrifices. I was really excited to tell my parents that I was getting an opportunity.

MMO: As an undrafted player, what was your approach throughout the minor leagues? Did that put more pressure on you to succeed, or were you looking at it solely as an opportunity?

Rivera: I always thought I was the one with all of the pressure because I was this free agent. Looking back at it, I couldn’t fail. If I did fail and if I had one off season I probably was going home, and then I’d either have to restart or try to find another opportunity. That’s just the way it works, and I look back at it and I realize that now.

During the process, I looked at it as an opportunity. I looked at it like, man, this is an opportunity that I get, and I’m going to take advantage of it with all my possibilities available. I’m just going to leave it out there. I’m going to do everything I can; I’m going to make sure I work harder than everybody else, and I’m just going to make sure that when my opportunity comes [I’m ready].

I was obviously a bench guy, and I wasn’t a guy that they were going to put out there – pretty much a roster filler – and I knew that. I knew that I was going to have to put a little more work in.

And then, as the seasons started going along, I started realizing how important it was to be a high draft pick. That it meant a little something when you had money invested in you because then I moved quickly. I had a little halt in St. Lucie, and I realized that I’ve got to really keep proving myself.

So, yeah, I think there was a pressure that I knew if I had one off season, that was probably it, you know? There are not many second opportunities for a guy that’s older than everybody else in the league and is a free agent and doesn’t have that much money invested. I had that pressure a little bit, but I also had the freedom of knowing that I’m just going to let it eat. I had the jersey on my back just like the other guys, and I’d be ready for that opportunity whenever it comes.

MMO: You were a high contact, high average player throughout your ascension through the minor leagues. Talk about what your approach was at the plate.

Rivera: I like to swing the bat; that’s just the truth about my approach. Sometimes it would be a negative, I’m sure, like swinging out of the zone a little bit here and there. But I always felt like I had control when I was more aggressive, and I felt like I could do more damage when I was more aggressive.

I learned to just have the right mindset, I think, more than anything. I went from college, where I put a little pressure on myself to get drafted, so I thought more of my batting average has to be good; the numbers have to be good. And I started learning as pro ball went along that it’s a long season and I’m just going to go up there with an obtainable goal of hitting the ball on the barrel, whether it be with one strike, no strikes, whatever it may be. My goal is to hit the ball on the barrel and hit it hard.

When I started learning to do that consistently and not worrying about the numbers and what happens after I take my swing, that’s where my success started to kind of take off a little bit. Just being aggressive, and the philosophy when I signed with them was that we were trying to find our pitch, so I was learning that as well. I think it was good timing for me to be with the Mets because I could’ve been a little too aggressive at times, and they were trying to make us less aggressive. That kind of helped me out with taking strikes and looking for a certain pitch, and I think that all kind of helped me focus and make my game a little better.

My approach has always been to barrel the ball up; it might not be pretty sometimes, but that’s just the way I went about my business and just to compete. When I had that mentality of competing pitch-to-pitch, it goes a long way in a long season.

MMO: Early on in your professional career, you had current Mets manager Luis Rojas as your minor league manager. What were your impressions of Rojas back then?

Rivera: Man, I love Rojas. I’ve been saying that for years. I’m glad he’s got the opportunity up there, and I think he’s going to be great. Great personality, an easy guy to play for, and I played well for him in the first half, so I know it’s a little easier when you’re playing well for a coach. But he’s not the type of guy that you have to play well for to feel comfortable with. He is just very even keel, very down-to-earth, very mellow; he’s an easy guy to play for.

I only played for him for half of that season in Savannah, but I loved him. I think he’s going to be great up there, and I’m sure a lot of guys love playing for him. Never a guy to really be scared to talk to; I felt comfortable talking to him and comfortable being around him. You play for people sometimes, and you’re a little hesitant around them because they’re the manager and the boss, but not with him; he was great to be around and very easy to play for.

I enjoyed my time with him, and I hope he kills it up there. I think he will. I think he’s going to be a great manager for a long time.

MMO: What was the moment you heard you were getting the call to the majors like?

Rivera: I was in Triple-A and we had a doubleheader, and Wally Backman called me in. I was playing well at the time in Vegas. I played the first game, and after he called me in, and said, “I’m going to give you a rest.” And I’m like, okay. He told me that I had been playing my butt off and I just thought, Okay, I’m just not playing the second game. Cool, whatever. I’ll just relax.

And then he goes, “Oh yeah, by the way, you have a flight out at 12 tonight.”

I was like, Oh gosh! It hit me really quick. You kind of think about those moments, and you’re not sure when it’s going to happen or if it’s going to happen. You know you’re playing well, and there are guys that go down up top and there’s a lot of movement happening, but you don’t know if you’re the guy or not. You try not to expect it, so I didn’t even think anything of it, and then he hit me with that, and I just dropped. I was like, man, no way! And then to be able to call my parents and wife and finally tell them it’s all paid off; it’s not done, but we’re a little further down the line in my goals and a lot of the things I was trying to achieve. It was such a great feeling; nothing like it.

It’s funny, because whenever Ty Kelly got his first call up, the day before we were in Colorado Springs and Frank Viola called me and goes, “T.J., Wally wants you.” And the whole team erupted! I remember going crazy, and I’m thinking, Oh my God, is this about to happen? Am I getting my call up? I would never have thought anything like that, but just because the team started screaming and just messing around with me, I was like, Oh man, maybe this is it.

I got in there, and Wally was just shaking his head and said, “You need a day off tomorrow.” He was just trying to see if I needed a rest. [Laughs.] And I was like, You’ve got to be kidding me, man. It was terrible. But I got the call up after that, but I just thought that was funny.

There was nothing like it, that feeling of calling your family and your loved ones and telling them you get to play in the big leagues.

MMO: And then getting to make your major league debut at home and record your first career hit must’ve been a thrill.

Rivera: Nothing like it, man. To be able to do it at home in New York, where I grew up, and with all my friends and family there to support me was super cool. That made it that much more special to do it in New York because I know I had a lot of people that came to see me that night, and they’ve supported me for a long time, through my ups and downs.

There was a lot of support there, and you don’t make it on your own without that support. For them to be able to experience that with me, yeah, there’s nothing like that. I’m very grateful for that moment, and it was a relief to get that first one out of the way.

MMO: Fast forward just a few short months, and you’re batting fifth and the starting second baseman in the 2016 Wild Card game against Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants. You recorded the only extra-base hit (leadoff double in the fifth) off Bumgarner that game. What memories do you have from that contest?

Rivera: I got to play in the World Baseball Classic [in 2017], and that energy was great. The WBC and that moment in the Wild Card game, that energy was very similar. That energy that the stadium brought… I remember [Noah] Syndergaard striking Denard Span out [to start the game], and I’m playing second base and the crowd erupted. And I’m like, Okay, this is it. That’s when it really hit me like we’re playing Wild Card playoff-type baseball, and that was unbelievable.

I wish we would’ve come away with the victory because I think that would’ve been a fun ride. Madison Bumgarner was dealing, and he’s a competitor, and that’s what you want. You want your best guy and their best guy, and just go at it. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out on top in that game, but to experience that was cool. It was unbelievable.

I just remember that packed house and how loud it was after big plays; Grandy making that play out in the outfield, and after every strikeout it felt like what I think a Game 7 of a playoff match would feel like. Everything is on the line, and every pitch and every play means something.

Very, very grateful to be able to be a part of that moment and part of that team. It was unfortunate we didn’t get to come out on top, but it was definitely a great experience.

MMO: You mentioned playing in the World Baseball Classic in 2017, and the energy the fans brought. Can you talk about your memories from that WBC, in which Puerto Rico played in the championship game against the United States?

Rivera: That was really fun. The energy that those guys brought every time we played was just [great]. It’s tough to ever be a part of something like that again because there was just so much energy and Puerto Rico was behind us, just like every country was behind their team. There was just something about that energy of playing for something different other than yourself.

The whole dying our hair blonde and everybody in Puerto Rico doing the same thing, and just the support we were getting from everybody was so fun and so great. To just be around guys that are unbelievable athletes that you get to try and pick their brains or just watch them do their thing and be a part of it was fun.

MMO: In the majors, you were versatile with where you could play. Was that something you did a lot growing up? And did you have a favorite position?

Rivera: Shortstop has always been my favorite. I played short pretty much until I got to high school, and then I had to show my versatility a little bit because they had a starting shortstop on the varsity team. I played a lot of short, and then I would play a little bit of third. Then I played a very little bit of first base when the first baseman pitched, but not much. I really stayed up on short and third, and mostly short, all the way through high school.

I started showing my versatility when I got to college because they had the same thing, they had a shortstop. I played short a little bit in the beginning, and then I got moved to second and third base as well. I started moving around a little bit once I got to college. I think that kind of opened up some doors for me to be able to do so, to be able to stay in a lineup.

My favorite, for sure, is short. Even though I got moved out of there early in my career, I still love playing short. I just feel like you control the infield. I love that angle to attack the baseball; it’s definitely my favorite. First base has become one of my more favorite positions since I’ve played it more often. I enjoy trying to pick balls and I enjoy that position as well.

MMO: After the success you had in 2016, you put up another strong campaign in 2017 before undergoing Tommy John surgery that September. It was reported that you had some setbacks along your rehab, and ultimately, you were released in 2019. What were some of the struggles you encountered during that span?

Rivera: It was a long process, not the way I really pictured it. I thought it was I’m a position player getting Tommy John and I’ll be back in nine or ten months; that’s just the way you think of things when you hear about them. You hear people coming back really quick. But I just didn’t have that same normal rehab that everybody else does.

I felt good coming into spring; I came back a little earlier in my rehab games and never quite felt ready. I thought the pain was normal. I wasn’t sure what to feel, so I thought it would go away, and you just have to play through it. But I just never felt back to normal throughout that rehab, and I had to shut it down there early in ’18, and then missed that whole year. I came into spring feeling great too.

I don’t know when I tweaked it, but I know I was just taking a lot of throws at third, and I just tweaked it again. I couldn’t figure out what was happening; it was sucky because I probably rushed myself a little bit too, trying to see opportunities in New York, and I saw an opportunity to play. I was like, I’ve got to be there. And that was more my side rushing it a little bit and being stubborn.

Then I got to spring feeling great in ’19, and then it just gave out on me again. It feels great now, but I didn’t know what was happening at the time. We tried everything. I was putting a brace on my arm just to try to be in the lineup and to play that spring because it was a new front office, new GM, everybody was new, so I was trying to prove that I can play and show that I belonged. It was unfortunate that my arm was just not keeping up with me and I wasn’t able to show them that I belonged, and unfortunately, I got released that spring training of ’19.

It’s been a long journey since, but you just got to keep rolling with it.

MMO: Whenever I think of your story, I always see similarities between you and Jeff McNeil. Two high-contact, high-average hitters who toiled in the minors for a while before getting an opportunity and thriving right away.

Rivera: His story is kind of cool too because he got hurt earlier in his career, and he had some setbacks I’m sure in his career. When he got his opportunity up there in New York, he took off with it. And dang, he can swing it!

I never got to play with him; I was ahead of him a little bit because I was signed before him, so he was always a little bit behind me. But I always heard he could swing it. I watched him last year and the year before, and I love the way he plays because he just puts the ball in play hard consistently. He’s all over that barrel.

I kind of had the similarity where we both like to put the ball in play, but I got hurt, and I’m just hoping to get another opportunity to show that I can do similar things that he’s doing and go out and compete and just give it my all.

MMO: What does the future hold for T.J. Rivera?

Rivera: I don’t know. We are just waiting and seeing if teams are going to sign people for the minor league season. Hopefully, everything goes smoothly and we do have a somewhat normal minor league season; I know it’s already been pushed back a little bit. It’s been a tough time to be out of the game or not with a team to try and get back in because you can’t really showcase yourself to get back to the big leagues when you’re not playing.

Last year, I thought it was going to be a great opportunity with the Phillies, but then we were all sent home, and I was eventually let go from there. So I never really got an opportunity to show that I can still play. Right now, we’re just waiting to hear if teams are going to look to sign people for this minor league season and if I can be one of those guys.

I’m 32, but I hope my versatility and my experience in the past kind of opens up some doors for me and gives me an opportunity. That’s all I’m looking for; I’m not looking for anything crazy. I just want a chance to show I can still play at the high level and get an opportunity to get back to the big leagues. I can be okay with getting that opportunity and just not being good. If I’m not good, then I can move on, but it’s tough to move on with no opportunity to show yourself and see what you still got.

I’m still fighting over here for an opportunity, just hoping somebody gives me that and to showcase my abilities and try to get back to where I feel like I can play, and that’s the big leagues. If nothing works out, I’ll keep moving forward and stay in the game somehow, and move on to some different avenues.

MMO: You did play recently in the offseason in Puerto Rico. How was the competition?

Rivera: It’s okay. This year it was a little weird because we only had four teams. There was one younger team that was just [comprised of] younger professional ballplayers, so they were just a bit younger and inexperienced and still growing. The other teams were just better and were all older, and we had a lot of guys with MLB or Triple-A experience. But the other two teams were solid competition, and the team that beat us in the finals had a really good team.

It was some good competition and experience. All I was looking to do was I was just try to prove that I could still play. For me, the competition was not that important; it was just to show that I’m healthy, I’m playing, and maybe somebody sees that and gives me a chance.

I’d say [the competition] wasn’t as good as it has been in the past because of the way things went. A couple of teams dropped out because of the whole situation with COVID and no fans. But there were two really good teams, our team and the other one that beat us were the two best and that was some good competition.

But like I said, it was an opportunity to get some at-bats and show that I’m healthy and playing, which was fun.

MMO: Thanks for the time today, T.J. Best of luck to you.

Rivera: I appreciate it. Thank you.

Follow T.J. Rivera on Twitter, @TJ_Rivera_

The post MMO Exclusive: Former Utility Infielder, T.J. Rivera appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mike Piazza and Mariano Rivera. The greatest hitting catcher and the greatest closer. It was the bottom of the ninth at Shea Stadium in Game 5 of the first all-New York Fall Classic since 1956. The Mets trailed the Yankees 4-2 on the scoreboard and 3-1 in the series. With a man on base, the tying run was at the plate — represented by a person easily capable of delivering such a swift change in momentum.

When Piazza swung at Rivera’s 0-1 pitch, the Shea Stadium clock read 12:00 a.m. Shortly after, midnight would also come down on the franchise’s most successful season in more than a decade. Piazza’s drive went to deep center field. Mets fans who primarily populated the 55,292 in attendance were hopeful.

Yankee fans who took up a portion of the capacity crowd were likely fearful. Everyone watched as the ball cut through the hazy Queens sky. Bernie Williams drifted back and stopped short of the warning track to make the game-ending, series-ending catch. The Mets wound up a few wins short of a title — one claimed by their cross-town rivals and celebrated on their home field.

There is no shame in losing a World Series. But losing it to the team that occupies the same city and now had won three championships in a row and 26th in total, it was certainly a bittersweet feeling. Especially painful was the fact that the Yankees’ five-game triumph was closer than the final outcome indicated, with each contest decided by two runs or less.

To make the Subway World Series a reality, the Yankees had to overcome seven straight losses in September and a scare in the Division Series before beating Seattle in the ALCS. Led by an ex-Met player and manager along with a roster built primarily through the draft and savvy transactions for veteran players, the “dynasty” label was beginning to fit.

This meeting of New York teams created heightened anticipation, even by New York standards. It was a happening commonplace during the 1940s and 1950s when three prolific local franchises consumed the baseball landscape and it was a scenario that nearly came true the year before — when the Yanks won it all and the Mets lost out on the pennant to the Braves.

Most considered the Yankees as favorites, but Benny Agbayani thought otherwise. Asked by Howard Stern how many games the series would last, Agbayani said five. “And we’re going to win it.” He told noted Yankee fan Regis Philbin the same thing: “Mets in five.”

His reasoning? “Five is our lucky number,” he said.

Saturday, October 21 couldn’t come soon enough, if nothing else to finally settle matters on the field. That evening, filled with the expected heightened emotions, pitted two starting pitchers with big-game reputations: Al Leiter and Andy Pettitte.

Both provided quality starts, but neither factored in the decision.

Instead, this four-hour and 51-minute marathon, which concluded with former Met Jose Vizcaino delivering the winning hit in the bottom of the 12th, ultimately hinged on two key moments — one a lapse in judgment and the other a lapse in precision.

With the speedy Timo Perez on first and two outs in the top of the sixth, Todd Zeile lifted a fly ball that bounded off the top of the left-field wall and came back into play. Thinking it was a home run, Perez slowed down. The hesitation was costly. Left fielder David Justice grabbed the ball and threw to Derek Jeter. Perez was heading home to try and break the scoreless tie. But Jeter’s perfect throw nailed him at the plate.

The Mets managed to break through against Pettitte, scoring three times in the seventh shortly after falling behind 2-0. Leiter left after seven with a 3-2 lead and it stayed that way into the bottom of the ninth. But the Yanks pushed across the tying run against Armando Benitez, made possible by a determined 10-pitch plate appearance from Paul O’Neill that resulted in a one-out walk. O’Neill would come around to score.

If the opener didn’t provide enough drama and this matchup itself didn’t offer enough hype, Game 2 offered a continuation of the individual saga between Mike Piazza and starter Roger Clemens.

It would be their first encounter since Clemens drilled Piazza in the helmet on July 8, concussing the catcher and prompting strong ill feelings.

What took place in the top of the first is not lost on Mets and Yankees fans alike, relived countless times over the past two decades: Piazza breaking his bat on a foul ball. The meat part of the bat ending up in Clemens’ grasp. Piazza jogging to first. Clemens flung the jagged piece of wood back in Piazza’s vicinity. Clemens’ claim that he confused the bat with the ball is about as believable as his claim that he didn’t use steroids.

Once the soap opera subsided and “The Rocket” somehow was allowed to continue on the mound, Clemens proceeded to have a typically vintage outing: eight shutout innings, two hits, no walks, and nine strikeouts.

It wasn’t until Clemens was gone when the Mets began to hit. Unfortunately, they began hitting after the Yanks had built a 6-0 cushion against Mike Hampton, Glendon Rusch, and Rick White.

Piazza began a furious, but ultimately futile comeback with a two-run homer off the left-field foul pole. Two singles and two outs later, Jay Payton connected for an opposite-field homer off Rivera. A 6-5 Yankees victory was cemented when Kurt Abbott struck out looking one batter later.

As the series shifted from the 4 Line to the 7 Line, the Mets were clearly a step behind combatants well-equipped for their autumnal ritual. Resourcefulness became woven into the Yankees’ fabric during the late 1990s.

Just as sharp for this occasion was the Yanks’ starting pitcher. Orlando Hernandez put his 8-0 record in postseason competition on the line against a team that couldn’t afford to lose. Once again, the teams stayed close. And after five-and-a-half innings, the Mets were trailing 2-1.

But Todd Zeile doubled to drive home Mike Piazza for a sixth-inning tie and was in the picture again as the bottom of the eighth commenced with Hernandez on the mound — more than 120 pitches deep.

Increasing his series average to .462, Zeile singled with one out in front of Benny Agbayani. Benny may not have been a good prognosticator, but he proved to be a solid clutch hitter. He laced a liner into the left-center field gap. Todd plodded ‘round the bases – aiming to complete a successful 270-yard dash. The race was to beat the relay home. And he prevailed. The Mets tacked on another run and halted the Yankees’ streak of 14 straight Fall Classic victories with John Franco, the New York native finally in the World Series after 17 years, fittingly earning the win.

However, the Mets’ chances of building on that momentum came to a screeching halt soon after Game 4’s first pitch from Bobby Jones to Derek Jeter, who manager Joe Torre had moved into the leadoff spot. The future Hall-of-Famer and soon-to-be series MVP connected on Jones’ offering, lifting it over the wall in left-center field.

Even a two-run blast by Piazza in the third, which cut into a 3-0 Yankees advantage, did little to deter the two-time defending champs. Piazza’s homer would be the only runs produced by the Mets all night — at first against starter Denny Neagle and later against the relief efforts of David Cone, Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton, and Rivera.

A third one-run defeat put the Mets one loss from the end. Valentine tabbed Al Leiter to help stave off elimination. And he nearly did it single-handedly.

In what was perhaps his most high-profile showcase of determination, he suffered one of his most agonizing defeats. Leiter strove to fend off the Yankee three-peat, even instigating a run-scoring play with a perfectly placed bunt. As his pitch count crept to a season-high 142 and Valentine stuck with his bulldog into the ninth, Yankee resolve began to overwhelm Leiter’s tenacity.

A walk was followed by a single. Then Luis Sojo hit a grounder that snaked its way between the reaches of Alfonzo and Abbott.  Jorge Posada headed home. Jay Payton’s throw from center field bounced off Piazza. Not only did Posada score, but the carom allowed Scott Brosius to follow him in.

Piazza’s flyout to center field which ended in Bernie Williams’ mitt was further affirmation of the Yankee’s supremacy, which had also been on display throughout the series.

”There are a lot of heavy hearts in that clubhouse,” Valentine said to The New York Times, ”and I have a heavy heart with them.”

The Mets had concluded a two-year stretch that saw them average more than 95 wins and make consecutive postseason appearances for the first time in their history. In the years to follow, however, they were unable to take that final step. Thus, the 2000 World Series has since become a case of “what might have been.”

But the legacy of the 2000 Mets lives on twenty years later. It remains a successful and unique period with players, personalities, and attire, (ex: the black jerseys) which remain a vital part of the franchise’s best days.

The post Reliving the 2000 Mets: A World Series of Near Misses appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good Morning, Mets fans!

Latest Mets News

The Mets’ stadium owner credit crashed, in the “junk” territory according to Moody’s.

The Mets signed UDFA Kody Davidson from Tennessee, a right handed reliever, according to his personal Twitter page.

FanGraphs looks back on the wild wide that was the peak of R.A. Dickey.

Latest MLB News

C. Trent Rosecrans wrote about the return of baseball in Japan for The Athletic.

A source on the owners’ side told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that negotiations went “backwards” today.

Tony Clark of the MLBPA released a statement regarding the stage of negotiations.

MLB Network will be airing a Juneteenth special, including an appearance from Derek Jeter.

Albert Pujols continued the pay of Angels’ employees in the Dominican Republic after the team stopped, according to Maria Torres of the LA Times.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer looked into the interesting lumbar choices of Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil.

Matt Musico reflected on the hot streak that Asdrubal Cabrera rode to the end of the 2016 season.

Rob Piersall declared that the future of baseball is “severely damaged” by current negotiations.

On This Day In Mets History

Birthdays: Logan Verrett (30), Jacob deGrom (32), Devin Mesoraco (32), Collin McHugh (33), Claudio Vargas (42), Bruce Chen (43), Doug Mientkiewicz (46), Bob Gibson (63), Bob Aspromonte (82)

Stay safe and let’s go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: Negotiations Fall Backwards appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Garnering back page headlines was all the Mets could do to steal the spotlight away from the dominant Bronx Bombers. They did a pretty good job of it in late May with the acquisition of Mike Piazza, and thus would help them compete with the National League’s best. The Yankees, meanwhile, weren’t just competing against the current Major League teams, but with the greatest teams in baseball history. The Yankees were 55-19 (compared to the Mets’ 43-34 mark), and fresh off beating their fellow New York inhabitants twice in the second-ever regular-season Subway Series (and first held at Shea Stadium).

But for this night, at least, the team from Queens had the edge.

Some highlights to look for in this ESPN Sunday Night telecast (and a two-part video):

• The Yankee lineup includes an old friend in the cleanup spot: Darryl Strawberry.
• Hits were very hard to come by in the early going. So much, in fact, that either team got one over the first four innings. But the Mets did threaten early against recent Cuban refugee and first-year major leaguer Orlando Hernandez. “El Duque” found trouble locating the plate in the first inning — walking three but finding his way out of it without allowing a run.
• John Olerud‘s single in the bottom of the sixth (at the 1:33:48 mark of Part 1) fell just in front of Paul O’Neill and ended Hernandez’s no-hit bid, which was followed soon after by Carlos Baerga‘s hit up the middle (at 1:37:52 of Part 1) to bring home Piazza for the game’s first run.
• Masato Yoshii‘s scoreless outing lasted until the top of the seventh when Scott Brosius connected to deep left field (at 1:44:13 of Part 1).
• The Mets find a way to salvage a game from the series, but not before a bizarre sequence that appeared briefly to take the victory away. With Baerga on third and Brian McRae on first, watch Luis Lopez‘s bid for a sacrifice fly to end it and see for yourself.

The post Mets Video Vault: June 28, 1998 vs. Yankees appeared first on Metsmerized Online.