Adam Ottavino was a steadying presence at the back end of the bullpen for several different franchises throughout his 15-year Major League career. Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft, he began his professional career as a starting pitcher before transitioning to the bullpen after being claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies in 2012. Raised in...
Over the sixty-plus years of New York Mets baseball, there have been individual pitching seasons that will forever be etched in the organization’s lore. Whether it’s Tom Seaver’s 1969 season, in which he won his first Cy Young Award and helped lead the club to their first World Series championship; Dwight Gooden’s otherworldly 1985 campaign at the age of 20; or Jacob...
When right-handed pitcher Jonah Tong needs to reset on the mound, he’ll glance at the inside of his glove. There, a mantra is written that gives the 21-year-old perspective: Be like water.That quote was made famous by the great martial artist, actor and philosopher Bruce Lee, who preached adaptability. In Tong’s amateur and professional career, adapting has been a focal point....
Among 512 pitchers who tossed eighty or more innings in the minor leagues in 2023, New York Mets right-hander Christian Scott recorded the lowest walks plus hits per inning pitched (0.86) and Fielding Independent Pitching (2.33) while posting the best strikeout minus walk percentage (28.4%). Scott posted a 2.57 ERA in 87.2 innings pitched over three levels and was named the organization’s...
In the ’90s, Major League Baseball was dominated by luminary power hitters, such as Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Albert Belle. Fans were enthralled with the enticing numbers being produced, with larger-than-life personalities regularly receiving the spotlight and fanfare. For all of their rightful attention, players who produced in other ways, and perhaps in a...
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and attending St. John’s University in Queens, John Franco embodied a New Yorker. It was only apt that Franco would ultimately pitch for his beloved childhood team, the New York Mets. Franco, 64, was a four-time All-Star and a reliable arm in the backend of the bullpen. During his 21-year Major League career, Franco made at least 50 appearances 14...
What Terry Collins lacked in size on the baseball field, he made up for with a fiery intensity and desire to compete. Regularly the smallest player on every organized team he played on, Collins realized that he could stand out by routinely playing harder than the rest. Collins, 74, has spent over five decades in professional baseball. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 19th round of the...
When 21-year-old Darryl Strawberry made his major league debut with the New York Mets on May 6, 1983, against the Cincinnati Reds at home, fans were eager for an impact player to help turn the organization’s fortunes around. After all, the club hadn’t made the postseason since they lost to the Oakland Athletics in seven games in the 1973 Fall Classic. In addition, the Mets...
Growing up in the Bronx in the 1940s and ’50s, Ed Kranepool spent much of his time playing stickball in local parks. In fact, stickball brought refuge to a young Kranepool. As his stickball reputation grew, local gangs treated Kranepool well and insisted he not hang around with them after dark as they didn’t want him to get into trouble and not be able to play on their teams. Growing...
In Major League Baseball history, only six players have recorded 90+ triples, 300+ home runs and 150+ stolen bases, showcasing a penchant for both power and speed: Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, George Brett, Andre Dawson, Steve Finley and Curtis Granderson. Granderson, 42, was an easy player to root for, no matter what team he was on. As congenial as they come, the left-handed hitter posted a 47.2...
Growing up, Jett Williams heard the detractors who questioned his abilities on the baseball field due to his height. Instead of letting that define him, Williams, who’s listed at five-foot-eight, used that as motivation to prove them wrong. Selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2022 Draft (14th overall) out of Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, Texas, Williams has gotten off...
In “For Love of the Game,” the 1999 sports drama starring Kevin Costner as an aging former ace, a line from Vin Scully (who appears in the film as a broadcaster) sums up what many pitchers often feel on the bump. “He (Billy Chapel) will make the fateful walk to the loneliest spot in the world: the pitching mound.” Standing on the mound can be an isolating feeling,...
