His statistics minus context would have guaranteed him election on the first ballot. A 143 OPS+, a career .308 batting average, six seasons with at least 100 RBIs, plus 427 home runs. Impressive numbers made more so because of where he played on the field. The unofficial title of “Greatest Hitting Catcher” was deservedly given to Mike Piazza as his career concluded and as he...
Good morning, Mets fans! Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner are all headed to Cooperstown. After 10 years of waiting, Wagner has finally made it, while Sabathia and Ichiro were elected on their first ballots with 86.8% and 99.7% of the vote, respectively. Ichiro missed being a unanimous selection by just one vote. In addition, Carlos Beltran received 70.3% of the votes, keeping him on...
Billy Wagner has gotten the call to Cooperstown. Wagner, eighth on the all-time saves list with 422 and sixth in Mets history with 101, earned 82.5% of the vote in his 10th and final chance on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot, it was announced Tuesday. Players need 75 percent of the vote to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Carlos Beltrán, unfortunately, will have to...
Good morning, Mets fans! The 2025 Hall of Fame voting results will be revealed today at 6 p.m. As of Monday night, 188 votes have been publicized, which is about 48% of the expected total. Ichiro Suzuki has been checked off on every ballot, while CC Sabathia looks to be a lock, sitting at 93.6%. Two former Mets – Billy Wagner (84.6%) and Carlos Beltrán (80.3%) – are also above the 75% threshold...
There are six players eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame who have the Mets on some portion of their resume. One spent three-and-a-half seasons in New York as one of the most likable players in the majors. If there was a “nice guy” Hall of Fame, he’d be a first-ballot inductee. Beyond his playing ability, Curtis Granderson was the epitome of professionalism....
Baseball has lost another legend in 2024 with the passing of Rickey Henderson. He was only 65. Henderson was born December 25, 1958, in Chicago. He later moved to Oakland at age seven, where he grew up a fan of the Oakland Raiders. Henderson played football, baseball, and ran track at Oakland Technical High School, and decided to go the baseball route after some wise advice from his mother....
Well before his final appearance at the end of the 2018 season and even prior to the debilitating injury that would derail his career, it was a matter of when David Wright would get to see his number placed alongside Seaver, Hernandez, Piazza, and the other greats—not if. We now know the ‘when’ is July 19. That’s the day one of the best in franchise history joins the rest....
The Hall of Fame calls will be announced on Jan. 21 live from Cooperstown, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced on Monday. The 2025 ballot includes 14 newcomers and 14 returners. The newcomers to the ballot are: Carlos González, Curtis Granderson, Félix Hernández, Adam Jones, Ian Kinsler, Russell Martin, Brian McCann, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Fernando Rodney, CC Sabathia, Ichiro...
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...
With a smooth-hitting motion, he belted out 252 homers and drove in 733 runs. With swift legs, he stole 191 bases. He made the All-Star team seven times. He contributed to the 1986 World Championship. He had eight successful seasons in orange and blue. In addition to being atop the franchise’s homer list, he is first in adjusted on-base plus slugging, second in slugging percentage, and...
Good morning, Mets fans! Darryl Strawberry posted on his Instagram account that he suffered a heart attack on Monday night. Strawberry wrote that he was treated at St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake St. Louis, MO, where they “restored his heart” through a stent procedure. He seems to be okay and is in recovery. Strawberry was recently in Mets camp as an advisor. Latest Mets News Tylor...
Good morning, Mets fans! Former Met and future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander is reportedly a couple of weeks behind schedule and his timetable is TBA at the moment, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Verlander also had a delayed start to his 2023 season due to an upper back/shoulder issue, which seems to be ailing him this year as well. The three-time Cy Young award winner said he was going about...
