Good Morning, Mets fans!

Latest Mets News

According to an article from WCBS 880 on Radio.com, the New York Mets donated 100,000 face masks to the MTA. Mets COO Jeff Wilpon commented on  the act of kindness saying, “Providing masks is our way of saying thank you to these brave individuals for all they are doing during the pandemic.”

An article from Crain’s New York Business talked about how Noah Syndergaard is being sued for not paying rent for his $27K apartment in NYC. His move-in date was supposed to be on March 20 but given the pandemic hindering the baseball season from starting, he never actually moved in after signing the lease. Syndergaard declined to make any of the payments because he never officially moved in.

Former Mets beat reporter Marc Carig Tweeted a baseball fan’s response to an article he shared where the fan mentioned that he does not know the names of some very talented and important players around baseball today like Jeff McNeil, Jose Altuve, Christian Yelich and Joey Votto, to which McNeil responded that he is used to not being recognized. His response included a referral to a picture of his name on the Jumbotron next to a picture of Jacob deGrom‘s face, captioning the Tweet “@MarcCarig It’s okay, I’m getting pretty used to it.”

Latest MLB News

Evan Drellich of the Athletic reported on Friday that Major League Baseball is planning to deliver their new economic proposal to the MLBPA on Tuesday.

Jayson Stark of the Athletic spoke with Bob Costas, Joey Votto, Terry Francona, Steve Hirdt, and John Thorn about the possible 82-game MLB season. They discussed how valid they see this truncated season considering how different it is from that of a normal MLB season.

The Milwaukee Brewers have stated that their operations staff will remain employed for the entirety of 2020. Their employees will not be furloughed and only the top executives will be receiving pay cuts. Ken Rosenthal reported this on Twitter.

Zach Plesac, right-hander for the Cleveland Indians, hired CAA Sports to represent him.

Latest NL East News

Betelhem Ashame of MLB wrote about the best fielders in the NL East with the help of each team’s corresponding beat reporter. Each NL East beat reporter pleaded their case for which player they believe is the best defender on their team.

Latest on MMO

Tim Ryder posted his latest Simply Amazin’ Podcast with former Mets reliever Dennis Cook.

Joe D talked about one of the greatest acquisitions in Mets history, where the Mets traded for star catcher Mike Piazza.

Mathew Brownstein interviewed six-time all-star, Moises Alou in an MMO Exclusive interview.

Matt Mancuso did a Statcast breakdown of Mets outfielder Michael Conforto.

 On This Date in Mets History

Happy Birthday to Vic Black (32), Ricky Gutierrez (49), Pepe Mangual (68), and Butch Metzger (68)!

2004: Kazuo Matsui surpasses Tommie Agee‘s 1969 team record and sets a franchise mark with his fifth leadoff home run of the season. Matsui became the first Mets player to accomplish this feat in consecutive games.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe!

The post Morning Briefing: MLB To Propose New Economic Plan appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

As is still the case today, every team gets to send at least one player to the All Star Game. In 1962 and 1963, the Mets sent Richie Ashburn and Duke Snider respectively, although both were well past their prime. But in 1964, for the first time, a Met was selected to start in the All Star Game and that was second baseman Ron Hunt.

Because the game was played at Shea Stadium (a game I attended, I even remember paying $2.10 for a general admission ticket), you might think the fans stuffed the ballot to get one of their hometown favorites into the game, but in 1964, voting was done not by the fans but by the players.

Hunt had to beat out Pete Rose of the Reds who was rookie of the year in 1963, ahead of Hunt who finished second, the Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski who was regarded as one of the best second basemen of all time and is now in the Hall of Fame, and the Cardinals’ Julian Javier among others.

For those too young to remember, Hunt, who was acquired from the Braves before the 1963 season for cash following a solid season in the AA Texas League, fit all those cliches applied to players who didn’t have great tools like power, speed, defense or a sweet swing. No, what Hunt had was grit, toughness, a dirty uniform, and a do-anything-to-win attitude.

Although it wasn’t until after leaving the Mets that Hunt turned getting hit by a pitch into an art form setting records in that category, Hunt was clearly the first Met that fans could legitimately be proud of. Yet Hunt didn’t even start the 1963 season as the Mets’ second baseman. Rather it was Larry Burright who had come over from the Dodgers. Hunt soon seized his opportunity and held the job.

But it seemed to me that the front office didn’t appreciate Ron the way the fans did. In fact, less than 2 weeks after the 1964 All Star Game, the Mets purchased Bobby Klaus from the Reds and immediately installed him at second base, supplanting Hunt who moved over to third. I don’t know what Hunt thought about it but Mets’ fans were shocked.

The Mets could certainly use all the help they could get, but second base was the only position where the Mets were seemingly set. Actually, the Reds had briefly replaced Pete Rose with Klaus, so Bobby must have had some amazing scouting reports that didn’t translate to big league success.

In a short time, Hunt and Klaus switched positions although Klaus never hit enough to really earn any spot in the lineup. He did fill in for Hunt when Ron was injured in 1965, hit under .200 and that was it for his career.

Meanwhile, Hunt continued to be a bright spot on terrible Met teams (All Star again in 1966) until he was traded away along with Jim Hickman in the Tommy Davis deal in November of 1966. Ron went on to have a solid big league career most notably with the Giants and Expos and his knack for getting hit by pitches has become his legacy but Mets fans will always remember him as the team’s first young star.

The post Happy Birthday to Ron Hunt: The Mets’ First All-Star appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jon Matlack‘s career record of 125-126 may be as mediocre as you can get, but Matlack was a much, much better than average major league pitcher. In fact, he was one of the very finest left-handed pitchers ever developed by the Mets’ organization.

His other career marks – a 3.18 lifetime ERA (better than Steve Carlton, who was considered the best lefty of his generation), 97 complete games, and 30 shutouts attest to the fact that he was a workhorse, who when he was on, was as good as anyone.

Matlack holds several important distinctions as a Met, although not necessarily statistical ones. To begin with, he was the Mets’ very first GOOD first round amateur draft pick.

In ’65 with the second pick, the Mets selected the forgettable Les Rohr. With the first pick in ’66, they opted for Steve Chilcott over Reggie Jackson and we all know how that turned out.

In 1967, having advanced to ninth place the previous season, they didn’t get to pick until the No. 4 slot. The first three picks were Ron Blomberg, Terry Hughes, and Mike Garman. The Mets, up next, chose Matlack, a 6-foot-3 left-handed pitcher out of high school in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Certainly you could make a case that later first round picks like John Mayberry and Ted Simmons turned out better, but there’s no doubt that the Mets’ selction of Matlack was better than the three choices that preceded him that year and a whole lot better than most of the Mets’ No. 1’s through the years.

Next, Matlack was the first of the Mets’ hot young pitching prospects to be brought along slowly, getting three full seasons in Triple-A before being brought up for a cup of coffee in 1971. Prior to his extended hitch in Triple-A, in his first full year in the minors, 1968, Matlack had a superb year, going 13-6 2.76 with 188 strikeouts in 173 innings for Single-A Raleigh-Durham.

Considering how the likes of Les Rohr, Dennis Musgraves, Ron Locke, Tug McGraw, Grover Powell, Tom Seaver, et al were force-fed to the big leagues based on single year minor league performances, you would have almost expected Matlack to be given a shot at the Mets’ rotation in 1969 or 1970 at the latest.

But starting pitching was the Mets’ strong suit and that gave the organization the luxury of nurturing Matlack until he was unquestionably big-league ready. And in 1972, he certainly was, going 15-10 with a  2.32 ERA and 1.172 WHIP with the Mets, and winning the National League Rookie-of-the-Year Award.

Matlack was a solid starter for the Mets for six years, and while he never became Tom Seaver or Jerry Koosman, he impressed nonetheless. In 1974, Matlack posted the finest season of his career and one of the top five seasons ever by a Mets pitcher.

That season, despite the poorest run support in the league, he led the majors with seven shutouts and a 2.42 FIP while winning just 13 games.  He completed 14 of his 34 starts, and led all pitchers with a 7.2 fWAR.

Matlack was a three-time All-Star  for the Mets and became the only player in franchise history to win an All-Star Game MVP award, sharing most valuable player honors in 1975 with Bill Madlock of the Chicago Cubs.

He was eventually dealt away to Texas prior to the 1978 season in a bizarre four-team trade involving a lot of big name players. I won’t go into the details here, but I’ve always wondered how that one came about.

Matlack pitched decently for the Rangers, but was out of baseball before he turned 34. In 1989, at the age of 39, Matlack resurfaced in the late, lamented Senior Professional Baseball Association where he had a solid 10-2 record, making him one of the few well-known players in the league to deliver more than “name value.”

I’ll always remember him as a true quality starter who unfortunately pitched on too many Mets’ teams that couldn’t score enough runs to make a pitcher with a 3.00 ERA and 1.19 WHIP a winner. In his 6 1/2 seasons with the Mets he accumulated a 26.6 WAR.

Happy 70th birthday, Jon!

The post Happy Birthday to the Underrated Lefty, Jon Matlack appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets fans!

Latest Mets News

The Mets re-signed Brad Brach to a one-year deal contract with a player option for 2021. Consequently, to make room on the 40-man roster, the Mets designated Chris Flexen for assignment.

Former Mets Wilfredo Tovar has just signed with the Minnesota Twins according to MMO‘s own, Jacob Resnick.

Latest MLB News

The Padres acquired Tommy Pham and Jake Cronenworth from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Hunter Renfroe, Xavier Edwards, and a PTBNL

MLB Pipeline updated their top 100 2020 MLB Draft prospect list. Leading the way is RHP Emerson Hancock from the University of Georgia.

Texas Rangers signed Kyle Gibson to a three-year $28M deal. The deal is front-loaded so he will receive $11M in 2020, $10M in 2021, and $7 in 2022.

As reported by Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Yankees had a good meeting with Stephen Strasburg but both the Yankees and Nationals are still confident that he will stay with Washington.

The Yankees are working on a contract to re-sign OF Brett Gardner.

The Twins have agreed to a one-year deal with C Alex Avila.

The White Sox have claimed Tayron Guerrero off of waivers from the Miami Marlins.

Chicago Cubs signed RHP Dan Winkler to a split contract between the majors and minors: $750K in the majors, $200K in the minors.

San Francisco Giants have hired Donnie Ecker as their new hitting coach.

Latest NL East News

The Washington Nationals are rumored to be bringing back Howie Kendrick for another year on a $6.5M deal with a mutual option for 2021, as per Jamal Collier, Nationals MLB writer.

The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to sign Anthony Rendon, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Latest on MMO

The Simply Amazin’ podcast came out Friday with special guest, Tim Britton of the Athletic!

Samantha Brown continued the 2019 Mets player report cards with Steven Matz.

Joe D wrote about Hyun-Jin Ryu and how he has a lot to offer the New York Mets.

On This Date in Mets History

Happy Birthday to Pete Alonso (25) and Mike Baxter (35)!

1984: The Mets traded Walt Terrell to the Detriot Tigers for Howard Johnson.

1988: The Mets traded Wally Backman and Mike Santiago to the Minnesota Twins for Toby Nivens, Steve Gasser, and Jeff Bumgarner.

1994: The Mets signed free agent Chris Jones of the Colorado Rockies.

2001: The Mets traded Robin Ventura to the Yankees for David Justice.

The post Morning Briefing: Brad Brach Returns To Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

By Samantha Brown

Good morning, Mets fans!

Game 6 of the ALCS began with a three-run homer off the bat of Yuli Gurriel to give the Astros a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The Yankees responded with a double and an RBI single from Gary Sanchez to cut the Stros’ lead to 3-1.

After two innings without a score change, Gio Urshela smacked one deep to right-center field to cut their lead even further to a skinny one-run lead–3-2 going into the bottom half of the fourth. Houston tacked on one in the 6th with a fielders choice from Alex Bregman to make it 4-2. Going into the 9th inning the score was still 4-2, but DJ LeMahieu hit a two-run home run about a foot from George Springer glove to tie it up and send Game 6 to the bottom of the ninth. With some amazing defensive plays from Josh Reddick and Michael Brantley throughout the night, and a walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for Jose Altuve, the Astros are going back to the World Series.

The Houston Astros will play the Washington Nationals in the 2019 World Series. Game 1 is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:08 p.m..

Latest Mets News

Former Mets outfielder, Carlos Beltran, will get a second interview with the Mets for the open manager position.

Happy Birthday to former Met and current SNY Announcer for the NY Mets, Keith Hernandez! Happy 66th Hernandez!

Latest MLB News 

Matt Sosnick, SCK Sports agent, was arrested on Friday evening for domestic violence. He allegedly choked his wife in front of their daughter and a restraining order has been filed against him. Sosnick is the representative for many big names in baseball including, Pete Alonso, Blake Snell, Jay Bruce, and Mitch Haniger among others. TMZ Sports was first to report the news.

The MiLB President, spoke out regarding the recent report on the MLB reconstructing the minor league system. This reconfiguration of the MiLB will possibly allow the league to increase pay, update facilities, and streamline travel accommodations which should benefit the players.

The San Diego Padres managerial search has been narrowed down to two candidates in Ron Washington and Jayce Tingler.

Latest NL East News

Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com wrote about the impressive up-and-coming pitchers the Washington Nationals have in their farm system, specifically Sterling Sharpe, the club’s No. 13 prospect.

Latest on MMO

Tim Ryder discussed Carlos Beltran‘s second interview for the Mets manager position.

Ryder also covered the manager profile for Skip Schumaker who is reportedly another potential candidate for Mets manager.

John Sheridan wrote a player profile for 2020 free agent, RHP Collin McHugh, a very great option for the Mets to pick up this off season.

Josh Finkelstein shared his thoughts on whether or not the Mets need a true centerfielder and the possible free agents the team could sign to improve their outfield defense.

Michael Mayer takes us back to 2006 to reflect on “The Catch” made by non-other-than Endy Chavez in the 06′ NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals.

On this Date in Mets History

Happy Birthday to Bobby Floyd (76), Rick Ownbey (62), and Jonathan Hurst (43)!

1965: The Mets traded Al Jackson and Charley Smith to the St. Louis Cardinals for Ken Boyer.

1970: Mets sold Larry Bearnarth to the Milwaukee Brewers.

1971: The team sold Ron Taylor to the Montreal Expos.

2009: The New York Mets released Ken Takahashi.

The post Morning Briefing: Astros Punch Ticket to World Series in Walk-off Fashion! appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

In my formative years as a Mets Fan, there were so many vivid memories of the wonderful iconic personalities that helped mold me into the Ya Gotta Believe Mets fan I am today.

Of course there’s all the incredible bonds I formed with players such as Tommie Agee, Tom Seaver, Tug McGraw, Rusty Staub, Gary Carter and Mike Piazza to name a few.

But then there was the tremendous supporting cast that only added to my experience.

The incomparable Jane Jarvis playing “Meet the Mets” or “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” on that grand old organ at Big Shea…

Or trying to spot Karl Ehrhardt – The Sign Man – sitting somewhere at field level and always having the perfect neon sign for every moment… Or as Casey Stengel would call them, “placards.”

How about tuning into WOR to see Lindsay Nelson’s technicolor sports jackets if you were lucky enough to own a color television back then?

And no victory was ever complete without tuning in to watch Ralph Kiner on his ground-breaking post-game show Kiner’s Korner..

Then there was the beloved Bob Murphy and his many, many happy recaps. It felt like I was watching the game with my best friend.

I was reminded of all those endearing personalities this weekend when Ray and Casey Ferriola sent me a song they wrote, composed and performed.

“As the Mets embark on their first post-season appearance in many years,” Ray wrote. “I am reminded that this is their first trip to the playoffs without Ralph Kiner. I hope he is watching with Bob and Lindsey.”

This song entitled, “One More Happy Recap” was written after Ralph passed away last year as a tribute to the three original Mets broadcasters and what they meant to Mets fans. Please enjoy…

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The post Featured Post: For Lindsay, Bob and Ralph… One More Happy Recap appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It’s that time of the year again when we celebrate the birth of an ideal and of the greatest nation in the world.

While we enjoy all the grilling and all the fireworks with our friends and families today, let’s take a moment to remember all the sacrifices that were made to make this celebration of freedom possible.

We also want to thank all the service men and women who keep freedom ringing for all of us both at home and abroad. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness doesn’t come cheap…

Happy Birthday, America!

The post Happy Independence Day From MMO! appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It was a part of the game. Tom Seaver would allow no runs and just 3 hits through 8 innings. Tug McGraw would strikeout the side in the 9^th on just nine pitches for the save. Rusty Staub and Cleon Jones each got 3 hits, John Milner went deep, Buddy Harrelson made several diving stops and Jerry Grote threw out at least 3 or 4 base runners. Okay, okay, memories get embellished and exaggerated over time. But one thing remains a FACT.

No Mets victory was complete without Kiner’s Korner. It was a part of the game.

In 1973 I was 7 years old. The team I rooted for was 11 years old. There was no greatness associated with the blue and orange. Seaver would have a shot at Cooperstown but he wasn’t even 30 years old. To this young fan, the Mets only link to past prominence was through one of our broadcasters.

My father taught me baseball. But Ralph Kiner, Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy brought it into my home.

Ralph McPherran Kiner was born in Santa Rita, NM on October 27, 1922. His father died when he was 4 and his family relocated to Alhambra, CA. His minor league career was put on hold when he served as a Navy pilot during WW II. Ralph downplayed his military service. Upon returning stateside, when asked if he saw any action in the Pacific, he replied, “I didn’t even see any whales.”

The 1920’s had Ruth and Gehrig. The ‘30’s had Jimmie Foxx and Mel Ott. The ‘60’s would have Aaron, Mays and Killebrew. The 70’s belonged to Reggie Jackson and Mike Schmidt. But for the late 40’s and early 50’s there was no prolific HR hitter more feared and more respected than Ralph Kiner.

He made his debut with Pittsburgh on April 12, 1946. Had there been a Rookie of the Year back then Ralph likely would have won. His 23 HR’s led the league. He knocked in 81 for a team that finished seventh.

Despite his power, management was unhappy with his 109 whiffs, an exorbitant amount for that period. And so they had their 24 year old slugger work with legendary Hank Greenberg. The following year Kiner exploded. He hit 51 HR’s, good enough to lead all of Baseball while raising his BA nearly 70 points to 313.

Two years later, 1949, Kiner almost broke a record fans thought would stand forever. He ended the season with 54 HR’s, 6 short of Ruth’s mark and just 2 shy of the NL record. The 54 would remain most in the NL until the steroids era.

“Ralph can wipe out your lead with one swing of a bat.”—Warren Spahn

Ralph became the first player in NL history to reach the 50 HR mark twice. He led the league in HR’s 7 straight years. For 5 consecutive years (1947-1951) he topped 40 HR’s and 100 RBI’s, stats made more impressive when you take into account the fact the weak hitting Pirates rarely had men on base and no protection behind him. When the Pirates were losing badly, something they did a lot, fans would stay just to see one more AB by Kiner. He is one of only seven players in history to have four 30 HR/100 RBI seasons in his first five years. The left field porch at Forbes Field was dubbed Kiner’s Korner.

In June 1953, a salary dispute between Ralph and GM Branch Rickey came to a head. The best power hitter in the game wanted a raise from $75,000. What he got instead was traded to Chicago as part of a 10 player swap. Rickey famously told Ralph, “We finished last with you. We can finish last without you.” Ralph went deep 28 times and knocked in 87 in 117 games.

The following year, his power decreased due to irksome back injuries. It was bizarre. Whereas most players waited until Spring Training to get in shape, Ralph stayed fit and worked out all winter. He hit 285, but went deep only 22 times, the lowest total of his career. He was traded to Cleveland where he offered to take a 38% pay cut. He felt he didn’t deserve more.

The back injury worsened in 1955. He considered surgery but the operation only had a 50% success rate. A positive outcome would fully heal him. Failure would leave him paralyzed. Ralph had invested wisely, earned a lot doing what he loved. At age 32, after 10 seasons, he retired from Baseball with 369 HR’s, 1015 RBI’s, a 279 BA and 548 slugging average. His 7.1 HR/100 AB’s was second most in history, trailing only Ruth.

He became GM for the Indians AAA team and to save money decided to announce the games himself. After several years in San Diego and a brief stint in Chicago, Ralph headed east in 1962 where he became part of a new team called the Mets. Along with Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy, Ralph would become one-third of the longest broadcasting trio in history: 19 years.

Shortly after being hired at WOR Channel 9, in an interview Ralph expressed remorse about not breaking Ruth’s record of 60. He felt that his relatively brief career would go unappreciated and fade into history. And so he intended to stay with WOR as long as possible. He hoped his legacy off the field would supersede his career on the field. Ralph would stay part of the Mets team in one capacity or another for fifty three years, third longest stint with one club ever.

Like the team they broadcast, they were an eclectic bunch. Unusual. Lindsey Nelson’s multi-colored sport suits pushed the newfangled technology of color TV to its breaking point. His play-by-play was as smooth as silk, fluent. He seemingly never made a mistake. Bob Murphy was an artist, painting pictures with words and with the eloquent cadence of a master.

And then…there was Ralph.

On the field, he was one of the best. Behind the microphone, he was…well, he was Ralph. He had immense knowledge of the game, mesmerizing personal stories. He explained the art of hitting in simple yet entertaining terms that any young fan could comprehend. Ralph Kiner knew how to play Baseball. He knew how to discuss Baseball. But sometimes, his words came out differently than they sounded in his mind. He was Yogi Berra of the booth. His malapropisms were legendary, humorous and laugh-out-loud funny at times. You listened to Lindsey to enjoy the game, Bob to relish an enjoyable afternoon. But Ralph? You listened extra closely, just to see what he’d mess up next.

But we didn’t care. We treasured Ralph and for his foibles, faults and mistakes, he was lovable. Just like the Mets. He wasn’t as refined as his colleagues. Not even close. But that made him more real, more down to earth. One of us. He made the game personal and friendly. Ironically, it was this least polished of the trio who produced the most memorable in-game play by play catchphrase: That ball is going going, gone, goodbye.

He once referred to catcher Gary Carter as Gary Cooper. He called his sidekick Tim MacArthur instead of Tim McCarver. And there were others. Many many others.

On Father’s Day, we wish you fathers all a Happy Birthday.

If Casey Stengel were alive today, he’d be spinning in his grave.

The Hall of Fame ceremonies this year will be held on the 31^st and 32^nd of July.

Tony Gwynn was named Player of the Year for April.

Kevin McReynolds stops at third. And he scores.

The Mets have gotten their lead-off batter on only once this inning.

Darryl Strawberry has been voted to the Hall of Fame five years in a row.

Mazzilli goes back, goes back, his head hits the wall. And it’s rolling toward left field.

Good afternoon. Thanks for tuning in to Kiner’s Korner. I’m Ralph Korner.

Kiner’s Korner was the icing on the cake after a home victory. For fifteen minutes, Ralph would chat with the star pitcher or big hitter from that game. They’d replay at-bats pitch by pitch, discuss a big catch or why the pitcher threw a 2-2 curve ball.

It was a different time. We didn’t get canned answers from players sitting in front of their locker with a bank of cameras and microphones surrounding them. Unlike so-called ‘sports reporters’ nowadays, Ralph didn’t rephrase the same question nine different ways. There was no gotcha journalism. He wasn’t looking for a sound bite. He was talking Baseball, a dialogue between one of the all-time greats and that day’s star.

Kiner’s Korner was unscripted. And that made it real. You weren’t watching a TV program but rather eavesdropping on a conversation in your living room between Ralph and Jerry Koosman.

Tom Seaver would discuss the art of pitching, sometimes emitting that unforgettable Seaver laugh. Cleon Jones would sit there and mostly give one word answers, never comfortable in the spotlight. Rusty Staub was the consummate professional. Tug McGraw would display that broad smile. Felix Millan never got a follow-up question because…it seemed like Ralph was always thrown off by Millan’s heavy accent.

But even Kiner’s Korner got off to a dubious start. Shortly after it became a regular post-game feature following a Mets win, Ralph interviewed manager Casey Stengel. After the live broadcast ended, Stengel shook hands with Ralph, stood and departed back to the locker room. However, Casey forgot he was hooked to a mic and as he walked away the wires and such tangled, collapsing the cardboard walls that served as a backdrop and destroying the makeshift set.

In 1996, Ralph announced he was suffering Bell’s Palsy. His speech was slurred and as years passed, it became somewhat difficult to understand him. Almost painful. But again, we didn’t care.  Ralph was one of us. Howie Rose stated yesterday, “Ralph was royalty. And you don’t throw the king overboard until he’s done.”

Ralph Kiner was 91 years old when he slipped away Thursday. He leaves behind five children and twelve grandchildren. His number 4 was retired by the Pirates. A statue of him stands in Alhambra. He was an RBI champion, 6-time All-Star, 7-time NL HR King. He is a Hall of Famer. He was the best hitter in the game for nearly a decade. Loved by fans, admired by teammates, feared yet respected by those competing against him. He’d been with our team since 1962, a true original Met. He was funny, personable, entertaining, intelligent. He spent more than 70 years doing what he loved. And in spite of his self-doubt, his legacy does live on. He’s now reunited with the other two members of the Mets original broadcast team, talking Baseball and catching up. Baseball historian Marty Noble called him, “One of Baseball’s genuine and most charming gentlemen.”

But to us, he’ll always be Ralph.

The post Featured Post: Some Kiner Wonderful appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

“Murph” would have been 89 years old today and I can’t begin to tell you how often I think about him each season.

Today’s game broadcasts have become so noisy and are just a non-stop barrage of promos and product pitches. The game itself actually gets lost in translation.

Murphy hearkens to a time when broadcasters like him, Lindsey Nelson and Ralph Kiner had a profound respect for the National Pastime and understood how the sounds of the game were an integral part of a baseball broadcast.

In 1994, Bob Murphy was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside his former Mets broadcast partner Lindsey Nelson, both were recipient of the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award. Murphy was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1984.

His warm, wonderful, folksy way about him, always made listeners feel right at home and there was nothing better than hearing his happy recaps after a Mets win.

Murph kept us company all Summer long like a good friend. We took him wherever we went whether at the beach, a backyard barbecue, or tucked underneath our pillows during those late west coast games. He was a part of our family.

He loved the Mets and in return Mets fans loved him.

Murph we miss you, Happy Birthday…

The post Remembering Bob Murphy On His Birthday appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jim Beauchamp (pronounced “Bee-chum”) was one of these players, and after kicking around the league with the Cardinals, the Astros (including some games as a Colt 45), the Braves, the Reds, the Astros again, and the Cardinals again, he wound up his career with the Mets, seeing a little action in the ’72 and ’73 seasons. A right handed hitter, he fulfilled the role of OF/1B, usually getting into between 35-50 games a year, primarily as a bat off the bench. He wore uniform No. 24 at the start of his Met career but swapped it for No. 5 when future Hall of Famer Willie Mays joined the team following a trade during the ’72 season.

He was a country boy, a French Okie, as he called himself, from the tiny town of Vinita, Oklahoma, a town that today boasts a population of around 6,000, parked in the northeast corner of the state about 30 miles from the Missouri border.  As a ballplayer, he pretty much embodied the term “journeyman,” as his peripatetic resume demonstrated. As a Met in 1972, he started 29 games, mostly at first base and chipped in with five home runs for the season. Two of those homers came on a special night.

August 21, 1972 was Beauchamp’s 33rd birthday, and with the Mets facing lefty Jerry Reuss of the Astros that night, Jim was given one of his rare starts, playing first base and batting seventh. The Astros were featuring a hot shot young center fielder in those days by the name of Cesar Cedeno, a 21 year old revelation with speed, power, and a great glove-sort of a right-handed Bryce Harper of his day.

Jon Matlack started for the Mets, looking for his 11th victory.  Matlack would end the season with 15 wins that year, and become the second Met to be named Rookie of the Year, joining Tom Seaver. On this night he pitched well, hurling a complete game with 8 strikeouts, but along the way had somewhat less success holding off Cedeno who homered in the 6th to tie the game at one-all, then doubled in the 8th after the Mets had taken the lead to knot the score again.

The 7th inning go-ahead run for the Mets had come via a long ball off the bat of Jim Beauchamp. Now, heading into the bottom of the 9th tied at 2 apiece, the Mets would face Jim “Sting” Ray, a right hander who was starting his second inning of relief. When Ray retired the first two batters, it looked as if the game would be heading to extra innings. But after John Milner coaxed a walk, Beauchamp swatted his second homerun of the night, deep into the left field bullpen.

Afterwards, on Kiner’s Korner, I remember him telling Ralph that he thought it would be nice if “just once, I could be the hero.” To my ears, his Oklahoma twang made the last word sound like “hee-row.” In my eyes he was. Happy Birthday, Jim.

Previous Mets Memorable Moments

Willie Comes Home

Rusty and the Rundown

Jesse and Roger in the Outfield

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