Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

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 approached Hall of Fame eligibility.

However, speculation of performance-enhancing drug use combined with the era in which he played kept him from being a sure-fire inductee. It took four years before he cleared the 75 percent threshold.

Piazza earned his spot in Cooperstown by garnering 83 percent of the electorate and would soon be announced as the second player to be inducted as a New York Met. Joining him was Ken Griffey Jr. — who interestingly surpassed the record for the highest voting percentage previously held by the other Hall of Famer who entered as a Met, Tom Seaver.

A 62nd round selection by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, Piazza became the lowest-drafted player to get enshrinement. He was named the 1993 National League’s Rookie of the Year after hitting 35 home runs. Piazza would establish himself as one of the premier power hitters in baseball before a whirlwind sequence of trades over an eight-day span in May 1998 landed him with the Mets. It turned out to be one of the best deals the franchise has ever made.

The numbers he put up in Los Angeles are no doubt impressive, but his greatest achievements — and his greatest impact on an organization — came during his seven-and-a-half years in Queens: leading the Mets to consecutive postseason appearances including the 2000 National League pennant, six All-Star appearances, and the unforgettable home run in the first game in New York City following the events of September 11th. On his way to becoming the most prolific home run-hitting catcher in baseball history, Piazza compiled 220 of them with the Mets while also driving in 655 runs. He still holds the highest slugging percentage in team history, ranks second in OPS, and third in homers.

In his retirement statement, Piazza left no doubt about where his closest loyalties lie.

“One of the hardest moments of my career was walking off the field at Shea Stadium and saying goodbye,” he said. “My relationship with you made my time in New York the happiest of my career, and for that, I will always be grateful.”

The post OTD 2016: Mike Piazza Elected to the Hall of Fame appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

For a team that spent three weeks walking a tightrope, Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the rival Atlanta Braves was the latest (and most dramatic) example of the Mets’ ability to avoid elimination.

New York staved off a sweep in Game 4 with a bottom-of-the-eighth-inning rally, highlighted by a John Olerud single. Olerud opened the scoring the next afternoon with a two-run first-inning homer off Greg Maddux. Atlanta responded and tied it in top of the fourth, but bats on both sides went silent. The 2-2 deadlock last into extra innings. As darkness fell over Shea Stadium, so did rain clouds. Stranded runners (both sides totaled 31) piled up. Run-scoring opportunities went by the wayside.

Mets manager Bobby Valentine used eight relievers to keep Atlanta at bay. That was until the top of the 15th when Keith Lockhart tripled and drove in Walt Weiss. That three-week-long tightrope had frayed to its last threads. The Braves thought they put the Mets away after pummeling them in late September, and again after taking a one-run lead in the eighth inning of Game 4, and again on this night. Each time they were wrong.

Untested Kevin McGlinchy was in to try and close it out in the bottom of the 15th. The 22-year-old right-hander battled Shawon Dunston for more than nine minutes and through six foul balls before a leadoff single to center. Matt Franco worked a walk, Edgardo Alfonzo sacrificed both runners 90 feet, and Olerud got an intentional pass to load the bases. Todd Pratt, who entered the game when Mike Piazza’s strained left forearm wouldn’t allow him to continue past the 14th, also walked. Game tied.

Ventura, playing though pain, could send everyone home and both teams south. On a 2-1 count, he drove McGlinchy’s pitch to right-center field. Deep enough to certainly score the winning run and deep enough to clear the right-center-field wall.

Then the longest game in postseason history had a spectacular conclusion. Then came an unusual postscript.

After Ventura touched and rounded first base, he incessantly waved overly-enthusiastic teammates away so he could round the bases. But their exuberance was too much to allow their hero to savor a home-run trot. Instead, they mobbed Ventura before he reached second. Instead of a 7-3 final, it was (and remained) 4-3. “As long as I got to first base, I don’t care,” Ventura said. “It means we won.”

“I’ve been in long games,” said a mentally drained Valentine afterward. “But not games where every pitch meant so much.”

The post OTD 1999: Ventura’s ‘Grand Slam Single’ Caps NLCS Epic appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

During Friday night’s game, Brandon Nimmo recorded a stat line that has only been achieved four other times since 1901. He went 2-for-2 with two triples and three walks which, before he did it on Friday night, hadn’t been done since 2010 when both Shane Victorino and Dexter Fowler put up the same stat line. Mike Schmidt also did it in 1977. With his performance, Nimmo raised his on-base percentage from .373 to .387 and his OPS from .802 to .842.

Latest Mets News

In addition to Nimmo’s stellar performance in Friday night’s game, the Mets also got great performances from Francisco Lindor (2-for-4, HR, 4 RBIs) and Max Scherzer (7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO) in a 5-2 victory against the Rockies.

Neil Best of Newsday wrote about Gary Cohen and Howie Rose, their friendship, and their induction into the Mets’ Hall of Fame in early June.

On the show Foul Territory, Pete Alonso told a story from earlier in the season. In a game against the Reds, he badly needed to go to the bathroom as he came up to bat against Hunter Greene so he decided to swing at the first pitch no matter what. That pitch ended up being a hanging slider which Alonso hit for a home run.

Mets players selected Brandon Nimmo as their MLBPA player representative for the 2023 season. Francisco Lindor also holds a position on an eight-player executive subcommittee within the MLBPA.

The Get Metsmerized Podcast announced a giveaway in collaboration with Athlete Logos who is set to appear on the podcast soon. Retweet this post on Twitter and subscribe to the podcast for a chance to win a shirt featuring the Baby Mets.

Latest MLB News

With Liam Hendriks set to return to the majors soon, Stephen Nesbitt of The Athletic wrote about Hendriks’ personality, reputation, and the cancer diagnosis that led to his absence from baseball.

Matt Snyder of CBS Sports wrote about MLB’s attempt to embrace legalized gambling.

Prior to Friday’s game, the Yankees recalled pitcher Randy Vásquez from Triple-A and officially released Aaron Hicks. Vásquez started Friday’s game against the Padres and gave up two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched.

With the Hall of Fame Classic being played today in Cooperstown, former Met Glendon Rusch tweeted about his excitement in representing the Mets in the game. Rajai Davis and James Loney are other former Mets participating in the game.

During the Giants vs. Brewers game on Friday, Brian Anderson hit a foul ball into the Brewers’ dugout that struck Willy Adames. According to reports, Adames appeared okay and was able to walk into the clubhouse before going to the hospital for “tests and scans.”

With his save against Atlanta on Friday, Craig Kimbrel became just the eighth reliever ever to reach 400 career saves.

Luis García of the Nationals went 6-for-6 on Friday night. At 23 years and 10 days old, García became the second-youngest player ever to record six hits in a nine-inning game. Only Jesús Alou was younger when he achieved the feat in 1964.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer broke down the latest Mets minor league news, including Ronny Mauricio extending his on-base streak to 16 games.

Michael Mayer also updated his top 35 Mets’ prospect list.

Michael Famulari recapped Carlos Carrasco‘s wonderful start of one run in 6 2/3 innings against the Cubs.

On This Date in Mets History

2010: The Mets completed a three-game series against the Phillies in which they shutout the Phillies in each game. This was just the second time in the team’s history and the first time since 1969 that the Mets swept a three-game series while giving up zero total runs.

Birthdays: Todd Hundley (54), Ed Núñez (60)

The post Morning Briefing: Nimmo Makes History in Friday Night’s Game appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this month, the New York Mets lost two out of three at home against the Colorado Rockies. On Friday night, the Mets began a series, this time on the road, with the Rockies hoping to avenge their previous series loss against the team. Game 1 of the series presented a great chance with a favorable pitching matchup for the Mets as Max Scherzer faced off against Connor Seabold.

Scherzer threw seven phenomenal innings as he bested Seabold and Francisco Lindor drove in four runs, as the Mets came away with the first game of the series in a 5-2 victory.

Brandon Nimmo worked a seven-pitch walk to lead off the game, and immediately after, Lindor crushed a home run to right-center field to give the Mets a rare first-inning lead, putting them up 2-0 early. The ball traveled 439 feet, no doubt aided by the Denver altitude, but it was a great swing and result nonetheless, one the Mets have seen far too infrequently in the first inning of games this year. The next three batters for the Mets flew out to keep their lead at two.

First inning runs!

Francisco Lindor clubs a two-run homer for the early lead! #LGM
pic.twitter.com/IQiAUWf3T0

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) May 27, 2023

Leading off the bottom of the first, Charlie Blackmon bounced an 0-2 pitch right back up the middle for a single. Scherzer would keep Blackmon on first base, though, as a strikeout, popout and flyout allowed him to complete the inning having thrown just 11 pitches.

The Mets’ lead was cut in half in the second inning as a hanging curveball by Scherzer was knocked out of the park by Ryan McMahon. Like the first inning, Scherzer set the next three batters down in order after allowing the leadoff baserunner, but now the Mets were playing with a 2-1 lead.

A hit by pitch with Francisco Álvarez at the plate and Nimmo’s second walk of the game put runners on first and second with nobody out to begin the third inning. Lindor worked a full count, but on the ninth pitch of the at-bat he popped the ball up behind home plate to record the first out of the inning. Jeff McNeil then hit a ground ball that looked like it could have been a double play to end the inning, but the throw to second base from the first baseman Nolan Jones hit Nimmo in the back, resulting in everyone being safe.

That brought up Pete Alonso with the bases loaded and one out. After throwing an up-and-in fastball, Seabold got Alonso to chase a slider away for a strikeout for the second out of the inning. Seabold then got Brett Baty to go down swinging, escaping what could have been a disastrous inning without giving up a run.

In the bottom of the third inning, Scherzer put up his first 1-2-3 inning of the night with the help of two strikeouts at the expense of Ezequiel Tovar and Jurickson Profar. He also got Blackmon to pop a ball up on the infield, ending his inning after just nine pitches.

With one out in the top of the fifth inning, Nimmo lined a ball into the left-center field gap for a triple, his second game in a row with a three-base hit. Then with a full count, Lindor lined a ball into center field for a single to drive in Nimmo and make it a 3-1 game. In a nearly identical at-bat to the one he had in the third inning, McNeil hit a ground ball that probably should have been a double play, but once again, an awkward throw to second base allowed everyone to be safe.

With still just one out in the inning, Alonso flew out to right field, which advanced Lindor to third base. In the next at-bat, Baty drove in Lindor with an opposite-field line drive to give the Mets a 4-1 lead. That was all for Seabold, as he exited the game after 4 2/3 innings. Matt Carasiti relieved Seabold and got Starling Marte to ground out to end the inning.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Scherzer had been pitching wonderfully having retired his last 11 in a row. Alan Trejo broke that up with a line drive that just escaped the reach of Baty down the third base line for a double. Scherzer, however, remained composed and struck out Tovar for the second time to get out of the inning and strand Trejo in scoring position.

With a single up the middle with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Francisco Álvarez extended his hitting streak to six games. Nimmo then walked for the third time to put two runners on for Lindor. Falling behind in the count 0-2, Lindor lined out to right field to end the inning.

Having thrown 85 pitches through six innings, Scherzer came out for the seventh inning for the first time this season. After a ground ball out, Harold Castro hit a bloop single but Scherzer was able to get Nolan Jones to strike out to record the second out of the inning. Alan Trejo then recorded his second extra-base hit of the night by lining a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third and bring the tying run to the plate. A fly ball out off the bat of Tovar allowed Scherzer to get out of the inning without giving up a run and end his outing after seven brilliant innings.

David Robertson relieved Scherzer to start the bottom of the eighth inning and was immediately greeted with a solo homer off the bat of Blackmon to cut the Mets’ lead to 4-2. Robertson was able to set the next three batters down in order, including a strikeout of Kris Bryant, to ensure the Mets would pitch in the bottom of the ninth with at least a two-run lead.

Leading off the top of the ninth inning, Nimmo hit another line drive, this time to the right-center field gap, that allowed him to advance to third yet again for his second triple of the game. Nimmo’s two-triple, three-walk game is a feat that has only been achieved four other times since 1901. Lindor then hit a deep fly ball for a sacrifice fly that allowed Nimmo to score, giving the Mets some insurance and extending the lead to 5-2.

Brooks Raley came in to pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning with a chance for a save. Raley walked the leadoff batter McMahon, a lefty. Randal Grichuk stepped up to the plate to pinch-hit and hit a sharp line drive to center field that was caught by Nimmo for the first out of the inning. Raley then walked another lefty in Nolan Jones in four pitches to bring the tying run up to the plate. Buck Showalter had seen enough, as he pulled Raley to give Adam Ottavino a chance to record the final two outs.

Alan Trejo hit a sharp ground ball to third base that Eduardo Escobar had trouble coming up with, and it bounced just beyond the dirt into the outfield. It appeared that the Rockies might score, or at the very least have the bases loaded with one out. But as the baserunner Jones rounded second base, Lindor made a heads-up play by recovering the ball and throwing behind Jones as he attempted to dive back into second base. Jones was called out to give the Mets a crucial second out. Ottavino then struck out the pinch-hitter Mike Moustakas to put the game to bed and secure the 5-2 victory.

Player(s) of the Game

Despite Nimmo’s historic performance in which he went 2-for-2 with two triples, three walks, and three runs, the players with the biggest impact on the game were Lindor and Scherzer. Lindor was able to take advantage of Nimmo getting on base ahead of him by hitting a home run, a single and a sacrifice fly to record four of the Mets’ five runs batted in, giving him 38 RBIs on the year which is good for third in the National League.

For Scherzer, this game was his best outing of the year as he went seven innings and gave up just one run on six hits while walking none. He also struck out eight batters and lowered his season ERA to 3.54. Entering tonight’s game Scherzer had never recorded a win in Coors Field, but in a ballpark notorious for being friendly to hitters, he shut them down in a dominant performance.

On Deck

The series with the Rockies continues on Saturday night as Justin Verlander (2-2, 3.60 ERA) hopes to build off of his previous start against the Guardians in which he gave up just one earned run in eight fantastic innings. For the Rockies, Chase Anderson (0-0, 1.15 ERA) will be making his third start with the team after beginning the season with the Rays. The game will begin at 9:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on PIX11.

The post Lindor, Scherzer Shine as Mets Defeat Rockies 5-2 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Alonso has appeared to have shaken off the early season rust and is starting to settle into a groove for the New York Mets.

It took a few games for both Alonso and the Mets offense as a whole to find their rhythm. The offense was shut down by the Milwaukee Brewers, while Alonso was hitting just .136 through the first six games of the 2023 season. He also had just one home run and two RBIs during that stretch too.

However, after shaving his mustache and switching back to his tried-and-tested axe-handle bat for the final game of the series against the Brewers, Alonso began to reap instant results. He clubbed two home runs against an elite pitcher in Corbin Burnes, driving in four RBIs and displaying the type of pure power that has made Alonso one of the most dangerous hitters in the game.

Pete Alonso gets in on the party! It’s 9-3 Mets! pic.twitter.com/OvWwyhnjlO

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 7, 2023

He followed that up with another big day at the plate on Friday against the Marlins, blasting his third home run in his last two games as the Mets won their home opener 9-3. Alonso launched an absolute bomb to center field after Francisco Lindor had also homered in the previous at-bat.

Alonso is now slashing .226/.314/.645/.960 with a 147 OPS+ to go along with four homers and eight RBIs. After a slowish start, the slugger is now starting to really find his game and entered Friday with a 14.4 percent strikeout rate in his previous 50 games, according to the Mets. That was the lowest rate over any 50-game stretch in Alonso’s career and, on pace for the lowest strikeout rate of his career, it was clear on Friday that he was seeing the ball more clearly than ever.

“Just seeing the ball and capitalizing when it’s in my area,” Alonso said after the game. “One through nine we didn’t give in the entire day and that led to a positive result one through nine. We were excellent.”

Pete Alonso becomes just the 6th player in Mets history to reach the 150 plateau.

1. Darryl Strawberry, 252
2. David Wright, 242
3. Mike Piazza, 220
4. Howard Johnson, 192
5. Dave Kingman, 154
6. Pete Alonso, 150

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) April 7, 2023

Friday also proved to be a special day for Alonso outside of the usual Home Opener festivities. In hitting his fourth homer of the year, he also clubbed the 150th home run of his career. It was a meaningful milestone that made Alonso just the sixth player in Mets history to reach the 150 plateau. He moved past Carlos Beltran on the all-time leaderboard and is now just four homers away from tying Dave Kingman for fifth all-time in franchise history.

Given what Alonso has already accomplished in his Major League career, it is not a stretch to suggest that he could eventually take down Darryl Strawberry‘s franchise record of 252 homers with the Mets. After all, Alonso has time on his side and, as long as he signs a long-term contract with the team, there should be no barriers in his way when it comes to attempting to become the new Home Run King in Queens.

Consider this; no player has hit more dingers in Major League Baseball as Alonso has since he entered the bigs in 2019. His 150 career homers in that span are more than Aaron Judge (139) and Kyle Schwarber (129). That stat alone tells you just how dominant Alonso has been from day one.

There was more history created on Friday, too. Not only did Alonso reach the 150 home run mark, but he did it in record time too. Well, almost. He became the second-fastest player in major league history to achieve the milestone, doing it in just 538 career games. Only Phillies icon Ryan Howard did it faster (495 games).

Given that Alonso is improving all the time, he’s making more contact and is finding a way to strike out less too, more franchise records will likely fall and the masher could end up as an all-time Met when it comes to power and production. For now, however, the fact Alonso is starting to really destroy baseballs on a regular basis will only help the Mets as they look to gather some momentum early on in the 2023 season.

The post Pete Alonso Getting Hot, Makes History Against Marlins appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

With a winning percentage of .656 over 61 openers, no major-league team is better at making a first impression than the New York Mets. And this after losing their first eight. The start of the regular season is cause for fans to celebrate, and Mets fans have celebrated more often than others. With 40 wins in the last 53 years, the only thing we can usually count on is a Mets victory. Then, we can worry about the rest of the schedule tomorrow. Here are the top moments from the Mets’ rich history of Opening Day success.

10. 2015: Buddy Saves the Day

The Mets began their most recent World Series season with their annual win, but not in the ordinary way. At age 41, Bartolo Colón became the oldest Opening Day starter in club history. He was up against the Washington Nationals’ newest ace, once enemy turned current ally, Max Scherzer. New York couldn’t muster a hit for more than five innings until Lucas Duda was helped out by a Washington fielding miscue. The Mets went up 2-1 that inning and added another run before calling on 37-year-old Buddy Carlyle to record the final two outs and notch his only save in the orange and blue.

9. 2013: Need More Cowgill

Opening Day is that chance to elevate yourself above a performance in any ordinary regular-season game. Just ask Collin Cowgill. The 26-year old outfielder acquired from Arizona, who earned a spot in the starting lineup thanks to a solid spring training, made just 61 at-bats as a Met and played in only 23 games with an OPS+ of 45. Yet, he’s remembered better than most thanks to his seventh-inning grand slam over the left-field wall — punctuating a terrific team hitting display in a 11-2 demolition of the San Diego Padres.

8. 1992: Bonilla Cashes In

Sometimes a game one win is a precursor to later success. Other times, it’s 1992. A 3-2 extra-inning victory in St. Louis was not a signal of would lie ahead for the 92 Mets. It was just a lie. The initiation of our ongoing saga with Bobby Bonilla actually began well: a tenth-inning homer down the right-field line at Busch Stadium against Lee Smith that capped a 3-for-5 evening. David Cone went eight innings, struck out nine, allowed two hits, and two runs. He would’ve a tough-luck loser if the Mets hadn’t pushed across a score in the top of the ninth, narrowly avoiding a game-ending double play.

7. 1975: A Pair of Aces

The Hall of Fame pair of Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton combined for 640 wins, 7,700-plus strikeouts, and seven Cy Youngs. The two met on Opening Day five times and on three straight occasions beginning in 1973. Lefty-Seaver III lived up to their standards: trading K’s and scoreless innings. Only a Dave Cash third-inning RBI double and a Dave Kingman fourth-inning solo homer accounted for the entirety of the scoring heading into the ninth. Neither starter would let a reliever settle this 1-1 tie. Seaver held up his end and the Mets offense did not waste any time (or outs) in the bottom half. Félix Millán singled, John Milner walked, and Joe Torre’s base hit to left scored Millán — chalking up another W in Seaver’s column.

6. 1970: Breaking the O-fer

As the Mets basked in the glow of a championship, they still were trying to figure out how to get their season off right. As insignificant as it may seem, the Mets had been 0-for-8 in openers up to that point. The drought ended once they had a World Series ring in hand. Neither Tom Seaver nor Pirates ace Steve Blass factored into the decision as a 3-3 tie lasted into the eleventh, when the Mets were beneficiaries of shoddy Pittsburgh defense. A sacrifice and an intentional walk let World Series MVP Donn Clendenon show he had another big hit to spare. The former Pirate singled to bring in the deciding runs. From there, the Mets were off and winning — taking 18 of their next 20.

5. 1998: Castillo the Unlikely Hero

The old saying goes that the baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. But it took one game into the ’98 season for the Mets to feel like they had already gone the full route. At least they could celebrate when it ended. In a 1-0 win over the Phillies that took 14 innings and more than four hours to finish, a Mets catcher supplied the necessary offense. Not Mike Piazza — he was two months away. Not Todd Hundley, with 71 homers over the previous two seasons. He was sidelined while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The starting lineup had Tim Spehr behind the plate. He had two of the seven hits, but neither produced the run. After nobody else could, Alberto Castillo did. The pinch-hitter delivered the game-winning single and ended the seemingly endless string of goose eggs.

4. 1988: Strawberry Almost Leaves Olympic

Talk about a flying start. Mets bats slugged what was an Opening Day record six home runs against the Expos, the most prodigious coming from Darryl Strawberry — challenging the confines of Olympic Stadium. Strawberry went deep twice. So did fellow outfielder Kevin McReynolds. Kevin Elster and Lenny Dykstra supplied the rest of the power in a 10-6 win. Strawberry led off the top of the second against Dennis Martínez for his third Opening Day home run in five years. This was a pedestrian 400-foot shot compared to what would come later. In the seventh inning with the Mets now ahead by three, Darryl sent Randy St. Claire‘s pitch out of the yard — almost literally. The mammoth blast hit the top of the stadium and might have cleared customs if not for the roof.

3. 1996: Rey’s Amazin’ Play

It’s rare a comeback becomes forgotten, but the defensive wizardry by Rey Ordóñez in his major league debut is still what’s most remembered. The Mets had sliced a 6-0 deficit in half by the time the Cardinals were at bat with two outs in the seventh and Royce Clayton on first. Ray Lankford went down the left field line — a hit that could have extended St. Louis’ lead. Soon after Bernard Gilkey fielded the ball near the side wall, Clayton rounded third. Gilkey’s throw to Ordóñez — the cutoff man — was low, but Rey got down and fielded the short hop. Then, from his knees on the outfield grass, he fired it some 150 feet home to Todd Hundley before Clayton reached the plate. Ordóñez complemented his extraordinary defense minutes later with a single to right field that set up the Mets’ game-winning four-run rally, but Rey, the rookie, truly saved the day with his glove and arm.

2. 1983: Tom’s Return

With 16, no pitcher has more Opening Day starts than Tom Seaver. Of the five meetings he had with Carlton, none were more memorable than when “The Franchise” returned to the team he’s forever tied to. “Welcome Home, Tom” was a sign draped over the stands down the left field line and it was the message echoed by an anticipatory Shea Stadium crowd that roared as Seaver walked from the bullpen to the dugout. At age 38, by baseball standards, he was an old Tom Seaver. But when he took the mound against Carlton and his Phillies — a glorious sun-drenched afternoon — a packed house got to witness something resembling the Tom Seaver of old. He shut out Philadelphia for six innings in a vintage performance despite a no-decision.

1. 1985: Welcome to New York, Gary Carter

The only opener that could top the return of The Franchise occurred two years later. This wasn’t a reunion, but instead an introduction. The arrival of Carter, once the face of the Montreal Expos, headlined the most anticipated season in Mets history. It began with another storybook ending, and their new catcher offered the heroics. On a cold, blustery afternoon at Shea, Carter came up in the bottom of the tenth against former Met Neil Allen. “Kid” swung and connected on a sharp curveball that cut through the biting wind and snuck its way over the left-field fence. Chants of “Gary…Gary” rang through stands and made the chilly temperature more than bearable.

The post Greatest Mets Opening Day Moments appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Team Puerto Rico defeated Team Israel 10-0 in eight innings, throwing the first perfect game in World Baseball Classic history.

Four pitchers, Jose De Leon, Yacksel Rios, Edwin Diaz, and Duane Underwood Jr. combined for the feat.

The Puerto Rican national team reached the 10-run mercy rule threshold in the bottom of the eighth inning. Enrique Hernandez singled on a ground ball to left field to score Martin Maldonado.

WALK OFF. PERFECT GAME.

A historic performance for Team Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 pic.twitter.com/FGKQic4cxH

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 14, 2023

Puerto Rico scored three runs in each the first, second, and fifth innings. Francisco Lindor went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Hernandez was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Javier Baez was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Emmanuel Rivera and Eddie Rosario drove in the other two runs.

Puerto Rico Captain Francisco Linder with a bases-clearing triple.

pic.twitter.com/KpqjOgHUVI

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 14, 2023

Of course they couldn’t have done it without the pitching staff.

De Leon pitched the game of his life. Even with the 65-pitch limit, he went 5 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts. Rios relieved him to get the final out of the sixth inning, a strikeout.

Diaz made his first appearance in the WBC in the seventh, needing 10 pitches to retire three batters, striking out one. Underwood Jr. closed the game needing 10 pitched himself to get the final three outs.

Puerto Rico is now 2-1 in Pool play and sets itself up well to advance to the quarterfinals.

The post Puerto Rico Throws First Perfect Game In World Baseball Classic History appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Several Mets are set to participate in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. So there’s a good chance this list featuring players who were Mets at one time or another encapsulating the four previous editions of the international tournament will have an addition or two by the time it’s over on March 21.

2006 and 2009: Dice-K Goes Back-to-Back

By the time Daisuke Matsuzaka arrived in New York, he’d already achieved his biggest professional baseball accomplishments. In 2006, he was a star pitcher for Japan getting plenty of attention from major-league suitors. At the inaugural WBC, Dice-K raised his national hero status while simultaneously improving his stock. He won the championship by going four innings and allowing one run in a 10-6 victory over Cuba. Three years later, Matsuzaka was again the star—going 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA—with Japan again being the event’s dominant country.

2009: Wright Walk-Off

It’s not just one of the best moments by a Met in the WBC, but it’s also one of the best moments in WBC history. David Wright was already beloved by Mets fans. Now he had a whole country to embrace him. Days after the United States was humiliated by Puerto Rico in a mercy-rule loss to put the Americans in a win-or-else scenario, Wright came up in the ninth down 5-4 with the bases loaded and one out in Miami. He took a pitch down in the zone and placed it perfectly down the right-field line to score the tying and winning runs and send Team USA to the semifinals.

2013: When “The Captain” Became “Captain America”

This was the off-season when Wright’s unofficial title as leader of the Mets became official. But there was a more prestigious title that awaited him after the first-round contest with Italy. Just like the ’09 Puerto Rico thriller, Wright was up with the bases loaded. It was a less-dramatic situation (the fifth inning) but still had a tremendous result. His blast went into the left-center field stands and broke a 2-2 tie. Wright is one of the top performers in WBC history, batting .300/.400/.458 and driving in 10 runs over the four games he played in 2013. But his participation was cut short because of an oblique injury and teammates hung up a superhero cap in the dugout to pay homage to their third baseman.

2013: Canó Leads DR to Perfect Record

The Dominican Republic clearly had the most talent in 2013 and proved it—never losing on their way to the championship in a feat no WBC champ has done before or since. In their eight wins in eight tries, Canó batted .469 with two homers. In addition to being named tournament MVP, he became one of four to have a WBC title and a World Series ring. Canó was wrapping up his career with the Yankees, but not his career in New York of course. After spending 2014 through 2018 in Seattle, the All-Star second baseman was anything but All-Star form during his two-plus seasons as a Met.

2017: Díaz Brings the Heat

In a thrilling and contentious extra-inning Puerto Rico win over the Netherlands, Edwin Díaz gave a hint of a future for both Seattle and eventually New York. He breezed through the 10th by striking out the side and even inciting a bench-clearing after a pitch that went high and tight. WBC rules then stipulated that two runners were automatically put on base beginning with the 11th. But it had no effect on Edwin—except it may have gotten him more pumped up. Díaz kept the Netherlands off the scoreboard again and his hitters won it in the bottom half. He saved 34 for the Mariners in ’17 and then locked down 57 the next year. That dominance, as we know, is now in full effect in Queens.

2017: José Bautista’s Walk-off Throw

He was “Joey Bats,” but his arm was the difference for the Dominican Republic. In the bottom of the ninth of a first-round match-up, Columbia was in position to win with runners on the corners and one out. Bautista hauled in a line drive and fired it home to try and get a tagging Oscar Mercado. Catcher Welington Castillo shielded the baseline, caught Bautista’s laser throw, and applied the tag in time to end the inning and outrage Columbia’s personnel. Two innings later, the DR offense broke out with a seven-run eleventh to make a dramatic game seem lopsided by the 10-3 final.

Bautista wrapped up a 15-year major-league career the next season when he played for not one, but three teams in the NL East. His stint with the Mets lasted 83 games, the highlight being a game-winning grand slam against Tampa.

2017: Javy’s No-Look Tag

He’s mesmerizing whether on the field or at the plate. It’s impossible to keep your eyes off him–whether he was on the Cubs, Mets, or now with the Tigers. What makes this play from Javier Báez so fascinating was what he wasn’t seeing. In the top of the eighth against the Dominican Republic, a 3-1 Puerto Rico lead was in danger with Nelson Cruz on first. On a pitch from Edwin Díaz, Cruz attempted to steal. Yadier Molina caught and fired to Báez covering second. Even before he received the throw, Báez pointed in celebration toward Molina and then continued while blindly putting the tag on Cruz.

2017: Stroman in MVP Form for USA

The most recent edition of the WBC was the most exciting, highlighted by the three moments above as well as Adam Jones‘ sensational catch amid the center field fans at Petco Park, and punctuated by Marcus Stroman‘s brilliant performance in an 8-0 win for Team USA in the championship round. He dominated Puerto Rico, allowing just one hit in six innings for an impressive 2.35 ERA in three starts for a deserving MVP. Proving even if you beat ’em, you can join ’em, the former Met and current Cub will be with Díaz and Francisco Lindor on the Puerto Rico roster in 2023.

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Jacob deGrom in a Texas Rangers uniform. That’s going to take some getting used to. Actually, it may never really look normal. But this kind of scenario is nothing new. There have been a few occasions in which the combination of ex-Met player and team doesn’t sound — or look — right. Here are some of the strangest examples of famous Mets wearing the jersey of another team.

Jerry Koosman as a Phillie

Soon after the sight of Tom Seaver in Cincinnati Reds colors made Queens queasy, the other powerful pitching half made his exit. Jerry Koosman was traded to his native Minnesota to join the Twins before moving to the White Sox and eventually back to the NL East for his final two seasons. In 1984, at age 41, Koosman posted his lowest ERA and WHIP since departing New York. Koosman faced the organization which eventually retired his number six times while with Philadelphia — winning once with a 6.75 ERA.

Mookie Wilson as a Blue Jay

A mainstay of the Mets of the 1980s, Mookie Wilson was there at the lowest point of the decade and was also there for the highest moments. His popularity was unmatched, making the trade to Toronto in July 1989 hard to take — coupled with Lee Mazzilli also flocking north. Wilson hit .331 in August 1989 for Toronto while also driving in 12 as the Jays closed in on the division-leading Baltimore Orioles. Toronto eventually overtook the O’s, and won the AL East with Wilson regularly in the starting lineup. Wilson’s trip to the playoffs with the Jays was the third of his career. He stayed on for two more years (with one more appearance in the playoffs) before retiring.

Keith Hernandez with Cleveland

If you blinked, you missed it. Leg and back injuries severely curtailed what would be Keith Hernandez’s final year in 1990. He appeared in just 43 games for Cleveland and didn’t play after July 24. Hernandez’s durability, a hallmark of his career with the Mets and Cardinals along with his fielding excellence and hitting consistency, waned during his final two seasons in New York and the trend continued in Cleveland. He batted only .200 with one home run (seen below) and eight RBIs.

Darryl Strawberry as a Giant

Darryl Strawberry‘s personal issues had a significant effect on him once he moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1991 and then to San Francisco in May 1994. Strawberry’s stint with the Giants comprised only 92 at-bats over 29 games.  He saw limited playing time and hit only four home runs with 17 RBIs. At the start of the 1995 season, he was suspended after testing positive for cocaine. Straw eventually was picked up by the Yankees, where he made an impact on their ’96 World Series run and played until 1999.

Dwight Gooden with Cleveland

Like Darryl, Dwight Gooden temporarily revitalized his career with the Yankees. After a no-hitter and another ring, Gooden faltered in 1997, and over the winter was picked up by the defending AL Champs, Cleveland. Gooden improved in 1998, posting  a 3.76 ERA (despite his strikeout-per-nine-innings staying steady at 5.6) and made two starts in the postseason — the second coming in the ALCS against his former team. Gooden remained in Cleveland for one more season that didn’t go nearly as well.  In 1999, Gooden posted a 6.26 ERA in 22 starts. The last three stops of his career came in 2000, including a return to the Bronx that was preceded by two unusual one: short stints with the Houston Astros and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

John Franco as an Astro

Although John Franco has strong connections to  New York City, the start of his big-league career began in Cincinnati for the Reds from 1984-89. The St. John’s alum came to the Mets in a swap for fellow closer Randy Myers  and went on to span several eras for the franchise. Franco went through several transitions in Queens, going from closer to set-up man to captain. His Mets career concluded in 2004, but his major-league career did not. The Houston Astros got on him on a one-year deal in 2005, but he couldn’t last that long. By July of that year, Franco was released, and he eventually retired as the all-time saves leader among lefties.

Mike Piazza and the A’s

Mike Piazza had three stops in California in his career — starting in Los Angeles and later ending up in San Diego in 2006 after his Mets career. The final Golden State club Piazza played on was the most forgotten. While Piazza excelled to an All-Star level with the Dodgers and had a decent 2006 season with the Padres, his wearing of green and gold in Oakland in 2007 was a blip in his hall-of-fame career.  A shoulder injury in early May resulted in an 11-week stay on the disabled list, and he was only able to play in 83 games that season. Piazza eventually finished with a slash line of .275/.313/.414, eight homers, and 44 RBIs.

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Tim McCarver, a major-league catcher for 21 seasons and a Hall of Fame broadcaster who called Mets games for 16 years, has passed away at the age of 81.

McCarver was known nationally as the analyst for a record 24 World Series and 22 All-Star Games and received the Ford C. Frick Award in 2012.

He joined the Mets broadcast team in 1983 after a playing career that lasted over two decades with four different clubs. McCarver provided television play-by-play and analysis, paired with many including fellow Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, and was there for the rise and success of the organization over the rest of the 1980s.

The Mets released the following statement on McCarver’s passing. “We are saddened to learn of the passing today of Tim McCarver, who for 16 years in the television booth gave Mets fans an insightful, humorous and knowledgeable behind the scenes look into the game of baseball.

Tim drew on his 21-year career as a catcher to give viewers a unique opinion on what went on between the lines. We send our condolences to his daughters, Kathy and Kelley, and the rest of the McCarver family.”

In 1985, McCarver called the first of many World Series for ABC. He would later do the same for CBS and FOX where he established himself as one of the most influential voices in the sport.

His network presence allowed McCarver to be on-hand and on the mic for several Mets postseason moments: the 1986 National League Championship Series against Houston, the 1988 NLCS loss to Los Angeles, Benny Agbayani‘s game-winning homer in the 2000 National League Division Series, later that year’s NLCS triumph against the Cardinals and the World Series defeat to the Yankees, and the 2006 NLCS loss against St. Louis.

The last of McCarver’s 21 All-Star Games was held at Citi Field in 2013. He stepped away from the FOX booth at the conclusion of that season.

Before McCarver spoke on his many World Series, he played in two — as a member of the 1964 and 1967 St. Louis Cardinals. The durable catcher was twice an All-Star selection, remarkably had a league-leading 13 triples in 1966, and was NL MVP runner-up in ’67. He also played for the Phillies, Expos, and Red Sox before retiring in 1980 as one of a handful to be major leaguer in four different decades.

Thoughts from Joe D

This one really hurts… Before Gary Cohen came along, Tim McCarver was my favorite Mets announcer. He not only entertained us with his myriad of colorful tales from his time as a player, but he taught me everything about the rules and strategies of the game. His pleasant southern charm came through in his voice and his knowledge of the game was unbound. I grew up with Tim and in many ways, he steered me into a lifelong appreciation of the game and of course the Mets. I’m going to miss him. Rest in peace, Tim.

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