10. 1987

Davey Johnson‘s reward for being in the World Series is representing the NL as manager. He had Gary Carter and Darryl Strawberry in his starting lineup and Keith Hernandez off the bench, but it was Sid Fernandez who closed out the extra-inning victory.

Runs were at a premium thanks mainly to the late-afternoon sun at the Oakland Coliseum. The NL finally broke through in the 13th after Tim Raines‘ triple with “El Sid” preserved in the bullpen. Fernandez walked the leadoff batter but found his location from then on.

9. 1969

If the country wasn’t aware of the rapidly improving New York Mets—in second place at 53-39 and five games behind the Chicago Cubs by the time the All-Star Game arrived—it soon would. Three players who contributed to the turnaround were selected for the 40th midsummer classic at Washington D.C.’s RFK Stadium.

Cleon Jones started in left field for his first All-Star appearance and went 2-for-4, Jerry Koosman pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and eventual Cy Young Award winner Tom Seaver was present but was not called on to the mound in what turned out to be a 9-3 NL win.

8. 1964

In its debut season, Shea Stadium had already opened in conjunction with the New York World’s Fair. By July, it had already seen a perfect game (thrown by Philadelphia’s Jim Bunning on June 21), and now it hosted one of the greatest All-Star Games.

Mets fans who had little success to cheer for in the early years latched on to Ron Hunt, a scrappy second baseman elected to start for the National League in his home park. He would go 1-for-3, but more excitement was saved for the finish. Johnny Callison of the Phillies hit a walk-off homer to give the NL a 7-4 win, the last time in the contest’s history to end in such a fashion.

7. 1986

The Mets were the predominant story of ’86, so it was of little surprise that when the All-Star rosters were announced, the Mets had the most participants. At the Astrodome on July 15, the setting for future postseason drama, the Amazin’s had five selectees – Dwight Gooden, Carter, Hernandez, Strawberry, and Fernandez.

The recognition of the Mets’ accomplishments was apparent in the starting lineup. Fans voted in Carter at catcher, Hernandez at first base, and Strawberry in right field. At age 21, Gooden was making his third All-Star appearance in three seasons. He worked a scoreless first and was touched up for two runs in the second. The Hernandez-Carter-Strawberry trio combined to go 1-for-9 with Darryl logging the lone hit against Teddy Higuera in the bottom of the fifth.

6. 1979

The lowly Mets had one participant, but he was very much present even though he didn’t appear until the eighth inning. Nevertheless, Lee Mazzilli‘s cameo at the Kingdome was made worthwhile. Leading off with the NL down 6-5, Mazzilli took a Jim Kern pitch down the left field line that snuck just over the wall. The defensive heroics of MVP Dave Parker kept the score even into the ninth. That’s when the NL, and Mazzilli, took advantage of wild American League pitching.

Joe Morgan drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a balk. Parker was intentionally walked. Ron Cey earned the traditional free pass to load the bases for Maz with two gone. Ron Guidry came in, but his 3-1 pitch drifted outside. Mazzilli had driven in the tying and go-ahead runs. The 7-6 lead was placed into the hands of Bruce Sutter, who closed out the NL’s eighth straight win.

5. 1975

Jon Matlack was often second or third on the hierarchy of Mets pitchers during that era. But not long after Tom Seaver relinquished the lead by giving up a game-tying sixth-inning blast to Carl Yastrzemski, he bailed out this rotation cohort and kept the American League from scoring anymore. Matlack got two strikeouts (mixed in with a caught stealing) in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth.

It was certainly an MVP-caliber performance. Matlack shared the honor on this night at Milwaukee’s County Stadium with Bill Madlock of the Chicago Cubs, who produced the game-winning hit in the top of the eighth and allowed the lefty to get the victory.

4. 2006

Apparently, nobody told him the Home Run Derby was over. David Wright complimented his runner-up finish in the annual long ball contest with a drive off former Met Kenny Rogers, clearing the left-field fence to tie it up at one in the second inning.

Wright was one of six Mets selected to the NL squad in a season when the NL East was already a runaway by the unofficial midway point. Carlos Beltrán doubled in the first inning and later stole third and scored the tie-breaking run. That 2-1 lead held up until Trevor Hoffman let it get away in the ninth inning.

3. 2015
“Hi, I’m Jacob deGrom, and I have the chance with my stuff to just dominate baseball for years to come.”

Never has Joe Buck been so on point with a call. The 27-year-old defending Rookie of the Year wasn’t around long for his All-Star debut. That was of his own doing. DeGrom didn’t just strike out each of the three American League All-Stars he faced in the sixth inning at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark. He was nearly immaculate, fanning Stephen Vogt, Jason Kipnis, and finally — OMG! — Jose Iglesias on a mere 10 pitches.

2. 2013

The Mets’ past, present, and future was on display as Citi Field hosted the game for the first time. David Wright was the unofficial ambassador, starting at third base and batting fourth. He caught the ceremonial first pitch from Tom Seaver, who not surprisingly has the most All-Star appearances of any Met.

The actual first pitch also came from a Met. Matt Harvey was the headliner, earning the nod in his first full big-league season. For those in the national audience still unaware of “The Dark Knight,” they got glimpses over 32 pitches. Harvey brushed off early jitters to toss two scoreless innings before the announced crowd of 45,186—the largest in the brief history of Mets’ new stadium. As for Wright, he singled in the seventh, the last of his three at-bats in the game and, as it turned out, his seventh and final All-Star appearance.

1. 1984

For All-Star K’s, no one did it better—in quantity and quality—than Carl Hubbell back in 1934. After Fernando Valenzuela struck out the side in the fourth inning at Candlestick Park, it was time for Dwight Gooden (and history) to make an appearance as one former sensation passed the baton to the current one.

The 19-year-old was the youngest All-Star in history and, in the fifth inning, did what had been doing to hitters thus far in his Rookie of the Year campaign, Gooden overpowered a succession of American League sluggers: Lance Parrish of Detroit, fellow Tiger Chet Lemon, and the Mariners’ Alvin Davis.

Gooden tossed another scoreless frame with future teammate Gary Carter behind the plate.

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On a dreary and drizzly evening in front of a paltry 6,840 at Shea Stadium, Matlack made the seventh start of his second full season. The reigning National League Rookie of the Year would see more than just his career flash before his eyes on May 8. A searing line drive off the bat of Atlanta’s Marty Perez headed back to the mound—resulting in a pitcher’s greatest fear.

With almost no time to react, Matlack did all he could to prevent direct contact. The ball nicked his glove and struck him square on the left side of his forehead. The ricochet actually allowed two Braves runners to score, but that concern was mild compared to the pressing worry about the condition of the 23-year-old pitching star as he writhed on the ground.

Both teams gathered around Matlack before he was placed on a stretcher and hauled away to a local hospital—the final diagnosis: a fractured skull. And in what can only be deemed a baseball miracle, Matlack returned to the same mound 11 days later, wearing a hockey goalie’s headband for protection.

If he appeared timid in the wake of his brush with mortality, it would have been understandable. But Matlack soon shook off any residual fears and regained the form of his rookie year at a very opportune time. On his way to ranking third in the NL in strikeouts with 205, he won six of his final seven regular-season decisions—most coming during a stretch when New York went 24-9 to go from worst to first in the NL East.

Matlack’s hot hand carried over into October, as his smooth delivery and effective mix of pitches held postseason opponents to four runs in 25.2 innings. Game 2 of the NLCS was his finest performance—and one of the best performances in franchise history. It came when the Mets were desperate to regain momentum from the Cincinnati Reds.

New York wasn’t facing a must-win situation by ordinary standards. Still, there was a sense of urgency considering who it was up against—a lineup of Hall of Fame–worthy bats with bold-faced names like Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Pérez, and Johnny Bench. This was as close as you could get to a 1970s version of “Murderer’s Row.” Limiting its potency was a task not many were able to accomplish. Tom Seaver nearly did it, only to be victimized by solo homers from Rose and Bench in a tough-luck 2–1 defeat in Game 1.

Matlack, though, could deftly negotiate the explosive Reds’ attack and barely permitted them to reach base. Forgoing his usual volume of fastballs, he instead relied on an assortment of breaking pitches to throw Cincinnati’s power bats off-balance. It worked to near perfection. In a 5–0 complete-game victory, the only two hits came from unheralded Andy Kosco. As for the quartet of Rose, Morgan, Pérez, and Bench, they combined to go 0-for-16.

Little changed for the rest of the series. The Reds mustered just six more runs. Game 5’s 7–2 win ended with Matlack in the bullpen—in case Tug McGraw encountered ninth-inning trouble. Rather than an emergency role in the fifth game, he got the coveted starting assignment for the World Series opener in Oakland.

Since this series went seven games, Matlack got three starts—each against the A’s Ken Holtzman. He won just once, but didn’t allow an earned run in two of those outings. Victimized in Game 1 on a grounder under the legs of reliable second baseman Félix Millán, which preceded a 2–1 loss, Matlack came back stronger in Game 4—going eight innings and yielding three hits in a 6–1 New York victory that drew the Mets even.

Matlack was asked to pitch the seventh game on three days’ rest. It was his lone dud of the entire postseason. The costliest missteps came in the third inning. Two-run blasts from Bert Campaneris and eventual series MVP Reggie Jackson knocked out Matlack, and the Mets were staggered to a state from which they wouldn’t recover.

While the Mets never approached the same level of success in the ensuing years, Matlack continued to be a dependable part of the rotation. In fact, 1974 was arguably his best season: a 2.41 ERA, a 149 ERA+, a league-best FIP of 2.42, and seven shutouts.

The Mets didn’t comply. Run support resulted in an undeserved 13-15 record.

Jon Matlack left New York after the 1977 season and, with a career ERA barely over 3.00, remains one of the more underrated Mets ever. Recent induction into the team’s Hall of Fame is evidence of his success.

The post Spirit of ’73: Jon Matlack appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

His arrival to the majors in early May ’83 marked a sign of progress for a franchise searching for hope. After a slow start, Strawberry began to fulfill those enormous expectations and became the third Met to take the National League Rookie of the Year honors, joining Tom Seaver (1967) and Jon Matlack (1972).

Darryl garnered 18 of 24 first-place votes in a landslide victory over Atlanta Braves pitcher Craig McMurtry.

The top pick in the 1980 amateur draft out of Los Angeles’s Crenshaw High School, Strawberry was tall and lean, blessed with a sweet name and a sweeter swing. A Sports Illustrated feature once compared Strawberry to Ted Williams. With a thoroughbred build and a swift uppercut made for home runs, he had all the makings of the revered “five-tool player.”

On May 6, 1983, the Mets unveiled their shiny new toy in the MLB showroom. For a team already 10 games out of first and not getting any closer, this was the incentive to keep fans tuned in. Strawberry struggled as he tried to adjust to baseball’s top level. Over his first month, he hit .165 and struck out every 2.5 at-bats. After about five weeks, though, Strawberry began to figure it out.

Starting on June 7, Darryl fashioned an OPS of .936, topping the figure of NL MVP Dale Murphy. His power took a significant upturn in the second half as he hammered 19 homers and drove in 51 runs. By September, the glimpses of his potential were now on full display.

In the final month of his Rookie of the Year campaign, he exhibited terrific plate discipline by batting .376 and hitting successfully in 20 of 24 games. In 122 games, he had a 134 OPS+ and 19 stolen bases. His final totals of 26 homers and 76 RBIs stood as Mets rookie records until 2019.

It was until then that Strawberry was the lone Mets position player to be named top rookie. Pete Alonso joined Darryl in first-year honors and surpassed his home run and RBI marks. Yet the fascination fans had for Strawberry, especially in his early days as a Met, remains unmatched.

The post OTD 1983: Strawberry Wins Rookie of the Year appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

For the first time since 2013, the Mets have a representative in the starting lineup of the All-Star Game. And for the first time since 2009, the team has four selectees. Even though it’s been confirmed that Starling Marte won’t see action, there’s a good possibility for any of the other three to add to this list of moments in the Midsummer Classic.

1964

In its debut season, Shea Stadium had already opened in conjunction with the New York World’s Fair. By July, it had already seen a perfect game (thrown by Philadelphia’s Jim Bunning on June 21), and now it hosted one of the greatest All-Star Games. Mets fans who had little success to cheer for in the early years latched on to Ron Hunt, a scrappy second baseman elected to start for the National League in his home park. He would go 1-for-3, but more excitement was saved for the finish. Johnny Callison of the Phillies hit a walk-off homer to give the NL a 7-4 win, the last time in the contest’s history to end in such a fashion.

1967

Tom Seaver quickly harnessed the attention of the public with 16 wins on a team that had just 61, posted an ERA of 2.76, and struck out 170. He was the lone Mets representative in that year’s All-Star Game at Anaheim Stadium and waited for his turn on the mound. Then he waited…and then waited some more. In the longest Midsummer Classic, Seaver put an end to it. He threw a scoreless 15th, working around a walk to retire Tony Conigliaro, Bill Freehan and finally Ken Berry on a strikeout.

1968

One rookie Mets pitcher finished the ’67 game and another finished in ’68. Jerry Koosman was summoned from the bullpen to protect a 1-0 lead in the ninth. His task? Get the reigning American League MVP and Triple Crown winner, Carl Yastrzemski. Koosman had the luxury of pitching to Yaz with the bases open. After starting 2-0, Koosman rallied to get three straight swings and misses. It was the 20th strikeout of the day at the Astrodome, five of which were recorded by Seaver over two innings.

1969

If the country wasn’t aware of the rapidly improving New York Mets–in second place at 53-39 and five games behind the Chicago Cubs–by the time the All-Star Game arrived, it soon would. Three players who provided the biggest contributions to the turnaround were selected for the 40th midsummer classic at Washington D.C.’s RFK Stadium.

Cleon Jones started in left field for his first All-Star appearance and went 2-for-4, Jerry Koosman pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and eventual Cy Young Award winner Tom Seaver was present but was not called on to the mound in what turned out to be a 9-3 NL win. 

1970

It remains an all-time top-5 All-Star moment: Pete Rose barreling into Ray Fosse at home to ensure a NL victory. We know how it ended, but it was started by Seaver, fresh off his first of three Cy Young Awards and a 19-strikeout performance in April. He was selected by his manager, Gil Hodges, who after participating in eight All-Star Games as a player now got his chance to call the shots for the NL squad after his World Series triumph. Bud Harrelson, making his first appearance, entered in the seventh and got two hits in three at-bats. 

1975

Jon Matlack often was second or third on the hierarchy of Mets pitchers during that era. But not long after Tom Seaver relinquished the lead by giving up a game-tying sixth-inning blast to Carl Yastrzemski, he bailed out this rotation cohort and kept the American League from scoring any more. Matlack got two strikeouts (mixed in with a caught stealing) in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth. It was certainly an MVP-caliber performance, Matlack shared the honor on this night at Milwaukee’s County Stadium with Bill Madlock of the Chicago Cubs, who produced the game-winning hit in the top of the eighth and allowed the lefty to get the victory. 

1979

The lowly Mets had one participant, but he was very much present even though he didn’t appear until the eighth inning. Nevertheless, Lee Mazzilli‘s cameo at the Kingdome was made worthwhile. Leading off with the NL down 6-5, Mazzilli took a Jim Kern pitch down the left field line that snuck just over the wall. The defensive heroics of MVP Dave Parker kept the score even into the ninth. That’s when the NL, and Mazzilli, took advantage of wild American League pitching.

Joe Morgan drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a balk. Parker was intentionally walked. Ron Cey earned the traditional free pass to load the bases for Maz with two gone. Ron Guidry came in, but his 3-1 pitch drifted outside. Mazzilli had driven in the tying and go-ahead runs. The 7-6 lead was placed into the hands of Bruce Sutter, who closed out the NL’s eighth straight win.

1984

For All-Star K’s, no one did it better–in quantity and quality–than Carl Hubbell back in 1934. After Fernando Valenzuela struck out the side in the fourth inning at Candlestick Park, it was time for Dwight Gooden–and history–to make an appearance, as one former sensation passed the baton to the current one.

The 19-year-old was the youngest All-Star in history and, in the fifth inning, did what had been doing to hitters thus far in his Rookie of the Year campaign, Gooden overpowered a succession of American League sluggers: Lance Parrish of Detroit, fellow Tiger Chet Lemon, and the Mariners’ Alvin Davis. Gooden tossed another scoreless frame with future teammate Gary Carter behind the plate. 

1986

The Mets were the predominant story of ’86, so it was of little surprise that when the All-Star rosters were announced, the Mets had the most participants. At the Astrodome on July 15, the setting for future postseason drama, the Amazin’s had five selectees–Dwight Gooden, Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, Darryl Strawberry, and Sid Fernandez.

The recognition of the Mets’ accomplishments was apparent in the starting lineup. Fans voted in Carter at catcher, Hernandez at first base, and Strawberry in right field. At age 21, Gooden was making his third All-Star appearance in three seasons. He worked a scoreless first and was touched up for two runs in the second. The Hernandez-Carter-Strawberry trio combined to go 1-for-9 with Darryl logging the lone hit against Teddy Higuera in the bottom of the fifth. 

1987

Davey Johnson‘s reward for being in the World Series is representing the NL as manager. He had Carter and Strawberry in his starting lineup and Hernandez off the bench, but it was Fernandez who closed out the extra-inning victory. Runs were at a premium thanks mainly to the late-afternoon sun at the Oakland Coliseum. The NL finally broke through in the 13th after Tim Raines‘ triple with “El Sid” preserved in the bullpen. Fernandez walked the leadoff batter, but found his location from then on.

2006

Apparently, nobody told him the Home Run Derby was over. David Wright complimented his runner-up finish in the annual long ball contest with a drive off former Met Kenny Rogers which cleared the left-field fence to tie it up at one in the second inning. Wright was one of six Mets selected to the NL squad in a season when the NL East was already a runaway by the unofficial midway point. Carlos Beltrán doubled in the first inning and later stole third and scored the tie-breaking run. That 2-1 lead held up until Trevor Hoffman let it get away in the ninth inning.

2013

The Mets’ past, present, and future was on display as Citi Field hosted the game for the first time. David Wright was the unofficial ambassador, starting at third base and batting fourth. He caught the ceremonial first pitch from Tom Seaver, who not surprisingly has the most All-Star appearances of any Met.

The actual first pitch also came from a Met. Matt Harvey was the headliner, earning the nod in his first full big-league season. For those in the national audience still unaware of “The Dark Knight,” they got glimpses over 32 pitches. Harvey brushed off early jitters to toss two scoreless innings before the announced crowd of 45,186—the largest in the brief history of Mets’ new stadium. As for Wright, he singled in the seventh—the last of his three at-bats in the game and, as it turned out, his seventh and final All-Star appearance.

2015

“Hi, I’m Jacob deGrom, and I have the chance with my stuff to just dominate baseball for years to come.”

Never has Joe Buck been so on point with a call. The 27-year-old defending Rookie of the Year wasn’t around long for his All-Star debut. That was of his own doing. DeGrom didn’t just strike out each of the three American League All-Stars he faced in the sixth inning at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark. He was nearly immaculate, fanning Stephen Vogt, Jason Kipnis, and Jose Iglesias on just 10 pitches.

The post Greatest Mets All-Star Game Moments appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The early 1980s for the New York Mets were less-than-stellar in terms of wins and losses. However, slowly the pieces were starting to come together for the success the franchise would experience later in the decade.

In January 1980, the team was sold from the Payson family to Doubleday & Company. The new owners promptly hired Frank Cashen to be general manager. In June 1980, Cashen engaged in his first amateur draft as part of the Mets’ organization. He had the first pick overall, and with that pick he selected a young outfielder from Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. That outfielder was Darryl Strawberry. It was a wise pick by Cashen, because on November 21, 1983, Strawberry was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year.

Strawberry signed for a bonus of $152,500 and began his professional baseball journey. On May 6, 1983, he made his major league debut at Shea Stadium for a Mets team that was 6-15 on the season, badly in need of something positive. Tom Seaver started the game for New York and tossed eight innings of three-run ball with seven strikeouts. Strawberry played right field and went hitless in four official at-bats (he walked twice and struck out three times). He would score on a three-run walk-off home run by George Foster in the bottom of the thirteenth inning.

“The Straw Man” went on to play in 122 games in the 1983 season, posting a slash line of .257/.336/.512, with 26 home runs and 74 RBIs. He also stole 19 bases, and had an OPS+ of 134. Those numbers were good enough to net the National League’s Rookie of the Year award, making Strawberry the third Met to win the award in franchise history (Tom Seaver had won it in 1967 and Jon Matlack had done so in 1972). Since 1983, Dwight Gooden (1984), Jacob deGrom (2014), and Pete Alonso (2019) have been named Rookies of the Year.

Strawberry played eight seasons in the Mets’ orange and blue, slashing .263/.359/.520/.878 with 252 home runs and 753 RBIs. He remains the franchise leader in career home runs. After leaving the Mets in 1991, Darryl played for the Dodgers (three years), Giants (one year), and Yankees (five years). By bWAR, Strawberry’s best seasons were 1987 (6.4) and 1990 (6.3). In his post-Mets days, Strawberry’s highest bWAR was in 1998 with the Yankees, when he posted a 1.5 mark in 101 games.

Over his 17-year career, the native of Los Angeles had a slash line of .259/.357/.505/.862 with 335 home runs and 1,000 RBIs. In the 1986 postseason, Strawberry did not perform particularly well (.227 BA with two home runs in the NLCS and .208 with one home run in the World Series). However, his lone World Series home run was a memorable one, giving the Mets a much-needed insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 7.

He hit off (and angered with his slow trot) Al Knipper of the Red Sox, and was cool and distant to Davey Johnson in the dugout (Johnson had removed him from Game 6) despite Ray Knight‘s behest to put the incident in the past. You can re-live the home run in the video below.

“It’ll take him about twenty minutes to go around the base paths.” What a line by the great Vin Scully.

Strawberry has struggled with addiction, as well as legal and health problems (colon cancer) since his retirement. He seems to have overcome those matters, and currently lives in Missouri. He is a born-again Christian, and does charitable work, notably the Darryl Strawberry Foundation, whose mission is to help autistic children.

Here’s a Metsmerized hat tip to the 1983 National League Rookie of the Year, Darryl Strawberry.

The post OTD 1983: Darryl Strawberry Wins ROY Award appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Credit: Danny Torres

In a ceremony Saturday night before the game, Ron Darling, Edgardo Alfonzo and Jon Matlack were all honored with bronze plaques, becoming the 28th, 29th and 30th members of the New York Mets Hall of Fame.

It was the first time the team inducted members into its Hall of Fame in eight years.

The trio, who represent Mets teams from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, appeared in a total 1,546 games for the Mets. Matlack, Darling and Alfonzo each made it to a World Series with the Mets in 1973, 1986 and 2000, respectively, though Darling is the only one tho have won it with the team.

All three were developed the the Mets’ minor league systems, too. Matlack was drafted by the team in 1967, Darling was traded for (in a Lee Mazzilli trade) in 1982 less than a year after he was drafted by the Texas Rangers and Alfonzo was signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela.

Matlack got the induction ceremonies started. He pitched in over 200 games for the Mets–199 of them starts. He had a 3.03 ERA–fifth in team history–over nearly 1,500 innings in seven seasons. He also accrued the seventh-most bWAR (26.6) of any pitcher in Met history.

In his acceptance speech, the big lefty noted his pride in his “modest accomplishments” with the team, which included a Rookie of the Year award in 1972 and three All-Star nods from 1974 to 1976.

Top 10 among franchise pitchers in wins, complete games, ERA, strikeouts, shutouts and innings pitched.

Jon Matlack has his place in #Mets history. pic.twitter.com/gUbUb1EVbw

— New York Mets (@Mets) July 31, 2021

Next came Darling, who started 241 games over nine-plus seasons in the 1980s. The righty, born in Honalulu, Hawaii, earned an All-Star nomination in 1985–his best overall season with the team with a 2.90 ERA in 248 innings–and a Gold Glove in 1989. He’s also been a television broadcaster for the team for 15 years since SNY’s inception.

Darling said ahead of the ceremony that he was “overjoyed” with entering the Mets’ Hall of Fame and said thanked his family and, primarily, the fans for their support throughout his decades with the team during his acceptance speech.

From Honolulu to a #WorldSeries champion.

Keith Hernandez narrates the story of #Mets Hall of Famer, Ron Darling. pic.twitter.com/EUe3Di0yeq

— New York Mets (@Mets) July 31, 2021

Alfonzo came next. He played second base, third base and shortstop for more than 1,000 games for the Mets, becoming one of the franchise’s better offensive players in the process. He’s top five in franchise history in offensive bWAR, batting average, runs scored and hits and is top 10 in just about every other offensive category.

In the late 1990s, Fonzie was part of one of the best defensive infields ever aligned with John Olerud, Robin Ventura and Rey Ordoñez, who handed Alfonzo’s bronze plaque over to him during the ceremony.

Alfonzo also coached with the Brooklyn Cyclones from 2014 to 2019, culminating in a Penn League championship in his final year. His contract with the Cyclones was unceremoniously and controversially not renewed, so Saturday’s ceremony was a needed re-welcoming back into the organization. Alfonzo was once considered a potential major-league managerial candidate with the team.

He was beaming with pride during his acceptance speech, thanking his parents in Venezuela, as well as teammates and managers like Bobby Valentine, Mike Piazza and Ordoñez.

Once a part of the best infield ever, Edgardo Alfonzo goes down as one of the best #Mets ever. pic.twitter.com/CWw5uRXb6v

— New York Mets (@Mets) July 31, 2021

Al Jackson, an original Met who pitched for a the team for a total of six years who also coached in the team’s minor leagues for over two decades, was given the Mets Hall of Fame Achievement Award in the same ceremony.

Darling noted in his acceptance speech that Jackson taught him his split-finger fastball that he used throughout his time with the Mets. Darling said “I never would’ve made it” to the big leagues without the help of Jackson.

Jackson passed away in 2019 at the age of 83, but his family–his wife and two sons–were there to accept the award on his behalf. SNY’s Steve Gelbs interviewed them during the game about their late father’s dedication to baseball–especially Mets baseball–and Jackson’s relationship with his “mentor” Casey Stengal.

"He loved baseball for breakfast, lunch, and supper"

The family of the late Al Jackson talks to @SteveGelbs after Jackson posthumously received the Mets Hall of Fame Achievement Award: pic.twitter.com/kpYWszjcD6

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 1, 2021

The ceremony was originally set to take place in 2020, but it was delayed to this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can watch the full Hall of Fame induction below.

The post Ron Darling, Edgardo Alfonso & Jon Matlack Inducted To Mets Hall of Fame appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the New York Mets have set a dedication date of July 22 for their Tom Seaver statue.

Following the All-Star break, the ceremony will take place on an off day before the Mets’ kickoff their first homestand, which will allow members of the Mets organization and Seaver’s family to be in attendance.

Back in 2019, the Mets announced their plans to unveil this statue on the same day they revealed Citi Field’s address change to 41 Seaver Way. The statue will be located near the Home Run apple in front of the park’s main entrance as they have already begun groundbreaking.

The great Tom Seaver passed away last Aug. 31 due to health complications, including dementia. As a result, the team is honoring him by wearing No. 41 patches on their uniform this year.

Seaver was a first-ballot Hall of Famer inducted back in 1992. He is also the Mets’ all-time leader in: wins, strikeouts and ERA, among other major statistical categories.

The Mets have made an effort to honor their history as of late, and the Seaver statue will set the tone for this. The organization has plans to retire pitcher Jerry Koosman‘s No. 36, and will induct Edgardo Alfonzo, Jon Matlack and Ron Darling into the Mets Hall of Fame in the second half of the 2021 season.

The post Tom Seaver Statue Dedication Date Set for July 22 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On March 23, 1978, the New York Mets traded shortstop Bud Harrelson to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league infielder Freddie Andrews (who never played a game for the Mets) and cash. The trade left pitcher Jerry Koosman and infielder/outfielder/pinch hitter Ed Kranepool as the lone remaining players from the 1969 championship team.

Key players from the 1969 team, such as Tom Seaver, Cleon Jones, Tommie Agee, Ron Swoboda, and Jerry Grote were already gone, and the Mets were in the beginning phase of a long rebuild that would last until the 1984 season. Harrelson was three months shy of 34 years old at the time of the trade.

The Niles, California native was born on D-Day (June 6, 1944), and spent his youth in California, attending college at San Francisco State University. “Buddy” was drafted by the Mets in June of 1963, and made his debut in Queens in 1965, appearing in 18 games.

The defensive whiz played 13 seasons for the Mets, slashing .234/.324/.287, and stealing 118 bases. Harrelson was known for his outstanding glove, winning the National League’s Gold Glove award in 1971, a year in which he led NL shortstops with a defensive bWAR of 3.1.

Harrelson was a two-time All-Star, representing the National League in both 1970 and 1971. His best overall season using bWAR was 1971, when he posted a 4.6 mark, and posted a .252 BA, .319 OBP, and stole 28 bases.

Harrelson stood just five feet, eleven inches tall, but had the heart of a lion, and a bit of big mouth to go with it. Many associate Buddy with the fight with Pete Rose in the 1973 NLCS.

That incident was precipitated by Rose’s slide into second base, but also by Harrelson’s remarks after Game 2 of the series, when Jon Matlack shut the Reds out. Harrelson said Matlack made the Big Red Machine look like him at the plate, which rattled the Reds’ cages.

One of my favorite Harrelson moments comes from the 1973 World Series, when he was “thrown out” at the plate in extra innings of game two. You can make your own call. The Mets won the game anyway.

During the argument, Bud was ejected, and then yelled to the umpire, ‘You can’t throw me out because of your incompetence!” That’s classic Bud Harrelson.

Bud spent two years in Philadelphia, and was part of a division championship team in 1978. He finished his career in 1980 with the Texas Rangers.

After his career, Harrelson became a Mets coach in 1985, and was coaching third base when the Mets won the 1986 World Series. He became Mets manager in 1990 when Davey Johnson was fired during the season, and managed the team until the last week of the 1991 season when he was relived of his duties.

Harrelson resides on Long Island, and took an ownership share with the Long Island Ducks in 2000. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.

Here’s a tip of the cap to Bud Harrelson, an iconic Mets shortstop who was on the field of play for both of the team’s championships. We wish him him well in his battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

The post OTD 1978: Mets Trade Bud Harrelson To Phillies appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

With hot stove simmering at the moment, let’s take a walk down Mets Memory Lane, and have a look at a man who wore a Mets uniform for both of the team’s championships, Bud Harrelson.

Darrel McKinley “Bud” Harrelson, from Niles, CA, made his Mets debut at shortstop in 1965 at the age of 21. The speedy defensive whiz played his first full season in the major leagues in 1967, when he slashed .254/.317/.304 with one home run and 12 stolen bases. Harrelson’s Total Zone (TZ) rating in 1967 was 3, a figure that jumped to 10 in 1969 and 17 in 1971. This guy was quite the glove man.

Offensively, Harrelson was never much of a hitter, though he was a switch hitter and a skillful bunter. Over 13 years with the Mets, Bud hit .234, with an OBP of .324 and an OPS of .616. He stole 115 bases with New York, and was caught 51 times.

Harrelson was a two-time All-Star, in 1970 and 1971. He hit just .243 and .252 respectively in those seasons, once again a statement on just how good he was defensively. He won the Gold Glove in the National League in 1971. That year, his defensive WAR was 3.1, which led all NL shortstops.

Harrelson’s best offensive season as a Met was 1973 (.258/.348/.309). As mentioned above, one of Bud’s trademark skills was his bunting ability. He was among the league leaders in sacrifices in both 1970 and 1971. Position players bunting is largely frowned upon in today’s game. However, it was a big part of National League baseball in the 1960s and 1970s, and Harrelson was a master of the craft.

When thinking about Harrelson, a few things come to mind. I have a permanent vision of him racing down the third base line, almost beating Ray Knight home when Knight scored the winning run in game six of the 1986 World Series. Kevin Mitchell tells the story of Harrelson telling him, when Mitchell was the tying run on third base in game six, to be aware of Bob Stanley potentially throwing a wild pitch. Stanley did just that; Mitchell was ready, and easily scored the tying run.

Harrelson, though not a big man at 5′ 11″ and 160 pounds, was not afraid to mix it up with the big boys. When Don Buford led off game one of the 1969 World Series with a home run, Harrelson said something to him (to the effect of “take it easy, it’s early”) as he rounded second base. Buford responded with, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.” As the story goes, Buford told the bench what had happened, which angered the Orioles.

Harrelson’s legendary moment came in the 1973 NLCS. He famously got into a brawl with Pete Rose in game three, after Rose slid into him at second base. But he there’s more to the story. Apparently, the ill will began in game two, when Jon Matlack shut the Reds out on two hits. Harrelson reportedly  said that Matlack made the Reds hitters all look like him at the plate. This infuriated the Big Red Machine, and Rose in particular, who took the opportunity to express his feelings directly to Harrelson.

Another “Buddy” moment came in the 1973 World Series, when he was thrown out at the plate on a Felix Millan fly ball in the tenth inning of game two. It appeared that eluded the tag by Ray Fosse, and he argued his point vociferously. When he was ejected, he screamed at umpire Augie Donatelli, “You can’t throw me out because of your incompetence!”

Bud Harrelson was a fiery competitor.

The Mets traded Harrelson to the Phillies during spring training in 1978. He was a part-time player with the Phillies in 1978 and 1979, and ended his playing career with the Texas Rangers in 1980.

Harrelson coached in the Mets organization 1984 and 1985, and joined the big league coaching staff as third base coach during the 1985 season when Bobby Valentine accepted the role of manager of the Rangers. Harrelson replaced Davey Johnson as manager 42 games into the 1990 season. The Mets finished 91-71 that year, and Bud retuned as skipper for the 1991 season. With the team out of contention, he was fired with a week to go in the 1991 season, replaced by coach Mike Cubbage.

Harrelson became part owner of the Long Island Ducks in 2000. He was diagnosed with dementia in 2016, and resides in Long Island.

We wish Bud Harrelson the best as he continues his battle with dementia, and we thank him for being a feisty New York Met, who showed fortitude transcending his physical size on the field.

The post Mets Memories: Bud Harrelson appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

November 21st has been good for Mets players in terms of awards. In 1970, Tommie Agee won the Gold Glove award as a center fielder, in 1972 Jon Matlack won the Rookie of the Year award, and in 1983, Darryl Strawberry also won the Rookie of the Year award.

When Agee won his Gold Glove, he became the first position player to win the award in both leagues. Agee had previously won a Gold Glove award in 1966 with the White Sox.

When Mets fans think of Agee, it’s hard not to think about his catches in game three of the 1969 World Series, one in the left-center field gap and one in the right-center field gap.

Over his Mets career (five years), Agee slashed .265/.320/.412 with 130 home runs and 433 RBIs. Agee was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1966. He was an All-Star in 1966 and 1967.

After the 1971 season with the Mets, Agee’s production precipitously declined. In his last year with the Mets in 1972, Agee posted a slash line of .227/.317/.374 with 13 home runs. The Mets traded him to Houston after the 1972 season. He played the 1973 season, his last in the major leagues, with the Astros and Cardinals. Agee was just 30 years old when his career ended.

Jon Matlack burst onto the Mets’ scene in 1972 (after a brief stint in 1971) with a record of 15-10 and a 2.32 ERA. Over 244 IP that season, he struck out 169 hitters and walked 71. His WHIP was 1.172 in his ROY season.

Matlack was a Met for seven seasons, logging a record of 82-81 with an ERA of 3.03, a WHIP of 1.233, and a 114 ERA+. After the 1977 season, Matlack was traded  to Texas as part of a four-team deal.

Over his career, Matlack was a three-time All-Star (all with the Mets) in 1974, 1975, and 1976. In 1975, Matlack was co-MVP of the All-Star game, sharing the honor with Bill Madlock of the Cubs. He led the National League in shutouts in 1974 (7) and 1976 (6).

Matlack ended his career in 1983, with a record of 125-126 with a 3.18 ERA. One footnote on his career was a 1973 line drive hit by Marty Perez of the Braves that hit Matlack in the head. You can read more about the scary incident in this article by Joseph Durso of the New York Times.

Darrly Strawberry won the ROY award in 1983. He broke into the major leagues in May of that year, and went on to deliver a slash line of .257/.336/.512 with 26 home runs.

Strawberry played eight seasons in Flushing (.263/.359/.520) with 252 home runs. His Mets OPS was .862, and his OPS+ in orange and blue was 138. Over his career, Strawberry was an eight-time All-Star, seven of which were with the Mets. In 1988, he led the National League with 39 home runs.

After the 1990 season, Strawberry signed with the Dodgers as a free agent. He played three seasons in Los Angeles. He was limited to 43 games in 1992 and 32 games in 1993. After spending 1994 with the Giants, Strawberry played his final five seasons with the Yankees, retiring after the 1999 season.

There are many memorable moments of Strawberry’s Mets tenure, some good and some not so good. As I think about his time in Queens, this is one moment that stands out to me.

This home run in game seven of the 1986 World Series was “so Darryl.” Strawberry had a flare for the dramatic, and the lights were shining on him on baseball’s biggest stage. The Mets needed insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, and he provided one.

The parts of this that are so uniquely Strawberry are first that he rounded the bases with Bartolo speed, soaking in the moment, and also showing up Davey Johnson, who had removed him from game six, which clearly angered Strawberry. Second, note the lecture Ray Knight gives Darryl as he crosses the plate. Knight told Strawberry to “be cool” with Johnson, and not cause a scene with the Mets on the verge of a championship. Darryl was such a talent with an “interesting” personality, as Knight described it.

Strawberry struggled with addiction at various times in his life, and seems to have settled into a quiet life in Missouri.

With the new ownership and renewed excitement around the Mets, there’s reason to believe that there will be more Mets awards to celebrate in the coming seasons.

The post OTD In Mets History: Mets Snag League Awards appeared first on Metsmerized Online.