On October 27, 1986, the Mets defeated the Boston Red Sox to win their second world championship. They were coming off a dramatic win in Game Six, as recapped here.

Most Mets fans are well aware of how things went down on those two October nights in Queens. I am among the lucky, in that I was able to attend both of those games. I’d like to share the emotional rollercoaster of emotions that took place during those 48 hours.

Game Six

I had a good feeling going into Game Six, as the Mets had rebounded to win two of three on the road to keep the series going, and were headed home where they had an advantage all year, posting a 55-26 record at Shea.

Here are a few things that stand out about game six. First, the skydiver (Michael Sergio) who literally dropped in during the first inning. The reaction in the Mets dugout (after Sergio was apprehended) wasn’t one of disgust (as one might expect). Rather, Ron Darling and Mel Stottlemyre (among others) were seemingly amused. As a nervous fan, I was not amused, and couldn’t wait to get the game going again.

Bob Ojeda yielded single runs in the first and second innings, and those confident feelings quickly dissipated. The Mets were held silent by Roger Clemens through four innings, and the anxiety began to skyrocket. The Mets finally tied the game in the fifth, setting up the bizarre events to come.

When Ray Knight committed an error that led to an unearned Red Sox run in the seventh, things became very uncomfortable. It was getting late, and the possibility that the dream season would end in unfulfilling fashion was becoming very real. But the Mets always found a way, that’s what I kept telling myself. The bottom of the eighth came, and the Mets were down to six outs.

Lee Mazzilli (who was a very valuable piece during the postseason and a great pickup by Frank Cashen) began the inning with a single. Later in the inning, the Red Sox walked Keith Hernandez to load the bases, bringing up Gary Carter with one out. “The Kid”, a proud player, clearly wanted to make the Sox pay. I was panicked that he’d expand the zone, and either strike out or worse, hit into a double play.

Carter worked Calvin Schiraldi to a 3-0 count. Davey Johnson, showing trust in his veteran catcher, gave Carter the green light. Carter hit a rocket directly to Jim Rice in left field. I only wish the exit velocity was available on that one. If Carter had gotten under that ball just a little, it would have been a grand slam. The Mets had to settle for a sacrifice fly and tie game. The play at the plate was not really close, but I remember being a bit spooked that Mazzilli did not slide, as Rice’s throw home made it on the fly (through a little late and slightly up the third base line).

The tension grew as the game went to the bottom of the ninth. The Mets got the first two runners on, and it just felt like a walk-off was coming. They could score off Schiraldi here, right? They didn’t. We all know that a blown situation like this can turn the momentum. This one did (for a brief time).

Rick Aguilera, who had pitched a clean ninth, faced Dave Henderson to start the tenth. When Henderson homered, I was sure it was the end. Remember, Henderson had hit a key home run in game five of the ALCS when the Red Sox were on the brink of elimination.

Well, 1986 was going to be their Cinderella story. The same guy works the same magic in both post-season series. That was it. The Mets were done. The wrecking ball Mets were outmaneuvered by a fairy tale team from Boston. The additional run Boston scored in the tenth appeared to be window dressing.

The first two outs in the ninth seemed to confirm the theory above. When Carter singled, I was almost annoyed. Just end it. Please, let my mourning begin. However, the Mets had, as they say, a puncher’s chance.

Kevin Mitchell and Knight singled, and I still thought, even with a run in and the tying run on third with two outs, it was a big tease. Mookie Wilson was coming up, and he was a strikeout waiting to happen (72 in 381 official ABs during the season).

Bob Stanley was on the mound at this point. When he uncorked the wild pitch that allowed Mitchell to score, I remember yelling “slide” from my Loge seat as Mitchell streaked down the line. That play seemed to take five minutes. I had a vision of him being thrown out at the plate to end the game, the season, and the dream. But he crossed the plate easily. The emotion was one of relief. The Mets would live to fight another inning.

When the ball “got by Buckner”, I think I had nothing left. Sure, I was excited. Sure, I hugged people I knew and many I did not. But for me, the wild pitch was the pinnacle moment. To this day, I get greater chills at that point of game replays than at any other.

Being a Mets fan, even as the frenetic hugging was happening, I had one thought: “They still have to win tomorrow. They’re the Mets. Nothing is certain.”

Game Seven

On Sunday, October 26th, we made the drive down to Shea, only to be turned around because the game was postponed due to rain. This is unfair! I can’t take another day of waiting…

We left at 3 pm to make the hour drive for an 8 pm game on Monday, October 27th.  It had to be better waiting there than at home. At least there would be more people around to engage in nervous chatter.

The game started in a light mist. Right away, the Red Sox made it clear they did not have a hangover from game six. They scored three runs off Ron Darling, and led 3-0 in the third inning. Darling had a rough fourth inning, and was replaced by Sid Fernandez, who made it out of the inning unscathed.

Fernandez did provide a spark for the crowd, striking out four batters over the fifth and sixth inning. That’s fine, but the Mets were down to 12 outs and had just one hit off Bruce Hurst (who had kept them in check in games one and five) going into the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Lee Mazzilli stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter to try to get the Mets going.

Mazzilli singled, and after a Wilson single and a walk by Tim Teufel, Hernandez got in the box with the bases loaded in a role made for him. The Mets needed a quality at-bat, down 3-0. In my same Loge seat, I was worried about an inning-ending double play, but Hernandez singed in two runs and Shea was rocking. Even though they were still down a run, even the most pessimistic fans (I was among them) started to “feel it”.

The Mets tied the game, and in the seventh, took a three-run lead. All was good, or so it seemed. The Red Sox got to Roger McDowell for two runs in the top of the eighth, and they had the tying run at second with no outs. I was done. I left my seat, and transversed the Loge level, stopping at concession stands to watch every pitch. When Orosco got Don Baylor to ground out to end the inning, I returned to my seat, to the raucous laughter of my group at how the moment had gotten too big for me.

The Mets added two runs in the bottom of the eighth, with one coming on a Darryl Strawberry home run and the other on a hit by Orosco. Now, they needed three more outs. I left my seat again, and sat on the filthy cement stairs. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. Leave me alone…

In the ninth, someone threw a smoke bomb on the field. Great, let’s break Jesse’s concentration, after all there’s nothing on the line here.

When Marty Barrett stepped to the plate with two outs, the fairy tale worm had turned from the night before. Barrett had tormented the Mets all series, and it was poetic justice that he made the last out.

The celebration was on. Collectively, Mets fans were talking dynasty. What would be good? Three championships in ten years, five, what’s the number? This is going to be great!

We know the Mets have not won a championship since that night, 35 years ago. If and when they do, cherish it, folks. It’s an Amazin’ feeling, but you never know how long it will be until it comes around again.

The post OTD 1986: “The Dream Has Come True” appeared first on Metsmerized.

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.

The post 10 Amazin’ All-Star Game Moments appeared first on Metsmerized.

The 2024 MLB Home Run Derby field was officially set Wednesday as the final two spots were filled for the eight-man event. Earlier in the day, MLB announced that Rangers slugger Adolis García would be participating in the derby for the second year in a row. Shortly after, during last night’s Phillies-Dodgers game on ESPN, while mic’d up, Teoscar Hernández told the broadcast booth that he would be the final participant in the Home Run Derby. The two join two-time derby champ and Mets first baseman, Pete Alonso, as well as Gunnar Henderson, Marcell Ozuna, Alec Bohm, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jose Ramírez.

On Wednesday night, the Mets took Game 2 of their six-game homestand in another solid all-around performance, beating the Nationals 6-2. Luis Severino battled through 6 1/3 innings, only allowing 2 ER on 4 H and leaving the game at a 2-1 deficit. However, a four-run sixth inning led by Jose Iglesias put the Mets up 5-2, and it was smooth sailing for the Amazin’s from there on. The Mets are now only 0.5 games back of the Padres for the third Wild Card spot and 1.0 games back of the Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot. Click here for the full game breakdown.

It’s an early start for the Mets on Thursday as they’ll go for a sweep of the Nationals with David Peterson (3-0, 3.58 ERA) going against Mackenzie Gore (6-7, 3.83 ERA) at 1:10 p.m. ET.

Latest Mets News

The Mets placed RHP Reed Garrett on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation and activated newly acquired RHP Phil Maton. Along with that, they also optioned RHP Eric Orze to Triple-A Syracuse and called up LHP Danny Young from Syracuse. Click here for more information on the club’s moves.

The Mets are considering having Kodai Senga pitch Sunday at Triple-A Syracuse on standard rest, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The club would rather give Senga five days of rest between starts, but the All-Star break prevents them from doing so now unless his next outing is a sim game.

Infield prospect JT Schwartz was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse after the 24-year-old hit .295/.408/.424 for Double-A Binghamton this season. 

Pitching prospect Jonah Tong continues to deal for High-A Brooklyn: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 80 pitches/53 strikes. His High-A ERA is down to 2.85.

Ryan Clifford had another good night at the plate for Double-A Binghamton, going 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, and six RBIs. He has a .923 OPS for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

Latest MLB News

Max Scherzer told A.J. Pierzynski of Foul Territory TV that he would not be willing to waive his no-trade clause at this year’s trade deadline. Scherzer in response to potentially waiving the no-trade clause, “Yeah, I’m not gonna do that… We’re gonna play better baseball. It’s gonna be a moot point to even talk about… We’re gonna win here.” 

HBO will be releasing a four-part documentary series on Pete Rose which will chronicle the life and career of one of sports’ most polarizing figures. The docuseries will premiere on July 24 on HBO Max.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was placed on the restricted list after previously being on administrative leave, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Franco will not be paid and will not be able to accrue service time.

After being charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor on Tuesday, Franco is now also being accused of human trafficking according to a press release by Dominican authorities, per Juan Arturo of ESPN. If convicted, the crime has penalties up to 20 years in prison. 

Bobby Miller, who was supposed to be one of the top arms in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation this season, was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Miller missed two months due to a right shoulder injury and has given up 19 earned runs in 17 1/3 IP since returning, ballooning his ERA to 8.07 on the season. 

The Tampa Bay Rays reportedly offered Aaron Judge a 10-yearm $300 million deal before he returned to the Yankees on a nine-year, $360 million deal in 2022, per Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays, a notoriously frugal franchise, have only doled out two contracts topping $100 million in their history. 

A robot bartender is going to be serving drinks at Globe Life Field during All-Star Week in Texas. 

A robot bartender is going to be serving drinks during All-Star Week in Texas 👀🤖

(via @stensinthecity) pic.twitter.com/IGp4DM6ZAl

— MLB (@MLB) July 10, 2024

The New York Yankees signed left-handed relief pitcher Tim Mayza to a minor league deal, per Katie Woo and Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. Mayza was recently released by the Blue Jays after over six years in Toronto.

Former Mets RHP Matt Festa signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, per Shawn McFarland of Dallas Morning News. The Staten Island native was DFA’d by the Mets on July 3rd after one appearance with the club.

Latest on MMO

Michael Famulari analyzes the Mets new acquisition, Phil Maton.

Mojo Hill details the Mets’ decision to put Reed Garrett on the injured list and the other bullpen moves.

Ricky Keeler highlights how Jose Quintana has hit his stride with Francisco Alvarez behind the dish.

On This Date in Mets History

2021: Francisco Alvarez hits a home run in the Futures Game during All-Star weekend at Coors Field in Colorado.

2018: Brandon Nimmo breaks a scoreless tie against the Phillies in the 11th inning with a three-run walk-off home run. 

2015: Matt Harvey hits his first career home run into the Party City Deck at Citi Field against Patrick Corbin of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

2006: After getting to the finals of the Home Run Derby the night prior, David Wright hits a home run in his first All-Star Game at-bat and joins Lee Mazzilli as the only Mets to ever go yard in the All-Star Game.

Birthdays: Blaine Boyer (43), Mark Little (52), Donne Wall (57), Jack Heidemann (75)

The post Morning Briefing: Home Run Derby Field is Set appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets’ London hangover did not last for too long as they took Game 2 of the series in a big way.

Harrison Bader opened the game with a bang, sending a ball to the left field seats and giving the Mets an early 2-0 lead over the Marlins. While the Marlins evened things back up, a three-run second inning answer gave the Mets the lead for good. The Amazin’s piled on from there, resulting in a 10-4 win to get things back on track. Click here for a full game report.

The Mets sent left-hander Danny Young to Triple-A Syracuse after the game, per Tim Healey. This opens up a roster spot for Edwin Díaz.

The Mets look to take Game 3 of the series on Thursday at 7:10 ET as Luis Severino (4-2, 3.25 ERA) will go for the Mets and Roddery Muñoz (1-2, 5.95 ERA) will be on the mound for Miami.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Latest Mets News

Young won Baseball Prospectus Pitch of the Day on Tuesday with his sweeper, which covered over 23″ of horizontal break and had an IVB of -4.9″.

Carlos Mendoza said that Díaz will be the Mets closer upon his return on Thursday, per Tim Healey of Newsday.

Christian Scott had a short but sweet start for Triple-A Syracuse: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. The Mets are continuing to manage his workload. Click here for a full breakdown of his start.

Brett Baty tallied two hits in Triple-A Syracuse Tuesday.

McDonald’s mascot Grimace threw out the first pitch at Citi Field last night.

Grimace threw out the first pitch tonight at Citi Field 🟣 pic.twitter.com/9i9vEWpDxz

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 12, 2024

Drew Gilbert was named the Mets prospect with the best power-speed combo by MLB.com.

Latest MLB News

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired INF/OF Cavan Biggio in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, where they sent RHP Braydon Fisher to Toronto.

The Chicago Cubs signed Jorge López to a minor league deal, per Andy Martínez of Marquee Sports Network. López was designated for assignment by the Mets on May 30th.

The Chicago White Sox DFA’d left-handed relief pitcher Tim Hill.

Latest on MMO

Christian Scott looks to make his return to the big leagues.

The Mets defensive woes continue to be a thorn in their side.

Brett Baty continues to hit in Triple-A.

On This Date in Mets History

2012: R.A. Dickey throws a one-hitter in a 9-1 Mets victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Dickey also set a franchise record during the start, going 32 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. 

1988: Lee Mazzilli gives the Mets a win over the Cardinals with a walk-off RBI single in the 12th inning. David Cone went 10 innings of one-run ball, striking out seven and throwing 130 pitches. 

1986: Darryl Strawberry walks off the Pirates with an RBI single, avenging Jesse Orosco, who gave up two runs in the top of the ninth.

Birthdays: James McCann (34)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Option Danny Young to Make Room for Edwin Díaz appeared first on Metsmerized.

For the first time since 1994, the Mets are hosting an Old Timers’ Day. What once had been a staple of the organization ever since the team originated has now been revived under the Steve Cohen regime, helped by crowdsourcing on Twitter shortly after taking ownership. The early years of the festivities celebrated New York’s brilliant baseball past, especially in 1977 when they brought out Joe DiMaggio, Duke Snider, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays — appropriately — from center field.

Now with 60 years of its own history to look back on, this latest version is entirely orange and blue. It’s a day that will span generations as 65 former Mets are taking part, some of whom date back to the very beginning of the franchise.

Plenty of famous faces will be there: Mike Piazza, Mookie Wilson, Keith Hernandez, and starting pitchers Dwight Gooden and Bartolo Colon, but many others who made an impact on this team’s unique past are also going to be recognized Saturday — and may even take their turn at the plate or on the mound. Here are just a few:

Jay Hook

The Mets have won over 4,630 times and it all began with him. Hook pitched a five-hit complete game and walking one in a 9-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field on April 21, 1962. The Northwestern University alum with a degree in engineering finished ’62 at 8-19 for the 40-120 club and ended his eight-year major league career as a Met in 1964. At 85 years old, Hook will toss out the ceremonial first pitch to Mike Piazza before the present-day Mets take the field for their contest with the Rockies and is hoping to pitch during the Old Timers’ Game.

Frank Thomas

The original Frank Thomas was also an original Met, acquired from the Milwaukee Braves on November 21, 1961. A the three-time All-Star with Pittsburgh clouted at least twenty-five homers in five different seasons—and found similar success with the short left-field porch of the Polo Grounds. He went three straight August games belting two home runs apiece and finished with 34 on the year, a mark which stood for 13 years. Although his power eventually subsided, Thomas topped the 1963 team in RBIs with 60—giving him a two-year total of 154 before getting sent to the Phillies in August 1964.

While Jay Hook is known for a Mets first, Orosco specialized in endings. Specifically in 1986, when he was on the mound for the NLCS and World Series clinchers. Orosco also has ties to the team’s first title, as he was traded to the Mets from Minnesota in exchange for the pitcher who finished the ’69 series, Jerry Koosman. The left-hander who set the MLB record for appearances had his longest stop in Queens, taking up eight of his remarkable 24-year career and racking up 107 saves. Often forgotten in the spotlight of ’86 was his stellar 1983 season, in which he had a 1.47 ERA and was third in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

Howard Johnson

HoJo might be the most underrated Met ever. There’s certainly a case to be made for him having the greatest hitting season, considering what he did in 1989: 36 homers, 101 RBIs, a league-best 104 runs scored, a career-best 41 stolen bases, and the highest single-season Mets totals in OPS+ (169) and offensive bWAR (8.0). Johnson recorded three 30-30 seasons in all (1987, ’89, ’91) and remains prominent on the franchise hitting leaderboards: fourth in home runs, fourth in RBIs, fourth in runs, and third in steals.

Rafael Santana

The starting shortstop on the 1986 Mets is largely forgotten because he didn’t have the star power of his teammates nor did he put up any tremendous figures with the bat. But Santana was a splendid fielder at shortstop and had the sixth-best defensive bWAR in the NL in ’86. He started all 13 games in the postseason that year, and set NLCS positional records for most putouts (13), assists (18) and chances (31). Santana took advantage of the lively ball in 1987, setting career-highs in homers and RBIs.

Terry Leach

The right-handed sidearmer had two separate stints with the Mets in the 1980s and was a godsend to the ’87 club. The loss of Dwight Gooden to drug rehab and Bob Ojeda to injury, among other ailments to New York pitchers, necessitated Leach’s insertion into the rotation. All he did was tally ten consecutive victories, seven of eight as a starter, and have an overall 11-1 record. The Mets were far healthier in ’88, keeping Leach in the bullpen but not keeping him off the mound, as made 52 appearances for the NL East champs and posted a 2.54 ERA.

Rico Brogna

Looking at his Baseball Reference page, it’s hard to believe he only played for the Mets in 228 games over three seasons. Because growing up, I swore he was their first baseman for like eight. Brogna had 138 plate appearances in 1994 but was quite efficient, slashing .351/.380/.626 with an OPS over 1.000. His only full season came in ’95, when those numbers dipped slightly but he still produced 22 homers and drove in 76 with 27 doubles, not to mention being stellar with the glove. A highlight for him came when he hit a walk-off homer on John Franco Day after Franco (and others) were ejected for their involvement in a brawl with the Cubs.

Turk Wendell

There’s quirky, then there’s Turk. Baseball is known for its superstitions and probably no one had more than Wendell. You always could figure out who was coming in to pitch when it was a guy with a shark tooth necklace emerging from the bullpen. Idiosyncrasies aside, he was an oft-used high-leverage reliever during one of the team’s best eras, appearing in 157 games from 1999-00 with a 145 ERA+. If he ends up pitching Saturday and doesn’t throw the rosin bag and jump over the baseline as he jogs to the dugout, we will have not gotten the full Turk Wendell experience.

The post An Old Timers’ Day Primer appeared first on Metsmerized.

People have been asking us all winter what we’ve been doing to pass the time during the MLB lockout. I’ll tell you what we do here at MMO — we come up with ideas that not only help us stay busy, but will help you all stay busy, too.

Talking about the best teams and/or players in New York Mets history is always a good debate to have — especially during the cold winter months — but what if we created our own teams with players from different eras? That’d be fun, right? Well, we thought it was, and we think you’ll agree. We’ve created eight different Mets teams, all of which consist of a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman, three outfielders, two starting pitchers, one relief pitcher, and a manager. We took the top eight at each position (as well as the top 24 for outfielders and top 16 for starting pitchers) with the goal of splitting them up across eight teams and making them as evenly matched as possible.

We used four players twice, given their multi-positionality: Edgardo Alfonzo (2B/3B), Jeff McNeil (2B/OF), John Milner (1B/OF) and Dave Magadan (1B/3B).

What we’ve done over the past eight days is introduce each of the squads while taking a look at their perceived strengths and weaknesses. This article will complete that exercise, meaning the fun will start with some good ol’ fashioned Twitter polls so you can decide which ones would be victorious if they faced one another starting February 8th.

The Squad: Team 8

Strengths

It’d be just flat-out wrong to start with any other strength of this club than the pitching staff, and more specifically, the one-two rotation punch of Jacob deGrom and Ron Darling. You’ve all seen the seven other squads that’ll be in this competition (if you haven’t yet, scroll to the bottom for links to each)…is there a better duo than these two? I’m not so sure. They’re both among the franchise’s top-10 in fWAR (38.9 for deGrom, 15.8 for Darling), and among the top-20 in ERA (2.50 for deGrom, 3.49 for Darling).

What I love the most about this duo, though, is their collective durability. Darling never hit the injured list during his time with the Mets, and although deGrom missed half of 2021, he’s typically been the one constant in New York’s rotation since his debut (he has four years of 190-plus innings to prove it, too).

Between Curtis Granderson, Rusty Staub, and Lee Mazzilli, this squad’s outfield shares one important characteristic: an ability to reach base at a high clip. In their respective Mets careers, none had an on-base percentage below .340. Add in Paul Lo Duca‘s ability to get on base, and that’s a lot of ducks on the pond for dudes like Edgardo Alfonzo and Carlos Delgado to do some work.

Weaknesses

When looking at this club’s defensive alignment, there’s a lot to like, but in comparison to the rest of the squad, the left side of the infield is probably not up to snuff. I love me some Ruben Tejada, but he could never quite put a full season together for the Mets. Wayne Garrett actually put three seasons of 2.0-plus fWAR together and brings the experience that is two World Series appearances to the table, which is a good thing.

But, again, when comparing these two to the rest of the club — and the other shortstop-third base duos that’ll be in this competition — it’s just not the same.

When it comes to the most effective relievers in Mets history, Jeurys Familia is actually high on a few lists. His 124 career saves are third all-time, while his 5.4 fWAR is fifth-best and his 3.30 ERA is in the top-30. That’s all great, but as we’ve seen over the years, Familia has a propensity of getting himself into jams before escaping, which isn’t always a successful strategy as a relief pitcher. After peeking again at the other relievers in this competition, there are probably two or three that are a little more dependable.

Other Teams

Team 1

Team 2

Team 3

Team 4

Team 5

Team 6

Team 7

The post MMO’s Great Eight Mets Teams: Team 8 appeared first on Metsmerized.

On December 7, 1984, the Mets traded pitcher Walt Terrell to the Tigers for Howard Johnson.

Terrell had become a Met just before the 1982 season began, coming to New York from the Texas Rangers along with Ron Darling in a deal for Lee Mazzilli.

Though Mazzilli was a fan favorite in his two stints with the Mets, and was instrumental off the bench in the 1986 post season, the Mets got the better end of the deal. Terrell went 19-23 with a 3.53 ERA and 102 ERA+ in three seasons with the Mets. Darling was 99-70 as a Met over nine seasons, with a 3.50 ERA and a 101 ERA+.

Terrell once had a two home run game, swatting two round trippers in a game at Wrigley Field in August of 1983. Terrell had a 11-year major league career, with the Mets, Tigers, Padres Yankees, and Pirates. He posted a 111-124 career record.

Johnson played nine seasons for the Mets (.251/.341/.459, 192 HR, 202 SB, 124 OPS+). Many think of “HoJo” as the answer to the trivia question, “who was on deck when Mookie hit the ball that got by Buckner?”. However, Johnson had a very good Mets career, and the trade for him worked out heavily  in the Mets’ favor.

Johnson was an outstanding fastball hitter, and had a knack for delivering home runs in key situations. He had particular success against closer Todd Worrell of the Cardinals, and this home run early in the 1986 season set the tone that the Mets were the team to beat in the National League East.

Johnson hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases in the same season three times as a Met, achieving the feat in 1987, 1989, and 1991. Darryl Strawberry and David Wright are the only other Mets to be in the 30/30 club, with each having done the dual mark once.

In 1987, Johnson slugged 36 home runs, and followed that with the same number in 1989. His 38 home runs in 1991 led the National League. Johnson’s career high in stolen bases was 41 in the 1989 season.

Johnson was a natural third baseman, who played multiple positions for the Mets. In addition to third base, Johnson played shortstop and the outfield for the Mets. The latter was an experiment, which culminated (or hit rock bottom) when the Mets tried to make him a center fielder in 1992. His TZ in center field was -25 in 1992 in 82 games.

Johnson played for the Rockies in 1994 and Cubs in 1995, retiring after the 1995 season. He finished his career with 228 home runs and an OPS+ of 118.

After his playing career, Johnson coached for the Mets in Brooklyn, St. Lucie, Binghamton, and Norfolk. He was the Mets’ hitting coach from 2007-2010. He has also coached in the Mariners’, Astros’, and Rangers’ organizations. He is currently coaching in the Mexican League.

The post OTD in 1984: Mets Acquire Howard Johnson appeared first on Metsmerized.

In a recent Shoebox Memories article on Art Shamsky, commentor Jason Black asked us to review the card above – #49 from the 1983 Topps set – and to identify the Mets first basemen.

Most of the other commentors, particularly MetsHof, felt that the Mets first baseman that day was either Lee Mazzilli or Dave Kingman.  Let’s take our Sherlock Holmes deerstalker hat off of the peg on the wall and together seek to answer the mystery of the Mets first baseman.

Lets begin by noting that Willie McGee was a rookie in 1982, so we don’t have to worry about the picture on the card being from a prior season.  A review of uniform numbers worn by the Mets in 1982, supplied by Baseball Reference, reveals that the only players with the Mets in 1982 who had a uniform number ending in the number six were Wally Backman (6), Dave Kingman (26) and Ed Lynch (36).

As Wally Backman played second, third, and short in 1982 – and Ed Lynch was a pitcher – by process of elimination Holmes, the Mets player shown on the card is Dave Kingman. Kingman did play first in 143 games for the 1982 Mets, who went 65-97 under manager George Bamberger.

What about Lee Mazzilli?  After six seasons of playing for the Amazins, Maz had been traded just before the 1982 season opener to the Rangers for Walt Terrell and Ron Darling.  Terrell went 19-23 with a 3.53 ERA for the Mets over three seasons before being traded to the Tigers for Howard Johnson in 1985. Ron Darling would go 99-70 with a 3.50 ERA for the Mets over nine seasons and is known to a new generation of Mets fans for his work in the broadcast booth.

Holmes, let’s see if we can expand the scope of this mystery case posed by commentor Jason Black, and determine what day the game was played, who the unseen pitcher was who was throwing over to first on the pickoff play shown, and whether the Mets won the game in question.

Note McGee is wearing the Cardinals’ visiting team uniform, Kingman is wearing the Mets’ home team uniform, and the game in question is from a day game.

Also, note the nice blue skies in the distance.  So we’ll start by checking Baseball Reference’s 1982 schedule and results page for games meeting that criteria.  The first time the Mets hosted the Cardinals in 1982 was on June 11th and 12th, but both games were night games.

The next time the Mets hosted the Redbirds was on August 9th and 10th, but both were night games, so those games can be eliminated as possibilities, Watson.

The next and final times the Cardinals played at Shea in 1982 were from September 17-19, when back-to-back doubleheaders were played on the 17th and 18th, and the final game was on September 19th.

Remember the blue skies?  On September 17th, the first game – which lasted 10 innings – had a rain delay.  The second game did not start until 8:20 PM, hence both games can be eliminated as possibilities.  The first game of September 18th, which was a scheduled twinight doubleheader, also had a rain delay.  Both of these games can be eliminated as possibilities.  The last possibility is September 19th.

A check of the September 19, 1982 box score does show that Willie McGee played centerfield for the Cardinals that day and Kingman manned first for the Mets.  That also would have been my kid brother’s eighth birthday, which means we were probably at the game in question as part of the 9,868 paid fans in attendance.

Willie McGee reached on an error by shortstop Ron Gardenhire in the second inning and stole second, but was stranded there as pitcher Pat Zachry retired Mike Ramsey on a pop up to short.  It is almost certain that when McGee was on first, the pickoff pictured on the card in question occurred – which means the unseen pitcher is Pat Zachry.

In the fourth inning, McGee singled, loading the bases with one out – but that is unlikely to be when the pickoff was attempted. Why would a pickoff be attempted with the bases loaded?  Also, note McGee’s clean uniform, which would likely have been sullied by the earlier steal attempt.

A few notes on the players pictured on the card: Willie McGee was a four-time All Star for the Cardinals in the 1980s, and the National League MVP in 1985 when he led the league in hits (216), triples (18), and batting average (.353) while winning the second of his three Gold Gloves.

He also won the 1990 National League batting crown with his .335 average, even though he was traded at the deadline to the Oakland A’s.  He had enough at-bats to qualify for the crown.

Dave Kingman had a National League-leading 37 home runs to go with 99 RBI in 1982 for the Mets. However, Kingman batted .204 in 1982, the first home run leader to have a lower batting average than the Cy Young Award winner – as Steve Carlton hit .218 for the Phillies in addition to winning 23 games.

The Mets lost that day 3-1 in a game that lasted 2 hours and 24 minutes.

As we put our deerstalker hat back on the peg in the wall, we hope you liked solving the mystery of the unknown Mets first baseman with us.  Do you have another card that you would like to be analyzed?  Please include it in the comments below.

The post Shoebox Memories: 1983 Topps Willie McGee appeared first on Metsmerized.

On May 21, 1981 the Mets had an off day. A player’s strike was looming, and the Mets were on their way to a 41 – 62 record in the last season of Manager Joe Torre‘s regime in Queens.  But future Mets were active that day in what is now widely known as the greatest college game ever played.

To set the scene, the game was played at Yale Field in Connecticut. Built in 1927, before the Great Depression, Yale Field did not have a club house, so the opposing team, St. John’s had to come dressed on the team bus. The game was an NCAA Northeast Tournament game, the equivalent of the college playoffs. St. John’s came into the game with a 31-2 record, and led the Northeast in runs scored. On the mound for St. John’s was junior Frank Viola, who was 25-2 in his 3-year career and had led St. Johns to the 1980 College World Series.

Playing David against St. John’s Goliath that day was a right-handed college senior Ron Darling, who had come to Yale intending to play football for legendary coach Carm Cozza, but wound up playing only baseball.  Ron Darling made his decision look correct that day as he no-hit the Redmen for the first nine innings that day.

The game went to extra innings, although Yale was able to get some Elis on the basepaths with seven hits and four walks against Frank Viola, none came around to score. Viola struck out eight during his 11 innings of work. Darling no-hit St. Johns for an additional two innings, and struck out 16 Redmen during the game.

So after 11 full innings, both pitchers have shutouts going, and Darling has a no-hitter in place. Darling is used to pitching complete games, as he has 27 complete games in 27 starts for Yale during his college career coming into this game. This would be complete game 28.

In the 12th inning, St. John’s Steve Scafa had a bloop single with his aluminum bat to left field and subsequently stole both second and third.

Later in the inning with one out and runners at the corners, St John’s tried a double steal. Darling was supposed to intercept the throw from catcher Paterno, but he slipped as he broke off a slider and the ball went through to second baseman Israel Rosales. There was a brief rundown, and when first baseman Brien O’Connor threw home, Scafa slid under the tag and scored.

In the bottom of the inning, in what would become a great trivia question, it was Eric Stampfl who closed out Yale in the 12th to give St. Johns the 1-0 victory.  The Yale Bulldogs were eliminated the next day from the College playoffs by Central Michigan.

Snippets are available on YouTube.

Yale’s team that day featured two future NFL players, Joe Dufek and Rich Diana, and a future NHL player, Bobby Brooke. St. John’s had not only Viola, but future major league pitcher John Franco.

Darling was drafted in the first round (9th selection) of the 1981 draft by the Rangers about three weeks after this game was played, and was traded to the Mets in April of 1982 along with Walt Terrell in exchange for Lee Mazzilli.

Frank Viola was a second round draft choice by the Twins in the 1981 draft, and was traded to the Mets at the deadline in July of 1989 for Rick Aguilera, Tim Drummond, Kevin Tapani, David West and a PTBNL.  John Franco was also drafted in the 1981 draft, in the fifth round by the Dodgers. In 1989 Franco was traded by the Reds with minor leaguer Don Brown to the Mets for Kip Gross and Randy Myers.

Who was the most accomplished MLB pitcher present that day? While Viola (176 MLB wins, 1988 AL Cy Young Award winner, 3.31 ERA with the Mets), John Franco (2.89 ERA and 424 saves, including 276 saves with Mets) and Darling (136 MLB wins including 99 with the Mets and a victory in the 1986 World Series) were all present that day, the answer may be Smokey Joe Wood.

Joe Wood, was a former Yale coach and Red Sox star whose 1912 duel with Walter Johnson made baseball history, can be seen at the nine second mark in the clip above. Smoky Joe Wood‘s career record was 117-57 with a 2.03 ERA. Wood came to Yale ballpark that day with Hall of Fame writer Roger Angell.  The game, as seen through their eyes, lives on in the pages of “The Summer Game.”

LGM

The post Amazin’ Memories: Darling, Viola Pitch The Greatest College Game Of All-Time appeared first on Metsmerized.

The success of the New York Mets as a franchise has been largely due to excellent pitching and solid defense. Unfortunately the offense has not seen the same success in large parts of  Mets history. That’s not to say, however, there hasn’t been some great offensive performances for New York, some even memorable.

In fact there’s a long list of clutch hits from well known players, some of which will figure prominently as we shift our focus to the outfield. We focus here on center field, and the five best seasons at that position in the near 60 year history of the New York Mets.

Center field has been home to a diverse group of players since 1962 when Jim Hickman took the field in the franchise opener. From 1962 to present, 182 different ball players have roamed the expanse of center for New York with notables including Cleon Jones, Tommie Agee, Lee Mazzilli, Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson, Carlos Beltran, Juan Lagares, and more.

Wilson leads the franchise in games played in center field with 907, almost 200 games more than Carlos Beltran with 723. Lagares is next with 615 which is just a couple dozen more games than Tommie Agee, who is fourth (591). Lee Mazzilli rounds out the top five with 572 games played.

Lagares has been the Opening Day starter on six different occasions with Wilson, Beltran and Agee next with five. Even though there has been quite a few players who have manned center for the Mets, the position has seen long periods of stability.

Before we go on with the five greatest seasons, a few notes and ground rules. It would be simple to take the easy way out and list Beltran’s top five seasons and call it a day. Though Beltran figures prominently below, it was important to give a little historical bend on this as there have been others who contributed wonderful seasons nevertheless. A ‘season’ also includes the post-season as a couple of those listed made their marks in the playoffs more than anywhere else.

So here are the best five seasons a Mets center fielder has ever had:

5)  Lee Mazzilli—1979

Lee Mazzilli, known for his New York roots and boyish good looks, was a mainstay for the Mets from 1976 to 1981. Unfortunately, those years were largely lean ones for the Mets, but Mazzilli stood out as a above average fielder and hitter. His breakout year was 1978 with a .273 average, 16 home runs and 61 RBI. However, his best season was a year later in 1979 when he batted a career high .303 with 15 home runs and a career high 79 RBI. He also had 181 hits, 34 doubles, 34 stolen bases, a .395 OBP., and a .844 OPS, a career high.

Maz, as he is affectionately known, made his only All-Star appearance in 1979. He had a game-tying home run in the eighth inning and a bases loaded walk in the ninth to bring in the winning run. Pundits feel that Mazzilli should have been the All-Star MVP instead of Dave Parker.

Mazzilli was traded to the Texas Rangers after the 1981 season at age 26, which was initially a trade most Mets fans disdained. New York received Ron Darling and Walt Terrell in return. Later, Terrell was traded to the Detroit Tigers for Howard Johnson. Both Darling and Johnson turned out to be major cogs for the 1986 championship team.

Mazzilli was also a part of the championship team when he re-signed with the Mets after the Pittsburgh Pirates released him. Maz hit .400 in the 1986 World Series, and started the Mets comeback in the sixth inning of game 7 with a single, (followed by a single by Mookie Wilson), that eventually tied the game at 3-3.

As a New York Yankees coach, Mazzilli won his second World Series in 2000.

Lee Mazzilli was a popular Met during his two stints with the team. His 1979 season certainly belongs on this list as is due recognition for his plaudits in the 1970s and even in the mid- to late 1980s.

4)  Mookie Wilson—1987

When dealing with the 1987 campaign of one William Hayward “Mookie” Wilson, it’s necessary to fact check first and note that technically Lenny Dykstra played more games in center than Wilson. Before the internet crashes with at-home umpires crying ‘foul’, Mookie Wilson is noted here for his tenure and an excellent 1987 season.

Wilson only played 65 games in center in ’86, the fewest since his rookie year of 1980. He did have more appearances in 1987, though he found himself in a platoon situation with logjam in the outfield due to the acquisition of Kevin McReynolds. Both Wilson and Dykstra were upset over the situation and Wilson went so far as to request a trade.

The trade was obviously denied as he went on to have a his one of his best years at the plate, hitting a career high .299. He hit nine home runs, 34 RBI, and had 21 stolen bases in 1987. He then batted .296 with eight home runs, 41 RBI, and 15 stolen bases in 1988 as the Mets made the playoffs again. Both years he platooned with Dykstra but had over 400 plate appearances in each season.

Since Wilson’s numbers are similar in both seasons, either year could have been chosen for this list. Realizing that the Mets went to the playoffs in ’88, it would be tempting to choose this year instead, but Mookie stole more bases and had a higher OPS in ’87 than in ’88 and that’s why this seldom looked at year for Mr. Wilson (a year sandwiched by playoff appearances) is noted.

Whatever year is recognized, Mookie Wilson will always be a New York favorite and was a popular inductee into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1996. The speedster who has a smile that could light up Brooklyn is listed in some annals as the Mets best center fielder in team history. That is for the aficionados to argue. Here, the former Mets stolen base champ is included for many good years, especially at the end of the 80s and an attitude that made him a fan favorite.

3)  Tommie Agee—1969

Tommie Agee will always endear himself to Mets fans with to his steady performance in the field and at the plate. Add that to the fact that he was taken from us far too early (at age 58), and the legend grows even stronger.

Agee, who was Rookie of the Year for the Chicago White Sox in 1966, came to the Mets in a trade after the 1967 season. For the next five years, he amassed 591 appearances in center for New York, becoming a fixture for the young franchise. However he didn’t have a particularly good start in Queens, batting just .217 with five home runs and 17 RBIs in 1968.

1969 turned out to be a different story completely, as Agee hit .271 while leading the club with 26 home runs, 97 runs scored and 76 RBIs. He was one of three Mets (Cy Young Award winner Tom Seaver and Cleon Jones the other two) to receive MVP consideration as he finished sixth. At season’s end, he was named the Sporting News NL Comeback Player of the Year. But it was in the playoffs in 1969 where Agee made an indelible mark.

Agee batted .357 with two home runs and four RBIs in the Mets’ three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves in the first ever National League Championship Series. Then in the World Series against the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles, Agee had a game which Sports Illustrated called the greatest single performance by a center fielder in World Series history.

It was game three, with the series tied at a game apiece, that the Agee legend blossomed. He led off the first with a solo home run off Jim Palmer and then made two of the best catches in WS history. Catch number one came in the fourth inning off the bat of Elrod Hendricks with two runners on. The second came in the seventh inning with the bases loaded off the bat of Paul Blair. His two tremendous catches potentially saved five runs and allowed the Mets to take the pivotal third game and the series lead.

In 1970, Agee batted .286 with 24 home runs and 75 RBI along with a 20-game hitting streak in April and May – and was named Player of the Month in June, and his only Gold Glove Award. Although his regular season stats in 1970 were a bit better than they were in 1969, Agee’s playoff performance puts that year on this list.

Tommie Agee was voted posthumously into the Mets Hall of Fame in 2002. He is also regarded by some as the greatest center fielder in Mets history. He is certainly in the argument.

2)  Carlos Beltran—2008

Carlos Beltran’s career stats are impressive. He is a nine-time All-Star (four with the Mets), *World Series Champion*, two-time Silver Slugger (2006 and 2007) and three time Gold Glove winner (2006-2008). Beltran was Rookie of the Year in 1999 and a Roberto Clemente Award recipient in 2013.

For New York, Beltran had several of the greatest seasons ever had by a Met center fielder from 2006-2009. Two of those seasons are recognized in this list and although any of them could have been chosen, the 7.0 WAR in 2008 and 8.2 WAR in 2006, (both career highs) place those seasons atop this list.

One of the greatest two-way players in history (certainly Mets history) he was as fluid in the field as he was at the plate, making spectacular catch after spectacular catch. He was also known for his clutch hitting but sadly will be remembered for the clutch hit he did not get against Adam Wainwright in the 2006 NLCS.

In 2008,  Beltran had a strong season, batting .284 and finished with 27 home runs and 112 RBI. He also had 116 runs scored, 40 doubles, and a .376 OBP, and won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award. Beltran also notably hit the last Mets home run in Shea Stadium history during the season’s final game. His overall line was .286/.376/.500 and a .876 OPS.

1)  Carlos Beltran—2006

The best season a Mets center fielder has ever had is undoubtedly Beltran’s 2006 campaign. He hit a respectable .275 with 41 homers (tying Todd Hundley‘s team record set in 1996), 116 RBI, 38 doubles and a .982 OPS. He won his first of three consecutive Gold Gloves, made another All-Star team, and was often a  human highlight-reel in the outfield.

His 127 runs scored gave him sole possession of the Mets’ single season franchise mark. He and teammate Jose Reyes won the Silver Slugger Award at their respective positions, as well as tying for the major league lead in times reached base on an error (13).

Beltran’s defensive stats were just as impressive. He made only two errors in 372 chances to give him a .995 fielding percentage, and recorded 13 outfield assists and six double plays. He also won a Fielding Bible Award as the top fielding center fielder in MLB.  Beltran came in fourth in 2006 in MVP voting. A truly wonderful year that deserves top accolades.

Carlos Beltran was much more than the last Met to bat in the 2006 NLCS  (he did hit three home runs in that series after all). He was a remarkably skilled multi-tooled player, who some put in the same breath as David Wright as the Mets all-time position player. That is up for debate, but Carlos Beltran certainly had the best two (and perhaps more) seasons a Mets center fielder has ever had.

Honorable Mentions

Here’s a few more terrific seasons by players not mentioned in the list above.

Lenny Dykstra’s 1986 season

Lance Johnson‘s 1996 season

Jay Payton‘s 2000 season

Juan Lagares’ 2014 season

The post Top Five Center Field Campaigns In Mets History appeared first on Metsmerized.