Jeff Passan of ESPN was on the Baseball is Dead Podcast talking about various topics, including the likelihood of the Padres trading star outfielder Juan Soto.

“The Mets are a scary possibility for Juan Soto, and I think the Mets probably are in a better position to offer prospects to go out and get him because I think Mets ownership has shown the aptitude and desire to sign guys like Soto long-term,” Passan said.

Original Post – Sept. 27, 15:03

Changes may be coming to the Padres organization. And it may be a benefit to the Mets.

The Padres entered this season with the same mindset and game plan as the Mets. Spend big to win big. They keep their core intact by re-signing Manny Machado and Yu Darvish, added perennial All-Star Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Jr. returned to the roster after he served his suspension for steroids.

However, like the Mets’ season, the plan didn’t work out. As of September 27, the Padres are 78-80 and are on the brink of playoff elimination with the third-highest payroll in the majors. As it currently stands, AJ Preller and the front office are on the hot seat.

Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Padres’ Payroll Predicament 

Regardless of what happens with personnel, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune did confirm one change for the Padres this offseason: the payroll. The Padres have outspent their revenue the past couple of seasons, and to be in compliance with MLB regulations regarding service-to-debt ratios, the organization needs to cut the payroll to approximately $200 million.

This task, however, is very tall. Machado and Bogaerts are both on 11-year deals, and Yu Darvish’s six-year, $108 million contract brings him past age 40. These aren’t team-friendly deals and the organization will most likely retain them.

And according to Acee, this leaves the rest of the roster up in the air, including Juan Soto.

“The first question is whether the Padres can afford to keep him,” Acee wrote. “(His contract) will likely be around a $30 million salary in his final year of arbitration. The second question is whether they can afford to not keep one of the game’s most productive offensive performers. The third question is what they can get in trade for a player who will be a free agent after next season and will likely want upwards of a half-billion dollars on a long-term deal.”

A Marriage Made In Heaven 

If Acee is correct and the Padres are inclined to move Soto, the Mets seem like an obvious trade partner this offseason. It’s common knowledge that Soto loves New York City, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post confirmed in a Bleacher Report interview that he prefers to play on the East Coast.

The Mets have also been interested in acquiring Soto in the past. When the Nationals put him on the trade block at the 2022 deadline, the Mets were one of the teams reported to be in the mix for him.

If the Mets were to trade for Soto this time around, the haul would be massive. The Padres’ trade package for Soto last season included four of their then top-five prospects and they would likely ask for a lesser but similar return back.

Should The Mets Trade For Soto?

That leaves the Mets with one major question: Is a trade worth it? The organization recently replenished its farm system, adding nine new names to its top-ten prospect list over the last two years. Five of them are top-100 prospects.

The trade would cost the Mets one top-100 prospect, maybe two. It would go against Cohen’s and Billy Eppler’s vision for the organization, which is to mirror the Dodgers and build from within.

Soto is also a free agent after the 2024 season. The Mets could easily add him via free agency and hold on to their prospects. This outcome seems more likely, as it has been reported that Eppler views the 2024 season as a transitional year to evaluate talent within the organization. However, anything is possible, as David Stearns will be at the helm next season and has no attachment to any of the Mets’ top prospects.

Immeasurable Talent

There’s no question surrounding Soto’s talent. The lefty is having another MVP-caliber season in 2023 and has carried the Padres’ offense all season. He is slashing .276/.410/.524 with 35 homers and has walked a major league-leading 128 times. That’s good for a 159 OPS+ and 5.4 WAR.

The craziest aspect about Soto’s season is that these numbers aren’t astronomical for him. These are numbers we all expect from him. Since his debut in 2018, he has never posted an OPS below .854, an OPS+ under 129, or a walk rate under 16 percent. Soto’s combination of patience, power, and presence at the plate is a true specialty. He’s a modern-day Ted Williams.

Juan Soto is 3-3 with 2 HR tonight 👀 @Padres pic.twitter.com/A6sPEj2UP3

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) September 27, 2023

Soto is also a machine. He has played in 158 games this season and has never missed significant time with an injury. The least amount of games Soto has played in a season is 116 and it’s because he was called up 44 games into the 2018 season.

Verdict

Soto is truly a once-in-a-lifetime player. Players like him are usually never available, let alone traded. That’s why it’s unfathomable he may be on the move again.

Luckily for the Mets, (sorry Padres’ fans), the Padres’ financial situation has opened a door for them to move in.

Trading for Soto may be costly, but the risk is worth it. Prospects don’t always pan out, and if they do, you hope they become a player like Soto. The odds are also high that Acuña, Gilbert, or Williams won’t reach the same stratosphere as Soto.

For example, look at Robert Hassell III. He was the Padres’ second overall prospect and a centerpiece of the original Soto trade. He’s now slashing .225/.316/.324 with eight homers in Double-A.

Besides, the Mets may never get the opportunity to sign Soto. If a team like the Giants or Yankees trades for Soto this offseason, nothing is stopping them from extending him afterward.

I say do it. Soto is the missing piece in the Mets’ lineup. He is a contact hitter who can also slug 30 homers a season, providing the Mets with a third 100-RBI-caliber bat. Trade for Soto in the offseason, sign him to an extension and figure everything out later. Although, I’m quite sure others at Metsmerized would disagree.

The post Passan: Mets Are ‘Scary Possibility’ to Trade For Juan Soto appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mike Piazza’s journey of going from a 62nd-round draft pick (1,390th overall) at the behest of a Hall of Fame manager to switching positions late in his teenage years and becoming the greatest hitting catcher of all time is one of near improbability.

For Piazza, 54, baseball was a way of life and something he innately knew he was destined for.

From a young age, Piazza had access to the major leagues as his father, Vince, was good friends with Dodgers’ coach and later Hall of Fame manager, Tommy Lasorda.

Lasorda gave Piazza the opportunity to be batboy on occasion, where Piazza would have the chance to work with players and coaches on his swing. Growing up in Pennsylvania, Piazza spent countless hours training and refining his swing, as his father built him a batting cage in his own backyard.

Piazza’s offensive abilities were evident early on, as one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen in Ted Williams concurred when paying a visit to a young Piazza at his home while in Pennsylvania for a card show appearance.

After attending the University of Miami and Miami-Dade Community College, Piazza was selected by the Dodgers in the 62nd round of the 1988 Draft due to a recommendation by Lasorda.

Having previously played first base in junior college, the Dodgers decided to convert him to catcher, as that position would give him a greater chance of reaching the majors due to his offensive profile.

The slugging right-handed hitter made his presence known in his rookie season of 1993, when he hit 35 home runs, drove in 112 runs and posted a 153 OPS+ en route to unanimously winning the N.L. Rookie of the Year Award. He became the first National League rookie to hit 35+ home runs and post an OPS+ of at least 150, with only Albert Pujols (2001) joining that list since.

Piazza quickly became one of the more prolific and clutch power hitters in the sport. From his rookie season of 1993 through the 1997 season, Piazza was tied with Mark McGwire for the 11th-most home runs in the majors (167), and posted the fifth-highest wRC+ among qualified hitters with a 162 mark.

While Piazza’s stardom continued to rise, tensions grew between the All-Star catcher and the Dodgers organization in regards to a new contract. On May 14, 1998, the Dodgers traded Piazza along with Todd Zeile to the defending World Champion Florida Marlins for five players, which included Charles Johnson, Bobby Bonilla and Gary Sheffield.

A mere eight days later, Piazza was on the move yet again in what became a defining day in New York Mets history. The club acquired Piazza from the Marlins in exchange for Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall and Geoff Goetz.

In 109 games with the Mets in ’98, Piazza slashed .348/.417/.607 with 56 extra-base hits and 76 RBI. Piazza’s 168 wRC+ is the highest single-season mark in Mets history (min. 400 plate appearances).

Acquiring Piazza helped change the outlook and landscape of the Mets organization, giving the club a bona fide superstar in the middle of their lineup. The club rewarded Piazza with a seven-year, $91 million contract after the season, which was the richest deal in major league history at the time.

In his ensuing seven seasons with the Mets, Piazza gave Met fans countless memories, including a go-ahead, 3-run home run in the eighth off Terry Mulholland in the Mets’ 10-run inning against the Atlanta Braves on June 30, 2000, a go-ahead, two-run home run off Steve Karsay in the eighth in the first major sporting event held in New York ten days after the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, and breaking Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk’s record for most home runs hit by a catcher with his 352nd blast as a backstop on May 5, 2004.

Among all time Mets, Piazza ranks first in slugging percentage (.542), second in OPS (.915), third in home runs (220), third in RBI (655) and sixth in fWAR (28.2).

Piazza was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in his fourth year on the ballot in 2016, receiving 83 percent of the vote. He joined Tom Seaver as the only two players in the Hall of Fame that were enshrined with a Mets cap on their plaque.

The 12-time All-Star is one of fourteen players in major league history with 400+ home runs and a career batting average over .300, and his career 143 OPS+ is the highest among 66 catchers who recorded a minimum of 5,000 plate appearances and played at least sixty percent of their games behind the dish.

This January, Piazza can be seen on a new FOX reality competition show called “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” in which sixteen celebrities endure some of the harshest, most grueling challenges from the playbook of the actual Special Forces selection process.

Pete Dadds / FOX

Along with the show, Piazza will also be getting back into the dugout as Team Italy’s manager for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. After representing Italy as a player in the inaugural WBC in 2006, Piazza is eager to help promote the game and showcase some of the younger Italian talent on a big stage.

From Norristown, Pennsylvania, to the hallowed halls of Cooperstown, Piazza’s journey from a late-round pick as a favor to the family to the greatest hitting catcher of all time is one of the greatest examples of resiliency in sports history.

I had the privilege of speaking with Piazza in early December, where he spoke about his early career development, tenure with the Mets and upcoming competition series.

MMO: Where did your love of baseball originate from?

Piazza: Growing up in the seventies was a little different than kids today. They have a lot more distractions with computers and video games. It was just a different time.

We were more into riding bikes, building forts, playing baseball and having pickup games. Going to a baseball game was part of my youth and for a lot of people growing up around the same time.

Growing up in Philly, I was fortunate to watch the great Phillies teams of the seventies; my dad had season tickets. We’d go down and watch [Mike] Schmidt and [Larry] Bowa. I was looking at something online, and that’s what I love about online is that you get to go back and see history with [Greg] Luzinski, [Garry] Maddox and Bake McBride, players and teams I used to watch as a kid. That was something for me.

Right away, it was something I always wanted to do. I always wanted to be a baseball player from a very young age.

MMO: It’s well-documented how influential and crucial Tommy Lasorda was for your career. What did having Lasorda in your corner mean to you?

Piazza: Tommy was amazing. My dad was a little younger than Tommy, and they basically grew up together. They knew each other in Norristown, and Tommy went into baseball, and my dad had to do what he had to do. They always remained close.

I remember when Tommy was the third base coach for the Dodgers; I think it was ’76 before he became the manager. My dad would call him over on the third base-side, and they’d be talking. And I remember being so very impressed that he knew somebody on the team.

I think I was around twelve when I became batboy, and Mark Cresse was a coach and put me in the cage. I think there was a rain delay and there was a cage underneath the stadium in the tunnel, and I started hitting off Manny Mota and Cresse. Tommy was extremely impressed and, at that point, knew I had some talent.

It wasn’t a perfect journey. [Laughs.] No journeys to the big leagues are ever easy, but for me, it was interesting.

He was always in my corner. Even when I got older, he’d send me spikes, gloves and equipment. When I went into junior college, he was trying to get me to the right spot where I could develop. Obviously, he convinced the Dodgers to draft me and change positions and the rest is history.

He was everything to me, and there’s no question that if it wasn’t for him, I would have probably not made it to the big leagues.

MMO: One of the jaw-dropping moments early in your 2013 autobiography, “Long Shot,” was when you write about the day Ted Williams showed up at your home and watched you take batting practice in your backyard. What do you remember about Williams’ visit to your home?

Piazza: That was an amazing experience. My father was very close with the former Dodgers and Orioles scout Ed Liberatore, and Eddie was very close with Joe DiMaggio and Williams.

There was a card show at the George Washington Motor Lodge in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and Ted Williams was there signing autographs. Eddie Libertore was talking with him at breakfast one day and said, “My buddy, Vince, has got a kid. He’s a pretty good hitter, and he’s got a cage in his backyard. He practices in his backyard.” And Ted Williams said, “Let’s go see him hit.”

The next thing I know, Ted Williams is coming to my house! I didn’t sleep the night I found out, it was an amazing experience. I have to tell you, aside from just the mechanical part of hitting, which he was working on and complimented my swing, there was also a lot of mental things that were sort of tattooed in my memory.

It was definitely an inspirational moment, a watershed moment in my career that inspired me to work hard. A lot of the lessons he taught me I still teach today and relay to kids today in my coaching.

MMO: How difficult was the transition going from a first baseman to a catcher in your late teenage years? And you went to the Dodgers’ Dominican academy initially to learn the position, is that right?

Piazza: That’s correct. Look, it was definitely difficult for me. I was fortunate at the time that I had a pretty good arm, and I always threw the ball pretty well. There were times when I was actually pitching at fourteen or fifteen, and Claude Osteen, who was the Phillies’ pitching coach and a former Dodger, saw me pitch and said, “I think Mike could pitch as well.”

I was fortunate to have a decent arm, but to sign as a catcher and really have to convert was really difficult. I was fortunate that I was able to have good coaching; I had Johnny Roseboro and Kevin Kennedy, who were my first two catching coaches. They worked with me religiously in blocking balls and throwing and the other intricacies of the position.

One of the first guys that I caught was a guy named Tim Scott, who pitched for the Expos, and was very patient with me. Another guy, Mike Hartley, was in the big leagues for a little bit. I remember these guys were so patient with me and inspired me.

I knew I was raw and had a lot of work to do, but I had great coaches and people in my life who inspired me from Tommy on down. Not everybody was a big fan, of course; there were always people that you’re never going to convince, but fortunately, I had the right people in my corner. I was blessed to have them looking out and helping me.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

MMO: One of those people who you seemed to have in your corner was coach Reggie Smith, who fought hard for the Dodgers to consider you as a prospect. He was also the one who went to your home to bring you back to Vero Beach after you initially decided to quit baseball. How did Smith aid in your development?

Piazza: I think Reggie and I had some really interesting similarities. We gelled right away with the hitting part and had a connection with Ted Williams; Reggie Smith came up with the Red Sox when Williams was the hitting coach there.

There was a real connection, and I think we had the same philosophy. Reggie was able to look at my swing and refine it in a way. He didn’t really change it, but he was able to refine it.

In order to get quicker on the pitch inside, he taught me at the time how to make my swing more compact, more off the hips, and not so much of the bat lag. My swing was a little long, and he was able to refine it and taught me some drills that really helped.

When I was having my problems in the Dodgers organization and wasn’t playing a lot and clashing with some of the coaches, they were going to release me. He was in a meeting, and they were like, “Piazza, non-prospect. We should release him.” And Reggie was like, “Let me tell you something, you release this guy he’s going to come back to bite you in the butt. He has something you cannot teach. You cannot teach power. You can’t teach power, and you can’t teach speed.” He said, “I’m sorry, I just do not recommend releasing a guy that has power.”

They finally relented and gave me a 300-at-bat season, and I went to Bakersfield the next year (1991) and hit 29 home runs. That was a turning point in my life.

If it wasn’t for him looking out for me and going to bat for me, pardon the pun, my life would probably be different.

MMO: It’s been well-documented but that eight-day period between May 14, 1998, and May 22, 1998, in which you were traded twice must’ve been a whirlwind for you. What were your initial reactions to being traded to Florida, and then New York eight days later?

Piazza: That was a very interesting time in the game and in my life personally. It was a little bit frustrating being young and coming up with the Dodgers and thinking I would be there my whole career. And then the Dodgers getting sold and for some reasoning that I don’t understand, we just clashed.

My contract was up, and the Dodgers gave me a two-year deal to get me to free agency because they knew they were selling the team, and then they would wait until the next owners took over.

I don’t know why it was, I have no idea why we clashed. Looking back, I think both of us made mistakes; we were both ego-driven and proud.

At the end of the day, as an athlete, the same competitiveness and drive that allows you to excel at a certain level on the field, you can’t extinguish that when you’re talking about your contract because it’s personal. At that point, I took it personally that they didn’t feel that I was worth what I thought I was worth. I was a little bit immature, and we both said something, and it didn’t work out. It was difficult at the end of the day.

It was only because the Marlins were dismantling their World Series team that they were able to pull off the trade for Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson and [Jim] Eisenreich. They justified and thought the trade would be good for them. I went to Florida and played for Jim Leyland for a week, and I really enjoyed that. It wasn’t an easy week and then ended up in New York.

I do believe a certain amount of life is throwing it up to fate and realizing things don’t happen by accident. I was able to let that control part go and say I’m going to end up where I’m going to end up.

I ended up with the Mets and had a little bit of a tough start and was really exposed to New York sports in a very intense way right off the bat. But after a while, I played hard and the fans started embracing me.

To be embraced as a Met, by a fanbase that doesn’t necessarily embrace players that are not from their team and coming up through the team, to me, is my biggest accomplishment. Not the home runs as a catcher, not my average, not anything else. To be embraced by the Mets fans as an outsider more or less, and coming up with the Dodgers, even though they had a connection to Brooklyn, that’s the thing I am most grateful for.

There are not too many guys who come here that don’t come up through the Mets organization that the fans embrace.

MMO: Did playing in a big market like Los Angeles help make the transition of playing in New York any easier?

Piazza: They’re two entirely different experiences, that’s for sure. I don’t know if it helped, but I’ve said before that I feel that I’m one of the few athletes in basically the history of sports that was able to be in my prime in L.A. and New York effectively. There’s not a lot of guys who can say that.

With that said, the transition to New York was very difficult. It was just different. I grew up with the Dodgers, and the fans embraced me even when I struggled and were patient with me. And then when money got involved it turned very quickly. [Laughs.] I was sort of ostracized and kind of run out of town.

I will say that playing there is not easy, but it’s less difficult than New York only because New York you have seven papers and fourteen or so columnists. It’s a different experience, no question about it.

For me, it was something that I needed to really guard my armor and prepare for and concentrate on. It was a lot of pressure! I had sleepless nights and nights where I was really nervous about my performance, but I was able to focus and get through it. As I’ve said before, it’s something I’m very, very grateful for.

MMO: You were such a feared hitter and seemingly always came through in the clutch. You own a career OPS over .900 with both runners-in-scoring-position and two-outs and runners-in-scoring-position. Can you talk a bit about your approach at the plate, especially in those higher-leverage situations?

Piazza: It’s interesting you say that. I had a discussion with Dwight Howard on the show about this. There were guys that I knew that I would listen to if we were facing a Greg Maddux or Randy Johnson, and on that day, you could tell that they really didn’t want to be in the lineup. I had the opposite approach. I always felt to be the best I wanted to beat the best. I wanted to be out there in the gladiator arena with the best and going up against the best pitchers.

I also had a gift of focus, and I hope you see it on the show. I saw it at times as, for lack of a better word, the eye of the tiger. I tell kids when I got between the lines a switch went on in my head and I became a different person. Maybe it was schizophrenia, I have no idea. [Laughs.]

I turned into a machine, and I had this feeling that when I failed, I almost became physically sick. I hated the idea of going 0-for-4 and striking out a couple of times. After a game, I was miserable, and it made me sick. It was like this feeling of disgust and resentment if I didn’t do well. That’s why if I got one hit, I wanted to get two; if I got two, I wanted three; if I got three, I wanted four. I never threw those at-bats away later in the game.

There were times where if it was late and close and guys were on, I looked in the stands and I loved it. I reveled in it, and I was like, this is what I’m here for. This is what I’m meant to be and where I’m supposed to be. You have to embrace that as an athlete, and so many athletes don’t understand that, or at least they’re not able to develop that feeling and maturity or ability to want to be on the line, in the box or on the mound with the game on the line.

For me, that was what we did it for, and I had this ability or gift to recognize that.

MMO: I’ve had the chance to interview several pitchers that you caught on the Mets in Glendon Rusch, Al Leiter, Pat Mahomes, Dennis Cook and Steve Trachsel. They all have spoken so highly of your defensive abilities in regard to setting a big target and being a really good pitch framer.

During your career, you were criticized at times for your defense. Yet, with the increased reliance and use of analytics, I feel as if that narrative has turned because of your framing and blocking skills. I’m curious what your take is on your defensive acumen as a catcher, and what you felt your strengths and weaknesses were?

Piazza: That’s a good question. I think because I was a main cog in the lineup, there was probably more scrutiny on my defense because I think there were some coaches who thought I shouldn’t be catching, or at least I’d be best served DH’ing or playing another position.

The best catchers in history like Iván Rodríguez and Johnny Bench [were great at] throwing, and throwing runners out is a very important part of catching, and I’ve never shied away from that. However, there’s a lot more to catching than just having a great arm. Benito Santiago, I was a huge fan and used to love to watch him throw from his knees, and I actually replicated that a little bit and tried it myself.

Once I started catching a lot of games, Tommy Lasorda always made the joke when I wanted or needed a day off, he’d say, “I don’t have a bat long enough for you to hit from the bench.” [Laughs.]

When the pitcher is out of the game, I’m still throwing the ball back to the other pitchers, so my arm strength started deteriorating rather rapidly in my thirties just from use. You only have so many bullets in the holster.

But getting back to my point, yes, throwing runners out is important, and I think that’s something I was most scrutinized for or for not being able to do, especially later in my career.

As you mentioned, there are other things like blocking the plate, which is something I never shied away from, and I got racked good a couple of times; there are some great collisions online. I was never shying away from that. Catching popups, blocking balls in the dirt, just catching the ball or framing, whatever you want to call it. I was larger than most catchers, so guys liked to throw to me.

Coming up with a veteran staff when I came up with the Dodgers in ’93, I had Orel Hershiser, Kevin Gross, Tom Candiotti, Jim Gott, Roger McDowell, Steve Wilson, guys that were really demanding. I was blessed because they were very patient with me, but they were also very hard on me as well. That baptism in fire was great for my career as a catcher.

I also had this feeling, like if I grounded into a double play and I went out there with my head up my butt or just pouting, the pitcher was going to see that. I needed the pitcher to know that I was one hundred percent looking out for him and trying to get him through that game. Even with guys that I didn’t necessarily get along with all the time. I took active pride in that.

I knew I had some shortcomings defensively, but I always felt like there were other things I wanted to overcompensate for. I’m glad and blessed that these guys noticed that. It makes me feel really good.

MMO: The Mets were the first team to play a game in New York since the devastating terrorist attacks on September 11th. Your go-ahead, 2-run home run in the eighth against the Braves is a moment that will forever be etched in time. What memories do you have from that night, and how did you keep your composure during such an emotional time?

Piazza: I was raised in a very religious household, an Italian, Slovakian household. I still believe in prayer, and I believe in mediation, and believe me, it took all that feeling and ability to lift it up to a higher power and let go. We have a tendency in life to want to control every single minutia aspect of our lives, and there are some things we just can’t control.

Before that game and arriving to the stadium and going through all the feelings of that week of just wondering if we should be there, was very difficult emotionally. It’s hard enough to play a major league sport under normal circumstances, but under those circumstances, it was absolutely terrifying in a way because we’re not used to this emotional trauma.

To get out there and then start the program and hear the bagpipes, man, it was heart-wrenching. I didn’t even know if I could play that night. To just look up and pray and say God, please let me get through this night.

The game became secondary until the game started, which I thought was really cool. We all just wanted to get through the night, and I don’t mean rushing through, but we just wanted to get through without any further emotional stress or injury or whatnot. And remember, we were off for a week, so we were a little bit out of our playing shape, or at least the intensity of the everyday experience.

There was a lot of anxiety. But in the end, as I’ve said, it was just blessed. God got me through it and I was in the right place at the right time. I just let it go, and the moment happened.

I can only point it up to my faith, I really can. I don’t remember anything about it; it was almost like I was in a trance-like state and was just very blessed to come through at that moment.

I’m very honored that people still really enjoy it and I’ve always tried to treat that moment as a moment of respect. It’s very flattering and anybody that comes up to me when I’m in public, I’m always blessed and love to listen to people’s stories about that night as well.

MMO: Putting that momentous home run aside, which was bigger than baseball, is there a home run you hit with the Mets that still vividly sticks out in your mind to this day?

Piazza: I had some great moments. And that’s what I love about the Internet: you can go back and share in things.

The 200^th home run against Billy Wagner in the Dome for me was great. A couple of home runs I hit down the stretch in ’98 because those home runs for me were sort of turning the crowd in my favor. The fans were finally realizing that they knew I was starting to rise to the occasion.

It’s funny, when I was playing well down the stretch in September, somebody put a sign up at Shea that said, “100 million is a bargain,” or something like that. At that point, I was like, This is good, I’m starting to make some progress here. Because everyone was like, is he worth the money? Is he not worth the money? These debates were going on ad nauseam for me every day. So, when someone put that sign up, I was like, This is good, this is good. [Laughs.]

The 2000 season and ’99 season, and hitting with John Olerud and Edgardo Alfonzo, and the great players I played with. I say this all the time, but you can’t have personal success because baseball is such a team game; you can’t drive in yourself every time. If you hit 35 solo home runs, you have 35 RBIs. I needed guys on base. I played with the Roger Cedeño, Rickey Henderson, Olerud and Alfonzo, and these guys were out there all the time. They gave me those opportunities.

We had a lot of fun and had great characters on those teams. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t want to come to the ballpark because I just enjoyed laughing with these guys.

Special moments, special times and went by way too fast. I always love to go back. I miss it dearly.

MMO: You certainly don’t have to answer this, but I’m curious if you and Roger Clemens ever spoke and tried to mend fences after all of the history you two had?

Piazza: I have no problem talking about it. I believe in forgiveness. If he ever wanted to reach out, I would talk to him. I have no problem. And if he doesn’t want to, that’s fine, too. We’re not playing golf any time soon; we’re not buds or anything.

As I’ve said before, it was a difficult time in my life as well, that’s something you don’t ever take for granted. When you’re talking about not just injuring but even worse, it could’ve been a lot worse situation. It could’ve been a career-ending injury if he hit me in the eye. It’s something I’m very sensitive to and still am for that matter.

Time moves on, and I’ve always been very philosophical about things like that. I think it was a challenge in my life and my career that I went through. I tried to handle it as well as I could. You’re never going to make everyone happy, that’s part of life too.

No, we’re not really friends. If he wanted to reach out, I’m not going to run away from anything. I’ve always been accountable, and I always felt like I wanted to be there. It is what it is but it’s fine. I don’t lose sleep over it.

The home run I hit off Jeff Nelson in that game (Game 2, 2000 World Series) was one of my most proud home runs, to be honest with you. Think about the dichotomy there, the paradox there.

And putting all the incidents aside with Clemens, taking all that out, it was really frustrating because I felt like we really had a shot to be a miracle team. We’ve could’ve been the second Miracle Mets. Even though they say it wasn’t the Yankees’ greatest team, that would’ve been a moment that we really wanted to give to the fans.

I always thank God for being there and having the opportunity. Even though we fell short we were there and that’s something I will always take away.

MMO: Al Leiter was convinced that if you guys took Game 1 you were winning the Series.

Piazza: I felt the same way. I don’t know how the analytics crowd talks about momentum, but I believe in momentum. And we had momentum. You could look at the Timo Pérez not scoring on Zeile’s hit, if the ball went out it would’ve been a home run.

We just kind of hit a wall and it was frustrating, no question about it. But it gave a great moment for the city and I’m always a glass half-full guy.

Aug 27, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; Former Major League catcher Mike Piazza at Old Timers Day at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

MMO: What did you think of Old Timers’ Day?

Piazza: I thought that was great! I’m involved with the alumni, and I love our history. We have some cool things coming up. Retiring Jerry Koosman’s number a few years ago was great, obviously, Keith’s number was great last year, the Old Timers’ game was great.

I thought everybody enjoyed it. I didn’t realize and I do realize how out of shape we all are. [Laughs.] The funniest thing was after the end of two and a half innings, everyone was like, “I’m not going back out there anymore. I’m done!” [Laughs.] Maybe next year we can have a little bit of a better system.

I made fun of Al Leiter because I was like, ‘Dude, you couldn’t even throw me a freaking strike!’ I think he was afraid of giving up a home run, and then he couldn’t even throw a strike. Get a BP guy in there!

It was a great first re-engagement of the Old Timers’ Game. The guys really loved it, and the response was good, so hopefully it’ll be an annual thing now and we can modify it or refine it a little bit to at least make it a little quicker maybe. But the fans didn’t care. It’s just something I hope becomes a tradition again.

MMO: Tell me about your involvement in the upcoming FOX reality series “Special Forces.” How did that come about and what can viewers expect from the series?

Piazza: Incredible experience, it changed my life in a way. It was really an incredible experience as far as the intensity and authenticity of the show. It was one hundred percent authentic, there weren’t any cuts or let’s do this again or craft services or smoothies or air conditioning. It was straight-out intense from day one until the end of the show.

I met some great people on that show and have all become very close. I just tell people to watch it! I think they’re going to enjoy it and think they’re going to laugh and cry.

There were some amazing moments, and I was impressed with everybody. I was impressed with the people who weren’t professional athletes on the show, they showed a lot of guts and determination. It was a real rewarding experience in watching the human spirit.

Pete Dadds / FOX

MMO: Did you undergo any special training prior to shooting?

Piazza: I work out still. I went to the gym this morning, and I consider myself in decent shape. I’m not, by any means, an elite athlete or what I would consider in elite shape. But I did try to up the intensity a few months out going into that.

But there was nothing you could do to prepare for that!  [Laughs.] Literally nothing unless you did the exact exercises.

It was hard; just running in sand with boots on was hard. Getting to the drills was hard. It was pretty intense, and I think people are going to be pretty surprised with the things we had to do, and the bravery and courage the people showed. I was very impressed.

MMO: You’re also managing Team Italy for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. How’s the preparation been? Do you have any aspirations to coach or manage in the majors one day?

Piazza: I really enjoy trying to grow the game worldwide. Anybody who knows me well knows that I’ve always enjoyed that tournament. And now that it’s coming back, I think it’s great.

We have an incredible group of guys. Our philosophy on building this team was a little different than in years past; we may not have the most established major leaguers. We’re going to have guys that are close to the big leagues. I wanted a team that was a little younger, a little hungrier.

We have some really interesting guys. It’s a little fluid right now because we haven’t finalized the roster, but we’ve named the roster, and I think it’s online. We’re going to have some Italian guys, we’re going to have some native Italian guys who we are very proud of playing over here in the minor leagues. I think it’s an amazing opportunity to grow the game.

As far as my philosophy of managing, I have the two-time Minor League Manager of the Year Blake Butera, who manages for the Tampa Rays. He’s more or less my co-manager because, quite honestly, I’ve been a little out of the game for a while, and the trends are different, the scouting is different, the analytics are different. I would be kind of crazy not to have an amazing staff. Chris Denorfia, who played for Team Italy, he’s the Double-A manager for the Rockies, he’s on my staff.

I really feel if I was going to do it (manage in the majors), it would definitely take a lot of commitment. I don’t think you can go into managing and take it in a way that’s not 100 percent authentic. I would have to go back and re-learn a lot of these trends or sort of get a crash course into how the game is different today. There are a lot of similarities; of course, it’s the same game, but I wouldn’t be able to do this if I didn’t have an incredible staff.

Blake is like my co-manager; he’s more or less going to be helping me tremendously, which I need. The tournament itself has a lot of interesting rules with pitching and pitch counts, so I need a lot of help with that.

I would say not right now, [but] I never say never. I don’t know if this experience turns out to be a positive experience. But it’s like building a coalition, if these guys say, hey, Mike, we’d love to work with you, we’ll take it from there.

We have a lot of work to do, we’re in a very tough bracket, and the teams are very difficult. Cuba and Taipei are good, and the Netherlands, so we don’t have a cakewalk.

We have a good team; we’d love to get out of that bracket and get to Tokyo, which would be a hell of an accomplishment for us. But first things first, we have to hopefully get out of that bracket.

We have our day off first, so we’re going to play four days in a row, which is really difficult, whereas other teams have a day off in the middle. We’ve been given a really tough pool to ride. It’s going to be tough for us, we’ve got our hands full.

MMO: Thanks so much for some time today, Mike. It was great speaking with you.

Piazza: My pleasure, man.

Follow Mike Piazza on Twitter, @mikepiazza31

The post MMO Exclusive: Hall of Fame Catcher, Mike Piazza appeared first on Metsmerized.

ESPN Films announced on Thursday that they are in production on a 30 For 30 project centered around the 1986 Mets team.

ESPN notes that the documentary series will be produced by Jimmy Kimmel, Sal “Cousin Sal” Iacono, Kimmelot’s Scott Lonker, ITV’s Jordana Hochman and MLB’s Nick Trotta.

It will be directed by Nick Davis, the writer and director of the PBS documentary Ted Williams: ‘The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived.”

Of course, a roller up the first base line in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series off the bat of Mookie Wilson will forever be one of the most important highlights in Mets franchise history.

The Mets went on to claim their second franchise championship with an 8-5 win over the Red Sox in Game 7 on October, 27, 1986.

The post ESPN Announces 30 For 30 on 1986 Mets appeared first on Metsmerized.

In back-to-back years, Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden won the Rookie of the Year Awards for the Mets.  For Strawberry, he was being called the Black Ted Williams.  As for Gooden’s part, he was doing things not even Tom Seaver did in a Mets uniform.  These two were supposed to be the foundation for what was supposed to become a Mets Dynasty.  Instead, the team would only win one World Series.

The reasons have been well documented by now.  Both would struggle with drugs during their playing careers.  Gooden would become the first baseball player suspended for an entire season for a drug of abuse.  While Strawberry didn’t face similar suspensions, his career suffered.  The two sure fire Hall of Famers would have to settle for becoming Mets Hall of Famers.

During the “Doc and Darryl” 30-for-30, fans noticed two different men.  Strawberry seemed to be a person in control of his life; a man who has beaten back the demons.  Strawberry is a man who now speaks at vocational centers hoping to reach out to those people who are struggling much in the same way he did or still does.

Gooden did not appear to be in the same good shape as Strawberry.  As the director of the 30-for-30 Judd Apatow said, “Dwight seems to be having a harder time.”  (Ted Keith, Sports Illustrated).  Apatow wasn’t the only one left with that impression.  Many Mets fans who watched the 30-for-30 suffered a little heartbreak watching a Gooden who seemed to be struggling.  It is something Strawberry personally noticed.

After the 30-for-30, Strawberry spoke out publicly stating, “He’s a complete junkie-addict,” he said. “I’ve been trying behind the scenes to talk to him and get him to go for help, but he won’t listen. He thinks he can manipulate and B.S. his way through everything. His son called me to beg me to help his dad before he dies.”  (John Harper, New York Daily News).  Quite ominously, Strawberry would say, ““I have to try something before he’s dead.”

After hearing the comments, Gooden lashed out at Strawberry going so far as to call him Lucifer.  Overall, Gooden characterized Strawberry as trying to deflect attention from his own personal demons saying, “[Going public] was a weak shot, and he did it to make himself look better, because he is running a drug rehab.”  (New York Post).

A little less than a year later, there appears as there is some peace between Strawberry and Gooden.  While the two have not spoken since Strawberry’s comments, Gooden apparently no longer harbors any ill feelings saying, “There’s no hard feelings yet. Unfortunately, he spoke how he felt. Whether I liked it or not, I respect that. Wasn’t true. You move on. Maybe one day we get together and talk, but right now’s not the time.”  (Anthony Rieber, Newsday).

As for the initial angry reaction, Gooden blames the timing of the event as he had just lost his beloved mother.  Overall, he states there is no issue in his mind between the two Mets legends saying, “Everything was good then, too. It’s just his opinions.”

Overall, you cannot tell the Mets history without speaking about Darryl and Doc.  The two men will forever be linked, and they will forever be a part of one of the most beloved Mets teams.  While Gooden may not harbor any ill feelings, it is apparent the back-and-forth in the press last year put some form of strain in their relationship.  Hopefully, there is a time for the two of them to once again reconcile.  More importantly, here’s hoping the two of them remain clean and continue leading peaceful and happy lives.

(Photo: Daily News)

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The San Diego Padres announced that Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn has died at age 54 following a battle with salivary gland cancer.

Gwynn amassed 3,141 hits in his brilliant career and his .338 career batting average is the highest since Ted Williams retired from the Boston Red Sox in 1960 with a .344 average.

Gwynn won a record eight National League batting titles while hitting .300 or better for 19 consecutive seasons. He also played in San Diego’s two World Series appearances and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007..

He retired in 2001 and later coached for San Diego State University.

“We are terribly sad to say goodbye to our teammate, our friend and a legend, Tony Gwynn,” the San Diego Padres posted on Twitter. “Rest in peace, Mr. Padre.”

This is such sad news. Gwynn is one of the all time greats and I loved watching him play the game. He will be missed by a great many.

The post Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn Dies of Cancer appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mexican Baseball has been dwindling as of late due to the factor of Soccer being the more popular sport. As of April 1st, 2013, 14 different players from Mexico were on Major League Rosters. However, while Soccer is the national pastime of Mexico, they have a deep history in baseball as well. Some claim that Mexico’s baseball history started in Mazatlan in 1847, while others claim it was in other towns in 1887 or 1889.

The argument for 1847, which to me is believable, is that the Americans were trying to take control of Mexico, during the Mexican-American war. Like other histories, it makes sense that American armies shared baseball with the population they came to conquer, (Panama and Nicaragua are two other examples of Americans bringing in Baseball through military conquest).

The laying of the Monterrey-Tampico Railway played a large part in spreading the sport. As the railroad was being developed, so was the sport in Mexico during the 1800’s. While the sport spread, the professional leagues started much later, in 1925, when Alejandro Aguilar Reyes, a sportswriter, and Ernesto Carmona founded the Mexican Professional Baseball Leagues. During that time, they had six teams, and to bring in other talent, they started hiring Cuban players too dark for the majors to come into play in the league.

In the 1940s, Jorge Pasquel attempted to transform the Mexican major leagues into a larger arena. He started to hire prominent players from all over the place, including many Negro League stars, Cubans as before, and even brought in Major Leaguers into the mix to play. Orestes “Minnie” Minoso recalled, that he was offered $35,000 at 17 to play in the Mexican Leagues.

American ballplayers such as Max Linnear played in the Mexican Leagues as well while Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams refused. But, the American Major League administration was not as keen on sharing their players with Mexico, because of the lucrative deals that were luring them away. The apparent hi-jacking of the sport away from the Americans displeased even Branch Rickey, and Happy Chandler, the commissioner, decided to start banning the players that were signed from Major league teams for 5 years from baseball. This new rule made the Mexican League crumble, and Jorge Pasquel died in 1955.

With the league crumbling, Mexico’s new manager, Anuar Canavati worked out deals later with Major League Baseball as a minor-league option for teams, and also an option as a place to play in the winter for their Major League and Minor League stars going forward. It also became a place for scouts to look for up-and-coming Mexican players, and later recruit them to their teams. Canavati saved the league from completely falling apart at the hands of Major League Baseball.

The post Lessons In Latin America: A Brief Mexican History appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Met organization has never been a particularly plentiful source of longball threats in the course of its draft history, so when events conspire to produce an actual 30+ homer threat of the home-grown variety, you would think that the managerial mind trust would be loathe to part with that asset, ugly stretches of non-production or not.

And yet, here we are with Ike Davis being basically hawked to all comers like a Sham-Wow despite representing what a team like the Mets generally looks for: a relatively young power threat coming into his prime years, under team control, and looking to prove that he belongs. Wildly inconsistent or not, based on the additional factor of defense and the likely in-house alternatives, doesn’t Ike represent the best chance for this team to field the type of power threat generally associated with his position?

A few other factors suggest to me that selling low on Ike at this point could be a major mistake. One would be his almost extreme selectivity last season upon returning to the big club from his Vegas exile. While many decried his seeming transformation into a high OBP, low power type as evidence of a lack of aggressiveness, we can certainly contrast it with the early-season version of Ike who swung at nearly everything and see it as a stage in the evolution of a more polished hitter. Lest we forget, Ted Williams always emphasized the importance of getting a good pitch to hit, and while I am not suggesting that Ike is about to morph into the second coming of the Splinter, I would say that we should take his emphasis on improving his pitch recognition as a good sign.

Another factor that should enter into this picture is the addition of Curtis Granderson to the lineup and the clubhouse. While Granderson’s high strikeout totals are nothing to look to emulate, his consistent ability to produce hard-hit, long fly balls (which will likely clear the fences with less regularity in Citi Field), still reflects the approach of a hitter with a plan, something that could very well rub off on the Met first-sacker. Add in Curtis’ sunny disposition and you have a formula for a mentor that may be able to get through to the notoriously stubborn Davis.

Finally, with Ike entering his age 27 season this year, he will be at the age when many players begin to hit their stride and hopefully enter a period of peak production. With the Mets showing signs of emerging from their long dark tunnel, but still perceived to have a ways to go to achieving something other than purely Dark Horse status, rolling the dice one more time on Ike and his frustration-producing “potential” would seem a reasonable thing to do. I’m actually rooting for it.

The post Sometimes The Best Trades You Make… appeared first on Metsmerized.

Is it not really known why society loves to classify everything into black and white? Maybe it’s just easier to minimize everything down into it’s most simplistic form. When it comes down to it, the vast majority of major league baseball players have never played in a World Series, let alone win one.

Some of the best players in the history of the game never won a World Series, are these all time greats still considered winners, or losers? If nothing else, it does go to show just how much of a team game baseball really is. With that being said, who do you believe are the best player to never win a World Series at each position?

Should I acknowledge the elephant in the room and point out that Barry Bonds has never won a ring?

Some people are willing to look past his tainted past to give him credit as one of the best hitters of all time… myself? Not so much.

On the topic of sluggers, however, you can look down the line at Harmon Killebrew and Willie McCovey, two other greats who each failed to win a World Series.

You could look at a couple of players from this current era, whatever it is you choose to call this era, and you’ll find Ken Griffey Jr.. and Mike Piazza, my two favorite players in MLB history, who also fell short of that ultimate glory.

Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell? Yep, they never got sized up for rings either. And if your interest happens to be pitchers, what about Gaylord Perry or Don Sutton? And do I even need a segue into mention the likes of Ty Cobb and Ted Williams? Believe it.

I wondered if I could make an All-Star team based on players that never won a World Series. How’s this for a team that never won baseball’s greatest achievement – a World Championship?

C : Mike Piazza

1B: Willie McCovey

2B: Nap Lajoie

3B: Ron Santo

SS: Ernie Banks

OF: Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Ken Griffey Jr.

SP: Gaylord Perry, Juan Marichal, Fergie Jenkins, Early Wynn, Robin Roberts

RP: Lee Smith, Trevor Hoffman 

Bench: George Sisler, Harmon Killebrew, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Ralph Kiner, Ryne Sandberg, Nellie Fox, Barry Bonds.

The post Mike Piazza One Of Many All-Time Great Players Never To Win A World Series appeared first on Metsmerized.

There are bad ways to win and good ways to lose. What’s interesting and troubling is that it’s not always clear which is which. — Grimsley, Pokemon

Is it not really known why humans love to classify everything into black and white categories? Maybe it’s just easier to minimize everything down into it’s most simplistic form. When it comes down to it, the vast majority of major league baseball players have never played in a World Series, let alone win one. Some of the best players in the history of the game never won a World Series, are these all time greats still considered winners, or losers? If nothing else, it does go to show just how much of a team game baseball really is. With that being said, who do you believe are the best player to never win a World Series at each position?

Should I acknowledge the elephant in the room and point out that Barry Bonds has never won a ring?

Some people are willing to look past his tainted past to give him credit as one of the best hitters of all time… myself? Not so much.

On the topic of sluggers, however, you can look down the line at Harmon Killebrew and Willie McCovey, two other greats who each failed to win a World Series.

You could look at a couple of players from this current era, whatever it is you choose to call this era, and you’ll find Ken Griffey Jr.. and Mike Piazza, my two favorite players in MLB history, who also fell short of that ultimate glory.

Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell? Yep, they never got sized up for rings either. And if your interest happens to be pitchers, what about Gaylord Perry or Don Sutton? And do I even need a segue into mention the likes of Ty Cobb and Ted Williams? Believe it.

I wondered if I could make an All-Star team based on players that never won a World Series. How’s this for a team that never won baseball’s greatest achievement – a World Championship?

C : Mike Piazza

1B: Willie McCovey

2B: Nap Lajoie

3B: Ron Santo

SS: Ernie Banks

OF: Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Ken Griffey Jr.

SP: Gaylord Perry, Juan Marichal, Fergie Jenkins, Early Wynn, Robin Roberts

RP: Lee Smith, Trevor Hoffman 

Bench: George Sisler, Harmon Killebrew, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Ralph Kiner, Ryne Sandberg, Nellie Fox, Barry Bonds.

The post Who Were The Best Players Never To Win A World Series? appeared first on Metsmerized.

AUGUST 25:

1922: Leading 25-6 after 4 innings, the Cubs hold on to beat the Phillies, 26-23. The Phillies left the bases loaded in the ninth. The 49 total runs is the most ever scored in a single game.

1956: The Yankees pick up Enos Slaughter off waivers and in turn give an unconditional release to fan favorite Phil Rizzuto.

1983: The Louisville Redbirds (AAA-Cardinals) become the first minor league team to draw one million fans.

1985: At 20 years, 9 months and 9 days, Dwight Gooden becomes the youngest pitcher in history to win 20 games.

1986: With a prodigious blast off Detroit’s Walt Terrell, a rookie named Mark McGwire hits his first major league home run.

1997: Boston’s Nomar Garciaparra gets a hit in his 27^th straight game, setting a record for AL rookies.

2005: With a 6-3 victory over the Pirates, Cardinals skipper Tony LaRussa wins his 2195^th game, passing Sparky Anderson for third all-time. The only managers with more wins are Connie Mack (3731) and John McGraw (2763)

AUGUST 26:

1898: The Cleveland Spiders play their final home game of the year. Nicknamed ‘The Nomads,’ the Cleveland club plays 83 of their final 87 games on the road.

1939: At Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, NBC televises the first Major League game in history. Red Barber does the play-by-play as the Dodgers and Reds split a double-header.

1947: Dan Bankhead of Brooklyn becomes the first black pitcher in history. He homered in his first plate appearance that day, but allowed six earned runs.

1961: Roger Maris hits home run # 51, putting him ahead of Babe Ruth‘s record setting pace.

1965: After defeating the Mets in 13 straight starts, Sandy Koufax (21-7) loses to Tug McGraw (2-2).

1966: Vic Roznovsky and Boog Powell of Baltimore hit back-to-back pinch hit HR’s. It’s only the third time in history this has happened.

1980: At County Stadium in Milwaukee, Royals third baseman George Brett goes 5-for-5 and raises his BA to 407.

1987: The longest hitting streak in the AL since Joe DiMaggio‘s in 1941 comes to an end at 39 when Paul Molitor fails to get a hit. Ironically, Molitor was on-deck when the final out of the game was made.

2002: The first video streaming coverage of a baseball game appears on the Internet. The Yankees defeat the Rangers, 10-3.

2002 — New York shortstop Derek Jeter scored his 100th run of the season, joining Ted Williams (1939-49) and Earle Combs (1925-32) as the only players in modern history to score at least 100 runs in their first seven seasons.

AUGUST 27:

1911: Future Hall of Famer Ed Walsh of Chicago no-hits Boston, 5-0.

1918: Christy Mathewson, now retired, steps down as manager of the Reds and accepts the role of Captain in the US Army. While serving in World War I, Matty is accidentally gassed during a training exercise resulting in his premature death in 1925, at age 45.

1938: Monte Pearson tosses the first no-hitter in Yankee Stadium, a 13-0 win over Cleveland.

1946: At the annual Owners Meeting, the owners decide to continue ‘The Gentleman’s Agreement’ and ban black athletes from playing in the majors. The ludicrous reasons include that black players display “…an absence of skills necessary…” as well as “…a lack of fundamentals.”

1955: Making only his second start in the majors, a young lefthander named Sandy Koufax defeats the Reds, 7-0. Koufax allows only 2 hits and fans 14.

1974: Benny Ayala of the Mets becomes the first player in 13 years to homer in his first major league at-bat.

1977: Bump Wills and Toby Harrah of Texas hit back-to-back inside the park home runs on back-to-back pitches.

1978: Joe Morgan becomes the first player to reach 200 Home Runs and 500 SB’s.

1982: Rickey Henderson breaks Lou Brock‘s single season SB mark with his 119^th swipe of the year. Henderson stole it against the battery of Doc Medich/Ted Simmons…on a pitch-out.

1997: As a joke, the Indians pull up their socks to just below the knees to celebrate the birthday of teammate Jim Thome. Cleveland would go on to win 17 of their next 27 games and ultimately, the American League pennant.

AUGUST 28:

1884: Mickey Welch of the NY Gothams fans the 1^st 9 batters he faces. Welch wins 39 games this year and a total of 307 in a brief 13 year career.

1945: In a secret meeting in Brooklyn, Branch Rickey privately meets with Jackie Robinson and tells him of his plan to integrate the majors. During the long meeting, Rickey will get in Jackie’s face and shout an endless barrage of racial slurs just to ‘test’ the young player and see how Robinson reacts, knowing full well what lies ahead.

1977: Nolan Ryan fans 11 and reaches 300 K’s for the fifth time in his career.

1983: Greg Luzinski, ‘The Bull,’ joins Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams as the only players to hit a ball onto the roof of Comiskey Park.

1989: Frank Viola of the Mets defeats Orel Hershiser of the Dodgers, 1-0. It was the first ever regular season match-up of two defending Cy Young Award winners.

The post This Week In Baseball: Doc Becomes Youngest 20 Game Winner, Yanks Release Rizzuto appeared first on Metsmerized.