While the ’86 Mets won the series in five games, the ’76 Mets put up a fight. Ed Kranepool powered the Mets to victory in Game 4, and if not for a blown save late in the series, the ’76 Mets could have pulled ahead of the World Champ ’86 squad.

Mets’ Mookie Wilson hits a slow grounder up the first base line that gets by Red Sox first basemen Bill Buckner scoring Ray Knight from second to give the Mets the walk-off victory in the bottom of the 10th inning during Game 6 of the World Series at Shea Stadium Oct. 25, 1986.
Mets Vs Red Sox 1986 World Series

Game 1 

Tom wasn’t so terrific in Game 1.

The Franchise struggled against the might of the 1986 lineup and allowed nine earned runs in three innings. He was relieved from that point as the 1976 Mets couldn’t get their offense going against Doc Gooden.

Game 2

The 1976 Mets punched back and recorded their only series victory in Game 2

Both sides started southpaws, with Sid Fernandez taking the mound for the ’86 Mets and Jerry Koosman for the ’76 Mets. Each starter had respectable games, as Fernandez allowed four earned runs in six innings pitched and Koosman with four allowed in 7 1/3 innings pitched.

While Fernandez was solid, the ’86 Mets’ bullpen was not. Randy Myers came in and allowed a bases-clearing double to Jerry Grote in the seventh, which gave the ’76 Mets a 6-2 lead. Then, Roger McDowell followed suit and allowed three earned runs in the top of the ninth. The ’76 Mets finished the night with a 9-4 win.

Game 3

Howard Johnson got the Mets back in the win column in Game 3.

The switch-hitting third baseman went 2-for-5 in Game 3, driving in a run and setting the tone at the top of the lineup. Meanwhile, Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez kept the line moving at the bottom of the order. The two captains both went 3-for-4, taking care of starter Jon Matlack who allowed 11 hits and five runs in six innings.

Bob Ojeda took care of the other side of the ball for the ’86 Mets. He went five innings, scattering five hits and striking out five for a scoreless outing. The lefty then handed the ball to Myers and John Mitchell, who allowed one run in four combined innings.

Game 4

Carter carried the ’86 Mets on his back in Game 4.

The catcher started his terrific night in the top of the fifth inning, driving in Mookie Wilson with an RBI double. The extra-base hit gave the ’86 Mets a 1-0, which they surrendered in the bottom half of the inning when Bruce Boisclair drove in two runs with a double of his own.

The score held at 2-1 going into the top of the ninth. The ’76 Mets turned toward their closer Skip Lockwood and needed only three outs to tie up the series. However, Carter had other plans. The former Expo clubbed a two-run homer to the ’86 Mets a 3-2 lead, and eventual win after Jesse Orosco completed his two-inning save.

Game 5

The ’76 Mets turned to Seaver for Game 5 to keep them in the first round of Mets Madness.

However, like in Game 1, Seaver struggled. The righty allowed eight hits and five runs in six innings pitched, putting his offense in a hole they couldn’t recover from. The bullpen wasn’t any better and Lockwood had another horrific outing, allowing four earned runs in the ninth inning.

Gooden once again was reliable for the ’86 Mets. He struck out five batters across five innings but got an early hook from his manager. The ’86 Mets opted for a bullpen game, throwing five different arms in their 9-1 win in Game 5.

The offense was powered by Wilson and Hernandez, who went 5-for-7 combined with three runs batted in and scored. Wally Backman also had a stellar game and went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in from the eighth spot in the lineup.

MVP

Carter was the MVP for the ’86 Mets in their series against the ’76 Mets.

He went 5-for-8 in Games 3 and 4 combined, which propelled the ’86 Mets to a 3-1 series lead. In fact, if Carter hadn’t clubbed a go-ahead homer in Game 4, the ’76 Mets would have tied the series at 2-2 and thrown Seaver out for Game 5.

While Carter went 0-for-4 in Games 2 and 5, his performances in Games 3 and 4 were enough to award him the most valuable player for the ’86 Mets.

On Deck 

The ’86 Mets will move on to round 2 of Mets Madness, where they face off against the 2022 Mets. Unlike the ’76 Mets, the ’22 Mets have a dangerous and potent lineup. Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Starling Marte, and Brandon Nimmo will be a tough top of the order and will certainly be tough on the ’86 rotation. Their rotation isn’t shabby either, as Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Chris Bassitt will get their shot at the ’86 lineup.

Here are the previous recaps from round one:

• 2019 Mets beat 2000 Mets
• 1998 Mets take the 2015 Mets seven games
• 1973 Mets sweep the 2007 Mets
• 2006 Mets dominated 1985 Mets
• 1969 Mets win in 7 games
• 2022 Mets win a series

Round one is officially over. Bring on round two.

The post Mets Madness Recap: 1986 Mets Beat 1976 Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Major League Baseball continues in its efforts to minimize the time of games after rapid improvement in the area following the adaptation of the pitch clock in the 2023 season. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the MLB’s competition committee has proposed reducing the pitch clock from 20 seconds to 18 seconds when runners are on base next season, while keeping the 15-second timer for when the bases are clear. The goal of said proposition is to reverse a late-season trend that saw the average time of game increase by 7 minutes. Along with hearing out this proposition, the competition committee was also proposed the idea of cutting the mound visits allowed from five to four.

Passan notes that there have been concerns voiced from players about continued reduction of the pitch clock timer due to their belief that it is resulting in increased injuries among pitchers. However, MLB continues to deny that as they do not believe there is any correlation between the two. The league ultimately has near full reign over rule changes as teams hold the majority of seats on the competition committee, which was formed during the 2022 collective bargaining agreement negotiations. 

The competition committee can implement a change to on-field rules with 45 days’ notice to players after a proposal. Passan reports that the players are currently discussing said proposal and are expected to go to the committee with potential adjustments. 

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Kodai Senga finished in seventh place in the National League Cy Young Award race for the 2023 season, as the results were announced on Wednesday night. The rookie received three third-place votes as well as three fourth-place votes. 

Mets new manager Carlos Mendoza appeared on the “Foul Territory” podcast on Wednesday to talk about his new role with the club. During the interview, Mendoza talked about his building of the coaching staff as he mentioned that they are in the very early stages of the hiring process and that he’s going over many names with the front office. Along with that, he also mentioned how he’s been reaching out to many current Mets including Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso. 

Andy Martino of SNY reported that Kodai Senga has “made it clear” to the Mets that he wants them to bring Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Along with that, Martino also mentioned how while the Mets and Yankees are interested in the star pitcher, it is far from a two team race as he could be posted “any day”.

Latest MLB News

The Cy Young Award winners in each league were announced Wednesday night; Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees won the award in the American League while Blake Snell of the San Diego Padres took the award in the National League. Snell won the second Cy Young award of his career and becomes the seventh pitcher to win the award in both leagues as he won it in the AL with the Rays in 2018. Gerrit Cole won the first Cy Young of his career as he was voted unanimously, receiving all 30 first place votes.

Major League Baseball has tendered a status check on 2022 KBO MVP Lee Jung-hoo of the Kiwoom Heroes and LG Twins closer Go Woo-suk, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News. Yoo mentions how this is just a formal administrative check that the league must take before signing a Korean player. 

Adam Plutko, who has played his last two season in Korea, is looking to return to MLB as he is now a free agent, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The veteran starting pitcher has posted two back-to-back sub 2.50 ERA seasons, 2.39 and 2.41 in 2022 and 2023 respectively, while holding his opponents to a .596 OPS over the two year span.

The Los Angeles Angels introduced their newest manager, Ron Washington, on Wednesday as they held his introductory press conference at Angels Stadium. Washington did not mince words as he came out and said, “Our whole focus will be to run the West down. You can take that to the bank and deposit it.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers are reported to be among the most interested teams in star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Although, Morosi mentions that his posting window has yet to formally open. The Dodgers weren’t the only team with reported interest, to see a deeper dive into the reports on Yamamoto click here.

Rickie Weeks was hired as associate manager for the Milwaukee Brewers as new manager Pat Murphy is starting to fill out his coaching staff. Weeks played second base in parts of 11 season for the Brewers while making one all-star appearance during his time in Milwaukee.

Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that the Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers’ TV deals could be dropped by Diamond Sports group. Diamond currently has 11 deals in place with MLB teams but a wind-down plan for the company was approved by a United States federal judge on Wednesday as they look to close up their bankruptcy proceedings. 

MLB Network is releasing a new documentary of George Brett, titled “Brett”, which will premier on Thursday, December 7th at 8 P.M. EST. The documentary will feature interviews with George Brett, footage from his iconic career, and insight from teammates and many of those close with Brett. 

The Tampa Bay Rays have hired Buddy Carlyle as their pitching coordinator, per Eno Sarris of The Athletic. Carlyle had just been recently let go of by the Los Angeles Angels after serving as their minor league pitching coordinator. 

In other baseball news, the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League have announced that Lew Ford will take over as their seventh manager in franchise history. Ford, who is taking over for Wally Backman, has played a franchise record thirteen seasons in Long Island including playing the last nine as a player/coach. 

Latest on MMO

Metsmerized Online is teaming up with Out of the Park Baseball to create “Mets Madness”! The Metsmerized staff will try to answer the age old question of which Mets team is truly the best. Check out the first round of matchups here.

Evan Mazza did a complete breakdown of Carlos Mendoza‘s introductory press conference as New York Mets manager. 

MMO reader/moderator Tommets submitted a Fan Shot of what the Mets course of action should be this off-season. 

On This Date in Mets History

1961: The New York Mets unveil their original logo which was created by cartoonist Ray Gotto. The logo contains the New York skyline while also featuring the colors of blue and orange to represent the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants.

Birthdays: Juan Centeno (34), Mark Corey (49), Dwight Gooden (59), Don Hahn (75), Leon Brown (75)

The post Morning Briefing: MLB Proposing Reduction to Pitch Clock Time appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On Friday, the San Francisco Giants fired Gabe Kapler after four years as the team’s manager. The highlight of Kapler’s tenure was an out-of-nowhere 107-win season in 2021, but the results in his other three years as the team’s leader were underwhelming. The Giants are officially eliminated from playoff contention after having a dreadful second half of the season and they will now be looking for a new manager this offseason. Kapler’s tenure in San Francisco ends with a 295-248 record.

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Jeff McNeil revealed that he was dealing with a wrist injury in June and July, which he partially explains for his extended struggles this season.

Former Met Wally Backman and the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League agreed to mutually part ways after the 2023 season, ending his stint as their manager.

Cleon Jones, a key member of the 1969 World Series Mets, has a new permanent card in the simulation game Out Of The Park Baseball. Dave Stieb, a dominant starter for the Blue Jays in the 1980s, is the other new card alongside Jones.

Latest MLB News

Per MLB Communications, the average time of a baseball game during the 2023 season was 2:40, down 30 minutes from 2021 and 24 minutes from 2022. The 2:40 mark is also the shortest average time of game in Major League Baseball since the 1985 season.

Per Robert Murray of FanSided, outfielder Charlie Blackmon signed a one-year extension with the Rockies worth $13 million, with the possibility of another $2 million in performance bonuses.

Orioles’ owner John Angelos and Maryland Governor Wes Moore put out a statement on the new 30-year agreement that will keep the Orioles playing at Camden Yards.

Shohei Ohtani finished the 2023 season with the most popular player jersey in the league, the first time he tops the list. Francisco Lindor was the only Met to appear in the top 20, coming in at no. 19.

Former Met Tyler Clippard announced his retirement in a post on his Instagram page.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer writes about the plan for Brandon Nimmo to get an MRI on his shoulder after he injured it during Thursday night’s suspended game with the Marlins.

Michael Famulari breaks down the terrific final start of David Peterson‘s season.

Patrick Glynn writes about David Stearns’ introductory press conference planned for Monday.

Brian Wright looks back in time to five years ago yesterday, when David Wright played his final game as a Met.

Michael Mayer notes how prospect Jett Williams has his eyes set on the big leagues in 2024.

Metsmerized is looking for an editor to cover the site on Wednesdays. Candidates who are interested can message @mikemayer22 on Twitter/X.

On This Date in Mets History

1962: The first season in New York Mets history ended with a defeat at the hands of the Cubs by a score of 5-1. The loss was the team’s 120th on the year, securing a 40-120 record. Those 120 losses were, and still are, a modern day major league record.

2007: In a win-and-in scenario on the final day of the season, Tom Glavine infamously gave up seven earned runs in just 1/3 of an inning pitched. Glavine’s meltdown capped off what was a team-wide collapse down the stretch that resulted in the Mets unbelievably missing the postseason.

Birthdays: Yorkis Pérez (56), Dave Magadan (61)

The post Morning Briefing: Giants Fire Gabe Kapler appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

We all have Aunts down in Florida.  Okay, maybe not everyone, but I do.  And recently she sent some “vintage” mid-80s Mets cards up to me in NY from a neighbor who wanted to get rid of them after her spouse passed on.  In looking through them, I came across the 1986 Mets card shown below:

Several things about this card. Firstly 1986 is not “vintage”.  In 1986 I was in high school, had a full head of hair, and weighed about 150 pounds.  The Mets had a young Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, and Lenny Dykstra and would win their second World Series. Truly just a few short years ago.

Secondly, while I remember Tom Paciorek, I don’t remember him ever being a Met. Paciorek had come up to the Dodgers in 1970 as a corner outfielder and had become an All-Star with Seattle in 1981 when he was second in the American League with a .326 batting average.  In 1985 he was a 38-year old fourth outfielder, and back-up first baseman with the White Sox when the Mets acquired him for good glove but no-hit shortstop project Dave Cochrane, who was batting .223 in AA when traded on July 16. That was at the All-Star break in 1985 and the Mets were in second place, 2.5 games behind St. Louis.

It was a trade to shore up the bench as young outfielder John Christensen was hitting .190. Paciorek could also serve as a defensive placement for an aging George Foster in left, provide Strawberry a day off in right, spell Keith Hernandez at first or serve as a right-handed pitch hitter while Rusty Staub was the left-handed pitch hitter.

Paciorek did exactly that in 1985 with the Mets, hitting a solid .284 while playing 8 games at first, 29 in the outfield and pinch hitting 17 times as well.

The picture on the card is easy to determine where and when it was taken.  Shown in the home uniform and high-fiving after a home run, Paciorek only hit one home run for the Mets.  A check of BaseballReference.com shows that occurred on August 15, against the Phillies in the bottom of the first off of Jerry Koosman, who was pitching in his final year of baseball.  Wally Backman, who had walked, scored ahead of him, so that’s likely Wally on the left side of the card shown.

Alas, the 1985 Mets remained where they were at the All-Star break, as despite winning 98 games, the second-best record in the National League and the third-best in baseball, the Cardinals won 101 games, finishing 3 games ahead of the Mets. St. Louis won the pennant that year but fell to the Royals in the World Series.  At least the way Don Denkinger saw it.

After the season, with a young Kevin Mitchell on the way, Paciorek was released.  He signed with Texas and played two seasons with the Rangers, finishing his career with a .282/.325/.415 slash line, and at least one card showing his 1/2 season with the Mets so “vintage” fans can be prompted that Tom Paciorek was once a New York Met.

The post Shoebox Memories – 1986 Topps Tom Paciorek appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Edgardo Alfonzo is a finalist and leading candidate to manage the new minor league team the Staten Island Ferry Hawks, part of the independent Atlantic League, per Jon Heyman.

Fonzie, a member of the New York Mets Hall of Fame, last managed in 2019 for the Brooklyn Cyclones. He began with the Cyclones as their bench coach in 2014 and became the manager in 2017 when Tom Gamboa retired.

Alfonzo led the Cyclones to a New York – Penn League Championship in 2019. Just a little over a month later, the Mets informed Alfonzo that his contract would not be renewed.

Alfonzo is familiar with the Atlantic League. He had two stints on the Long Island Ducks and was a member of the Bridgeport Bluefish. He’d play a limited number of games with the Bluefish before returning to the Mets organization in 2006. Alfonzo also spent two seasons as part of the now-defunct Newark Bears of the Atlantic League, where he played with Armando Benitez.

Alfonzo won’t be the only former Met in an Atlantic League dugout if he’s hired. Wally Backman managed the Long Island Ducks in 2021 and has already been announced to return in 2022.

In 2021 with the Ducks, Backman managed the team to a record of 68-52, first in the league’s North Division. They lost the finals three games to one to the Lexington Legends.

The Independent League is littered with former Mets and players with Mets ties. Backman’s 2021 team had Ty Kelly, Akeel Morris, and Lee Mazzilli‘s son and former Mets prospect L.J. Mazzilli.

Alfonzo reached out to the Mets hoping for a return in a coaching or player development capacity but the organization made no indication they were interested in rehiring him. He currently serves as an ambassador to the club.

Mets director of player development, Kevin Howard, told Alfonzo that they had no openings right now.

The Mets rounded out their MLB coaching staff with a group of hires two weeks ago. Joining Buck Showalter will be Wayne Kirby as first base coach, Joey Cora at third base coach, Eric Chavez at hitting coach, Jeremy Hefner at pitching coach, and Glenn Sherlock as bench coach.

Alfonzo will forever keep his ties to the Mets org. His older brother, Edgar, managed four separate Mets minor league teams and his son Daniel was drafted by the Mets in 2017.

The post Edgardo Alfonzo Leading Candidate for Atlantic League Managerial Job appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The 1986 Mets dominated the National League. They won 108 games during the regular season, and seemed destined to steamroll any opponent that stood between them and a championship. The Houston Astros had other ideas.

The Mets and Astros clashed in the 1986 NLCS, after Houston won the National League’s western division with a 96-66 record. The Astros, behind the pitching of Mike Scott, gave Mets all they could handle during the six-game series, culminating in an epic sixth game that frayed the nerves of Mets fans everywhere.

Game One in the Astrodome had gone to the Astros by the score of 1-0, when Mike Scott threw a complete game, five-hit, fourteen strikeout shutout to out duel Dwight Gooden. The Mets bounced back to win Game Two by a 5-1 score, behind the pitching of Bob Ojeda. Ojeda went the distance, allowing 10 hits and striking out five.

Back at Shea Stadium for game three, the Astros roughed up Ron Darling for four runs in the first two innings. The Mets were stymied by Bob Knepper through five innings, but rallied to tie the game in the sixth inning, highlighted by a Darryl Strawberry three-run home run. After the Astros took a 5-4 lead in the seventh, the Mets were down to their last two outs when Lenny Dykstra stepped to the plate in the ninth with Wally Backman on second base.

Dykstra swatted a two-run home run to right field, and the Mets had a walk-off win, with a two-games-to-one series advantage. The good feelings were thwarted the next night, when Mike Scott again beat the Mets. This time it was 3-1, with Scott once again pitching a complete game, allowing only three hits. The series was tied a two games apiece, and the Mets were destined to have to try to win the pennant in Houston.

Game Five was a nail-biter, when Gooden took on Nolan Ryan. The game was tied 1-1 (the Mets’ run came on a Strawberry home run) going into the 12th inning. Gary Carter singled in Wally Backman to end the game, and send the Mets to Houston up three games to two in the series, needing one win in two games to claim the franchise’s third pennant. The problem? Mike Scott was set to pitch game seven.

The Mets knew they had to win game six to avoid seeing Scott in an elimination game. Game Six could not have started worse for New York, as the Astros scored three runs off Ojeda in the bottom of the first inning. Going into the top of the ninth, the Mets were being shutout and had just two singles off Bob Knepper. Len Dykstra started a rally with a pinch-hit triple. A single by Mookie Wilson, double by Keith Hernandez, and sacrifice fly by Ray Knight tied the game.

To extra innings the game went. The tension was palpable, and become more intense with each passing inning. The Mets broke through in the 14th inning, on a Dykstra single that scored Strawberry. Needing three outs to go to the World Series, Jesse Orosco took the mound for the bottom of the inning. He struck out Bill Doran, then faced Billy Hatcher.

The game was tied. A World Series vision that was becoming clear had been instantly extinguished. Now, the Mets had to remain composed and try to find a way to win the game. They got out of the 14th, and seemingly put the game away in the 16th when Knight and Dykstra drove in runs, and another scored on a wild pitch. The Mets led 7-4. This time it had to hold, right?

It wasn’t that easy. The Astros refused to go quietly. After recording the first out, a tiring Orosco allowed the Astros to rally. RBI singles by Hatcher and Glenn Davis had the winning run on base when Kevin Bass stepped to the plate with two outs. Orosco snapped off a wicked 3-2 curve ball to strike Bass out swinging, and the celebration was on.

The Mets were headed to the World Series. What seemed like destiny became an arduous battle, one that drained the team so much that several players admitted to having a a hangover effect when they played Games One and Two of the World Series at Shea.

Mets fans who witnessed Game Six of the 1986 NLCS will never forget it. With a great season hanging in the balance, the Mets showed why they were the class of baseball, coming from behind and then hanging on to punch their ticket to a championship.

I’ll never forget the tension that mounted inning by inning. For a few hours, it seemed like the inevitable was not going to happen. When the game was over, the players were not the only ones feeling a hangover effect over the next few days.

Little did we know that another Mets’ thriller was set to play out in ten days.

The post OTD 1986: Mets Outlast Astros, Win NLCS appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Gary Carter delivered two of the most important hits of the 1986 season — both singles. One kept the Mets season alive, sparking the World Series Game 6 rally. The other brought the Mets a win closer to reaching the Fall Classic.

Carter overcame a dreadful 1-for-21 slump to break a 1-1 tie give New York a 3-2 edge in the NLCS against the Houston Astros.

“I kept telling myself, ‘I’m going to come through here,’” he said. “I knew it was just a matter of time. I’m not an .050 hitter.”

While Carter’s slump was pronounced, he wasn’t alone in being the only frustrated Mets hitter. The mystery surrounding Mike Scott‘s scuffed baseballs, which wasn’t so much a mystery if you asked the Mets, was the theme over the first four games. Scott won the opener, 1-0, thanks to 15 strikeouts and helped even the series with another impressive performance.

Game 5, delayed a day by rain, took on a similar tone. Although this time the Houston pitcher dominating New York was Nolan Ryan. Luckily for the Mets, they could counter with Dwight Gooden — 18 years Ryan’s junior.

The generation-spanning mound duel lived up to its billing. Doc overcame nine Astro hits to limit visiting Houston to one run in ten innings, while Ryan yielded two hits and one run over nine. The first thirteen Mets failed to reach base. The fourteenth, Darryl Strawberry, had enough distance and hook to sneak one over the fence in the right-field corner.

A 1–1 stalemate held up for more than six innings. Charlie Kerfeld—the bespectacled, brash and bulky right-hander in his third inning of work—couldn’t maintain his control on a pickoff attempt of Wally Backman. The errant throw allowed Backman to move to second.

Keith Hernandez came up with one out, but never got a chance to hit. With Carter on-deck, Kerfeld intentionally walked Keith Hernandez. If Gary wasn’t incentivized enough, when the two faced each other in Game 3, Kerfeld snared a tracer behind his back and showed Carter the ball before tossing to first base for the out.

The best method of revenge was to do exactly what Gary did on a 3-2 delivery. The weight of a slump evaporated when his grounder this time whistled past Krefeld and into center field. Backman rounded third, beat Billy Hatcher’s throw home, and the Mets took a 3-2 series lead back to Houston.

The post OTD 1986: Carter’s Walk-off Single Gives Mets NLCS Lead appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It wasn’t a matter of if, but when. The Mets left the rest of their division in the dust, opening up an astounding 22-game lead by September 10. It was total domination of their competition, just like their manager predicted before the season.

But New York couldn’t have picked a better time for its second four-game losing streak. By dropping three straight in Philadelphia and one of two in St. Louis, the Mets delayed their inevitable crowning as National League East champions—ensuring that victory party would be held in Queens. Come to think of it, the Shea Stadium grounds crew in retrospect wished they clinched it elsewhere.

Dwight Gooden was given the ball against the Chicago Cubs with the opportunity to lock up what had been inevitable since May.

He fed off the air of anticipation — tossing a complete game by striking out eight in a 4-2 victory.

While Gooden was solid on the mound, the Mets first baseman led the way at the plate. Well, not that first baseman.

Keith Hernandez had come down with a bout of the flu. In his place was Dave Magadan, called up from Triple-A to make his first big-league start. All he did was go 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.

“I had a pretty good year at Tidewater,” Magadan said, “but didn’t even know if I’d come up. I was out there trying not to think about my other times at-bat. So I didn’t have a chance to think back on the game. I was trying to relax.”

Hernandez was well enough to convince manager Davey Johnson to allow him to take his customary position in the ninth inning as a packed house eagerly awaited to celebrate beyond the confines of the stands.

With two outs and a two-run lead, Gooden got Chico Walker to ground slowly to Wally Backman at second. Even before Backman completed his toss to Hernandez at first for the final out, hundreds of fans streamed onto the field.

Seconds later, a sea of humanity had engulfed the Mets players.

“I could see the wave coming, but I ran into the pile,” said Hernandez. “I’m not going to run for my life. Somebody stole my cap, my gamer, and they tried to take my glove right off my hand, but they didn’t realize how strong my hand is.”

As members of the team sifted through the mob scene and made their way into the clubhouse, fans chewed up the turf — taking grass (and even bases) as souvenirs.

The Mets triumphed and Shea Stadium survived.

The post OTD 1986: Mets Clinch NL East appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The story of T.J. Rivera is one of resilience and taking the opportunities given and making the most of them. After going undrafted as a college senior in 2011, the Bronx native was unsure of how he’d reach his dream of playing professional baseball.

Unbeknownst to Rivera at the time, his junior college coach and former Mets alum Mackey Sasser put in a good word for him with Mets scout Tommy Jackson. The Mets took a chance and signed Rivera shortly after the Draft, giving Rivera new hope for a dream he had since his childhood growing up in the Bronx, emulating Derek Jeter.

Throughout his minor league ascension, Rivera hit under .300 just once (2013, .289) and routinely displayed his incredible ability to make contact and hit for a high average.

On August 10, 2016, Rivera made his major league debut after playing more than 550 games in the minors dating back to 2011. In front of dozens of family and friends, Rivera made his debut at Citi Field, batting sixth and playing third base against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rivera recorded his first career hit (single to center) leading off the bottom of the tenth off right-hander Daniel Hudson in the Mets’ eventual 3-2 loss in twelve innings.

In 33 games in ’16, Rivera slashed .333/.345/.476 with a 120 OPS+ as the Mets surged in their last 40 games to make the postseason in back-to-back seasons for just the second time in franchise history.

Just a few short months after Rivera received his call up, here he was batting fifth and playing second base in the National League Wild Card game against the San Francisco Giants at home. A pitching duel ensued between Madison Bumgarner and Noah Syndergaard as the game remained scoreless until the top of the ninth, when the Giants scored three runs off Jeurys Familia. Rivera was one of four Mets to record a hit off the lefty ace and the only one to hit for extra bases.

Rivera showcased his versatility in 2017, playing double-digit games at first, second and third base. He once again showcased his high contact, low swing & miss rate, posting an 81.3 percent contact rate and 9.9 swinging strike percentage. Rivera’s 104 wRC+ was the 12th-highest mark among qualified National League rookies.

Unfortunately, Rivera played in just 73 games in ’17 after he was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in late July. After a little over a month of deliberations, Rivera chose to undergo Tommy John surgery and hoped that being a position player would minimize the time he was away from the diamond.

July 26, 2017, would be the last game Rivera would play in as a Met, as complications in his rehab led to his eventual release from the Mets during spring training in 2019.

Since his release, Rivera has bounced around baseball quite a bit. Rivera played for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League in 2019, along with 15 games with the Washington Nationals’ Double-A affiliate that same season. He signed a minor-league pact with the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2020 season before he was released in late May and unable to play in any minor league games due to COVID-19.

After playing in Puerto Rico this offseason, Rivera is feeling healthy and ready for another opportunity. Rivera hopes that he can at least sign with an organization and give it another try to reach the majors.

As he awaits a potential opportunity with a club, his main goal is simple: to go out on his own terms.

I had the privilege of speaking with Rivera earlier this year, where we discussed growing up in the Northeast, his time with the Mets and playing in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Rivera: Growing up in the Bronx, I grew up a Yankees fan; my dad was the only Mets fan. I kind of stuck with [Derek] Jeter, he was my guy growing up. It was tough not to love him; he was just something else the way he conducted himself on the field and, I guess, off the field as well. He just handled the pressure so well, and that was the guy I always looked up to.

I was a shortstop growing up as a kid, and he was just the man at the time. He was the guy I kind of tried to focus my game [after] and tried to play the way he did.

Another guy I really liked watching was A-Rod because his swing was my favorite as I got a little older and started understanding the swing a little bit. But [my] favorite player overall was definitely Jeter.

MMO: You grew up locally in the Bronx, where weather conditions weren’t always conducive to being able to play consistently. How did you continue to train and hone your craft despite the inability to play year-round like kids in warmer weather states?

Rivera: That’s a good question. I live down south now, and you can see how much easier it is to train and be outdoors a little bit earlier in the year and to get the work in. It’s more convenient being down here.

I guess you don’t know the difference as much when you’re growing up in the city and you don’t know anything different. I used my Little League field a bunch during the summers. My buddies that grew up in my building and all of my friends that played together would ride our bikes over to the Little League field that had a batting cage. If it was locked, we’d hop over the fence and get some work in.

As I got a little older, I started playing with some other teams that would rent out indoor facilities and gyms, really just gyms. I went to Lehman High School, and we just used the gym; it had a cage that would pull out, some cones and some tees to hit off of, and tennis balls. [Laughs.] We just got our work in. Then the summer came around [and] we’d be back outside on the fields.

I played a lot of Wiffle Ball, too, so I don’t know if that had anything to do with my hand-eye coordination, but I played so much Wiffle Ball.

It’s tougher, for sure, being up in the Northeast and not being able to be on the field. But you find a way to get your work in.

MMO: Mackey Sasser was your head coach in junior college, and he gave you a glowing recommendation to Mets scout Tommy Jackson. What kind of role did Sasser play in your development during your time at Wallace Community College?

Rivera: I was with Mackey for two years. It was a big change for me and a couple of other guys coming down south to see how things were done and see how ball was played down here and how they coached. It was a little bit of an adjustment period for us. Once we got used to everything, we were fortunate to have him as our coach because he had big-league experience.

The way he coached kind of let us go play and learn through our mistakes. I had Pete Coachman there as well, and they would tweak us, work with us here and there, but they let us learn through our mistakes and let us go out there and grind it out, and let us be ourselves on the field.

I had a lot of fun in my time with Mackey at Wallace. I think it was me and four other kids from New York that came down as well. We were on our own, and we were working our butts off whenever we played. When practice was over, we would try to sneak back over to the field because we lived right across the street and we had nothing else to do in the beginning; it wasn’t like we had friends and family around, so we’d just sneak back onto the field and get our work in and hit in the cage when we could. But my time with him was great. He taught me a lot, and I think I learned a lot about myself as well from those two years.

It’s funny; when I got signed by the Mets, I didn’t know how it even came about until my last couple of years with them. I never asked anybody; I just kind of went about my business. I don’t know if it was Tommy [Jackson] when I met him in person or who it was that told me, but I finally found out that Mackey was the one who recommended me. I thought the whole time it was my Troy coaches. I thought they called and put some good words in for me when I didn’t get drafted, and I finally found out my last couple of years with the Mets that it was Mackey that was the way I got the recommendation.

It’s funny that it took so long for me to find out that he was the one to do it, but I was definitely appreciative of it.

MMO: I certainly hope Mackey received a nice bottle of something after you found out it was him!

Rivera: I need to, I need to! We still talk here and there. I’m in Alabama now, so I’m like an hour and a half from them [Wallace]. I need to go stop by, but we always keep in touch.

I saw him when they had the Fantasy Camp in Port St. Lucie, he always does that. I’d see him a couple of times when he did that. And then he came and saw me in Atlanta when we were playing, so we always keep in touch.

He definitely helped me out and gave me that opportunity, which I needed obviously, because there was no telling if I would’ve gotten an opportunity if not.

MMO: Can you talk about your memories of going undrafted, but then having the Mets reach out and sign you just a few weeks later?

Rivera: It was a weird situation, it’s like the situation I’m in now trying to figure out what to do next and what’s the next move. It was a couple of weeks out of the Draft, and I was graduating – I had one class left – and I finished that. I was thinking, Man, what do we got? What’s my next move? What are we going to do here?

Then I got the call, and I wouldn’t say it surprised me because I was going to try and do pro ball; I just didn’t know how it was going to come about. I got the call, and I was really excited, first off. And then it was the Mets, too, and I remember Tommy asking if I played shortstop. I told him of course. I mean, if he would’ve asked me if I pitched, I would’ve told him yes. [Laughs.] I would’ve made something up and said of course I pitch. It hasn’t been since I was 12, but I’ve done it!

I just remember getting the call and just thinking, Man, this is crazy. This is going to be an opportunity; let’s hope it goes through and everything works. Being able to tell my parents that [I signed], obviously the goal was to be drafted, but things happen and you just got to keep moving forward.

When I got that call, I was super excited. My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, was a little let down because I was leaving her. But it all paid out, and we all made some sacrifices. I was really excited to tell my parents that I was getting an opportunity.

MMO: As an undrafted player, what was your approach throughout the minor leagues? Did that put more pressure on you to succeed, or were you looking at it solely as an opportunity?

Rivera: I always thought I was the one with all of the pressure because I was this free agent. Looking back at it, I couldn’t fail. If I did fail and if I had one off season I probably was going home, and then I’d either have to restart or try to find another opportunity. That’s just the way it works, and I look back at it and I realize that now.

During the process, I looked at it as an opportunity. I looked at it like, man, this is an opportunity that I get, and I’m going to take advantage of it with all my possibilities available. I’m just going to leave it out there. I’m going to do everything I can; I’m going to make sure I work harder than everybody else, and I’m just going to make sure that when my opportunity comes [I’m ready].

I was obviously a bench guy, and I wasn’t a guy that they were going to put out there – pretty much a roster filler – and I knew that. I knew that I was going to have to put a little more work in.

And then, as the seasons started going along, I started realizing how important it was to be a high draft pick. That it meant a little something when you had money invested in you because then I moved quickly. I had a little halt in St. Lucie, and I realized that I’ve got to really keep proving myself.

So, yeah, I think there was a pressure that I knew if I had one off season, that was probably it, you know? There are not many second opportunities for a guy that’s older than everybody else in the league and is a free agent and doesn’t have that much money invested. I had that pressure a little bit, but I also had the freedom of knowing that I’m just going to let it eat. I had the jersey on my back just like the other guys, and I’d be ready for that opportunity whenever it comes.

MMO: You were a high contact, high average player throughout your ascension through the minor leagues. Talk about what your approach was at the plate.

Rivera: I like to swing the bat; that’s just the truth about my approach. Sometimes it would be a negative, I’m sure, like swinging out of the zone a little bit here and there. But I always felt like I had control when I was more aggressive, and I felt like I could do more damage when I was more aggressive.

I learned to just have the right mindset, I think, more than anything. I went from college, where I put a little pressure on myself to get drafted, so I thought more of my batting average has to be good; the numbers have to be good. And I started learning as pro ball went along that it’s a long season and I’m just going to go up there with an obtainable goal of hitting the ball on the barrel, whether it be with one strike, no strikes, whatever it may be. My goal is to hit the ball on the barrel and hit it hard.

When I started learning to do that consistently and not worrying about the numbers and what happens after I take my swing, that’s where my success started to kind of take off a little bit. Just being aggressive, and the philosophy when I signed with them was that we were trying to find our pitch, so I was learning that as well. I think it was good timing for me to be with the Mets because I could’ve been a little too aggressive at times, and they were trying to make us less aggressive. That kind of helped me out with taking strikes and looking for a certain pitch, and I think that all kind of helped me focus and make my game a little better.

My approach has always been to barrel the ball up; it might not be pretty sometimes, but that’s just the way I went about my business and just to compete. When I had that mentality of competing pitch-to-pitch, it goes a long way in a long season.

MMO: Early on in your professional career, you had current Mets manager Luis Rojas as your minor league manager. What were your impressions of Rojas back then?

Rivera: Man, I love Rojas. I’ve been saying that for years. I’m glad he’s got the opportunity up there, and I think he’s going to be great. Great personality, an easy guy to play for, and I played well for him in the first half, so I know it’s a little easier when you’re playing well for a coach. But he’s not the type of guy that you have to play well for to feel comfortable with. He is just very even keel, very down-to-earth, very mellow; he’s an easy guy to play for.

I only played for him for half of that season in Savannah, but I loved him. I think he’s going to be great up there, and I’m sure a lot of guys love playing for him. Never a guy to really be scared to talk to; I felt comfortable talking to him and comfortable being around him. You play for people sometimes, and you’re a little hesitant around them because they’re the manager and the boss, but not with him; he was great to be around and very easy to play for.

I enjoyed my time with him, and I hope he kills it up there. I think he will. I think he’s going to be a great manager for a long time.

MMO: What was the moment you heard you were getting the call to the majors like?

Rivera: I was in Triple-A and we had a doubleheader, and Wally Backman called me in. I was playing well at the time in Vegas. I played the first game, and after he called me in, and said, “I’m going to give you a rest.” And I’m like, okay. He told me that I had been playing my butt off and I just thought, Okay, I’m just not playing the second game. Cool, whatever. I’ll just relax.

And then he goes, “Oh yeah, by the way, you have a flight out at 12 tonight.”

I was like, Oh gosh! It hit me really quick. You kind of think about those moments, and you’re not sure when it’s going to happen or if it’s going to happen. You know you’re playing well, and there are guys that go down up top and there’s a lot of movement happening, but you don’t know if you’re the guy or not. You try not to expect it, so I didn’t even think anything of it, and then he hit me with that, and I just dropped. I was like, man, no way! And then to be able to call my parents and wife and finally tell them it’s all paid off; it’s not done, but we’re a little further down the line in my goals and a lot of the things I was trying to achieve. It was such a great feeling; nothing like it.

It’s funny, because whenever Ty Kelly got his first call up, the day before we were in Colorado Springs and Frank Viola called me and goes, “T.J., Wally wants you.” And the whole team erupted! I remember going crazy, and I’m thinking, Oh my God, is this about to happen? Am I getting my call up? I would never have thought anything like that, but just because the team started screaming and just messing around with me, I was like, Oh man, maybe this is it.

I got in there, and Wally was just shaking his head and said, “You need a day off tomorrow.” He was just trying to see if I needed a rest. [Laughs.] And I was like, You’ve got to be kidding me, man. It was terrible. But I got the call up after that, but I just thought that was funny.

There was nothing like it, that feeling of calling your family and your loved ones and telling them you get to play in the big leagues.

MMO: And then getting to make your major league debut at home and record your first career hit must’ve been a thrill.

Rivera: Nothing like it, man. To be able to do it at home in New York, where I grew up, and with all my friends and family there to support me was super cool. That made it that much more special to do it in New York because I know I had a lot of people that came to see me that night, and they’ve supported me for a long time, through my ups and downs.

There was a lot of support there, and you don’t make it on your own without that support. For them to be able to experience that with me, yeah, there’s nothing like that. I’m very grateful for that moment, and it was a relief to get that first one out of the way.

MMO: Fast forward just a few short months, and you’re batting fifth and the starting second baseman in the 2016 Wild Card game against Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants. You recorded the only extra-base hit (leadoff double in the fifth) off Bumgarner that game. What memories do you have from that contest?

Rivera: I got to play in the World Baseball Classic [in 2017], and that energy was great. The WBC and that moment in the Wild Card game, that energy was very similar. That energy that the stadium brought… I remember [Noah] Syndergaard striking Denard Span out [to start the game], and I’m playing second base and the crowd erupted. And I’m like, Okay, this is it. That’s when it really hit me like we’re playing Wild Card playoff-type baseball, and that was unbelievable.

I wish we would’ve come away with the victory because I think that would’ve been a fun ride. Madison Bumgarner was dealing, and he’s a competitor, and that’s what you want. You want your best guy and their best guy, and just go at it. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out on top in that game, but to experience that was cool. It was unbelievable.

I just remember that packed house and how loud it was after big plays; Grandy making that play out in the outfield, and after every strikeout it felt like what I think a Game 7 of a playoff match would feel like. Everything is on the line, and every pitch and every play means something.

Very, very grateful to be able to be a part of that moment and part of that team. It was unfortunate we didn’t get to come out on top, but it was definitely a great experience.

MMO: You mentioned playing in the World Baseball Classic in 2017, and the energy the fans brought. Can you talk about your memories from that WBC, in which Puerto Rico played in the championship game against the United States?

Rivera: That was really fun. The energy that those guys brought every time we played was just [great]. It’s tough to ever be a part of something like that again because there was just so much energy and Puerto Rico was behind us, just like every country was behind their team. There was just something about that energy of playing for something different other than yourself.

The whole dying our hair blonde and everybody in Puerto Rico doing the same thing, and just the support we were getting from everybody was so fun and so great. To just be around guys that are unbelievable athletes that you get to try and pick their brains or just watch them do their thing and be a part of it was fun.

MMO: In the majors, you were versatile with where you could play. Was that something you did a lot growing up? And did you have a favorite position?

Rivera: Shortstop has always been my favorite. I played short pretty much until I got to high school, and then I had to show my versatility a little bit because they had a starting shortstop on the varsity team. I played a lot of short, and then I would play a little bit of third. Then I played a very little bit of first base when the first baseman pitched, but not much. I really stayed up on short and third, and mostly short, all the way through high school.

I started showing my versatility when I got to college because they had the same thing, they had a shortstop. I played short a little bit in the beginning, and then I got moved to second and third base as well. I started moving around a little bit once I got to college. I think that kind of opened up some doors for me to be able to do so, to be able to stay in a lineup.

My favorite, for sure, is short. Even though I got moved out of there early in my career, I still love playing short. I just feel like you control the infield. I love that angle to attack the baseball; it’s definitely my favorite. First base has become one of my more favorite positions since I’ve played it more often. I enjoy trying to pick balls and I enjoy that position as well.

MMO: After the success you had in 2016, you put up another strong campaign in 2017 before undergoing Tommy John surgery that September. It was reported that you had some setbacks along your rehab, and ultimately, you were released in 2019. What were some of the struggles you encountered during that span?

Rivera: It was a long process, not the way I really pictured it. I thought it was I’m a position player getting Tommy John and I’ll be back in nine or ten months; that’s just the way you think of things when you hear about them. You hear people coming back really quick. But I just didn’t have that same normal rehab that everybody else does.

I felt good coming into spring; I came back a little earlier in my rehab games and never quite felt ready. I thought the pain was normal. I wasn’t sure what to feel, so I thought it would go away, and you just have to play through it. But I just never felt back to normal throughout that rehab, and I had to shut it down there early in ’18, and then missed that whole year. I came into spring feeling great too.

I don’t know when I tweaked it, but I know I was just taking a lot of throws at third, and I just tweaked it again. I couldn’t figure out what was happening; it was sucky because I probably rushed myself a little bit too, trying to see opportunities in New York, and I saw an opportunity to play. I was like, I’ve got to be there. And that was more my side rushing it a little bit and being stubborn.

Then I got to spring feeling great in ’19, and then it just gave out on me again. It feels great now, but I didn’t know what was happening at the time. We tried everything. I was putting a brace on my arm just to try to be in the lineup and to play that spring because it was a new front office, new GM, everybody was new, so I was trying to prove that I can play and show that I belonged. It was unfortunate that my arm was just not keeping up with me and I wasn’t able to show them that I belonged, and unfortunately, I got released that spring training of ’19.

It’s been a long journey since, but you just got to keep rolling with it.

MMO: Whenever I think of your story, I always see similarities between you and Jeff McNeil. Two high-contact, high-average hitters who toiled in the minors for a while before getting an opportunity and thriving right away.

Rivera: His story is kind of cool too because he got hurt earlier in his career, and he had some setbacks I’m sure in his career. When he got his opportunity up there in New York, he took off with it. And dang, he can swing it!

I never got to play with him; I was ahead of him a little bit because I was signed before him, so he was always a little bit behind me. But I always heard he could swing it. I watched him last year and the year before, and I love the way he plays because he just puts the ball in play hard consistently. He’s all over that barrel.

I kind of had the similarity where we both like to put the ball in play, but I got hurt, and I’m just hoping to get another opportunity to show that I can do similar things that he’s doing and go out and compete and just give it my all.

MMO: What does the future hold for T.J. Rivera?

Rivera: I don’t know. We are just waiting and seeing if teams are going to sign people for the minor league season. Hopefully, everything goes smoothly and we do have a somewhat normal minor league season; I know it’s already been pushed back a little bit. It’s been a tough time to be out of the game or not with a team to try and get back in because you can’t really showcase yourself to get back to the big leagues when you’re not playing.

Last year, I thought it was going to be a great opportunity with the Phillies, but then we were all sent home, and I was eventually let go from there. So I never really got an opportunity to show that I can still play. Right now, we’re just waiting to hear if teams are going to look to sign people for this minor league season and if I can be one of those guys.

I’m 32, but I hope my versatility and my experience in the past kind of opens up some doors for me and gives me an opportunity. That’s all I’m looking for; I’m not looking for anything crazy. I just want a chance to show I can still play at the high level and get an opportunity to get back to the big leagues. I can be okay with getting that opportunity and just not being good. If I’m not good, then I can move on, but it’s tough to move on with no opportunity to show yourself and see what you still got.

I’m still fighting over here for an opportunity, just hoping somebody gives me that and to showcase my abilities and try to get back to where I feel like I can play, and that’s the big leagues. If nothing works out, I’ll keep moving forward and stay in the game somehow, and move on to some different avenues.

MMO: You did play recently in the offseason in Puerto Rico. How was the competition?

Rivera: It’s okay. This year it was a little weird because we only had four teams. There was one younger team that was just [comprised of] younger professional ballplayers, so they were just a bit younger and inexperienced and still growing. The other teams were just better and were all older, and we had a lot of guys with MLB or Triple-A experience. But the other two teams were solid competition, and the team that beat us in the finals had a really good team.

It was some good competition and experience. All I was looking to do was I was just try to prove that I could still play. For me, the competition was not that important; it was just to show that I’m healthy, I’m playing, and maybe somebody sees that and gives me a chance.

I’d say [the competition] wasn’t as good as it has been in the past because of the way things went. A couple of teams dropped out because of the whole situation with COVID and no fans. But there were two really good teams, our team and the other one that beat us were the two best and that was some good competition.

But like I said, it was an opportunity to get some at-bats and show that I’m healthy and playing, which was fun.

MMO: Thanks for the time today, T.J. Best of luck to you.

Rivera: I appreciate it. Thank you.

Follow T.J. Rivera on Twitter, @TJ_Rivera_

The post MMO Exclusive: Former Utility Infielder, T.J. Rivera appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The MMO team will be going all around the field, sharing our favorite Mets players by position. 

• First Base

Next up, second base.

Tim Ryder

Jeff Kent was a childhood favorite, and Fonzie was a thrill, but Jeff McNeil may very well be my favorite Mets second baseman. Such a pure hitter. Absolutely gritty defensive player. He’s gonna be a great one by the time he hangs them up.

Patrick Glynn

The answer is and always will be Edgardo Alfonso. As soon as my brain was developed enough to remember traumatic events, the Subway Series rolled around. My brother’s favorite player was Mike Piazza, and I took on the scrappy, do-everything guy. I eventually owned two bumblebee fish named Edgardo and Alfonso. I cried in a Publix parking lot when I read in a newspaper that he signed with the Giants.

As our own Marshall Field looked at in 2020, he had the two best offensive seasons by a second baseman in Mets history. He had the best single game by a second baseman for the Mets, too, going 6-6 with three home runs in a late-August game in 1999. He accumulated more WAR for the Mets than Piazza and Jose Reyes. He’s my favorite Mets second baseman, and he honestly might be my favorite Mets third baseman (where he played more innings), but give me a few more weeks to think about that. My biggest ask to the new administration? Make sure Fonzie is back in the organization as soon as possible.

Rich Sparago

My all-time Mets second baseman is Wally Backman. Backman will always have the halo effect because he was on the 1986 team, but beyond that, he was a gritty player, a team player, and a true table setter. With Backman and Dysktra/Wilson at the top of the order, as Tim McCarver would say, “the Mets could first-and-third you to death”. Backman was an outstanding bunter, a switch-hitter (though much better from the left side) and a good fielder. Backman had many key hits in the 1986 post season.

It was disappointing when he was traded to Minnesota before the 1989 season. As a Met, Blackman hit .283 with a .353 OBP over nine seasons. He was a true “throw back” player, a guy who was small of stature but huge in determination and grit. I’d like to see more players like that on the current team.

Ryan Finkelstein

My favorite Mets second baseman of all-time is Daniel Murphy, as he was one of the player’s you just loved (and sometimes hated) to watch. Murph played the game with a reckless abandon that could often decide a game for either team, but when that aggressiveness paid off for the Mets, it was a thrill to watch.

The epitome of this was in the 2015 NLDS, when Murphy went from first-to-third on a walk. That play turned the tides of an elimination game and eventually helped bring the Mets to the World Series. At the beginning of his career, Murphy was a man without a position as his natural third base was already taken by a guy named David Wright.

We all watched his struggles in the outfield before finally finding a home at second base in 2012. Two years later he was playing the position in an All-Star Game. Daniel Murphy’s heroics in 2015 will always define his legacy as a Met, but it was the entirety of his wild ride with the franchise that endeared him to me as a fan.

Brian Wright

Even though he played a good share of his games at third base, “Fonzie” is remembered most fondly by me (and by other Mets fans) as a second baseman — and well he should be. He came to the organization as an undrafted free agent in 1991, made it to the majors in 1995, and was an integral part of the franchise’s best days under Bobby Valentine.

It’s impossible to think of the Mets’ postseason triumphs in 1999 or 2000 without recalling some of Alfonzo’s best performances: the first inning homer to jump-start New York in the one-game Wild Card playoff in Cincinnati followed a night later by two homers (including the ninth inning grand slam) versus Arizona in October 1999. And, of course, the memorable 6-for-6 night in Houston in August of that same season — still, in my mind, the greatest single-game hitting performance in Mets history.

Mike Piazza deservedly garnered the headlines from that team, but Alfonzo consistently delivered in an understated manner which New Yorkers truly appreciated.

Michelle Ioannou

That Daniel Murphy 2015 postseason run will remain one of the first things I will think of when I think of second base. His homers in six straight games helped lead the Mets to their NL Championship. Am I biased because this was just one of two Mets World Series runs I’ve witnessed in my life (and I was only 10 for the first one)? Maybe, especially as we all know he was not known for his defense.

The post MMO Roundtable: Favorite Mets By Position – Second Base appeared first on Metsmerized Online.