The New York Mets announced on Thursday that Howard Johnson, Billy Wagner and Ken MacKenzie have been added to the Old Timers’ Day roster.
In a move that drew universal praise from the Mets fanbase earlier this month, the organization announced the long-awaited return of Old Timers’ Day, an event that last took place in 1994, with this year’s Old Timers’ Day taking place prior to the Saturday, August 27 game vs. Colorado.
And, joining Mets greats such as Frank Thomas, Ron Swoboda, Mookie Wilson, Robin Ventura and Cliff Floyd on Old Timers’ Day will be Howard Johnson, Billy Wagner and Ken MacKenzie.
MacKenzie is an Original Met having had his contract sold to the franchise in 1961 a day after the Expansion Draft. He posted a 5-4 record and was the only man among 17 pitchers on the 1962 Mets to win more games than he lost on a team that suffered 120 losses.
There wasn’t a lot of winning done during MacKenzie’s time in Queens, but the Original Met only has fond memories of his time with the organization.
“I have a lot of good memories from 62,” MacKenzie said. “Hot Rod Kanehl was maybe the most fun of any player I played with – he’s right up there with Bob Uecker. Hot Rod had a ton of stories to tell, mostly about me, and I’ve never forgotten any of that.”
MacKenzie was on fine form during the Zoom call held for the three new additions to Old Timers’ Day, and he threw out this gem from his playing days.
“Let me tell you what pressure is,” MacKenzie teased. “Pressure is Bob Buhl on the last day of the season when he’s 0-for-69 and not wanting to be the one that gave up a base hit to Bob Buhl and that for me was real pressure.”
Johnson was traded to the Mets from the Detroit Tigers on December 7, 1984, and he spent nine years in Queens and was part of the 1986 World Series winning team.
A two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, the third baseman hit 192 home runs with a .251 batting average and was known for his ability to steal bases with 231 career stolen bases, while he also ranks in the top 10 in Mets history in doubles, homers, RBI, runs and stolen bases.
There is no doubt that Johnson holds a special place in franchise history for Mets fans, and the minor league coach, who twice compiled 30-30 seasons and led the National League with 38 homers and 117 RBI in 1991, outlined what he’s looking forward to the most about Old Timer’s Day.
“The biggest thing is going to be seeing a lot of my old teammates, interacting again and just going back to where we were back in the day,” Johnson said.
“I just love it and when I see guys like Ken MacKenzie, one of the original guys, who doesn’t love that. The guys who played for the Mets are a fabric of what was, the history of the team and there’s a lot of fans now who don’t really know that history because there hasn’t been an Old Timers’ Day. Now that’s back, you are going to see a vast amount of guys and the fans are going to turn up and I’m excited to see that.”
Johnson built his career on his speed and his ability to steal bases, and he shared his thoughts on his love for the art of base stealing.
“It can absolutely come back,” Johnson said. “The way I always felt was that base stealing was an act of will, and it is difficult because there is a lot that goes into it – it is not about just being able to run. I never was the fastest guy but I love stealing bases and my focus almost always was to try and get on base and steal and I had that in me. I wanted to be the kind of player that, if somebody walked me, I could try and steal and be in a scoring position to try and score a run and make them pay. I learned that from my dad, I learned that as a kid and I fell in love with it.”
The third addition to Old Timers’ Day announced on Thursday was Wagner, who is on track to be a Hall of Famer having carved out a reputation as being one of the best relievers to have ever played the game.
His career stats are impressive, including a 2.31 ERA in 908 innings pitched with 225 saves, and he pitched to a 2.37 ERA with 101 saves and a 183 ERA+ in five years with the Mets between 2006-09.
Wagner echoed the thoughts of MacKenzie and Johnson, making it clear just how excited he was to see some old teammates and reminisce about the good old days at Shea Stadium.
“My time in New York was tremendous,” said Wagner. “There was nothing like Shea Stadium, I get goosebumps thinking about the energy at that stadium.”
And Wagner also shed light on his game-plan in the days leading up to Old Timers’ Day.
“I’m going to stretch a lot and make sure I don’t do anything stupid before then to hurt myself.”
Finally, Wagner revealed his reaction to the Mets fans who have been campaigning heavily for the former reliever to be inducted into Cooperstown.
“It does (mean a lot). Mets fans are so passionate and they like blue collar, they like grinders, they like those guys and I fit that mold,” Wagner added. “I always interacted with the fans and if you had a bad game you were going to hear about it, and if you had a good game you were going to hear about it too.
“Everybody was passionate about their baseball and more people say they recognize me as a Met more than any place I’ve been, so it is hard not to really embrace that moment and all the things that happened in that short time.”
