centerfield maz

Sunday September 29, 2013: In a touching moment at Citi Field, Mets legend #31- Mike Piazza, was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. Mets radio voice Howie Rose was the on field MC, joined by other Mets Hall of Fame inductees; Ed Kranepool, Rusty Staub, Bud Harrelson, Keith Hernandez, Dwight Gooden, John Franco, Mookie Wilson as well as Al Jackson & the Glider; Ed Charles. Also on hand with Franco, was 2000 NL Champion teammate Edgardo Alfonzo who spoke some nice words & through a special video message, Piazza's old battery mate; Al Lieter (who was working at MLB studios in New Jersey). Piazza walked onto Citi Field as Jimi Hendrix's version of "the Star Spangled Banner" & Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold" blasted from the speakers. Piazza of course is a tremendous classic rock / hard rock / heavy metal fan. The Italian American Hero, received a standing ovation from the full house crowd that came out just for him....

Remembering the 1973 N.L. Champion New York Mets: Mets Extend Win Streak to Five Games- Take One Game Lead Over Division Saturday 22 & Sunday September 23rd 1973: The St. Louis Cardinals rolled into Shea for a two game series just one game behind the first place Mets. The Cards were playing mostly .500 baseball the past week, while the Mets were red hot. After sweeping the Pirates in two different series, a three game set in Pittsburgh & a two game set at home, they were not stopping. They halted the Cards as well, by sweeping this two game set as well & continuing their win streak to seven straight games. The win streak extended to 11 wins in 13 games. On Saturday afternoon, Cardinals' manager Red Shoendienst sent Reggie Cleveland (13-9) to the mound to go up against Yogi Berra's young star Jon Matlack (13-15). Both pitchers were outstanding, but Matlack was spectacular. He would go the entire distance, shutting out St. Louis allowing just four hits...

Rocco Daniel Baldelli was born September 25, 1981 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He was a gifted high school student posting a 4.25 grade average & starring in four sports. He earned All State honors in track, basketball, volley ball & baseball. He would have attended Wake Forest on a baseball scholarship but signed as first round pick with the Tampa Bay Rays instead. In 2002 he hit .331 at all three minor league levels getting to the Tampa big league club by 2003. He had a fantastic rookie year batting .289 with 32 doubles 11 HRs 78 RBIs & 27 stolen bases. He led all A.L. center fielders in assists (15) for the first of two straight seasons, was second in put outs & posted a .989 fielding percentage. Baldelli began to get compared with Joe Dimaggio, sharing similar abilities, both being of Italian heritage, wearing #5 & playing center field. Al LaMacchia, a professional scout for over 50 years, went so far as to call Rocco "Joe's twin...

R emembering the 1973 N.L. Champion New York Mets: Thursday September 20th, 1973- "The Ball On the Wall Game" Tonight's game between the Mets & Pittsburgh Pirates was certainly one of the most important games of the 1973 season & one of the most remembered in Mets history. 25,000 fans filled Shea that night to see Jerry Koosman (12-15) go up against the Pirates Jim Rooker (9-5). Jerry Koosman In the 4th inning the Pirates scored the first run, Koos walked Willie Stargell & Many Sanguillen singled. Then sloppy play led to a run, when Bud Harrelson threw wildly to first base on a Dal Maxvill groundball, the error scored Willie Stargell. Rooker rolled along to the 6th inning, when he walked Jerry Koosman to start the inning. Koos was forced at second by Wayne Garrett's grounder, then Felix Millan continued his hot hitting & got a base hit. With two outs, one of the hottest months of September; Cleon Jones came through with a single to le...

Jason Raymond Bay was born September 20, 1978 in Trail, British Columbia Canada. At 12 years old he went to the Little League World Series with his Trail team. Eventually he was drafted while attending Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, by the Montreal Expos in the 22nd round of the 2000 MLB draft. In Spring Training of 2002 he was traded to the New York Mets for Lou Collier. The Mets soon traded him along with Bobby Jones, to the San Diego Padres in July 2002 for relief pitchers Jason Middlebrook & Steve Reed. The next season he made his MLB debut in a Padres uniform and hit a HR in his first game that May. On May 25th he was hit by a pitch & broke his wrist, finishing his promising rookie season. In August of that same year the Padres sent him along with pitcher Oliver Perez to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Brian Giles. In 2004 Bay became the first Canadian born player to win the Rookie of the Year Award, hitting 26 HRs 24 doubles 82 RBIs a .358 on base % ...

William Florine Sarni was Born September 19, 1927 in Los Angeles, California. At 15 years old he was playing in the Pacific Coast League, soon becoming one of the leagues top defensive catchers. By the time he got to trough the minors he had led all catchers in fielding percentage, put outs & assists at least once. He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals and made his debut in 1951. By 1954 he was the Cards main catcher and had his best season ,batting .300 with 114 hits, 9 HRs , & 70 RBIs. Behind the plate he threw out 43% of would be base stealers and led catchers in games played (18) double plays (12) & fielding percentage (.996). He dropped off to a .255 average the next year, and made seven errors behind the plate, but he still trew out 46% of would be base stealers with his great arm. In June of 1956 he was involved in a big trade with the New York Giants. Sarni, Red Schoendienst, Jackie Brandt,& Dick Littlefield went to New York for Alvin Dark, Ray Katt...

Albert Wentworth Demaree was a six foot right handed pitcher who was born on September 8, 1884 in Quincy, Illinois. He came up with the New York Giants in 1912 . On the 1913 NY Giants Pennant team, Demaree was certainly in the background of a Giants rotation that featured Christy Mathewson (25 wins) Rube Marquard (23 wins) & Jeff Tesreau (22 wins). As the fourth starter, (teams only featured a four man rotation in those days) he was 13-4 with a 2.31 ERA (fourth in the league) pitching 199 innings with 76 strike outs. In the World Series Connie Macks Philadelphia A’ beat the Giants in five games, with Demaree taking the loss in Game #4, allowing two runs in four innings pitched. He returned in 1914 to go 10-17 as the Giants fell to second place behind the Boston Braves. That year Rube Marquard fell to a 12-22 record, although Mathewson was still in top form at 24-13 & Tesreau became the ace of the staff at 26-10 with a 2.37 ERA. Demaree was traded to the Philadelphia ...

Dino Paolo Restelli was born September 23, 1924 in the Hill section of St. Louis, Missouri. The family moved out west to San Francisco where he was signed out of high school to the Pacific Coast League. He was known as Dingo, batting .343 in his first pro season in the Pacific Coast League before going off to World War II serving the United States until 1945. He came home to play ball in the minors for the next decade, having his contract sold from the PCL’s San Francisco Seals to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1949. He batted over .300 six times at the minor league level, including three seasons batting over .340. In 1949 he came up with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a reserve outfielder, and made a huge debut. He hit eight HRs in his first ten games catching everyone’s attention, right off the bat. He was placed in the Pirates line up behind Mets announcer the reigning HR slugger of his day; Ralph Kiner. Unfortunately Restelli fizzled out and in 232 at bats (72 games) he batted .250...

Grant William Roberts was born September 13, 1977 in El Cajon California. Roberts was a tall right hander, drafted by the New York Mets in the 11th round of the 1995 draft. His career began as a starter going 9-1 in his second pro season at Kingsport in the Rookie League. In 1997 he was the South Atlantic League’s pitcher of the year going 11-3 posting a 2.36 ERA while averaging nine strikeouts a game. He needed elbow surgery the next season and was never the same pitcher again. He converted to a reliever and was promoted to the Mets staff in the 2000 NL Pennant season. He made his debut on July 27th against the Montreal Expos and got knocked out of the game in the 2nd inning after giving up six earned runs, six hits & three walks. In September he appeared in three more games, including a four inning one hit performance on the last day of the season. Roberts did not appear in any post season games. His ERA for the year was 11.57 allowing nine earned runs over seven innings...