Ron Herbel: Early Seventies Mets Reliever (1970)

Ronald Samuel Herbel was born on January 16, 1938, in Denver, Colorado. Herbel attended the University of North Colorado. 

In 1958 he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants just as they arrived on the West Coast after leaving New York. 

The right hander spent six seasons in the Giants minors winning 12 games or more three times. After two straight 15-win seasons he was finally brought up to the big leagues.

MLB Career: In 1963, Ron made his MLB debut, making two appearances against the New York Mets at the Polo Grounds. 

Herbel spent seven seasons with the Giants going 33-29 with a 3.59 ERA. He was used as both starter (78 games) & reliever. In 1965, he had his best season going 12-9 with a 3.85 ERA. He earned a save while striking out 106 batters in 170 innings. By the end of the sixties, he strictly became a relief pitcher.

For 1970 he was traded to the Padres where he went 7-5 with nine saves for Preston Gomez's last place club. 

Mets Career: On September 1st, he was traded to the New York Mets for Rod Gaspar. Herbel was brought in to help bolster their bullpen up for the stretch run. 

At the time the Mets were just 1.5 games behind the first place Pirates. They remained only one game out by mid-September before fading & finishing six games behind Pittsburgh.

On the night he arrived with the Mets, he got am extra inning win, pitching one inning of relief in St. Louis. On September 8th, he earned a save at Shea Stadium in a victory over the Expos. The next night he came on in the 14th inning of a tie with the Phillies & earned another win as Cleon Jones provided a walk off triple. In his first ten days with the Mets, Herbel had two wins & a save, fitting right in with the club.

On September 13th, he gave up a top of the 13th HR to the Cardinals Joe Torre, taking the loss. On September 26th, he earned his second loss coming to the first place Pirates, as they swept the Mets in a three-game series in Pittsburgh, putting them five games back.

 

Overall, in September Herbel pitched in twelve games for the Mets going 2-2 with one save. He posted a 1.38 ERA allowing two earned runs in 13 innings pitched. 

On the season he led the NL in appearances with 76, going 9-7 with a career high 10 saves in 124 innings pitched.

Post Mets Career: On December 1st he was traded to the Atlanta Braves, for Bob Aspromonte who would be the Mets main third baseman in 1971. In Atlanta, Herbel would pitch in 25 games going 0-1 with a save, finishing up his nine-year career.

Career Stats: Lifetime he went 42-37 with 16 saves and a 3.83 ERA. 

Trivia: Herbel was never known as a good hitter. In his first season he had 54 plate appearances going hitless, striking out 30 times. According to baseball reference he has the worst batting average all time for a player with a minimum of 100 career at bats at .029.

Passing: In 2000, Ron passed away in Tacoma, Washington at age 62.