centerfield maz

Sunday September 26th, 1971: Gil Hodges third place Mets (82-77) were closing out the regular season, with just four more games to play. Obviously, they were  not making the post season but were still going to give the fans some last thrills.  That season the Mets had displayed some exciting young players for the first time, pitchers Jon Matlack & Buzz Capra. Hitters John Milner, Ken Singleton, Mike Jorgensen, Tim Foli & Leroy Stanton. And it was to be a busy off season at a time with no free agency as the Mets traded to get some much-needed offense. This week the Met's pitching star, "The Franchise" Tom Seaver (18-10) would make his last two starts of the year in the Mets final four games. Seaver would get the start in today's matinee at Shea & five days later on Thursday night. Tonight, it was Seaver  taking on Steve Blass (15-7) of Danny Murtaugh's first place & eventual World Champion, Pittsburgh Pirates in front of 30,519 at She...

Monday September 27th, 1976: Joe Frazier's third place Mets had put in a good season (85-71) but were 11.5 games out of first place & finishing in third place. It was another disappointing ending without making a post season appearance, the third straight since the Pennant of '73. The Mets were on a four-game win streak, having just swept a weekend series with the Cubs at Shea Stadium.  With just six games left to play, just only 2,929 fans came out to a rainy Monday night Shea Stadium as the Mets hosted Charlie Fox's last place Montreal Expos (53- 103).   The Mets sent Jon Matlack (16-9) to the mound, to face Larry Landreth (1-1).  Tonight Jon Matlack went the distance, pitching seven innings, in the rain shortened 10-2 Mets win. Matlack allowed three runs on seven hits, walking three while striking out one. Matlack had one of his finest years, winning a career high 17 games (17-10) (7th most wins in the NL) with a league lea...

Sunday September 25th 2016:   Terry Collins Mets (82-73) had a rough week losing four of six as they were fighting for a wild card spot with the Giants & Cardinals. Today they hosted Pete Mackanin's fourth place Phillies (70-85) in a matinee at Citi Field in front of 35,093 hungry Mets fans. With a tired bullpen to go along with a battered rotation the Mets sent Young Rober Gsellman (2-2) to the mound to face Jake Thompson (3-5) The Mets got what they needed from the young Robert Gsellman, as he pitched seven shutout innings where he allowed just three hits & struck out his season high eight batters. He also retired 16 of the final 18 batters he faced. He even got his first MLB hit when he bunted safely in the 3rd inning. Quotes- Terry Collins: We needed one of those. Our bullpen was shot. So, it was nice to be able to have comfortable innings at the end of the game." Largest Shut Out In Team History: The Mets provided Gsellman with plenty of offense, ...

Tuesday September 23rd, 1969: Gil Hodges first place Mets (95-61)  took the field tonight, in excitement knowing that a win would assure them of at least a tie for first place in the NL East. The Mets had won three straight, were leading the NL East by six games with six left to play. Tonight, the Mets hosted the previous year's NL Champion St. Louis Cardinals (82-73). 32,364 fans came to Shea as The Mets' Jim McAndrew (6-7) went up against Hall of Famer Bob Gibson (18-12). Bob Gibson was the 1968 NL MVP & Cy Young Winner,  going 22-9 with league leading 13 shut outs, 268 Ks & a 1.12 ERA. He was two wins away from his fourth twenty-win season in the past five years. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 3rd inning, Mets short stop Bud Harrelson walked, then advanced on a fielder's choice, He then scored on Wayne Garrett's single to right field, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead.  The pesky Harrelson's offensive numbers never ...

September 20, 1967: It was on this day that Met manager Wes Westrum, a former catcher for the 1950's NY Giants, resigned his position. Westrum was waiting for the Mets to announce he would be managing again in 1968. But he soon saw the writing on the wall that he wasn't going to be in their plans.  He then walked into the Mets front office & announced his resignation. He left with the Mets in tenth place, posting a 57-94 record with eleven games left in the 1967 season. Westrum had managed the club since taking over for Casey Stengel in August 1965. Westrum went 15-48 for the remainder of the '65 season finishing 10th.  1966 was an improvement, finishing 9th with the most victories the franchise had ever had at that point going 66-95. In 1967 the team took a step back, and the fans were beginning to get restless as was the organization. Mets coach Salty Parker took over for the remaining eleven games  in the '67 season, going 4-7 as their interim manager. A t...

Monday September 18th, 1972: Yogi Berra's Mets were 73-67 in third place 15 games behind the first place Pittsburgh Pirates. On this night 15,622 came to Shea to see the Mets host Bill Virdon's Pirates (89-51). It was a good pitching matchup, as the Mets sent that years Rookie of the Year; Jon Matlack (12-9) to the hill against Nelson Briles (14-7).  In the 1972 Rookie of the Year voting, Jon Matlack led the way followed by the Giants Dave Rader & the Mets John Milner. The game certainly stood up to the billing as both pitchers were on their game. Matlack would scatter just five hits along the way, striking out six Pirates allowing three walks. Briles had allowed five hits & two walks along the way, striking out seven Mets. Both pitchers kept their shut outs into the 9th inning. Matlack got the first two outs of the inning, but then gave up back-to-back singles to Richie Hebner & Bob Roberstson. Matlack then got the weak hitting Gene Alley to pop out. In ...

Edwin Donald Snider was born September 19th, 1926 in Los Angeles, California. As a child he walked around like he was royalty and his parents gave him the nick name “Duke”. While playing in Brooklyn he became known as the Duke of Flatbush & The Silver Fox. Snider was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943 while he was a quarterback at Compton High School. He went into the military in 1945 then came to the minor leagues, and by 1947 made a brief debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, who still had Carl Furillo & Pete Reiser playing centerfield. In 1948 Snider was batting .326 at AAA Montreal and was called up for good. By 1949 he was Brooklyn’s main centerfielder and would hold down that position until the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. Snider went on to become the biggest bat in the classic Brooklyn line up, making 8 All Star Games, leading the league in HRs in 1956, lading in RBIs, doubles, hits & walks one time each, as well as runs scored three times. He w...