centerfield maz

Summer1973: The 1973 New York Mets struggled through injuries to most of its key position players most of the season. By the middle of "The Summer of '73" the Mets were below .500, in last place eleven games out. By August, Mets reliever, Tug McGraw’s record had slipped to 0-6 with an ERA over five. At one point he said he felt like "he had no idea how to throw a baseball anymore". This was another reason for the Mets poor play since Tug had been one of the games top relievers. And then one afternoon, it all seemed to make sense. After a bad road trip McGraw came back to New York & called up a friend on Long Island. McGraw met a gentleman named; Joe Badamano for lunch, an old friend of former Mets Manager Gil Hodges from the Brooklyn Dodger days. Badamano was an insurance salesman & motivational speaker.  In the days before the team had psychiatrist around to hear personal issues, Badamano & McGraw would just talk in the player's l...

  Tuesday, August 1st, 1989 : The NL East was a tough division, as the Montreal Expos were in top leading the Chicago Cubs by two games. The St. Louis Cardinals were in third place, five games back with New York Mets right behind them seven games back.  At the trade deadline, the Mets traded the popular Mookie Wilson to Toronto, they also acquired Frank Viola from the Twins in a blockbuster deal. On this night game the two division rivals went at it, as Davey Johnson's Mets (54-50) went up against Whitey Herzog's Cards (54-48) at Busch Stadium in St. Louis in front of 40,444 fans. The Mets Sid Fernandez (8-3) went up against Scott Terry (7-9). It was to be a big night for Kevin Mcreynolds. In the 2nd inning, Kevin McReynolds started out with a double to left. He scored on Barry Lyons' double making it 1-0. In the 6th inning, Juan Samiel doubled to left, Howard Johnson singled to bring him in for the Mets second run. After Darryl Strawberry flew out, Kevin McReynolds homer...

Wednesday August 1st , 1962 : Today 8,681 fans came out to the Polo Grounds to see Casey Stengel's last place Mets (26-77) host Gene Mauch's seventh place Philadelphia Phillies (50-58).  It was the start of a record tying three games for New York Mets slugger, Frank Thomas. Thomas was one of the few good players on the Original Mets 1962 team. The Mets Al Jackson went up against the Phils (future Met) Jack Hamilton. In the 1st, Al Jackson served up a two run HR to Don Demeter & an RBI single to Bob Oldis giving the Phillies a 3-0 lead. In the bottom of the 1st, The Mets Richie Ashburn led off with a bunt base hit. Hot Rod Kanehl  reached on an error by Mel Roach. Charlie Neal got aboard on another infield single. Frank Thomas then walked with the bases loaded for an RBI. Felix Mantilla's sac fly made it a one run game. In the 3rd a two out single by Mel Roch & a Tony Gonzales double made it 4-2 Phillies. Oldis added an RBI single & the Mets were down 5-2.  ...

In July of 1973 there still wasn't much going right for the New York Mets. Injuries to the starting players were killing them. The teams biggest HR hitter hamstring injury. Catcher Jerry Grote was out with a wrist injury. Shortstop Bud Harrelson had hurt his left hand when the Reds Bill Plummer crashed into him trying to break up a double play. He missed almost all of June then went down again with a fractured sternum after crashing into Rennie Stennett of the Pirates at the end of July. Left Fielder Cleon Jones suffered a wrist injury diving for a ball & then in June was placed on the DL after he was hit in the elbow with a pitch. Willie Mays was showing his age in center field, he could not be in the lineup on a steady basis. George the Stork Theodore suffered an eye injury when he was hit with a ball in June, then he had the brutal outfield collision with Don Hahn fracturing his hip. Jon Matlack missed a small amount of time after getting hit in the head with a line driv...

Monday July 25th 1994: Dallas Green's fourth place Mets (45-52) went to St. Louis to take on Joe Torre's fourth place Cardinals (46-51). The Mets Bret Saberhagen had one of his best nights as a Mets pitcher, pitching a one run, seven hitter striking out five Cardinals. The Mets offense came through with seven runs, led by Rico Brogna's big five hit night.   Brogna got a late start to the 1994 season, as injuries kept him out until mid June.  At this point of the season, he went on a hot streak starting a 15 game hit streak where he would gather 25 hits, raising his average to .372.  In this game, Brogna would start out with base hits in the 2nd inning & 4th innings. In the Mets five run 5th inning, Todd Hundley walked to lead off. Jeromy Burnitz then hit a one out single. Jeff Kent also singled bringing in the Mets first run. Brogna then doubled bringing home two runs. Rico scored on David Segui's single & Ryan Thompson followed with a ground rule double...

 Thursday July 29th, 2004: Art Howe's fourth place Mets (48-52) didn't have much going on in 1994, they would finish fourth that year at 71-91.  The next year Howe would be replaced by Willie Randolph, the Mets would acquire Pedro Martinez & Carlos Beltran bringing in a new winning era.  In this get away day matinee at Stade Olympique in Montreal, the Mets played Frank Robinson's last place Expos (39-63). The Mets Al Leiter (6-3) took on the Expos Rocky Biddle (2-4). Today the Mets left fielder, Eric Valent became the eighth Met to hit for the cycle. Through June 2022 eleven Mets have accomplished the feat in franchise history.  Valent spent two years with the Mets, seeing the most action in 2004 (130 games) he batted .267 with 13 HRs 15 doubles 34 RBIs 39 runs scored & a .337 on base %.  After 28 games with the Mets in 2005 he was granted, free agency got signed by the Padres but never played in the majors again. In the 2nd inning, Ty Wigginton si...

Casey Stengel- The Mets Years: In 1961 after Casey Stengel had been fired, he  turned down several managerial jobs, the Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants & Los Angeles Angels, all wanted him. Instead, he went to work for Glendale Valley Bank, in Glendale, California which was owned by his wife's family.  His old friend, George Weiss  was now working as General Manager for the expansion New York Mets. Originally Stengel did not to manage an expansion team, because the rules of the expansion draft guaranteed the team would not be a competitive team. Weiss e ventually convinced his old friend  to return to baseball & take the job as the Mets first Manager.  Right away he began talking in what was known as his famous "Stengelese". During the expansion draft when the Mets first pick was an unknown catcher named Hobie Landrith.  Casey said, said, "You have to have a catcher, or you'll have a lot of passed balls".  On October 2...