centerfield maz

  A week before the 1987 season was to begin, the reigning World Champion New York Mets suffered a big blow, when their star pitcher Dwight Gooden checked into drug rehab for cocaine. Earlier that year he was arrested in Florida for resisting arrest & battery.  Gooden was to miss his first opening day start in three seasons. On Opening Day, he would be about twenty minutes away from Shea Stadium at Smithers Drug Treatment Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Quotes- Keith Hernandez: "I never saw anything wrong with Dwight. I didn't read anything into his pitching patterns. Even if I had suspicions, I might have kept quiet. But no I was shocked". Quotes- Ron Darling : "I don't know if I'm blind, but I couldn't believe it. I love Dwight like a brother & I don't care if he ever pitches again. I just want him to get better." Since the already high profiled start studded Mets, team had one the World Series, many players reaped in the ...

John Howard Fisher known as "Fat Jack" , was born on March 4, 1939, in Frostburg, Maryland. In 1957 the six-foot two right hander was signed out of high school at Augusta, Georgia by the Baltimore Orioles.  In 1958 he won 14 games going 14-12 at the low levels of the minors' leagues, getting up to AAA Miami the following season. There he was 8-4 making it to the big leagues as part of the Orioles “kiddie corps” pitching staff, going 1-6 on the year. MLB Career: On Opening Day Fisher made his debut in New York pitching three innings of relief allowing four runs on seven hits in a loss to the A.L. New York team.  He was sent back to the minors & returned in late June.  Shut Out: After going 0-4, he earned his first career victory on September 11th, pitching a three-hit shutout over the Chicago White Sox  On the year he went 1-6 with a 3.05 ERA. In 1960 he won a career high 12 games (12-11). From August 7th to September 8th, he was 6-0 hold...

The Mets came into 2016 as the reigning NL Champions. The 2015 team had won 90 games (90-72) finishing first in the NL East. They beat the Dodgers in the NLDS, swept the Cubs in the NLCS but lost the World Series to the Kansas City Royals. In the off season, the Mets let Daniel Murphy go free agency. It seemed although Murphy was one of the team's best hitters in that era, he was always on the trade block & now after his amazing 2015 post season run, the team let him go for good. Murph went on to have two monster seasons with the Nationals. The Mets also traded away long-time pitcher Jon Neise & saw bench coach Bob Geren move on to L.A. The Mets brought in new players Neil Walker for second base & infielder Asbrubal Cabrera. They also brought in pitchers Jerry Blevins, Alejandro De Aza & Antonio Bastardo.  They resigned Yoenis Cespedes & Bartolo Colon. The largest crowd for a regular season day game at Citi Field came to see the Mets raise the 2015 NL Champi...

The 1992 Mets had ended the season a disappointing 72-90 in fifth place of the NL East, their lowest finish in ten years.  The team had signed Bobby Bonilla in what turned out to be one the worst deals the team ever made. Other bad moves included Vince Coleman, Bret Saberhagen Willie Randolph.  Veteran free agent Eddie Murray would drive in 100 runs in 1993 but was still past his prime & not happy in New York. All this earned them the name "the worst team money could buy". It had only been six years since the 1986 World Championship & four years since the teams last N.L. East title, but it seemed like forever to the fans who would have to wait another six years for a playoff berth. Going into 1993 Howard Johnson, Sid Fernandez & Dwight Gooden were the only players left from that '86 Championship team. Theres weren't any major additions to the team & confidence was low. As expected 1993 would be even worse as the Mets fell to seventh place winning ju...