centerfield maz

Tuesday July 17th, 1973: Yogi Berra's last place New York Mets (39-50) rolled into Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium with the second least wins in the National League.  Mays & Aaron: Two of MLB's All-Time HR leaders would also figure in the game, as Willie Mays & Henry Aaron were in their respective teams' dugout. 42-year-old Mays was in the final year of his career & 39-year-old Aaron was chasing the All-Time HR record at 697 career HRs.  After competing in 335 games against each other over 19 seasons, this was to be the final game Willie & Henry both played against each other in. In that time Aaron hit .312 with 74 HRs against Mays' teams while Willie batted .303 with 77 HRs vs Aaron's teams. In the month of July, they were 6-11.  On this road trip, they had just split a four-game series in Cincinnati then lost the opener of this series in Atlanta against Eddie Mathews fifth place Braves (45-52). Tonight, Yogi sent Tug McGraw to the mound makin...

Casey Stengel's Mets were certainly not a good team. The expansion franchise were just in their second year of play having lost a record 120 games the previous year. The roster was made up of washed up veterans & young players not yet ready for the big leagues, but so was the business of baseball in the early sixties.  Although the 1963 Mets won just 51 games they did pull off eleven walk off wins. In mid July they did in back to back games. After a 13 games losing streak stretching from June 30th to July 14th, the Mets finally won a game beating the Houston Colt .45s in the first game of a double header. Of course they dropped the night cap to get to thirty one games below .500 at 30-61. Tuesday July 16th, 1963: In the final game of a four game set with Harry Craft's Houston Colt .45s, the Mets Al Jackson (6-10) went up against Turk Farrell (6-7). Both pitchers would lead their respective staff's in victories that year, with Jackson winning 13 games & Farrell winn...

 Saturday July 14th, 2001: A large crowd of 52,006 came out to this Shea Stadium matinee to see Bobby Valentine's Mets (39-52) host Jimmy Williams Boston Red Sox (52-37).  The Mets were the reigning NL Champions but were struggling mightily, twelve games behind the Atlanta Braves in fourth place. It was a terrible follow up to the 2000 season. They would gain some steam toward the end of the season, that would suffer the tragedy of 911 but still finish at 82-80. Bobby Valentine Trivia:  Boby Valentine had been a coach with the Mets then began managing with the Texas Rangers (1985-1992). In Texas he got the Rangers over .500 five times but never finished higher than third place. In eight years with the Rangers, he posted a 581-605 record. The starters today would be Glendon Rusch for the Mets (4-5) & Rolando Arrojo (1-3) for Boston. Glendon Rusch would pitch his finest game on this day.  In the top of the 1st, the 24-year-old left hander started out the game stri...

David Wright was named to seven All Star Teams representing the New York Mets. Wright made five straight squads (2006-2010), then two more (2012-2013). In seven appearances he collected seven hits (7-18) batting .389 with one HR one RBI & a walk. He struck out three times as well. 2006 All Star Game:  In the Mets NL Eastern Champion season, David Wright made his first All Star appearance in the game played in Pittsburgh's PNC Park.  Two of Wright's teammates also started the game, outfielder Carlos Beltran making his second straight All-Star team as a Met & catcher Paul LoDuca. Jose Reyes was also elected to the team but sat out due to an injury. HR Derby: David Wright participated in the HR Derby the day before the game, with Paul LoDuca throwing him pitches. After the event there was talk that the Derby ruined Wright's swing in the second half of the season, when his production at the plate fell off. In the top of the 2nd, Wright had his biggest All-Star ...

Looking back at Tom Seaver's history at the All-Star Game:    1967 All Star Game: In his 1967 Rookie season, Tom Seaver was selected to his first All Star game. Not only was it a thrill to be selected but t he game was played at Anaheim Stadium, in Anaheim, California. Seaver was born north, in Fresno, California & went to college at the University of Southern California. Tom had many family members & friends in attendance at the game.  As soon as he arrived at the stadium clubhouse, he was approached in the by St. Louis Cardinal's star Lou Brock.   Brock  thinking the young Seaver was a clubhouse attendant,  asked if he'd mind fetching him a coke.  Seaver had to inform Mr. Brock, that he was a teammate on his All-Star squad. For years, Seaver would joke with Brock about the incident, at the annual Cooperstown Hall of fame induction ceremonies. In this thrilling contest, the Phillies Dick Allen & the Orioles Brooks Robinson had homered...