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Rod Gaspar: 1969 World Champion Mets Utility Man (1969-1970)

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Rodney Earl Gaspar was born April 3, 1946, in Long Beach, California. The five foot eleven Gaspar played both basketball & baseball in high school. Gaspar was good enough to earn a baseball scholarship to play outfield at Long Beach State University. There he got drafted by the New York Mets twice, the first time in 1966 when he hit .393 as a sophomore, but he decided to stay in school. I n 1967 the Mets drafted him again, this time in the second round after he hit .342 in his junior year. He hit well enough to quickly rise through the Mets farm system as an unknown surprise.  In 1968 at AA Memphis, he batted .309 with 160 hits & 47 RBIs.  Gaspar earned an invitation to Spring Training 1969, and no one knew who he was or where he came from. Mets Career: In 1969 he was the Mets surprise Opening Day right fielder when Art Shamsky hurt his back at the end of Spring Training. The Mets hosted the Expos in the franchise's first game. In his first at bat aft...
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Hawk Taylor: Mid Sixties Mets Catcher-Outfielder & First Baseman (1964 -1967)

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Robert Dale Taylor was born on April 3, 1939 in Metropolis, Illinois. The six foot one, right hand hitting Taylor was a highly sought after prospect getting signed out of high school at age 18.  He was a 1957 bonus baby for the Milwaukee Braves.  Hawk Moniker: He earned the nickname "Hawk" as a child which came from his favorite movie serial "Hawk of the Wilderness". Taylor was a big fan of Ted Williams & collected some of the Splendid Splinter's memorabilia. MLB Debut: In 1957, Taylor  debuted in order to follow MLB's bonus baby signing rules. He would go hitless in seven games as the Braves went on to win the World Championship in the first of two straight NL Pennants.  In 1958 he batted .293 in the lower levels of the minor leagues getting back to Milwaukee for just four games. He did not see any World Series action in those two years. Famous Roommates: In his years with the Milwaukee Braves he was roommates with Joe Torre & Bob Ueker. The ne...
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(2025) Pete Alonso HR Leads Mets to Another Home Opener Victory

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Friday April 4th, 2025:   It was an exciting day at Citi Field as the Mets played their 2025 home opener, in a season that has high expectations. A sellout crowd came out as Carlos Mendoza's Mets hosted John Schneider's Toronto Blue Jays. "Steady Eddie" Honored: On this Opening Day before the game, the Mets honored original Met & 1969 World Champion Ed Kranepool. In 1962 the 17-year-old Bronx born "Kid Kranepool" was brought up to Casey Stengel's original Mets & would play his entire 18-year career with the Mets.  Kranepool was a member of the 1969 Amazing Mets, winning a World Series & two pennants with the team. Ed even has a World Series HR to his credits. In the later years of his career Eddie was one of the game's best inch hitters as well. 18 members of The Kranepool family were on hand for the honors, including longtime friend & 1969 teammate Art Shamsky. The Mets will wear a #7 on their uniform sleeve throughout the season in...
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Willie Montanez "the Hot Dog": Late Seventies Mets First Baseman (1978 - 1979)

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Guillermo Montañez Naranjo was born on April 1, 1948, in Catano, Puerto Rico, a suburb outside of San Juan known for being the home of the Bacardi Rum distillery. His father was a truck driver & his mother a housewife. In 1965, the six-foot left-hand hitting outfielder / first baseman would originally get signed by the St. Louis Cardinals at age 18.  The next year  Montanez would get drafted (Rule V) by the California Angels MLB Career:  In 1966 Montanez made his MLB debut on Opening Day as a pinch runner & stole a base against the Chicago White Sox He would play in eight games before getting sent to back to the Cardinals.  M ontanez played the next three seasons in the minors & then was sent to the Philadelphia Phillies as a player to be named later in the infamous Curt Flood trade. Flood had originally refused to report to Philadelphia challenging the reserve clause. In 1970  at AAA Eugene, in the Pacific Coast L...
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Remembering Mets History (1988) Mets Hit Record Six Opening Day HRs

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Monday April 4th,  Opening Day 1988:  An exciting Opening Day in Montreal brought 55,413 Canadians out to Olympic Stadium (Stade Olympique) to see Buck Rogers' Expos host Davey Johnson's New York Mets. The previous year the Expos had won 91 games (91-71) finishing in third place four games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets (92-70) had finished second just one game ahead of  Montreal. Todays starting pitchers were Dwight Gooden for the Mets &  Dennis Martinez for the  Expos,   Gooden had started the 1987 season in rehab which was the only year he missed being the teams Opening Day starter from 1985-1991 seasons. In the Mets 1988 NL Eastern Champion season, Gooden would be an 18-game winner going 18-9 with a 3.19 ERA & 175 strike outs. Montreal's Dennis Martinez would go on to win 15 games that year, then & win 14 games or more in six of the next seven seasons. After a scoreless top of the 1st inning, ...
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