centerfield maz

August 1998: In 1997   John Olerud came to New York via free agency. Olerud was an established hitter having won the 1993 AL batting title. In his first season with the Mets, he hit .294 just getting adjusted in New York. In 1998  Olerud displayed just how good of a hitter he was, setting a franchise record for best single season batting average hitting .354, passing Cleon Jones .340 average recorded 29 years earlier in the Mets 1969 Championship season.  One of John Olerud's hitting highlights that season was setting a Mets franchise record for left hand hitters, with a 23 consecutive game hit streak. Sunday July 19th, 1998: Olerud came into an extra inning loss to the Phillies at Shea Stadium, entering the game in the 4th inning, replacing Todd Pratt at first base. In the bottom of the 5th inning Olerud hit his 11th HR of the year.  The next night he collected another hit in another loss to the Phillies.  The Mets went on a six-game win streak ...

Wednesday August 10th, 2005: Although the Mets were in fifth place, Willie Randolph's team was playing its best baseball since the pennant season of 2000.   They were 58-55 just seven- and one-half games out of first place. Tonight, they were out west to San Diego, taking on Bruce Bochy's first place Padres (57-56).   The Padres would win the NL Western Division that year & again the following season in 2006. Both times they would fall to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS. A big crowd of 43,162 came out to Petco Park to see The Mets Kris Benson (7-4) went up against  the Padres Brian Lawrence (6-11). In the top of the 1st inning, Miquel Cairo singled, then Carlos Beltran was hit by a pitch. David Wright singled to right field scoring Cairo with the Mets first run.  With Mike Piazza at bat, Carlos Beltran stole home making it a 2-0 Mets lead. In the top of the 3rd, Miquel Cairo hit his 14th double of the year to start the inning. Next Carlos Beltran drew ...

Friday August 9th, 1963: Casey Stengel's Mets had won two straight games but were 36-77 on the season.  On this evening, they hosted Bob Kennedy's fifth place Chicago Cubs (59-52) in front of 11,566 fans at the Polo Grounds.  The starting pitchers were the Mets Roger Craig (2-20) & the Cubs Paul Toth (3-6). Roger Craig Trivia: Roger Craig was on one of the worst hard luck streaks a pitcher could ever have.  Dating back to April 29th, Craig entered tonight's game having lost 18 straight decisions already registering twenty losses on the season. In that time over 24 games, Craig gave up 61 earned runs with 16 HRs in 132 innings for a 4.16 ERA. Also notes is that in 17 starts he allowed two runs or less eight times.  In the top of the 1st the Cards put two men on but Merritt Ranew grounded out to Jim Hickman to end the inning. In the bottom of the 2nd, the Mets collected three straight singles but ailed to score. In the bottom of the 4th, Mets slugger Frank Thomas...

Tommie Lee Agee was born on August 9th, 1942, in Magnolia, Alabama. Tommie was one of eleven children, nine sisters & a brother.  The Agee's father worked for the Aluminum Co. of America. He moved the family to Mobile, Alabama when Tommie was a year old. Tommie's mother Carrie Agee wanted him to be a minister, but Tommie took a career in sports. The area where Agee grew up was loaded with baseball talent, Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams, Satchel Page & Amos Otis were all from the Mobile area. While playing baseball in junior high school Tommie met his lifelong friend & future Mets team mate on the 1969 World Champion Mets, Cleon Jones. Agee attended Grambling State University on a baseball scholarship. At the same time, he went to the school, NFL cornerback Willie Brown & NBA star Willis Reed also attended Grambling.  Agee  batted . 553 which  was the second highest average in the Conferences history at that time...