centerfield maz

Friday July 14th, 1989: Tonight, Davey Johnson’s third place Mets (46-40) were in a tight NL East race, 2.5 games behind the first place Montreal Expos & one game behind the second place Chicago Cubs. Just two days after returning from the All-Star break, the Mets were on a four-game win streak as they landed in Atlanta to take on  Russ Nixon’s last place Atlanta Braves (37-52). From 1985-1990 the Braves finished last each year except 1987 when they finished fifth. But the team was to go into an amazing transition that would have them finished first in 14 of the next 15 seasons. In tonight's matchup the Mets Sid Fernandez (6-3) took on second year Braves pitcher John Smoltz (3-2). In his first year Smoltz went 2-7 but turned things around this year to go 12-11 & make his first All-Star team. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Sid Fernandez struck out Oddibe McDowell to start the game. After a double from Jeff Blauser, Fernandez struck out Lonnie Smith, then retired Andres Th...

Joseph Paul Torre was born in Brooklyn, New York on July 18, 1940. He attended St. Francis Prep. School located in Brooklyn at the time, later moving to Queens. The six foot two right hand hitting Torre was signed by the Milwaukee Braves in 1960. He hit .344 & won the batting championship in his only year in the minor leagues making it to the big leagues for good by 1961.  Braves Career: He would spend nine years with the Braves, as a teammate of Hank Aaron & Eddie Mathews & Warren Spahn. He moved with the franchise from Milwaukee to Atlanta, playing in Fulton County Stadium in 1966. He hit over .290 four times, batting over .300 twice. In his first full season, he came in second in the Rookie of the Year Award batting .278 with 10 HRs & 42 RBIs. In 1964 he batted .321 with 109 RBIs (both 4th in the NL) & hit 20 HRs coming in fifth in the MVP voting for the 5th place Braves. In 1966, as the franchise began playing in Georgia; he hit a career high 36 HRs d...

Sunday July 17th, 2016: Terry Collins  reigning NL Champion  Mets (49-42)  were six games behind the Washington Nationals. They would battle hard all season for a wild card spot as they suffered thru injuries to some key players. At this point they were tied in second place in the NL East with the Florida Marlins.  The Mets had lost four of the last six, going into the All Star break losing three of four games to the Nationals.  deGrom told his manager Terry Collins he was tired, so Collins did not name him to the All Star team instead sending the pitcher to Florida to rest.  Today the Mets were in Philadelphia for the rubber game of the three-game set, after splitting the first two with the fourth place Phillies (43-50).   Jacob deGrom (6-3) returned after a ten day rest & went against Zach Eflin (2-2). In the bottom of the 1st, after recording the first out on a fly ball Jacob deGrom struck out Peter Bourjos & Cody Asche.  ...