The Winningest Manager In Mets History: Davey Johnson (1984-1990)

David Allen Johnson was born January 30, 1943 in Orlando, Florida. He went to high school in San Antonio Texas & then attended college at Texas A & M for one year. He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles in 1962, hitting over .300 three times at various minor league levels getting promoted to the Orioles in 1965. Davey was in the opening day lineup that year but spent most of the season in the minors once again batting over .300. In 1966 the Orioles traded their second baseman Jerry Adair to make room for Johnson, he would be the Orioles regular second baseman for the next seven seasons.
He came in third in the 1966 Rookie of the Year voting, mostly for his defense. That season the Orioles swept the Dodgers in the World Series & Johnson was the last batter to ever get a hit off Sandy Koufax. By the late sixties he became a good hitter as well as a good glove man. He would win three straight Gold Gloves (1969-1971), make four All Star teams, play in four World Series and win two Worlds Championships.

Johnson was part of one of the greatest defensive infields ever assembled with him at second, Brooks Robinson at third, & Mark Belanger at shortstop. In 1969 & 1971 Johnson, Belanger & Robinson (who won 16 straight Gold Gloves) anchored by Boog Powell at first base. Johnson led the league once in fielding %, & came in the top five, five times.

Johnson hit well for a second baseman of his generation, hitting over 20 doubles eight times, including two seasons with 30 plus. He drove in over 50 runs seven times, and hitting over 10 HRs five times. He hit over .280 three straight seasons, with Baltimore getting to the World Series each time. His best offensive numbers in Baltimore came in 1971, when he hit .282 with 18 HRs 26 doubles 72 RBIs & a .350 on base%.


Post Season: In the 1966 World Series, Davey hit .286 (4-14). In Game #2 Johnson had two hits, driving in a run in the Orioles 6-0 win. In the 6th inning Johnsons single became the last a hit Sandy Koufax would ever give up, since he retired due to arm troubles after the season.

In the 1969 World Series Johnson was stopped dead by Mets pitching batting .063 going 1-16. He made the last out of the Series batting against Jerry Koosman, and flying out to left fielder, Cleon Jones. After being shocked by the Mets in 1969, the O’s were back in 1970 and no one stopped them. Davey hit .364 in the ALCS with 2 HRs 4 RBIs & a .364 on base % against the Minnesota Twins.

In the World Series vs. the Reds he hit .313 with 5 walks posting a .476 on base %. He had a big Game #5 with three hits, a walk and two RBIs as Baltimore went on to win 9-3, taking the Series four games to one. In the 1971 ALCS against Oakland, Johnson hit .300, 3-10 with two doubles, three walks & a .462 on base %. In the World Series he batted just .148 as the Pirates beat the Orioles in seven games. He would make one more post season appearance with the 1977 Phillies losing to the Dodgers in the NLCS.

After he dropped off to a .221 average with just five HRs in 1972, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves with pitcher Pat Dobson, Roric Harrison, and Johnny Oates for the 1971 Rookie of the Year, Earl Williams. The Orioles had traded him because manager Earl Weaver felt that Johnson had lost too much range on the field by bulking up and hitting for more power. The O’s went with Bobby Grich to replace him at second base.

In Atlanta he had an incredible 1973 season, hitting 43 HRs (second in the NL) with 25 doubles 99 RBIs (7th in the NL) & a .270 batting average. That season, he and team mates Hank Aaron & Darrel Evans became the first trio to each hit over 40 HRs on the same team. Johnson also broke Rogers Hornsby HR mark for a second baseman in a single season. 

Defensively he led the NL in double plays, was second in assists & fourth in put outs. The year before he had the A.L.’s best fielding percentage but in 1973 he would lead all second baseman in errors. In 1974 he split time at second & first base hitting .251 with only 15 HRs. He was in the lineup, the night Hank Aaron broke the all time HR mark with 715 that April. 

Four games into the 1975 season, the Braves released him & he went to play in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants for two seasons. There he was a teammate of Sadaharu Oh, who also broke Babe Ruth & Hank Aarons HR mark on an international level.

He had a disappointing season in first year overseas batting .197 with 13 HRs, improving to a.275 batting average with 26 HRs the next year. Johnson made it back to the majors in 1977 with the Phillies as a utility man and pinch hitter (9-for-26) He hit .321 with 8 HRs in 156 at-bats and in 1978 he tied an MLB record with two pinch grand slams. In his 13-year career, Johnson batted .261 with 1252 hits 136 HRs, 609 RBIs 242 doubles 18 triples 33 stolen bases & a .340 on base % in 1435 games.

 
Johnson began managing in 1979 with an Independent team in Florida. The next season he joined the Mets minor league staff and became manager of the Tidewater Tides in 1981. He led the Tides to three straight pennants, developing many young players he would later manage in the major leagues with the Mets.

He moved up through the organization quickly, over what first appeared to be more experienced managerial candidates. Johnson had earned a math degree and was one of the first people to use computers to compile baseball data. He learned the art of batter-pitcher matchups for platooning and in-game switches from his old Orioles skipper, Earl Weaver. Johnson dislikes the bunt and believed in solid pitching, three-run HRs & "play for one run, lose by one run."

In 1984 his old friend Frank Cashen now the Mets GM, gave Johnson the job as the Mets manager. In his first season he took the club from last place to a second place 90 win season. In 1985 he improved the team to a 98 win season but finished second to Whitey Herzog & the St. Louis Cardinals. He was familiar with the young talent the Mets had because he had managed many of them at Tidewater and knew what they could do. He had faith in them and gave them a chance. His easy going style was also a good mix for the veterans on the team.

In 1986 he brought the Mets to their best season ever, winning 108 games & winning the World Series. It was the Mets first post season appearance since 1973. He went on to become the first NL manager to win at least 90 games in each of his first five seasons, winning the World Championship in 1986 and the NL East in 1988. His clubs would finish second in all other five seasons he was at the helm.

Johnson is by far the most successful manager in Mets history, with only Gil Hodges even coming close. He has a Mets record of 595-417 and a .588 winning percentage. He is fourth all time behind Joe, McCarthy Miller Huggins, John Mcgraw & Billy Martin (tied) in winning percentage for New York baseball managers.

The Mets were expected to win more than one World Series in the late eighties. Second place finishes were not enough for the fans or Mets management. Looking back, injuries, the aging of veterans Keith Hernandez & Gary Carter, the drama issues of Gooden & Strawberry were all reasons for the Met decline. But, the manager was held responsible, and during a 1990 Cincinnati road trip, Frank Cashen came to his hotel room and fired him. Johnson was let go after 42 games with a 20-22 record.

Mets management told the press his laid back style wasn’t cutting it anymore. After Johnson was let go, Bud Harrelson was named manager & took the team to a 71-49 record, to another second place finish. The next season they finished fifth & had five more terrible seasons.

After two seasons out of baseball, the Cincinnati Reds hired Johnson 40 games into the 1993 season. He revived the Reds immediately, leading them to the NL Central lead up to the 1994 players' strike. In 1995 Ray Knight was named bench coach with the intention he would replace Johnson after the season regardless of how the team did. The Reds went on to win the first NL Central title but Johnson was still fired at the end of the season. He had never gotten along with Reds owner Marge Schott & the final straw supposedly was that she didn't approve of Johnson living with his –fiancée Susan, whom he later married.

Johnson returned to Baltimore as the Orioles' manager, under owner Peter Angelos. He & Johnson didn’t get along either and the two almost never spoke a word. But in Baltimore, Johnson once again was successful, as he led the Orioles to a wild-card playoff berth in 1996 and the AL East title in 1997. Both seasons he got his team as far as the ALCS but lost both times.

After the 1997 season he won the A.L. Manager of the Year award but drama followed. After Roberto Alomar missed a charity banquet, Johnson fined him. He told him to write a check to his wifes charity but Alomar didn’t as advised by the Players Union. Angelos was furious that Johnson did not ask for his opinion. The result was Johnson resigning. He was soon hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers to manage for the 1999 season. Johnson suffered his first full losing season as the Dodgers finished in third place. The team rebounded to second place the next year, but Davey was still fired anyway.

Johnson briefly managed the Netherlands national team in 2003, then served as a their bench coach at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In 2005 he was manager of Team USA and in the 2006 World Baseball Classic was Team USA’s bench coach. In 2008 he served as Team USA’s Manager in the Olympics. He served as a coach in Florida & in 2009 was named the Washington nationals senior advisor.

He began working within the Washington Nationals organization in 2006. He was named senior advisor to current GM Mike Rizzo in 2009 but took over as field manager on June 26th 2011 after the sudden resignation of Jim Riggelman. In his first meeting agaisnt the Mets he lost 8-5 in D.C. but took the series three games to two.

In September he made a triumphant return to New York getting a huge ovation at Citi Field, then went out and swept the Mets in a four game series. For the season his team was 40-43 under his leadership, finishing 80-81 in third place. He will be the Nationals manger in 2012 as well. In his managerial career as a whole Johnson is 1188 - 931 in 2121 games with a .561 %. He has won one pennnat & one World Series finishing first five times, second seven times in 15 seasons.

Johnson did not attend the 20th Anniversary of the 1986 Championship team, nor the closing ceremonies at Shea Stadium in 2008. He said there was a personal falling out between him & the organization. In 2010 he finally returned to New York being elected into the Mets Hall of Fame along with Dwight Gooden, Daryl Strawberry & Frank Cashen.

Family: Johnson's daughter, Andrea, was a nationally-ranked surfer in the 1980's. She suffered from schizophrenia & medications led to complications of her passing away. Johnson was devastated. The year before, he suffered from a serious stomach issue, which almost took his own life. Eventually his appendix was drained & removed & he recovered.

Former Mets Utility Player: Nick Evans (2008-2011)

Nicholas Reginald Evans was born January 30, 1986 in Glendale, Arizona. The six foot two, right handed hitter was drafted out of high school in Phoenix, by the New York Mets in the 5th round of the 2004 draft. Evans was primarily a first baseman in the Mets organization, in 2007 he batted .286 with 15 HRs at A ball St. Lucie. In 2008 he was at AA Binghamton when he was brought up to the Mets in May to replace an injured Marlon Anderson.

In his first MLB at bat he doubled off Colorado’s Jeff Francis, & then hit two more doubles in the same game. He was the first Met since Kaz Matsui in 2004 to have three extra base hits in his MLB debut. He got to play regularly for a week but after his hot start was batting .174 when he was sent back down in June. At Binghamton overall he would bat .311 with 14 HRs & 53 RBIs on the year, finding his way back up to the majors in the summer when Ryan Church got injured. On August 31st he hit his first career HR coming against the Florida Marlins. In 50 games at the big league level he hit .257 with two HRs ten doubles & nine RBIs.

By now Evans had become a highly touted prospect, although a first baseman by trade his future would soon be in jeopardy with the emergence of Ike Davis. Evans also did not hit for power, but the team was hoping he could be more of a doubles hitter, especially in Citi Field where he had little chance to hit HRs in the big ball park.

In 2009 he began the year at AAA Buffalo but got sent down to AA Binghamton when he struggled. At the end of June he was back with the Mets for a month. He hit a HR in his second game back, gathering two hits & two RBIs at Citi Field in the Mets 11-0 win over the Cardinals. 

The bouncing around of Evans continued as he was back at the end of August through September. On the year he hit .231 with one HR five doubles & seven RBIs in 30 games (15-65).

In 2010 he hit well at both AAA Buffalo & AA Binghamton batting .300 with 20 HRs 44 doubles & 80 RBIs getting a brief two game call up to fill a roster spot in July, but then returned as a September call up. On September 19th his RBI single off Chan Ho Park beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the bottom of the 9th inning at Citi Field for an exciting walk off win. In 20 games he hit .306, with one HR 3 doubles & 5 RBIs in 36 at bats.

In 2011 he continued to hit at the minor league level batting .313 with 13 doubles 8 HRs & 32 RBIs at AAA Buffalo. When he was brought up to the Mets in May after David Wright went on the DL, it took him ten games to get his first hit. He was sent down to make room for Lucas Duda, but returned to the club in July and over a month got his average to peak at .300. He saw alot of playing time in August & September since Ike Davis was gone for the season with injury.

In early September he hit HRs in back to back games then two days later had a three RBI day in Florida against the Marlins. He drove in 14 runs in the month and finished the year batting .256 with 4 HRs 10 doubles 26 runs scored 25 RBIs & a .214 on base % in 59 games. At first he posted a .993 fielding % making just three errors. The Mets decided to part ways with Evans as he was let go to free agency in November. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates two weeks later.

In 159 career games over four seasons he batted .256 with 28 doubles 3 triples 8 HRs 54 runs scored & 46 RBIs posting a .305 on base %.

Former Queens Born Italian / American Player / Manager: Sam Mele (1947-1967)

Sabath Anthony Mele was on born January 21, 1922 in Astoria, New York. He eventually earned the nickname SAM due to his initials. Mele attended Bryant High School off 31st Street in Long Island City, moving on to New York University in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. Mele was a star basketball player at NYU, and then served the United States in World War II.

He was signed by the Boston Red Sox in 1946 & went on to lead the Southern League in hitting (.342) & triples (18) that same year. The next year he was in the majors, batting .302 with 8 triples posting the AL’s second best fielding % in the outfield (.992). He played in an outfield next to Ted Williams & Dom Dimaggio before losing his starting job to Sam Spence in 1948. That year his average fell to .233 & he was traded to the Washington Senators in 1949.

In 1951 he led the league in doubles (36) driving in a career high 94 runs batting .274. He would have one of the league’s best fielding percentages for four straight years in the outfielder during the early fifties. Mele would play next for the White Sox, Orioles, Red Sox again & Reds before finishing his ten year playing career in 1956. He ended with a .267 batting average 406 hits 80 HRs 168 doubles & 39 triples in 1046 games played.

In 1959 he began to coach under former Brooklyn Dodger & future Mets coach Cookie Lavagetto with the Washington Senators. In 1961 the Senators franchise moved to Minneapolis & became the Minnesota Twins. In June Lavagetto took a leave & eventually left the position for good. Sam Mele took over as the Twins new manager, finishing in seventh place.

The Twins surprised people finishing second the next year & after two poor seasons became one of the AL’s most powerful teams.

In 1965 Mele’s Twins won the pennant & fell one game short of winning the World Series when Sandy Koufax defeated Jim Katt in Game #7. Mele’s team won 102 games, still a Twins record & won the Manager of the year Award.

Members of that great team include Hall of Fame slugger Harmon Killebrew, batting champion Tony Oliva, 1965 AL AVP Zoilo Versalles, Don Mincher & pitchers Jim Katt, Mudcat Grant & Al Worthington.

The next seasons the Twins finished second to Baltimore & expectations were high for 1967. In mid May the Twins were just at .500 even though they had acquired pitcher Dean Chance & added rookie Rod Carew. Mele was fired & replaced by Cal Ermer.

The Twins finished second to Boston losing out on the last day of the 1967 season. Mele went on to scout for the Red Sox until the new milleneum.

1986 Mets Short Stop: Rafael Santana (1984-1987)

Rafael Francisco Santana was born January 31, 1958, in the Dominican Republic. In 1976 he signed with the Al New York club as an amateur free agent playing in their system until 1981. That year he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for a player to be named later (George Frazier). He hit over .280 in 1982 & 1983 in the minors, both minor league bests for him, while playing a fine short stop. He was called up in 1983 & played in 30 games for the Cardinals batting just .214. In January of 1984 he was released by St. Louis & a few hours later signed with the New York Mets.

In 1984 Santana batted .276 at AAA Tidewater in 77 games & was called up to the Mets in July to fill a roster spot. He started his Mets career as Jose Oquendo’s back short stop eventually taking over the position in August. The scouting reports on Santana were; limited range with good speed and a strong arm. He would drive first baseman Keith Hernandez crazy with his high arched throws that would just beat the base runners. It also seemed Santana would only fire the ball when absolutely necessary, otherwise it appeared he lobbed the ball over the infield. In 1984 at the plate he hit .271 with 12 RBIs hitting the first of his 13 career HRs during the last week of the season in a game against the Phillies.

By 1985 the Mets traded off Oquendo & Santana became the Mets regular shortstop, a job he would hold for three seasons. He was a weak hitter and mostly batting in the eighth spot within a strong Mets line up. He hit .257 in 1985, which was his career best as a regular player, with one HR, 19 doubles & 29 RBIs. He led all short stops in put outs (301) turned 81 double plays, making 25 errors (5th in the league).

In the 1986 Championship season he hit under .200 most of the season, but had a good August to raise him over the .200 mark. He began the month with a six game hit streak & on the 15th he had his biggest day. Gathering three hits with a pair of doubles & two runs scored against the Cardinals at Shea.

By late August he hit well enough the rest of the way to finish at .218, with one HR 11 doubles & 28 RBIs. His .973 fielding % was fourth best among NL shortstops. As a member of a wild bunch on the 1986 team, Santana was low key. He never got in any trouble & always conducted himself like a gentleman. He told the news in 2009 from his home in Cape Coral, Florida; "I never got in trouble. I was never arrested. My job was too important for me to do something stupid."

Post Season: In the NLCS against Houston, he played in all six games, setting an NLCS record for shortstops in putouts (13), assists (18) and chances (31) in a six-game series. At the plate he was 3-17 batting .176. In the World Series he hit .250 (5-20) scoring three runs & driving in two. In Game #7 he singled home Lenny Dykstra after Ray Knight had homered in the bottom of the 7th inning, & later scored on Keith Hernandez’s sacrifice fly.

The next season, Santana had the league’s second best fielding% at short (.973) turned over 82 doubles plays & was third in put outs & assists. At the plate he had career best in HRs (5) doubles (21) and RBIs (44), but it was his last season as a Met. Kevin Elster was on the scene, as the organizations choice for shortstop of the future & on December 11, 1987 Santana was Traded (with minor leaguer Victor Garcia) to the AL New York club for Steve Frey, Phil Lombardi and Darren Reed.

There he played a full season as their regular short stop, 143 games, batting .240 with 4 HRs and 38 RBIs. He made 22 errors (third among AL short stops) & grounded into 17 double plays. An elbow injury forced him to miss the entire 1989 season, and that November he was released. In 1990, he signed with the Cleveland Indians joining former 1986 Mets team mates Kieth Hernandez & Jesse Orosco.

He would only play in seven games getting released on April 25th. After a short seven season career he retired at the age of 32, with 497 hits a lifetime .246 average with 13 HRs 74 doubles, and 156 RBI in 668 games. On the field he posted a lifetime .969 fielding percentage (87th all time).

Retirement: Since his playing career, Santana has been a long time coach in the Dominican Winter League, with the Royals, Red Sox & White Sox farm systems. He is currently in charge of the White Sox player development in the Dominican Republic. He is also a member of the Mets Alumni Association along with past Mets players, and still makes personal appearances.

He attended the 20th Anniversary of the 1986 Championship Team & attended the closing ceremonies of Shea Stadium.

Former Mets Pitcher & Pitching Coach: Bob Apodaca (1973-1977) (1996-1999)

Robert John Apodaca was born on January 31, 1950 in Los Angeles, California. The five foot eleven Mexican / American right hander was drafted by the New York Mets during their pitching rich days in 1971. At A ball Visalia in 1971 he was 7-1 with a 3.60 ERA making a quick impression. In 1972 he was up at AA Memphis going 11-7 (second to only Randy Sterling in wins) with a 2.80 ERA becoming a highly touted prospect.

The next year he was 6-3 posting a 1.80 ERA at AAA Tidewater the third best pitcher on the staff behind Sterling & John Glass. Apodaca made his debut in late September 1973, in a crucial game against the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. He allowed one run & two walks in less than one inning of work giving him an infinity ERA. He did not appear in any other games nor the post season.

In 1974 he had a good spring and made the 1974 Mets roster. How could Met fans ever forget the way his name would roll out of the mouths of announcers Bob Murphy & Lindsey Nelson. In the 1974 Mets home opener, after the ’73 NL Pennant flag was raised, Apodaca got the call in relief, in the 9th inning. The Mets top fireman, Tug McGraw was out sick & not able to pitch that day. With two Cardinal runners on base, Apodaca retired Tim McCarver to earn the save in relief of Jerry Koosman.

The next day he relieved George Stone in the 9th inning & gave up three straight singles blowing a save opportunity & took the loss. At the beginning of May, he earned his first victory in St. Louis beating Bob Gibson and the Cardinals, pitching five innings of relief.

In July he was put into the starting rotation of a struggling staff, in his first start at Los Angeles he pitched six shutout innings beating the Dodgers 5-2. His next outing wasn't as good as he was hit hard for five runs exiting in the 4th inning. He won his next two decisions including a brilliant two hit seven inning shutout performance against the Reds at Shea Stadium. In September he was back in the bullpen, earning one save, a win & a loss. For the season he went 6-6 with three saves the rest of the way, posting a 3.50 ERA in 105 innings.

In 1975 Apodaca was the Mets main relief specialist, taking over as the teams closer when Tug McGraw got traded to Philadelphia. Apodaca missed the first two weeks of the 1975 season on the DL, returning on April 20th. He returned to save seven games and earned one win through mid June before blowing an opportunity. In that stretch he only allowed four earned runs in 28 innings, pitched good for a 1.15 ERA. He took his first loss in Montreal on June 18th allowing a 9th inning RBI single to Gary Carter & then a 10th inning game winning hit to Pete Mackanin.

In a game against the Phillies, he took a bouncer to his face & suffered a fractured nose, requiring 14 stitches. He missed most of July returning at the end of the month for one appearance. In August he saved four more games, as the Mets fired manager Yogi Berra and remained in contention, six games back at the start of September. Apodaca finished the year with his best overall season, posting a 1.48 ERA, with a team leading 13 saves (8th best in the league) and a 3-4 record. He allowed just 66 hits, 4 HRs & 14 earned runs in 85.0 innings pitched, striking out 45 batters.


In 1976 he lost his closer job to Skip Lockwood, but made 43 appearances & was second on the staff with five saves. He struggled with a 3-7 record although he posted another strong ERA (2.81), striking out 45 batters in 89 innings. In 1977 he appeared in a career high 59 games, mostly in middle relief for the last place Mets for a franchise that hit rock bottom. Once again Apodaca was second on the staff to Skip Lockwood with five saves going 4-8, with three holds & a respectable 3.43 ERA.

In Spring Training of 1978 hard luck fell on Apodaca, he tore a ligament in his right elbow which ended up finishing his career. He did not pitch for three seasons, until 1981 when he attempted a comeback with AA Jackson.

He pitched in just six games, before being forced to retire, ending a once promising career that never took off. In just five brief seasons he appeared in 184 games, going 16-25 with a 2.86 ERA and 26 saves. He struck out 197 batters walked 131 in 361 innings pitched. Apodaca made just 11 starts with one complete game as well.

Retirement: After his playing days he spent over a decade as a coach in the Mets farm system, starting at Little Falls & Jackson in 1983. That season he helped coach a young Roger McDowell & Calvin Schiraldi. He went to the Columbia Mets from 1984-1987 working under Bud Harrelson in 1985 & finishing as league champs in 1986. He went to the St. Lucie Mets then back to Jackson in 1989-1990.

From 1991- 1996 he was at the Mets AAA level first with Tidewater then at Norfolk when the team moved. Over the years he tutored Anthony Young, Pete Shourek, Bobby Jones, Paul Byrd, Rick Reed & the Generation K trio of Jason Isringhausen, Bill Pulsipher, & Paul Gibson.

He was promoted to pitching coach of the New York Mets on Bobby Valentine’s staff from 1996 to 1999. Apodacas staff won 88 games in both 1997 & 1998 posting the leagues 4th best ERA in 1998 & most saves in 1997 (41). On June 5th 1999, the Mets were one game under .500 & the front office wanted to shake things up a bit. Valentine arrived at Shea‚ to learn that GM Steve Phillips had fired his three closest coaches Apodaca‚ Tom Robinson and Randy Niemann.

Apodaca moved on to the Milwaukee Brewers as pitching coach in 2000-2001, then returned to the Mets organization as pitching coach for St. Lucie in 2002.

In 2003 he got the job as pitching coach for the Colorado Rockies under Clint Hurdle whom he had met while coaching in the Mets minor league system. Their staff went to the World Series in 2007, and got to another post season in 2009. Apodaca still holds the position through 2011 & has been the Rockies coach for nine seasons.

centerfieldmaz Remembers actor Robert Hegyes (Welcome Back Kotter's -Juan Epstein)

Today, centerfieldmaz  remembers Robert Hegyes who portrayed the character Juan Epstein, in one my favorite classic sitcoms Welcome Back Kotter.

Robert Hegyes was born May 7th, 1951 in Perth Amboy,New Jersey. He grew up in nearby Metuchen, NJ, attending high school there, then going to Rowan University at Glassboro, NJ. He began acting in a Greewich Village Theater group as a teen & got the part for Welcome Back Kotter at age 23 in 1974. In reality Hegyes was of Italian / Hungarian decent although he portrayed the Puerto Rican / Jewish "Sweat Hog" Juan Epstein.

On "Welcome Back Kotter"- Juan was one of many Epstein brothers & sisters. He usually wore cut off denim vests & sported a high afro. He was the tough guy of the sweat hogs, walking around with a bad ass strut & a red bandanna hangin out of his pocket. He was voted  "most likley to take a life" at Brooklyn's Buchanan high school by his classmates. The actor Hedgyes was a fan of the Marx Brothers & his resembelence to Harpo Marx made his impersonation of him on the show even stronger.

The funniest of all Epstein's antics was that he that he always had an excuse note for every occasion. "Hey Mr. Kotter I got a note". The note would be lip synched by Juan as Mr. Kotter read it aloud. The notes were always forged "Juan's mother" as it was obvious he had written them.

Welcome Back Kotter aired on TV from 1975-1979 reaching #18 in the ratings in its first season & #13 in its second season, before falling off. The show became a huge hit with a large cult following, spawning off comic books, lunch boxes, action figures & trading cards. The show has since  remained popular in reruns & in 2011 all living cast members (except Horseshack) were on hand to recieve a TV Land Award for its 35th anniversary. John Travolta is also godfather to Hegyes children.

The actor Robert Hegyes also had a recurring part in the show Cagney & Lacy. He made appearances on The Streets of San Francisco, Chico & the Man, CHIPS, Diagnosis Murder, the Drew Carey Show, News Radio, the $20, 0000 Pyramid & Saturday Night Live. He also was a star in the award winning Volkswagon commercial "The Chase" as well as making appearances in movies; Honeymoon Hotel, The Purpose & Bob Roberts.

Hegyes later taught acting, writing & public speaking at his alma mater Rowan University in New Jersey, as well as at Brooks College in Long Beach, California. Sadly, Hedgyes  passed away from a heart attack yesterday, January 26th in Edison New Jersey, he was 60 years old.

Original 1962 Mets Second Baseman: Charlie Neal (1962-1963)

Charles Leonard Neal was born on January 30, 1931 in Longview Texas. Neal began in the Negro Leagues with the Atlanta Black Crackers. He was signed as an infielder by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950. It took him six years to crack the big league Dodgers squad with such a talented infield of Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson & Jim Gilliam. In his minor league years he hit over .300 three times & over .270 all but once.
He debuted in Brooklyn in 1956, batting .287 in 136 at bats with two HRs five doubles eleven stolen bases (9th in the NL) & 14 RBIs. He got to play in his first World Series going 0-4 as a pinch hitter. In 1957 he took over as the Dodger short stop when Pee Wee Reese moved over to third base. Neal batted .270 with 12 HRs 13 doubles 11 stolen bases & 62 RBIs.

In 1958 at the Dodgers moved west, Neal moved over to play second base. Long time second baseman Jim Gilliam moved to play outfield & Don Zimmer took over at short. Neal posted a .976 fielding % (5th in the NL) making 343 assists (5th in the NL) &with 334 out outs (3rd in the NL) making 17 errors (3rd most in the NL). At bat he had his most productive year in HRs with a career high 22, nine doubles six triples 61 walks 65 RBIs a .341 on base % & a .254 average.

In the 1959 Dodgers Championship season, he led the league in triples (11) & sacrifice hits (21). That season he hit 19 HRs, scored 103 runs (6th in the league) and had career highs with 83 RBIs, 30 doubles (9th in the NL) 60 extra base hits & 17 stolen bases (7th in the NL) , earning him 20% of the MVP voting. Neal led the NL second baseman in fielding (.989) double plays (110) & put outs (386) which won him a gold glove.

Post Season: In Game #2 of the 1959 World Series against the Chicago White Sox, he hit a pair of HRs off Bob Shaw driving in three runs at Comiskey Park, leading the Dodgers to a 4-3 win. In Game #2 he drove in Maury Wills in the bottom of the 8th inning with an insurance run in the Dodger 3-1 win. Overall he had a big series, hitting .370 (10-27) second only to Gil Hodges with players who had more than four at bats. He hit two HRs driving in six runs, with two doubles and four runs scored in the Series.

After hitting only .235 with 10 HRs 6 doubles 48 RBIs& a .297 on base % in 1961 he was traded to the expansion New York Mets for $100,000 & a veteran named Lee Walls. Neal was an original Met, playing second base and batting third in the first game in Mets history on April 11, 1962 in St. Louis. St. Louis. In the 3rd inning he singled and drove in the first run in Mets history, scoring Ritchie Ashburn. In the top of the 5th he hit the second HR in Mets history, it came off pitcher Larry Jackson. He had a great day going 3-4, driving in two runs & scoring a run.


On April 28th at the Polo Grounds he hit two HRs against the Philadelphia Phillies helping the Mets to their second win an 8-6 victory against ten losses. In the month of April Neal hit three HRs drove in nine runs & batted .310 leading the team as one of their top hitters.

On May 20th he hit the first of three Mets HRs in the top of the 7th inning against the Milwaukee Braves. In mid June he drove in runs in five of seven games. In the first week of August had six RBIs& in the month drove in 17 runs with nine multi hit games.

In September he would hit safely in ten of eleven games he played in. Neal would play in 136 games in 1962, batting .260 with 11 HRs, 58 RBIs and a team leading 9 triples & 9 sacrifice hits. He primarily played second for the Mets, but also had time at third & short. By far he was their best defensive infielder posting a .970 fielding %. In 1963 he struggled at the start not getting to the .200 mark until May.

He hit his first HR that month then two more in June, but after 72 games he was batting .225 with just 18 RBIs. The Mets traded him to the Cincinnati Reds along with Sammy Taylor for catcher Jesse Gonder. Neal finished out his career that year, posting the leagues fourth best fielding % as a third baseman (.955) batting just .211.

In his eight season career he hit .259 with 858 hits 87 HRs 113 doubles 461 runs scored 38 triples 48 stolen bases a .329 on base % & 391 RBIs

Passing: In 1996 Neal passed away from heart failure in Dallas, Texas at age 65.

Late Seventies Mets Reserve Infielder: Sergio Ferrer (1978-1979)

Sergio (Marrero) Ferrer was born on January 29, 1951 in Santurce, Puerto Rico. The five foot seven middle infielder was originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1970. He was then drafted away Rule V, by the Minnesota Twins in December 1973. He debut in Minnesota at the start of the 1974 season behind regular short stop Danny Thompson. That year he hit a career best .281 in 24 games before being sent back to AAA in May. He would make the team out of Spring Training again in 1975 & play 32 more games. He hit.247 & drove in his first two career runs but was back in the minors by June.

Ferrer would spend the next two seasons in the minors getting traded first to the Philadelphia Phillies & then the AL New York club. He played in their organizations before coming over to the New York Mets for Roy Staiger in December 1977. He drove in 22 runs batting .241 at AAA Tidewater when he was brought up in late April of 1978. The quick footed Ferrer was used as a pinch runner or late inning defensive replacement in 37 games, batting just .212 in 33 at bats with one stolen base.

In 1979 he began the year back at Tidewater, but rejoined the Mets that June through the rest of the season. He had seven at bats going hitless with three strikeouts, seeing action in 32 games. He never got back to the major leagues after that, batting just .242 with 43 hits & three RBIs lifetime in a four year career. Ferrer played in the minors through the 1981 season, and later appeared in the short lived Senior Professional League in 1989.

Former New York Giants Player & Manager: Bill Rigney

William Joseph Rigney was born on January 29, 1918 in Oakland, California. He was signed by the New York Giants making the ball club in 1946 playing third base that year.

He would be the team’s second baseman from 1947-1949, with career highs in HRs (17) doubles (24) RBIs (59) in 1947.

In 1948 he led the NL in errors, the next year he batted a career high .278 which would be his last season as a Giants regular. In 1950 the Giants had Eddie Stanky to play second base & Hank Thompson for third base, Rigney became a reserve player through the 1953 season.

In the 1951 World Series he had four at bats (1-4) as a pinch hitter, driving in the Giants only run in Game #2. In his eight seasons, Rigney batted .259 with 510 hits 41 HRs 212 RBIs & 78 doubles in 654 games played.

After his playing days he replaced Leo Durocher in New York finishing sixth in both 1956 & 1957 the Giants last season in New York.

When the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958, it was Rigney at the helm, returning home to the Bay area. That season he brought the team to a 3rd place finish, over .500 at 80-74.

The following season the Giants won three more game but the team still finished in third place, as the rival Dodgers won the World Series, their first championship in Los Angeles. In 1960 after 58 games Rigney was let go after posting a 33-25 record being replaced by Tom Sheehan.

In 1961 he was hired as manager of the expansion Los Angeles Angels, winning the manager of the Year Award in 1962 when he led them to a third place finish going 86-76. The Angels would finish ninth the following year, losing 91 games. Rigney would remain as their manager into the 1969 season only finishing a best third one more time. He was replaced by Lefty Phillips in early 1969, then moved on to the Giants radio booth.

In 1970 he was hired by the Minnesota Twins, as their manager leading them to an AL Western title, losing to the eventual World Champion Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS.

He remained with the Twins into the 1972 season before being replaced by Frank Quilici. In 1976 Rigney had one more run as manager of the San Francisco Giants finishing in fourth place. In an 18-season managerial career, Rigney posted a 1239-1321 record (.484) in 2561 games.

In the 1980’s he was a broadcaster for the Oakland A’s as well as a front office consultant. Rigney passed away in 2001 at age 83 in Walnut Creek, California.