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Remembering Mets Opening Days (1988) Mets Hit Record Six Opening Day HRs in Montreal

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Monday April 4th, 1988: After the 1986 Championship season, the Mets fans were expecting a dynasty from the talented team. The expectations may have been too high, but with a powerful lineup & fine pitching the team was one of the best in baseball in the mid to late 1980's. After failing to make the playoffs in 1987, there was pressure & lots of optimism for 1988. The Mets pretty much brought the same team on board this season.  By now veterans Keith Hernandez & Gary Carter were in their mid-thirties, injuries were starting to take their toll. Howard Johnson had become one the league's top sluggers & Kevin Elster was taking over as the main short stop. The previous season David Cone & Randy Meyers had blossomed into the pitching staff. This was a good team. The Mets season was to open in Montreal where 55,413 fans came to Stade Olympique, to see their hometown Expos take on the New York Mets. Many Mets fans made the six-hour ride north to the beautiful...

Ronny Mauricio: Mets Infielder (2023 - 2025)

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Ronny Mauricio was born April 4th, 2001, in the Dominican Republic. The six foot three infielder was signed by the New York Mets as an international free agent in 2017. He began his career with the Gulf Coast & Kingsport Mets. In 2021 he was with the A ball Brooklyn Cyclones getting promoted to AA Binghamton where he hit 20 HRs with 60 RBIs in 108 games.  He showed good athletic abilities in the Mets farm system; his name was being talked about as a possible future Mets star infielder. In 2022 he hit 26 HRs with 89 RBIs in a full season at Binghamton.  In 2023 he was promoted to AAA Syracuse, where he hit .292 with 23 HRs 30 doubles & 71 RBIs while stealing 24 bases in 116 games before getting the big league call up. Mauricio showed power as well as speed but also has trouble hitting breaking balls & needs to be more patient at the plate. MLB Debut: On September 1st, 2023, Mauricio made his MLB debut & doubled off the Mariners Logan Gilbert in his first career...

Remembering Mets Opening Days (2001) Ventura Leads the Reigning N.L. Champs In Atlanta

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Tuesday April 3rd, 2001: The 2000 National League Champion, New York Mets opened up the 2001 season on the road in enemy territory, in Atlanta at the height of the Mets Braves rivalry. The Mets had won the wild card the previous year getting to the World Series. The Braves had been the NL Champions in 1999 beating the Mets in the NLCS. The rivalry was intense with some classic moments thru the years. The Mets came into 2001 without much improvement, adding pitcher Kevin Appier & outfielder Tsuyoshi Shingo from Japan. Management made a big mistake, passing up on free agent Alex Rodriguez who signed with Texas.  For Opening Day at Turner Field, 42,117 came to see Bobby Cox's Braves host Bobby Valentines New York Mets. The starting pitchers for this matchup would be Al Leiter for the Mets & Tom Glavine for the Braves. In the top of the 1st, Benny Agbayani led off with a walk, but was thrown out at second, trying to steal. Edgardo Alfonzo then doubled into centerfield.  A...

Al Weis: 1969 Mets World Series Hero (1968 - 1971)

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Albert John Weis was born April 2, 1938 in Franklin Square, New York on Long Island. He grew up in the town of Bethpage & attended Farmingdale high School. The Long Island boy then joined the Navy & while playing baseball there got signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent. The speedy six-foot switch-hitting speedy  infielder stole 42 bases in 1960 at the low level of the minor leagues. Al spent four years in the minor leagues peaking in 1962 at AAA Indianapolis batting .296 with 13 triples, 15 doubles & 31 stolen bases.   MLB Career: In September 1962 Weis got a call up playing behind the double play combo of Hall of Famers, Luis Aparicio & Nellie Fox. Weis debuted in Washington drawing a walk in his first game in a 3-1 loss to the Senators. He went just 1-12 during the month (.083). At the end of the season the White Sox traded away Luis Aparicio, Weis played his rookie year as a utility infielder behind Nellie Fox & Ron Hanse...

Daniel Murphy (Part Two) 2015 Post Season Record Setter

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2015: In the 2015 off season Daniel Murphy's name kept coming up in trade talks again, as the Mets continued to shop him.  They did not find a suitable buyer & it was back to Spring Training once again in a Mets uniform.  He continued to dodge the questions that came his way & went about his business as usual, like the true professional he was. No one expected the year that was ahead of Daniel Murphy.  Religious Views: During Spring Training Billy Bean was going around to baseball teams to promote Inclusion to MLB. Murphy a Religious man stated "I do disagree with the fact that Billy is a homosexual. That doesn’t mean I can’t still invest in him and get to know him. You can still accept him, but I do disagree with the lifestyle, 100%."   After these comments became controversial to some, Murph said he'll stick with baseball & not tell reporters about his religious beliefs anymore. 2015 Mets NL Pennant Season : Daniel Murphy  would be...