Former Met of the Day: "Nails" Post Season Hero- Lenny Dykstra

Leonard Kyle Dykstra was born on February 10, 1963 in Santa Ana, California. He was signed by the Mets in the 13th round of the 1981 draft. He rose quickly in the Mets system & by 1983 was the Carolina League MVP. In 1985 he was called up and hit .254 in 83 games. Mr. Dykstra soon became known as Nails for his toughness and nitty gritty style of play. He always had a dirty uniform, and cheek full of tobacco, like an old time ballplayer. The fans loved him, as he dove for balls in the outfield, or slid head first into a base. He became a great leadoff hitter, able to slap the ball all over the field with occasional power. He could draw key walks and was a good base stealer.

In 1986 when Wilson got injured during Spring Training, Dykstra began the year as the Mets primary centerfielder and proved again how good he could play every day. He & Mookie would now share centerfield in Davey Johnsons platoon system. In the leadoff spot, ahead of the pesky Wally Backman, the two became known as “Partners in Grime” & “The Wild Boys” as seen to a music video sequence in the Mets 1986 season film. In 1986 Nails led the team in stolen bases (31) and triples (7). He hit .295 (9th best in the NL) with 27 doubles, 5 HRs & 45 RBIs in 147 games played. He was always in the middle of some kind of rally and enjoyed five different occasions where he had four hits in a game. During a July 3-13 home stand he had a hot streak with 18 hits, 6 doubles, & 7 RBIs. Later that July, he had a ten hit, ten game road trip.

Post Season: Dykstra will forever be remembered for his walk off home run in the NLCS Game #3, which is one of the biggest moments in Mets history. Dykstra had entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 7th and had struck out. In the bottom of the 9th inning, the Mets were trailing 5-4, when Wally Backman led off the inning with a bunt hit and controversial slide into first base. Dykstra came up against Astros closer Dave Smith. He drilled a HR down the right field line, winning the game with a walk off HR. The Shea crowd went wild in one of the most dramatic Mets post season victories ever. Dykstra was as shocked as anyone. "I wasn't thinking about going up there to hit a home run to win the ballgame", he said. "I was just thinking base hit. I saw the pitch real well and hit it real well." Dykstra would bat .304 (7-23) in the 1986 NLCS.

In the World Series against Boston, he hit .296 (8-27) with HR, 3 RBIs & two walks. It was Dykstra's leadoff home run in Game #3 at Fenway Park that brought the Mets to life after being down two games to none. The HR made him the 3rd Met in team history along with Tommie Agee and Wayne Garrett, to hit leadoff home runs in the World Series, all coming in a Game #3.

In 1987 Dykstra hit a few more HRs (10) & began to get accused of trying to swing for the fences. He drove in 45 runs and still batted .285. His power surge included, setting a Mets club mark in doubles (at the time) with 37 (4th in the league). He would continue to be a menace on the base paths stealing 27 bases. He had a strong May with 24 hits, 4 HRs, 6 stolen bases and 11 RBIs. His July & August months also included over 20 hits, and from September 20th until the end of the season he had six multiple hit games.

In 1988 for the NL East Champion Mets, injuries limited Dykstra to 126 games. He started out the season with an opening day 3 run HR against Montreal and had 3 HRs by mid April. He hit better in the earlier part of the season, batting over .300 until the beginning of August. He led the team again with 30 stolen bases, and would hit .270, with 8 HRs, 33 RBIs. His numbers in the doubles department dropped off drastically to only 19.

Post Season: In the 1988 NLCS against the Dodgers, he continued his post season success by hitting .429 with three doubles, four walks, a HR, 3 RBIs and 6 runs scored. In the final three games of the Series he had five hits, drove in three runs and scored four runs.

On June 18th 1989 after 56 games and batting .270, the Mets made one of their worst trades ever. The popular Dykstra and relief pitcher Roger McDowell were both traded to the Phillies for Juan Samuel. Keith Hernandez said in his book that Dykstra was traded because he was "on the wild and crazy side".

Dykstra was upset over the trade because he loved playing in New York, but he soon adjusted to Philadelphia, becoming popular there as well. In 1990 he started the All Star Game, led the league in hits with 192 and batted .325 9 4th in the NL). He hit 9 HRs 30 doubles, drove in 60 runs and scored 106 runs (5th in the NL). In 1991, injuries including an opening day broken hand, in 1991 beat him up over the next two seasons, limiting him to 63 & 85 games but he hit .297 or better both seasons.

In 1993 he had a career year as the Phillies went to the World Series. He came in second to Barry Bonds in the MVP voting, leading the league in hits (194) runs scored (143) walks (129) & at bats (637). He hit a career high 19 HRs, and 44 doubles (2nd in the league), while driving in 66 runs. In the NLCS he hit .280 going 7-25 with 2 HRs & 2 RBIs. He hit even better in the World Series .348, going 8-23 with 4 HRs 8 RBIs and 7 walks. In his career Dykstra hit .321 with 10 HRs 19 RBIs 6 doubles 27 runs scored & 20 walks in 32 post season games.

Injuries quickly brought a down fall to his career, as he only played in 84 games batting .274 the next season, and two seasons later he was done at the age of 35. In his career he hit .285 with 81 HRs, 404 RBIs, 802 runs scored, 281 doubles, & 285 steals in 1278 games played.

Retirement: Dykstra owned a car wash in California, became a columnist for TheStreet.com, ran"Team Dykstra" Quick Lube Centers; a real estate company; and a "I Sold It on eBay"company. He became a buisness advisor & stock market whiz in the financial world, appearing on Fox's Cost of Freedom business shows. He bought Wayne Gretzky's $17 million estate, and began campaigning against the use of chewing tobacco.

Drama: In March 1991, he was linked to a gambling probe in Mississippi. Two months later, he broke his collarbone in a car wreck after John Kruk's bachelor party. Team mate Darren Daulton was a passenger in the car, suffering an eye injury & a broken facial bone. In 2007 he was named in the Mitchell Report for steroid use in December 2007. It stated that the Commissioner’s office knew about his steroid use since 2000. Dykstra did not agree to meet with the investigators to discuss the allegations.

In 2009 he claimed bankruptcy after getting into millions of dollars worth of debt. Companies and business people had begun to invest big monies with Dykstra after his success in the stock market. His style of living became way over his head, and many of his investments went sour with the bad market. He foreclosed on multi-million dollar properties in Lake Sherwood, & was accused of vandalizing the same properties.

Honors: In 2002, he was elected to the Mets' 40th Anniversary All-Amazin Team. In 2006, was at Shea for the 20th Anniversary of the 1986 Championship team, receiving one the evening's loudest ovations. He was on hand for the closing ceremonies of Shea in 2008 and has served as a special Spring Training instructor through the years.

Former Met of the Day: Mookie Wilson (1980-1989) (Mets Hall of Fame)

William Hayward Wilson was born on February 9, 1956 in Bamberg, South Carolina. He earned his nickname (Mookie) as a small child when he couldn’t say the word milk, calling it mook. He played baseball at the University of South Carolina, and was drafted by the Mets in the 2nd round of the 1977 draft. The switch hitting centerfielder made up for his weak arm, with great speed, good base stealing and a positive attitude. He made his debut in September 1980 getting his first MLB hit in his third big league game. That month, three times he would have three or more hits in a game. Wilson would soon become a Shea Stadium favorite, as the fans would chant “Moooooook” when he came to bat. In 1981 he played in 92 games and batted .271, impressing everyone with his speed, stealing 24 bases.

He had a career changimg moment in a game against the Cubs that season as well. He lazily played a base hit in centerfield. The runner took second base on him. Mookie was embarrassed and from that day on, he always hustled on every play. That Cubs base runner, was Bill Buckner.
In 1982 he played in 159 games and set a Mets record (at the time) of 58 stolen bases. He also tied the club mark with 9 triples. He led the team in runs scored with 90, hits with a career high 178, batting average .279, extra base hits, total bases, at bats, & games played. As the teams leadoff man though, he struck out over 100 times in 1982 & 1983, while fanning 90 times in 1984. He worked on his patience at the plate and lowered those numbers, reaching only 80 strikeouts once more in his Mets career.

In 1983 he started a stretch where he would consistently bat .276 for three straight seasons. He would lead the Mets in steals two more straight years, and in runs scored as well. That season he led the NL in at bats with 638. In 1984 Wilson had career highs in HRs (10) RBIs (45) and doubles (28) while stealing over 45 bases for the third straight year.

In 1985 he went down with a shoulder injury in the beginning of July, missing two months of action. The injury opened the door for Lenny Dykstra as well as Wilson missing the first month of the 1986 season. From now on manager Davey Johnson would use the two in a centerfield platoon system. In 93 games he hit .276 with 6 HRs 16 doubles 26 RBIs while still stealing 24 bases.

In Spring Training 1986 he was hit in the eye by a Rafael Santana throw during an infielders drill. His glasses broke and he missed the first month of the season. He would have trouble judging fly balls during day games, when he returned. He had a great mid May West Coast road trip, getting 10 hits, including a 5 hit day in San Diego, driving in two runs. He improved his average to .289 and hit 9 HRs with 17 doubles 45 RBIs and 25 steals.

Post Season: In the 1986 NLCS he only hit .115 against Astros pitching going 3-26 with an RBI. In the World Series Mookie’s legend would grow to an iconic level. He would become the central figure in the most Amazing moment in Mets history, in one World Series at-bat lasting ten pitches. The Mets were down to their last out in the 10th inning of Game #6, Gary Carter had just scored on Kevin Mitchell's single. Next, Mitchell went to third base on Ray Knights base hit. The Red Sox replaced pitcher Calvin Schiraldi with the veteran Bob Stanley to face Mookie. On the seventh pitch of the at bat, with a 2-2 count, Stanley's threw an inside pitch in the dirt at Wilson’s feet. Mookie jumped out of the way and the ball went past catcher Rich Gedman for a wild pitch. Wilson hit the ground and waved on Kevin Mitchell to score from third base with the tying run. Knight meanwhile moved up to second base. With Shea Stadium literally rocking, as the Upper deck bounced, Wilson stepped back in with a full count and On the tenth pitch of the at-bat, Wilson hit a little roller up along first base. It seemed to be an easy play for Boston’s Bill Buckner, but he was playing on two bad ankles. It got by Buckner, rolling under his legs and into right field. Ray Knight scored with winning run and Shea Stadium was absolute bedlam. It was pure pandemoniam, believe me I was there. People were hugging and kissing each other in utter amazement. Wilson quickly had ran out of the batter’s box and probably would have beaten Buckner to the bag anyway. The play is one of the most famous comebacks in World Series history, and one of the Mets greatest moments. The Mets went on to win Game #7 and the World Series. Overall in the Series Mookie hit .269 (7-26) with a double and three stolen bases.

In 1987 Wilson was now a veteran, and role model to younger players. He raised his average to a career best .299 with 21 steals, 9 HRs 19 doubles & 34 RBIs. He followed that up with a .296 average in 1988 but he began to slow up on the bases only stealing 15 bases. In the 1988 NLCS Wilson struggled going only 2-15 with an RBI in four games. By 1989 the Mets had lost their faith in him, he was unhappy about seeing less playing time but still played hard. After he only hit .205 in 80 games he was traded to Toronto in July for Jeff Musselman & Mike Brady (not the father from the Brady Bunch but the minor leaguer). The fans were upset and missed Mookie, especially because Dykstra had also been traded two months earlier and Juan Samuel wasn’t cutting it.

Mets career : Mookie is second All time in stolen bases (281) and in triples (62). He is 4th in hits (1112) runs (592) & at bats (4027). He is 6th in games (1116) & 8th in total base (1586). He hit 60 HRs with 342 RBIs 170 doubles.

In Toronto he hit just under .300 in the final two months, and scored the winning run in the game that clinched the AL East Division in 1989. He got 5 hits batting .263 in the ALCS that season. He followed that up batting .265 in his last full season as a regular. He finished his career in Toronto getting to another post season in 1991 going 2-8. In his carrer Mookie played in 1403 games, batted .274 with 1397 hits, 327 stolen bases, 67 HRs 48 RBIs 731 Runs scored & 71 triples.

Retirement: Mookie is Uncle & step dad to former Met, Preston Wilson. After his playing days, Mookie was the team's popular first base coach for seven seasons. (1996-2002). In 1996, he earned a bachelor's degree from Mercy College in New York. In 1999 he got a license to drive tractor-trailers in the offseason. He also recorded a gospel album. Next he managed the Mets farm teams; Kingsport Mets (2003-2004) & Brooklyn Cyclones (2005). Since then had a falling out with the organization, and refused an invitation to the closing ceremonies at Shea Stadium in 2008. He did attend the 20th Anniversary celebration of the '86 team prior. Just this week he came back to the Mets family as a minor league instructor.

Honors: Wilson was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1996.

Former Met of the Day: Endy Chavez (2006-2008)

Endy DeJesus Chávez was born on February 7, 1978 in Venezuela. He was drafted by the Mets in 1996 and bounced around their organization until he got traded to Kansas City. After 29 games and a .208 batting average, he was put on waivers. The Mets picked him up again & put him on waivers where the Expos grabbed him. He played his first full season in 2003, batting leadoff & playing centerfield. In 2004 he stole 32 bases (6th in the league), batting.277 with 20 doubles, 5 HRs & 34 RBIs. He made the last out in Expos history at Shea Stadium at the end of the ’04 season. The free swinging left hander moved to Washington DC with the former Expo team, but after seven games, he got traded to Philadelphia for Marlon Byrd.

After one season he only hit .215 in 91 games and was released at the end of the year. He signed on with the Mets for the 2006 season, and became a very valuable role player. Manager Willie Randolph had Endy hit more for contact as opposed to power, raising his average to .306 in 133 games. He filled in for an always injured Cliff Floyd, and was used as a late inning defensive replacement and/or pinch hitter. Chavez also hit 22 doubles, stole 12 bases, hit 4 HRs, drove in 42 runs, and led the team in sacrifice hits with 11. In the outfield he shined, makingno errors and had nine assists. He quicly became a Shea fan favorite and his legacy was just begininning.

In the post season Chavez began by getting 3 hits in the NLDS against the Dodgers, good for a .375 average. In the NLCS he appeared in all seven games but only went 5-27 with two doubles, (.185). It was on the field where Chavez had his greatest moment. In the top of the 6th inning of Game #7, St. Louis’ Scott Rolen blasted an Oliver Perez pitch to the left field wall. Chavez jumped up stuck his glove over the fence and made the catch. He fired the ball in to double up Jim Edmonds, saving a run and the inning was over. The Catch is considered one of baseball’s best ever, certainly ranking up there with Tommie Agee & Ron Swoboda’s catches in 1969. Only problem was the Mets ended up losing the game & the Series. In the new Citi Field the left field entrance has a metal silhouette resembling Endy’s catch, in his honor.

He started out 2007 with another historic game. In a tight April 24th game against Colorado, Chavez dragged a perfect bunt which scored Sean Green from third base. The Mets walked off with the win, some people still call it “the bunt”. When Moises Alou went down, Chavez was mostly used in left field as his replacement. He was hitting around .300 when he went down in June, pulling his hamstring running to first base. He was out until mid August, and the team missed him. He finished the year batting .287 in only 71 games, with 7 doubles, 5 steals & 17 RBIs. Chavez dropped to .267 in 2008, playing in 133 games; his specialty was being used as a late inning defensive replacement.

He made the only error in his three year Mets career in ’08, while making seven outfield assists. In the last game ever at Shea Stadium, Endy once again made a spectacular catch. He came on as a defensive replacement in the 7th inning and robbed Jorge Cantu of an extra base hit, saving a run. Imagine how great Chavez’s legacy would have been if the Mets had won both of those important games.
In the off season he was traded with Aaron Heilman to Seattle in a 12 player deal that brought Jeremy Reed & JJ Putz to New York. After 54 games he hit .273 and was granted free agency.

Former New York Giant: Willard Marshall (1942-1949)

Willard Warren Marshall was born on February 8, 1921 in Richmond, Virginia. In 1939 he attended Wake Forest University, then played in the Southern League with the Atlanta Crackers. In 1942 his contract was sold to the New York Giants. He became new manager Mel Ott’s regular left fielder in his rookie season. Marshall batted .257 with 11 HRs & 59 RBIs making his first All Star team. He was a good contact hitter that struck out very rarely. He then did Military service in WW II for the next four years, missing some prime seasons of his baseball career.

He was in the league’s top 10 in HRs in 1946, and then made his next All Star appearance in 1947 when he enjoyed a career year. He hit 36 HRs (3rd in the league) drove in 107 runs (5th in the league) batting .291 with 107 hits and 102 runs scored. His best day came when he hit three consecutive HRs in a game that summer. He received 16% of the MVP voting that season as well. He would never reach those numbers again, but did hit a career high .307 two seasons later. He spent a totl of five solid seasons with the Giants before getting traded in 1949. He was part of a big deal in December 1949, with the Boston Braves. Marshall along with Sid Gordon, Buddy Kerr and Red Webb went to Boston for Alvin Dark and Eddie Stanky.


By June his contract was purchased by the Reds where he hit .266 & .267 over the next two seasons. He finished his career with the White Sox in 1955. In an eleven season career he batted .274 with 130 HRs 604 RBIs and only struck out 219 times in 4233 at bats.

Former Met of the Day: Post Season Hero - Todd Pratt (1997-2001)

Todd Alan Pratt was born on February 9, 1967 in Bellevue, Nebraska. He went to high school in California and got drafted by the Red Sox in 6th round of the 1985 draft. Eventually he ended up in Philadelphia by 1992, spending three seasons there. Pratt was a career backup catcher, first behind Darren Daulton in Philadelphia getting to a World Series in 1993. In 33 games he hit .287 with 5 HRs & 13 RBIs; he got one at bat going 0-1 in the NLCS. He spent one brief season with the Cubs, then signed with the Mariners but was released at the end of Spring Training.

He was out of baseball & worked at Bucky Dents Baseball Academy for the rest of 1996. He got signed by the Mets in 1997 and would end up spending his Mets career backing up future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza.

In 1997 Pratt put up a solid .283 average in 39 games (106 at bats), with 2 HRs & 19 RBIs. He followed that up with .275 in 1998.

Defensively in both of those seasons he threw out over 44% of the base runners attempting to steal on him. In the 1999 Mets wild card season, Pratt hit his Mets career best .293 playing in 71 games, with 3 HRs & 21 RBIs. He would see his finest moments in the Mets 1999 Post Season.

Post Season: In the NLDS against the Diamondbacks. He got the start behind the plate in Games 3 and 4 for a hurting Mike Piazza. He drew two walks in Game #3 and was 0-4 going into the 10th inning of Game #4. Pratt came to bat against Arizona’s Matt Mantei with one out and drilled a HR over the Shea Stadium fence for a walk off Series win. The crowd went wild as the HR advanced the Mets to the NLCS for the first time in 13 years. The HR ranks as one of the top moments in Mets history, and one of their most memorable game winners.

In the NLCS it was Todd Pratt who was on base in Game #5, when Robin Ventura blasted his famous 15th inning walk off "grand slam single". Pratt was the base runner who went over and embraced Ventura, erasing the possibility of the hit being ruled a HR. The winning run had already scored of course. Back in Game #1, he drove in a 9th inning run off Mets nemesis John Rocker. In the 10th inning of Game #6, Pratt struck Rocker again, driving in the go ahead run with a sacrifice fly. The Mets lost the Game & the Series in the bottom of the 11th inning.

In 2000 Pratt returned as a solid back up to Piazza. He covered when Piazza spent time on the DL, and played behind the plate during interleague play. Pratt hit a career high 8 HRs in 80 games, while batting .275 with 25 RBIs. In the post season he went hitless in two games (0-3). He got five plate appearances in the World Series, catching behind the plate in Game #1, going hitless with a walk.

In July of 2001 he was traded back to the Phillies for catcher Gary Bennett who would play one game as a Met. Pratt spent four more seasons in Philadelphia, primarily as Mike Lieberthal's backup. He hit a career high .311 in 2002, and hit 7 HRs with 23 RBIs (second best numbers of his career) in 2005. He finished his 14 year playing career with the Braves in 2006. In his career he played in 662 games, batting 251 with 49 HRs 224 RBIs.

The Man Traded For Tom Seavers Return to Shea- New Jersey's Charlie Puleo (1981-1982)

Charles Michael Puleo was born on February 7, 1955 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. The local boy from Jersey, went to Bloomfield High School
and then Seton Hall University. The six foot right hander was signed by the expansion Blue Jays as an amateur free agent in 1978. In 1981 he was happy to come back near home, as the player to be named later in the Mark Bomback deal. He was a September 1981 call up pitching in four games. In his last outing he got the start and went 8 innings allowing only one earned run against the Cubs. The Mets won it in the 9th inning, with Neil Allen getting the win.

In May he allowed only two runs in eight innings at Shea against the Giants. In his next outing, on the same home stand, he pitched a four hit, complete game shutout against the Padres. By the end of May he was 5-2. In 24 starts that year he went beyond the 7th inning ten times, going 9-9 with a 4.47 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 172 innings pitched. He found himself pitching in the bullpen by the end of the season. That winter he became part of Mets history, and the answer to a huge trivia question. On December 16th 1982, he was traded to the Reds with Lloyd McClendon for the second coming of Tom Seaver.

He struggled in the Reds 1983 rotation going 6-12 with a 4.89 ERA. He had his contract bought by Atlanta in 1985, and went 6-8 in 1987 & 5-5 in 1988. He was released in 1989 finishing up with a 29-39 record and a 4.25 ERA.

Retirement: After playing baseball he coached college ball in Tennessee for almost a decade. His daughter Angela is a current college basketball star, Charlie resigned from coaching to help follow her career.

Former Met of the Day: Roberto Alomar (2002-2003)

Roberto Alomar was born on February 5th, 1968 in Puerto Rico. He is the son of Mets coach Sandy Alomar & the brother of Sandy Alomar Jr. He was signed by the Padres in 1985 and won the California League batting title in 1986. He made his debut with the Padres in 1988, on the same team as his brother Sandy & father who was a coach at the time. After three seasons he was traded to Toronto along with Joe Carter for Fred McGriff & Tony Fernandez. It was a great trade for Toronto as they would go on to win two World Series with Alomar & Carter as part of the core of their team. When the Sky Dome was in its prime, as “The Eighth Wonder of the World”, Alomar lived in a luxury apartment overlooking the field. After Toronto he spent three years in Baltimore & three years in Cleveland.

Alomar would win ten gold glove awards, make 12 All Star appearances, including winning the 1988 All Star Game MVP Award. He hit over .300 nine out of the next ten seasons, while stealing over 30 bases eight times in his career, including twice over fifty. He had over 30 doubles seven times, over 40 four times, and had over 190 hits three times. Credentials that did not got him into the Hall of Fame in 2009. He thought he was a shoe in and broke down sobbing during an interview after the announcement. He finished his career with an even .300 batting average, and 2724 hits, never leading the league in any category except Runs scored (138) in 1999 & plate appearances (702) a decade earlier.

He was successful in the postseason, batting .313 lifetime in 58 games. He played in seven different post seasons, winning the two World Series in Toronto. He hit .480 in the 1993 World Series against Philadelphia driving in six runs. His best overall Series was the 1992 ALCS where he hit .464 with 2 HRs 4 RBIs and stole 5 bases against Oakland.

Besides his Mets career, Alomar doomed himself in 1996 when he spat in the face of home plate umpire John Hirschbeck. He defended himself by using the race card, saying Hirschbeck used a slur. (Funny how none else heard it.) Alomar went further saying Hirschbeck had been bitter since his son had died of ALD. The umpire had to be restrained from killing Alomar after the game. The league fined him $50,000, donated to ADL research. The two made public apologies and made nice a year later at home plate.


Met fans certainly don’t think he belongs in the Hall of Fame, just because of his time spent at Shea Stadium. On December 11, 2001 in a highly publicized trade, he arrived in New York with Mike Bacsik for Alex Escobar, Matt Lawton and Jerrod Riggan. Alomar was an absolute dud in 2002, batting a career low at that point .266 with 11 HRs 53 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. The RBIs were the worst since his rookie season & an injury prone 1994 campaign. It was like Alomar forgot everything he knew about baseball, a star that had completely fallen. On the field he wasn’t that bad, making 11 errors in 147 games good for a .983 fielding percentage. But New York expected the Gold Glove, All Star player he had been and weren’t settling for less. The boo birds let him have it, as well as the media, he was done. 70 games into the 2003 season, with 2 HRs 22 RBIs and a .262 batting average he was exiled from Shea Stadium, to the White Sox for Edward Almonte & Royce Ring. Alomar was done by 2004 at the age of 36. The Blue Jays retired his number in 2008.

Italian/American Bronx Born Player of the Day: Pete Zoccolillo

Peter Jude Zoccolillo was born on February 6, 1977 in the Bronx, New York. He went to Pelham Memorial High School in nearby Pelham, NY and played baseball. He attended Rutgers University where he was a four year Letterman in baseball, breaking 10 different school records. The three year All American still holds the record for most career RBIs there (tied). He was drafted by the Cubs in 1999 in the 23rd round, and then got traded to the Brewers in a deal involving David Weathers. He only played in 20 games in the outfield, for the 2003 Brewers getting 4 hits in 37 at bats. He never made the big leagues again, going from the Rangers, Cardinals & Rockies organizations.

Retirement: In 2006 he played for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. He is currently a manager in Morris County New Jersey, teaching kids.

The Mets First Owner & Woman Pioneer: Joan Payson

Joan Whitney Payson was born on February 5, 1903 in New York City. She was an heiress to the prominent Whitney Family and received much of the fortune when her father passed on. She would marry Charles Shipman Payson, a lawyer and successful businessman himself. The two lived in a 50 room mansion in Manhasset, NY with their own private art gallery. She collected art and has many notable works donated in her name at the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art, in the Joan Payson Galleries. She along with her brother also ran Green Tree Stable & Breeding Farms in Saratoga NY & Lexington Kentucky. Their horses won four Belmont Stakes, two Kentucky Derby’s & a Preakness. The family interests also backed finances for Broadway plays & movies, including A Streetcar Named Desire & Gone With the Wind.

Mrs. Payson was a huge baseball fan and became a minority holder in the New York Giants baseball club. Her favorite player was Willie Mays. She voted against the Giants move to California, and sold her shares when they left. She began to work hard to find a replacement team. In 1962 she became the first woman in America to buy a majority share of a sports team. She was the Mets majority stock holder, team President and was involved in baseball operations from 1962-1975.

Unfortunately she trusted M. Donald Grant with many decisions in the later years. Her husband Charles Shipman had no interest in baseball. She loved her team, and was good to her players. They also had a deep respect and admiration for her. She was always seen in the front row of Shea Stadium rooting on her team, not upstairs in an owner’s private box. In 1972 she got Willie Mays back to New York to finish his career as a New York Met. After her passing in 1975, her daughter inherited the team; Lorinda De Roulet. She knew nothing about baseball and along with M. Donald Grant they destroyed the organization for the next few years. They sold their shares in 1981 when the Wilpon/ Doubleday ownership took over.

Former New York Giant: Al Worthington (1952-1959)

Allan Fulton Worthington was born February 5, 1929 in Birmingham, Alabama. He was nicknamed Red and got signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1951, then got sent to the New York Giants before the 1952 season. Al began his career as a starter in 1953 going 4-8 with a 3.44 ERA. In 1954 he was 0-2 in only ten games seeing no World Series action for the 1954 Championship team. He was back as a starter in 1956 going 7-14 with a 3.33 ERA, the 14th losses were 6th worst in the league. In the Giants last year at the Polo Grounds, Worthington shifted to the bullpen where he would find success for the future. He went 8-11 with four saves in 1957. While still in New York, he attended a Billy Graham religious crusade, and became one of MLB’s first born again Christian’s. In 1958 on the West Coast he went 11-7 with six saves, giving him one of the league’s best winning percentages. In 54 appearances, he posted a 3.53 ERA.

Al would move on briefly to Boston, Cincinnati & with the Chicago White Sox. In Chicago, the religious man refused to pitch for a White Sox team that was stealing the other team’s signs. By 1964 he settled in with the Minnesota Twins, one of the A.L.’s best teams in the mid to late sixties and became their ace reliever. His side arm curveball helped make him one of the leagues dominant closers of the day. He was among the leagues save leaders throughout the decade, leading the league with 18 in 1968. In 1965 the Twins went to the World Series and Worthington had 21 saves with a 10-7 record and a fantastic 2.13 ERA. In July the Twins staff was hurting with injuries, Worthington stepped in winning three games & saving three in a seven day stretch. In the World Series he made two appearances allowing a run in four innings pitched, while Minnesota lost to Sandy Koufax & the Dodgers in seven games. Late in his career he developed a knuckleball which he had thrown in the bullpen for years. His last career appearance was in the 1969 ALCS allowing a run & three hits to Baltimore in one inning pitched. In his career Worthington went 75-82 with 110 saves, and a 3.39 ERA.

After his playing days, he sold insurance in Minneapolis then returned as the Twins pitching coach (1972-1973) under former NY Giants team mate Bill Rigney. He then coached baseball for Jerry Falwells Liberty Baptist College into the 1980’s. Their baseball field in named in his honor.

The Who Finally Get Their Due: A Super Bowl & Their Own Satelite Radio Channel

The Super Bowl has been rolling out the best Rock & Roll has to offer over the past few years for its half time performances. This year the Who finally get their due. They are one of the greatest bands of all time, with an incredible musical history.They certainly have had their casualties along the way, but Pete Townshend & Roger Daltrey are true survivors. With a great band behind them for support, the Who now consists of the great Zak Starkey on drums, Pete Townshend's brother Simon on guitar & Pino Palladino on bass.

According to Pete "We're kinda doing a mashup of stuff. A bit of 'Baba O'Riley,' a bit of 'Pinball Wizard,' a bit of the close of 'Tommy,' a bit of 'Who Are You,' and a bit of 'Won't Get Fooled Again.' It works, it's quite a saga. A lot of the stuff that we do has that kind of celebratory vibe about it -- we've always tried to make music that allows the audience to go a bit wild if they want to. Hopefully it will hit the spot."
On top of all that excitement Sirius / XM Radio has launched a 24 hour Who channel that began today and will run through Monday afternoon. The channel will will feature music, live performances & interviews. You can find it on Sirius Channel 16 (Deep Tracks).

Former Met of the Day: Benny Ayala (1974-1976)

Benigno "Benny" Ayala was born on February 7, 1951 in Yauco, Puerto Rico. He was signed as an amateur free agent by the Mets in 1971. He was a highly touted outfield prospect with a reputation for hitting with power.

Benny made his Mets debut on August 27, 1974, in the 2nd inning against the Astros Tom Griffin. He blasted a HR and became the first Met in history to hit a HR in his first MLB at bat. He appeared on Kiners Korner that day with Ralph Kiner. Benny didn’t speak much English and kept repeating “high fosboll”. He hit another HR in September and drove in 8 runs, batting .235.

Unfortunately for him & Met fans, he was not the HR king of things to come, and would only hit 3 career HRs as a Met. Ayala didn’t make it out of Spring Training in 1975. He came back up for 22 games in 1976 but only hit a measly .115 (3-26). In March 1977 he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Doug Clarey .

The Orioles acquired him in 1979, and he became one of their role players getting to the World Series. He hit .256 with 6 HRs & 22 RBIs in 42 regular season games. In the World Series he hit a HR off John Candelaria in Pittsburgh. Benny hit averaged .270 the next two seasons, then hit .305 with the 1982 Orioles in 126 at bats. He was with them again in 1983 when they won the World Series, getting one pinch hit & scoring a run in his only at bat. He hit 38 HRs with 145 RBIs, 42 doubles and batted .251, in ten seasons and 425 games. He played in the short lived Senior League after retirement from the major leagues.

Italian/American Player of the Day: Chris Bando (1981-1989)

Christopher Michael Bando was born February 4, 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the 12 year younger brother of Oakland A’s start Sal Bando. A graduate of Arizona State University, he was drafted in the 2nd round by Cleveland in 1978. Bando was primarily a career backup catcher from 1981-1989. He enjoyed his best season in 1984 batting .291 with 12 HRs 11 doubles & 41 RBIs, while playing in 75 games. The next year he had 61 fewer at bats but dropped to a miserable .139 average. He rebounded to .268 in 1987 but by 1989 he was finished after playing one game for the World Champion Oakland A’s, his brothers former team. Chris was a lifetime .227 hitter.

Retirement: After playing baseball he became a Brewers coach (1996-1998) while his brother Sal was the GM. Next he scouted and then has been a long time manager in the Indians & Brewers organizations. He did stints in the NY Penn League & with the New Orleans Zephyrs as well as the Independent Leagues

Former Met of the Day: Dale Murray (1977-1978)

Dale Albert Murray was born February 2, 1950 in Cuero, Texas. Murray was drafted by the Expos in the 18th round of the 1970 draft. He came up in 1974, as reliever and was 7th in the league with 10 saves. In 1975 he was a 15 game winner, with 9 saves and a 3.36 ERA out of the bull pen. After leading the league in appearances in 1976 with 81, he was involved in the big Tony Perez trade. He went to the Reds along with Woodie Fryman for Perez & Will McEnaney. He then spent a year and a half in Cincinnati, going 7-2 in 1977 and then arrived at Shea Stadium with the hapless 1978 Mets in a trade for Ken Henderson.

Prior to joining the Mets he was 5-1 with four saves against the Mets. Looking back to 1977 he did ok, going 8-5 with 5 saves & a 3.65 ERA. His best stretch was the end of the season from August 19th on he went 4-1 with a save. In 86 innings he gave up 85 hits, struck out 37, walked 36 & allowed 35 runs. In 1979 Murray was 4-8 with an ERA near five when the Mets sold him back to Montreal. Overall as a Met he was 12-13 with 9 saves.

After that he went to Toronto, the A.L. New York team & one game in Texas before retiring in 1985. Lifetime Murray was 53-50 with a 3.35 ERA & 60 saves.

Former Met of the Day: Leo Foster (1975-1978)

Leonard Norris Foster was born in Covington, Kentucky on February 2, 1951. He was signed by the Braves in the 2nd round of the 1969 draft. He made his debut with Atlanta in 1971 and only played in a dozen games over the next two seasons. He was primarily a utility infielder but got into the Braves lineup a bit more in 1973, after the departure of Felix Millan to the Mets. In 71 games the he only batted .196, but somehow the Mets saw something they liked and traded Joe Nolan (??) for Foster in April 1975.

After a season and a half in the minors he came up in August of the bicentennial year, getting an RBi in his first game. He drove in six runs in his first four games at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. On September 7th he hit his only Mets HR at Wrigley Field, enjoying a career day with three hits & five RBIs, in a 11-0 Mets rout. He hit over .200, for the first time in his career, yep he batted .203 with a HR & 15 RBIs. In 1977 had hit a career high .227 but with only 6 RBIs. He was done by 1978 and traded to Boston for Jim Burton who never cracked the Mets squad. Leo’s lifetime average was a meek .198 with 2 HRs 26 RBIs & 7 steals.

Italian American Player of the Day: Buddy Biancalana (1982-1987)

Roland Americo Biancalana was born February 2, 1960 in Larkspur, California. He was the first round draft pick (#25 overall) in the June 1978 draft. The defensively solid shortstop had two cups of coffee in 1982 & 1983 with the Royals, and then saw action in 66 games in 1984. He only hit .194 with 2 HRs & 9 RBIs. In 1985 he started 35 games and saw action in 81 games, batting only .188 with 1 HR. He became subject of a joke on the David Letterman show, when Pete Rose was chasing Ty Cobb’s all time hit record. Letterman started a Biancalana hit countdown calendar and eventually invited him on the show. When he appeared on the show he got his own laughs when he told Letterman, “Im closer to Cobb, than you are to Carson”.

The Royals won the West and manager Dick Howser chose to play Buddy over Onix Concepcion who only hit .204 himself. Biancalana played in every post season game for the World Champion Royals, playing an errorless solid shortstop. At the plate he enjoyed a pair if two hit games in the World Series, driving in a run and scoring a run in each contest. Overall he hit .278 in the Series with a .435 on base percentage. The next year he shared duties with Angel Salazar playing in 100 games batting .242. In July 1987 he was traded to Houston for Mel Stottlemyre Jr. He finished his career at the end of the season, with a 205 batting average & 113 hits, over four thousand less than Cobb.

Retirement: Since his playing days, he has managed in the minor leagues & was an infield coordinator for the Rays.

Former Met of the Day: Bob Apodaca (1973-1978)

Robert John Apodaca was born on January 31, 1950 at Los Angeles, California. The right hander was drafted in those Mets pitching rich days of 1971. He made his debut in late September 1973 allowing one run & two walks in less than one inning of work.

In the 1974 Mets home opener, after the ’73 NL Pennant flag was raised, Apodaca got the call for a sick Tug McGraw in the 9th inning. With two on he retired Tim McCarver to earn the save in relief of Jerry Koosman. Then after two losses and three no decisions, he earned his first victory beating Bob Gibson and the Cardinals. 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 closer when Tug McGraw got traded. He missed the first two weeks on the DL, returning on April 20th. He saved seven games and earned one win through mid June before taking a loss. In that stretch he only allowed four earned runs in 28 innings, pitched. He suffered a fractured nose, requiring 14 stitches after getting hit by a bouncer in a game against the Phillies. Overall he still had his overall best 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 in 85.0 innings striking out 45 batters.

In 1976 he lost his closer job to Skip Lockwood, but was second to him on the staff in saves with five. He struggled with a 3-7 record but posted a quality 2.81 ERA, striking out 45 batters in 89 innings. Injuries began to take their toll on Apodaca, in 1977 he went 4-8, with a still respectable 3.43 ERA. In Spring Training of 1978 he tore a ligament in his right elbow and it ended his career.

He did not pitch for three seasons, unti 1981 when he attempted a comeback with AA-Jackson pitching in just six games, before being forced to retire. It was the end of a promising career that never took off, in just five brief seasons he appeared in 184 games, 16-25 with a 2.86 ERA and 26 saves.

Retirement: After his playing days ,he spent over a decade as a pitching coach in the Mets farm system, at Tidewater then Norfolk (1991-1996). He was promoted as Bobby Valentines pitching Coach from 1996-1999. The image of Apodaca trotting to the mound with his stop watch hanging around his neck, became his trademark. On June 5th 1999, the Mets were one game under .500 & the front office wanted to make shake things up a bit. Bobby Valentine arrived at Shea‚ learning GM Steve Phillips had fired his coaches Apodaca‚ Tom Robinson and Randy Niemann.

Apodaca moved on to be the Brewers pitching coach from 2000-2001. He then returned to the Mets organization as pitching coach for St. Lucie in 2002. In 2003 he was hired as pitching coach for the Colorado Rockies under manager Clint Hurdle, whom he met in the Mets organization. Apodaca's staff went to the World Series in 2007, and he still holds the position for 2010.

Former Met of the Day: Somerville N.J.'s Italian/American- Joe Vitko III (1992)

Italian American Joseph John Vitko III was born February 1, 1970 in Somerville, New Jersey (19 years before the Bridgewater Commons Mall was built). He played ball in nearby Pennsylvania and attended St. Francis University at Loreto, PA. The Mets drafted the very tall (6’ 8”) right hander twice. Once in 1988 but he did not sign, then again the following year, way down in the 24th round.


He put up good ERAs & won 11 games for the St. Lucie Mets in 1991. He won 12 games at Binghamton and became the first Binghamton Met to make the big league team. Supposedly he was also the first player born in the 1970’s to actually play for the Mets too.


In September 1992 he got his cup of coffee, making a debut on September 18th, closing out a Doc Gooden loss. He got shellacked on his next outing, giving up 5 runs on 4 hits in an inning and a half of work.


He got his only career start on the 28th, but the Phillies clobbered him for six runs on seven hits that night at Shea.
He took the loss in only two innings pitched, ballooning his ERA to 13.50. Vitko then suffered arm problems, and was never seen at Shea again. A guy that tall could be spotted easily wouldn’t ya think? Back at Binghamton he went 2-5 and was soon done pitching.

Former Original Met of the Day: Charlie Neal (1962-1963)

Charles Leonard Neal was born on January 30, 1931 in Longview Texas. Neal began in the Negro Leagues and got signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950. It took him six years to get to the big league Dodger squad with such a talented infield of Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson & Jim Gilliam. In his rookie season he hit .287 in 136 at bats, and in 1957 became a regular short stop as Pee Wee moved over to third base.

Neal remained with the Dodgers from their move to L.A. through 1961 and had some good seasons there. He gets forgotten among all the Dodger stars of the day, but Neal did make three All Star teams. 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 and had career highs with 83 RBIs, 30 doubles & 17 stolen bases, earning him 20% of the MVP voting. He led the NL in fielding (.989) double plays & put outs, which won him a gold glove.

In Game #2 of the 1959 World Series he hit two HRs and drove in three runs at Comiskey Park, leading the Dodgers to a 4-3 win. Overall he hit .370 (10-27) driving in six runs, with the two HRs, two doubles and four runs scored in the Series. As Maury Wills arrived in 1961, Neal’s days were numbered. After hitting only .235 (10 HRs 48 RBIs) in 1961 he was traded to the expansion 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. He had a great day going 3-4, driving in two runs & scoring a run at Sportsman’s Park in 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 off Larry Jackson.

In the month of April Neal hit 3 HRs drove in 9 runs & batted .310. He would play in 136 games, in 1962; bat .260, hit 11 HRs, 58 RBIs and lead the team in triples (9) & sacrifice hits (9). He primarily played short stop for the Mets, but also had time at third & secondbase. By far he was their best defensive infielder. In 1963 after 72 games he was batting .225 with 3 HRs & 18 RBIs, when the Mets traded him to the Reds along with Sammy Taylor for Jesse Gonder. Neal finished his eight season career batting .259 with 87 HRs 391 RBIs 113 doubles 461 runs scored & 38 triples. In 1996 Neal passed away in Dallas, Texas at age 65.

Former Met of the Day: Melvin Mora (1999-2000)

Melvin Mora was born on February 2, 1972 in Venezuela. He was signed by the Astros in 1991 and toiled in their system until the Mets signed him as a free agent in 1999. He was mostly a defensive utility man for the 1999 Wild Card Mets, playing all outfield positions and eight games in the infield. In 66 games he only hit .161 (5-31) but did steal two bases. In 2000 he began to develop into a solid player, as the Mets again used him all around the field. When Rey Ordonez went down for the year, Mora filled in at short stop until the end of July. He batted .260 with 6 HRs 13 doubles 30 RBIs and 7 stolen bases. But the Mets wanted a better defensive glove and a more experienced player for the pennant stretch. Mora was traded to the Orioles for veteran Mike Bordick. Mora went to Baltimore and hit over .290 through the end of the season.

Bordick proved to be a rent a player, as he went back and signed with the Orioles for 2001. Mora played mostly outfield the next three seasons but his versatility also made him valuable as a backup infielder. He developed into a fine hitter, hitting in 23 straight games in 2002, making two All Star teams (2003 & 2005) and hitting over .300 twice. In 2004 he became the O’s main third baseman, and led the AL in on base percentage .419. It was the second year in a row he hit over .300; his .340 average was second best in the league. He hit a career high 27 HRs, for the first of two straight seasons and drove in 104 runs. He would hit over .274 four more times, and drive in over 83 runs three more times, playing in Baltimore through the 2009 season.

In 2006 he signed a three year contract with a no trade clause because he didn’t want to uproot his family from the Baltimore area. He & his wife have six children; five of them (quintuplets) were born in 2001. Mora is second All Time on the Orioles list of games played at third base behind Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. In a special 2009 ceremony, Brooks presented him with third base. In 11 seasons Mora hit 164 HRs 265 doubles 693 RBIs in 1401 games played. The Orioles refused his option for 2010.

Nolan Ryan: The Mets Years (1966-1971)

Happy 63rd Birthday to one of the Greatest ever!

The Mets signed Nolan Ryan out of high school in 1965. At first, his fast ball was just around 90 miles an hour, Over the next two years he gained more more velocity and threw harder. He was assigned to the Marion Mets in Virginia & then Greenville, where he went 17-2 with 272 strikeouts in 183 innings.

He made his MLB debut with the Mets on September 11th, 1966 at Shea Stadium. The Mets lost to the Braves 8-2, with Ryan getting no decision. Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews stepped in and watched a Ryan fast ball whiz by him; he looked at Jerry Grote saying “what the hell was that?” On that day Ryan got his 1st career strikeout, he was the pitcher, Pat Jarvis. He also gave up his 1st career HR to non other than Joe Torre. Ryan would pitch in only 3 games that September going 0-1 with 6 strikeouts in 3 innings. His control was a problem and he spent 1967 in the minors.

In 1968 he won his first start not allowing any runs pitching into the 7th inning, while striking out eight. After two losses, he won three in a row, the last two were complete games; first a three hit, one run performance in St. Louis. Next was a 14 strikeout four hitter at Shea against the Reds.

He only pitch until the end of July, finishing the year 6-9 with a 3.09 ERA. He averaged a strike out an inning (134) in 21 games. Control was still an issue; as he walked 75 batters, threw 7 wild pitches, hit 4 batters and allowed 12 HRs.

By 1969 Ryan was famous for soaking his fingers in pickle brine, due to developing blisters. It was method criticized by some coaches & team mates. On a personal level, he married his childhood sweetheart Ruth and the two kept very much to themselves. They never got accustomed to the Big Apple & NY City’s fast pace life style. Ruth always feared for her safety & the thought of raising children there wasn’t an option.

The Ryan’s were friends with the Koosmans, Jerry & Lavonne. (Koosman was also a farm boy from a small town.) Ruth Ryan & Nancy Seaver also became good friends just like their Hall of Fame husbands. The Seavers certainly were not wild party goers either, but they did enjoy the museums, restaurants & arts NY had to offer.

In 1969 Gil Hodges used Nolan mostly in relief. He would start 10 of the 25 games he pitched, going 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA. He saved the second game of the season at Shea, giving the Mets their first win of the '69 season, beating Montreal. He went into July 3-0 with a save, and a 2.29 ERA. He got a start on August 5th in Cincinatti beating the Reds, throwing a comlete game only allowing one run.

In the beginning of September he won 2 games in a four day stretch at Shea, helping the Mets catch the Cubs in the pennant race. On Sunday September 7th, he pitched 3 innings of scoreless relief to earn his 5th win of the year. Three days later he pitched a 7-1 complete game victory in the 2nd game of a double header, striking out 11 Expos. He finished the year with 92 strkeouts in 89 innings. He walked 53 batters but only hit one, & threw only one wild pitch.

His biggest day as a Met came on October 6th, 1969 in Game #3 of the NLCS at Shea Stadium. Ryan came in to relieve Gary Gentry in the 3rd inning and would go the distance. In the top of the 9th inning, Tony Gonzales hit a ground ball to Wayne Garrett for the last out. Jerry Grote congradulated him, then he ran for his life as the fans stormed the field. He earned the win, as the Mets swept the Braves and advanced to the World Series. In 7 innings pitched, he allowed 2 runs ( 2 run HR by Orlando Cepeda) on 3 hits with 7 strikeouts & 2 walks. At the plate he even got two base hits, going 2-4 and scoring a run.

In the World Series Ryan pitched in relief of Gary Gentry again in Game #3 at Shea. He came into a bases loaded jam in the 7th inning but got Paul Blair to line out to retire the side. After a 1-2-3, 8th he loaded the bases on a single and two walks in the 9th. Gil Hodges paced the dugout, but stuck with Ryan. This time Blair ripped a liner to right center field. Met fans across the world held their breath as Tommie Agee came up with one of the greatest catches in World Series history. His second of the day. The Mets won 5-0 and went up 2 games to 1 in the Series.

In 1970 his best outing was on Saturday afternoon April 10th at Shea. He threw a one hit shut out against the Phillies, striking out 15 batters. Next he threw an eight inning, two hitter in Los Angeles, followed by a three hitter in San Francisco. In those three games he only allowed two earned runs in 26 innings. He lost his next two decisions, won his next two then lost the next two. He had a terrible August going 1-4 allowing 12 earned runs.

He ended the season 7-11 striking out 125 batters in 132 innings pitched. He walked 97, allowed 10 HRs, threw 8 wild pitches and hit 4 sorry batters. He threw five complete games and earned one save in 8 relief appearances. By 1971 he was becoming very frustrated between having limited success and with his unhappiness in New York. He considered retirement, and asked Mets management for a trade.

The season started out good again, he was 6-2 at the end of May, having thrown a 3 hitter vs. Houston at Shea on May 11th and a 4 hitter in San Diego two weeks later. But he would have a rough summer, ending the season 10-14 with a 3.97 ERA, 137 Ks in 152 innings. He pitched in his Met career high 26 games but allowed 125 hits, 116 walks,& hit a career high 15 batters.

During that off season, on December 10th, 1971 Ryan was traded along with Leory Stanton to the California Angels for Jim Fregosi. It turned out to be the worst trade the Mets ever made. The Mets gave up on Ryan, due to his control issues and thought Fregosi was the answer to third base. To give the Mets some slack, Ryan was very unhappy and wanted out of New York. He probably never would have adjusted, but they should have gotten more in return for him.

Ryan credits Tom Seaver as helping him develop into a pitcher instead of just a flame thrower. He helped Changing his high leg kick and develop an over the top delivery, using more power from the legs. Nolan Ryan went on to become one of baseball greatest pitchers of all time. He is the all time strike out leader and has thrown seven no hitters. He is enshrined in Cooperstown and will always be part of Mets history. In 2009 he returned to New York as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the 1969 team.

Remembering Long Time Shea Stadium Organist: Jane Jarvis (1964-1979)

Long time Shea organist Jane Jarvis passed away this week at the Lillian Booth Actors’ Home in Englewood, N.J. she was 94.

Jarvis was born October 31st, 1915 in Indiana. She was a jazz pianist and began playing in Chicago & Milwaukee nightclubs, radio stations & television shows in the 1950's. She was approached by the Milwaukee Braves to play organ at County Stadium which she did for the next eight years.

She moved to New York and got the job at the new Shea Stadium in 1964. She will always be remembered at Shea for playing an alternate theme song, "Let's Go Mets", as the team took the field before every game. She also made famous her renditions of the Mexican Hat Dance during the seventh-inning stretch. Jarvis became a Shea classic, and would play the organ through the 1979 season. The Mets never replaced her.

On top of her Shea job, she worked for Muzak since 1963 as a clerk, then a programmer. She also worked the West Village jazz scene in the 1980's and made her own album. Jarvis lived on the Upper East Side until 2008 when her building suffered damage due to the giant crane collapse.

A Great Set of Italian American Baseball Cards Realeased

The National Ethnic Heritage Foundation in partnership with the Order of Sons of Italy in America has just released a beautiful 100 baseball card set of Italian American Baseball Players. The cards cover great Italian American Players from Lewis Pessano (Buttercup Dickenson) the very first Italian American baseball Pioneer to Sal Maglie, Roy Campanella, & Yogi Berra of the 1950's. The tradition continues through time from Sal Bando & Gene Tenace to Tommy Lasorda, Terry Francona & Mike Scioscia.

Of course former Italian American Mets Mike Piazza, Lee Mazzilli, John Franco, Bobby Valentine, Frank Viola, Robin Ventura, Kevin Tapani & Joe Torre are all included.

Only 10,000 sets of these beautiful cards have been produced. They are made up of original oil portraits by a team of artists supervised by the acclaimed artist George Kotsovos. The backs feature short bios & stats of the individual subjects. Not only are players included, but other key figures in the Italian tradition that have made significant contributions to the game.

These cards are not available commercially and only sold through http://www.nehf.org/ & http://www.osia/ . The profits are a donation with a fully tax deductible receipt from Order Sons of Italy Foundation.

See the press realease & links below for this amazing collectible baseball card set.

ITALIAN AMERICAN BASEBALL HEROES CARD SET
PRODUCED BY ORDER SONS OF ITALY IN AMERICA

New York – The rich history of Italian Americans in Major League Baseball is told for the first time in an educational and handsome set of 100 baseball cards, available now.

The cards, will be appreciated by collectors, baseball historians, and Americans of Italian origin, and celebrate not only the greatest names – Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Ernie Lombardi, Tom Lasorda, Yogi Berra, Tony Lazzeri, Phil Rizzuto, Roy Campanella, and broadcaster Joe Garagiola, possible future Hall of Famers like Tony LaRussa, Joe Torre, Billy Martin, Ron Santo, Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza and Andy Pettitte, but such popular figures as Tony Conigliaro, Rocky Colavito, John Franco, Lee Mazzilli, Joe Pepitone, Mike Scioscia, Joe Girardi and Terry Francona.

The cards are a product of the National Ethnic Heritage Foundation in partnership with the Order of Sons of Italy in America, with sets available for a $49 donation to the Sons of Italy Foundation, a 501 ( c )3 charitable foundation.

Only 10,000 sets have been produced, and each card features original oil portraits of the subjects by a team of artists supervised by the acclaimed George Kotsovos, (www.theworkofgeorgekotsovos.com)

In addition to a full color portrait on the front, the cards feature biographical information and lifetime statistics on the back. The five-color printing process includes metallic gold foil on 16- gauge stock, heavily coated with a UV inhibitor to prevent fading. The cards are handsomely packaged and shrink wrapped in a 5 ¾” x 7” x 1 ½” gift box.

The 100 subjects selected for the set were researched and selected by originally by consensus of various experts and the with valued comments from the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, as well as individual baseball historians. Included aside from players are former Baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti, umpire Babe Pinelli, Arizona Diamondbacks founding owner Jerry Colangelo, and legendary Atlanta pitching coach Leo Mazzone, featured on his first ever card apart from minor league cards.

Also receiving his “first card” is Lewis Pessano “Buttercup” Dickerson, who broke into the major leagues in 1878 with the Cincinnati Red Stockings, making him the first Italian-American in the game.

The cards are not sold commercially, and are available through the two websites – www.nehf.org and www.osia.org. The donation is acknowledged with a fully tax deductible receipt from Order Sons of Italy Foundation. Discounts are available for three or more sets.

NEHF, the National Ethnic Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)3 corporation was established in August 2008 with a mission to educate the North American public about the cultural contributions made to the United States and Canada by the diverse ethnic and religious groups that power the engines or growth and knowledge. The Foundation collects and disseminates this knowledge through print and electronic media. Their goal is not just tolerance, but total acceptance of the minority by the majority.


Included in the set Ed Abbaticchio -Johnny Antonelli- Bob Aspromonte -
Ken Aspromonte- Rich Aurilia- Steve Balboni -Sal Bando- Mark Belanger-
Yogi Berra- Craig Biggio- Ping Bodie- Zeke Bonura- Chris Bosio- Ricky Bottalico-
Larry Bowa- Ralph Branca- Ernie Broglio- Dolph Camilli- Ken Caminiti -
Roy Campanella- Tom Candiotti- Bernie Carbo- Jon Castino- Phil Cavarretta
-Rick Cerone- Jeff Cirillo- Jack Clark- Jerry Colangelo- Rocky Colavito-
Tony Conigliaro- Frankie Crosetti- Tony Cuccinello -Doug DeCinces-
Frank Demaree- Mark Derosa -Buttercup Dickerson -Dom DiMaggio-
Joe DiMaggio- Vince DiMaggio- Dick Drago- Jeff Fassero- Joe Ferguson-
Ray Fosse- John Franco- Terry Francona- Tito Francon-a Jim Fregosi-
Carl Furillo- Gary Gaetti- Joe Garagiola- Bartlett Giamatti- Jason Giambi-
Al Gionfrido- Joe Girardi- Dave Guisti- Tony Graffanino- Pete Incaviglia-
Paul Konerko- Tony LaRussa- Tom Lasorda- Cookie Lavagetto- Tony Lazzeri -
Ernie Lombardi- Sal Maglie- Frank Malzone- Gus Manciso- Billy Martin-
Phil Masi- Lee Mazzilli -Leo Mazzone- Sam Mele- Doug Mirabelli -
-John Montefusco- Don Mossi- Tom Pagnozzi- Eddie Pellagrini- Joe Pepitone-
Rico Petrocelli- Andy Pettitte- Mike Piazza- Babe Pinelli- Vic Raschi -
Dave Righetti- Phil Rizzuto Johnny Romano- Ron Santo- Steve Sax-
Mike Scioscia- Sibby Sisti -John Smoltz- Kevin Tapani -Gene Tenace- Joe Torre -
Bobby Valentine- Robin Ventura- Frank Viola- Barry Zito


http://www.nehf.org/shop.html
http://www.osia.org/index.php

Former Met of the Day: 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 playing in their system until 1983. That season he was traded to St. Louis and played 30 quick games for the Cardinals batting only .214. In January of 1984 he was released by St. Louis & a few hours later signed with the Mets.

Santana started his Mets career as Jose Oquendo’s 1984 back short stop. The book on Rafey was limited range, but had good speed and a good arm. He drove Keith Hernandez crazy with his high arched throws that would just beat the runners, only firing the ball when absolutely necessary.

In 1984 he hit .271 with 12 RBIs & batted .271. During the last week of the season he hit his first MLB HR against the Phillies. By 1985 he became the Mets regular shortstop and would hold that position for three seasons. He was a weak hitter and mostly batted in the eighth spot within a strong Met line up. He hit .257 in 1985, which was best as a regular player. In the 1986 Championship season he hit under .200 most of the season. By late August he hit better and finished batting only .218 with one HR 11 doubles & 28 RBIs.

Post Season: In the NLCS he played in all six games but batted only .176 (3-17). He set an NLCS record for shortstops in putouts (13), assists (18) and chances (31) in a six-game series. In the World Series he hit .250 (5-20) scoring three runs & driving in two. He helped ignite the Game Seven, 7th inning rally with an RBI single, and then scored on Keith Hernandez’s sacrifice fly.

The next season, he hit a career best in HRs (5) doubles (21) and RBIs (44), but Kevin Elster was on the scene as the organizations choice for shortstop of the future. On December 11, 1987 he 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 missed the entire 1989 season with an elbow injury, and got was released. In 1990, he signed with the and only played in seven games getting released on April 25th. Oddly enough 1986 Mets, Keith Hernandez, Jesse Orosco, and Stan Jefferson were on that same Cleveland team. After a short seven season career he retired at the age of 32, 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.

Retirement: After his playing career, Santana has been a long time coach with the Dominican Winter League, 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 1986 Mets, 20th Anniversary Reunion in 2006.

Former Met of the Day: Tsuyoshi Shinjo (2001 / 2003)

Tsuyoshi Shinjo was born January 28, 1972 in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. He was one of the best defensice centerfielders of the 1990's in Japan. Although he didn't hit for power he was a very popular player due to his antics & good natured personality. He dyed his hair, leaped with a hop when he caught a ball, wore flashy clothes & colorful wrist bands.

He left Japan and signed with the Mets for $200,000 in 2001, turning down a $2 million deal in Japan. His signing in NY, no doubt coaxed by Bobby Valentine, surprised alot of people.

He played hard for the Mets, winning over the fans & manager Bobby V. with his hustle & upbeat attitude. Some people criticised his hot dog style, with his fancy wrap around sun glasses & orange wrist bands. But he made the Topps All Star Rookie team hitting .268 with 23 doubles, 10 HRs, & 56 RBIs in 123 games. He made history becoming the first Japanese born player to ever bat clean up in a MLB line up. By the end of the year he was traded to San Francisco with Desi Relaford for pitcher Sean Estes.

He struggled a bit in the Bay Area batting only .238 with 9 HRs 15 doubles & 37 RBIs in 118 games. He made hsitory again, becoming the first Japanese native to play in a World Series. He went 1-6, three Series games for the San Francisco Giants, as they lost to the Angels.

He was released after the Series and signed by the Mets again for 2003. He faded quickly and was done after only 62 games batting .193 with 1 HR & 7 RBIs. He ended his big league career with 202 hits, 41 doubles, 20 HRs, 100 RBIs & a .245 batting average in 303 games.

He went back to play in Japan & had some solid seasons before retiring in 2006. He played on many losing teams in Japan, but in his final season, his Nippon Ham Fighters won the Championship. The crowd gave him a standing ovation as he took the field in the last inning, and the team carried him off the field in victory when it was over. Overall in Japan, he won 9 gold gloves & made 3 Best Nine teams.

Currently he is a TV celebrity in Japan, has a coffee drink named for him, runs a line of clothing & won 10 million Yen on the Japan version of "Millionaire".

Former Met of the Day: Angel Berroa (2009)

Angel Maria Berroa was born January 27, 1978 in Santa Domingo. The shortstop was originally signed by the A’s and got traded to the Rooyals in a three team deal that included Johnny Damon & Roberto Hernandez. He had two September cups of coffee in his first two seasons. He got ahit in his first MLB game in 2001 and in 2002 played in the Futures Game & Pacific Coast All Star Game. By 2003 he was the Royals everyday shortstop and started out making 19 errors in the first two months and was batting under .200 in the ninth spot. Manager Tony Pena moved him to the leadoff spot and Berroa turned his season around. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in one of the closest races for the Award in years. He ended up with a .287 batting average, 17 HRs 28 doubles 21 steals & 73 RBIs. He became the 4th Royal to win the ROY Award ^ the first since Carlos Beltran. In 2003 he helped the Royals to one of their best seasons in years as they went 83-79 finishing 3rd, after making a good summer playoff run.

In 2004 he hit a HR got two hits & drove in three runs helping the Royals beat the Mets at Shea, in an interleague game. Berroa never matched his rookie numbers again; in four more seasons in Kansas City he hit a best .270 with 11 HRs 55 RBIs in 2005. He struck out often, didn’t hit much and hardly ever drew a walk. His walk ratio was the worst in baseball. By 2007 he lost his job and was shipped to the minors where he spent most of the year. He started 2008 there then got traded to the Dodgers for Juan Rivera. He hit .230 there and was released at the end of the season. He was signed by the AL New York club in 2009 but was released after 21 games batting .136.
The Mets picked him up and brought him up when Jose Reyes, Alex Cora and anyone else who could play short stop got hurt in 2009. Berroa played in 14 games for the ’09 Mets going only 4-27 (.148 average) with two RBIs. Both runs came at Citi Field at the end of July against the Rockies in two Met wins. He was designated for assignment by August 7th. The Dodgers signed him to a minor league contract for 2010.

"The Magic Is Back " & "Catch The Rising Stars"

Question from "Met fan in the Bronx"- Who came up with the idea for Catch the Rising Stars & when was it used?

In 1980 the Mets were purchased by Fred Wilpon & Nelson Doubleday. One of the first things the Doubleday people did was, hire a Madison Avenue advertising company to promote the team. The firm of Della Femina, Travisano & Partners were paid a hefty $400,000 to come up with a new slogan to sell the Mets new image.

Jerry Della Femina, a giant in the ad industry with a bestselling book under his belt spoke out right away for his new clients. He said attendance should rise by 50,000 just getting rid of M. Donald Grant & the De Roulet sisters. He said New York fans had to settle for Reggie Jackson when the Mets went into the dumps, if the Mets were where they were in ’69, a guy like Jackson couldn’t get arrested in New York. He also said going to a game in the Bronx baseball Stadium was a very unpleasant experience and Shea was the safe place to go. He promoted Lee Mazzilli as a guy with Bucky Dent looks that could actually hit. Of course old Georgie got upset at these comments, even baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn stepped in and fined the Mets $5000.

It was at this time when the advertising firm came up with the classic slogan “The Magic Is Back” for the 1980 season. Obviously the Magic wasn’t back in 1980 as the Mets lost 91 games. In the strike shortened 1981 season they went 41-62, and in 1982 they lost another 94 games. The media laughed at the slogan as did some teams driving into the ball park. It didn’t do well. After 1983 the team changed it to another Della Femina classic; “Catch the Rising Stars”. In the 1988 Mets Yearbook, there is a 25th Anniversary tribute to Shea. In is a picture dated around the mid eighties where the slogan atop Shea says "The Magic Is Real- Catch It."

As those words were painted atop the sides of Shea Stadium, a strange thing happened, in 1984, the Mets began to win & became contenders. Those Rising Stars did actually rise, most of the most of them right out of the organization and by 1986, they won another World Series.

Former Mets Pitching Coach: Vern Ruhle (2003)

Vernon Gerald Ruhle was born January 25, 1951 in Coleman Michigan. He was drafted out of Olivet College where he had a pitchers mound built outside his fraternity house. In 1972 he was drafted by his home state team, the Detroit Tigers in the 17th round. By 1975 he was in the Tiger rotation having his best season in Detroit going 11-12 with a 4.03 ERA. After going 24-29 in four seasons in Detroit he signed as a free agent with Houston in 1978. After seeing 14 starts or less in three years at the Astrodome he had a big season in 1980.

He went 12-4 with a .750 winning percentage, with an excellent 2.37 ERA. In the strike shortened 1981 season, he still posted an ERA under three (2.91) but posted a 4-6 losing record. In the NLDS he lost a 2-1 pitchers duel to the Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela. He only allowed two runs on four hits in eight innings pitched. He began pitching as both a starter & a reliever for the rest of his career. After going 1-9 in 1984 he went to the AL & pitched for Cleveland & Chicago. His career finished at 67-88 with 11 saves and a 3.73 ERA.
After his playing days he became a coach for the Astros (1997-2000) Phillies (200-2002) and then for the Mets in 2003 under manager Art Howe. The Mets lost 95 games finishing 5th that season. Ruhle’s staff did have two 15 game winners (Al Leiter & Steve Trachsel). Tom Glavine didn’t sem to understand Vern’s coaching style since he went 9-14 in his first season in New York. Ruhle was done after one season and replaced by Rick Peterson.

Ruhle went on to coach the Reds until 2006, when he was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away in Houston, Texas in January 2007.

Neil Allen : The Man Traded to Land Keith Hernandez (1979-1983)

Neil Patrick Allen was born January 24, 1958 in Kansas City, Kansas. He was selected by the Mets in the 11th round of the 1976 draft. He made his debut in 1979 and lost his first five decisions before eventually going to the bull pen and finding his home. From there on in he had four wins & five saves before taking another loss in mid August. He would finish up 6-10 with 8 saves, second on the team to Skip Lockwood.

The next season had a good May saving five games and earning two victories. He would save 22 games, 4th in the NL for 1980. In the 1981 strike shortened season, he saved 18 games (3rd best) and posted a 2.97 ERA, becoming one the league’s best closers of the day. Imagine a time when the Mets had Allen and another young reliever named Jeff Reardon who would also become one of the league’s best. The Expos were willing to trade star outfielder Ellis Valentine but wanted one of the Mets relievers, they gave up Reardon.

He started out 1982 with a good May earning 8 saves and a 1-1 record. After saving 19 games with a 3-7 record and a 3.06 ERA, the Mets converted him back to a starter for 1983. He went 2-7 with an ERA over four into June, but was still considered a good young pitcher with a great future. On the trade deadline of 1983, he was sent to the World Champion Cardinals along with Rick Ownbey for All Star Keith Hernandez. What a deal for Mets, one of their best.

Allen went 10-6 the rest of the year for St. Louis and 9-6 the next. He was put in the bullpen in 1985 but wasn’t as effective as he was in the past. The Cardinal fans let him have it and he was traded to the AL New York team mid season 1985. Over the next three seasons he would bounce from the Bronx to the South Side of Chicago & pitch for the White Sox. His two best games came in 1986 against his old AL New York team mates pitching a four hitter & a two hit shutout. He went 7-2 that year with a 3.82 ERA. He finished his playing career in 1989 with Cleveland going 0-1. In his 11 year career he saved 75 games with a 58-70 record and a 3.83 ERA in 434 games.

Since his playing days Allen has been a pitching coach in the minor leagues. He had a stint in Staten Island and taught Chien-Ming Wang his sinker ball. Allen currently coaches in the Rays organization.

1962 Mets Coach: Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby

From the centerfieldmaz bleachers, an anonymous fan asks the question: Wasn't Rogers Hornsby the batting coach in 1962?

The great Rogers Hornsby, nicknamed “the Rajah” was indeed, part of the 1962 Mets coaching staff. He was hired by George Weiss, the Mets first General Manager in 1961. His first job was to scout out the other NL teams before the start of the 1962 season. At Spring training he became a batting instructor giving out hitting tips, rather than a hitting coach by today’s standards. There really was no such official title as a hitting coach until the 1970’s.

Hornsby’s theory was to hit the ball straight up the middle. Manager Casey Stengel would say, Hornsby could hit up the middle because he had enough power to hit it over the center field fence. Not many of the '62 Mets could do that. Stengel believed in hitting down the lines, because that’s where the worst fielders played.

Hornsby was not known to be a nice guy, nor did he communicate with young players well. He was always tough critic on the players and very outspoken. The best compliment he could come up with on his scouting reports were “the guy looks like a major leaguer”. Ed Kranepool who was only an 18 year old rookie at the time said, the only thing Hornsby ever said to him was “ they don’t make them like they use to. Just swing at a strike”. While coaching for the 1962 Mets, Hornsby was asked how good he thought he could hit against the pitchers of the day, if he was still playing. In a classic response he said: "I guess I'd hit about .280 or .290". When asked why such a low average, Hornsby replied "Well, I'm 66 years old, what do you expect?" He only lasted one season as a Met coach, and in January 1963 after going for eye surgery, he died of a heart attack at age 66 in Chicago.

Before his coaching with the Mets he had been a player manager (1925-1937), then a full time manager spanning (1953-1954). He had trouble relating to his players, and they didn’t like him. He was a harsh critic, very obnoxious and outspoken of how he felt. Winning was everything to him, at any expense. He was said to be as mean and hateful as Ty Cobb under his fake smile. He never drank or smoked, but was a big gambler, betting on horse races. One sports writer even claimed, Hornsby had admitted to being a member of the KKK at one time.

As a player he was one of the best hitters ever. His .359 average is second best all time, the best for a right handed hitter and the best ever in the NL. He won seven batting titles, including six in a row. He hit over .400 three times, and fell short by three points another season. He is the only player to win the Triple Crown twice; he also won two MVP awards. He led the league in runs scored five times, RBIs, hits & doubles four times each, walks three times, HRs & triples twice each. He also led the league in slugging percentage eight times, the most of any player. He refused to go to the movies or read anything, during the season, in fear of ruining his eye sight. On the field he also considered one of the best second baseman, in baseball history. He won a World Series with the 1926 Cardinals, had his name honored with them (there were no numbers to retire back then) and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1942.

Former Met of the Day: Bob Moorehead (1962/1965)

Charles Robert Moorhead was born on January 23, 1938 at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. The right handed pitcher was drafted by the Reds in 1958 and became an original Met when he was picked up in the 1961 expansion draft (Rule 5).

Moorhead pitched in the very first game in Mets history at Sportsman’s Park. He relieved Roger Craig in the 4th inning and allowed five runs (two earned) on six hits in three innings pitched. He was on the ’62 club all season, mostly as a middle reliever, usually walking in to some kind of disaster. He didn’t get any decisions until August and of course it was a loss. He went back down to the minors at the end of the season.

He resurfaced again three years later, in mid August and picked up the loss in his first game back. The old New York Giants tagged him for two runs in San Francisco, in the 7th & 8th innings for the victory. He would never win a game in the majors, posting a lifetime 0-3 record. With a 4.51 ERA, pitching in 119 innings allowing 134 hits & 60 earned runs. Moorhead passed away on December 3, 1986 in Lemoyne, PA. at the young age of 48.

2010 Hall of Fame Inductee Whitey Herzog: How He Helped Build the 1969 Mets As Director of Player Development

Dorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog was born November 9, 1931 in New Athens, Illinois. His pro baseball career began as a prospect for the A.L. New York team in the early 1950’s. Although he never cracked the big league squad, he spent Spring Training with the team and was highly influenced by Casey Stengel. His playing career was brief, playing mostly outfield and some first base. He got traded to the Senators in 1956 & played there two seasons. He moved to the Kansas City A’s, Detroit & Baltimore finishing an eight year career batting .254 lifetime. After his playing days he was a scout & then a coach for the A’s until he was hired by the Mets in 1966.


He served as third base coach for one season, before moving into the front office. Herzog became the Director of Player Development, making the big decisions for Johnny Murphy. His biggest problem in the organization was GM M. Donald Grant. According to Herzog, "Grant knew nothing about baseball operations. He would give up young talent to acquire a named payer whom had past glories and was usually washed up."

Herzog was instrumental in building the Mets 1969 Championship team & the 1973 Pennant winner. He would spend eight years developing young players and letting go all the dead wood. He helped develop the young 1969 staff and many of its young players within the organization. The crop of young arms to come out of the organization in the late sixties, early seventies is incredible. Seaver (3 Cy Youngs, HOF), Ryan (7 No Hitters, All Time K leader, HOF) , Koosman (20 game winner), Matlack (1972 Rookie of Year) , McGraw (one of 1970s best relievers), Swan (1978 ERA leader), Gentry, McAndrew, Apodaca, Buzz Capra (1974 ERA leader), Danny Frisella, Steve Renko, Rich Folkers, Nino Espinosa, etc.

In 1972 when Gil Hodges passed away after a heart attack, Herzog was probably the best man for the position. M. Donald Grant who always went with an old New York player from yesteryear chose Coach Yogi Berra. At Hodges funeral, Whitey was instructed to stay away from Grant so the media wouldn’t think he was getting the position. It’s something Herzog never forgave the Mets for.

Herzog was furious as the Mets gave away some of their top young talent; Nolan Ryan, Ken Singleton, Amos Otis, & Tim Foli. He believed (and with good speculation) that the Mets would have had a dynasty type team through the seventies if they had held on to this pool of players. Those trades were the ones that broke Herzog. Finally by 1973 Herzog couldn’t take it anymore. He left the Mets organization, leaving a very successful mark.

As an MLB manager he had huge success. He began in the A.L. in 1973, managing the Rangers, then he went to Kansas City & led the Royals to three AL West titles. In 1980 he went to St. Louis & stayed there for a decade. He won a World Series (1982) , two pennants (1985 & 1987) and six NL East titles. His style of play was called Whitey Ball. He used patient hitters, with good on base percentages at the top of his lineup. Speed & aggressive base running on the base paths of artificial turf led to runs scored.

He became one of the Mets biggest enemies in the 1980’s, out for vengeance against his old organization and then later, Keith Hernandez. Whitey was very outspoken about Keith in his Cardinal days, calling him lax and easy going on the field. (In contrast Hernandez came to New York and vowed to prove Herzog wrong.) After leaving the Cards in 1990 he worked in the Angels front office through the 1990’s before retiring. In 2010 he will be elected to the baseball Hall of Fame.

Former Met of the Day: Dan Norman (1977-1981)

Daniel Edmund Norman was born on January 11, 1955 in Los Angeles, California. The outfielder was drafted in the 15th round of the 1974 amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds. He played through the Reds system next to outfielder Steve Henderson getting promoted together through the minor leagues. On June 15, 1977 he along with his pal, Steve Henderson and Doug Flynn & Pat Zachary were sent to the Mets for Tom Seaver in the famous “Midnight Massacre” trade.

He was sent down to Tidewater until he got the late September call up, debuting against the Pirates on September 27th. He went 4-16 with four walks on the season. He was back in Tidewater in 1978 but got another September cup of coffee. He hit his first MLB HR at Olympic Stadium against the Expos, then two days later had a career day. He went 2-4 with two HRs and three RBIs against the Phillies at the Vet. He hit .266 then .245 the next season in only 44 games.

In 1980 he was on the club for the whole season, Joe Torre used him in 69 games, playing the outfield but he only hit .185 with 2 HRs & 9 RBIs. In May of 1981 he was part of another big trade as the Mets sent him & Jeff Reardon to Montreal for Ellis Valentine. In 1982 he played in only 53 games for the Expos batting .212 before his career ended with a .227 batting average.

Retirement: After his playing days Norman became a coach & a manager for 15 years, in the Florida State League, the Phoenix League & the Canadian baseball League.

Former Met of the Day: Jesse Gonder (1963-1965)

Jesse Lamar Gonder was born January 20, 1936 at Monticello, Arkansas. Gonder moved to Oakland as a teen and played high school ball in the Bay area with Frank Robinson, Curt Flood & Vada Pinson. The outspoken Gonder, was signed by the Reds as a free agent in 1955 and eventually was sent to the A.L. New York club in 1960. He briefly played in 22 games as a September call up, behind Yogi Berra & Elston Howard in 1960 & 1961, batting around .300. That December he was traded back to the Reds for Marshall Bridges. In 1962 he led the Pacific Coast League in hitting (.342) and in RBIs (116). He was a good left handed hitter, but lacked power and solid defense. On July 1st, 1963 he was traded to the Mets for Sammy Taylor.

He had a pair of hits in three of his first four Mets games, hitting two HRs against the Dodgers on July 11th at the Polo Grounds. Later that week he had a four hit day against Houston. Gonder also had a 14 game hitting streak in August, before cooling off in September. He hit .302 (3 HRs 12 RBIs) in 42 games for the ’63 Mets as a back up to Choo Choo Coleman & Norm Sherry. Gonder was the primary catcher for 1964, batting .270 with 7 HRs 11 doubles 35 RBIs. In mid July he had back to back HR days,then drove in a pair of runs in three straight games. He closed out the season with a six game hitting streak, hitting safely in the last 10 of 14.

Behind the plate, Gonder threw out 43% of would be base stealers, making only 10 errors with a .979 fielding %. In July 1965 the Mets traded him to Milwaukee for Gary Kolb. He then spent the last two years of his career in Pittsburgh as third string catcher, finishing up in 1967. Gonder hit .251 lifetime with 26 HRs 28 doubles & 94 RBIs in 395 games.

After baseball Gonder drove a bus in the San Francisco Bay area for 20 years. He passed away in Oakland on November 14, 2004 at the age of 68.

Former Met of the Day: Bill Graham (1967)

William Albert Bill Graham was born on January 21, 1937 in Flemingsburg, Kentucky. The right handed Florida Gator was picked by the Tigers in the 1957 draft. Almost a full decade later he broke into the big leagues at age 29 pitching in one measly little game for the Tigers. His contract was purchased by the Mets and he spent most of 1967 in their farm system. He got the September call up getting his first start against the Cubs, on September 3, 1967. He pitched well until the 5th when Billy Williams & Ron Santo hit back to back HRs off him. He took his first loss, as the Mets got shut out by Hackensack, New Jerseys Bill Hands. Hands would win 16 games or more for the Cubs three straight seasons (1968-1970).

In Grahams next start he only gave up one earned run in seven innings, but took another shut out loss to the Reds Gary Nolan. After two no decisions he finally got his first & only career win on September 29th, beating the Dodgers with a complete game 5-1 win. He finished the season with a 2.63 ERA in 27 innings pitched. That would be the last we heard from Mr. Graham as he went back to Kentucky until his passing in 2006.