The Wild Career of One Time Mets Pitcher: Dock Ellis (1979)

Dock Phillip Ellis was born March 11, 1945 in Los Angeles California. The six foot three right handed pitcher was an outspoken controversial figure during his baseball career & makes for some good stories as well. No matter what he certainly had some good years pitching as well. Ellis was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1964 after winning double figures twice in the minor leagues he was up in the majors by 1968.

That year he was called up in June and did not make his first star until mid August finishing the year at 6-5 with a 2.50 ERA. By 1970 the Pirates were a dominant force in the National League. They won three straight divisional titles, one World Series & were defeated twice in the LCS by the Cincinnati Reds- Big Red Machine. In 1970 Ellis was 13-10, tops among the starters on his staff pitching 201 innings with 138 strike outs and a 3.21 ERA (7th in the NL).

On June 12th 1970 he was hanging out in his hometown of Los Angeles with his friends and decided to tale LSD. hen his girlfriend read the newspaprer she found out Ellis was schedueled to pitch that night. He hopped a shuttle to nearby San Diego and prepared to pitch. By now the LSD took effect he was tripping, couldnt feel the baseball & couldn't see the batters clearly.

That night his catcher was Jerry May, who would play briefly for the 1973 Mets, & he helped out Dock by wearing reflective tape on his fingers. That night although he walked eight batters and was helped out by two fine defensive plays from Bill Mazeroski & Matty Alou, he threw a no hitter defeating the San Diego Padres.

Quotes: Dock Ellis- I can only remember bits and pieces of the game. I was psyched. I had a feeling of euphoria. I was zeroed in on the (catcher's) glove, but I didn't hit the glove too much. I remember hitting a couple of batters, and the bases were loaded two or three times. The ball was small sometimes, the ball was large sometimes, sometimes I saw the catcher, sometimes I didn't.

Sometimes, I tried to stare the hitter down and throw while I was looking at him. I chewed my gum until it turned to powder. I started having a crazy idea in the fourth inning that Richard Nixon was the home plate umpire, and once I thought I was pitching a baseball to Jimi Hendrix, who to me was holding a guitar and swinging it over the plate. They say I had about three to four fielding chances. I remember diving out of the way of a ball I thought was a line drive. I jumped, but the ball wasn't hit hard and never reached me.

In the 1970 NLCS he matched zeros with the Reds Gary Nolan for nine innings in Game #1 at Three Rivers Stadium. The Reds went on to win the game in extra innings when reserve player Ty Cline triples & Pete Rose drove him in for the first of three Reds runs in the 10th inning.


In 1971 he had his finest season, after a 3-3 start he went on to win 13 straight games from May through late July. In that time he threw five complete games including a three hit shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals & an eight hit shutout against the New York Mets.

He was the starting pitcher in the classic 1971 NL All Star Game, which featured 20 future Hall of Famers. Ellis first two innings went well, then in the third Oakland's Reggie Jackson blasted a mammoth HR over the Tiger Stadium roof hitting a transformer. Three batters later Frank Robinson hit another HR making it 4-0 American League. Ellis was the losing pitcher in the game & it would be last time the AL won an All Star game for another dozen years. 

On the season Ellis was 19-9 (5th most wins in the NL) with a 3,06 ERA, he struck out 137 batters in 226 innings pitched while walking 63 & throwing eleven complete games. In the NLCS he was the winning pitcher in Game #2 against the San Francisco Giants beating John Cumberland 9-4. In the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles, Ellis started Game #1 and was beaten by Dave McNally 5-3. Although the Pirates went on to win one of their two World Championships in seventies, Ellis did not pitch in anymore games that Series.

In 1972 he went 15-7 with a 2.70 ERA (9th in the NL). Ellis allowed the fewest HRs in the league per nine innings over that season & the next as well as averaging less than two walks per game. In the NLCS against the Big Red Machine he was the losing pitcher in Game #4 allowing three runs in five innings.

The NLCS had drama for Ellis when he was given a hard time trying to get into the ballpark. After the situation heated up he was maced by security guards afer he had raised his fist to them. Ellis later claimed he was showing his World Series ring on his finger to prove he was a member of the Pirates. He vowed to hit every batter in the Reds line up in the future to retaliate against the Reds.

Sure enough in May 1974 he did just that, hitting Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, & Dan Driessan. Tony Perez avoided getting hit & drew a walk scoring a run. Ellis then threw at the head of Johnny Bench & was removed from the game.

Personal issues & arm issues contributed to Ellis falling to 12-14 in 1973 as the Pirates lost their three year NL Eastern Champion reign to the New York Mets. In 1974 he was 12-9 then falling to 8-9 the next year. In 1975 he was traded along with a young Willie Randolph & Ken Brett to the AL New York team for Doc Medich. Ellis won the Player of the Year award going 17-8 (8th most wins in the AL ) posting a 3.19 ERA. When he faced off against Reggie Jackson who was playing with Baltimore that season, he threw at his head hitting him in the face in retaliation for the 1971 All Star Game HR.

In the ALCS he allowed three first inning runs to the Kansas City Royals in Game #4 but settled in to roll along for eight innings earning the 5-3 win.

In the World Series the Red got their revenge clobbering him for four runs on seven hits in just 3.1 inning sof work in Game # on their way to the four game series sweep. In 1977 he was Traded with Larry Murray and Marty Perez to the Oakland A's for Mike Torrez. Then after seven games his contact was purchased by the Texas Rangers.

He went 10--6 in 1977 at Texas as the Rangers finished up in second place. In the following season he was 9-7. Ellis had more drama in Texas when he got the players to revolt against manager Billy Hunter. He said "Hunter may be Hitler but he ain't making no lampshade out of me". On the June 15th trade deadline, Ellis was sent to the New York Mets for Bob Myrick & Mike Bruhert.

Ellis made his Mets debut in Houston pitching six innings aloowing just two runs but earned no decision in the Mets 3-2 loss. His next start was at Three Rivers Stadium against his old Pirates team mates who were on their way to another World Series title. Ellis again earned no decsion in the Mets 12-9 win. He had pitched six innings allowing just two earned runs. In his next two starts he was hit hard allowing over five runs both times, taking losses to the Phillies & Padres. 

On June 12th he beat the reigning NL Champion Dodgers at Shea Stadium pitching into the 8th inning. On July 27th Ellis pitched a complete game but lost to the Chicago Cubs 4-2. In August he would go 1-3 having a horrible outing on the 1st, giving up seven runs on ten hits to the Phillies in just three innings.

He beat the Expos in Montreal & then beat the Pirates pitching three innings of relief on September 8th. On September 19th he made his last appearance with the Mets pitching two innings of scoreless relief. Later that week his contract was purchased by the Pirates & he ended his career in Pittsburgh playing in three games seeing no post season action. In his brief two months Mets career Ellis was 3-7 with a 5.77 ERA in 17 appearances.

In his 12 season career he was 138-119 with 1136 strike outs 674 walks a 3.46 ERA pitching in 1430 innings over 345 games with 14 shut outs & 71 complete games. After his playing career the LSD story came out in 1984. Prioir to that the rest of the baseball world didn't know he was tripping during the 1970 no hitter. He became a drug counselor in the Los Angeles area but passed away in 2008 from cirrhosis of the liver. He was 63 years old.

Short Time Mets Pitcher: Steve Reed (2001)

Steven Vincent Reed was born on March 11, 1965 in Los Angeles California. The six foot two right handed pitcher attended Lew & Clark State College signing with the San Francisco Giants in 1988. Reed was a career relief pitcher, saving 26 games in 1989 at A ball Clinton. He saved 43 games over in 1992 at AA Shreveport & AAA Phoenix getting him a major league September call up.

He wouldn't be on the Giants long as he was selected (60th pick) in the expansion draft by the newly formed Colorado Rockies. He would spend seven seasons overall in Colorado (1993-1997) (2003-2004) never becoming a closer at the major league level. In 1994 he led the league in appearances with 61 posting a 3-2 record with three saves & 3.94 ERA. In 1995 he had his best season going 5-2 with thhree saves posting a 2.14 ERA in 71 appearances.

Reed went on to have a successful career as a mid reliever going to the Cleveland Indians (1998-2000) Atlanta Braves (2001) San Diego Padres (2002) New York Mets (2002) & Baltimore Orioles (2005). He got the post season four times, first reaching with the Rockies in 1995 making three appearances in the NLDS against Atlanta. In 1998 he pitched for the Indians earning a win in the ALDS against the Boston Red Sox. In 2001 he appeared in NLDS & NLCS pitching two games just 0.1 innings of work for Atlanta.

Reed arrived in New York getting Traded by the San Diego Padres along with Jason Middlebrook for Jason Bay, Bobby Jones & Josh Reynolds (minors). He only pitched with the Mets for two months making 24 appearances getting credit for six holds (all in September) posting a 2.08 ERA with 14 strike outs & four walks in 26 innings of work.

On August 10th he took a loss when he was relieved by Mark Guthrie who gave up a sac fly to Jim Edmonds allowing the winning run to score. It was his only decision as Met.

In his 14 year career he was 49-44 with 18 saves posting a 3.63 ERA in 870 innings of work in 833 appearances.

One Time Mets Reserve Catcher: Jorge Fabregas (1998)

Jorge Fabregas was born on March 13, 1970 in Miami Florida. He attended the University of Miami playing as a catcher for the Hurricanes. He joined Team USA in 1990 at the last minute & ended up being the team’s second best hitter with a .444 average. Fabregas was a 1991 first round draft pick (#34 pick overall) for the California Angels.

He debuted in 1994 then became the Angels main catcher the next two seasons batting a career high .287 in 1996. In 1997 he was sent to the White Sox & overall saw the most full time action of his career. In 121 games he hit 7 HRs with 51 RBIs 11 doubles 93 hits & .258 average. From that point on he would be mainly a backup journey man catcher in the major leagues for nine seasons through 2002.

He would play with the Angels (1994-1997 / 2001) Chicago White Sox (1997) Arizona Diamondbacks (1998) Florida Marlins (1999) Atlanta Braves (1999) Kansas City Royals (2000) & Milwaukee Brewers (2002) . Fabregas would also have a twenty game stop with the New York Mets in 1998.

After playing 50 games with the Diamondbacks that season he was traded to the New York Mets on July 31st alongwith Willie Blair for Nelson Figueroa & Bernard Gilkey. Fabregas was a solid defensive catcher with a strong throwing arm. On the 1998 season, although he caught just 53 games, he threw out a league leading 46% of would be base stealers. He would post a .990 fielding % & turn over five double plays behind the plate as well.

At the plate he hit his only Mets HR on August 12th in St. Louis, a two run shot against the Cradinals. In his next start he had his best day, gathering three hits at Shea against the Rockies. He finished out the year batting .188 with the Mets & .199 overall.

His stay in New York was short lived as he was traded to Florida in November for pitcher Oscar Henriquez who never suited up in a Mets uniform. In 1999 he finished the year with the Braves facing off against the Mets in the NLCS where he went 0-2 as a pinch hitter.

In his nine year career, Fabregas played in 646 games, batting .241 overall with 441 hits, 23 HRs 211 RBIs throwing out 37% of would be base stealers posting a .989 fielding %.

The Only 1962 Mets Pitcher With A Winning Record- Yale Graduate: Ken Mackenzie (1962-1963)

Kenneth Purvis Mackenzie was born on March 10, 1934 in Gore Bay, Ontario, Canada located on the North channel of Lake Huron. The man with the thick glasses looked more like a scholar than a ball player, and he actually was. He was a member of the Yale class of 1956, lettering in both baseball & hockey. Mackenzie a six foot left hander was signed by the Milwaukee Braves in 1957.

He went right to AA ball pitching in Atlanta winning 14 games. In his move up to AAA the following year he won 15 games making an impression. In 1959 he became relief pitcher mostly going 6-2at AAA Louisville making a debut in the big leagues by 1960. He saw action in just 14 games over two seasons in Milwaukee going 0-2 as a Braves reliever.

In October 1961, his contract was purchased by the New York Mets making him an original Met. MacKenzie was a reliever for the ’62 Mets staff, usually coming in the later innings. Once in a tight game with runner aboard Casey Stengel came out to the mound & told Mackenzie “make out like your pitching against Harvard”. MacKenzie shook his head, thinking to himself, Yale is not Harvard. He would be the first Mets pitcher out of Yale University, until Ron Darling came along twenty years later. Casey was also quoted saying: "He's a splendid young fella with a great education from Yale University. His signing with us makes him the lowest paid member of the class of Yale '56."

Mackenzie made his Mets debut in the fourth game of the teams history, pitching two innings allowing a pair of runs on three hits. After a loss & blown save in May, he went on to earn two straight victories against his old team, on a road trip to Milwaukee. On May 19th he benefited from a rare Mets hitting outburst as the team scored four runs in the top of the 8th inning. The next day he got more help, when the Mets scored four runs in the top of the 9th inning. Two of the runs scored on an error on Charlie Neal ground ball. He would actually close out the year winning three of his last four decisions as well.

On a team that only won 40 games, MacKenzie pitched at some point or another in ten of those wins. He was the only pitcher on the entire 1962 Mets staff with a winning record (5-4) & his five wins were amazingly third best on the team. He made 42 appearances earning one save, striking out 51 batters in 80 innings pitched, posting a 4.95 ERA.

He started out real well in 1963, going 3-0 with two saves posting an 0.82 ERA by early May. He was by far the most successful pitcher on the staff early on. He would make 34 appearances out of the bull pen, blowing two saves, & taking a loss through early August. He was then traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Ed Bauta on August 5th, 1963.

He would finish the year at 3-1 with 4.84 ERA, striking out 48 batters in 67 innings on the season. Over the next two years he would pitch for the San Francisco Giants & Houston Astros, going 0-3 in 31 games combined. In his six season career he was 8-10 with five saves, 142 strikeouts in 208 innings pitched in 129 games posting a 4.80 ERA.

Former Italian / American Player: Carl Furillo (1946-1960)

Carl Anthony Furillo was born March 8th 1922 in Stony Creek Mills, Pennsylvania. He grew up four miles outside of Reading, PA and played on their local baseball team. His threw so hard, he earned the nickname “The Reading Rifle”. They tried to convert him to a pitcher but he was too wild, and it was a danger to the hitter’s lives. After serving in World War II he got to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946 at the age 24.

In his rookie year he hit .284 with 3 HRs 35 RBIs 18 doubles & 6 triples in 117 games. By 1947 he was batting .295 and he developed into one of the leagues top hitters for average. He would bat over .300 five times, & would hit over .290 eleven times in his fifteen year career while making two All Star teams.

In 1953 he had one of his best seasons, leading the league in hitting (.344) with career highs in doubles (38) & on base % (.393). He hit 21 HRs with 92 RBIs while scoring 90 runs for the first of three straight seasons. He won the batting title even though his season was cut short playing in 132 games that season. The famous Dodgers Giants rivalry heated up once again, as Furillo got plunked on the wrist by Giants pitcher Ruben Gomez.

Furillo was infuriated that he charged the Giants dugout going after manager Leo Durocher for calling the pitch. A bench clearing brawl broke out & Furillo’s hand was stepped on causing him to miss the rest of the season. Furillo later said of the rivalry “We hated the Giants, I just hated that uniform”.

Furillo’s hitting put him among the league’s top ten in batting five times in his career. He was never really considered a power hitter but hit 18 or more HRs five separate seasons. He had two 100 plus RBI seasons driving in over 90 runs, six different times, on some very talented Dodger teams. Furillo had four seasons of hitting 30 plus doubles as well as three seasons of 90 plus runs scored.

The only flaw he had was his slow running, which earned him the name “skoonj” short for scungilli, which is a slow snail like sea creature that taste pretty good in a fradiavlo sauce. His slow running led him to hit into 207 career double plays (78th all time). In 1956 he led the league in that category with 27.

On the field Furillo was outstanding. He played the tricky right field wall at Ebbets Field in front of the famous Abe Stark sign which read “hit this sign and win a suit”. Not many suits were won with Furillo near the sign, as few balls got passed him.

The Reading Rifle would have ten or more outfield assists for nine straight seasons, and once threw out Pittsburgh’s Mel Queen running to first base on what looked like a single. He led the league twice in assists (1950 & 1951) & was in the top three in fielding four times. He would end his career with 151 outfield assists, and a .979 fielding percentage. He turned 34 double plays, and only made 74 errors in 1739 games played.

Post Season: Furillo would go on to play in seven World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers Boys of Summer. In his first World Series (1947) he hit .353 going 6-21 with two doubles & three RBIs. In Game #3 he doubled home two runs in the Dodgers six run fourth inning. He had two more hits, scoring a run in Game #6 helping the Dodgers in their 8-6 win. In the 1949 Series he struggled, going 1-8 playing in just three games.

In the 1952 World Series, he made a spectacular catch, reaching over the fence robbing Johnny Mize of a game tying HR in the 11th inning. In that Series he had just four hits, two of them doubles going 4-23 (.174) In the Game #6 of the 1953 Series, he hit a two run HR in the top of the 9th inning to tie up the game, although the Dodgers lost it in the bottom of the inning. Overall he hit .333 with four RBIs in that Series.

Furillo was a member of Brooklyn’s 1955 Championship team, batting .314 on the season (7th best in the league). He hit a career high 26 HRs driving in 96 runs, making it three straight 90 plus RBI seasons. That season he posted a .391 on base % as well as coming in second in the league in fielding.

Post Season: In the World Series he started out going 3-4 in Game #1 with a HR off Whitey Ford and two runs scored. In Game #3 he had an RBI double off Tom Morgan, in the Dodgers 8-3 win. Overall he hit .296 (8-27) with three extra base hits & three walks in the World Series.

He played in the last Brooklyn World Series in 1956 and the first Los Angeles Dodger Series in 1959. In Game #3 of the ’59 Fall Classic, Furillo drove in the winning run on a bases loaded pinch hit single in the bottom of the 9th inning.

In 1960 he tore his calf muscle after playing in just eight games, at age 38 his career was over as the Dodgers soon released him. He then sued the organization saying they released him to avoid the 15 year higher pension payout, as well as the fact they were avoiding his medical costs. He won $21,000 in the settlement, but would be black balled from any jobs in baseball after that. The commissioner’s office denied any charges of him being black listed.

Lifetime in his 15 year career, Furillo hit .299 (211th all time) with 1910 hits 192 HRs 324 doubles 56 triples & 1058 RBIs in 1806 games played. In right field he played 1739 games (98th all time) with a .978 fielding % (87th all time) with 1135 put outs (86th all time).

Retirement: Furillo ran a butcher shop in Flushing, Queens during the sixties. He then worked for the Otis Elevator Co. and installed elevator shafts for the World Trade Center in the early seventies. He moved back to the Reading, PA area in the late seventies and developed leukemia. He passed away in 1989 of an apparent heart attack in Stony Mill, PA at the age of 66.

Late Nineties Brief Mets Short Stop: Manny Alexander (1997)

Manuel de Jesus Alexander was Born on March 20, 1971 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. He was signed at the age of 17 by the Baltimore Orioles in 1988. He spent fourteen seasons in the minors throughout his career with brief call ups to the majors debuting in 1992. He was not known for hitting but being a fine defensive shortstop, voted the #39 top prospect by Baseball America in 1992. He didn’t see much action at short for the Orioles as Cal Ripkens back up so he played over at second base, third base & occasional outfield in his Orioles years (1992-1996). In Spring Training of 1997, he was sent to the New York Mets for Hector Ramirez.
Alexander debuted in the Mets second game of the year in San Diego as a defensive replacement for Carlos Baerga. He also got a single in the 9th inning in a game the Mets lost in extra innings. He would play in 54 games for the Mets at second base & short stop making four errors posting a .980 fielding %. He hit stole 11 bases hit 2 HRs with 9 doubles 3 triples 15 RBIs while batting .248.

One of his biggest days at the plate was in Colorado on May 6th, when he had three hits & an RBI in the Mets 12-11 loss in a game that had 34 hits combined by both teams. Then in early July he had another three hit day in Atlanta helping the Mets to a 10-7 win. First he hit a solo HR off John Smoltz in the 8th inning bringing the Mets to within a run. Then in the 9th he tripled, scoring Carl Everett breaking the tie & then scoring on Edgardo Alfonzo’s hit. On August 14, 1997 he was the player to be named later in a deal with the Chicago Cubs which sent Lance Johnson to Chicago for Brian McRae, Mel Rojas and Turk Wendell.

Alexander would go on to play two seasons with the Cubs, then go to Boston in 2000 but had his career derailed when illegal seroids were found in his car. He returned to the big leagues four years later with Texas, then he moved on to San Diego ending his MLB career in 2006 batting .231 with 293 hits 50 doubles 12 triples 15 HRs 115 RBIs in 37 stolen bases in 593 games over 11 seasons.

In 2008 Alexander player in the Italian baseball League (Serie A1) & hit .331 for Rimini. Rimini is located on the Adriatic Sea in the province of Emilia-Romagna. It is one of largest seaside resorts in Europe & is known as the Miami of Europe. He also played in the 2009 European Cup baseball tournament.

Mets All Star Pitcher: Johan Santana (2008-2011)

Johan Alexander Santana was born on March 13th 1979 in Tovar, Venezuela. The six foot left hander, was discovered by the Houston Astros but they left him unprotected & he was drafted away by the Florida Marlins. In a deal of first & second round picks, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Jared Camp & cash. He soon developed his nasty change up which has become the best change in baseball. The pitch is tough for a batter to drive the ball on and to close to the strike zone for him to take. It swirls causing batters to lunge out at it, usually swinging & missing. He also throws a fast ball in the lower to mid nineties with the same delivery which also confuses hitters.

Santana started out as a reliever in the Twins bullpen from 2000-2003. In 2000 he appeared 30 games going 2-3 wth a high 6.49 ERA. In 2001 he was with the Twins from April to early July appearing 15 games going 1-0 with a 4.74 ERA, 28 strike outs in 43 innings. In those first two seasons he only made nine starts. He was thrown into the starting rotation by manager Ron Gardenhire & it all came together. First in 2002 in 14 starts & 27 over all appearances he was 8-6 but now he struck out 137 batters in just 108 innings pitched & posted a 2.99 ERA.

In 2003 he went 12-3 winning his last eight starts in a row, leading the Twins to a playoff berth. He struck out 169 batters (8th in the league) in 158 innings pitched while posting a 3.07 ERA. In the ALDS he pitched five scoreless innings in the opener but got no decision in the Twins 3-1 victory. He returned but took the loss in the final Game #4.

In 2004 he had a slow first half of the season, pitching well but ending up at 7-6. He then went on to tied an MLB record going an incredible 13-0 in the second half of the season, leading the Twins to another playoff berth. In the second half he averaged eleven strikeouts per nine innings & posted a 1.13 ERA. He pitched eight innings three times allowing less than two earned runs each time. That season he struck out ten or more batters in a game twelve times, posting 12 or more five times with a high of 14 against Baltimore on September 19th.

Santana won his first Cy Young Award, going 20-6 and leading the AL in both ERA (2.61) & strikeouts (265) pitching in 228 Innings (second in the AL) with one complete game shutout. His 265 strike outs were a club record passing Bert Blylevens old mark of 258 in 1973. He went on to beat the A.L. New York club in Game #1 of the ALDS pitching seven shutout innings. He began the final Game #4 but go no decision. It was his last post season appearance to date.

In 2005 the Twins weak offense didn’t score many runs, he went 16-7 (5th most wins in the al) and led the league for the third straight year with 238 K’s. He was second in the league with a 2.87 ERA, he pitched 232 innings (2nd in the AL) & tossed three complete games. Santana was always better in the second half, this year was no exception as he went 9-2 after the break pitching at least eight innings six times. On August 12th in Oakland he pitched a three hit shut out against the A's , striking out none. He came back to strike out ten White Sox in Chicago in his next start. He would get 13 strike outs the next time he faced them at home in September.

Santana was spectacular in 2006 winning his second CY Young Award, becoming the first pitcher since the Mets’ Doc Gooden to win the Pitching Triple Crown. He was tops in wins (19) Ks (245) & ERA (2.77). After the All Star break he once again had an incredible run, going went 10-1 posting an ERA under two.

In that stretch he never allowed more than three earned runs in a game, and went at least eight innings three times. On August 15th he threw a three hit eight inning shutout against the Indians at the Metro Dome. On the season he had nine games where he posted double figures in strike outs, including three in a row in early May. For the third straight year he allowed the fewest walks & hits per innings in the American League. He also led the league in innings (233) starts (34) & strike outs per nine innings for the third straight year (9.4).

In 2007 Johan pitched against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium in an interleague game that summer. On the team bus on the way to the game, Twins broadcaster the former great pitcher, Bert Blyleven said he would shave his head if Johan pitched a shutout. From a box seat at Shea, my brother & I watched Santana shut down the Mets in a four hit complete game 9-0 shutout performance. Santana did the honors of shaving Blyleven’s head the next day. That summer Johan made his third All Star team & went on to win his first Gold Glove Award.

In a rain shortened game on the last day of the season, he ended a streak of pitching beyond the 5th inning in 123 straight starts. This incredible streak is the third longest in the past 50 years. He finished the year at 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA, his highest since becoming a starter.

He was still considered one of the games top pitchers & The small market Twins knew they wouldn’t be able to pay Johan the big salary. In the winter of 2008 he was traded to the New York Mets for prospects, Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber & Kevin Mulvey. In February the Mets gave him a huge six year $137 million deal to keep him pitching in New York.

Santana made his Mets debut on Opening Day 2008 in Florida against the Marlins. He allowed two runs on three hits over seven innings earning the 7-2 victory. He took losses in his next two outings but then came back with two straight wins. On May 10 although he gave up ten hits, he just surrendered three runs beating the Cincinnati Reds for his first win at Shea Stadium. A week later he went across town & beat the A.L. New York club in his first subway series matchup. He went into the 8th inning that day, allowing four runs on seven hits with five strikeouts.

In June he won his 100th career game at the age of 29. At the end of June he took a subway series loss at home but the team only put up two runs for him. Up until that point, low run support & a horrible 2008 bullpen cost Santana at least five additional victories. From that point on he did it all himself. He would not lose another game all season & carried his pitching staff to within one game of a playoff berth.

He would go 9-0 with three complete games & pitch into the 8th inning or beyond six times. On August 17th he pitched a three hit shutout in Pittsburgh striking out seven Pirates. In his next start he pitched eight shut out innings against the Houston Astros walking just one batter leading his team to a 3-0 win. After a no decision effort on September 1st, he would pitch seven innings or more the rest of the year going 4-0 in the September pennant race.

In an incredible performance of determination & team leadership he had one of his best Mets games on the next to last day of the season. Santana threw a three hit shutout against the Florida Marlins, striking out nine, to keep the Mets in playoff contention until the last game of the year.

In his last two performances he had struck out nine or more batters giving him 206 on the year, making it five straight seasons with 200 plus K’s. He finished the year at 16-7 leading the league in ERA (2.53) innings pitched (234) & games started (34). He was second in the league in strikeouts (206) & shutouts (3) & third in complete games (3). He also came in third place in the CY Young voting. As soon as the season ended, on October 1st he underwent a successful knee surgery for a torn meniscus.

He returned in 2009 with an Opening Day victory at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati, pitching into the 6th inning allowing just one run on three hits with seven strike outs.. In his next start he only allowed two runs while striking out 13 batters but the Mets couldn’t score any runs & he took a 2-1 loss. It was his loss first since the previous June. In his next start against the Milwaukee Brewers he pitched seven scoreless innings not allowing any Brewer to get past first base. He won six of his next seven decisions and had an ERA just at 2.00 at the start of June.

As the season went on he had arm trouble & as everything else went wrong for the 2009 Mets, Santana’s year was over in August. He needed to have bone chips removed from his elbow. He finished the year at 13-9 with 146 strike outs in 166 innings pitched, posting a 3.13 ERA. He was voted number three on a list of the Sporting News top 50 current players by a panel that included many Hall of Famers.

On Opening Day 2010 he beat the Marlins at Citi Field, and would have a strong April going 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA. On May 2nd he had the worst day of his career giving up ten runs to the rival Phillies in a nationally broadcast game. He settled down allowing just seven runs in his next five starts but only earned two victories going into July. On July 6th he had his best day of the year beating the Reds at Citi Field with a three hit shutout while hitting his own first career HR. He went 3-0 with a 0.76 ERA until July 23rd, and had an 8-5 record with one of the league’s best ERA’s.

In August he threw a four hit shutout at home against the Colorado Rockies and on September 2nd pitched his last game of the season. Another injury required him to need surgery for the third straight season. He missed all of the 2011 season at the major league level. A Slow rehab had him get two starts at A ball St. Lucie where he pitched five innings allowing a run on five hits.

At this point in his career he is 133-69 (.658% which is 19th best all time) with 1877 strike outs (84th all time & 7th among active pitchers) his 8.8 strike out per nine innings ratio is 4th among active pitchers & 10th best all time. He has eight shut outs 13 complete games & a 3.10 ERA (third best among active pitchers & 21st all time). His 7.5 hits per nine innings is 5th best among active pitchers & 41st all time. His 2.4 walks per nine innings is 17th among active pitchers. His overall 1.1 walks/hits per nine innings in 2nd best among active pitchers & 31st all time.

Johan & his wife Yasmile, have two daughters & live in Ft. Meyers Florida. He is very active in the community, doing a lot for work for local hospitals & charities.

Early Sixties Mets Catcher: Sammy Taylor (1962-1963)

Samuel Douglas Taylor was born on February 27, 1933 in Woodruff South Carolina. The six foot two, left hand hitting catcher was signed by the Milwaukee Braves in 1956. After two seasons in their minor leagues he was traded along with Taylor Phillips to the Chicago Cubs for Eddie Haas, Don Kaiser and Bob Rush.

Taylor became the Cubs regular catcher in 1959 batting .269 with a career high 13 HRs, 13 doubles & 43 RBIs. In June of the 1959 he was involved in a strange play while behind the plate.

The legendary Stan Musial walked on a ball four, wild pitch that got past Taylor. He argued the call, saying Musial had foul tipped the ball as it rolled to the backstop. Musial ran to second, Alvin Dark ran to the backstop to retrieve the ball. The ball wound up in the hands of the field announcer, a new ball was taken, and thrown into the outfield. As Musial tried for third; the old ball was retrieved then thrown to third base where Ernie Banks tagged out Musial. Behind the plate he caught 109 games and committed a league leading ten errors.

In 1960 he was a second string catcher behind Ed Tappe, batting only .207 in 74 games. The next season Dick Bertell took over as the Cubs main catcher, with Taylor as a aback up seeing action in 89 games; batting .238. On April 26, 1962 he got traded to the expansion New York Mets for Bobby Gene Smith. Taylor arrived at the Polo Grounds where the young Mets had played just 14 games in the team's history, they were 2-12 already 8 1/2 games back. In his second game as a Met, Taylor got a hit and an RBI in a rare '62 Mets 8-0 win.

Eleven of his twenty RBIs came in June, when he saw the most playing time (21 games) , getting 13 hits with a four game hit streak. On July 7th Taylor had a big day, hitting HRs in both ends of a doubleheader. The HRs came at the Polo Grounds in games against the St. Louis Cardinals. In the first game he hit a sixth inning solo shot off Larry Jackson, which was the first run in the Mets 4-3 win. In the second game he hit another solo shot, this one off Ray Washburn, although the Mets lost the game 3-2. Taylor would not hit any more HRs in his career & would finish with just three on the season. In July he went down with injury missing over a month of time, returning at the end of September.

He spent the season in a revolving door of New York Mets catchers who tried out for a regular job in that spot. Included in the cast were; Chris Cannizzaro, Choo Choo Coleman, Joe Pignatano, Hobie Landrith & Harry Chiti. Overall in 68 games Taylor hit .222 but led all the catchers with three HRs & twenty RBIs. In 56 games behind the plate he threw out 33% of base runners attempting to steal & posted a .992 fielding %.

In 1963 he didn't get to the Mets club until late May, & he would see action in 22 games through June batting .257 with six RBIs. On July 1st he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with Charlie Neal for another catcher; Jesse Gonder. After one month, Taylor was sent to the Cleveland Indians for Gene Green. He played just four games there & spent the next two seasons in the minors before retiring from the game.

Taylor finished his brief six season playing in 473 lifetime game, hitting .245 with 309 hits 33 HRs 47 doubles, a .313 on base % & 147 RBIs.

centerfieldmaz Remembers Harry Wendelstedt & Don Mincher On Their Passing

Harry Hunter Wendelstedt Jr. was born July 27th 1938 in Baltimore Maryland. He began umpiring in the major leagues in 1966 for the National League. Wendelstat was famous for having a wide strike zone, he would shout & use the now famous so called "chain saw move" on a called third strike. If it was a swinging strike he would raise his right arm straight up in the air signaling the out.
In 1968 he made a controversial call in favor of Dodger pitcher Don Drysdale which helped him continue his scoreless innings streak to his record 58 2/3 innings. San Francisco Giants batter Dick Dietz was hit in the elbow with a pitch & if he had gotten to first base a run would have scored. But Wendelstedt ruled Dietz made no attempt to get out of the way, Drysdale's streak continued on.

On April 22, 1970 Wendelstedt was behind the plate at Shea Stadium when Tom Seaver struck out 19 San Diego Padres tying a major league single game strike out record. In that game Seaver struck out the last ten batters he face setting another record.

Wendelstedt worked his first World Series in 1973, between the New York Mets & the Oakland A's. He was the home plate umpire in Game #6 at the Oakland Coliseum in a game where Catfish Hunter beat Tom Seaver 3-1 to even the series at three games each.

The next time the Mets were in the World Series, 1986 Wendelstedt was once again on the umpiring staff. He worked the plate in Game #6 at Fenway Park in the Mets 7-1 victory over the Red Sox. In that game Lenny Dykstra led off the game with a HR, Gary Carter drove in three runs & the Mets first designated hitter Danny Heep drove in two runs. In that game Bob Ojeda beat Oil Can Boyd.

Two years later Wendelstedt was on the umpiring staff of the NLCS in which the Dodgers beat the Mets in seven games. He was behind the plate in Game #1 where Dwight Gooden went up against Orel Hershiser, neither pitcher fgured in the decision as the Mets won it in the 9th inning on Daryl Strawberry & Gary Carters doubles.

Overall he worked in seven NLCS series & five World Series serving as crew chief in 1980 & 1995. He also worked a record tying five no hitters & four All Star games.

In 1977 he took over the Al Somers Umpire School & renamed it the Harry Wendelstedt Umpiring School serving as the chief instructor there for 17 years. His son Harry Hunter Wendlestat goes by the name Hunter & wears the uniform #21 just like his dad in his honor. The two became the first father & son umpire team to work a game together in 1988. Wendelstedt Sr. was diagnosed with a brain tumor ten years ago & passed away this week at Ormond Beach Florida at the age of 73.

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Donald Ray Mincher was born on June 24th 1938 in Huntsville, Alabama. The six foot three first baseman was signed by the Chicago White Sox in 1956. In 1960 he was traded along with Earl Battey to the Washington Senators for Roy Sievers. After one season the franchise moved to Minnesota & became the Twins. He played six seasons with the Twins having his best seasons in the mid sixties. In 1965 Mincher hit 22 HRs with 17 doubles 65 RBIs batting .251 with a .344 on base % helping the Twins get to the World Series .

That year he led the AL in intentional walks (15) and was one of the hitting stars of a Twins team that featured six time HR champion Harmon Killebrew, three time batting champ Tony Oliva, & that years MVP Zolio Versalles. In the first game of the 1965 World Series Mincher hit a HR off Don Drysdale in the Twins 8-2 win. The Dodgers would win the Series in seven games coming from behind down two games to none.

In 1966 he was part of a record setting inning in which five Twins players hit HRs, the game was on June 9th against the Kansas City A's. Mincher would move on to play for the California Angels (1967-1968) then the Seattle Pilots in their only season of existence 1969.

That year he was the teams power hitter with 25 HRs & 78 RBIs. As the franchise moved to Milwaukee Mincher was sent to the Oakland A's where he played in 1970-1971 & then returned to close out his career there at the end of the 1972 season. In between his stints with the A's he played in Washington & then in Texas when the team moved there in 1972. Mincher appeared in three games of the 1972 World Series driving in a run in his only at bat. He went out a winner as his A's beat the Cincinnati Reds in seven games.

In his 13 year career Mincher hit .249 with 1003 hits 200 HRs 176 doubles 643 RBIs & a .348 on base %. He played in two All Star games (1967 & 1969) & was among the leagues top four first baseman in fielding four times. After his playing days he was general manager of the Huntsville Stars a AA affiliate of the A's & Milwaukee Brewers. He also served as President of the minor leagues Southern League from 2000-2010. He passed away on March 4, 2012 after a long illness.

All Time Mets HR & RBI Leader: Darryl Strawberry (1983-1990)

Darryl Eugene Strawberry was born March 12, 1962 in Los Angeles, California. He was a star baseball player early on starting out in grade school. By high school baseball he was a local star in Los Angeles and a highly touted MLB prospect. In 1980 the tall six foot six left handed hitting Strawberry was signed by the New York Mets in the first round, the number one draft pick overall. He had a looping swing with a high leg kick eventually becoming one of the most feared sluggers in the game.
He began at A ball Lynchburg in 1981, hitting 13 HRs, with 31 stolen bases & 78 RBIs in 105 games played. In 1982 he was the Texas League MVP hitting 34 HRs with 45 stolen bases, 97 RBIs batting .283 at AA Jackson. He started out 1983 at AAA Tidewater & after 16 games was hitting .333 when he was promoted to an improved New York Mets team in May, desperate for his debut.

Strawberry debuted on May 6th 1983, at Shea Stadium in front of 15,916 fans in game against the Cincinnati Reds. He batted third in the line up in front of Dave Kingman. He struck out three times but walked twice & scored his first career run. Two nights later in a 10-5 Mets win over the Reds he got his first career hit & drove in his first run.

In his eighth game on May 16th, Strawberry hit his first career HR in Pittsburgh off of the Pirates Lee Tunnell. He hit another the next day, his first one at home in Shea Stadium driving in three runs the Mets 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres. He was quickly becoming a fan favorite & the new face of the organization which added a lot of pressure to the young man. By the All Star break he was struggling in batting average, hitting just above the .200 mark, although he had hit ten HRs.

Strawberry hit a HR & had a four RBI day against the St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium in June helping Tom Seaver to a 6-4 Mets win. When Strawberry got to St. Louis he hit two HRs & drove in five runs on June 28th. He would enjoy ten games where he drove in three or more runs that season. In August he got hot hitting three HRs the first week with nine HRs & 17 RBIs in the month.

He finished off the year in September with five more HRs & another 17 RBIs. He drove in four runs leading the Mets to a 7-3 win over the Padres on September 1st. On the 13th he drove in three runs in Philadelphia leading New York to a 5-1 win. Then on the 28th his three RBIs lead the Mets to a 4-2 win at Pittsburgh. He finished the year winning the 1983 Rookie of the Year Award & made the Topps All Star Rookie team. He hit 26 HRs (7th in the NL) with seven triples, 15 doubles, 19 stolen bases, 74 RBIs & hitting .257. He struck out the second most times in the NL (128) but also posted the league's third best slugging % (.512%). In the outfield he was third in fielding (983%) &had none assists (4th in the NL).

In 1984 he began the year with an opening day HR, the only run the Mets scored in a loss to the Reds at Cincinnati. He would hit three HRs the first week of the season & bat .324 12 RBIs in the month of April. He fell into a May slump but hit better as the summer went along, & the Mets were now contenders. In July he made the first of eight All Star games, getting a hit (1-3) in the NL'S 3-1 win at San Francisco. At the end of the month Daryl had a stretch hitting four HRs with, four straight multi hit games driving in 11 runs winning the Player of the Week award.

Overall Straw had an incredible July bashing 8 HRs with 30 hits & 28 RBIs, hitting safely in 21 of 29 games. In August he went into a drought not hitting any HRs, in September he had nine muti RBI games including a big day at Wrigley Field on September 16th, where he had three hits & five RBIs, bashing a long HR as well. He would finish the year leading the team in HRs with 26 (4TH in the NL), as well as RBIs 97 (4th in the NL). He stole 27 bases hit 26 doubles & posted a .354 on base %. He developed into one of the leagues best players in by 1985, known for his monstrous HRs, run production & base stealing. He struck out often again, 131 times (3rd in the NL).

In the third game of the 1985 season, he blasted a HR off John Franco in the bottom of the 9th inning for his first career walk off game winner. He started out with six HRs in the month of April, driving in 12 runs. On April 28th he hit a grand slam off Pittsburgh's Mike Bielecki leading the team to 54 win over the Pirates. He missed 40 games with a thumb injury from May until July. When he returned he raised his average fifty points on the month driving in 23 runs. On July 20th he had a huge day in Atlanta, hitting two HRs, driving in seven runs, including a 1st inning grand slam.

That week he won the Player of the Week Award & then won the award again two weeks later. On august 5th he hit three HRs at Wrigley Field driving in five runs against the Cubs leading Ed Lynch to a 7-2 victory. He would hit nine HRs & have two more four RBI games that month, both coming at Shea during the week of August 22nd.

During the pennant race of September, Strawberry he hit eight HRs driving in 22 runs, but the Mets still fell short of beating out the rival St. Louis Cardinals in the NL East. He hit a mammoth HR off the clock tower at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on October 1st that is still talked about to this day. It came in the top of the 11th inning in a scoreless game off Ken Dayley. The Mets one the game 1-0 and were only trailing the Cards by two games at that point, but there were only five games to go. He went hitless the next night as the Mets won 5-2 but were still unable to catch the Cards in the final three games.

Strawberry finished the year with 29 HRs (6TH in the NL) 15 doubles, 73 walks, 4 triples 79 RBIs, a .277 batting average, a .389 on base % and stole 26 bases. He struck out 96 times & it was the only year in an eleven year stretch he was under the 100 mark. In right field he posted a .994 fielding % which was second in the league.

In the 1986, championship season Strawberry started out going 1-1 with a double & three walks on Opening Day in Dwight Goodens win at Pittsburgh. Just as the Mets team did that season, Straw got off to a great start in April by hitting safely in 20 of his first 25 games. At the end of the month he had a huge series in Atlanta, first-driving in four runs with a three run HR on the April 29th opener. The next day he had a five hit day with another HR, three RBIs & a stolen base. In that three game series he had seven hits two HRs & seven RBIs. In May on that same road trip, he closed it out with a pair of HRs in Cincinnati in a 7-2 Mets win. He was hitting but not without drama.

At times he was late or didn’t show up for work outs. He disrupted team meetings and argued with his team mates. He got into a shoving match with Keith Hernandez on Mets picture day, and then had another highly publicized battle with Wally Backman. Story goes he threatened Backman, saying "I’ll bust that little redneck in the face" after he had heard Backman was saying negative things about him. Then the media jumped on him as well, calling his play in the outfield lax & that he was being lazy with his work ethic. Through all the drama, like many superstars, Straw would still hit and was a key figure in the Mets Championship season & their success in the eighties.

On June 13th he singled home the game winning run for a walk off win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In July he hit two HRs against Houston giving them a taste at what the NLCS was going to be like, driving in four runs including a bottom of the 10th inning HR off Frank Dipino to tie the game. Ray Night would win it with a walk off HR three at bats later. When the Mets went to Houston, Strawberry would drive in runs in three of the four games at the Astrodome. He had a three RBI day on July 17trh in the big Mets 13-2 win & came back with a two run HR two days later. This was the famous road trip where Mets players were involved in a brawl with off duty police officers posing as security guards at a Houston night club.

At the ALL Star break he had 13 HRs and made another start for the NL in right field going 1-2 in the National Leagues 3-2 loss to the AL in the midsummer classic. As he closed out the season, he drove in thirteen runs in the final six games hitting four HRs. On the 1986 season he would hit 27 HRs (5TH in the NL) with 93 RBIs (7th in the league) 27 doubles & five triples. He would score 76 runs, steal 26 bases, post a 358 on base %, & bat .259. He also struck out a career high 141 times, second most in the league. In right field he had ten assists (5th most in the league) posting a .975 fielding %.

Post Season: In the NLCS against the Houston Astros, Strawberry went 1-7 in the first two games at the Astrodome, striking out twice against Mike Scott. In Game # 3, the first playoff game at Shea Stadium in 13 years Strawberry went 2 for 4, blasting a three run HR off Bob Knepper, tying the game in the 6th inning. He went hitless in Game #4 then had another memorable HR in Game #5.

After the rain stopped, & the sun began to break through, Strawberry hit a long shot down the line that cleared the foul pole, off Nolan Ryan tying the score 1-1 in the 5th inning. It was a classic among classice, one of the best games I ever attended as Dwight Gooden matched Nolan Ryan 1-1 going into extra innings. The Mets went on to win the game on Gary Carters walk off RBI single in the 12th inning.

In the epic Game # 6, Daryl went 1- 5 but scored two very important runs. First in the 14th inning, he walked, advanced to second then scored the go ahead run, on Wally Backman's base hit. He then doubled to lead off the 16th inning, & scored the go ahead run on Ray Knights base hit. Overall he hit .227 (5-22) with two HRs five RBIs three walks in the Series with four runs scored & 12 strikeouts.

In the World Series Darryl continued to struggle at the plate. In the first three games he was hitless & by the time he got to Fenway Park, the Red Sox fans let him have it. As he was playing in right field they began to taunt him with the chants of “Daaaarryl”"Daaaaarryl" that soon became legendary at home & on the road. He jokingly even tipped his hat to the Fenway Faithful. This incident led to Mets fans taunting chants of “Caaaalvin” toward Red Sox relief pitcher Calvin Shiraldi at Shea Stadium in Games six & seven.

Straw would get five hits in the next four games going-5-24 (.208) only driving in one run in the entire World Series.

After the Mets dramatic comeback in Game #6, Straw complained that Manager Davey Johnson, had pulled him out of the game, in the tenth inning in a double switch for Kevin Mitchell. Although that ended up working well for a Mets victory Straw was still upset. His biggest hit, was the big HR to seal the victory in Game #7 in the bottom of the 8th inning off Al Nipper. Strawberry celebrated with the team on the field & made it to the Parade in New York City as well. It was a great time to be a Met even with all that drama that surrounded it.


In 1987 as the Mets raised the Championship flag, Straw began the year with an opening day HR, and drove in all three runs in the Mets 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He hit HRs in the first three games of the season driving in seven runs as the Mets swept the Opening series. Early on he hit drove in 17 runs, hit five HRs & was batting .325 by the beginning of May. That month he hit eight HRs drove in 16 runs & stole eight bases. By the All Star break he had 51 RBIs along with 21 HRs, making his fourth straight All Star game. In August he had six multiple RBI games, driving in 18 runs for the month.

He was the Player of the Month in September hitting eight HRs with ten doubles 13 stolen bases & 27 RBIs. Even with all his hitting, the Mets could not catch the Cardinals this year, falling short of another NL East title. Straw finished the year (as one of ten players up until that point) joining the 30/30 club; hitting 39 HRs (3rd in the NL) & stealing 36 bases. He put up a career highs with those 39 HRs, as well as setting a Mets single season mark. He drove in 104 runs (7TH in the NL) hit 32 doubles with 151 hits, 108 runs scored (7th in the NL) 97 walks (4th in the NL) stole 36 bases, batted .284 was hit by a team leading seven hit by pitches & posted a career high .398 on base %.

In 1988, Strawberry became the first Met since Dave Kingman to lead the league in HRs with 39. He lost out to Kirk Gibson for the MVP award but clearly should have won it. He led the NL in HRs (39) & slugging % (545%) driving in 101 runs while also scoring 101 runs (4TH in the NL). He led the team in most offensive categories as well as in games played. He stole 29 bases while hitting 27 doubles hitting nine sac flies & posted a .366 on base %. He won the Silver Slugger Award, the first of two he’d win in his career.

He became a poster boy for Kenner’s Starting Line Up action figures, and was being praised as possibly breaking Hank Aarons home run record. On the dark side of his life, his wife Lisa filed for divorce accusing him of breaking her nose & beating her.

On Opening Day 1988 he hit two HRs, both solo shots helping Dwight Gooden beat Dennis Martinez & the Expos in Montreal. On May 6th he hit a walk off game winning HR against John Franco beating the Cincinnati Reds. He kept his batting average over the .300 mark until late June, then had a big July to follow. He hit eight HRs that month driving twenty runs. He drove in runs in five of six games in after the All Star break, with HRs in three straight games against the Braves in Atlanta.

Later in the month he hit HRs in two straight games & then returned with a five RBI day against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 10-5 Mets win at Veterans Stadium. He began August with back to back HR days, but then only hit one more over the next month. In September he hit nine HRs, had four multi RBI games, including a stretch of five straight games where he drove in at least one run in the middle of the month. The Mets won another NL East title that season & Strawberry closed out the year with two HRs & three RBIs in the regular season finale' on October 2nd.

Post Season: In Game #1 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Straw's double off Orel Hershiser started a 9th inning rally with the Mets behind 2-0. He drove in the first Mets run, then scored the games tying run on Gary Carter's double, as the Mets went on to win it 3-2. In Game #3 at Shea Stadium he had three hits, driving in three runs as the Mets beat the Dodgers 8-4. He would hit a HR in Game #4 although the Mets lost the game 5-4. He was 1-2 with two walks in the Mets 5-1 Game #6 win at Dodger Stadium. Straw also scored two runs in that game as well. He was shut down by Hershiser in Game #7 as the Mets were finished off in the five hit shutout. Darryl finished the Series batting .300 (9-30) with two doubles a HR & six RBIs.
 
In 1989, Strawberry's offensive numbers declined a bit, his 77 RBIs were his lowest total since his rookie season and a poor .225 batting average his lowest up to that point of his career. He still hit 29 HRs good enough for 6th in the league. The fans started getting on him as well as the media. Looking back he may have unfairly taken some of the heat for the Mets not winning another championship. It seemed he underachieved although there was always pressure on him to do more although he still put up great numbers.

That season Gary Carter was winding down his Mets career playing more as a back up & Keith Hernandez was gone. Howard Johnson emerged as the teams power hitter but he & Straw could not carry the team. His personal dramas continued when he was arrested for slapping his wife around and pulling a gun on her. He checked into rehab for substance abuse and a blood test proved positive of him fathering a child in Missouri.

In 1990, there was more change in the air for the Mets, as Davey Johnson was fired as manager & Bud Harrelson took over the position. The team once again finished in second place although they won 91 games (91-71).

In June of 1990 he won another Player of the Week Award hitting five HRs with twelve RBIs in the middle of a seventeen game hit streak. At the start of July he homered in three straight games, belting two in the first of those games coming against the Houston Astros. In each of those games he drove in three runs each time & overall drove in twenty one runs in the month. That year he played in his final All Star Game in a Mets uniform, going 0-1 as a reserve player in the AL's 2-0 win at Wrigley Field.

On August 30th he belted a grand slam HR & drove in five runs in a game against the San Francisco Giants at Shea Stadium. On September 11, 1990 he hit a walk off two run HR off the Cardinals Lee Smith for one of his last exciting moments as a New York Mets player. He had another goo month in September driving in twenty three runs, hitting eight HRs & playing his last Mets game on September 27th. That day he was 0-3 against the Montreal Expos.

Strawberry put up strong numbers in the last year of his contract & final season as a Met. His team leading 37 HRs were second in the league, his 108 RBIs were 5th best in the league & tops on the Mets with Howard Johnsons 90 a distant second. Straw had 150 hits, good enough for a .277 average, he had 70 walks posting a .361 on base %. He hit 18 doubles the second lowest total of his career to that point & stole ten bases, also the lowest total up to that point in his career. He would never steal bases in double figures again.

In the off season he signed on with the Los Angeles Dodgers as baseball's highest paid player with a $23 million contract. In his Mets playing career he ranks among the best in most Mets all time offensive categories. He is first on their all time HR list with 252. He is first in RBIs (733) first in walks (580) & first in strikeouts (960). He is third in runs scored (662) fourth all time in stolen bases (191) sixth in triples (30) seventh in games played (1109) eight in doubles (187) & ninth in hits (1025). In 2010 he was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame.

In California, he became a West Coast star & was named Big Brother of The Year. He hit 28 HRs with 22 doubles 99 RBIs & a .265 average in his first & only full season as a Dodger player. Injuries & more personal problems sidelined for much of the next two seasons, hitting only five HRs in each season. He got arrested for hitting his new pregnant girlfriend, then announced he had a substance abuse problem. He then did six months house arrest for failing to pay $450,000 in past income taxes.

He was eventually released by the Dodgers in 1994. He got suspended for violating the substance abuse program, coming up dirty for cocaine use. He was then signed by the AL New York team in 1996 hitting 11 HRs with 36 RBIs batting .262. He went to the World Series that season with old team mate Dwight Gooden. Darryl hit three HRs in the ALCS against the Baltimore Orioles, including two in Game #4 at Camden Yards

In 1998 he hit 24 HRs making a big comeback but was diagnosed with colon cancer. He rebounded from that as well the next season, hitting three HRs playing in 24 regular season games. He appeared in two more post season games driving in four runs overall. There was more drama when Strawberry got arrested for trying to pick up an undercover cop disguised as a hooker. He eventually did jail time and then divorced his second wife before finally cleaning up his act in the new millennium.

In his 17 year career he had 1401 hits with 335 HRs (95th all time) 1,000 RBIs, 256 doubles, 38 triples, 816 walks (235th all time) 898 runs scored, a .259 batting average & a.357 on base %. He struck out 1352 times (89th all time) with a career.505 slugging % (85th all time). He played in 40 postseason games, belting 9 HRs, with 22 RBIs and 20 runs scored. He layed in five All Star games, making eight All Star teams with 12 All Star at bats batting .333 with two stolen bases.

Retirement: Strawberry attended the Mets' 1986 World Champion team reunion in 2006. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch in Game #2 of the 2006 NLCS & was at the closing ceremonies of Shea Stadium in 2008. Strawberry has worked as an instructor for the Mets in 2005 & 2008.

In 2009 he wrote his controversial Autobiography “Straw: Finding My Way”. In that book he told of his own & his 1986 team mates wild escapades. He said “We hauled around more Bud than the Clydesdales. The beer was just to get the party started and maybe take the edge off the speed and coke."

On the road, he writes: the modo was "tear up your best bars and nightclubs and take your finest women". The only hard part for us was choosing which hottie to take back to your hotel room. Lots of times you picked two or three a night." He talked about how the players would pick out women from the stands & send an errand boy to fetch them. He told of how he would have quickie sex in the clubhouse between innings.

In 2010 he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Citifield & later in the year appeared on Donald Trump’s show “The Apprentice”. That same year he also opened up a restaurant in Douglaston, Queens called Strawberry's. His charity the Darryl Strawberry Foundation supports children with Autism.

Straw also works as a studio analyst for the SNY network before & after Mets games.

His son Daryl Jr. played pro basketball in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns IN 2007-2008. He also played in the NBA development league for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, then in Italy for Bologna before he needed knee surgery. In 2011 he played pro basketball in Israel.