Today In Mets History: 1977- Mets Fire Manager Joe Frazier & Hire Joe Torre

May 31, 1977: It was on this day in 1977 that the Mets who were 15-30 in last place, fired manager Joe Frazier and replaced him with Brooklyn's own Joe Torre.

Frazier had been a manager in the Mets organization since the late sixties and won four championships at various minor league levels. After Yogi Berra was fired late in 1975, coach Roy McMillan was named interim manager, until a replacement was found. In 1976 the Mets gave Frazier the job. He was dubbed" a winner" at the press conference and Frazier stated "I'm the type of manager who stresses fundamentals. I think a man should go from first to third on a hit and second to home. I demand hustle. If I have my way, you're going to see a Mets' club next year that will hustle." Frazier's hustle got the Mets to a 3rd place finish in the bicentennial year at 86-76.

After all the trades to key players & the Midnight Massacre looming, Frazier didn't have much to work with. He got fired two months into the season in last place. Torre in his third year as a NY Met had hit .306 in 1976 after a disappointing '75 season. He was hired as a player/ manger but after 26 games hitting only .176, he called it quits as a player. Torre wouldn't fare much better as manager. The Mets went 48-68 the rest of the way, finishing last. He would stay at the helm for five years going 286-420, never finishing higher than fourth place, and that was the 2nd half of the 1981 strike season.