2006 N.L. Eastern Champion Mets Pitcher: Steve Trachsel (2001-2006)

Steven Christopher Trachsel was born on Halloween 1970, in Oxnard California. He attended Long Beach State University, getting to the College World Series there. The six foot three, right hander was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the eight round of the 1991 draft. He won 13 games at AA Charlotte in 1992 getting promoted to AAA Iowa where he went 13-6 in 1993.

He got a September call up going 0-2 in three games. He was on the Cubs staff for good in 1994 going 9-7 with a 3.21 ERA. He would spend seven years in Chicago with three winning seasons. Trachsel went 13-9 in 1996 but fell to a 8-12 record in 1997. After allowing the second most HRs in the league the previous two seasons, he allowed 32 league leading HRs in 1997, posting a 4.51 ERA.

In 1998 he had one of his best seasons in Chicago, going 15-8 with a 4.46 ERA making the All Star team. That season he went into the history books, as he served up Mark McGwire’s 62nd HR, which passed him for the single season all time HR mark.

In 1999 he led the league in losses, going 8-18 with a 5.56 ERA, allowing another 32 HRs and was granted free agency after the season. In January of 2000 he signed with the Tampa Devil Rays but was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 31st, going a combined 8-15 (second most losses in the AL). That off season he signed as a free agent with the New York Mets for the 2001 season.

Whenever Trachsel pitched, you were in for a long game, he was nicknamed “the Human Rain Delay”. He was probably one of the slowest workers on the mound in Mets history. He walked a lot of people and didn’t strike out to many, which led to large pitch counts. He made his Mets debut on April 7th as the team’s fifth starter and he was shelled. He allowed ten earned runs in five innings pitched against the Montreal Expos. He would lose his first four starts & go 1-9 by the end of June.

But the up & down Trachsel then went out to win eight of his next ten games. In his last game of the year on October 2nd, he threw a two hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates striking out seven batters in front of the home crowd. He finished the season at 11-13 with a 4.46 ERA.

He followed up going 11-11 in 2002 lowering his ERA to 3.37. In 2003 he started out the year at 0-2 but had a good streak to win four in a row. On June 15th in an interleague game at Anaheim against the Angels, Trachsel flirted with a no hitter into the 6th inning, when David Eckstein singled. It was the only hit he allowed on the day, pitching a one hit shutout victory, while walking four.

On August 18th in a game against the Colorado Rockies at Shea Stadium, he once again flirted with a no hitter into the 6th inning. This time it was Chin-hui Tsao who doubled for the only hit of the game.

He closed out the final two months of the year 7-3 finishing as the clubs winningest pitcher. For the year he was 16-10 (5th most wins in the NL) with a 3.78 ERA, striking out 111 batters pitching in 204 innings throwing the two complete game shutouts. The next year he fell off to 12- 13 but pitched another 200 plus innings striking out 117 batters posting a 4.00 ERA.

He started to suffer back problems which led to a herniated disk and him missing most of the 2005 season. He returned on August 26th in San Francisco and pitched eight shut out innings, striking out six batters. He made six starts in September but lost each one to go 1-4.

He came back in 2006 winning the fourth game of the season but found himself at 2-4 at the end of May. As the Mets team went on a roll so did Trachsel, he won seven straight decisions and twelve of thirteen games over a three month period. The Mets were giving him a lot of run support as he never allowed fewer than two runs in any of those wins.

On the season he won 15 games again (7th most in the NL) which tied Tom Glavine for tops on the Mets staff. He only lost eight in 30 starts (165 innings pitched) and posted a 4.47 ERA. The Mets won the Eastern Division title & went to the post season in 2006 and that’s where his troubles began.

Post Season: He got the NLDS start in Game #3 in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, giving up two runs on three hits and was finished by the 4th inning. In the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals he got shelled in Game #3, giving up five runs in the 1st inning at Busch Stadium. Ten of the twelve batters he faced reached base, when Willie Randolph came to the mound he asked to be removed from the game due to a contusion on his thigh.

From that point on he lost the confidence of his manager, his team, and upper management. They felt he gave up & didn’t seem to care. So the 15 game winner was pushed to the background and never seen again in a Mets uniform.


In his six year Mets career he was 66-59 with a 4.09 ERA. He walked 354 batters and allowed 124 HRs, which is certainly a high amount. The next season he was signed by the Baltimore Orioles going 6-8 & then was traded to the Chicago Cubs. After the season he resigned with the Orioles for 2008 going 2-5 in his final ten games.

Overall he went 9-16 after leaving the Mets and finished his 16 year career at 143-159 with 7 saves, 1591 strike outs & 943 walks in 2501 innings pitched. He posted a 4.39 ERA allowing 348 HRs, 20 complete games & 7 shut outs.

Retirement: In 2011 he returned to New York attending the ten year anniversary of the 911 attacks ceremonies at Citi Field.

The Man Who Set A Record Hitting Four HRs In His First Four Games: Mike Jacobs (2005 / 2010)

Michael James Jacobs was born October 30, 1980 in Chula Vista California. He was originally selected by the New York Mets as a catcher in the 38th round of the 1999 draft. By 2003 he had developed into a power hitter (17 HRs) and won the Sterling Award as the Mets top prospect. In 2004 he suffered a torn labrum while at AAA Norfolk and the next season learned how to play first base. In 2005 he hit 25 HRs with 93 RBIs at AA Binghamton getting called up to the Mets in August to replace Doug Mientkiewicz and help solve the first base problem.


He made his MLB debut on August 21st against the Washington Nationals. He became the fourth Met in history to homer in his first MLB at bat, bashing one off Esteban Loiza. Two days later during a four game sweep in Arizona, Jacobs homered again. The following day he hit two more HRs, both coming off Claudio Vargas in the Mets 14-1 win. In that game Jacobs set an MLB record hitting four HRs in his first four career games.

On September 25th the Mets entered the top of the 8th inning behind 4-3. In the inning David Wright homered to tie the game & two batters later Jacobs hit one as well, it turned out to be the winning run. In only 100 at bats that season Jacobs hit 11 HRs with 23 RBIs, a .310 batting average, and a .375 on base percentage.

He closed out the season with hopes of being the Mets first baseman of the future. There was a quick change of plans around Thanksgiving, when the Mets traded him along with Yusmeiro Petit and Grant Psomas to the Florida Marlins for Carlos Delgado.


In 2006 in Florida he hit 20 HRs with 37 doubles with 77 RBIs batting .262. He became one of the Marlins most popular young players. That year he got married and had twin daughters in his first season in the sunshine of south Florida. He played a few less games in 2007 (114) hitting 17 HRs with 27 doubles 54 RBIs & a .265 average. The free swinger struck out 101 times on the season.

In 2008 he played a career high 141 games and had his biggest year; 32 HRs 27 doubles & 93 RBIs but his average dropped to .247. The Marlins needed a closer and on October 31st, 2008 traded Jacobs to the Kansas City Royals for Leo Nunez. He struggled defensively and found himself as the Royals DH, batting a career low .228 with 132 strike outs. He did hit 19 HRs with 16 doubles & 61 RBIs in 2009.


In 2010 he signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets & found himself as the teams Opening Day first baseman when Daniel Murphy went down with injury. But by April 18th he was designated for assignment after just seven games (5-24) with one HR & two RBIs.

While playing at AAA Buffalo he hit 15 HRs batting .260 with 57 RBIs. On July 30th he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later.

In 2011 he was playing at AAA Colorado Springs hitting 23 HRs but came up positive for using a human growth hormone & was released by the Rockies organization. In six seasons he batted .253 with 489 hits 100 HRs 115 doubles 310 RBIs & 486 strike outs in 1930 at bats in 556 games.

Italian / American Player: Mike Napoli (2006-2012)

Michael Anthony Napoli was born on October 31st, 1981 in Hollywood Florida. The Italian American catcher / first baseman was drafted out of high school in Pembroke Pines, Florida by the Anaheim Angels. In 2004 at A Ball he hit 29 HRs with 118 RBIs getting promoted to AA in 1995 where he hit 31 HRs with 99 RBIs.

By 2006 he was on the Angels roster as their main catcher over Jose Molina. Napoli entered the major leagues with a HR in his first career at bat, coming against the Detroit Tigers. Overall in his rookie year he hit 16 HRs with 13 doubles in 94 games, although he only batted .228. By 2008 he brought his average up to .273 and would hit over 20 HRs in each of the next three seasons.

He competed for the catching job with Jeff Mathis, although Napoli was a far better hitter than Mathis, manager Mike Scioscia prefers a better defensive catcher. Mathis threw out 25% of base runners to Napoli’s 15%, & the Angels staff had better ERA of almost one run when Mathis was behind the plate. Scioscia had a closed door meeting with Napoli about his catching during the summer of ’09. Napoli led all catchers with eight errors in 2009 & his seven passed balls were fifth most in the league. But his power was needed in the Angels line up, he saw more time at DH as well as first base.

In 2010 he had his best Angels season playing in 140 games, with 108 hits, 26 HRs, 68 RBIs, 24 doubles & 60 runs scored. His batting average did fall to .238 & he struck out 137 times (7th in the league). In Anaheim he played in three post seasons, hitting a pair of HRs with four RBIs in the 2007 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox.

In January 2011 he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays along with Juan Rivera for Vernon Wells. Four days later he was sent to the Texas Rangers for Frank Francisco. Napoli would share time during the regular season behind the plate (61 games) with veteran Yorvit Torrealba (98 games).

 Napoli would play at first base as well as designated hitter and have an incredible year at the plate. He hit .320 although his 369 at bats did not qualify him in the batting leaders, hit 30 HRs (10th in the league) with 25 doubles & 75 RBIs playing in 116 games over all. He saw more playing time behind the plate in September & by the post season he was the Rangers main backstop.

Post Season: In the 7th inning of Game #3 of the 2011 ALDS he hit a two run HR off Tampa’s Dave Price putting the Rangers ahead 2-1, in a game they would win 4-3. In the Series he batted .357 (4-15). He had a good ALCS against the Detroit Tigers as well, batting .292 with an RBI & six runs scored.

In the World Series he became a household name & a Texas baseball legend as the fans in the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex chanted Napoli -Napoli!! In Game #1 he hit a two run HR off Chris Carpenter to tie the game at two, although Texas went onto lose 3-2.

In Game #4 he greeted new pitched Mitchell Boggs with a tremendous three run HR in the 6th inning sealing the Rangers 4-0 win, tying the series at two games each. In Game #5 he came to the plate in the bottom of the 8th inning with the bases loaded & the score tied 2-2. Napoli lined a double to centerfield scoring two runs, leading the Rangers to a three games to two series lead.

In the classic Game #6 he broke a 4th inning 2-2 tie with an RBI single, overall in the series he lead all teams with 10 RBIs. He batted .350 (second for Texas behind Ian Kinsler) with seven hits & two HRs.

In 2012 Napoli returned with a one year deal to avoid arbitration. He  played in 108 games, slugging 24 HRs but his average fell to .227 with 56 RBIs. Texas lost their hold on first place in the final days of the season & lost the first round of the new one game wild card playoff.

2006 NL Eastern Champion Mets Relief Pitcher: Duaner Sanchez (2006-2009)

Duaner Sanchez was born on October 14, 1979 in the Dominican Republic. The six foot right hander was drafted out of high school in 1996 by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He began his career there as a starting pitcher, eventually getting moved to the bullpen and saving 20 games in 2000 at the AA & AAA ball level.

In 2002 he he made his MLB debut getting a Juine call up to pitch during inter league play. He was sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Mike Fetters, pitching three games at the big league level for Pittsburgh. He then got placed on waivers where the Los Angeles Dodgers picked him up in 2003.

By 2004 he became the Dodgers set up man, making the way for closer Eric Gagne & his big 45 saves season. Sanchez was 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA, getting credit with four holds, while striking out 44 batters in 80 innings. The next season he saw action in 79 games and improved his strikeouts to 71 in 82 innings pitched. He posted a 3.73 ERA & when Gagne was sidelined with injury in August, Sanchez took over the close role. He was spectacular saving five games in the final two weeks of the month, not allowing any runs & just three hits over seven innings of work in eight games. Overall he saved eight games for L.A going 4-7 with a 3.73 ERA in 82 appearances overall.

In January 2006 he was traded by the Dodgers along with Steve Schmoll to the New York Mets for Jae Seo & Tim Hamulack. Sanchez proved to be one of the best traded acquisitions the Mets had made at that point in the mid 2000's. In his first month with the Mets he got credit for seven holds, also earning a win at San Diego on April 20th. During the week of June 29th to May 3rd he got credit for three wins, pitching five scoreless innings lowering his ERA to 2.04.

In June he would blow his only save of the season but get credit for four more holds. Overall in 49 appearances he went 5-1 with a fantastic 2.60 ERA as the set up man for Billy Wagner. He struck out 44 batters in 55 innings in Rick Peterson & Willie Randolph’s strong 2006 bull pen. Drama: Then it all came crashing down.

On July 30, 2006, in Miami, Florida, Sanchez was injured in a taxicab accident on I- 95. The accident was caused by a drunk driver. Sanchez separated his shoulder, and was flown to New York City to undergo season-ending surgery. The Mets front office learned the full extent of the injury on the morning of the trade deadline, but didn’t tell the media until a trade had been made. The Mets acquired for relief pitcher Roberto Hernandez, and starter Óliver Pérez from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Xavier Hernandez. It was heart breaking & hurt the Mets in the post season as they also lost pitchers Pedro Martinez & Orlando Hernandez.

The Mets signed Sanchez to a one year deal in 2007, but towards the end of Spring Training he suffered a hairline fracture to a small bone in the front of his shoulder. The car accident had weakened his shoulder & once he began to throw again, the bone cracked. Sanchez missed the entire 2007 season as a result of the fracture.

He did come back in 2008, but was never the same pitcher again. By the end of May although his ERA was over four, he had six holds to his credit & closed out the month with two credited victories. In mid July he earned two more victories in the same week & had 15 holds to his credit. Overall when the Mets lost their chance at the playoffs on the last day of the season at the final game played in Shea Stadium, Sanchez wasn't around.

He went down again in late September making his final Mets appearance on the 24th in a game against the Chicago Cubs. He went 5-1 with a 4.32 ERA & was released in the Spring of 2009. He signed with the Padres but was released in May.

In a seven season career he pitched in 288 games going 19-11 with 8 saves, 214 strike outs 126 walks & a 4.14 ERA in 298 innings pitched.

In 2010 he pitched in the Mexican League & in 2011 was signed by the Long Island Ducks in the Independent League.

Early Sixties Mets Pitcher: Grover Powell (1963)

Grover David Powell was born October 10th 1940 in Sayre, Pennsylvania. The five foot ten left handed pitcher attended the University of Pennsylvania getting signed by the New York Mets in 1962. Powell went 2-6 in the New York Penn League in 1962 getting pushed up to AAA Syracuse right away. There he also went 2-6 with a 5.9 ERA. In 1963 he started out in the Carolina League at A Ball Raleigh getting near .500 at 5-6 with a solid 3.07 ERA.

It was all the Mets needed to see, giving him a chance on a bad ball club with a poor staff. Powell debuted on July 13th pitching one inning of relief in a 11-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Polo Grounds. He would make nine relief appearances & pitch well enough to earn a start. On August 20th he started the first game of a double header in Philadelphia and surprised everyone with an incredible four hit shutout, striking out six.

He was given another start on August 27th in Pittsburgh, pitching five shutout innings matching frames with the Pirates Bob Friend. He was relieved by Galen Cisco who took the heartbreaking 2-1 loss. On September 5th Powell was knocked out of the game in the 3rd inning as the Cardinals scored four runs on him, he was credited with a 9-0 loss. Powell made twenty appearances on the year going 1-1 with a 2.72 ERA striking out 39 batters in 49 innings pitched.

He had the pleasure of wearing the uniform number 41, four years before Tom Seaver ended anyone else's chance of ever using it. He is forever imortalized on a 1964 Topps baseball card with the Mets.

Powell suffered through injuries and pitched sparingly over the next three years in the minor leagues. He pitched in the minors through 1970 going 30-47 in 172 games.

Retirement: In 1966 he returned to Penn. University & got a degree in economics. At the young of age just 44 he passed away after a battle with leukemia in 1985 at Raleigh North Carolina.

Father & Son Italian/ American Players: Ed Spiezio (1964-1972) Scott Spiezio (1996-2007)

Edward Wayne Spiezio was born on Halloween October 31st, 1941 in Joliet, Illinois. The five foot eleven infielder was signed out of college in 1963 by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made the team the next year during their 1964 Championship season playing in 12 brief games batting .333. Spezio played five seasons in St. Louis, mostly as a backup third baseman to Mike Shannon getting to three World Series. He hit .210 with three HRs & ten RBIs playing in 55 games in the Cards 1967 Championship season.

Post Season: He went 0-1 in the 1967 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. In the 1968 Fall Classic against the Detroit Tigers he got a hit in Game #5 off Mickey Lolich in the 5-3 Tiger win. In the off season he was traded to the expansion San Diego Padres with three other players for pitcher Dave Giusti.

Trivia: On April 8th 1969, Spezio made Padres history, getting the teams first hit & hitting the franchise’s first ever HR off pitcher Houston Astros pitcher Don Wilson.

He was the teams main third baseman their first two seasons, having his best year in 1970 batting .285 with 12 HRs & 42 RBIs. In 1971 he posted the second best fielding percentage of all NL third baseman (.962) although he saw less playing time (97 games). In 1972 he ended his playing career with the Chicago White Sox batting .238 in 74 games behind slugger Bill Melton.

In a nine year career he hit .238 with 367 hits 39 HRs 56 doubles 174 RBIs & a .303 on base %. 

Trivia: When his son Scott became a member of the St. Louis Cards in 2006, they were the third father & son combo to play for the St. Louis franchise. Both father & son Spezio have been on two World Series winning teams.

Scott Edward Spiezio was born September 21, 1972 in Joliet, Illinois. He was drafted in the 6th round in 1993 by the Oakland Athletics. He came up with the A’s in 1996 and was their main second baseman for 1997 & 1998. He was a fine defensive player leading the league in fielding percentage at second base with Oakland in 1997 (.990). He hit 14 HRs with 65 RBIs but only batted .243 in 1997. The versatile Spezio also played DH, first base, & third base.

For the 2000 season he signed on with the Anaheim Angels, and enjoyed the most success of his career. He hit a career high 17 HRs his first season, and became the clubs main first baseman for the next three seasons.

In the Angels 2002 Championship season he led all AL first baseman in fielding percentage for the first of two straight seasons. He also hit a career high .285 with 12 HRs 34 doubles & 82 RBIs.

Post Season: He had a big post season, starting out batting .400 with a HR & 6 RBIs in the NLDS. In the ALCS he hit a HR with 3 hits & 3 RBIs in Game #5 as the Angels rolled to a 13-5 victory on their way to their first World Series. Overall he batted .353 in the ALCS with a HR & 5 RBIs.

In the World Series he drove in 8 runs, having a big Game #3 with 2 hits & 3 RBIs. In Game #6 with the Angels trailing the Giants 5-0 down 3 games to 2 in the Series, Spezio blasted a three run HR off Felix Rodriguez bringing his team back in the game. The Angels rallied & went on to win the Series in seven games.

Spezio had a good 2003 season, hitting 16 HRs with career highs in doubles (36) & RBIs (83). The next year he signed on with the Mariners as a free agent but had the worst years of his career in Seattle. He only hit .215 in 2004 then .064 playing in only 29 games the next year before getting released.

In 2006 the Cardinals gave him a chance with a minor league deal a chance and he had a good spring making the team. He played as a reserve player getting into 119 games at third base, first base outfield, pinch hitting batting .272 with 13 HRs & 52 RBIs.

Post Season: In the NLCS he killed the Mets getting a two run triple off Guillermo Mota in the 7th inning of Game #2 tying the game, the Cards went on to win. Overall he drove in five runs in the Series and went on to win another World Series. Spezio famously dyed the facial hair under his lip, Cardinal red during the series getting national attention on TV.

In 2007 he played his 7th position as a player when he took to the mound & pitched an inning against his old Oakland team mates.

In August he had a physical breakdown in a game against the San Diego Padres. He was sweating, irritable & had an elevated heart rate. Instead of getting medical treatment he left the ballpark, and a few days later enetered treatment for substance abuse.

Six months later a warrant was issued for his arrest in Orange County California for for driving under influence, hit and run, aggravated assault and battery. He pleaded guilty to drunk driving & hit & run and was sentenced to 80 hours of community service. He went to AA & a three month alcohol treatment program.

Retirement: Since then he has played in two different Independent Leagues, spending 2010 with the Newark Bears. In his 12 year MLB career he batted .255 with 119 HRs 225 doubles & 549 RBIs. In two post seasons he hit .284 in 26 games, with 3 HRs 25 RBIs & World Championships.

Spezio is the front man for the heavy metal group Sand Frog. He plays guitar, sings & growls in California based Metal band.

Former Mets Relief Pitcher: Braden Looper (2004-2005)

Braden Laverne Looper was born October 28, 1974 in Weatherford, Oklahoma. He is one of the few Mets to be born in Oklahoma and one of very few players to have a middle name of Laverne. Looper was no dummy a smart student graduating in the National Honor Society. He was a scholar, as well as a four letter man in High school.

The six foot four right handed pitcher attended Wichita State, earning All American honors going to the College World Series and later getting elected to the Wichita Hall of Fame. In 1996 he was part of the bronze winning US Olympic baseball team in Atlanta.

The tall six foot five right hander was originally drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996 as a first round selection the third pick overall. Two years later he was traded to the Florida Marlins with Armando Almanza and Pablo Ozuna for Edgar Renteria. Looper debuted during the 200 season as a mid reliever in going 5-1, with 18 hold as the set up man to Antonio Alfonseca. He remained in that role before gradually earning the role of the Marlins closer toward the end of the 2002 season.

He originally took the role over from Vladimir Nunez, going 2-5 with 13 saves, posting a 3.14 ERA. In 2003 he had 28 saves (8th in the NL) with a 6-4 record finishing off 64 games, while posting a 3.68 ERA for the Marlins World Championship team. Toward the end of the season he lost his job to Ugeth Urbina who enjoyed a short lived success as a closer.

Post Season: Looper saw action in two games of the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants. He was the winning pitcher in Game #3 at Joe Robby Stadium in Florida. In Game #1 of the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs he earned the save, again seeing action in two series games.

He appeared in four games of the 2003 World Series getting roughed up for four runs in 3.2 innings of work. After winning the World Series Championship in Florida he signed with the New York Mets for the 2004 season.

Looper debuted on Opening Day 2004 in the Mets 7-2 win in Atlanta against the Braves. In the month of April he had four saves and a perfect 0.00 ERA showing some promise. Overall Looper had as strong first half, gathering up 18 saves a 1.88 ERA while posting a 2-2 record by the All Star break. In the second half he took two losses & blew two saves through late August.

In September he saved five games, but took two losses & blew a save allowing four runs to the Phillies in one inning of work on September 11th. That would be his best career season in 2004 gathering up 29 saves (10th in the league) going 2-5 with a 2.70 ERA. He did blow five saves along the way & allowed five HRs in 83 appearances.

The following year although he saved 28 games but he blew a lot of save opportunities which is how he is remembered. It started on Opening day in Cincinnati when he entered the 9th with a 6-4 lead. He gave up a single then two consecutive HRs to Adam Dunn & Joe Randa, taking the 7-6 loss.

There was a collapse in a June Subway series match up where the Mets could have swept that AL team but Looper gave up two 9th inning runs. In August there was a nightmare game against the Washington Nationals where the Mets blew an eight run lead.

 Looper entered the 9th with a 8-6 lead but surrendered the tying runs as the Mets lost it in extra innings. The fans began to boo the hell out of him and he was doomed in New York. Any site of him would lead a chorus of boos and he became known as Braden Blooper.

To his credit that September it was learned he was pitching with a blown AC joint and required surgery. Looper an easy going nice guy took it all in stride and didn’t blame the injury for his pitching woes. The Mets didn’t sign him in 2006 and he went to the St. Louis Cardinals who went on to beat the Mets in the NLCS.

Post Season: Looper laughed off the greeting he got at Shea Stadium when he entered Game #1 in the 8th inning; he gave up two hits but no runs. In Game #6 (a game I attended) us fans really let him have it in the 8th inning. After getting the first two outs, Michael Tucker & Jose Reyes both singled then stole bases.

Next the winning runs were driven in by catcher Paul Loduca, sending the series to a game seven. In three games he posted a 5.79 ERA allowing three runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings of work. In the World Series he appeared in three games against the Detroit Tigers.

The Cardinals made him a starter in 2007 and he won 12 games, going 12-12 with a 4.94 ERA striking out 108 batters in 199 innings. In 2008 he was 12-14 with a 4.16 ERA.

In 2009 he signed with the Milwaukee Brewers going 14-7 leading the NL in starts (34) but also gave up the most HRs (39) & earned runs (113). He did not pitch in 2010 & although he signed with the Chicago Cubs in 2011 he did not make the team.

Looper retired finishing off his 12 year career with a 72-65 record & 103 saves. In 670 games he pitched 1176 innings posting a 4.15 ERA allowing 132 HRs.

1936 N.L. Champion New York Giants Player: Wally Berger (1936-1937)

Walter Anton Berger was born October 10, 1905 in Chicago, Illinois. Berger grew up in San Francisco, California & was a high school team mate of future Hall of Famer Joe Cronin. Beregr played in the PacificCoast Leage with the AA Los Angeles Angels were he was a slugging star. In 1929 he bashed 40 HRs while batting .335, his third straight year of batting over .325. He was signed & brought up to the Boston Braves in 1930 and had a record setting year.



He set a rookie record by hitting 38 HRs, a record stood for 58 years until Mark McGwire broke it in 1988. Berger drove in 119 runs, also a rookie record until broken by Albert Pujols in 2001. Berger also hit 27 doubles with 14 triples while batting .310 overall. It was quite a debut but hard to follow up. He hit over .300 over the next three seasons &.290 or better over next five seasons. Berger made thAll Star team for four straight years from 1933-136, gaining votes for the MVP award each year as well.

In 1934 he hit 34 HRs with 121 RBIs both third best in the league, as he hit .295 posting a355 on base %. The following season (1935) he led the league in both HRs (34) & RBIs (130) with 39 doubles a .295 batting average & a .355 on base percentage. He would hit over 30 HRs three times at the big league level & drive in over 100 runs four times. Babe Ruth called him the best centerfielder in the league in 1933. He set Braves all time HR marks in those tears that were broken by future Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews.

In 1933 his 27 HRs were more than half the teams total combined. Throughout the thirties he was on top in the leader boards in HRs, Slugging %, on base %, doubles, total bases, extra base hits, RBIs & strike outs, He twice had the best at bat per HR ratio in the league. Berger was also a top centerfielder & left fielder. He led the league in games played three times, fielding & put outs one time each, while being among the league leaders many times. During the 1936 season he suffered a shoulder injury that took a huge toll on his career.

He was traded to the New York Giants mid season, and his first Giants HR was the 200th of his career. He played as fourth outfielder behind the great Mel Ott, Jo-Jo Moore & Jimmy Ripple. Berger arrived at the Polo Grounds on June 15th & would play in 59 games with the Giants. He hit .291 with 12 HRs & 43 RBIs the rest of the season for New York, as the Giants won the pennant under manager Bill Terry. He only made three pinch hit appearances in the 1937 World Series going hitless.

He spent the first part of the 1938 season in New York hitting .188 & was traded to the Cincinnati Reds after 18 games. He finished the year with 16 HRs & hit 14 more the next year before winding down by 1940 in Philadelphia.

In his 11 season career he hit an even .300 with 1550 hits 242 HRs 299 doubles 59 triples 809 runs scored 898 RBIs & a .359 on base % in 1350 games played.

Retirement: After baseball he was a scout for the Giants & became minor league manager. Berger passed away of a stroke at Redondo Beach, California in 1988 at age 83.

Current Mets Short Stop: Ruben Tejada (2010-2012)

Ruben Dario Tejada was Born on October 27th 1989 in Santiago, Veraguas, Panama. As a youth he competed in the 2001 Little League World Series & then in 2006 the World Junior Championship. The five foot eleven infielder was signed by the New York Mets in 2006 as an amateur free agent.

He played for the St. Lucie Mets in 2007, moving on to AA Binghamton in 2008 where he hit .289. In 2010 young 20 year old baby faced kid was invited to the Mets Spring Training & made the club heading north to New York. He debuted as a pinch hitter, in the second game of the season and then played out through the 10th inning at second base.

On April 9th he got his first big league hit, coming against the Washington Nationals at Citi field. After that game he was sent down to AAA Buffalo rejoining the club in early June when Luis Castiilo got injured. He In mid July he was sent back to Buffalo then rejoined the club less than a month later, spending the rest of the season playing second base & at short stop when Joe Reyes got injured as well.

On September 5th at Wrigley Field he hit his first career HR & drove in five runs in a Mets 18-5 romp against the Cubs. Tejada would bat just .213 with 1 HR 12 doubles & 15 RBIs in 78 games played.

He was used for his glove more than his bat, although there is hope the Mets can turn him into a solid singles hitter. In 50 games at second base he posted a .972 fielding % & in 28 games at short posted a .982 fielding %. Overall in between sparkling defensive plays he made eight errors in 331 chances.

In 2011 Tejada began the season at AA Buffalo but was called up on May 17th when David Wright went down with an injury. Tejada played second base as Justin Turner moved over to third base.

At the end of May entering June he was batting .313 & had six hits with six RBIs in a four game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He would bat .250 with four doubles & 19 RBIs into July when he was sent back down to Buffalo at the All Star break.

At second base he posted a .993 fielding% making just one error in 152 chances (32 games). On August 8th he was promoted back to the Mets team when Jose Reyes & Daniel Murphy were placed on the DL. He saw steady playing time finishing the year batting .284 with 15 doubles, no HRs 35 RBIs & a .360 on base %.

 At short stop he posted a .956 fielding % making eight errors in 41 games. He played in 55 games at second base with four errors & a .984 fielding % turning 31 double plays.

In the off season the Mets let Jose Reyes go to free agency, making Tejada the heir to the short stop position. In April of 2012 he batted .300 to start out the year. On April 21st he drove in three run in a 5-4 Mets win against the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field. In May he was batting .305 when he suffered an injury shutting him down for six weeks.

He returned in June as the Mets were surprising people contending early on in the NL East. On June 29th he had himself a four hit day against he Los Angeles Dodgers. In July he hit safely in 20 of 24 games, almost making people forget about Reyes who was struggling in Florida. On August 1st he led off a game in San Francisco with a HR off Matt Cain, it was his only HR of the year.

On september 23rd he singled in the bottom of the 9th inning against the Florida Marlins to win the game with an exciting walk off hit. He was greeted in the post game interview with a cream pie to the face courtesy of Justin Turner. On the season he was batting .288 st the end of September with 24 doubles one HR, a .334 on base % & 22 RBIs.

Original 1962 Met With A Couple of Good Stories: Elio Chacon (1962)

Elio Chacon Rodriquez was born October 26, 1936 in Caracas, Venezuela. He was only the seventh player in MLB history to come from that country. He was originally signed as an infielder by the Cincinnati Reds in 1956. He made the Reds as a backup second baseman behind Billy Martin in 1960 hitting just .185 at the end of June when he was shipped back to AAA, returning at the end of the year. Chacon was again a reserve behind Don Blasingame for the 1961 NL Champion Reds, improving his hitting to .265 with 2 HRs 4 doubles & 5 RBIs in 132 at bats.

Post Season: He appared in four games of the 1961 World Series getting three hits in 12 at bats. He hit a bloop single off pitcher Ralph Terry and came around to score the winning run of Game #2. 

That October he was the fourth pick of the New York Mets in the 1961 expansion draft becoming an original Met. Chgacon debuted with New York in the second game of the season at short stop. He played primarily at that position for the ’62 Mets batting .236 in 118 games. His 12 stolen bases tied for the team lead with Ritchie Ashburn.

In a famous April 12th game where Gil Hodges hit a walk off HR in the second game of a double header with the Pirates, it was Chacon’s 8th inning RBI single that tied the game. It was his third RBI of the day as well. His best overall month at the plate was May, as he drove in ten runs of the 27 RBIs he had on the season.

Trivia: That month, in game against the Giants in San Francisco, Chacon did a very stupid thing that ruined his career. In a play at second base, he got into a fight with the legendary Willie Mays, baseballs most beloved player. In any event, Mays ended up picking Chacon up & leveling him to the ground. After that Chacon was pretty much black balled in his career, never playing in the majors again after the 1962 season.

On the Fouth of July he hit his first Mets HR in San Francisco against those same Giants, in the second game of a double header. In a mid September series against his old Reds team mates he had five hits, including hitting his second HR of the season, off Joe Nuxhall.

Trivia: There is a classic 1962 Mets story that has Ritchie Ashburn calling for a fly ball in the outfield yelling “I got it” over to Chacon. Problem was Chacon didn’t speak any English, and he barreled right over Ashburn. Ashburn learned to say “I got it” in Spanish, and as he was shouting that one day, he got run over by Frank Thomas who didn’t speak any Spanish!

He remained in the Mets minors for two more seasons, getting traded along with Tracy Stallard in December 1964 for Johnny Lewis & Gordie Richardson. He remained playing in the minors through 1970 in the Milwaukee Brewer organization.

In a short three year career Chacon played in 228 games hitting .232 with 143 hits 4 HRs 15 doubles 5 triples 39 RBIs & 20 stolen bases. Chacon passed away in Caracas, Venezuela at age 55 in 1992.

Late Sixties Long Island Born Met Turned College Coach: Jack Lamabe (1967)

John Alexander Lamabe was born on October 3, 1936 at Farmingdale, New York. Lamabe attended the same high school as future 1969 Mets hitting star Al Weis. The right-hander then attended the University of Vermont where he went 33-41 with 435 strike outs posting a 4.24 ERA in 285 games. He was then signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1956. He was sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1957 where he won 13 games (13-7) at A ball that season.



In 1960 he was 15-10 at A ball Savannah & two seasons later he was in the big leagues. He went 3-1 with two saves for the '62 Pirates before getting Traded along with future Met “Dr. Strange Glove”-Dick Stuart to the Boston Red Sox for Jim Pagliaroni and Don Schwall. His first season in Boston went well going 7-4 with six saves. In 1964 he led the league in earned runs allowed (116) going 9-3 with a 5.89 ERA and was eventually traded to the Houston Astros the next year. The journeyman then was traded to the Chicago White Sox where he was reunited with his old schoolmate , the future star of the 1969 World Series, Al Weis.

At the end of April 1967 he was sent to the New York Mets as part of a conditional deal. He would debut as a Met, in Cincinnati on April 28th pitching one inning of in relief. He would appear in two games on that road trip. His Mets career was very brief lasting just 16 games. On July 2nd he pitched seven innings against the St. Louis Cardinals allowing three runs but took the 3-1 loss to Steve Carlton. Later in the week he allowed an 11th inning HR to Atlanta's Mack Jones taking another loss. In just two and one half months with the Mets, he went 0-3 with a 3.98 ERA, earning a save in Atlanta on June 24th in the second game of a double header.

On July 16th he was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals as they were solidifying their bull pen for the stretch run. The Mets eventually got Al Jackson back as the player to be named later. In 23 games Lamabe went 3-4 with four saves and a 2.83 ERA. He got to pitch in three games of the World Series for the 1967 Champion Cardinals. He took the loss in Game #6 at Fenway Park, when future Met Joe Foy doubled in the tie breaking run in the bottom of the 7th inning.

At the start of the 1968 season he was sent to the Chicago Cubs where he went 3-2 with a save in 42 appearances He finished out his career pitching at AAA Vancouver in 1969, getting traded to the Montreal Expos for Paul Popovich but he did not make either big league squad. In a seven season career he went 33-41 with 15 saves posting a 4.24 ERA with 434 strike outs & 238 walks in 711 innings pitched in 285 appearances.

Retirement: After his playing days he coached Jacksonville University from 1974-1978 & then was the baseball coach at Louisiana State University for the LSU Tigers from 1979-1983.  He is a member of the University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame and the Jacksonville University Athletic Hall of Fame.