2006 N.L. Eastern Champion Mets Back Up Catcher: Ramon Castro (2005-2009)

Ramon Abraham Castro was born on March 1, 1976 in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. The six foot three, catcher was a first round pick (17th pick overall) in the 1994 draft for the Houston Astros. Castro was actually the first Puerto Rican played to be drafted by the Astros. Back in those days he earned the nickname “Bigote” which means mustache. 

Castro played six seasons in the minors having his best year in 1999 hitting 15 HRs with 61 RBIs. He was traded to the Florida Marlins in 1998 making his MLB debut in late August of 1999. In September '99 he hit his first career HR which came in St. Louis during a 9-3 loss to the Cardinals. He saw a lot of playing time that month, batting .179 for the season. He spent six seasons with the Marlins, at first sharing time with Mike Redmond behind the plate, until Charles Johnson arrived for his second term in Florida. Castro hit his Marlin best .283 as a member of their 2003 World Championship team. He appeared in 40 games during the regular season hitting five HRs with eight RBIs but saw no post season action. 

In December of 2004 Castro signed as a free agent with the New York Mets and would spend four and a half seasons in New York as a backup catcher. The theme music he chose when he came to bat at Shea, was the Darth Vader Imperial march from the Star Wars movies. Castro was one of the slowest runners the Mets ever had; it was almost comical to watch him run the bases. If he had to circle around a few bases at once, he would slow up even more as he ran out of gas. His teammates would let him have in a fun way, as he became the ridicule of many slow running jokes in the dugout. 

Castro backed up Mike Piazza in 2005, playing in 99 games, batting .244 with eight HRs & a career high 41 RBIs. On April 16th he drove in his first Mets run, a walk off base hit against Gillermo Mota & his old Marlin team mates. On June 16th he had a big day against the Oakland A's in an interleague west coast game. In the Mets seven run 5th inning, Castro hit a bases loaded double scoring all three runs. He then advanced to third base on an error, much to the delight of his team mates laughing at his base running in the dug out. In July he had five games where he had multiple RBIs while hitting three HRs playing in just 14 games. 

On August 13th he hit a solo HR at Dodger Stadium in a 5-1 Mets in at Los Angeles. A week later he hit a three run HR at Shea Stadium in a 9-8 win against the Washington Nationals. Two days later on August 23rd, in the first game of a double header at Arizona, he drove in five runs gathering up two hits, in the Mets 14-1 romp over the Diamond backs. On August 30th at Shea Stadium, Casto hit a three run HR in the bottom of the 8th inning, against Ugueth Urbina & the Philadelphia Phillies leading the Mets to a 6-4 come from behind win. As Mike Piazza’s Mets career ended, Castro thought he may have a chance as a starter but the Mets traded for Paul Loduca in the off season. 

In the Mets 2006 NL Eastern Championship title season, Castro played in just 40 games missing two months of action. He hit .238 with four HRs seven doubles & 12 RBIs. Behind the plate he threw out 35% of would be base stealers posting a .996 fielding %. Castro opened up his season, with doubles in the first two games he played in on the season. On April 22nd, his fourth game he hit a two run HR in an 8-1 win over the Padres in San Diego. He hit a HR in each of the next two months. On July 1st he broke up a subway series tie, with a fourth inning base hit off Randy Johnson. The Mets went on to an 8-3 win at the AL New York ball park. He would get shut down in August & most of September returning in the final week of the season. He did not play in the psot season. 

In 2007 he played in 52 games hitting a career high .285 with 11 HRs (also a career high). He added six doubles 24 runs scored & 31 RBIs. In April he started out the year hitting three HRs in his first six games & drove in seven runs in three straight games. In July he played in thirteen games hitting three more HRs while driving nine runs. He got his average up over the .300 mark as well. On August 1st he hit a three run HR in Milwaukee, elading to an 8-5 Mets win over the Brers. Behind the plate on the season he only threw out three base runners in thirty stolen base attempts (10%). He closed out the season with two HRs in the final week of the season, including a solo shot in a 13-0 win over the Florida Marlins in the next to last game of the year. The win gave the Mets hope for tthe playoffs in the final game but they fell 8-1 to the Marlins missing the post season after a horrible season ending collapse. 

 In 2008 the Mets signed Brian Schneider, once again passing up on Castro as the lead catcher. In April he hit .38 playing in seven games driving in five runs in four of those games. In July he saw a lot of playing time, having six multi hit games. On July 1st he drove in three runs leading the Mets to a 7-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. A week later hit a three run HR against the San Francisco Giants, in a 5-0 Johan Santana shut out at Shea Stadium. During the month he had three more multi RBI games raising his average up to .283. On the season he hit .245 with 7 HRs 7 doubles 24 RBIs & a .312 on base %. Behind the plate he improved to throwing out 22% of would be base stealers. 

in May 2009, centerfieldmaz caught a Ramon Castro foul ball, sitting up behind home plate in the Promenade club seats at the new Citi Field. It was one of Castros last games as a New York Met. The third string Catcher Omir Santos; had started out hot and won the backup catchers job, making Castro expendable. On May 29th Castro was traded to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Lance Broadway. On July 23rd 2009, Castro was behind the plate, catching Chicago pitcher Mark Buehrle for the first time. That night Buehrle put himself in the record books, throwing the seventeenth perfect game in MLB history with Castro calling the signals. Castro only hit .184 in Chicago that season, seeing action in 31 games. 

In 2010 he improved to a .278 average hitting eight HRs with two doubles & 21 RBIs. In 2011 he played his last season back with the White Sox batting .235 playing in 23 games. Retirement: Castro retired at age 35 finishing his 13 year career batting .237 with 67 HRs 66 doubles 217 RBIs & a .310 on base %. In 503 games he threw out 23% of base runners trying to steal. He posted a .990 fielding % with 21 double plays. 

Castro lives in Miramar, Florida with his wife Brenda & their three daughters.

Early Nineties Mets Pitcher: Tony Castillo (1991)

Antonio Jose (Jimenez) Castillo was born March 1, 1963 at Quibor, Lara, Venezuela. The five foot ten left hander, was originally signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1983. In his years at the A ball level he switched over to being a relief pitcher. He posted a best 14 saves in 1988 at playing at A ball Dunedin & AA Knoxville.

Castillo debuted in the majors with the Blue Jays in 1988 appearing in 14 games, earning his first career win against the Texas Rangers that September. He was back & forth from the minors up to the majors through 1993, getting traded to the Atlanta Braves along with Francisco Cabrerra for Jim Acker. Cabrerra is forever famous for getting the game winning walk off base hit in the 1992 NLCS Game #7, scoring Atlanta's Sid Bream.

Castillo pitched parts of three seasons with the Braves going 5-1 with a save in 1990 while posting a 4.23 ERA in 52 appearances. On August 28th, he was traded to the New York Mets, with a player to be named later (Joe Roa) for pitcher Alejandro Pena. Castillo debuted with the Mets in Atlanta the next day pitching in relief of Anthony Young in a 2-0 Mets loss to John Smoltz. He would pitch in just ten games for the Mets the rest of the season, posting a 3.34 ERA in 32 innings of middle relief.

On September 11th 1991 he made his first start of the season, in was in Chicago at Wrigley Field. He went six innings allowing no runs on three hits earning the victory. He would make two more starts getting to the fifth inning both times, allowing just one earned run in those starts but getting no decisions. In his last Mets outing he was credited with a hold as New York defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in 11 innings giving John Franco a victory & Tim Burke a save.

In January 1992 he was traded along with Mark Carreon to the Detroit Tigers for Paul Gibsson. He spent the season AAA Toledo going 2-3 with a 3.63 ERA & then signed as a free agent back with Toronto the next year. He would spend parts of the next four seasons as a Blue Jays reliever saving a career best 13 games in 1995 going 1-5 with a 3.22 ERA in 55 appearances.

In 1993 he was part of the Toronto World Championship team, going 3-2 on the year & making four post season appearances. In the Woirld Series against the Philadelphia Phillies he was the winning pitcher in the wild Game Four 15-14 Blue Jays win.

Castillo was traded to the Chicago Whites Sox & finished out his ten season career there in 1998. Overall he was 28-23 with 22 career saves, posting a 3.93 ERA, striking out 333 batters walking 179 in 526 innings over 403 games.

Former Italian/ American Bronx Born Player: Dom Zanni (1958-1966)

Dominick Thomas Zanni was born on March 1, 1932 in the Bronx, New York. The right handed pitcher was signed by the New York Giants in 1951, but never got to pitch for New York in the Polo Grounds.

He spent seven years in the minors leagues posting a 140-122 record there. His first season was rough, as the big league club got to the World Series, Zanni went 1-12 in the low level of the Giants farm system. In 1952 he rebounded to a 20-8 record getting pushed up to Muskogee in the C level.

In 1954 he pitched a no hitter, getting future Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver as the last out. In a 1994 interview Zanni said "I'll never forget Weaver saying, 'just throw a strike, buddy, and that's the end of your no-hitter.' But he just popped it up to second. "That's Weaver for you. He would bother you for everything...."

Zanni posted two 15 win seasons along the way &; in 1958 after going 14-11 at AAA Phoenix he made it to the Giants staff, who were now in San Francisco. At the end of September he earned his first win in his MLB debut, against the Cardinals beating Sam Jones while pitching four innings of relief.

Although his 1959 Topps baseball card listed him as a rookie star for 1959 it didn’t quite work out that way. He would bounce back & forth to the minors & the big leagues pitching with the Giants (1958-1961) the Chicago White Sox (1962-1963) & Reds (1963-1966).

He saw the most action with the White Sox in 1962 going 6-5 with five saves in 44 games pitched, posting a 3.79 ERA. He came to play the A.L. New York club that year & everyone he ever knew in the Bronx wanted free tickets.


He said in the book “The Giants of ‘58” that he left tickets for about a million people; his grammar school & his high school were also in attendance. He was so excited when manager Al Lopez called him in to relief, he told him to get out of there so he could start pitching. He struck out the side, including Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris &; Elston Howard. His friends & family were thrilled.

Retirement: In his seven year career he was 9-6 with 10 saves & a 3.79 ERA in 111 games pitched. After his playing days he became an insurance agent & has retired on Long Island in the town of Massapequa.

1954 World Champion New York Giants Hall Of Fame Outfielder: Monte Irvin

Monte Merrill Irvin was born February 25, 1919 in Haleburg, Alabama but his family soon moved & he grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. Irvin became one of five players from the state of New Jersey to go to the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

He went to West Orange high school and starred in four different sports, setting a state record for javelin throwing. He went to play for the Newark Eagles in the Negro Leagues on weekends under a different name to keep his amateur status. In baseball Irvin could do it all and was a five tool player in the Willie Mays mold. 

He was a five time All Star with his home state Newark Eagles in the Negro Leagues, hitting over .400 twice & just missing a third time batting .396. He also played in the Mexican League winning an MVP award & a Triple Crown in 1942. 

He then went off to serve in World War II returning in 1945 to hit .400 again and lead Newark to a Championship over the Kansas City Monarchs. Many people believed he should have been the first player to break the color barrier and was probably the best all around player at the time. 

He was approached by Branch Rickey & the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945 about being signed for the major leagues. As the story goes, Irvin felt he wasn’t ready to play at that level, especially after just leaving the military. Eventually The New York Giants paid $5,000 for his contract he while was playing in Cuba. He was assigned to their affiliate in Jersey City back near his home town. After batting .373 in 63 games at Jersey City, he was brought up the Giants big league team in July at the age of 30. 

He was mostly used as a pinch-hitter, playing some outfielder, third & first base, going 16-76 in 36 games. In 1950 he started out the year in Jersey City again, but after hitting .510 after 18 games, he arrived in the major leagues for good. 

In just his third game that year, On May 18th, 1950, he hit a grand slam HR off Dutch Leonard of the Chicago Cubs. He drove in five total runs in the 10-4 win. The next day he hit another HR & drove in three more runs. He cooled off into a slump that brought his average below .200 in mid June. Things got better, especially in August as Irvin had an eleven game hit streak, hit three HRs & drove in 14 runs in the month. In the first two weeks of September he hit five HRs, and had big month with 25 RBIs, falling one point below the .300 mark. On the 1950 season he hit 15 HRs with 19 doubles, five triples, 66 RBIs & a .392 on base %. 

By 1951 Irvin would become one of the star players on the Giants NL Pennant winner. He came in third place in the NL MVP Voting, leading the league in RBIs (121). He hit .312 (5th best in the league) with a .415 on base % (4th best in the league).

He hit 24 HRs (10th in the NL) with 19 doubles & 11 triples (3rd in the NL).. He stole 12 bases (8th in the league) & posted the third best fielding % in the outfield (.996). Irvin would have an important role, as a mentor to a young rookie, 19 year old Willie Mays. 

On April 19th Irvin hit a grand slam HR in Milwaukee, & drove in a total of six runs, although the Giants lost 13-12 to the braves. He fell into a slight slum then took off in May. He would drive in runs in six straight games from May 5th through May 9th, with three of those games being multi run games. 

On May 23rd his two run HR at Wrigley Field was all Sal Maglie needed to beat the Cubs 2-1 on a four hitter. In a five day stretch in mid June he drove in ten runs in the midst of a thirteen game hits streak. ON June 12th he hit a three run HR in the top of the 10th inning, off Cincinnati’s Ken Raffensberger for the 6-3 win over the Reds. Later that week, 

On June 18TH Irvin’s, single in the top of the 12TH off Cloyd Boyer, drove home Bobby Thomson with the game winning run over the St. Louis Cardinals. He continued to drive in runs & hit throughout the summer. In late August the Giants made their incredible come back from 13 games back to catch the rival Brooklyn Dodgers. On August 12th he drove in all three runs in the Giants 3-2 win over the Phillies. That win sparked an incredible 16 game Giant win streak. 

In the win streak Irvin drove in runs in seven games. On August 27th with the Giants down to the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in the bottom of the 12th inning, Irvin hit a base hit to left field & then scored the game winning run on pitcher Bill Rigney’s base hit. Then in the second game of that days double header, he hit a two run HR leading to a 6-3 Giants win. 

 On September 5th he hit a three run HR & drove in four runs in a 9-1 win over the Braves. The next game in a 7-3 win, he hit another HR with three more runs driven in. Two days later he hit drove in both runs with a two run HR off Ralph Branca, to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field 2-1. The win cut the Dodger lead to 5.5 games. 

On September 18th he hit a two run HR helping in a 6-5 win over the Reds at Crosley Field. He then drove in runs in five straight games, all Giants wins, topped off with a three run HR& four RBIs in a 10-1 win at Philadelphia. He drove in runs in five straight games from September 22nd thru the 26th during another Giants win streak, lasting nine games. 

On September 26th he hit a three run HR in the first inning of a 10-1 blowout of the Phillies. On September 30th, he drove in what turned out to be the game winning run, in the 5th inning at Boston to beat the Braves. He drove in another the next day as the Giants kept pace with Brooklyn for the pennant race. 

The Giants & the Dodgers finished in a regular season tie ending the ’51 campaign. A three game playoff series was set to determine the NL Pennant. In the first game, after Bobby Thomson hit a two run HR off Ralph Branca, Irvin added an 8th inning insurance HR in the 3-1 win. In the second game he went 0-4 as the Dodgers tied the series at one game each. 

In the legendary third game, on October 3rd, 1951 led off the 7th inning with a double off Don Newcombe & scored the tying run on Bobby Thomson’s sac fly. In the bottom of the 9th, he fouled out to Gil Hodges at first base with two runners aboard making the first out of the inning. Next Whitey Lockman doubled & Bobby Thomson followed with the most famous HR in baseball history, sending the Giants to the World Series. 

In the three games he had a hit in each one, drove in a run & scored three runs. Defensively he led all left fielders with a .995 fielding %, making eight assists (4th most in the NL). Post Season: In the 1951 World Series, Irvin had big start gathering up four hits in Game #1. In the first inning he singled & eventually stole home off pitcher Allie Reynolds in the Giants 5-1 win. He would have three more hits the next day in the 3-1 loss across the Harlem River.

In games #4 & #5 he would have two more hits in each game. Overall in the Series he hit .458 (11-24) with two walks & a .500 on base percentage. He drove in two runs, scored three runs, stole two bases & hit a triple. Monte hit .500 (4- 8) in both Games at the Polo Grounds. 

 Trivia: In that 1951 World Series Mont Irvin along with team mates, Willie Mays & Hank Thompson made history, as they formed baseballs first all black outfield.  

In 1952 he broke his ankle in April and was limited to just 46 games all season. He did bat .310 & made his only All Star appearance. In 1953 he was having another MVP type season until an injury to the same leg he had the broken ankle with the previous year affected his play.

In June of 1953 he hit 6 HRs with 30 RBIs, hitting safely in all but three games that month. On July 8TH he cleared the bases with a three run triple in the first inning in a game at Pittsburgh. He later hit a grand slam driving in seven of the Giants ten runs in the 10-7 over the Pirates. That season the Giants finished fifth going 70-74. Irvin finished the year batting .329 with 21 HRs 21 doubles 5 triples & 97 RBIs while posting a .406 on base %. 

In the 1954 Giants Championship season Irvin was already 35 years old & injuries had weakened his strength in his legs. During the first week of the season, he helped beat the rival Brooklyn Dodgers with a HR & a four RBI day in a 6-3 win at Ebbets Field. On May 13th he hit a pair of HRs at the Polo Grounds in a 6-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. He was hitting for lower average but still was driving in runs, as had nine RBIs from May 31st to June 8th. 

On June 8th, with the Giants down by a run, his top of the 9th inning double at Milwaukee drove home two runs, leading to the Giants 5-4 win. Starting on July 7th he would hit HRs in four straight games, all Giants wins including a three game sweep of Brooklyn at Ebbetts Field. He was hitting .286 at the end of July, but then slumped to finish off the year at .262. He only hit two HRs in the final two months, both coming in early September, over a three game stretch where he drove in two runs in each game. 

In 1954 he hit 19 HRs with 13 doubles 3 triples & 64 RBIs. His 70 walks were second on the club to Hank Thompson & helped him post a .363 on base % . 

Post Season: In the 1954 World Series Irvin went hitless in the first three games. He was removed for pinch hitter Dusty Rhodes in Game # in the 10th inning & Rhodes went on to hit a walk off HR. In Game #2 Rhodes pinch hit for him in the 5th inning, & went to drive in all three Giants runs in the 3-1 win. 

In Game #3 he was removed in the 3rd inning in favor of Rhodes. In the final Game #4 of the Giants sweep, he had two hits driving in two runs and scoring another. In the 5th inning he singled off Hal Newhouser driving in the fifth run in the 7-4 Giants win. hit .222 (2-9) seeing less playing time due to his aging & the huge Series Dusty Rhodes was having. 

Overall in his career, Irvin played in two World Series’, batting .394 (13-33) with 13 hits four RBIs & two stolen bases. 

1955 would be his last year with the Giants; he was limited to only 51 games hitting .253 with one HR & 17 RBIs. He spent his final season with the Chicago Cubs after being drafted (Rule V) away from the Giants. 

In his final season he batted .271, with 15 HRs 13 doubles & 50 RBIs while playing in 111 games. 

He retired at the age of 37 in 1956 after an eight year playing career in the majors. Lifetime he batted .293, with 731 hits 99 HRs 443 RBIs 366 runs scored 97 doubles & 31 triples in 764 games played with a .383 on base %. 

Quotes: His Dodger rival, Roy Campanella once said “Irvin was the best all around player I ever saw”. 

Retirement: While in New York, he & Willie Mays owned the Wilmont Liquor store located in Washington Heights. After his playing days he served as a scout for the New York Mets in the late sixties. Then he spent seventeen years (1968-1984) as a public relations specialist for the baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. 

Honors: In 1973 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame for his play in both  the major leagues & in the Negro leagues. He also served as a member of the Halls Veterans & Negro Leagues Committee. 

 On June 26th 2010, Irvin’s uniform number was officially retired by the Giants in a ceremony at AT&T Park. Irvin joined fellow Giants Hall of Famers; Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry & Orlando Cepeda in tossing out the ceremonial first pitch of the 2010 World series. This week Irvin turns 93 years old.         

Late Nineties Mets Prospect & Short Time Player: Terrence LOng (1999)

Terrence Deon Long was born on February 29, 1976 in Montgomery, Alabama. Long was the New York Mets first round draft pick in 1994 (20th pick overall) getting selected right out of high school. The outfielder remained in A ball for four years before making to AA Binghamton in 1998. There he hit .297 with 23 stolen bases, 16 HRs & 58 RBIs. 

Long went to Mets Spring Training in 1999 & made the team after having a good run. He would make three appearances as a pinch hitter as a New York Met, going 0-3. He was sent to AAA Norfolk, where he batted .326 with 7 HRs 20 doubles & 47 RBIs playing in 78 games. Then in July he was traded to The Oakland A’s for veteran pitcher Kenny Rodgers. Rodgers helped the Mets win the 1999 wild card race, going 5-1 with a shutout & two complete games. But he had a bad post season, going 0-2 & walking in the winning run of Game #6 of the NLCS in Atlanta. 

 Terrence Long went on to make his debut in Oakland the next year, as the teams main centerfielder. He batted in the leadoff spot & sparked an Oakland team to four straight post season appearances. In 2000 he batted .288 with a career high 18 HRs & 104 runs scored. He drove in 80 runs hit 34 doubles with four triples posting a .336 on base %. Long came in second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Seattle’s Kazuhiro Sasaki. Long & the A’s got to the 2000 ALDS where he only batted .158 but he did hit one HR in Game #3 off Orlando Hernandez. 

 Over the next two seasons, Long would play in every game of the regular & post seasons for the Athletics. He would hit 30 or more doubles for three straight seasons & hit 14 or more HRs for four straight years. With Oakland he would get to four straight posts seasons but lose in the first round each time. In 2001 Long would bat .283 with 12 HRs 37 doubles & a career high 85 RBIs. 

 Post Season : That year in the ALDS he hit .389 (7-18) with a pair of HRs & three RBIs. In Game #1 he hit a fourth inning, lead off HR off Roger Clemens & in the top of the 8th hit another off Sterling Hitchcock. The A's won the game 5-3 on the road. Long would hit safely in all five games, driving inn another run in the Game #4 loss. The A's started out the series with a two games to nothing lead, but lost the final three games. His average fell off to .240 in 2002 but he did hit 16 HRs with 32 doubles & 67 RBIs.

 In 2003 he hit just .245 & the A’s traded him along with catcher Ramon Hernandez to the San Diego Padres for Mark Kotsay. It was a big trade at the time, but neither player worked out for too long. In one season at San Diego, Long batted .295 in 136 games (just 288 at bats) but only hit three HRs with 28 RBIs. In the outfield he made twelve assists which was second most in the NL. 

After the season he was traded to the Kansas City Royals for Darrel May & Ryan Bukvich. Longs career winded down quickly, he signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 2006 but was released. He got picked up by the A.L. New York team, playing in 12 games. 

After eight seasons, Long batted .269 with 824 hits 69 HRs 166 doubles 21 triples 428 runs scored 376 RBIs & a .318 on base % in 890 games played.

Late Sixties Mets Pitcher: Don Shaw (1967-1968)

Donald Wellington Shaw was born on born on February 23, 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The six foot left hander attended San Diego State University getting drafted by the New York Mets in 1965, down in the 35th round. Shaw went 6-2 at the A ball level, at Marion & Auburn in 1965, showing some good stuff. 

By 1967 he had become one of the Mets Chairman of the Board, M. Donald Grant’s favorite players. Shaw soon found himself on the '67 Mets big league staff. Trivia: This Mr. Shaw was no relation to Bronx born pitcher Bob Shaw, who was also on the 1967 Mets staff. 

 Donnie Shaw made his debut on Opening Day 1967, closing out a 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He appeared in two more games, before he recorded two saves on back to back days, at the end of April. On April 23rd Shaw took his first loss, blowing a save to the Philadelphia Phillies. First he served up a tie breaking HR to Dick Allen & then a two run double to former Met, Phil Linz. On May 2nd he earned his first career win, although he only pitched to one batter in the top of the 12th inning. In the bottom of the inning, Ed Kranepool tripled , scoring Al Luplow & then he scored on a John Sullivan walk off RBI single. 

On August 1st, he pitched five scoreless innings striking out five Astros at the Houston Astrodome, in a 5-1 Mets victory. In the next two weeks he took a relief loss to the Giants, then earned a two inning save against the Pittsburgh Pirates at home. Two days later on that home stand, although he gave up two earned runs in the 8th inning, he earned the 11-9 win against the Pirates. It was the last game he pitched in that season. 

Shaw would make 40 relief appearances with the '67 Mets, going, 4-5 with three saves posting a 2.98 ERA. Shaw allowed seventeen earned runs in 51 innings pitched, striking out 44 batters & walking 23. That off season he was supposed to go to the Chicago White Sox along with Tommy Davis, in a deal to get Rookie of the Year Tommie Agee. But the trade was balked because M. Donald Grant, still favoring his pitcher, said “we’re not trading my Donnie Shaw”. It was decisions like this that drove Mets Minor league Director of Player Development Whitey Herzog crazy. 

Setbacks only got Shaw into seven games in 1968 and he was eventually picked by the Montreal Expos in the 1968 expansion draft. Shaw made history on Opening Day 1969, as the winning pitched in the first game in Montreal Expos history. The win came at Shea Stadium against his old Mets team mates. Shaw pitched 35 games as a mid reliever with the Expos, going 2-5 with a save. 

 He pitched in just 14 games in 1970 in the minor leagues & returned with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971. He had his best season there going 7-2 with two saves & a 2.65 ERA in 45 games. In May of 1972 he was traded to the Oakland A’s, pitching in just three games there for the eventual World champions.

Shaw ended his five season career in 1973 at age 29. He was 13-14 lifetime with six saves, 123 strike outs, 101 walks in 188 innings pitched posting a 4.01 ERA appearing in 138 games (one start).

The First Brooklyn Cyclone Player To Make the Mets Big League Club: Brain Bannister (2006)

Brian Patrick Bannister was born on February 28, 1981 in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is the son of former big leaguer Floyd Bannister, who pitched in the majors for 15 seasons, with the Houston Astros (1977-1978) Seattle Mariners (1979-1982), Chicago White Sox (1983-1987) & Kansas City Royals (1988-1989) going 134-143 lifetime with a 4.06 ERA. 

 Floyd had double figures in victories for seven straight seasons, including two 16 win seasons with the White Sox in the eighties. In 1982 while pitching for the Mariners, Bannister led the AL in strike outs (209) going 12-13 pitching 247 innings (8th in the AL) posting a 3.43 ERA (8th in the AL). Bannister was a good strikeout pitcher, having the best strike out per nine inning ratio in 1983 & 1985. He was in the league's top ten in strike outs five times, finishing his career with 1723 (108th all time). He was also in the top ten in ERA three times. In his career he also allowed 291 strike outs (53rd most all time). 

 Brian Bannister attended the University of Southern California and starred as both a starting pitcher as well as a closer there. The six foot two right hander, was drafted by the New York Mets in the seventh round of the 2003 draft. In 2003 he pitched for the A ball Brooklyn Cyclones, going 4-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 12 games. 

 In 2006 when he made the Mets pitching staff, he became the first Cyclones player to make it to the big league team. He was honored at Brooklyn's Keyspan Park in September 2006, having his number retired by the Cyclones on Brian Bannister bobble head night. In 2004 he went from A ball St. Lucie to AA Binghamton & was highly touted at this point in his career. In 2005 he was 9-4 at AA Binghamton getting promoted to AAA Norfolk. There he was 4-1 witha 3.18 ERA in eight games. 

In 2006 he had a good spring training & made it to the Mets staff as a fifth starter. Bannister debuted at Shea Stadium in the Mets second game of the season, pitching six innings against the Washington Nationals, allowing three runs getting no decision. In his second career start, at Washington he earned his first career win, allowing just one run in seven innings. On April 16th he got his second win, it came against the Milwaukee Brewers where he allowed just one run in five innings. After five starts he pulled a hamstring while running the bases in San Francisco & went on the DL with a 2-0 record. 

He missed four months, returning back in late August, in his first start he took a loss to the Phillies allowing four runs in six innings of work. He was sent right back to AAA Norfolk after the game, but returned to make two relief appearances in September. On the season he would go 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA, striking out 19 batters in 38 innings while walking 22. Bannister was a good hitter as well going 4-12 with three doubles and two RBIs, good enough for a .333 average. 


Over the winter the Mets traded him to the Kansas City Royals in order to boost up their bullpen, as they acquired Ambiorix Burgess. In Kansas City, Bannister was put right into the rotation, and had a great start, winning the Pitcher of the Month Award in June. He went on to make the Topps All Star Rookie team, leading the staff in wins with 12 (12-9). He posted a 3.67 ERA pitching 216 innings making 34 starts. 

He struggled the next season on a 4th place Royals club, losing 16 games (second most losses in the league) while allowing 29 HRs, posting a 5.76 ERA. He went an identical 7-12 the next two seasons, and in 2010 his ERA climbed to a whopping 6.34. In 2011 he signed to pitch in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants, but left before the season started due to concerns with the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. 

 Retirement: Bannister has now retired from the game in both countries. He is also a professional photographer and had his work published in the NY Times, NY Daily News as well as other publications. He is also the founder of Loft 19 Photography Studios in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bronx Born Third Baseman the Mets Received In Exchange For Amos Otis: Joe Foy (1970)

Joseph Anthony Foy was born on February 21, 1943 in the Bronx, New York. He attended Evander Child’s high school on Gun Hill Road in the early sixties, & was a standout baseball player. He originally got signed by the Minnesota Twins in early 1962 but was then drafted away by the Boston Red Sox later that year.

In 1965 he won the International League batting title , hitting .302 with 14 HRs & 73 RBIs at AAA Toronto. He was named the Minor League Player of the Year & the league’s MVP. In his rookie year of 1966 he got the job as the Red Sox everyday third baseman replacing the departed, Frank Malzone.


Foy deuted in the second Sox game of the year at Fenway Park going 0-3 against the Baltimore Orioles. In just his third career game he was in the Bronx where he had grown up playing against the AL New York team. He got his first career hit that day, an RBI double off Bob Friend, as the Red Sox went on to an 8-5 win. Foy started out slow not getting above the .200 mark until mid May.

He had a fine Rookie year, coming in second in the league in walks (91) fourth in triples (8) fifth in runs scored (97) & eighth in on base % (.364). He hit .262 with 15 HRs 23 doubles, 63 RBIs & was rated the leagues fifth best third baseman. 

In the Red Sox 1967 "Impossible Dream" Pennant season, Foy saw action in 118 games at third base, but led the league in errors for the first of two straight seasons. At the plate he hit .252 with 16 HRs 22 doubles 4 triples and 49 RBIs.

On a road trip to New York that summer, he learned of a fire at his family’s house & that it was burning down while on his way to the ballpark located less than a mile away. In that series he was involved in a bench clearing brawl when he was hit in the helmet with a pitch by Thad Tillotson. Foy just went to first base after he was beaned, but when Sox pitcher Jim Lonborg retaliated against Tillotson, when he came to bat, the two pitchers had words. Foy stepped in & said “why don’t you just fight me since it all started with me”. The benches cleared & a full scale brawl ensued.

Foy enjoyed some fame appearing in photo in Life magazine that season as well, although not as the main figure. The magazine did an article of Triple Crown Winner Carl Yastrzemski, and it featured a photo of Yaz jokingly tackling Foy in the Boston club house.

In the 1967 World Series Foy hit only .133 (2-15) playing in six games, driving in one run. In 1968 Foy was selected by the expansion Kansas City Royals & became an original Royal, the next season. On Kansas City's Opening Day, Foy was the team's first cleanup hitter, going 1-6 that day. He played mostly at third base (113 games) but he made 17 errors, the Royals also tried him at first base & in the outfield. At bat he hit .262 with 11 HRs 71 RBIs & 72 runs scored, stealing 37 bases (fifth in the AL).

His stay in K.C. was short though, when on December 3rd, 1969 the New York Mets made another one of their worst trades. In trying to solve their long time third base problem, they sent a young Amos Otis & Bob Johnson to the Royals for Joe Foy. Otis went on to play seventeen seasons in Kansas City, making five All Star teams, winning three Gold Gloves. He hit over .290 five times, stole thirty or more bases five times, also leading the league in doubles twice & stolen bases once. Pitcher Bob Johnson struck out 200 batters going 7-8 in 1970 & then was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for short stop Fred Patek. What a deal the Foy fiasco turned out to be for the Royals & their future.

Foy was in the 1970 Mets Opening Day lineup, batting in the third position, going hitless with a sac fly RBI. He never got it going at the plate finishing up at .206 hitting his only HR that month against the Phillies on April 19th. That month he did drive in runs in three straight games against the Phillies at home. Foy did have a few shining moments in a Mets uniform; On May 3rd his 7th inning double off the Padres Pat Dobson in a game at San Diego broke a 2-2 ties & was the games winning run.

He would miss some action in June playing in just 12 games that month. His best month would be July and in the middle of the month he had a seven game hit streak on a West Coast road trip. In that series he had a three hit game in Los Angeles & a huge five hit day in San Francisco. 

On July 19th in the second game of a Mets Giants doubleheader, Foy had five hits, hitting two HRs & driving in five runs. His tenth inning HR off Don McMahon proved to be the game winner in the Mets 7-6 victory. When the Padres visited Shea at the end of the month, he added another RBI hit & then scored the tying run on Tommie Agee's double in a Mets comeback win.

On August 5th Foy came to bat with the bases loaded & two out in the bottom of the 9th inning in a game against the Cincinnati Reds. Reds pitcher Wayne Granger walked Foy allowing the winning run to score and crediting Foy with a game winning RBI.

As the season went on Foy never fit in with Gil Hodges ballclub. He was back in his hometown of New York City playing with the Mets, and hooked up with the wrong crowd from his old neighborhood. He got mixed up in drugs and developed an addiction problem.

During a summer double header, he noticeably appeared to under the influence of something during the game. In the opening game, he stood in front of manager Gil Hodges and began cheering a pitch loudly while awkwardly laughing. Hodges chose to start him in the nightcap to prove a point to his team. A hard grounder was hit to Foy at third and he never saw it. Reportedly even after the ball passed him he kept shouting "hit it to me". Pitcher Jerry Koosman & his team mates were furious, but Hodges made his point- "this guy doesn't belong here!"

1970 was his only season with the Mets, Foy saw action in 99 games, batting .236 with 6 HRs 12 doubles 68 walks & 36 RBIs. His best stats were his 22 stolen bases, although he was thrown out 13 times & his .367 on base %. At third base he made 18 errors & certainly wasn’t the answer to the Mets third base puzzle. He was picked up by the Washington Senators in 1971 (Rule 5 draft) and hit .234 in just 41 games before getting sent to the minors.

He finished out his career playing in 15 games at AAA Denver, getting released in July. In his six year career, Foy was a lifetime .248 hitter with 615 hits 58 HRs 102 doubles 99 stolen bases 390 walks, a .351 on base % & 291 RBIs, playing in 716 games.


Retirement: Foy did give back to the community, appearing at Mets events, teaching children to play ball & coached little league in the South Bronx as well. Sadly he had his demons & maybe wasn't given enough of a chance by M. Donald Grant & the organization.

The Mets tried Bob Aspromonte at third in 1971, Jim Fregosi in 1972 and neither one worked out either. Eventually Wayne Garrett got the job and in 1973 the Mets went to another World Series. Garrett remained at third for the good part of four seasons.

Passing: In 1989 Joe Foy died of a heart attack in the Bronx, New York at the age of 46.

Zany Italian /American New York Giants Player Who Once Challenged MLB's Reserve Clause: Danny Gardella (1944-1945)

Daniel Lewis Gardella was born on February 26th 1920 to an Italian American family in New York City. He originally signed with the Detroit Tigers but  did not get to the major leagues. Six years later, while working in a ship yard, he signed with the New York Giants. 

He was a wild character who was known on the field to walk on his hands to the cheers of the Polo Grounds crowds. On the road, he would scare his roomates by hanging out of hotel windows by his finger tips. 

Gardella would imitate his Hall of Fame manager Mel Otts' one legged batting stance, with a comedic twist getting huge laughs from team mates. He would sing openly and burst out into song out of nowhere, with his baratone voice any chance he got. The muscular Gardella was one of the first players to work out with heavy weights. He would swing an Iron bat to loosen up as well. 

He only played for the Giants for two seasons, seeing action first in 1944, batting .250 in 47 games. In 1945 he had his best season playing in 121 games, batting .272 with 18 HRs (8th in the NL) ten doubles 71 RBIs posting a .349 on base %. He drew 46 walks & was hit by five pitches (6th in the NL). That season he had three different games where he hit two HRs, all coming at home in the Polo Grounds, for the fifth place Giants. The left handed outfielder played an average defense with limited range. 

Family: His brother Al Gardella also played for the ’45 Giants, batting .077 in 16 games. It was his only year at the major league level. 

After World War II the Giants were interested in recruiting more war veterans. They offered Gardella $4,500, but he jumped to the banned Mexican league where he was paid $10,000. Commissioner Happy Chandler, imposed a five year to life ban on any players who went to the Mexican League for violating the reserve clause. Player affected by this were big names like: Sal Maglie, Mickey Owen, & Vern Stephens. 

Gardella couldn’t get back into the majors in 1947 and filed a law suit against MLB challenging the reserve clause. His lawyer, Frederic A. Johnson, charged that baseball was unlawfully depriving Gardella of his livelihood and that it was violating federal antitrust laws through the reserve clause, which bound a player to his team until he was traded or released.

The case was going to trial but his lawyer warned him, it would be a long costly trial. He dropped the suit and allegedly received $60,000 from MLB. In 1950 he was signed by the St Louis Cardinals and after one at bat was sent back to the minor leagues.

 Quotes: Looking back in 1990 Gardella said: "I feel I let the whole world know that the reserve clause was unfair. It had the odor of peonage, even slavery." 

Gardella was married to his wife Katherine for sixty years, they had ten children together. He passed away in Yonkers, New York in 2005 at age 85. He is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, in Hastings on the Hudson, New York.

Hall Of Fame First Baseman Who Spent Two Years As a Mets Player: Eddie Murray (1992-1993)

Eddie Clarence Murray was born on February 24, 1956 in Los Angeles, California. He was one of twelve children & was always playing baseball with his four brothers. He played Little League & at his Hall of Fame speech thanked his Little League coach for teaching him a love for the game. 

At Locke high school in South L.A. Murray was a team mate with non other than future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith. Steady Eddie was drafted out of high school in the third round of the 1973 draft by the Baltimore Orioles. The six foot two switch hitting first baseman/ designated hitter went on to become one of the games most productive players of his era, making it to Cooperstown. 

He would play 12 years with the Baltimore Orioles, getting to seven All Star games, and win three straight gold glove awards (1982-1984). He was amongst the league leaders in most offensive categories throughout his career, including RBIs 12 times & HRs eight times. He would hit 25 or more HRs twelve times, Murray would drive in over 100 runs six times, including four straight seasons (1982-1985). He would drive in over 90 runs twelve times, score over 100 runs six times, bat over .300 six times & hit 30 or more doubles seven times. 

He won the 1977 Rookie of the Year Award, Hitting 27 HRs with 29 doubles & 88 RBIs and batting .288. In 1979 he helped lead his club to the World Series hitting 25 HRs with 30 doubles 72 walks a .369 on base % & 99 RBIs while batting .295 on the season. 

 Post Season: In the ALCS against the California Angels, he hit .417 having a big Game #2 in Baltimore. That night he hit a three run HR off the Angel’s Mark Clear while driving in another run later in the game, as the O’s won it 9-8. He struggled in the World Series going 4-30 hitting a HR in Game #2 also in Baltimore. 

In 1980 he drove in 116 runs while hitting 32 HRs (both 5th in the AL) batting an even .300. In the strike shortened 1981 season he led the league in both HRs (22) & RBIs (78). It was the only year he led the league in any significant stats with the exception of 1984 when he led in on base % (.410) & walks (107). That year he made his second All Star appearance & the first of six straight All Star games through 1986. Defensively he led the league in fielding % (.999) & did the same in 1982 (.997%). 

Defensively the three time Gold Glover, led the league in fielding three times, assists & put outs three times as well as errors twice. He continued his hitting in 1982 with 32 HRs (5th in the AL) 110 RBIs (6th in the AL) posting a career best .316 average up to that point. That year he led the league for the first of three times in intentional walks (18). 

 In the Orioles 1983 championship season he hit 33 HRs (4th in the AL) drove in 111 runs (5TH in the AL) and batted .306. In the ALCS he hit a HR in Game #3 against the Chicago White Sox. Overall he went 4-15 with three walks & three RBIs in the series. In the World Series against the Philadelphia  Phillies he hit two HRs in the Orioles Game #5 clincher at Philadelphia. Overall he batted. 250 in the Series 5-20 with a walk two runs scored & three RBIs. 

During his time in Baltimore he became close friends with future Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. The two became highly publicized athletes in the Baltimore /D.C area. Murray was a fan favorite as well as Ripken, as they would cheer "Eddie Eddie" many times when he came to bat. Murray was a great clutch hitter with runners in scoring position as well as with two strikes on hi. He remained in Baltimore through the late eighties continuing his excellent hitting, although the team did not get to any more post seasons for him. 

In December 1988 he was traded for Juan Bell, Brian Holton and Ken Howell going to his home town of Los Angeles to play for the Dodgers. In 1989 he hit 20 HRs with 88 RBIs in Dodgers Stadium but his average fell to a career low .247. In 1990 he was the league's top paid player & he rebounded to a .330 batting average coming in second in the NL batting race to Willie McGee. Murray hit 26 HRs with 96 runs scored (8th in the NL) & drove in 96 runs (6th in the NL). In three seasons in Los Angeles he hit over 20 HRs & drove in over 90 runs twice. 

METS CAREER:
In 1992 at the age of 35 he signed with the New York Mets as a free agent. By the time he arrived at Shea Stadium, his best years were behind him. He debuted as a Met on Opening Day batting fifth behind Howard Johnson & would be the clubs main first baseman. In mid April he showed his Hall of Fame form, on the 14th he drove in three runs, including a pair of doubles leading the Mets to an 8-5 win over the Phillies. The next day he doubled again driving in two more runs in a 7-2 Mets win. As the Mets moved on to Montreal, Murray cleared the bases hitting a double off Dennis Martinez leading the club to a 10-2 win. The next day he had two more hits & drove in two more runs, giving him a total of ten RBIs in his last four games. 

On April 22nd he hit a walk off HR over the right field fence, off the St. Louis Cardinals Chris Carpenter giving the team a 3-2 victory. He closed out the month with a four RBI day on April 28th , driving in all runs in the David Cone two hit shut out, over the Astros. In June he drove in runs in the first five games of the month. On June 2nd he drove in all four Mets runs with a grand slam HR against the San Francisco Giants, helping Wally Whitehurst to a 4-3 win. On June 6th he went into the record books, and did it while wearing a Mets uniform. Murray set the record for most RBIs all time by a switch hitter, when he drove in his 1510th RBI with a sac fly in a 15-1 Mets win against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. He drove in twenty runs in the month of June. 

 On July 10th, he came to bat in the top of the 9th inning, in Houston with New York trailing 6-4. With the bases loaded he doubled driving in all three runs, leading to a 7-6 Mets comeback win. At the end of July, Murray had more heroics, as he had another 9th inning double, scoring two runs & bringing the Mets from behind to win in a game at Philadelphia, against the Phillies. He hit three HRs in games against the Cubs at the start of August, in both New York & at Chicago. 

 On September 4th he hit another grand slam HR, this one against the Reds at Riverfront Stadium, leading New York to a 5-2 win. He drove in four more runs, including a three run HR, in a game at Shea Stadium on September 19th, in a 7-5 win over the Montreal Expos. Back at Wrigley Field, he drove in two runs in a 10-8 Mets win on September 14th. The next day he hit a two run HR in the 1st inning, helping New York to a 4-2 win. 

The durable Murray played in 156 games leading the team in RBIs (93) & doubles (37), both were seventh most in the league. He also led the club in hits (144) walks (66) & runs scored (64). He was second to Bobby Bonilla in HRs (16) & was third in on base % (.336). At first base he led the NL with 12 errors, and was third in games played, assists & put outs. 

He adjusted with an even better 1993 season, starting out the year going 4-9 with two RBIs in the Opening Series against the expansion Colorado Rockies. In a late April home stand he hit HRs in consecutive games against the San Francisco Giants, both leading to wins. He went into May driving in runs in six straight games & then drove in the only run of 1-0 Bret Saberhagen win on May 10th against Florida. At the end of June he hit HRs in three straight games and drove in runs in eight of nine game sinto the first week of July.  From July 2nd - July 6th he drove in ten runs, hit two HRs and had nine hits, on a Shea home stand, against the West Coast Giants & Padres. 

Later in the month he hit a two run HR in San Diego leading to a -2 Mets win. The next day, on July 22nd, he hit two HRs, while driving in five runs at Los Angeles in a 10-5 win against his old Dodger team mates. On July 28th, he hit a walk off double against Brian Harvey leading the Mets to a 5-4 win over the Marlins. In the month he drove in 26 runs & hit five HRs. Murray hit three HRs in the first weekof August & then three more in the first week of September. In the month of September he hit safely in 24 of 29 games, ending the year with a solid .285 average. 

Although he was 36 years old, he was still a productive player & an RBI machine. The rest of the club, did not gel around him. There there was no pennant race for the '93 Mets. The team finished dead last going 59-103 under managers; Jeff Torborg & Dallas Green. This cast of Mets were dubbed "The worst team money could buy". 

Murray drove in 100 runs (10th in the league, while leading the Mets). He led the team in batting (.285) hits (174) doubles (28) games played (154) & at bats (610). He hit 27 HRs (second on the club to Bonilla). His nine sac flies were second most in the league. 

 Murray moved on in 1994, going to the Cleveland Indians for two seasons. After a down year in the strike shortened 1994 season, Murray returned to help the Indians get to the World Series in 1995. 

He was primarily the teams DH batting .323 with 21 HRs 21 doubles & 82 RBIs. He hit a HR in each round of the playoffs, first in the ALDS against the Boston Red Sox, then a Game #4 HR in the Indians ALCS win over the Seattle Mariners. 

In the 1995 World Series he went just 2-9, but he won Game #3 with a walk off single in the bottom of the eleventh inning off of Atlanta’s Alejandro Pena. 

The next season in July, he was traded by the Indians to the Orioles for Kent Mercker in order for him to finish his career back in Baltimore. On September 6, 1996, he hit his 500th career HR as an Oriole, exactly one year to the day that Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games streak. He went out a hero as the fans gave him a huge send off in his final game. 

His Hall of Fame numbers include, 3026 hits (13th all time), 504 HRs (25th all time) (second among switch hitters) 19 grand slams (4th all time) 1917 RBIs (10th all time) 560 doubles (25th all time) 1627 runs scored (40th all time) & 1333 walks (35th all time). He has 1099 extra base hits (18th all time) 222 intentional walks (9th all time) & is first with 128 sac flies. He struck out 1516 times (49th all time) grounded into 315 double plays (6th all time). 

At first base he has played in the most games of any first base man in the history of the games (2413) also making the most assists ever at the position (1865). He is fourth in put outs (21255) & posted a .993 fielding % (76th all time). 

In 2003 Murray was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame with another former Mets player, catcher Gary Carter. In his speech he said it was never about one person but about the team. In the back of the crowd 300 inner city kids came from the Baltimore area to hear his speech, on their way out he gave the bus loads of kids autographed bats, balls & programs. His number 33 was retired by the Orioles in 1998. 

In the 1980's he donated large amounts of money to the Baltimore City Parks Department which led to the Carrie Murray Nature Center named in his mothers honor. 

Retirement: After his playing days Murray was the Cleveland Indians hitting coach from 2002-2005. He then spent 2006 / 2007 as a Los Angeles Dodger coach.