Posts

Showing posts from July, 2018

Former New York Giants Pitcher (1925-1936) Coach (1949-1955): Freddie Fitzsimmons

Image
Frederick Landis Fitzsimmons was born on July 28, 1901 in Mishawaka, Indiana. The right hander was known as a tough competitor, and famous for his knuckle curve ball. Although he wasn’t a strike out pitcher was one of the games better pitchers for the next two decades. He came to the Giants staff in 1925 pitching in ten games going 6-3. The following year he was 14-10 (10th most wins in the NL) with a 2.88 ERA (6TH in the league). In 1927 Carl Hubbell arrived on the Giants staff & the two made an awesome lefty righty combo on the Giants staff. Fitzsimmons won 17 games going 17-10 paving the way for his best season in 1928. That year he went 20-9 (5th in the NL in wins) second on the staff to Larry Benton, with a 6.90 win % (4th in the NL) posting a 3.68 ERA, pitching 261 innings. In 1930 Fitsimmons led the league in winning % (.731%) going 19-7 (third in the NL in wins) with a 4.25 ERA. That year Hubbel & Bill Walker both had 17 wins. Fitzsimmons would win 17 or more

Former Mets First Round Draft Pick: Preston Wilson (1998)

Image
Preston James Richard Wilson was born on July 19, 1974 in Bamberg, South Carolina. Preston Wilson is the stepson & nephew of former Mets player & current coach, Mookie Wilson. Mookie married his brother’s ex-wife who is the mother of Preston. Preston went to the same high school as Mookie and was a star outfielder there as well. He was drafted by the New York Mets as a first round pick (9th pick overall) in 1992. He spent five seasons in the minors hitting over 20 HRs four different times. He was voted one of the top 100 prospects by Baseball America four separate times as well. Preston also spent one season playing in the Australian baseball league. He was an aggressive hitter known to swing at the first pitch & strike out often. He was brought up in May of 1998 as a highly touted prospect. In his first two games he got three hits apiece and drove in two runs against the St. Louis Cardinals. He went hitless on a West Coast road trip and while still in California, he

Remembering Mets History: (1986) Mets Finish Sweep of Braves With a Blow Out & a Shut Out

Image
July 11th- July 13th 1986 Weekend Series: Friday July 11th: Davey Johnson's the first place Mets (58-25) hosted Bobby Cox's Atlanta Braves (42-44) ipening up a three game series, in front of 39,924 fans at Shea Stadium. Starting Lineups Braves 1 Andres Thomas SS 2 Ken Griffey LF 3 Dale Murphy CF 4 Bob Horner 1B 5 Terry Harper RF 6 Rafael Ramirez 3B 7 Ozzie Virgil C 8 Ken Oberkfell 2B 9 David Palmer P Mets 1 Lenny Dykstra CF 2 Wally Backman 2B 3 Keith Hernandez 1B 4 Gary Carter C 5 Darryl Strawberry RF 6

Remembering Mets History: (2015) Steven Matz & Logan Verrett Toss Three Hitter In L.A.

Image
Sunday July 5th 2015: Terry Collins second place Mets (42-41) were 4 1/2 games out of first place & barely over .500. They came to L.A. to face Don Mattingly's first place Dodgers (46-37). Mets young pitcher Steven Matz was already 2-0 & the latest buzz in baseball, as yet another fine young Mets pitcher came up from their organization. Matz would go against Mike Bolsinger in front of 40,027 in Dodger Stadium. Starting Lineups New York Mets         Los Angeles Dodgers 1 Curtis Granderson RF 1 Enrique Hernandez SS 2 Daniel Murphy 3B 2 Howie Kendrick 2B 3 Lucas Duda 1B 3 Justin Turner 3B 4 Wilmer Flores 2B 4 Adrian Gonzalez 1B 5 Michael Cuddyer LF 5 Yasiel Puig RF 6 Johnny Monell C 6 Scott Van Slyke LF 7 Ruben Tejada SS 7 Joc Pederson CF 8 Steven Matz P 8 A.J. Ellis C 9 Juan Lagares CF 9 Mike Bolsinger P Today would be another easy win for the young Steven Matz, as the Mets provided him with eight runs of offense. But Matz certainly earned the w

50th Anniversary of the 1969 Mets: Donn Clendenon's Hot July Start

Image
50th Anniversary of the 1969 World Champion "Amazing Mets" The Mets acquired Donn Clendenon on the 1969 June trade deadline. The team was lacking the run producing, slugger Clendenon was. He was slowly put into the line up, as a pinch runner, pinch hitter & then in the platoon with Ed Kranepool at first base. He would score runs in his first two games but overall have just four hits in his first 22 Met at bats.  On June 29th 1969 he drove in three runs & totaled four RBIs in his first two weeks. Then at the start of July, he went on a six game tear from July 1st to July 6th.  Clendenon would collect ten hits, driving in ten runs, with three runs scored, a HR & three extra base hits. The Mets won four of six in that stretch, with two more wins dating back to his three RBI game on June 29th. July 1st 1969:  The Mets dropped a twin bill in St. Louis to the Cardinals. It was in that second game Clendenon began his hitting tear for the week. He c