Remembering Mets History: (2016) Bruce on the Loose With Third Straight HR Game- Mets Guaranteed At Least A Wildcard Tie

-

Friday October 1st 2016: Terry Collins New York Mets (86-74) guaranteed themselves of at least playing after Sundays last regular season game. Tonight after the Mets downed the Phillies in Philadelphia they reduced their magic number down to one to clinch a wild card spot & a chance for post season action.

 Jay Bruce, the latest hot hitting Mets hero had a big three hit, three RBI night where he homered for his third straight game. After his benching that seemed like a lifetime ago, Bruce has hit 4 HRs with 8 RBIs in six games. Yes it seems, finally Bruce is on the Loose! Bruce now has 99 RBIs for the season to match his 33 HRs. The center of the Mets offense, Yoenis Cespedes added another RBI as well, giving him 86 on the season.
Many of these pennant chasing Mets were not even on the roster when this season started & New York was setting out to avenge their NL Championship title. But injuries, season ending injuries no less, have made this a different ball club.

But somehow that championship hunger has been passed down to this years version of the New York Mets. Whether its the fact that they can keep plucking young pitching studs from their minor leagues, or PCL batting champions (the AAA Las Vegas club had the leagues top three) from the minor leagues, or sign veteran players that are reviving their careers, or the fact that Sandy Alderson & Terry Collins have built a winning culture in New York, these Mets are Amazing again.

 With an afternoon win at Philadelphia, the Mets can wrap up this wild card thing & get ready for the big game on Wednesday Night.
Quotes: Terry Collins- "It's step one of a big accomplishment. We're certainly very, very pleased that we get to play past Sunday. But we want to take care of business this weekend and solidify where we need to be, and get ourselves ready for that day."

 On Friday Robert Gsellmen went six innings allowing just a run on seven hits with seven strike outs to get his record to 4-1 while posting a 242 ERA. In his last two games he has 15 strikeouts & an ERA of 0.60.

 After falling behind 1-0 the Mets answered in the 4th with two outs singles from Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce & TJ Rivera to go up 2-0. In the 7th Bruce connected with his 33rd HR of the season, making it 3-1.
In the 8th inning, with Alejandro DaAza & Jose Reyes on board, Cespedes hit a wicked pop up into the night. The wind carried it away from Ryan Howard & the ball landed on first base, DeAza scored on a weird force pop out. Bruce followed with another hit driving in Reyes with the games fifth run.

 A familiar Mets late inning relief corps of Fernando Salas, who has fit very nicely into the 7th inning, led the way for 8th inning ace; Addison Reed who notched his 40th hold of the year, while maintaining an ERA of 2.00 & then leading the way for the door to be closed by Jeurys Familia, who saved his 51st game.

Quotes: Jay Bruce- "The reason you play is to make the playoffs. I've been fortunate enough to go the playoffs three times... It's like Opening Day every day. It's great. That's why we play. We're close to securing that and we really look forward to having that opportunity and really controlling our own destiny. We're not really focused on what anyone else does. We come in here tomorrow and take care of business, it won't matter."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Former Mets Broadcaster: Fran Healy ( 1984-2005)

-
Image
Francis Xavier Healy was born on September 6, 1946 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The big six foot five catcher, attended American International University at Springfield. In 1964 he was signed by the Cleveland Indians, spending five years in their minors leagues. In 1968 he was drafted as the 56th pick in the expansion draft, chosen by the Kansas City Royals. He would make his MLB debut playing six games there in 1969 & spending the next year in the minors. In October of 1970, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Bob Garibaldi. Healy played in 47 games for the 1971 Western Division Champion Giants, as the backup catcher to Dick Dietz. He hit .280 with two HRs & 11 RBIs. He did not play in the NLCS & after hitting just .152 the next year in 45 games, he was traded back to Kansas City. He became the Royals main catcher in 1973 playing solid behind the plate, throwing out 44% of would be base stealers. That year he had the distinction of catching Steve Busb
Read more

Remembering Mets History: (1977) The Felix Millan / Ed Ott Brawl In Pittsburgh

-
Image
Friday August 12th, 1977: Joe Torre's last place Mets (47-66) traveled to Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh for a double header with Chuck Tanner's second place Pirates (66-49). The bad times were underway for the late seventies Mets and tonight marked the end of another key player's career from the 1973 NL Champion team. In the first game of a double header, Jerry Koosman (8-13) took a 3-1 loss to Jim Rooker (10-6) & the Pirates. Both pitchers went the distance, with Koosman giving up three runs on six hits & Rooker giving up the lone Met run on nine hits. In the night cap Mets started Bob Myrick against Pittsburgh's  Bruce Kison.  In the 2nd inning Myrick himself added an RBI base hit making it 1-0 Mets. Lee Mazzilli added a two run HR in the 4th putting the Mets up 3-2. The Mets were battling, but the Pirates tied it up at 3-3 in the sixth inning.  Met Manager; Joe Torre made a double switch bringing in Felix Millan to play second base, as Do
Read more

The 1970's Oakland A's Ball Girls- (MLB's First)

-
Image
In the days of the early seventies the Oakland A's won three straight Championships & changed the face of baseball forever.  The team's controversial owner was known to be cheap in paying his star players & known to meddle in the teams on field affairs. He drove managers crazy & even had Dick Williams resign after winning his second straight World Series. But Finley also revolutionized baseball in many other ways. He was instrumental in getting the designated hitter in the American League & have the World Series played at night, so fans could attend after work. He gave his players fancy names like Catfish, Blue Moon & True Blue.  When his star Reggie Jackson refused to shave his beard, he encouraged the whole team to grow facial hair by paying them $200 each.  The A's team even grew their hair long, a sign of the times. But before that baseball players had not had facial or long hair since the 1800's.  He introduced bright colored yello
Read more

Remembering Bobby Ojeda's Tragic Boating Accident (1993)

-
Image
Steve Olin, Tim Crews & Bob Ojeda March 22 nd 1993: was an off day from Spring Training, for three Cleveland Indians pitchers; Former Mets 1986 World Champion pitcher; Bobby Ojeda, Tim Crews & Steve Olin. The three friends, took out an 18-foot open-air bass boat & went out fishing & gator hunting in the darkness of the evening on Lake Nellie in Clermont, Florida. Tragedy struck, when the boat rammed into a private dock that jutted out some 250 feet into the still waters. Two other Cleveland Indians personnel had arrived to meet the fishing party just as the horror took place. They heard Bob Ojeda saying they needed help. The two men jumped into the water and called out for someone to call 911. 27 year old pitcher; Steve Olin was killed instantly. 31 year old pitcher; Tim Crews was alive but was struggling to breathe suffering from massive head wounds. Bobby Ojeda was in & out of shock, he was suffering from head lacerations but was coherent. The
Read more

Remembering Vixen Founder / Guitarist; Jan Kuehnemund (1961-2013)

-
Image
centerfieldmaz was shocked to learn of the sudden passing of Jan Kuehnemund, the founding member of the all female metal band Vixen. Jan was a fantastic guitarist, song writer & women pioneer in Heavy Metal. I am a huge fan of hard rock all girl bands & Vixen were one my long time favorites. Janice Lynn Kuehnemund was born November 18th, 1961 in St. Paul Minnesota. The female guitarist formed one of the first all female Metal bands in Minnesota with singer Janet Gardner while in high school in 1980. By 1985 they moved the band to Los Angles California, to be part of the Heavy Metal scene. In 1987 the classic Vixen line up of Jan Kuehnemund (lead guitar) Janet Gardner (vocals/ guitar) Share Pederson (bass) & Roxy Petrucci (drums) formed & released their debut album the following year. Vixen 1988 In a world of all male Heavy Metal bands during its heyday, Vixen were groundbreaking in being an all female metal band. The Runaways, with Joan Jett & Lita Ford
Read more