More Mets Memories of Spring Training In St. Petersburg (1962 - 1987)

-

Casey Stengel Spring Training 1962


1962 Mets the First Spring Training

Don Zimmer- Felix Mantilla- Charlie Neil- Gil Hodges & Casey Stengel


Casey Stengel & Roger Craig


Casey Stengel & Gil Hodges


Yogi Berra -Warren Spahn & Casey Stengel 1965


Mid Sixties Spring Locker Room

1969 Mets Manager Gil Hodges

Yogi Berra

1969 World Champs Nolan Ryan & Jerry Grote


1969 World Series MVP- Donn Clendenon

Jerry Koosman 1970 After the Championship

Ron Swoboda


Bob Aspromonte- Kenny Boswell & Bud Harrelson 1970


Tom Seaver

Tom & Nancy Seaver with daughter Sara 1972


Duffy Dyer - Rookie & Cleon Jones Listen to Tom Seaver


1973 NL Champs- Tug McGraw & Yogi Berra


Joe Torre with his second Wife Dani & a Daughter 

Gary Carter 1985


1985 Cy Young Winner- Dwight Gooden


1986 World Champions

Ron Darling 1986

Manager Davey Johnson



1986 Gary Carter- Darryl Strawberry & Keith Hernandez



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

The Odd Couple TV Show's Beloved Supporting Cast

-
Image
On this the 45th Anniversary Season of when my favorite television show of all time The Odd Couple first debuted it's time to pay tribute to the great supporting  cast. Murray Greshler was a  big hit with fans as the simple minded bumbling NYPD Officer: Murray the Cop . Murray was a long time friend of Oscar Madison & usually becomes the subject of Oscar's jokes. Some great lines referenceing Murrays nose are "N ose' Feliciano" / "Tokyo Nose" & "Come inside Murray, your sucking up all the air in the hallway".  Even Felix chimed in asking him if the other army reserve soldiers made fun of him saying "when you look up it looks like a two car garage". Murray would become one of both Felix & Oscars best friends appearing 73 of the 114 Odd Couple episodes . Murray wouldn't think twice about double parking his patrol car double parked outside the Park Avenue or Central Park West building where Felix & Oscar
Read more

Remembering Roger Craig: Pitcher Who Started the First Game In Mets History & Teacher of the Split Finger Fastball (1962 - 1963)

-
Image
Roger Lee Craig was born February 17, 1930, in Durham, North Carolina. He was one of ten children to John & Irene Craig. The tall six-foot four right hander was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950. He spent two seasons in the minors winning 14 games each year & then went off for two years of Military Service during the Korean Way.  MLB Career: Craig arrived at Ebbett's Field in Brooklyn in July 1955 earning a complete game win in his debut against the Reds. He started out 3-0 that month with two complete games.  Overall, for 1955 Dodgers championship team he was 5-3 with two saves, posting a 2.78 ERA pitching in 21 games.  1955 World Series: In the 1955 World Series he got the win in Game #3 at Ebbett's Field, pitching six innings allowing two runs on four hits while striking out four. He gave up a 4th inning RBI single to Billy Martin & a 7th inning lead off HR to Bob Cerv. That year Brooklyn went wild as the Dodgers won their only World Series title whi
Read more

Fictional Mets Infielder Chico Escuela ( of SNL) Visits Mets Spring Training (1979)

-
Image
Bill Murray interviews (Garrett Morris) Chico Escuela In March 1979, original Saturday Night Live cast member; Garrett Morris joined the Mets at Miller Huggins Field for Spring Training. At the time the Mets were still holding Spring Training in St. Petersburg Florida.  Morris was filmed being interviewed by his SNL cast mate, Bill Murray as the fictional Mets player: Chico Escuela who wore uniform #5 (cinque).  Escuela was famous for his spoof of the Latin players of the time, who did not speak much English. His famous quote "baseball been berry- berry good to me" began the previous year on SNL's weekend update. Bill Murray & Ed Kranepool It was said during the mock 1979 Spring Training interview, that Chico who was a nine time All Star second baseman, had given up his job at the Weekend Update Sports desk to make a comeback with the Mets at age 41.  Chico had fictionally written a tell all baseball book; "Bad Stuff About the Mets" which tick
Read more