Remembering Mets History (1992): Hojo Steals 200th Base & Eddie Murray Hits 400th HR

-
Sunday May 3rd, 1992: Jeff Torborg's New York Mets (15-10) visited Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium to play Bobby Cox's N.L. Champion Atlanta Braves (12-13) in front of 41,282. 

The Mets were coming off a bad 1991 which was their first losing season 1983. They had been in contention until the last part of that season.

In the off season the Mets brought in veterans Eddie Murphy, Bobby Bonilla, Willie Randolf, Kevin McReynolds & pitcher Bret Saberhagen as well as manager Jeff Torborg. 

Due to injuries, age & bad performance the Mets went 72-80, the teams' most losses since 1983.
They became known as the Worst team money could buy.
But in this game, there was to be two career milestones for two good players, providing some season highlights.

 The starting pitchers for matinee, were David Cone (2-1) for New York & Charlie Leibrandt (2-1) for Atlanta.


The two pitchers matched zeros until the top of the 5th inning. The Mets, Bobby Bonilla led off with a single, Eddie Murray followed with a double down the left field line but Bonilla could not score. 

Howard Johnson came up next & hit a line drive to third resulting in a double bringing in both runners making it 2-0 Mets. Johnson then stole third base. The Mets took a 5-0 lead the inning with RBI's from David Cone & Willie Randolph.

HoJo Career Milestone: In the top of the 6th, Howard Johnson drew a walk off new pitcher Kent Mercker. He would then steal second base.  The stolen bases put him at 200 steals for his career, making him the 16th player in MLB history to have 200 HRs & 200 stolen bases. 

Back in 1989 Johnson had joined Willie Mays & Bobby Bonds as the only two players (at that time) to have had multiyear 30 HR / 30 stolen base seasons.

Later that inning, Johnson would score on Daryl Boston's RBI base hit, making it 6-0 Mets.

Murray Career Milestone: In the 8th inning veteran Eddie Murray had his own career milestone. Murray stepped in & hit a solo HR off the Braves Marvin Freeman marking the 400th HR of his Hall of Fame career. It was his second HR of the season; he would hit 16 for the Mets & drive in 93 runs. Murray would go on to hit 504 career HRs.


The Mets went on to a 7-0 win, as David Cone pitched the complete game shutout allowing just five hits, walking four & striking out eight.

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

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

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