Remembering Mets History (1983) Rusty Staub Ties MLB Consecutive Pinch Hit Record
In 1983 Rusty Staub set three MLB pinch hit records. In June he tied an MLB record with eight straight pinch hits.On a June Mets home stand, Staub began with five successful pinch-hit appearances.
Saturday, June 11th: In the bottom of the 7th inning, with the Mets down 5-0 to the Expos, Rusty Staub came to bat with the bases loaded, no one out, facing Jeff Reardon, one of the NL's top relievers.
Staub doubled of the center field wall, driving in Mark Bradley & Jose Oquendo bringing in the only two runs of the 5-2 loss. Rusty Staub began his streak.
Sunday June 12th: In the bottom of the 6th inning, Tom Seaver, who was in his second go-around in New York, was holding the Mets to a 3-1 lead over the Expos. With two outs, Staub came to bat as a pinch hitter with rookie Darryl Strawberry & veteran George Foster on base facing Montreal's Charlie Lea.
Rusty smashed a double to left field, driving in both runners in the 9-1 win. It was his second straight pinch-hit game.
June 13- June 15th: Next, the Chicago Cubs came to town for a three-game series. In the bottom of the 8th inning of the first game, Staub continued his pinch-hit streak with a base hit off Mike Proly for his third straight pinch hit. The Mets lost the game 7-3.Walk Off Win: The next night in front of a small Shea Stadium crowd of 9,650 fans, the Mets Ed Lynch & Chicago's Dick Ruthven pitched into the 8th inning, with the Mets leading 3-2. In the 9th the Cubs tied it up, as Ron Cey doubled & Jay Johnstone brought him in with a single off Doug Sisk, sending the game to extra innings.
In the bottom of the 10th inning, against one of the leagues premiere closers Lee Smith who led the NL in saves that year, the Mets Bob Bailor led off with a single. Smith recorded the next two outs then walked Daryl Strawberry intentionally. Staub came up as a pinch hitter batting or Mark Bradley. Rusty hit an opposite field base hit scoring Bailor with the walk off game winning run. It was his first walk hit of the season (he would have another on October 2nd) & fourth of his Mets career.
It was also Rusty's fourth straight successful pinch hit.
Three Hit Game: The next night Staub got a start playing at first base & batting fifth. The hot hitting Staub went 3-4 with three singles in the Mets ten inning 7-4 loss.
Saturday, June 18th, 1983: The Mets went north up to Montreal, the city where Rusty Staub was a baseball legend. In the Montreal Expos 1969 expansion season, Staub was one of the team's first star players. It was then he earned the nickname "Le Grande Orange".In the top of the 7th inning, with the Mets down 1-0, Staub came up as a pinch hitter, collecting a single off Bill Gullickson. The pinch hit was Staub's fifth successful pinch hit in a row. The Mets put up five runs in the inning leading to the 6-1 win.
Sunday, June 19th: The next afternoon the Mets lost took a 4-3 loss to the Expo's & their franchise legend Steve Rogers. In the top of the 9th, Staub hit his first HR of the season, the 288th of his career getting New York to within a run of the eventual 4-3 loss.
Sunday, June 19th: The next afternoon the Mets lost took a 4-3 loss to the Expo's & their franchise legend Steve Rogers. In the top of the 9th, Staub hit his first HR of the season, the 288th of his career getting New York to within a run of the eventual 4-3 loss.
For Rusty, it was his sixth straight successful pinch.
Monday, June 20th, 1983: The Mets were quickly back home at Shea Stadium, for a double header with the reigning world champion St. Louis Cardinals.
In the night cap, with the Mets leading 5-4 in the bottom of the 7th inning, Staub came to bat with Darryl Strawberry & Ron Hodges on base. Staub singled off Cardinal pitcher Dave Von Ohlen bringing home Darryl with his 14th RBI & seventh straight successful pinch hit. The Mets went on to a 6-4 victory.
In the next two games, Staub played out field in a starting role going hitless.
Friday June 24th: The Phillies came to Shea Stadium for a three-game series. They took the first game 6-3. In the bottom of the 9th inning, Rusty came up as a pinch hitter & was hit by a pitch from Hall of Famer Steve Carlton. He safely reached base without a credited at bat.
Sunday June 26th: In this Sunday afternoon double header Frank Howard's last place Mets (27-43) hosted Pat Corrales third place Philadelphia Phillies (32-33).
In the first game, two legendary Mets pitchers figured in the outcome. On the losing side Tom Seaver, who had returned to the Mets after parts of six seasons in Cincinnati took the loss to his old pal, Tug McGraw, now a reliever with the Phillies. Record Setting Pinch Hit: In the second game, Staub would go into the pinch-hitting record books. In the bottom of the 9th inning, with the Mets down 8-4 he came to bat pinch hitting for Junior Ortiz.
Rusty singled into right field off pitcher Ron Reed, tying an MLB record (held by Dave Philley) with eighth straight successful pinch hit at bats.
Rusty received a nice ovation from the Shea Faithful, as he accomplished his feat. In a true moment of class & respect, the pitcher Ron Reed came from the mound over to first base to hand Staub the ball he had hit for the historic pinch hit.
Pinch Hit Records: On the season, the 39-year-old Staub was the league's best pinch hitter, setting a record with eleven pinch-hit walks & 81 pinch-hit at bats.
In his career Staub collected 100 career pinch hits, batting .280 in that role, becoming one of the best pinch hitters of his era, as well as all-time.
Overall, in 1983, he would bat .296 with three HRs six doubles & 28 RBIs in 115 at bats, in 104 games.
The Legend of Rusty Staub: Rusty was one of the most popular Mets players in team history. In 1972 he arrived from Montreal in a trade for Ken Singleton, Tim Foli & Mike Jorgenson. In 1973 he led the Mets offense to the NL Pennant & was the leading hitter in the World Series loss to Oakland. In 1975 Staub was the first Met to drive in 100 runs.
Staub played a total of nine years as a Mets player, appearing in 942 games (13th most in Mets history). He hit .276 with 709 hits 75 HRs 130 doubles 399 RBIs a .358 on base % & .778 OPS.
Rusty was a gourmet chef & food connoisseur who at one time owned two restaurants in New York City. Rusty's located on 73rd St & Third Ave & Rusty's on Fifth at Fifth Avenue.
Staub also started the Rusty Staub Foundation & the NYPD & FDNY Widow's Benefit Fund. After his playing days, he was a Mets broadcaster (1986 to 1995) & later a Mets team ambassador until his passing.