Remembering Mets History (2019) Pete Alonzo Becomes the First Met to Hit 50 HRs In a Season

-

Friday, September 20th, 2019: Mickey Callaway's New York Mets (80-73) were still in the wild card race 3.5 games back with ten games still left to play. But they were also chasing two other teams for that second wild card spot. 

Tonight, the Mets were in Cincinnati to take on David Bell's Reds (72-81) in front of 20,576 fans, many of them Mets fans. 

Tonight, everyone new that The Mets NL Rookie of the Year, Pete Alonso was setting a rookie HR mark & was looking to become the first Met to ever hit 50 HRs in a season.

That year's Cy Young Award winner, Jacob deGrom (9-8) entered the game leading the league in ERA (2.61) strike outs (239) & WAR (6.3) for pitchers, as well as walks & hits per nine innings (1.005) he took on the Reds' Luis Castillo (15-6 / 3.22 ERA / 211 Ks / 239 Ks).


The game started out all about the pitchers, both shutting the other team out into the 6th inning. 

In the top of the 6th, Jeff McNeil, the number four hitter in the league (.321) in the batting race, hit his 23 HR of the year. 

McNeil had also flashed his glove, making a fine play at third earlier in the game.

In the 7th inning with two outs, J.D. Davis walked & Amed Rosario hit a two run HR, making it 3-0 Mets. It was Rosario's 14th HR of the year.

In the 8th inning, the hot hitting Jeff McNeil got his second hit of the night with a single to right field. 

Pete Alonso then stepped in. Pete was already leading the majors in HR (49) & was about to make Mets history, once again. 

 Alonso launched a massive HR into the right field steamboat, a ball that was absolutely crushed at an estimated 437-feet. 


Alonso became the first Met to hit 50 HRs in a season in team history. He was now just one of two rookies to ever hit 50 or more HRs in the history of MLB.

The Mets added three more runs in the 9th inning off pitcher Keury Mella. Brandon Nimmo singled, Jeff McNeil then collected his third hit of the night, a double scoring Nimmo with his 73rd RBI of the year. He advanced to third on a throwing error.  

Pete Alonso was walked intentionally & Juan Lagares singled bringing in McNeil with the Mets seventh run. Wilson Ramos walked & Michael Conforto singled, breaking his long slump bringing home Alonso with his 84th RBI of the year to make it 8-0 Mets .

Jacob deGrom has put himself in the front running for another Cy Young Award as he won his tenth game (10-8) lowering his league leading ERA to 2.51. He now has a league best 248 strike outs. 

 deGrom had won three in a row & pitched at least seven innings in his last six starts, while tossing 14 straight scoreless innings. He won his second straight Cy Young Award that season & Pete Alonso went on to set a rookie HR record as well.

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

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

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 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