centerfield maz

Sunday July 24th, 2022- Cooperstown New York: It was a long time coming & way overdue. Finally, today MLB inducted Gil Hodges in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Gil's daughter Irene gave a tear shedding speech for long time Mets fans & his leadership as Manager of the Amazing 1969 New York Mets from loveable losers to World Champions of baseball. Many of those players are gone or could not attend, but in "Amazing" support, Cleon Jones, Ed Kranepool, Ron Swoboda & Art Shamsky were on hand for the induction. Also in attendance was Tom Seaver's daughter Sara & Tommie Agee's widow, Maxine showing their love & respect for the former Mets manager Gil Hodges. Also, the Mets longtime legendary, media man Jay Horowitz was there shedding a tear as well. Gil Hodges 1924-1972

Wayne Leonard Kirby was born January 22nd, 1964 in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. The five foot eleven left hand hitting out fielder was signed out of an Apprentice School in 1983 by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 13th round. Kirby spent  eight years in the Dodgers minor leagues before getting put on waivers & signed with the Cleveland Indians.  MLB Career: He debuted at age 27 playing 21 games with the Indians in 1991. He spent six years in Cleveland, playing as their regular right fielder in 1993. That year he batted .269 with 123 hits, 19 doubles, 5 triples, 6 HRs, 60 RBIs & 17 stolen bases in 131 games.  Kirby was a fine defensive outfielder, making a league leading 19 assists. He also turned in five double plays & posted a .979 fielding %. The next year he hit  .293 in 78 games with 5 HRs & 23 RBIs in 78games played. For the  1995 AL Champion Indians, Kirby  hit just .207 getting in to 101 games as a back up out fielder. He stole ten bases hit ten doubles

Jesse James Hudson was born July 22, 1948 in Mansfield Louisiana. The tall left hander was drafted by the New York Mets in the 11th round of the 1967 draft. In the Rookie league in 1967 he was an impressive 7-1 with a 2.07 ERA, moving up to AA in 1968. He went 11-13 between Mankato & the Visalia Mets that season. In 1969 he was 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA at A ball Pompano Beach, moving up to AA Memphis where he was 3-2 with a 1.38 ERA. It was tough to crack the 1969 staff the tall lefty managed to get into one game, the only MLB appearance of his career.  On September 19th, 1969, Hudson made his debut. He faced ten batters, in the last two innings of an 8-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Hudson with Pitching Coach Rube Walker He gave up two hits, two walks, two runs and struck out three, getting no decision. At least He can say he struck out Hall of Famer Willie Stargell at Shea Stadium in 1969.  Quotes- Jesse Hudson : “I was scared to death, Really, it was just a spur o

Saturday July 26th , 1969 : The Mets (55-40) five games back of the Chicago Cubs at this point, hosted Dave Bristol's Cincinnati Reds (49-44) in a Saturday matinee at Shea Stadium. 45,074 (25,259 PAID) fans came out to see Tom Seaver take on Cincinnati's Tony Cloninger.   Today's Reds team only had two players of their classic Big Red Machine line up of the 70's. In 1970 the Red would get to the World Series & lose to the Baltimore Orioles. The Reds would play on four World Series in the 1970's & win two of them. Seaver had just come off of two straight losses, a very rare thing for him in 1969, it only happened twice. A sore arm had him beat up in Montreal in his last start & a 1-0 heart breaking loss to Bill Hands in Chicago before that one. The 1969 Cy Young Winner losing three straight games in 1969, wasn't going to happen. Today, this Seaver still wasn't his best but he was good enough for a complete game victory. Over nine innings, he sc

Michael Lee Cubbage was born July 21, 1950 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The six foot, left handed hitting Cubbage; attended the University of Virginia. He was drafted twice by the Washington Senators; first in 1968 but he did not sign. In 1971 he did sign as the club's  second round draft choice in the June secondary draft. He was primarily a third baseman who would also play some second base in his pro career. After batting .345 while playing for Geneva in the New York Penn. League he was promoted to A ball Burlington in 1972. In 1973 he hit .312 at AA Pittsfield getting promoted to AAA Spokane. MLB Career: Mike Cubbage made his debut against his cousins World Champion A’s in April 1974. He was sent back down to the minors returning in September for a call up.  At that time, the Texas Rangers had Lenny Randle hitting well at second base. Toby Harrah was settled in at short & Roy Howell was set for taking over the third base position. There was no room on the infield

centerfieldmaz attended this concert in 2008 & wrote a concert review on this site that was very new at the time. With some updates to photo's & to how some of the events took place, here is pretty much the same review as it was posted July 19th 2008. Friday July 18th, 2008: This was an epic three-and-a-half-hour marathon concert of Biblical proportions. The last Concert ever to be held at Shea Stadium was definitely one for the ages. One of the best of the so many concerts I have attended. Tonight, Ghosts from the past came to Shea Stadium to Shea Goodbye! Let's begin with the crowd & the mood. Being a Shea Stadium veteran, I know my way around to Shea without hitting much traffic and parked on Northern Blvd. right off 126th St. It's amazing how no one knows these are legal spaces.(The lots were charging $30).  The crowd was of all ages from teens to people in their sixties. It was a sell out of about 65,00 0, dancing, singing, and shaking the rafters at She

Tuesday July 10th, 1984: The 55th MLB All Star Game was held at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. It was the first time since 1961 & the Hey Day of Willie Mays that the Mid-Summer Classic was held here.  The game was broadcast on ABC with Al Michaels, Howard Cosell & Earl Weaver doing the broadcasting.  Huey Lewis & the News sang the National Anthem, Former New York Giants Hall of Famer, Carl Hubbell tossed out the ceremonial first pitch in front of 57,756 at "the Stick". The Mets sent four All Stars to the game, Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez, Jesse Orosco & Darryl Strawberry. Hernandez would play in five All Star Games (three as a Met). For Jesse Orosco it was his second straight All Star game & his last.  Gooden made four All Star appearances. He would start the 1986 & 1988 All Star Games for the National League. Darryl Strawberry got the start  in right field. The last time a Met had gotten a start in the All Star Game was in 1976, when Dave