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Showing posts from April, 2023

Remembering Mets History (1962): Al Jackson Tosses First Mets Shutout & Frank Thomas Gets Hit By Pitches Twice In Same Inning

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Sunday April 29th, 1962: At this early point in the Mets inaugural season,  Casey Stengel's Mets had only won two games in their first 14 tries. It would be a long year trying to earn wins for the 1962 Mets.   Ob this day, Casey would earn his third Mets victory & see first shut out in team history.  The Mets hosted the Philadelphia Phillies on this Sunday afternoon double header at the Polo Grounds. A good crowd of just under 20,000 came to the old ballpark to see 26-year-old Al Jackson pitch for the Mets, against the Phils, Art Mahaffey. Jackson, would be one of the better pitchers for the Mets in the early 1960's, accomplishing many firsts in team history. In this game, he became the first Mets pitcher to toss a shutout.   Jackson pitched nine innings, allowing eight hits & one walk, while striking out four to earn his first win of the year. In the home 2nd, Mets slugger, Frank Thomas hit a HR off Art Mahaffey. It was already Thomas...

Remebering Mets History (2016) Mets Score Franchise Innings Record 12 Runs & Yoenis Cespedes 6 RBIs

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Friday April 29th , 2016 : Terry Collins second place Mets (13-7) were riding a six-game  win streak as they entered a weekend series with Bruce Bochy's San Francisco Giants (12-11).  A crowd of 39,764 settled in to Citi Field on chilly rainy evening. The Mets were hot & tonight would erupt in total fire with a historic third inning.  Steven Matz took the mound for New York & cruised along with six scoreless innings striking out four scattering seven hits getting his record to 3-1. Jerry Blevins allowed the only Giants run, Logan Verrett continued his good pitching with a scoreless 8th besting his ERA to 0.52. Hansel Robles mopped up. Tonight marked the first time in six games that Yoenis Cespedes returned to the Mets line up after bruising his right leg. The Mets got to Padre starter Jake Peavey with a historic third  inning, scoring 12 runs the most in franchise history. The Mets sent fifteen men to the plate collecting eight...

Amos Otis: Another One That Got Away- 1970's All Star Who Began His Career with the Mets (1967 - 1969)

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  Amos Joseph Otis   was born on April 26, 1947 in Mobile, Alabama.  Otis grew up in the same Mobile area as Met outfielders, Cleon Jones, Tommie Agee & the Hammer, Hank Aaron. The speedy five foot eleven Otis was originally signed by the Boston Red Sox as a short stop in the 5th round of the 1965 draft. He was sent to the Appalachian League that same year, where he batted .329.  I n 1966 he was the New York Penn. Leagues All Star first baseman, playing for A ball Oneonta. That same year the New York Mets Player of development, Whitey Herzog who was running a highly talented farm system, managed to draft Otis away from Boston.  In 1967 the with the Mets organization he batted .268 & stole 29 bases after being promoted to AAA Jacksonville. MLB Debut- Mets Career:  Otis got a September call up making his MLB debut on September 6th, pinch running for Tommy Davis at Shea Stadium in a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The next night he came in to play...

Remembering Mets History (2022): Mets Rally In the 9th For An Exciting Come Back After Max's Stellar Effort

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Monday April 25th, 2022: Buck Showalter's Mets were coming into St. Louis with the best record in baseball (12-5). The Mets had taken 2 of 3 in Arizona, the first series of the latest road trip.  Tonight, Max Scherzer took the mound for the Mets, against the Cardinals' Miles Mikolas, in front of a big crowd of 35,455 at Busch Stadium. Scherzer was brilliant once again, with another amazing start in the fourth game of his Mets career. In seven innings of work, Max shut out the Cards, as he struck out ten batters, allowing just two hits & one walk. It was the 106th time in his career he has had double figures in strike outs. In the 2nd inning, Max struck out the side, fanning Corey Dickerson, Dylan Carson & Edmundo Sosa. In the 3rd, after walking Tommy Edman & he gave up a single to Paul Goldschmidt. one of the two hits he allowed. But Scherzer then struck out Tyler O'Neil to end the inning.  He added two more strike outs in both the 5th & 6th innings as well....

Remembering Mets History (2006) Keith Hernandez Makes An On Air Remark in Mets 8-1 Win

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Saturday April 22, 2006:  As Willie Randolph's 12-5 Mets were taking on Bruce Bochy's 7-10 Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, Mets analyst Keith Hernandez, made a comment as the camera panned inside the Padres dugout & a woman was seen sitting on the bench.  After Mike Piazza (who was now a member of the Padres) blasted a 2nd inning HR, Hernandez commented to Gary Cohen "Only Player personnel in the dugout. I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout".  Gary Cohen responded, "There's only trouble brewing, if you say that".  To which Keith replied, he was only joking. "I love you gals out there".  He later said he stood by his beliefs that baseball is a man's game & it just gets in the way. He said if viewers took his comment about women in the kitchen seriously "they should get a sense of humor". Of course, some people got upset over the comment & he was reprimanded by SNY...

Remembering Mets History (2000): NL Champion Mets Have Season Best Win Streak At Nine Games

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The 2000 NL Champion Mets had their first big win streak early on in April. They were finishing up a series in Pittsburgh, getting ready to come home for a ten game homestand.  They had started out the season with a two-game series in Japan, returning to the US to continue play four days later. The tired jet jagged club started out the season at 5-7 up to this point.  Sunday April 16th, 2000: The Mets closed out this three-game set with Gene Lamont's Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium. Today all the bats started to wake up. The club scored 12 runs on 15 hits with Robin Ventura leading the way. In the 1st inning, Ventura started out his big day with a three run HR off non other than future Met, Kris Benson. The three run HR was Ventura's second long ball of the year.  The Pirates got right back, knocking Bobby Jones out of the game with a four-run 2nd, Pat Mahomes came in for relief.  Mahomes would take the Mets to the 5th inning, ...