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Showing posts from April, 2023

Remembering Mets History (1973): Jerry Koosman Wins April NL Pitcher of the Month

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Wednesday April 11th, 1973:   In his first start of the 1973 season,  Jerry Koosman took the mound in the first Mets Road  game of the year which was at St. Louis. They had taken the first two games at home.  Koosman went up against the Cardinals Reggie Cleveland in front of 12,290 fans in a Busch Stadium night game. The Mets helped out Koosman right away in the 1st inning. as Bud Harrelson, Felix Millan & John Milner all singled.  Reggie Cleveland then threw a wild pitch to Rusty Staub, scoring Harrelson from third for the first run. Staub then poked a base hit thru the infield, scoring Millan putting the Mets up 2-0. In the 3rd inning, first baseman John Milner hit his first HR of the season to make it 3-0 Mets. After getting through the first two innings, Koosman gave up a leadoff triple to Jose Cruz in the 3rd inning. Next Ray Busse hit a ground ball to Mets third baseman Jim Fregosi who booted it, allowing Cruz to score. Kooz held them down to just the run. In the top of the

Charlie O'Brien: Former Mets Catcher Who Caught 13 Cy Young Pitchers & Invented a New Catcher's Helmet (1990-1993)

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Charles Hugh O’ Brien was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 1, 1960. The six-foot two Charlie O attended Wichita State University, hitting 25 HRs with 116 RBIs while leading his team to the 1982 College World Series. That year he was drafted by the Oakland A’s in the fifth round as a catcher. Initially he hit .291 with 14 HRs at AA Albany in the Eastern League in 1983 but dropped off significantly the next two seasons.  MLB Career: In 1985 the solid defensive catcher, got a September call up batting .273 in 16 games. In 1986 he got traded to the Milwaukee Brewers along with two minor leaguers for pitcher Moose Hass.  He played three seasons in Milwaukee  primarily as B.J. Surhoff’s backup catcher. He  never hit like he did in college but was a fine defensive backstop.  In 1989 he threw out 43% of base  runners attempting to steal &  tossed out at least 36% of base stealers in those years in Milwaukee. 1n 1989 he hit  .234 with 6 HRs & 35 RBIs playing in 62 games. Met

Remembering Mets History (1988): Mets Come Back To Win As Pete Rose Bumps Umpire

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Saturday April 30th, 1988: Davey Johnson's New York Mets (15-6) were off to a good start, on their way to their 1988 NL Eastern title. On this wild night they came to Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, always am interesting place for the Mets, to face Pete Rose's Reds (11-11).   33,346 fans would certainly make their presence known tonight, in what would be an ugly situation before it was all over.  The Mets sent Bobby Ojeda to the mound, against the Reds Tom Browning. It turned out to be an infamous game that tarnished an umpire's career & added more drama to a Player/Manager's legacy. Things started out quietly, the Mets got a run in the 2nd, on Gary Carter's sac fly & the Red answered in the bottom of the inning, with an RBI single from Barry Larkin.  In the top of the 4th, Tim Teufel singled & moved along the bases, scoring on Kevin McReynold's two out single. The Reds tied it up, but in the top of the 6th, Darryl Strawberry blasted a

Remembering Mets History (2002) Al Leiter Becomes First Pitcher To Defeat All 30 MLB Teams

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Tuesday April 30th, 2002: On this evening in the desert the Mets went up against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Bank One Ball Park. A good crowd of 36,743 came to see Bob Brenly's World Champions host Bobby Valentines, New York Mets.  Rick Helling went up against Al Leiter, who was going for a feat never done before in MLB.  Going into this game, Leiter had victories against 29 MLB teams that have been in existence since 1901. With tonight's win, he becomes the first pitcher to beat all 30 MLB teams. The Mets pounced on Helling in the 1st inning, Roberto Alomar & Mo Vaughn both singled, then Mike Piazza blasted a three run HR making it 3-0. In the 2nd, Roberto Alomar tripled with one out & scored on a Roger Cedeno fielder's choice. Mike Piazza then came to bat & blasted his second HR in as many innings. This gave him seven HRs & 16 RBIs on the young season. In the 3rd, a two run Joe McEwing HR finally knocked out Helling who allowed eight earned runs on eight h

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' sixth HR on the young sea

Remembering Mets History (2022): Five Mets Pitchers Combine for Second No Hitter In Team History

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Friday April 29th, 2022: On this brisk April night, the Mets wore black uniforms & made franchise history. Buck Showalter's first place Mets (14-6) took on the Philadelphia Phillies (10-10). Tylor Megill took the mound against Aaron Nola in front of 32,416 at Citi Field. These lucky fans were about to witness Mets history. Megill who had been outstanding early in 2022, had an easy 1-2-3 first inning getting the first two Phillies to ground out & then getting Bryce Harper to fly oy deep to center. In the top of the 2nd, M egill struck out Nick Castellanos to start out the inning. He got a fly ball out from JT Realmuto then issued his first walk. Next Alec Bohm hit a line drive that Brandon Nimmo snagged for the third out. In the 3rd, Didi Gregorius started the inning with a line drive out at second base. Megill then struck out Odubel Herrera. Brandon Nimmo made an outstanding diving catch of a Jean Segura line drive which ended up saving the no hitter. In the top of the 4

"The Glider" Ed Charles: 1969 World Champion Mets Third Baseman (1967-1969)

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Edwin Douglas Charles was born on April 29, 1933 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Charles grew up in a poor house in a family of nine children in the segregated south. He suffered the serious conditions of racism but overcame his hardships. He was once a school drop out who later educated himself to earning a college degree later in life. His childhood hero was Jackie Robinson who's Brooklyn Dodgers played Spring Training in Charles childhood town. He would follow Robinson out of the ballpark onto the team bus with the other black children in awe of their hero. Quotes: Ed Charles on seeing the Brooklyn Dodgers train pulling away- “So now we’re walking down the platform, looking in the windows trying to see where Jackie was seated. Finally we come to the right coach, and there is Jackie, playing cards. We waved and, you know, he waved back to us. Then the train starts pulling out, and we start slowly walking with it, just waving to Jackie. The train picked up speed. We kept