centerfield maz

Saturday September 2nd, 1972: Yogi Berra's Mets (64-59) were in third place, fourteen games out & time was running out on them with thirty games left to play. Tonight, they were in Houston, playing a good Astros team (73-55). The Astros were in second place in the NL West, seven games behind the Cincinatti Reds.  The Astros started the year with Harry Walker as manager, he was fired in late August as the Astros fell to nine games back. Former Met Salty Parker managed for one game, then the legendary Leo Durocher took over. He got the Astros on a six-game win streak, entering tonight's game. But unfortunately, the Astros would lose four straight then go 11-14 the rest of the year, to finish third. Durocher would take Houston to an 82-80 season in 1973 before ending his 26-year managerial career (2008-1709). The Mets would finish third (83-73) in 1972. Today's starting pitchers would be rookie Brent Strom (0-2) making his fourth career start & Houston's Don Wilso...

Joel Randolph Youngblood III was born on August 28, 1951, in Houston, Texas. The versatile six-foot right hand hitting Youngblood, was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds right out of high school, in 1970. Joel spent five years in the Reds minors, not seeing much hope with all the talent on the Big Red Machine, big league club.  He would make the Reds team out of Spring Training 1976, in their second straight World Series Championship season.  Youngblood only hit .193 in 55 games as a utility man & did not play in the post season. He was soon to be traded twice in 1977, first to the St. Louis Cardinals for Bill Caudill during the spring. In St. Louis he hit only .185 in 25 games and was sent to the New York Mets for short stop Mike Phillips.  Mets Career: The trade happened on June 15th, 1977, the same night Tom Seaver was traded away from the Mets, known as "The Midnight Massacre". Also, that night, the Mets traded away slugger Dave ...

Hansel Manuel Robles was born August 13 th , 1990, in the Dominican Republic. The five eleven right-handed reliever was signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Mets in 2008 during the Omar Minaya era. Robles pitched two years for the Mets in the Dominican Summer League before arriving in the Appalachian League with the Kingsport Mets in 2011. In 2012 Robles was 6-1 with a league leading 1.11 ERA   on a strong Brooklyn Cyclones (45-11) staff where he began to get attention. The Cyclones finished second that year losing in the playoff semifinals to the Hudson Valley Renegades. Hansel spent 2013 with the Gulf Coast Mets & the St. Lucie Mets as well as pitching in the Arizona Fall League. In 2014 he began as a starter with AA Binghamton but struggled until he was turned into a reliever. There he began to thrive; he ended up going 7-6 striking out 106 batters in 110 innings although his ERA was over four. In 2015 he began the year at AAA Las Vegas...

Pedro Juan Feliciano was born August 25th, 1976, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. The five-foot nine left hander would get drafted right after high school as a 31st round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995. While pitching the minor leagues he was granted free agency & signed by the Cincinnati Reds in 2001. In 2002 he was traded to the New York Mets along with Brady Clark & Raul Gonzalez in exchange for Shawn Estes. Feliciano was a lifelong middle relief pitcher, although he did save 17 games at AA Jackson in 2001. He would pitch for the Mets AAA Norfolk Tides from 2002-2004, making brief appearances with the big-league club. Mets Career: Feliciano made his MLB debut on September 4th, 2002, pitching two scoreless innings of relief at Shea Stadium in an 11-3 Mets win over the Marlins. He would make six appearances & get roughed up by the Atlanta Braves & Montreal Expos, giving him a 7.50 ERA. In the off season he was placed on waivers picked up &...