centerfield maz

Monday April 1st, 1996:   The 1995 Mets had finished in second place in the NL East but only posted a 69-75 record. In 1996 Dallas Green would start out the season as Mets manager, but after going 59-72 he would get let go. Bobby Valentine would take over & began his successful seven year run as Mets manager. This season the Mets brought in speedy Lance Johnson one of the game's best defensive centerfielders & solid hitter who would set five Mets records that year. They also brought in outfielder Bernard Gilkey from St. Louis & pitcher Mark Clark from Cleveland who would lead the staff with 14 wins. Generation K: The Mets were relying on three young pitchers to take them to the top, Jason Isringhausen, Paul Wilson & Bill Pulsipher who were highly promoted as "Generation K". All three pitchers suffered various injuries & the whole thing never came to be. On Opening Day at Shea, 42,060 Mets fans came out excited to start a new season. The Mets hosted T...

Thursday March 30th, 2023: In 2022 Buck Schowalter's Mets had won 101 games but a late season collapse had them fall out of first place. Although they made the playoffs as a wild card, they were quickly eliminated in the NLWC series ending the year in disappointment. The Mets began the season in South Florida, taking on Skip Schumaker's Florida Marlins.  The surprising Marlin s would win 84 games (84-78) making a wild card playoff berth, losing to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Marlins offense was led by NL batting leader Luis Arraez (.354) & Jorge Soler who hit 36 HRs. The young pitching staff featured Sandy Alcantara who tossed three complete games, Jesus Luzardo, Braxton Garrett, A.J. Puk & Tanner Scott. After winning three of the first four games in Florida, 2023 quickly become a nightmare for the Mets, as they would finish 75-87 in fourth place. First Edwin Diaz would injure himself celebrating in the World Baseball Classic & go down for the season.  Top vete...

 The 1998 season started with Bobby Valentine in his second full season with the Mets. Mike Piazza was staring his first full season in New York & changes were slowly happening.  The 1998 Mets finished second with the same record they had the previous year 88-74. The next two seasons would also result in second place finishes but wild card berths. The 1999 Mets got to the NLCS & the 2000 club won the NL Pennant. The Mets made significant changes to the pitching staff bringing in Al Leiter from the World Champion Marlins. Leiter would be a huge part of the Mets regular & post season success in the coming seasons. They also brought in reliever Dennis Cook from the Marlins as well as adding Masato Yoshi & Hideo Nomo.  The rest of the roster was pretty much the same position players from the previous year but there would be big changes at the end of the season, Todd Hundley, Bernard Gilkey, Carlos Baerga, Butch Huskey, Armando Reynoso & Hideo Nomo would al...

Thursday March 29th, 2018:   The Mets opened up the 2018 season with mixed emotions, as Mets legend Rusty Staub passed away earlier that morning. Staub had spent nine years with the Mets in two different stints. He was a key offensive member of the 1973 NL pennant team, who led all hitters in batting in the 1973 World Series. In his later years he became one of the game's best pinch hitters setting many records in that role before retiring in 1985.  The Mets held a moment of silence for Rusty Staub & Ed Charles "the Glider" two Mets alumni that had both recently passed. Ed Charles was the senior member, third baseman of the 1969 World Champion Amazing Mets. In 2017 the Mets finished fourth (70-92) in Terry Collins last year as manager. In the off season the Mets brought in Jay Bruce once again for right field & New Jersey native Todd Frazier for third base. They also brought in a new manager, Mickey Callaway the former Cleveland Indians pitching coach became the...

As Spring Training comes to an end & an exciting season gets ready to begin, centerfieldmaz shares his Spring Training visits of the Mets in West Palm Beach & Jupiter Florida. Jupiter, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida Jose Siri