Memories
Whether people in Los Angeles know it, these two franchises will forever be linked. As many of you younger Mets fans (I can still call myself that, right?), many of our fathers grew up as a Brooklyn Dodger fan. They became Mets fans because the Dodgers left town.
The Mets came into existence as a result of the Dodgers moving from Brooklyn. The Mets owners won’t quite let the Dodgers go. The teams have also shared stars.
From Gil Hodges to Mike Piazza, former Dodger stars have found their way to the Mets. These Dodger stars have been important parts of Mets postseason runs:
You know what’s insane about that play? You know other than it happened. Former Dodger Shawn Green relayed the ball to former Dodger Jose Valentin, who threw the ball to former Dodger Paul Lo Duca. The first runner tagged out was former Met Jeff Kent. It seems that J.D. Drew wasn’t supposed to be part of this play at all.
In any event, rather than go on about how much I hate the Dodgers (don’t worry, that’s coming tomorrow) I thought it would be fun to name the best players who have played for the Mets and Dodgers.
Some ground rules. I want someone who played well with the Mets and Dodgers. Using a Giants example, I’m not picking Willie Mays for CF even though he could be the greatest CF in MLB history. I want someone like Piazza, who was great (or at least good) with both teams. So, here’s my list:
P – Bobby Ojeda
C – Mike Piazza
1B – Eddie Murray
2B – Jeff Kent
3B – Todd Zeile
SS – Jose Vizcaino
LF – Danny Heep
CF – Brett Butler
RF – Darryl Strawberry
Honestly, I thought this team would be better. The main problem was the derth of left fielders. Another problem was someone like Zeile. He played 3B for the Dodgers, but he mostly played 1B for the Mets. As you can tell, I leaned towards the player who was better as a Mets. If there are any suggestions, I’ll be happy to update this list.
As we know, the Dodgers and Mets have a complicated history. The next chapter begins tomorrow night. Lets Go Mets!
Im by no means a Yankees fan. However, I am a Carlos Beltran fan. He was a great Met, and he’s one of the best postseason players of all time.
I’ve rooted for him even as he’s played for the enemies in St. Louis and the Bronx. Who knows how many more shots Beltran is going to get to win a World Series. While I don’t want to see the Yankees win another World Series, I would like to see Beltran win just one. I thought I would see it while he roamed CF in Flushing. It never happened.
It may never happen for him. The Yankees are not trending up right now. Next year, he will be 39 and in the last year of his deal. I hate to think the strike out to Luke Gregerson is how Beltran ends his postseason career. He deserves better.
Now matter what happens from this point forward, I’ll continue to root for him, even if he wears the enemy’s uniform.
With my Back to the Future post yesterday, I began to think about how some seemingly innocuous decisions had an impact on the Mets future. In 2004, the Mets organization put way too much stock in Spring Training performance and gave Tyler Yates a rotation spot and sent Aaron Heilman to AAA.
Yates was terrible as a starter. He allowed batters to hit .317/.405/.475 against him in seven starts. He had a 6.34 ERA and a 1.929 WHIP. I’m still stunned he went 1-4. He should’ve gone 0-7. Actually, he should never have started a game. The spot should’ve gone to Heilman.
Instead, Heilman spent most of the year in AAA. He made a few starts in 2004 and 2005, but he was mostly used as a reliever. Going into the 2006 season, Heilman found himself in another battle for the fifth starter spot. He lost the battle, but he became a quality set-up man.
Heilman started as the seventh inning guy. He took over the eighth inning after Duaner Sanchez‘s cab ride. For the year, he went 4-5 with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.161 WHIP. He allowed batters to hit .231/.298/.332. However, we remember none of this. We remember him as the guy who allowed the Yadier Molina homerun. We remember him as the guy who lost Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS. Ironically, we don’t have the same memories of Rick Aguilera.
The reason is the Mets rallied in 1986 whereas the 2006 Mets didn’t. Maybe the Mets aren’t in that position if Heilman made the starting rotation in 2004 and stayed there. It’s possible Heilman would’ve gone the way of Masato Yoshii or Mark Clark. They were good pitchers that were with the Mets for a short time. However, unless you’re a diehard, you have no lasting memories of them.
We do have a lasting memory of Aaron Heilman. His path there was all started because the Mets thought Tyler Yates was a better starting pitcher in 2004.
In 1996, Todd Hundley had set the major league single season record for homeruns by a catcher. On a somewhat lesser note, he also set the Mets single season record for homeruns. Unfortunately, the Mets still finished 20 games under .500 and in fourth place.
Nevertheless, my brother, father, and I went to the last game of the season. It seemed like we were the only ones. We took advantage of it. We started the game in the mezzanine and slowly made our way down. By the end of the game, we were within 10 rows of the Mets dugout. Believe it or not, you used to be allowed to do this.
Anyway, the game ended with a Mets loss. A fitting end to another lost season. As was the norm, we stayed in our seats. You see my Dad would like to stay in the seats until we were kicked out. He found it easier to leave Shea with two kids when no one was around, and he liked the traffic dissipating while we relaxed.
While we were sitting there, something incredible happened. The Mets players came out of the dugout and started tossing their gear into the stands. Batting gloves, wrist bands, hats, etc. With a record setting year, anything from Hundley was a prized item. Initially, we struck out. Then, Todd Hundley took the cap off his head, and he threw it in the stands.
My brother was perfectly situated. He was on a seat. He caught it and brought it to his chest. He was then TACKLED by two men, who started to fight him for the hat. This 14 year old kid held onto the cap until the ushers arrived to break it up.
They came in, took the hat from my brother, and then brought it to a family seated right by the dugout. I don’t know the denomination, but I saw money exchange hands. I went off, and my brother and I were told to get out of a ballpark that was already closed.
We told my Dad, who missed everything because he went to the bathroom. I remember him looking for someone’s head. Unfortunately, there was literally no one left in the stadium. I still think of this from time to time, especially now that I’m a parent bringing a child to a game. It still bothers me because:
- How can an adult tackle a child for a cap?
- Where was the integrity of that usher and/or the family?
- The Mets still owe my brother a hat.
Today, no one will have this problem because the Mets will need their gear for the playoffs. If something does get thrown out there today, I’m not saying to let the kid have it if it’s within your reach. I’m just saying don’t tackle the kid to get it. I shouldn’t have to say it, but based upon past events, I know that I do.
In actuality, these tickets were a birthday gift from my wife and son. My wife said she might be getting me tickets, and I requested a Sunday game so I might be able to bring my son into the field for the Mr. Met Dash.
I’m happy she picked the last game of the season. Tomorrow, I get to go to Citi Field and salute the improbable 2015 NL East Champions. Even after an ugly loss, the mood should still be jubilant. This team should be saluted for an incredible season. I’m happy that I’ll be able to get this snapshot to remember this year by.
The problem is that unless the Mets win the World Series, their year will end on a down note. I remember 1999 for the Kenny Rogers‘ walk. I remember 2000 for Timo Perez not running, Roger Clemens‘ [alleged] roid rage, and a Mike Piazza ball that did not travel quite far enough. I remember 2006 for the Adam Wainwright curveball.
It’s a shame because those were terrific Mets seasons. What they did is no small feat, especially for a franchise that has gone to the playoffs eight times in 53 years. I want to remember 2015 for more than just how the season ends, even if the Mets win the World Series.
There was the 11 game winning streak. There was the return of Matt Harvey from Tommy John surgery. There was the deGrominance of Jacob deGrom including his amazing All Star Game appearance. There was the amazing rookies seasons of Noah Syndergaard and Michael Conforto. There was “A Cespedes for the Rest of Us.” There was the David Wright homerun on his return from spinal stenosis.
On a personal note, it’s the year I finally came to love Citi Field. I brought my son to a few games. He got to meet Mr. Met TWICE! He got to play baseball. He had Shake Shack. He learned the Mets lineup. He watched games with me. He saw the Mets celebrate a division title. I may have loved the 1999 and 2006 teams more, but this has been my favorite season.
The Mets had a lot to do with it by winning. However, to me, this year has been about my son and I bonding over baseball. It started with a Spring Training Game with him imitating Gary Cohen’s excited, “LUCAS DUDA!” call. He’s learning the game. He loves the Mets.
I want to go to the game to celebrate all of that. The icing on the cake would be if we can run the bases. I know he will love it much like he loved this season. This is the last game of the year we can go to and just enjoy the day. We’re going to. I hope you will too. It was a great season.
Lets Go Mets!
Earlier this year, the Mets organization embarrassed themselves by not having a patch to commemorate the late Nelson Doubleday. I hope the Mets don’t repeat the mistake with Yogi Berra.
Yes, Yogi was a Yankee. He was also a Met. He was the man who took over when Gil Hodges tragically passed. As a manager, he brought the Mets their second pennant. He was good enough for the Mets to ask him to come back for the ceremony after the Last Game at Shea:
Yogi was a big part of the Mets history. When the Mets are chasing an NL pennant and a World Series, it would be fitting to have a tribute to the greatest winner in MLB history. When times get tough, it would be great to have the reminder of the Met who said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
He deserves to be honored with a patch.
Baseball mourns today with the passing of Yogi Berra. He was a Hall of Fame catcher, a three time MVP (most ever for a catcher), and he won 10 World Series as a player. The 10 rings he won was the most ever by a player making him the biggest winner the sport has ever seen. He was a winner for so much more than that.
He was a husband and a father. He was a member of our military, who was part of the D-Day invasion. He was married to his wife for 65 years before he became a widower. When his wife was ill, he moved with her from their home to an assisted living facility. Two of his sons played professional sports.
He left behind the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center. It’s a place dedicated to teaching baseball and social values to children. It strived to promote the values of “social justice, respect, sportsmanship, and educational excellence.” Fittingly, Yogi said the hours were, “[w]e’re open ’til we close.”
It’s fitting because that’s what we remember about Yogi – the Yogisms. That’s how I became introduced to Yogi Berra. It was at my Nana’s house with my Dad and uncle (who’s a huge Yankee fan) talking trivia and spouting off the Yogisms laughing away. They made you smile, and much of them carried wisdom (some not):
- “It’s déjà vu all over again!”
- “You better cut the pizza in four slices because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.” (that’ll be my lunch order today)
- “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
- “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”
- “Slump? I ain’t in no slump. I’m just not hitting.”
- “I usually take a two hour nap from 1 to 4.”
- “It gets late early out there.”
- “Never answer an anonymous letter.”
- “Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical.”
- “Pair off in threes.”
- “You can observe a lot by watching.”
- “When you see a fork in the road, take it.”
- “I really didn’t say everything I said.”
Yogi said these while a Yankee. He’s one of the greatest Yankees ever. Scratch that. He’s one of the greatest baseball players ever. He was also an important part of the Mets history.
After the sudden, unexpected death of Gil Hodges in 1972, Yogi took over as the Mets manager. In 1973, he was the manager when the Mets made an improbable run. They were in last place on July 26th. They were 12 games under .500 on August 16th. We all remember that Tug McGraw said, “Ya gotta believe!” It was their manager, Yogi, that said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
The 1973 Mets went on a tear winning the NL East with a 83-79 record. As Yogi would say, “We were overwhelming underdogs.” Those overwhelming underdogs beat the Big Red Machine in the NLCS, and they came within one game of beating an all-time Oakland A’s team to win the World Series.
Yogi has left behind a lasting memory for baseball fans. He was a great man on and off the field. He doesn’t belong to the Mets. He doesn’t belong to the Yankees. He now belongs to the angels. “May the souls of the faith departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”
One last thing with Yogi, it’s still not over. He’s gone, but he won’t be forgotten. His life, playing career, and quotes will keep him alive in our minds and hearts. If you have an opportunity, please go to his funeral or memorial service because as Yogi would say, “Always go to other people’s funerals. Otherwise they won’t go to yours.”
My first dream growing up was to be a baseball player. Unfortunately, as I make Sid Bream look like a speed demon, that was never going to be an option for me.
My next dream became to become a Mets’ season ticket holder. Trust me, I had much bigger aspirations . . . this was just one of them. Unfortunately, my job wouldn’t permit that type of commitment. Better yet, no one would join me for that many games. However, my father and brother were on board for the Sunday plan. Today was my day to go to a Mets game. It was for 13 glorious games. Even better yet, we would have access to postseason games.
Something interesting happened over those 13 games. You got to know the other people in your section. A vast majority of them were nice people and terrific Mets fans. We got to know them all. We saw them in subsequent seasons. You always acknowledged each other in and out of the ballpark. We sometimes talked strategy. It was nice seeing them return the next year as well.
Shea Stadium closed after the 2008 season. The Mets moved to Citi Field and ended the Sunday Plan. I never got to see those people again. Sure, some of us exchanged numbers and talked about going to a Mets game together in Citi Field, but it never happened.
I’m still in constant contact with the two Mets fans I know and care about the most. It doesn’t mean I don’t miss the sense of community amongst Mets fans. Right now, I don’t think another ticket plan is in the cards right now. It’s a shame because I’d love to go to a home World Series game.
I’d like to be there celebrating with not only my son, father, and brother, I’d like to be there with you Mets fans.
I love trivia, especially baseball trivia. I was the first solo winner on “Beer Money.” Hat tip to the “light hitting Mike Bordick.” My father and I had a failed attempt to be on Beat the Booth. As a result, each and every week, I submit a #StumpGary question.
The question on the TV didn’t exactly match my question:
Mets first round draft picks to represent them in the All Star Game? (Matlack, Mazzilli, Strawberry, Gooden, Jones, Harvey) #StumpGary
— Mets Daddy (@MetsDaddy2013) September 8, 2015
The one on TV expanded my question to include David Wright, who technically is a Supplemental Pick for the loss of Mike Hampton. It’s a technicality, but it’s SNY’s network and broadcast. I have no problem with them changing the question.
Here’s how it went:
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I also laughed when Gary was dismissive of the question because draft picks wasn’t his thing. The question was glossed over more than the usual question. I was still happy to see my Twitter handle on the screen.
So, I’m proud to say I stumped Gary. Maybe next year, I can be on Beat the Booth.
Somewhere in my house, I have a “Mojo Rising” t-shirt featuring the greatest infield ever. It became the anthem of the 1999 season. After Kenny Rogers forgot how to throw a strike, there was no more “Mojo Risin.” I also stopped wearing the t-shirt.
The following season seemingly every team adapted “Who Let the Dogs Out?” as their rally cry. I don’t know that I ever got that song out of my head. I knew something bad was going to happen when the Baha Men performed before Game Four of the 2000 World Series. My fears were realized when I watched David Cone struck out Mike Piazza. Luckily, after the 2000 World Series went away, so did the Baha Men.
Speaking of the 2000 World Series, N’Sync performed the National Anthem at Game Three of the World Series. It was the wrong boy band. Clearly, this wrong choice set forth a catastrophic chain of events which led to the Yankees winning the World Series. That’s right. I’m blaming N’Sync.
It seems Juan Uribe wants to right that wrong. He started blasting and dancing to the Backstreet Boy in the locker room. This is one of the reasons why Uribe is such a great addition. He keeps things loose in the clubhouse, and he keeps things fun. We all laughed when we saw it. It was fun. I can see this Backstreet Boys being a thing.
Why not? The dumbest things become a thing during a time when your team is winning. Earlier this year, it was the Citi Field raccoon:
Then, it was Yoenis Cespedes and the “Rally Parakeet“:
Finally, it was David Wright and his cookies:
These things take on a life of its own. Personally, I like the Backstreet Boys meme. First, it doesn’t seem as forced as the other ones. Second, it’s fun, and the Mets can have fun with it by blasting it on the loudspeakers. I think we should petition Uribe and the other Mets to use the Backstreet Boys for their walk-up music. It’s as organic as Robin Ventura playing “L.A. Woman” in the clubhouse leading to “Mojo Risin” t-shirts. Finally, the Backstreet Boys are there at the promised land:
Let’s let the Backstreet Boys lead us to heaven. They already seem to know the way. Lets Go Mets!