DRAFT -- DRAFT -- DRAFT
New York Mets All-Time Team
Oh the Mets! They must have the hardest little-brother or second-fiddle situation of any professional sports team. They have to compete for dollars, as well as hearts, in the Big Apple with the greatest sports franchise of all time. They have managed only two world series rings (1969 and 1986) since their pitiful 40-120 birth in 1962, though recently their ability to be competitive each year has been relatively consistent given the economics of the modern game. Mets fans have a lot they can complain about over the years, including recent attempts to acquire star free agents, who then fizzle or suddenly grow old before their eyes. But they have a lot to be proud of too. This all-time dream team isn't loaded, but it has several bright spots.
1st Base:
You could definitely debate who should be the starter at 1B for this roster, but the two roster choices are clearly Ed Kranepool (.261, 1 AS) and Keith Hernandez (.297, .387 OBP, 3 AS, 6 GG). Kranepool first played for the Mets as a 17 year old in 1962, and then went on to play far more games at 1B than anyone else in team history. A lifetime Met, he played a little OF too, but he was a light-hitter and only 140+ games in a season three times in 18 seasons. He had between 10-14 HRs eight times and had only a .261 BA and .316 OBP for his career.
If you prefer peak performance over longevity, you’ll go with Hernandez who was a three-time all-star and had six gold gloves at 1B for the Mets. He hit .290 or better for five years, and was a key part of the 1986 World Series champions.
I'll go with Hernandez as the starter. Many other Mets 1B also played OF, so they’ll be discussed a bit later. John Olerud (.315, .425 OBP) had three fine seasons for the Mets, including a fine 1998 campaign when his .354 average was second in the NL, but that isn't enough to receive serious consideration for this all-time team.
2nd Base:
Second base has not been an historically strong position for
the Mets, in part because they have rarely had the same player as a starter for more than three consecutive seasons. Edgardo Alfonzo (.292, 1 AS), who split time between 2B (524) and 3B (515), will be starter. He had several solid seasons, was an all-star in 2000, and managed a .300 BA, 40+ doubles,
and 25+ HRs in both 1999 and 2000.
The backup is not an easy choice. The hustling Wally
Backman (.283) always managed to get dirt on his uniform, so it is hard
not to give him the nod. He has played in more games at 2B than any other Met
(only 680), but he frequently platooned with others and so only played in 120
or more games three times. He had 30+ steals twice and was a key part of the
1986 team (.320).
Playing in only six fewer games at 2B we have Felix Millan
(.278), who was a good fielder but a light hitter. The same goes for Doug
Flynn (.234, 1 GG) who won a gold glove in 1980. Jeff Kent (.279) had three
full seasons in NY, and managed 20+ HR
twice in what turned out to be good development seasons on his way to stardom
in San Francisco. Ken Boswell (.254) was generally a part-timer, and no other second sacker played with the team very long.
3rd Base:
Howard Johnson(.251, 192 HR, 2 AS) was a two-time
all-star for the Mets,
cracking 30+ HRs three times and 20+ twice more. He led the league in 1991 with
38 HR and 117 RBI. What I often forget is that HoJo could run too: in those
three 30+ HR seasons he also swiped 30+ bases, and stole another 20+ in three
other seasons. He had a low batting average, struck out far too
often (five times with 100+), and was not a great fielder, but he clearly deserves this starting spot.
As with 2B, the backup is a tougher call. Alfonzo is already on this team as the starting 2B. After Johnson, the player who logged the most time at 3B for the Mets was Wayne Garrett (.237). Like his teammate
Boswell, he was generally speaking a part-timer with a low average (.237), but
he did manage double-digit HR three times. Dave Magadan (.292, .391 OBP) hit well, though not with power. He played more at 1B (417) than 3B (238). Hubie
Brooks (.267) had two stints with the Mets, but his best seasons in Montreal
and he didn’t provide good defense at the hot corner. But Brooks looked
positively graceful compared to Bobby Bonilla (.270, 2 AS). He also had two trials with the Mets, and during the first they tried to hide this good hitter at 3B and then the OF, but it just never seemed like he fit in well.
The good news is that if he can stay with the team long enough, budding superstar David Wright will one day displace Garrett on this roster, and likely take over the starting spot from Johnson as well.
Shortstop:
Bud Harrelson (.234, 1 GG, 2 AS) played in more games as
a Met than anyone except Kranepool. He was a
good fielder, capturing the gold glove award in in 1971. And he was all right
on the basepaths swiping 23 and 28 during his all-star campaigns of 1970 and
71. An extremely light hitter, he batted .234 with only 6 HR in 4390 at-bats
for the Mets.
Another good-glove, light-hitting Met will be the backup at short. Rey
Ordonez (.245, 3 GG) displayed brilliant defensive
work to earn the gold glove
from 1997-99. With 8 HR in 2937 at-bats, I consider it an open
question which of these two had less power (keeping in mind that Ordonez was
swinging during an era of inflated HR numbers). Kevin Elster (.224) had a
little more pop in his bat, but not much (34 HR in 1584 AB).
No one else deserved much attention here, so the good glovemen are the obvious choices. But as is the case at 3B, the future is bright at SS for the Mets, with the young Jose Reyes coming of age in 2005 (60 SB, 17 T) after two partial seasons. Several more seasons like that, and he'll crack this roster.
Catcher:
Coming over in 1998 from the Dodgers
(after a few days in Florida), Mike Piazza (.296, 220 HR, .373 OBP, 7 AS) continued to make
the case that he is the best hitting catcher of all-time. Although more of his best years were with the Dodgers, he still managed seasons of 40, 38, 36, and 33 HRs for the Mets, before age started to catch up to him. Although often criticized for his poor ability to throw out runners, his batting numbers more than compensate for this deficiency. After the 2005 season he was picked up by the Padres, so it seems his NY resume is now complete -- and it is plenty good enough to be the starter on this all-time roster.
Also a good hitter (though in decline with the Mets), and certainly a better defender, Gary Carter (.249, 4 AS) will be the backup. Although he played only five seasons in NY, he was an all-star in four of them, hit 20+ HR
three times for the Mets, and was a key part of the 1986 world champion club.
The All-Time Mets actually have a lot of depth at this
position. Jerry Grote (.256, 2 AS) was good behind the plate and was an all-star
twice. But he was a very light hitter, so though he had a long career, he never
played more than 126 games in a season. You could make a case for him over
Carter based on longevity, but I won’t. Todd Hundley (.240, 2 AS) became a good
power hitter over time, hitting 41 HR in 1996 and 30 the following year, both
all-star seasons. But he wasn’t much of a hitter for his first five years, and
so can’t be chosen for this roster. John Stearns (.259, 4 AS) was an
all-star four times, and demonstrated some speed for
a catcher with four seasons of double-digit
SB. And Ron Hodges (.240) played his entire career for the Mets, mostly
as a backup catcher and pinch hitter for the Mets.
Outfield:
This outfield isn’t particularly strong.
We start with Darryl Strawberry (.263, 252 HR, 191 SB, 7 AS), who had many fine power
seasons before making poor life decisions that ruined his career. He had 25+ HR
in each of his eight seasons in NY, with 20+ SB in five of those years. His big
swing led to a lot of strikeouts, but he was popular enough to be an All-Star
seven times.
Cleon Jones
(.281, 1 AS) had a career year in 1969 to help lead the Amazin’ Mets to their
first championship. He batted .340 (third in the league) with 12 HR, and 16 SB.
For the rest of his career he was a minor star, often managing double-digit HR
or SB, but rarely appearing amongst the league leaders in any category.
Another dependable Met outfielder, Mookie Wilson
(.276, 281 SB) provided little power
but was fleet on the basepaths with three consecutive seasons of 40+ steals and
another four with 20+. He had a consistent bat as well, hitting between .271
and .299 every year from 1981 to 1988. But he almost never walked, so his OBP
was a pathetic .318. These three choices make for a balanced outfield:
Strawberry in RF, Jones in LF, and Wilson in CF.
During his first stint in NY (1976-81), Lee
Mazzilli (.264, 152 SB, 1 AS) had three solid seasons of double digit HR and SB
totals of 20, 34, and 41. Primarily a centerfielder, he also played a little
first base. He returned as a part-timer from 1986 to 1989.
Rusty Staub (.276) was the regular rightfielder
during his first stay with the Mets, with his best year being 1975 when he had 19 HR, 105
RBI, .282 BA. When he returned in the 80s he was used heavily as a pinch hitter
and was quite successful in that role.
After coming over from San Diego, Kevin
McReynolds (.272) hit 20+ HR in his first four seasons in NY. He
also showed a little speed, with double-digit steals in three seasons. He came
in third in the MVP vote in 1988, behind outfield mate Strawberry who came in
second.
There were several other candidates I considered. John
Milner (.245) was a low-average hitter with some power, hitting double-digit
HR five times, while splitting time between 1B and LF. Ron Swoboda (.242)
was also a low-average hitter with minimal power, albeit during an era of
pitching dominance. And speaking of low average, few are as infamous in this regard as Dave Kingman (.219, 154 HR, 1 AS). Yet another Met outfielder
who left NY only to return late in his career. Kingman’s ridiculously sweeping
swing led to monster home runs (including seasons of 36, 37, and 37)
but equally extreme strikeout totals and a microscopic batting average (.219 as
a Met).
Another good power bat, George Foster (.252) came to NY in the
twilight of his career. He managed 20+ HR three more times, but never again
displayed the excellence he had in Cincinnati. Tommie Agee (.262, 1 GG) had his
best year in 1970, batting .286 with 24 HR, 107 R, and 31 SB. A good defensive
centerfielder, he won the Gold Glove that year as well. And lastly, Lenny Dykstra
(.278) was the energetic centerfielder for the 1986 championship team, and
for a few years after that, before moving on to Philadelphia. He stole 25+ bases
in his three full seasons and was a good fielder.
Starting Pitching:
The ace of this Mets staff can not be
reasonably disputed. Tom Seaver (198-124, 2.57, 2541 SO in 3045.1 IP, 9 AS), more than any other
player, lifted the Mets from perennial cellar-dweller to regular contender.
After winning the Rookie of the Year in 1967 with a 16-13, 2.76 campaign, he
followed with a 16-12, 2.20 season. But he really made his mark in 1969 leading the team to
the World Series with a 25-7 mark and a 2.21 ERA. Continuing his mastery of the
league, he then led in ERA in 1970 (2.82), 1971 (1.76), and 1973 (2.08). He had
200+ strikouts from 1968-1976. He took home three Cy Young awards (1969, 73,
and 75) and was an all-star nine times (plus 1977, though he was on the Reds by
the break). Tom truly was terrific.
Equally as impressive early on in his
career, perhaps even more so, was Dwight Gooden (157-85, 3.10, 1875 SO in 2169.2 IP, 4 AS). Bursting
onto the scene at age 19 in 1984 he went 17-9 with a 2.60 ERA and 276 SO to
capture Rookie of the Year honors. For
a moment he was considered the top Cy Young candidate that year as well, but
Rick Sutcliffe came over to the Cubs from the AL, and proceeded to go 16-1 to grab that award. But
Dwight took top pitching honors in 1985 posting a triple crown: 24-4 with a
1.53 ERA and 268 SO. Though not as dominant, he pitched well for the
1986 champions (17-6, 2.84). He had three other 15+ win seasons, but due in
part to a shoulder injury his career went steadily downhill. His last
star season was 1990 –- at age 25.
The rest of this staff is good, but lacks
the shockingly awesome peak performances of Seaver and Gooden. Jerry Koosman
(140-137, 3.09, 1799 SO, 2 AS) was a great second man behind Seaver, posting impressive records of
19-12, 17-9, and 21-10 and regularly striking out 175+ per year. An all-star in
his first two full seasons of 68 and 69, he never was chosen again. It was nice
to see him revive his career briefly in the AL after suffering through the Mets
abysmal 1977 and 1978 campaigns (which saw Koosman, as their ace, go 8-20 and
3-15, even while maintaining a respectable ERA).
Sid Fernandez (98-78, 3.14, 1449 SO in 1584.2 IP, 2 AS)
and Ron Darling (99-70, 3.50, 1 AS, 1 GG) were key parts of the strong staff the Mets
maintained in the 1980s. Although not exactly built like your typical athlete,
Fernandez held opposing batters to a .197 batting average and was usually
amongst the leaders in strikeouts. Darling won 15+ three times, and fielded his
position well earning the Gold Glove in 1989.
I have room for two more on this staff,
but choosing is not easy. I think that David Cone (81-51, 3.13,
1172 SO in 1209.1 IP, 2 AS) deserves a spot based in
part on his 81-51 record (.625). He had a superb 1988 season going 20-3
with a 2.22 ERA and 213 SO. He won 14 games each season from 89-91 and led the
league in strikouts in 90 (233) and 91 (241).
The last spot is a close call between Al Leiter (95-67, 3.42, 1 AS) and Jon Matlack (82-81, 3.03, 3 AS). Leiter pitched seven full seasons for the Mets, and Matlack pitched six, but both had five seasons of 13-17 wins. Matlack was the 1972 Rookie of the Year going 15-10 with a 2.32 ERA. Leiter's best Met season was his first when he posted a 17-6 record with a 2.47 ERA in 1998. Matlack's ERA numbers look superior, but when you factor the era into the ERA (so to speak), it evens out. So I am going with Leiter, though this is certainly a tough choice.
A few others were considered, but definitely come up
short. Bobby Jones (74-56, 4.13, 1 AS) only had more than 12
wins once and never pitched more than 200 innings in a
season. Craig Swan (59-71, 3.72) was a mediocre starter during the Mets lean
years during the late 70s and early 80s. He led the league in ERA in 1978
(2.43) but only had a 9-6 record that year. Bob Ojeda (51-40, 3.12) was arguably
the best starter on the 86 champs, going 18-5 with a 2.57 ERA (second in NL),
but he didn’t do much else for the Mets. Frank Viola (38-32, 3.31, 2 AS) had a good
career but was a Met for too short a period to rate highly -- though in 1990 he
went 20-12 with a 2.67 ERA. And of course Nolan Ryan (29-38, 3.58) was a wild
phenom in his early days as a Met, and only became a dominant (if still wild)
starter when he was traded to California in the ill-fated Fregosi deal.
Relief Pitching:
There
is no shortage of talent to choose from for the bullpen. The ace is clearly
southpaw John Franco (48-56, 3.10, 276 SV, 1 AS). He was the closer for the Mets for nine consecutive years from 1990-98, and then split the duties in 1999. He had
seven seasons of 25+ saves, and then remained a reliable setup man even after his 40th birthday.
Jesse Orosco (47-47, 2.73, 107 SV, 2 AS) also deserves a spot, having posted five good seasons as a combined
setup man and co-closer. He was key to the 86 champions, posting 21 SV and a 2.33 ERA. But his
all-star campaigns of 1983 (13-7, 17 SV, 1.47) and 1984 (10-6, 31 SV, 2.59)
also deserve mention.
Tug McGraw (47-55, 3.17 ERA, 86 SV, 1 AS) excelled before the
closer role became the specialty it is today, but his numbers don’t lie. He had
five strong seasons, two with 25+ SV, and three with great ERAs: 2.24, 1.70,
and 1.70.
This means that Armando Benitez (18-14, 2.70, 160 SV, 1 AS) is
left off the staff, and you could certainly make a case for him.
He is second in career saves as a Met. Before
taking over the closer role in 2000 and posting consecutive 40+ SV seasons, he
was co-closer with Franco and was just dominating: 128 SO in 78 IP with a 1.85
ERA. But he pitched far few innings (347) than Orosco (595.2) or McGraw (792.2),
so I choose to honor their overall contributions before the closer role became as
specialized as it is today.
Still other candidates exist, including Roger McDowell
(33-29, 3.13, 84 SV) who was co-closer with Orosco for several years, but didn’t stay with
the team as long. Randy Myers (17-13, 2.74, 56 SV) had two strong seasons as a
Met before trading places with Franco in
Cincinnati. Neil Allen (25-40, 3.54, 69 SV) was the team’s closer from 1980-82. Skip
Lockwood (24-36, 2.80, 65 SV) preceeded Allen and also had three fine years as closer
(1976-78). And Ron Taylor (21-21, 3.04, 49 SV) was a solid
reliever and co-closer in the late 60s.
Extra Spot:
There are many candidates for this "best of the
rest" selection, but I’ll go with Jerry Grote. Afterall, it is always useful to
have a third catcher on a roster, and if this were a real team he'd be a great
defensive replacement for Piazza in the late innings. Apologies go to Dave
Kingman, Tommie Agee, Lenny Dykstra, John Matlack, and most of all to Armando
Benitez.
Team Captain:
Unless you have something against a pitcher
being a team captain, the obvious choice here is Seaver. He was consistently
great, arguably the best pitcher of his time, and a class act.
Starting Lineup
Cleon Jones OF
Edgardo Alfonzo 2B
Keith Hernandez 1B
Mike Piazza C
Darryl Strawberry OF
Howard Johnson 3B
Mookie Wilson OF
Bud Harrelson SS
Although he has the most speed, due to his low
OBP I really don’t want to leadoff with Mookie Wilson. With Kingman not on the
roster, Staub and McReynolds would make fine designated hitters during any
dream-team interleague play.
Prospects for Current Players:
What are the prospects of current Mets players making this
all-time team? As stated above, I hope David Wright and Jose Reyes stick
with the Mets, because they'd be excellent additions to this all-time
team at 3B and SS, respectively. Outfielder Cliff Floyd joined the Mets in his 30s,
so although he had a fine 2005 season, it is doubtful he'll ever make this
club. And fellow outfielder Carlos Beltran certainly has the tools,
but his first season
in the Big Apple in 2005 was a disappointment. We'll see...
Other Lists
Mets Retired Numbers
Tom Seaver (41), Gil Hodges (14, player/manager), Casey Stengel (37, manager)
2003 Rob Neyer's Big
Book of Baseball Lineups
There are not many differences between Neyer's choices and my own. The
starting infield is identical, though we disagree on several reserves. He chose
Olerud’s few strong seasons over Ed Kranepool’s longer, less spectacular
career. He went with Ron Hunt at 2B, though admitting that what made Hunt
(in)famous -- being hit by pitch a lot -- didn’t start until he left NY. He
preferred Elster at SS, but I just couldn’t get past how over-hyped he was. I
admit that Ordonez is over-hyped in the highlight films, but I think he was
more consistent than Elster. And he went with Robin Ventura over the other
candidates at 3B, based largely on one good season (1999) – which I sadly must admit is
arguably better than the other guys’ careers as Mets.
His OF is
assigned by position: McReynolds and Jones in LF, Mazzilli and Agee in CF, and
Strawberry and Staub in RF. I think this slights Mookie, who I’d have voted for
over Agee and even Mazzilli too. His pitching staff is also almost identical to
my own, but with Rick Reed appearing and Ron Darling noticeably
absent. He liked Franco and Orosco as the top relievers and I do too.
1985 The
All-Time All-Star Baseball Book by Bart Acocella,
Nick Acocella, and Donald Dewey
As it was written in 1985, many of my choices couldn’t have been
considered. They already preferred Hernandez at 1B, noting how mediocre a
player Kranepool was for so long. They chose Millan at 2B and Garrett at 3B,
which are both reasonable. Harrelson at SS is obvious. An OF of Jones, Agee,
and Staub is solid, as is Grote as catcher and of course Seaver as pitcher.
They note that Hunt and Boswell would be the team’s infield reserves, and give
accolades to Kingman and Mazzilli for "providing the kind of media hype that
kept the turnstiles busy when there was very little to see on the field."
Agreed.
1995 Baseball
Ratings by Charles S. Faber
The Faber system as applied in 1995 creates a
reasonable all-time team. The infield is Kranepool, Millan, Harrelson, and
Johnson. I totally agree with the outfield of Strawberry, Wilson, and Jones. His system preferred Grote to Carter, but naturally chose Seaver as the pitcher. Orosco is the reliever which makes sense through 1995.
1981 This Date in NY Mets History by Dennis D'Agostino
This is the earliest Mets All-Time Team that my research uncovered. Since the Mets only began as a franchise in 1962, this roster only pulls names from a 20-year period. The author gives a paragraph or two per position, describing the player's highlights and his reasons for the selection.
At first base is Kranepool of course, and D'Agostino notes that "Steady Eddie" was an important pinch-hitter for the Mets when he wasn't the starter. He gives honorable mention to John Milner and Donn Clendenon. At second base he chooses Ron Hunt, who was a 2B for four years in the early 1960s, though in 1965 he was injured for most of the year. But he did make the all-star team twice as a Met, and D'Agostino notes that Hunt was a hustler, losing the 1963 rookie of the year award to another famous hustler, Pete Rose. Ken Boswell, Felix Millan, and Doug Flynn are also mentioned.
The obvious choice at short is Bud Harrleson, though I think the author exaggerates Harrelson's good defense a bit when he says that Bud "had no peer as a defensive shortstop during his Met tenure"... Mark Belanger, Luis Aparicio, and Dave Concepcion all come to mind as defensive "peers" during the years 1965-1977. Roy McMillan, Ed Bressoud, and Frank Taveras are also mentioned.
In this pre-HoJo era, the third basemen selection had to be Wayne Garrett. The author notes that through 1981, this position has been a "revolving door at times", and then mentions the various others who have occupied it. For Catcher, the clear choice in 1981 was Jerry Grote. D'Agostino notes that Grote was "one of the baseball's top defensive catchers for over a decade" and added the interesting tidbit that he was "especially adept at gunning down Lou Brock" -- and important ability for that era.
For the outfield he chooses Cleon Jones in LF, Tommie Agee in CF, and Rusty Staub in RF. For 1981, I agree with Jones and Staub. I would given a slight edge to Mazzilli in CF over Agee, even discounting Mazzilli's brief second stint with the club (which was post-81). Judging by the numbers, it seems Agee had more power, Mazilli had more speed, though they each brought some of each to the game. Mazzilli was an all-star for the Mets once, while Agee won a Gold Glove for them. The author seems to have a bias against choosing players who were current Mets in 1981, as he states "no man's value to a team can be fully judged until he has left the team". This is why, in part, he only has Staub amongst his all-time selections. He of course mentions Mazzilli as another outfielder who has enjoyed success as a Met, alongside Dave Kingman, Frank Thomas, Willie Mays, Art Shamsky, Ron Swoboda, and Steve Henderson.
Seaver and Koosman were even more obvious choices in 1981 as the top starting pitchers than they are today. And with Seaver being a righty and Koosman a lefty, that worked out fine. D'Agostino mentions several other pitchers, such as Matlack, Swan, and others. And for relievers, he chose Skip Lockwood as RHP and Tug McGraw as LHP, both of which were good selections.
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