Howard Johnson, the third baseman of the 1980s, started off the decade of the '90s with a couple more strong seasons; would he be a repeat champion? We'll look at his résumé and then examine the competition: Dave Magadan (1992), Bobby Bonilla (1994), Jeff Kent (1996), Edgardo Alfonzo (1995, 97-98), and Robin Ventura (1999)--potentially stiff competition all.
In 1990 Howard Johnson was the incumbent third baseman, having just completed a record-setting 1989 season (169 OPS+ as a Met). HoJo's 1990 season was less impressive: 23 HR, 90 RBI, 34 steals, but still better than any third baseman who had preceded him. In 1991, though, he reached heights never before scaled by a Met third sacker: National League-leading totals of 38 home runs and 117 runs batted in. He also stole 30 bases, making him a 30/30 man for the third time.The following year HoJo spent most of his time in center field, and had a poor season. (The Mets have had a very questionable track record in trying out-of-position players in key spots: Juan Samuel, anybody? Mike Piazza?) In any event, HoJo returned to the hot corner for 1993, but his years of dominance were behind him.
In 1992, while HoJo was manning center, the Mets tried another position shift, making three-year incumbent first baseman Dave Magadan the third sacker, clearing room for new first baseman Eddie Murray. Mags, who had been an on-base machine during his New York tenure, continued to post a fine OBP (.390), but his power numbers of 3 HR and 28 RBI were an unhappy reminder of the slapstick ways of the Met third basemen of the '60s and '70s.
By 1994, both HoJo and Magadan were off the roster, clearing the way for yet another out-of-position experiment. This time it was slugging outfielder Bobby Bonilla who got the nod. And while he continued to hit well (20 HR and 67 RBI in that strike-shortened year), the next year saw him depart twice--first back to the outfield, and then on to Baltimore in a midseason trade.
The primary third baseman for 1995 was rookie Edgardo Alfonzo (who, it seems, was switching positions almost constantly). At first, it looked like Fonzie was going to be another one of those light-hitting utility infielder types that the Mets so often rewarded with the starting third base job. But he quickly proved to be better than that: In 1997 he smacked ten homers and drove in 72 runs to go along with a fine .315 batting average; the next season saw him improve his power numbers to 17 home runs and 78 RBI. The following season, of course, saw him switching positions.
In 1996, which almost escaped notice, the man who spent most of the time at third base was former second baseman Jeff Kent--you saw that coming, right? But Kent, who went on to have a potential Hall-of-Fame career (at second base, of course), was ineffective at third, and was traded to the Indians midseason.
In 1999, the Mets finally went back to a third baseman who actually belonged there, signing former AL All-Star Robin Ventura as a free agent. And Robin had a superb first season with New York: 32 homers, 120 RBI, a .301 average, and placing sixth in the NL MVP voting.
But who was the third baseman of the decade? According to the calculations used by the NY Mets Hall of Records, the best single season belonged to 1999's Robin Ventura, narrowly edging Howard Johnson's stellar 1991 campaign. But HoJo, with three seasons at third, must have nosed out Ventura's single season for decade honors, right? Well, yes, he did. But that third season of poor production in 1993 actually cost him the decade crown.
With three seasons of his own, featuring consistently good production--even though none of his single seasons featured the eye-popping totals of Ventura's 1999 or HoJo's 1991--Edgardo Alfonzo prevailed as the best NY Mets third baseman for the decade of the 1990s. Interestingly enough, we will see him again in a couple of months when I reveal the best second baseman of the 2000s … unless something unforeseeable happens, like Luis Castillo suddenly swatting fifty home runs.
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