Izzy a Ray

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Former Generation K hopeful Jason Isringhausen has signed a minor-league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, after a decade as one of baseball's most consistent closers with the Athletics and the Cardinals. He suffered through his worst season in a 2008 campaign that was marred by stints on the disabled list.

For those of you too young to remember Generation K, that was the nickname given to three young pitchers in the Mets' farm system who were supposed to lead them out of the doldrums back to pennant contention: Izzy, Paul Wilson, and Bill Pulsipher. Mainly because of injuries, that never happened. Here are the career totals with the Mets for each of the Generation K pitchers for W-L and ERA:

Izzy: ..18-21 4.67
Wilson: .5-12 5.38
Pulse: ..5-.9 4.63

Jason Isringhausen was the most successful of the three, both in terms of overall career and in impact on the Mets. When Jason first arrived in the majors, he immediately rang up a 9-2 record and a 2.81 ERA as a starter. But he struggled for the next three years before being traded to Oakland and finding his niche in the bullpen.

In other ex-Mets news, Kris Benson has signed a minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers. Kris is 34 years old now, and hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2006. But if any team is likely to offer him a few more major-league innings, it's the traditionally pitching-starved Rangers.

The All-Time NY Mets: 1970s Shortstop

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When we took a look at the third basemen of the sixties a little over a month ago, we noted that the player who spent the most time at the position in the expansion year of 1962 (Felix Mantilla) played only one year with the club, and although there were several successors who posted similar seasons, no one was really any better than the first-year starter.

When we studied the shortstops of the sixties just last week, we observed a similar phenomenon. The player who spent the most time at the position in the expansion year of 1962 (Elio Chacon) played only one year with the club, and although there were several successors who posted similar seasons, no one was really any better than the first-year starter.

When we looked at the third basemen of the seventies, the man who stood out above all the competition was the incumbent from 1969 (Wayne Garrett), whose longevity and relative competence enabled him to stare down a troop of really mediocre challengers.

Now we're examining the shortstops of the seventies. Will the pattern continue to hold? That is, will the incumbent (Bud Harrelson), who was far and away the most durable Met shortstop of the decade, pile up enough raw counting stats to turn away his eventual successors? Here's a clue: Yes.

First let's turn to the invaluable Baseball-Reference.com to determine our field of competitors. Buddy Harrelson, of course, was the starter from 1970-74 and again in 1976-77. Mike Phillips saw most of the action in 1975, Tim Foli in 1978, and Frank Taveras in 1979.

Let's commence by disposing of Mike Phillips, which is sort of a sad thing, because he really wasn't a bad little player, at least as far as the hitting prowess of Mets shortstops is concerned. But Mike was a utility man through and through; 1975 was the only season in his 11-year career that saw him garner as many as 300 at-bats, and the sole reason for that abundance of plate appearances in '75 was that Harrelson missed virtually the whole year with injuries. Phillips did have kind of a knack for stroking triples--he led the club in three-baggers in both '75 and '76, and was tied for sixth on the club in triples for the entire decade, despite a total of only 731 at-bats with the Mets.

Likewise let's dismiss Tim Foli from the proceedings. Tim was sort of like the David Eckstein of the '70s--scrappy and pesky, well-respected, but not a particularly good player according to the more advanced metrics. Foli's season as the Mets' starter was virtually indistinguishable from his career line, at least as far as his percentage stats are concerned: his 1978 numbers were a .283 OBP, .320 slugging, and a .257 batting average, which bundled into an OPS+ of 72.

In early 1979, Foli was traded along with a minor-leaguer for fellow shortstop Frank Taveras, who was regarded as a more accomplished offensive shortstop than the Mets had fielded in years, mostly by virtue of his lofty stolen base totals with the Pirates--he had led the league in 1977 with 70. Frank continued to steal bases, swiping 42 with the Mets in '79, though he was also caught 19 times, barely reaching the break-even point of value for his efforts. His hitting stats were also empty--no walks, no power. In fact, in over 4,000 career at-bats, Frank managed only two home runs.

I mentioned last week that, until Jose Reyes arrived, the Mets never had a shortstop that could hit a lick. As a demonstration of that assertion, I printed a table of OPS+ and Batting Runs numbers for each year's starter. Just for fun, let's do it again for the seventies.

1970: Harrelson: 79 –13.0
1971: Harrelson: 79 –14.1
1972: Harrelson: 68 –15.2
1973: Harrelson: 86 .–5.3
1974: Harrelson: 80 .–4.5
1975: Phillips: .77 –12.6
1976: Harrelson: 91 .–0.9
1977: Harrelson: 34 –24.8
1978: Foli: .....72 –16.1
1979: Taveras: ..78 –20.9

Once again, no starting shortstop for the Mets posted a Batting Runs figure even as high as zero! At the risk of beating a dead horse, here are the "triple crown" stats for Mets shortstops of the '70s: best season total in batting average, .263; best season total in RBI, 42; best season total in home runs … one. For the decade of the seventies, Mets starting shortstops totaled eight home runs. For the decade.

Back to the chart. We see Bud Harrelson posting the best season OPS+ of any starter for the decade, with his 91 in 1976; he also had the second-best and the third-best seasons, and the fourth-best and fifth-best. Harrelson also had the best season in Batting Runs with –0.9 in 1976 (sigh), and also the second-best and third-best totals.

According to more traditional measures, Buddy was also the man. Twice in the seventies he was named to the NL All-Star team, and three different years saw him receiving votes for the National League MVP award. One remarkable season saw him draw 95 walks (which would stand as the club record for nearly fifteen years), and his stolen-base rate dramatically improved in the '70s (91 steals against only 27 times caught).

If it seems like faint praise to name Bud Harrelson the shortstop of the decade, that's not intended. He was a warrior for the Mets for a long, long time. He stole a bunch of bases, took a lot of walks, and by all accounts was a splendid defensive shortstop. If he wasn't Jose Reyes … well, neither was anyone else for the first forty years of Met history. Bud Harrelson, worthy hero--you are the Mets' All-Time Shortstop of the Seventies.

The All-Time NY Mets: 1960s Shortstop

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Ah, back to the beginning again. We'll begin our inspection of the New York Mets' all-time shortstops with a look at the players Baseball-Reference.com identified as the Mets' starters for each year of the '60s, take a brief perusal of each man's days with New York, and conclude by naming the Shortstop of the '60s. I think you'll be surprised.

The starters were Elio Chacon (1962), Al Moran (1963), Roy McMillan (1964-65), Eddie Bressoud (1966), and Bud Harrelson (1967-69). Let me interject here that, until the arrival of Jose Reyes, the Mets have never had a shortstop that could hit a lick. For this week's exercise, we will lean heavily on the linear weights statistic now known as Batting Runs, which measures a player's offensive contributions and can return either a positive or a negative number. You have to be a pretty poor hitter to post a negative number; in no season of the '60s did a Mets starting shortstop tally a figure higher than -6.1!

Remember that, for the purposes of this exercise, I have not factored in defensive contributions, which I am too dimwitted and/or lazy to calculate. What we're naming here is effectively the least offensive offensive shortstop of the '60s. (A subtle play on words; I hope you understand.)

And we begin.

The Mets' first-ever Opening Day shortstop was eventual Third Baseman of the Decade Felix Mantilla, but the man who became the primary starter at the position was little Elio Chacon. He inaugurated the Mets' history at short with a robust total of two home runs and a .236 batting average, which was a harbinger of seasons to come. But he also drew bases on balls at a somewhat astonishing rate: 76 walks in only 118 games. Elio also led the '62 club with a dozen stolen bases. After that season, he never appeared in the big leagues again.

For 1963, the man who spent the most time at short was Al Moran, who had come over from the Red Sox in the Felix Mantilla trade. In 119 games, he slugged a total of one home run, complementing that display of power with his .193 batting average. He led the team in an offensive category, too--seven times caught stealing--but in his defense, he was successful three times. After 22 more at-bats in 1964, he also never appeared in the big leagues again.

For the next two years, the middle of the infield was anchored by former All-Star Roy McMillan, a man who had received Most Valuable Player votes in five different seasons and would later go on to be a coach and manager with the Mets. He smacked one home run in each season that he played with New York, with a cumulative batting average of .226. One thing you could say about the man--he knew how to lay down a bunt; in both 1964 and 1965, he led the Mets in sacrifices. After his '66 season, he never appeared in the big leagues again.

For 1966, the Mets decided to try their luck with a hitting shortstop, importing Eddie Bressoud from the Red Sox. Eddie had recently had two seasons where he stroked at least 40 doubles, and a third where he had reached 20 home runs--Herculean totals for a shortstop of the '60s. Bressoud was near the end of the line, though. He did hit ten home runs for the '66 Mets; in contrast, the starters for the rest of the decade totaled six home runs in seven years! He also led the squad with five triples and 47 walks. But his on-base percentage, despite that team-leading walk total, was only .304, a number that would make notoriously impatient Jose Reyes blush with shame. After 67 ineffectual at-bats with the Cardinals in '67, he never appeared in the big leagues again. Still, those ten home runs must make him a leading candidate for the decade honors.

In 1967, the Mets finally turned the shortstop position over to spindly Bud Harrelson, who had been waiting in the wings for several years. Buddy, like Roy McMillan, later went on to serve the Mets as a coach and a manager. He was the starting shortstop for three years in the '60s--more than anyone else--plus he was a key player on the 1969 World Champions. Surely he must be the shortstop of the decade. But wait--in those three seasons, Buddy hit only one home run, and batted a cumulative .242. Not fair, you say--Harrelson's game was about speed. Well, from 1967-69, he did total 17 stolen bases ... and was caught 21 times. And I've already mentioned that this exercise does not include defense; otherwise Buddy may well have been the Mets' shortstop of the '60s.

The following table shows each year's starting shortstop followed by their OPS+ and their Batting Runs figure. Remember, an OPS+ of 100 indicates an average offensive player.

1962: Chacon: ...81 .-6.1
1963: Moran: ....47 -22.3
1964: McMillan: .42 -29.1
1965: McMillan: .64 -24.6
1966: Bressoud: .87 .-6.5
1967: Harrelson: 81 -12.4
1968: Harrelson: 59 -20.7
1969: Harrelson: 82 .-8.6

The calculations used by the NY Mets Hall of Records combine a variety of factors: traditional counting stats, longevity, and value relative to the rest of the team, balanced by the linear weights calculation of Batting Runs. Unfortunately, when a hugely negative component (like Batting Runs for the Mets' shortstops of the '60s) is factored in, longevity can actually prove to be a detriment!

So ... Al Moran--no longer part of the discussion. Roy McMillan and Bud Harrelson--though worthy defenders and multi-year contributors, ruled out by means of their anemic stickery. Ed Bressoud--almost, but not quite. Narrowly nosing him out for the honor in question, I present to you the Mets' All-Time Shortstop of the 1960s: Mr. Elio Chacon.

I'm not saying that Elio was the answer to the Mets' prayers here ... but replacing him in 1963 with Al Moran was not exactly what the doctor had ordered.

Next week, the shortstops of the 1970s, where perhaps Bud Harrelson will make a better showing.

The All-Time NY Mets Third Baseman

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So now, after five weeks of taking glances at every player that Baseball-Reference.com identified as having been the primary starting third baseman for a season of the Mets' history, we are tasked with naming the Mets' all-time greatest third sacker. (Frankly, the reason I started with third base instead of some other position is that the answer is so obvious; nothing that could conceivably happen in 2009 can affect the outcome.)

First off, let's recap the five decade winners. The numbers following their names represent total games played with the Mets (not just at third base), home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, batting average, and OPS+, in that order. For OPS+, I used a weighted average based on at-bats with the Mets. I don't know if that's absolutely precise, but for purposes of this discussion, it suffices.

1960s: Felix Mantilla: ..141- 11-.330-.399-.275- 95
1970s: Wayne Garrett: ...883- 55-.348-.343-.237- 95
1980s: Howard Johnson: .1154-192-.341-.459-.251-124
1990s: Edgardo Alfonzo: 1086-120-.367-.445-.292-112
2000s: David Wright: ....703-130-.389-.533-.309-139

No question. The All-Time Third Baseman for the first five decades of the history of the New York Mets is (insert drumroll) ... David Wright.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that--even though third base was once legendarily known as the Mets' weakest position--in the last three decades it has been manned by some very, very good players.

But David Wright is the star that outshines them all. And, barring injury, he stands to be the third baseman of the next decade too ... and is on a pace that may well net him the honor of being the best position player the Mets have ever produced--any position, any decade, by any measure.

Godspeed, Jeff Kent

Surly and uncooperative. Possibly prone to prevarication. Less than a perfect teammate. These are all charges that were leveled against Jeff Kent during his career, and some of them were not without evidentiary merit. Still, I loved him. He was my favorite Met player from 1992-96, and I followed his subsequent career with somewhat more interest than other ex-Mets who had been similarly traded away.

Jeff came to New York midway through his rookie season, which had begun in the American League with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was (along with outfielder Ryan Thompson) the haul we got for star pitcher David Cone when it became apparent that a trade must be consummated. And, as Mets trades go, this was actually one of the better ones--much better than when we traded Kent away in 1996, along with shortstop Jose Vizcaino, for Carlos Baerga in decline and the last gasp of Alvaro Espinoza. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It has been widely assumed that Jeff Kent only "became" Jeff Kent (the potential Hall-of-Famer) after he had been traded away from the Mets--this is only partially true. While the best was certainly yet to come, Jeff was not exactly a packet of olive loaf while he was in New York.

According to the measures used at the NY Mets Hall of Records, Jeff was the third-best hitter on the team in his first full season (behind Bobby Bonilla and Eddie Murray) while fielding a much more demanding position. The next year he was even more important, ranking only behind Bonilla, and leading the club in hits, doubles, triples, RBI, and batting average. In 1995 he was once again the third-highest ranked batsman, trailing only Bonilla and Rico Brogna.

In fact, if it had not been for the players' strike that wiped out the end of the 1994 season and lasted into the beginning of '95, it is very likely that Kent would have had three consecutive seasons with more than 20 home runs as a second baseman--something that no other Met second sacker has ever accomplished.

Some of the Met fans of that era booed him anyway. (Should we be surprised?) They saw him as a sulking, angry young man who was only concerned with himself. What I saw was someone who hated to fail, who hated to lose. Granted, my vantage point was not the locker room or even the stands at Shea--it was only through my TV screen that I saw every moment I witnessed of Jeff Kent's Met career. (I remember one time when Jeff pushed away a TV camera that was trying to catch him close up returning to the dugout, and I was thrilled. What passion! What fire! Undoubtedly the camera man had another opinion.)

In any case, he was gone midway through 1996 in the trade mentioned above, then traded (again with Jose Vizcaino) to the Giants following the season. The rest, as they say, was history.

Five years from now, Jeff Kent will be on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, and while he won't be elected on the first ballot, it won't take him nearly as long as Jim Rice. Brilliant writers like Rob Neyer and Joe Posnanski have already eloquently stated his case for Cooperstown, so I won't cover that ground again.

But when I visit the Coop again someday in ten or twelve years, I'll be certain to search for Jeff's plaque, and even though he'll probably be wearing a cap with a bronze "SF" engraved upon it, I'll know that he was really one of ours. Jeff Kent was a Met.

The All-Time NY Mets: 2000s Third Baseman

Okay, it's David Wright--not that there should have been any doubt. Now that we've gotten that formality out of the way, let's take a brief look at the other third-base starters for this decade.

In 2000-01, Robin Ventura filled the spot, if not with the lustrous success that he had in 1999, at least with smiling competence. He appeared in over 140 games both years, clubbing more than twenty home runs each time out. His .230s batting averages were augmented by his ability to draw a walk; his on-base percentages each year were acceptable. But clearly Robin was nearing the end of the line, and following the 2001 season, he was traded to the Yankees, for whom he put up similar numbers.

2002 saw the return of Edgardo Alfonzo to the hot corner. Just as he had been moved from third to second to make room for Ventura, this time he was shifted from second back to third to make way for shiny new import Roberto Alomar. His final season for the Mets was reminiscent of his better years: 16 homers and a .308 average, a fine 127 OPS+. He was allowed to leave as a free agent at the close of the season; Mets management seemed to believe his best years were behind him. Turns out they were right.

For the next year and a half, third base belonged to young Ty Wigginton, who more resembled a fullback than an infielder. Wiggy was a fan favorite--no small feat considering he was replacing the popular Alfonzo--but he was really just a placeholder for the position, a steward warming the throne for the coming prince.

Midway through 2004, Wigginton was traded to the Pirates, partially in order to get Kris Benson, but primarily because the ascendancy of David Wright to his rightful place had become necessary.

In David Wright's four complete seasons in New York, he has always hit at least 25 home runs and 40 doubles, always driven in more than a hundred runs, always scored at least 95, always batted over .300. The lowest OPS+ he has posted in any of those years was 133; I don't want to speak prematurely, but that's Hall of Fame territory. In addition, he has been successful stealing bases at a better than 4-to-1 clip--better percentage-wise than Jose Reyes. He has won the last two NL Gold Gloves at third base, and while some may consider that a faint honor, there is little question that he has continuously improved as a defensive player. Smiling, positive, telegenic--he is the homegrown position player Mets fans pensively waited for over the course of more than forty dismal seasons. And here he is, and he's ours.

Some of the more vociferous fans expressed displeasure with his 2008 campaign, which, according to a few scant measures, was disappointing. And he hit .302, and tied the all-time Mets record for RBI in a season, and hit over thirty home runs. And that was a bad season?

Be careful with your expectations, Mets fans. Remember Jim Fregosi. Remember Roy Staiger. Remember Elliott Maddox. And celebrate David Wright.

Rickey in the Hall

In the winter of 1998, my soon-to-be wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I replied with all of the conviction of my blue-and-orange-beating heart, "Rickey Henderson." Sure enough, Rickey signed with the Mets that December, and he was even better than I had hoped he would be; he was a leading contributor to the Mets' successful '99 campaign with 89 runs scored in just 121 games, a dozen homers, 37 steals, 82 walks, and a team-high .315 batting average--the only time in the last eight years of Rickey's career that he would bat over .250.

1999 was in many ways the last hurrah for Rickey, even though he continued to play in the big leagues until 2003, and even beyond that in the independent leagues. But Mr. Henderson had had plenty of hurrahs before that!

He is, of course, MLB's all-time leading base stealer by an almost impossible-to-fathom margin. He is also the all-time leader in runs scored and unintentional walks. He was MVP of the American League in 1990, a ten-time All-Star. He won Silver Slugger awards as well as a Gold Glove. He led his league in steals a dozen times and had a career OBP of over .400. He was almost universally regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter to ever play the game.

And now he is a Hall of Famer. Congratulations, Rickey, on your well-deserved election to the hallowed halls of Cooperstown, but you already had a better place than that in my heart … you were a Met.

A footnote on asking for players to be added to the Mets for Christmas: There have been three that I recall; Rickey was the first, and that worked out just fine. A couple of years ago, I decided to try again, and I asked for Barry Zito. That worked out well, too, when he signed with the Giants instead and flamed out to the tune of more than a hundred million dollars. Then, just this past winter, I really kind of wanted Derek Lowe, and once again came up empty. I can only hope that I will be as pleased this time, when it turns out that Oliver Perez or Freddy Garcia was really the better choice after all!

Anyway, congratulations, Rickey Henderson!

The All-Time NY Mets: 1990s Third Baseman

(originally posted 1/23/09 on Preaching to the Choir)

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.

The All-Time NY Mets: 1980s Third Baseman

(originally posted 1/16/09 on Preaching to the Choir)

Recapping our two previous exercises, the decade of the 1960s saw Felix Mantilla win a hotly-contested race of moderately successful candidates to be named the All-Time Mets Third Baseman of the '60s, albeit by a whisker. In the '70s it was a slightly different story, as steady Wayne Garrett overcame a field of really terrible challengers by virtue of his relative competence and longevity.

In the 1980s, however, three quite accomplished players emerged to contend for the honor of being named the third baseman of the decade, after stuttering at the beginning of this particular ten-year span with another of what had been (to this point) typical Mets third-base seasons.The Mets' starting third basemen of the '80s were (according to Baseball-Reference.com) Elliott Maddox (1980), Hubie Brooks (1981-84), Ray Knight (1986), and Howard Johnson (1985, 87-89).

Elliott Maddox had been mostly a fourth outfielder for the Mets for a couple of seasons before being asked to hold down the hot corner in 1980. Maddox was the very definition of an average big-league hitter, posting a career OPS+ of exactly 100. In 1980--Elliott's final season--he logged over 450 plate appearances, posting nearly-invisible counting stats of 4 home runs, 34 runs batted in, and a .246 average. He was also caught stealing nine times in ten attempts, which is all the more remarkable when you consider that just two years earlier, he had been caught eleven times in thirteen attempts; who gave him the green light to run ten times in 1980? In any case, he is not your Third Baseman of the Decade.

Enter Hubie Brooks. Though not blessed with any more power than previous Met third sackers (his first three years as a full-time player saw home run totals of 4, 2, and 5), he could at least hit a little bit. Hubie batted .307 in 1981--the highest batting average of a Met third baseman to that date--and twice during his tenure posted OPS+s of over 110. He was, perhaps, the All-Time Mets Third Baseman up until 1985.

In 1985, though, a young all-or-nothing slugger arrived from Detroit. He briefly gave up his starting role in 1986, but we'll hear more about Howard Johnson in a moment.

Ray Knight's first full year with the Mets was also 1985, and it proved to be an unqualified disaster, as he batted a powerless .218 in about a half-season's worth of work. But he won the starter's job in the championship season of 1986 and batted a nice .298 with 76 RBI, good for an OPS+ of 115, and was named Most Valuable Player of the World Series. He was considered a possibility for seasons beyond, but departed as a free agent for what turned out to be pastures less green. Funny that the perception exists that Knight was a better player than Elliott Maddox--Ray's career OPS+ was 98.

But the story of this decade was, of course, Howard Johnson. After moderate success in '85 and '86, HoJo took over in 1987 with a season that dwarfed that of any Met third baseman up to that time: 36 home runs, 99 batted in, and an average of .265. He also stole 32 bases, becoming the Mets' first 30/30 man (tied with Darryl Strawberry, who did it that same year). In 1989 HoJo was even better: 36 HR, 101 RBI, .287, and 41 steals. His 169 OPS+ that year was the highest for any Met regular for the first three decades of their history. He is the Mets' All-Time Third Baseman of the 1980s. Howard Johnson, take a bow.

Farewell, Dave Roberts

(originally posted 1/10/09 on Preaching to the Choir)

1981 Mets pitcher Dave Roberts has died. The full story can be found here.
Dave had some seasons where he knew considerable success--not with the Mets, unfortunately. He finished his career with the '81 club, losing three games without winning, and posting a 9.39 ERA.

Even though he was not a significant contributor to the Mets, Dave still was an honored member of the orange-and-blue fraternity, and his passing is solemnly noted here.

The All-Time NY Mets: 1970s Third Baseman

(originally posted 1/9/09 on Preaching to the Choir)

As we did with the 1960s, let's begin by looking at just who the starting third basemen were for the Mets in the decade of the 1970s, courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. Chronologically speaking, your Metsies third sackers were Joe Foy (1970), Bob Aspromonte (1971), Jim Fregosi (1972), Wayne Garrett (1973-75), Roy Staiger (1976--kind of surprised not to see Joe Torre there), Lenny Randle (1977-78), and Richie Hebner (1979).

Third base has traditionally been a power-hitter's position, in addition to being a demanding defensive position. It is worth noting that, for the 1970s Mets, in seven out of the decade's ten years, their starting third sacker totaled no more than six home runs, nor did they reach as many as 38 RBI; in six of those years, their batting average didn't rise above the .230s. Yikes.

In 1970, following the retirement of Ed Charles and the anemic stickery of Wayne Garrett in 1969, the Metsies imported their first of three similarly unproductive third-base experiments. In '70 it was Joe Foy, obtained from the Royals at the bargain cost of pitcher Bob Johnson (who would strike out more than 200 American League hitters that year) and minor-league outfielder Amos Otis (whose presence would adorn the AL All-Star team for the next decade). Foy hit 6 home runs and drove in 37, while batting .236 in his only season with the Mets. In his defense, he did steal 22 bases and achieve an excellent on-base percentage of .373. But he was gone the next year, drafted by the Senators, and his drug abuse led to an early departure both from the big leagues and this world.

In 1971, the experiment was creaky veteran Bob Aspromonte, who had once played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the expansion Houston Colt .45s. Aspro turned in a similar offensive line to Foy's--5 HR, 33 RBI, a .225 average--though without the baggage of the stolen bases (Bob had none) or the OBP (.285). Another one-and-done.

For 1972, the Mets imported former AL All-Star shortstop Jim Fregosi to man third base, getting him in trade for no less than four players: Leroy Stanton, Don Rose, and Francisco Estrada, all of whom played in the big leagues. Oh, and Nolan Ryan, who, as I understand it, went on to have some degree of success as a pitcher. For their pains, they acquired an almost-identical stat line to the departed Aspromonte's: 5 HR, 32 RBI, a .232 average, 0 steals, a .311 OBP.

For the next three years, the Mets turned third base back over to 1969 regular Wayne Garrett, who had served as a utility man ever since. More on him later.

When Garrett was finally traded away in 1976, most of the at-bats went to Roy Staiger, in the season that saw him get almost all of his big-league experience. Two homers and 26 RBI in over 300 at-bats, to go along with a .220 average. Next!

1977 saw the arrival of Len Randle, who turned in a surprisingly good year (at least, for the Mets of that vintage). Lenny batted .304 and stole 33 bases, also leading the '77 Mets in runs, hits, triples, total bases, on-base percentage, and even slugging percentage, despite having almost no power. He was named the Mets' Hitter of the Year for 1977 by the NY Mets Hall of Records, and received similar (and more prestigious) awards from the writers of the day. Lenny's '77 season was the best for a Met third baseman in the decade ... but then there was 1978. Back to normal: two home runs, 35 RBI, and a .233 average in over 500 plate appearances. Next!

For the final campaign of the decade, third base belonged to former Pirates and Phillies hitting star Richie Hebner, who did fairly well, leading the club in runs batted in with 79, to go along with his .268 average and ten home runs. But he was reputed to have a rather disagreeable temperament in the New York clubhouse, and was gone after only one year.

Which brings us back to Wayne Garrett. He was there for the Miracle of 1969, he was there through the abortive trials of Foy, Aspromonte, and Fregosi, and when the Mets finally gave him the third-base job again, he was up to the task in a way few of his predecessors had been. He smacked 16 homers in 1973, he almost broke the club record with 89 walks in '74, he had a fine .379 OBP in '75. He was fifth on the entire ballclub for decade totals in homers, RBI, and total bases, and his 442 walks in the 1970s was the most of any Met. He ranked in the top ten in almost every offensive category for the 1970s club, and he is your All-Time Met third baseman for the decade: Wayne Garrett.

The All-Time NY Mets: 1960s Third Baseman

(originally posted 1/2/09 on Preaching to the Choir)

Let the debate begin.

I will start off by saying that I could agree with any of four different choices as the Mets' third baseman of the '60s ... but the calculations are what they are, and (even though I may feel somewhat of a conflict with my own results) a suitable honoree is declared at the end of this article.

The nominees for this coronation are found at the indispensable Baseball-Reference.com, which lists the most frequent starters by position for every year of every team's history. The Mets' starting third basemen for their first calendar decade are Felix Mantilla (1962), Charlie Neal (1963), Charley Smith (1964-65), Ken Boyer (1966), Ed Charles (1967-68), and Wayne Garrett (1969).

Let's start by dispatching the pretenders to the throne. Charlie Neal had a terrible season in '63, accumulating only 3 home runs and 18 RBI as the starting third baseman, and Wayne Garrett (though he would prove useful in the '70s) was even worse in 1969, totaling one home run and 39 RBI to go along with a .218 average in 400 at-bats. Garrett's figures calculate out to an almost unthinkably-low OPS+ of 56 (with 100 representing the "average" player) and a Batting Runs figure of -23.1 (the linear weights calculation).

Let's turn then to the leader in the traditional counting stats. Charley Smith hit 20 home runs in 1964 to lead the club, and recorded 62 RBI the next season, again a team-leading figure (he also led the '65 club in slugging percentage). But his low batting average combined with his unwillingness to take a walk to produce a cumulative on-base percentage of only .274--a certain killer to his candidacy. Still, if you like homers and RBI, you could make a case for Charley as the third baseman of the first decade.

Following Charley Smith as the Mets' starter was the once-great Ken Boyer, and if Ken had had one of his Cardinals years with the Mets, he would surely be your winner. But Boyer totaled just 14 homers and 61 RBI in his only full season with New York--pretty good but not outstanding for the '60s. He is penalized (perhaps unfairly) by beginning the next season with the Mets but being soon traded away, thus depressing his per-season totals (one of the components of the ultimate calculation). If you want to make a case for Ken Boyer as your third baseman of the '60s, I hear you.

Ed Charles was a platoon starter at third for the next three seasons, and is the obvious sentimental choice for the honor, most likely for being the third baseman when the Miracle Mets clinched the World Championship--the photograph of him leaping for joy as nearby Jerry Koosman vaults into Jerry Grote's arms is well-known. And he did have one pretty good year with the bat, too. In 1968 he smacked 15 homers and batted .276 in only 369 at-bats, making him the leader among our contestants for single-season OPS+ and Batting Runs. But in both 1967 and 1969, he was really pretty bad, posting an OPS+ of less than 80 in each season. Still, as the iconic third baseman of the Mets' first few years, you could make an argument.

That leaves us with Felix Mantilla. Even though he appeared in the Mets' first-ever Opening Day lineup as the shortstop, batting second, he spent most of the season at third, and his totals showed him to be the third-most valuable hitter on the team that year (behind outfielders Frank Thomas and Richie Ashburn). Using the NY Mets Hall of Records calculations (which include value relative to the team he played on as well as to the rest of the league), Mantilla posted the best single season of any 1960s Met third baseman as well as the best cumulative score for the decade. His '62 counting stats of 11 HR, 59 RBI, and a .275 average were all pretty good for the 1960s, even if they appear hopelessly pedestrian by today's standards. He was gone by 1963, traded to the Red Sox for three players, and in his three years with Boston, he crushed the ball, posting OPS+s of 133, 144, and 119. The Mets surely could have used that kind of production in their early years, as their own starting third basemen for the same seasons tallied OPS+s of 79, 91, and 89. An unheralded player, one of the Mets' earliest in their long record of poor trades, and your third baseman of the 1960s: Felix Mantilla.

The NY Mets All-Time Team

(originally posted 12/30/08 on Preaching to the Choir)

The New York Mets have been in existence for parts of five different decades now, beginning with most of the 1960s and continuing on through this present decade that ends in 2009. (Or 2010, depending on your definition of what constitutes a decade. For the purposes of this discussion, though, decades run from 0-9.) In any case, that's a significant batch of history.

Over the course of the next twelve months, I will be announcing the all-time greatest Mets by position for the first five decades of their history, as chosen by my companion site The New York Mets Hall of Records. The calculations used to make these determinations are recorded elsewhere and are way too complex to bother with here; if you need to know, post a question in the "comments" section. Suffice it to say that they utilize traditional statistical measures and are balanced by more advanced calculations like linear weights, and they align pretty solidly with medium-level metrics like OPS+ and ERA+.

Beginning next week, I will start with 1960s third basemen, followed each week decade-by-decade until we reach the present, then following that up with a post for the Mets' all-time third sacker. Then we'll continue with 1960s shortstops, and move on from there.

Disclaimer: I didn't factor defense into the equations, and for the purposes of this exercise it didn't really seem to matter all that much. Unless you consider Rey Ordonez to be the Mets' all-time greatest shortstop, that is. Which he isn't.

I hope this creates a little bit of interest in the older players, as well as provoking some conversation regarding the selections. If you disagree with some of the choices, that's fine--just be ready to back your arguments with something of statistical substance, not merely your feelings.