Happy Birthday to the “Say Hey Kid”, Willie Mays, the greatest ballplayer in the history of MLB. By the time Willie returned to New York in 1972, he was a shell of former self. Make that, a shadow of a shell of his former self. He was tired, old, broken down, and downright awful, which … Read more
Bob Hendley was a fairly nondescript pitcher from the 1960s who started 13 games for the Mets in 1967, his final year in MLB. Hendley did have one brush with fame, though. On September 9th, 1965, as a member of the Chicago Cubs, Hendley pitched a brilliant one-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Unfortunately, opposing … Read more
For a brief period, Tom Sturdivant was a dominant starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, going 32-14 from 1956-57 and helping the Bronx Bombers to the World Series in each year. The big righthander relied on outstanding control and a unique assortment of pitches — he’d start off batters with a knuckleball, and continue … Read more
Before there was Brian Giles the on-base machine, there was Brian Giles the light-hitting second baseman for the New York Mets. Giles epitomized everything that was wrong with the organization in 1983, but you have to look at the season before to understand the whole story. In 1982, a 22-year-old firecracker named Wally Backman fought … Read more
Who? Born Gordon Blaine Beatty in 1964, Blaine Beatty pitched all of 7 games and 16 IP for the Mets — 2 appearances in 1989 and another 5 in 1991. He was a lefthanded pitcher in the wrong place at the wrong time — this was when the Mets had starting pitchers such as Doc … Read more
Duke Carmel is neither a candy bar nor a nemesis of cartoon superhero “Underdog”. In actuality, New York native Leon James “Duke” Carmel was a Major League OF/1B who trudged through 47 games for the Mets in 1963. He also is one of the rare ballplayers to have played for both the Mets and the … Read more
