Johnny Pappas: the Kid who came to the Mets

In February of 1962, Johnny Pappas, a 21-year old kid from Astoria, Queens strolled into the Mets’ spring training camp and said he was there to be a pitcher for the team. He stood 5' 10", weighed 150 pounds, threw left-handed and looked like a combination of Gary Gentry and Joey Ramone. Johnny Murphy, assistant [...]

Continue reading "Johnny Pappas: the Kid who came to the Mets"

Scott Kazmir: Coulda woulda shoulda

Scott Kazmir has never pitched a major league game for the New York Mets. We’ve had our chances though. Where Kazmir is concerned, we’ve had more chances than most. Where would the team be if during this off-season, we had devoted our earliest FA money to signing Kazmir? All Met fans know the sordid story [...]

Continue reading "Scott Kazmir: Coulda woulda shoulda"

Tom Seaver and the Alaska Goldpanners

I picked up a 1971 copy of this book written by George Sullivan and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons at auction a couple of weeks ago. The book is geared towards young adults and is part of a series of biographies written on America’s baseball heroes. Some other athletes in the series are Willie [...]

Continue reading "Tom Seaver and the Alaska Goldpanners"

The night Omar Minaya got nervous

I met Omar Minaya once. We encountered each other on the elevator at Shea Stadium before the Mets’ game against the Seattle Mariners on June 25th, 2008. The entire event comprised probably less than two minutes but in that short span of time, I still managed to unnerve him. Here’s the story: On June 17, [...]

Continue reading "The night Omar Minaya got nervous"

Six original Mets you’ve never heard of

I was doing some research last week on the first original Met to pass away. I had thought it was Hall-of-Famer and original Mets’ Hitting Coach, Rogers Hornsby. Hornsby, however was the second original Met to pass away. He died on January 5, 1963. Fellow coach, Red Kress was actually the first original Met to [...]

Continue reading "Six original Mets you’ve never heard of"

Mets we’ve loved: Yogi Berra

“It ain’t over, till its over” — Yogi Berra Yogi Berra recently celebrated his birthday.  He was born on May 12, 1925. Yogi Berra was an important Met.  He played for them, he coached them and he managed them.   Maybe he didn't win a World Championship as their manager and maybe the team almost ran [...]

Continue reading "Mets we’ve loved: Yogi Berra"

Is the Mets’ organization just a ball of confusion?

“People moving out, People moving in. Ball of confusion; That’s what the world is today...” — The Temptations From the top down, the entire Mets’ organization is in a state of flux. There’s all sorts of things happening. There was a New York Times story published which indicated that Saul Katz was considering selling his [...]

Continue reading "Is the Mets’ organization just a ball of confusion?"

Travis d’Arnaud: The key to the highway

“I got the key to the Highway Billed out and bound to go. I’m gonna leave here running; Walking is most too slow.” –Big Bill Broonzy Travis d'Arnaud is going to be an exciting player...a quick review of the tag he applied to Matt Carpenter in the 3-2 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals during [...]

Continue reading "Travis d’Arnaud: The key to the highway"

Mets show support for Bartolo Colon

By now, most of Mets’ Nation is aware that an incident took place last weekend involving the players and the media. The players rallied behind Bartolo Colon and declined to speak to the media until after Mike Puma of the New York Post departed. The issue was that Puma had written, "if Colon’s neck were [...]

Continue reading "Mets show support for Bartolo Colon"