Mets’ 14 days until Spring Training countdown

In 14 days, the Mets will be playing the Atlanta Braves at 1:05pm Eastern Time for their first Spring Training game in 2015. Therefore, leading up to that game, here is a Mets countdown from 14 to 1.

14: The number wore by Gil Hodges. Hodges played for the Mets in 1962 & 1963, and managed the team from 1968-1971. On April 11, 1962, he hit the first homerun for the ballclub in St. Louis off of Larry Jackson. Hodges is the third-winningest manager in Mets’ history, trailing Bobby Valentine and Davey Johnson for the record. His number was retired in 1973 as the second number to be retired by the ballclub, and he will forever live in the hearts and memories of Mets fans everywhere.

13: The number of years it has been since Bobby Valentine was the manager of the Mets. The Mets went 75-86 under Valentine in 2002, and finished dead last in their division. They finished 26.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves that season, and Valentine was fired because of it.

12: Where beloved broadcaster Keith Hernandez lists on the All-Time Mets WAR list. Hernandez spent seven and a half seasons with the Mets in his career, and won four gold glove awards in that time period. He was the captain of the ballclub for three years, and the first one in Mets history.

11: A number worn by three different Mets during the 2009 season. 2009 is a season Mets fans remember as the first season they played in Citi Field and a season stuck by injury to almost every major player. Ramon Castro, Argenis Reyes, and Anderson Hernandez all wore number 11, none of whom played more than 46 games in a Mets uniform that season. In fact, when adding up the total amount of games they each played in 2009, exactly half of the 162 games were played with a player wearing number 11 on the back of their jersey.

10: The number of games in which the Mets have faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The Mets and Dodgers have each won a series against one another, with the Dodgers winning in 1988, and the Mets winning in 2006. The Mets are 6-4 against the Dodgers in the post season…and who knows, they may even face off again this post season.

9: The number of consecutive losses the Mets had until they won their first game in 1962. The Mets finished with a record of 40-120 that season, which is still regarded as one of the worst seasons by any team in modern-day baseball history. The ballclub was outscored 69:29 in those nine games, and finally turned it around scoring 9 runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates for their first win in history.

8: The number worn by the late, great Gary Carter. Carter was the second captain in Mets history, and is still one of the most loved players ever to wear a Mets uniform. Carter helped lead the Mets to their second World Series Championship in 1986, and finished third in MVP voting that season. He was an 11-time All Star in his career, four of which came while he was a member of the New York Mets.

7: The number worn by Jose Reyes throughout his tenure as a New York Mets. Reyes is the first, and to this point only, Mets player to win a batting title, and was a four-time All Star while wearing a Mets uniform. Also, for those fans who are still bitter about Reyes leaving and refuse to read/say anything good about him, 7 is also the number of times the Mets have made the playoffs, and the number that will be worn by Travis d’Arnaud in 2015.

6: The most worn number in New York Mets history. 40 different Mets have worn this number since Cliff Cook first wore it in 1962, and was most recently worn by Matthew den Dekker in 2014. In between the two, the number has been worn by players both good and bad, but has never been worn by a player who played with the Mets and is currently in the Hall of Fame.

5: The number worn by the second greatest Met in history according to WAR: David Wright. Although he had a down season in 2014, Wright is still one of the top five third basemen entering 2015 according to MLB Network, and is rightfully so. Wright is recovering from an injury-struck season in 2014, and is estimated to hit around 20 home runs next season. Wright is the current captain of the New York Mets, and is one of the most optimistic players to ever wear the uniform.

4: The number of captains in New York Mets history. These four players are Hernandez, Carter, John Franco, and Wright. Of these four, Hernandez and Franco are the only captains in Mets history to wear the “C” on their jersey, and Hernandez and Wright are the only ones to appear on the top-20 Mets list according to WAR.

3: The number of players to win a Cy Young Award while playing for the Mets. The last Met to accomplish this feat was R.A. Dickey, who is accompanied by Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden as the only Mets to win this award. However, looking into the near future, there is a more than likely chance that players such as Matt Harvey and/or Jacob deGrom will join these three within the next few years.

2: The number of World Series the Mets have won in their 53 years as a National League ballclub. These victories came in 1969 and 1986, both of which were made possible by amazing comebacks, whether it be during the season, or during the World Series. The ballclub’s two World Series also both came against American League Eastern Division teams, with the Baltimore Orioles’ in 1969 and the Boston Red Sox in 1986.

1: The number of players wearing a Mets cap in the National Baseball Hall of Fame: Tom Seaver. Seaver is the greatest player ever to wear Mets uniform according to career WAR, and won all three of his Cy Young Award while playing for the ballclub. Seaver will remain the only Met in the Hall of Fame for at least one more year, but may have company depending on what cap Mike Piazza dawns on his head if he is to get voted in within the next few years.

There it is, the countdown to the Mets’ first game of Spring Training. Although Spring Training may just be considered practice by many fans and players, it will surely be exciting for the Mets with names such as Matt Harvey and Michael Cuddyer making their awaited Mets’ 2015 debuts.