Not a lot of Mets birthdays today so we are going back to the treasure trove of quotes from all-time great Met, Tug McGraw.
Here is some wonderful advice from McGraw regarding rooting interests,
"Root only for the winner. That way you won't be disappointed."
--Tug McGraw
Happy Birthday to Mets Catcher, Kevin Plawicki. Wouldn't it be something if he had a turn around year. He certainly has potential. In 2015, though he only hit .219, he showed poise and confidence. Last year was a tough one, but hopefully, he will follow up with the kind of numbers he put up in Las Vegas.
Today's Mets Birthday Quote of the Day is from Kevin Plawicki talking about Jacob deGrom.
"It's like a video game out there with him."
--Kevin Plawicki, talking about the accuracy and consistency of Jacob deGrom
Happy Mets birthday to 'Big' (always referred to as Big by Bob Murphy) Ed Lynch. The Mets pitcher was on the team from 1980--1986. He spent the rest of 1986 and '87 with the Cubs.
He had some solid years with the Mets including a 10-8 record in 1985 with a 3.44 ERA. His career Mets record was 38--40. After finishing his career with the Cubs, he went on to Law School and eventually became the Cubs GM for several years.
Unfortunately for Lynch, he was traded mid way through the Mets 1986 World Series winning season. He was traded for two guys named Dave who did not do much in the majors.
Lynch was upset about the trade recognizing the great talent the Mets had that year which would likely (thankfully) result in a big post season run.
His Mets Baseball Birthday Quote of the Day was about that trade.
"Getting traded was like being sent to a different family on Christmas Day."
--Ed Lynch
Happy Mets Birthday to Ron Hunt, born on February 23rd, 1941. Hunt was one of the few shining lights in the Mets early years, staring for them at second base. He played with them from 1963-66. In his rookie year of 1963, he finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting to Pete Rose.
He along with Jim Hickman was traded to the Dodgers in 1966 for Tommy 'Machine Gun' Davis. Besides being a steady second baseman, Hunt got most of his notoriety for his Hit by Pitch Records. In 1971, he set an all-time season record with 56. When he retired, he held the record of most HBP's in a career with 243. The record was since surpassed by first Don Baylor and then Craig Biggio.
In honor of his solid career and his three very productive years with the Mets, Ron Hunt is today's Mets Birthday Quote of the Day.
"I used to call him nap time. He got those sleepy eyelids. He looks like he is always about to fall off for an hour's nap. That is until he gets on the field. Then he doesn't miss a thing."
--Roger Craig, on Ron Hunt
Kelly Johnson was born on this day in 1982. Can I just say, over the last two years, Kelly Johnson has been my favorite Met.
I love everything about him--the way he plays, his demeanor on the field and mostly what a clutch ballplayer he is. I am not happy that the Mets do not appear to be signing him for the 2017 season---big mistake. I know the running gag is that we will trade for him in July or August but there is no guarantee of that.
Johnson's MLB career started in 2005. He has played for eleven teams over his long career. Of course as Mets fans, we are most interested in the 2015 and 2016 seasons. In 2015, he hit .250 with 13 ribbies and 5 home runs in 128 at bats. I bet all five were clutch home runs. He did even better last year when he had 183 at bats with a .268 average and 24 ribbies and 9 home runs. Plus, wherever the Mets put him, he fielded the position with expertise.
In honor of my favorite Met of the last few years, Kelly Johnson is the recipient of the Mets Baseball Birthday Quote of the Day,
"He's been huge...He's a guy who can come off the bench and put him in the field or at the plate and he can get the job done."
--Terry Collins, on Kelly Johnson
No Mets were born today, February 21, so we have been featuring the many funny quotes of Tug 'Ya Gotta Believe' McGraw. He is a font of humor and is greatly missed by baseball fans.
Today's McGraw quote is about relief pitching...
"Some days you tame the tiger. Other days the tiger has you for lunch."
McGraw---talking about relief pitching
I have noticed a real uptick in the number of hits to this blog which is great. Please consider supporting the advertisers on this blog and also come visit www.baseballquotations.com with over 11,000 baseball quotes including hundreds of Mets quotes.
Happy Birthday to 18 year MLB veteran pitcher, Livan Hernandez. Between 1996--2012, he played for ten different teams. The Boys from Flushing were one of those teams.
Over his long and successful career, he was a two time all-star and most impressively, the MVP of the 1997 World Series with the Marlins.
Unfortunately, his time with the Mets was not a particularly successful one. He was the Mets 5th starter in the 2009 season. I thought it was a great move at the time. Shows how much I know as he went 7 and 8 in 135 innings with an ERA of 5.47. He was released by the Mets in the end of August of 2009.
Despite his not great numbers with the Mets, he still was a terrific pitcher over his long career and very deserving of our Mets Baseball Quote of the Day which probably means almost as much to him as the 1997 World Series MVP Award.
"He is a great pitcher and I have respect for him."
--Edgardo Alfonzo, I know it is not the most exciting quote but it very well sums up his career.
Hundreds of Mets Quotes for your viewing pleasure at www.baseballquotations.com
Happy Birthday to former Mets relief pitcher, Tim Burke, born on February 19th, 1959.
Burke was not only an all-star (not with the Mets unfortunately) but he was also a deeply religious and charitable person. He and his wife adopted four children and he gave up his career to raise his kids.
In Mets lore, he is likely known mostly for being traded to the Mets from the Expos for Mets legend, Ron Darling. He was acquired on July 15th, 1991 and had a 3 and 3 record with the Mets with a 2.72 ERA. His 1992 numbers with the Mets--not so good. Before being traded to the Yankees for 'Big' Lee Gutterman (there was a rule back then that whenever you referenced Lee Gutterman, you had to put 'Big' before his name), he posted a 1 and 2 record with a 5.74 ERA.
He was certainly a good pitcher in his day especially his years with the Expos, but he also seems like an exemplary and charitable person which means a hell of a lot more than a baseball career (at least sometimes).
The Mets Baseball Birthday Quote of the Day was a question to Burke about what kind of baseball player he thought Jesus Christ would be,
"If Jesus was on the field, he'd be pitching inside and breaking up the double play."
--Tim Burke
Why are closers among the quirkiest and funniest of players (i.e. Sparky Lyle, Dan Quisenberry, The Goose, etc.)? Must be all the pressure. Tug McGraw clearly fits that category. Not only was he funny, quirky and a great quote maker but he was a hell of a pitcher.
He spent his career as a Mets and Phillie. Besides being a great pitcher, he was responsible for the Mets1973 World Series run chant, 'Ya Gotta Believe'. He is also known for being the father of country singer Tim McGraw.
For a laugh of the day, here is one of the many great Tug McGraw Quotes.
"I have no trouble with the 12 inches between my elbow and my palm. It's the seven inches between my ears that's bent."
--Tug McGraw
Love baseball quotes than what are you waiting for, go to www.baseballquotations.com for thousands of great baseball quotes.
The Kid, Gary Carter, passed away five years ago today. What a wonderful person and a hell of a ballplayer. He was one of the leaders of the Mets last successful World Series victory in 1986 and he was a Hall of Fame catcher.
Among his many accomplishments include, 11 x All-Star, 3 x Gold Glove, 5 x Silver Slugger and the 1984 NL RBI leader. He was voted to the Expos and Mets Hall of Fame on top of his selection to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
"He made the Mets better the day he arrived."
--George Vecsey
We miss you Kid!
Mets pitcher Barry Jones was born on February 15, 1963. He played for a lot of teams over his career including the Pirates, White Sox, Expos and Phillies. His career record was 33 and 33 with a 3.66 ERA and 23 saves.
However, it is his brief Mets career that is most interesting. He pitched in 17 games for the Mets in 1992. In 15 innings, he had a very impressive 2-0 record and had a save. That's all great stuff and would sound wonderful on the surface but his ERA in the 17 games was 9.39. Talk about run support.
Today's Quote is a bad prediction about Barry Jones from Ray Miller.
"Someday he is going to be a great closer. He has the perfect attitude for it."
--Ray Miller, talking about Barry Jones
What better day for a quote about Bobby Valentine than Valentine's Day.
Most Mets fans remember him as the team's manager from 1996--2002. He was described as colorful, controversial, a visionary and a sharp baseball mind.
During his tenure, he led them to the World Series and had a record of 536 and 467, a .534 winning percentage.
My favorite quote about him actually comes from his days as the Manager of the Texas Rangers.
"He was like a college professor. I thought he had tenure."
--Mike Macfarlane, after Valentine was fired as the Rangers manger after eight years
Another day and another classic Mets Marv Thronberry Quote.
"What's Frank trying to do? Steal all my fans."
--Marv Thronberry, after teammate Frank Thomas made two errors in a game
There were few players in the history of the Mets that most symbolized their futility than 'Marvelous' Marv Thronberry. There were a lot worse players than Thronberry but he seemed to really capture the undivided attention of Mets Manager Casey Stengel. Also, he did some pretty stupid things over his career that made him worthy of his nickname.
Though it is not technically a Mets Birthday Quote of the Day since it is not his birthday, I wanted to include this while on break from the birthday's of any big name Mets players (though Lenny Randle was born today who did hit .304 for the Mets in 1977 with 583 at bats.
Happy Marv Thronberry Quote Day,
"We were going to get a birthday cake, but we figured you'd drop it."
--Casey Stengel, on Marv Thronberry's birthday
Lenny 'Nails' Dykstra was born on February 10th, 1963. Dykstra played from 1985-89 with the Mets. He spent from '89--'96 with the Phillies.
Dykstra was a fan favorite in New York because of his hustle and attitude. He was a career .285 hitter with three all-star appearances. He was also terrific for the Mets in the 1986 post season. He hit .304 in the NLCS against the Astros and .296 in the World Series against the Red Sox. One of his key hits in the World Series was a home run to lead off Game 3 of the Series, with the Mets down to the Red Sox 2--0.
His post baseball career has certainly had its ups and downs. Hopefully with the recent publishing of his autobiography, he is getting his life back on track.
As a clutch Mets player, he is the Mets Birthday Quote of the Day which is ironic because yesterday was Mookie Wilson's birthday, the man he platooned with in Centerfield.
"If I had 8 like him, I'd win my share of games."
--David Cone, talking about Lenny Dykstra
Happy Birthday to Mets icon, Mookie Wilson, born on this day in 1956.
Mookie's real name is William but he will always be Mookie to Mets fans. He played with the Mets from 1980--1989, before being acquired by the Blue Jays for the last few years of his career.
He had a career batting average of .274 and is currently second all-time in Mets history in stolen bases with 327. Of course, he is also known for the greatest moment in Mets history, in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.
Here are a few things you may not know about the at bat against Bob Stanley that went through the glove of Bill Buckner to score the winning run in Game 6. It was a clutch at bat for several reasons. First of all it was a ten pitch at bat, battling Bob Stanley every step of the way. He could have struck out numerous time in the at bat.
The other impressive thing is that somehow he avoided being hit by a wild pitch by Stanley that scored Kevin Mitchell. A lot of players would not have had the dexterity to get out of the way like Mookie did.
In honor of Mookie, he gets the Mets Baseball Birthday Quote of the Day and it is a funny one.
"Only if I had one year to live."
--Mookie Wilson, asked if he ever wanted to manage
hundreds of Mets quotes at www.baseballquotations.com
No Mets were born on February 8th, but there is a great Mets related quotes about Ralph Kramden and Shea Stadium.
This quote is brought to you by long time major league relief pitcher Jim DeShaies
"Now I know why Ralph Cramden was in such a bad mood all the time."
--Jim DeShaies, on it taking him over two hours in traffic to get to Shea Stadium
Happy Birthday to long time utility player and a very funny guy--Benny Ayala, who played for the Mets in 1974 and 1976 (spent 1975 in the minors).
Ayala did have some milestones in his career. In his first at bat in the majors on August 27th, 1974, he hit a home run joining an illustrious group of Mets players who have accomplished that feat.
His most important hit was in the 1979 World Series. Playing for the Orioles he hit a two run home run against the Pirates in Game 3 of the Series.
He was a very funny guy and that is why he is the Mets Birthday Quote of the Day,
"I'm an eclipse player---you don't see me very often."
--Benny Ayala, on being a utility player most of his career
Ralph Kiner passed away on this day in 2014. What a loss for baseball and for Mets fans like myself who grew up on Kiner's Korner.
Here is a classic Mets Ralph Kiner Quote of the Day;
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"The reason the Mets have played so well at Shea this year is that they have the best record in baseball."
--Ralph Kiner
Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar was born on this day in 1968. He had a hell of a career with a career batting average of .300, 12 all star games, 10 Gold Gloves, 4 Silver Slugger awards and entry to the Hall of Fame with 90% of the vote.
But his Mets years (year and a half) were not among his best years. In the 2001 season with the Indians, he hit .336 and drove in 100 runs. Mets trade for him and in the 2002 season, he hits .266 with 53 rbi's. It's called Mets Karma. A great player for no reason gets traded to the Mets and hits 70 points lower than the previous year with 47 less ribbies.
That said, the Mets traded Alex Escobar, Matt Lawton and Jerod Riggin for Alomar so we didn't lose a lot.
Still all in all, Alomar was one of the greatest second basemen of all-time both offensively and defensively and certain deserves to be in the Hall of Fame just not based on his Mets years.
"He doesn't go against the book--he's adding new chapters to the book."
--Mike Flanagan
"Alomar has more range than any second baseman I've ever seen."
--Tony Gwynn
Only Mets player born today was Jeff Gardner and www.baseballquotations.com does not have any quotes for him but we have a special treat for today. A very funny quote from Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn who had the honor of playing for the 1962 'Amazin Mets', catergorized by many baseball historians as the worst baseball team of all-time.
Largely because New York was happy to have a National League team back after the Dodgers and Giants left and because of the personality of Casey Stengel, New York fans embraced the 1962 Mets. It also helped to have great stars at the end of their careers like Gil Hodges, Gene Woodling and Richie Ashburn.
Hall of Famer and long time Phillie, Richie Ashburn was named the team's MVP at the end of the 1962 season which provides us with our Mets Quote of the Day.
"MVP on the worst team ever? Just how do you mean that?
--Richie Ashburn, on being named MVP of the 1962 Mets.
Happy Birthday to Mets First Baseman Lucas Duda, born on February 3rd, 1986.
Duda has become a premier power hitter with 30 home runs in 2014 and 27 in 2015. He would have likely ended up with those kinds of numbers if he had not missed most of the 2016 season.
One of the best decisions Terry Collins ever made as Mets manager was making Lucas Duda the starting first baseman over Ike Davis in the 2014 season. The conventional wisdom was to take Davis, but Collins went with Duda and it proved to be a great move.
Duda is poised to have a strong 2017 season for the Mets who have only ten days till spring training.
Happy Mets Birthday Quote of the Day to Lucas Duda
"I'd put him up against anybody in the league as far as power."
--David Wright, talking about Lucas Duda
One time Met, Pat Tabler was born on this day in 1958. He was a terrific career hitter with a batting average of .282 over his 12 year career.
He started with the Cubs, went to the Indians for 6 seasons, then the Royals, traded to the Mets and ended up with the Blue Jays.
The Royals traded Tabler to the Mets during the 1990 season for Archie Corbin. During his brief tenure with the Mets, Tabler hit .279 with 12 ribbies in 43 at bats.
Given that the Mets hate solid production from a player, they lost him to free agency after the season.
He is our Mets Baseball Birthday Quote of the Day,
"He's basically a guy who doesn't strike out much, and he doesn't try to hit home runs. And he uses the middle of the field--it you do that, you're going to get a lot of key hits."
--Frank White, talking about Pat Tabler
