December 12th--Mets Baseball Quote, Rube Walker

No Mets player was born today, but long time Mets pitching coach Albert Buford 'Rube' Walker passed away on this day in 1992.

Walker was a long time back-up catcher mostly for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was regarded as a top notch defensive catcher.

After his playing days, he became a pitching coach. Talk about longevity--he was the Mets pitching coach from 1968--1981. Of course that means, he was the Mets pitching coach on the Miracle 1969 team. Think of the pitchers he helped mold--Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw, Jon Matlock, the list goes on and on.

For his many years as the pitching coach of the Mets, Walker is well deserving of our Mets Quote of the Day, even if it isn't a birthday quote.

"He knows how to teach and is able to communicate."
--Gil Hodges, talking about Rube Walker

Great New York Mets Quotes

The Mets are my favorite team in all of sports and they always have been. There have been a lot of very funny things said about them over the years, mostly derogatory. Sports Quotation Man has put a list together of some of the all-time great Mets quotes.

"If you like funny quotes, the best source for one stop shopping is Glenn Liebman's Series of one liner compilations."--USA Today

Show your support for sports quotation man by liking us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sports-Quotation-Man/125672394170091


Great New York Mets Quotes

"200 million Americans and there ain't two good catchers among 'em."
--Casey Stengel, on the 1962 New York Mets

"There will be two buses to the park from the hotel. The two o'clock bus is for those who nee a little extra work. Then there will be an empty bus leaving at five o'clock."
--Casey Stengel, on the '62 Mets

"For me, I was always a Met at heart."
--Dwight Gooden

"If one pitcher is worth a thousand words, you have seen about a million words, but more than that, you have seen an absolutely bizarre finish to Game 6 of 1986 World Series."
-Vin Scully

"The reason we won was him. He made us all better."
--Bud Harrelson, on Gil Hodges and the '69 Mets

"The Mets have gotten their lead off batter on base only once this inning"
--Ralph Kiner

"Right here on CBS, we have 'The Ghost Whisperer'. Each week she runs errands for dead people. And on tonight's episode, she books vacations for the Mets."
--David Letterman


"Growing up rooting for the Mets, it's an honor and very special for a kid from Brooklyn."
-John Franco, on being inducted into the Mets HOF

"We've had him three full seasons and although he's a hell of a prospect, he hasn't done it for us. How long can you wait?"
--Bob Scheffing, Mets GM, on trading Nolan Ryan

"Rule #1, you don't make the third out at third base with Mike Piazza coming up."
--Bobby Valentine


Did you enjoy these quotes? If you did, than please support us by visiting our advertisers. Thank you

Great Met Manager Quotes

Welcome to the first day of spring training. Nothing like it in life, especially when you are there in person. I still have very fond memories of a decade ago when I went to Met spring training and saw Sandy Koufax. He signed an autograph for my son and couldn't have been nicer. Mike Piazza was also a wonderful signer that day....What great memories. Will this be a year to remember? Will the Mets find their Jeremy Lin or Victor Cruz? Will Jason Bay right his Met career? Will Johan come back? So many questions and we have the next six months to watch them on fold. To celebrate spring training, here are some all-time great Met manager quotes.

"Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand."
--Wes Westrum, Former Met Manager, on describing baseball

"There are two kinds of managers. Winning managers an ex-managers."
--Gil Hodges, World Series winning Met Manager

"Our first Met game was April 10, 1962. And it was our best game. It was rained out."
--Casey Stengel, on the '62 Mets

"Understanding the use of an adjective or adverb and figuring out how to use verb tenses won't help you play baseball in the States. It's all about learning pitchers and teammates."
--Bobby Valentine

"The mentality of the club was that you didn't take anything for granted. Nothing. They called us names, they hated us around the league, called us arrogant. How can we be arrogant when we hadn't won anything yet?"
--Davey Johnson, on the 1986 Mets

"No, I'm not excited. It's no big deal. How the hell is a man my age going to get excited?"
--Joe Frazier, former Met Manger, on managing Opening Day at age 53

If you love sports quotes then get a sports quotes a day at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sports-Quotation-Man/125672394170091

Great Gil Hodges Quotes

There are only two Met managers in history to win World Series. Every Met fan knows who they are---Joe Frazier and George Bamberger. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Of course, it is Gil Hodges and Davey Johnson. Hodges was one of New York's most beloved sports figures, first as the great Brooklyn Dodger First Baseman. Joe Torre said of Hodges, "He played first base like a lefthander---he was so smooth." Of course, Met fans remember him as the Manager of the Miracle Mets of 1969. To his credit, even though he passed away forty years ago, he still is loved by his players.

Here are some great quotes about the managerial abilities of Gil Hodges:

"We should've been completing long after 1969, with his leadership we probably would have."
--Ed Kranepool, on Hodges as a manager

"I loved the man I really did. I think if you talk to anybody, the reason we won was him. He made us all better."
--Bud Harrelson, on Hodges.

"He was the most important man in my career."
--Tom Seaver, on Gil Hodges

Time to put the Gil Hodges in the Hall of Fame.