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One Singular Sensation

Please read Part III of my "Most Metmorable HR Series" here ...
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2009/09/sixty-count-em-sixty-part-iii.html

A total of 66 Mets contributed to the club's home run annals by hitting exactly one home run for the team.

How did Frank Taveras celebrate his 500th plate appearance as a Met? By homering against Mike Lacoss on August 18, 1979, a game the Mets would tie on a 9th-inning home run by John Stearns, only to lose in walk-off fashion (Dave Concecpcion, double). Taveras would get 1,083 cracks at home run number two, only to come up empty on each occasion.

Taveras greatly outdistances Bob Bailor (867 plate appearances) in terms of home run unlikelihood. Some may recall Bailor's sole effort of herculean clout as a Met against the Phillies, on April 13, 1983. Most probably want to forget it, since that's also the day Bo Diaz beat Neil Allen with a walk-off grand slam.

This is a list that is chock full of middle infielders, like Tim Foli (773 PA), Jose Oquendo (564 PA), Al Moran (395), and Tony Fernandez (204). It's also chock full of nuts, or at least one nut, the late Tug McGraw, whose only homer in 178 turns as a Met came against Expos pitcher Carl Morton, on September 8, 1971.

I count 17 pitchers on this list. John Maine (192 PA and counting) stays for now and we'll remember that he can form the battery with catcher Brent Mayne (113 PA).

Esix Snead (14 PA), Billy Baldwin (24 PA), Craig Brazell (35 PA) and Hobie Landrith (54) made their sole ton of swat count (wordplay alert!) in a big way. For each of those men, their only Mets home run was a walk-off shot.

I must get in some more wordplay, as I'm bored, and it strikes me as better entertainment value than trying to think of notes for Steve Trachsel (334 PA).

Gus Bell rang once for the Mets in 115 plate appearances. Give John DeMerit (18 plate appearances) a badge for his lone shot, which isn't quite as shiny as the trophy we'd award Phil Lombardi (53 plate appearances) for his only Mets homer. The Butler, as in Brett did it once in 418 showings.

In the future, I promise not to be so into the puns, or maybe not. And on the subject of future promise, let's hope Fernando Martinez (100 plate appearances), hits more home runs as a Met. We don't want him to be one and done.

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