Mets Walk-Offs And Minutiae

As per usual, a trivia quiz (with much help from Baseball-Reference.com ) centered around an appropriate theme. Perhaps it will provide you with something to do this weekend, either between games of the Mets day/night doubleheader or prior to induction ceremonies on Sunday. Answers here: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/07/our-special-bonds-hall-of-fame-answers.html 1) The first player inducted into the Hall of Fame, who at the time of his induction could say that he had played in a regular season game against the Mets hit .405 with 6 home runs and 21 RBI in 30 games against the Mets for his career (including the first 3-HR game against the Mets). Name the man who also happened to be a teammate of Ruben Gotay's uncle. 2) Hall of Fame pitchers went 14-3 against the 1962 Mets. Name the three Hall of Fame pitchers that the '62 team managed to beat. 3) The best example I could find of a pitcher DOMINATING a Hall of Famer is for this pitcher vs Willie Stargell. This pitcher he

It seems appropriate to tell you today (while recovering from my return trip from the West Coast) that... * Ron Hodges only walk-off Homer of his career came in a game in which the opposing starting pitcher was Wayne Simpson. The details of that contest can be found here http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2005/12/rondezvous-with-destiny.html True Metpsons know... Bart Shirley went 0-for-12 for the 1967 Mets, his only season with the team. The 12 hitless at-bats ranks second among position players who never had a hit in their Mets careers. The leader is Shirley's former teammate, Sandy Alomar Sr. (the current 3B coach) who went 0-for-22 for that same squad

This blog will likely be going on hiatus, either until Thursday night or Friday morning, though there is the slight possibility of a posting (particularly if the Mets get a walk-off win) while I attend to some company business on the West Coast. In the meantime, I don't have a lot of time to write, so I'll just say... That while the Yankees were busy scoring 21 runs, the Mets were busy celebrating a 21st anniversary, of an extraordinarily bizarre game that typified and foreshadowed the 1986 season. For those too young to remember the greatness of July 22, 1986 (I was 11...I watched), it bore a resemblance or two to the game you watched between the Mets and Dodgers Sunday. Such as... * Instead of Matt Kemp charging in to drop a potential game-ending fly ball (yes, there was one out, but I had visions of a 9-2 double play), you had Dave Parker drifting back to muff a potential final out off the bat of Keith (absent from the booth, darn) Hernandez. * People playing out of position