Storied
but relatively young franchise known for the amazing and improbable 1969 championship run and their growing pains....A team born out for two reasons; to be an NL replacement in Gotham City; and an attempt to circumvent a proposed 3rd
major circuit the Continental League....In
hastened expansion, the quality of players for draft was exceptionally
poor....As a result first year Mets lost 120 games, a modern day watermark for futility....next four out of five
seasons resulted in 100 loss seasons...first ray of hope came in 1967 with
debut of Tom Seaver (team still lost 100)...next year enter Jerry Koosman and
team ERA drops by a run per game....1969 Mets astounds the baseball with a 27
game in improvement....Took the first NL division series and overcame huge odds
against the favored Baltimore Orioles...Subsequent years Mets virtually
repeated above .500 seasons one after another...a scrappy 1973 team was able to
return to WS only to lose to Oakland....team fortunes declined over the next 10
years....a mid to late 80’s resurgence culminated with second WS win and a
franchise high 108 wins in 1986....in past 30 years two return trips to WS but
no crown.....Records: needless to say in the year 1972 this team was only
starting to feel first division status and their hitting lagged behind pitching....eventually with
better teams came more regular starters...add free agency and the NYC deep pockets; superstars become
available...hence all backside batting records have been broken many times over...Near opposite is
found with pitching records buoyed by Tom Seaver’s glory years of
1969-1971...Tom Terrrific still hold team marks for wins, complete games,
Innings, strikeouts....Tom’s ERA and win % marks has only been beaten by Dwight
Gooden and David Cone...less esteemed records held by Roger Craig (losses,
hits) and Nolan Ryan (walks) are intact.
No comments:
Post a Comment