#141 Mets Rookie Stars

Seedlings:  Buzz Capra, Leroy Stanton, Jon Matlack….Each of these prospective Mets left marks on 70’s baseball....Only one would make that mark with the Metropolitans franchise....Starting up;  AKA Buzz;  real name Lee William Capra....came off a 13-3 W-L and 2.19 ERA AAA campaign to gain a September call up....3 outings; first two contests five inning scoreless, 3^rd came into the 10^th inning of a close 1-1 pitcher duel....proceeded to  give up 5 earned runs throwing ERA to +8....next in 1972 and 73, Buzz takes on more work but with little result, being demoted to minor in both years....excluded from playing in the NY Mets WS series run....sold to Braves for 74.....Started out as middle or late relief....Pressed as a starter on May 11 Buzz goes on a tear buzzing through NL lineups....finishes season on 16-6 run and NL ERA leader...picking quickly up on the Capra buzz, he is named to the All Star Team....The MoJo never returns, a massive fail due to arm problems circa 1975, appeared in only 12 games, 4 wins 7 defeats surrendering 2 more runs a game....1976 even worse sat out most of year making it to only 5 games and at a surrender rate near a run per inning....Capra is able to compete in 1977 and for a brief time regains the title of starter....shows flashes of his old self but ultimately defaults on his bid to escape one season wonder status....subsequently took several coaching and managing jobs.....now resides in Elgin....Leroy Stanton....another prospect with impressive AAA stats...included in the Nolan Ryan trade a debacle for the Mets....While never leaves the journeyman label, middle of the road standing,  his  insertion in the deal added insult to injury....As an Angel delivers some pop to chronically offensively challenged squads from 1972 to 1976.....highlight is leading the Halos in RBIs during 1975....his 82 runs driven in was 26 better than his peers....low point was inconsistency  for in the following year Stanton fails to hit above .190 along with a measly 2 homers, bringing in 25 runs.....Jettisoned to the 1977 expansion draft;  taken in the 40^th round by the Seattle Mariners....responds with his pinnacle effort;  27 homers, 90 driven in and solid  .275 BA.....helps the franchise escape the routine 100 loss first year expectation of the time.....1978 turned to be a reprise of  1976 debacle ....BA free fell to .182 and  home run total decimated....at age 32 not worth the risk for another comeback....overcame very humble beginnings to play in 829 MLB games.....Jon Matlack  prospect paying out in NY.....consistent in a Mets uniform....an excellent compliment to Tom Seaver or Jerry Koosman or altogether....NL Rookie of the Year ....won 15 and while Seaver was a 21 game winner Matlack had better ERA and one more shutout....surrendered  the 3,000^th and last hit to Roberto Clemente....Matlack took more losses than wins in 1973 but continues to be a cog in effective quartet of Seaver, Koosman, and George Stone....spearheaded the playoff run to WS....heroic in  a losing cause, Mets going silent.....Next three Matlack continue solid yet unappreciated work with 13, 16, and 17 wins....stumbles along with the Mets in 1977,  Matlack losing twice as many wins....Traded to Texas as Mets clean house...Responds with formidable 15-13 record and personal best ERA 2.27....Matlack never reaches those heights over next 5 campaigns.....lost a good chunk of 1979 to arm surgery,  10 win .500 year 1980.....in 1981 was member of player’s union negotiating committee during the strike....effected his performance and felt his role was a reprisal that shunned future work....released 1983 falling one game short of a .500 record going 125-126....given his very strong years a testimony that win loss is not the only measure of pitching quality.