Up and coming 1st baseman that could also play outfield....good glove but needed playing time.....outside of some regular work with early editions of the Expos, mostly a platoon player that quietly kept himself on MLB rosters for 18 years....Raised and cultivated in the Mets organization who engaged in back and forth transfers from minors then to the show.....a case of a quality, one individual Rusty Staub, swapped for quantity Ken Singleton, Tim Foli, and Jorgensen.....Gave the Expos solid remedies to positional aliments.....close to being regular 1st smacker and showed a little pop during first two years and gold glove award.....caveat being a BA hovering near .230.....standout season came in 1974 sporting a .310 BA and increased runs driven in....ensuing year brought career best in HRs and RBIs but a 39 point drop in batting was telling of downgraded future....hung on north of border until traded to Oakland in 1977....another franchise at the time with the help wanted sign out.....took the free agent route to Texas then a second go-around with the Mets and eventually the Braves covering the period from 1978 to 1984....last stop St. Louis was fleeting although some endearment between him and took place...held several positions in the franchise up to an interim Manager spot in 1995....Only MLB player to be born on the day Babe Ruth died.....Last at bat came in the 1985 World Series.
He was one of two players to play for the Mets in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. The other was Tom Seaver.
ReplyDeleteEd Kranepool came oh so close.
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