This Year's Mets Have A 1984 Feel To Them

In 1984, the Mets were coming off one of the darkest eras in franchise history.  For seven straight seasons, the Mets finished at least 21 games under .500 and never finished higher than fifth place in the six-team NL East.  There were no expectations going into 1984 even though the team had a veteran leader in Keith Hernandez, a nice mix of homegrown talent (Darryl Strawberry, Hubie Brooks, Mookie Wilson, Wally Backman) and a new manager in Davey Johnson.

They also had a young pitcher named Dwight Gooden, who was given the ball despite having no experience in the major leagues.  Gooden went on to reward the Mets for showing their faith in him, making the All-Star team and becoming the fourth Met to win the Rookie of the Year Award.

After seven consecutive losing seasons, that combination of veteran leadership and youth, along with an intelligent manager, gave the Mets their first winning record since 1976 and only their second 90-win season in franchise history.

Fast forward nearly three decades to 2012.  The Mets have yet to record a winning season since moving to Citi Field in 2009.  In addition, although they did finish above .500 in each of their last three seasons at Shea Stadium, the 2006 to 2008 teams are most known for losing at the end of each campaign.  In essence, the team has "lost" for six straight seasons now.

But this year's Mets appear to be on the right track.  They have a young homegrown pitcher (Jonathon Niese) who was just given a vote of confidence by the Mets in the form of a five-year contract extension.  Just as Gooden rewarded the 1984 team when they had faith in him, Niese is doing the same for the 2012 club, winning his first two starts in dominant fashion (.156 batting average against, .178 slugging percentage against).

The 1984 Mets also had two veteran pitchers who performed very well for the team in Walt Terrell and Bruce Berenyi.  The two pitchers combined to go 20-18 with a 3.60 ERA.  Twenty-eight years later, the Mets have that same veteran presence in the rotation with Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey, who have both pitched exceptionally well during the first week and a half of the season.

Jesse Orosco (10-6, 31 saves, 2.59 ERA), Doug Sisk (15 saves, 2.05 ERA) and Tom Gorman (6-0, 2.97 ERA) were a formidable threesome in the bullpen in 1984, just as the trio of Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch and Bobby Parnell have been for the Mets in 2012 (the three have combined to post a 0.61 ERA and 0.68 WHIP).

As far as the offense goes, the 1984 Mets were fueled by a young power hitting rightfielder named Darryl Strawberry, who led the team with 26 home runs in his first full season in New York.  (The Straw Man was called up to the Mets in May 1983.)  The 2012 Mets also have a young power hitter in right field, Lucas Duda, who was called up for good during the 2011 season and is now leading the 2012 team in home runs.

Other young homegrown players who blossomed in 1984 were infielders Wally Backman and Hubie Brooks, as well as outfielder Mookie Wilson.  The 2012 team are succeeding with their own young homegrown players, such as infielders Ruben Tejada and Ike Davis, and outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

Hubie Brooks' breakout season in 1984 allowed the Mets to trade him for Gary Carter, who started the tenth inning rally in Game 6 that ended with Mookie Wilson's roller.  Ain't symmetry grand?

And of course, who could forget about Keith Hernandez?  The man who would eventually become the Mets' first team captain was entering his eighth full season in the major leagues at the age of 30 and was absolutely spectacular (.311, 31 doubles, 15 HR, 94 RBI, .409 OBP).  David Wright is now entering his eighth full season with the Mets.  Wright, who will turn 30 before year's end, is off to his best start, hitting an impressive .571 (12-for-21), while also reaching base at a .615 clip.  The unofficial team captain has also struck out only two times in 26 plate appearances, becoming one of team's best contact hitters nearly three decades after Hernandez was doing the same.

Finally, just as Davey Johnson had managed many of his players in the minor leagues before becoming the Mets' manager in 1984, Terry Collins also coached a number of players in the Mets' minor league system who he eventually managed in the major leagues.  This familiarity would lead to a comfort level between both managers and their players, leading to less friction and more production.

No one expected the 1984 Mets to be as good as they were.  But they won six of their first seven games en route to a surprise second-place finish in the National League East.  The same can be said for the Mets' expectations in 2012.  But after a 6-3 start, predictions of a last-place finish might have to be revised.

Big Brother was watching everyone in 1984.  Now the 1984 Mets might be serving as a big brother to the 2012 team, writing the script that the current team is following.  In the end, the 1984 team fell short of the playoffs, as might their 2012 counterparts.  But the 1984 Mets served as a springboard for what was to follow over the next few seasons.  Will the 2012 Mets do the same?  It wouldn't be surprising if they did.

Happy Birthday To Moooo, Happy Birthday To Moooo...

Think fast! Who hit 62 triples, stole 281 bases, hit one little roller up along first and has 55 candles on his birthday cake today? It's none other than Mets Hall of Famer and current first base coach Mookie Wilson, that's who!

One of the above will be blowing out 55 candles today; the other will be counting them.

When Mets fans think of No. 41 on the Mets, they always think of Tom Seaver. The same thing goes for No. 14 (Gil Hodges), No. 17 (Keith Hernandez), No. 31 (Mike Piazza) and No. 37 (Casey Stengel). For me, No. 1 will always be synonymous with William Hayward Wilson.

Most fans will tell you that Mookie Wilson was one of the most electric and charismatic players to call Shea Stadium home. Those fans will also say that Mookie had the most crucial at-bat in franchise history, when he faced Bob Stanley in the tenth inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. But even those fans might not know everything about Mookie Wilson.

To celebrate the 55th birthday of the man who brought out the inner cow in Mets fans (Moooooo.....), here are a few things about Mookie Wilson you may not have known.

What's bubblier? The champagne in Mookie's hand or his effervescent personality?

Mookie Wilson made his major league debut for the New York Mets on September 2, 1980 at Dodger Stadium. Another key player from the 1986 World Champions also made his major league debut on that day, as Wally Backman played second base and batted eighth in the Mets' lineup (Mookie was the leadoff hitter). Wally's debut (2-for-4, 2 RBI) was slightly better than Mookie's (0-for-4, RBI groundout), but both went on to become favorites among the Shea faithful.

Despite being called up in 1980, Mookie Wilson qualified for the 1981 Rookie of the Year Award. Wilson finished seventh in the voting, receiving 1½ votes. Who did Mookie split a vote with? It was none other than teammate Hubie Brooks, who received 8½ votes to finish third.

No one would say that Mookie Wilson was a great hitter, but for two seasons, he was among the best in the league. In 1982, Mookie finished 10th in the National League with 178 hits and followed that up with 176 hits in 1983, good for 8th in the NL.

Mookie Wilson was known for his lightning fast speed, setting the franchise record for triples and stolen bases in a career (both marks have since been surpassed by Jose Reyes). Who held those records before Mookie claimed them for his own? That would be Bud Harrelson (45 triples) and Lee Mazzilli (139 stolen bases).

Bud Harrelson: The "3" in his uniform number stood for three-base hits.

Lee Mazzilli: Stole his way around the bases and into teen-aged girls' hearts.

When Mookie Wilson hit 10 triples and 10 home runs in 1984, he became the first Met to reach double digits in both categories. The only other player in Mets history to accomplish that feat is Jose Reyes, who has done it four times (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010).

There is one stolen base record that Mookie Wilson still hasn't lost to Jose Reyes. That would be caught stealing. The über-aggressive Mookie was thrown out 90 times in 371 attempts. Reyes will probably surpass him this season, as he has been gunned out 85 times.

It should come as no surprise that Mookie Wilson was able to get out of the way of Bob Stanley's wild pitch in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. After all, in ten years as a Met, Mookie was only hit by 16 pitches. By comparison, John Olerud only played three seasons in New York, but he was hit a total of 28 times.

Finally, what do Mookie Wilson and Mark McGwire have in common? Not much. But they do have one shared piece of baseball history. In 1989, Mark McGwire finished the year with 33 HR and 95 RBI, helping the Oakland A's win the World Series. Mookie Wilson was traded from the Mets to the Blue Jays on July 31, picking up two home runs and 17 RBI in 238 at-bats for Toronto. Somehow, both Mookie Wilson and Mark McGwire received exactly one American League MVP vote apiece, finishing in a tie for 25th place in the voting. Something tells me that one of the voters was also a member of the Toronto chapter of the Jeff Musselman Hate Club, and was thrilled that Mookie's arrival led to Musselman's departure.

Let's not talk about this picture, shall we?

Mets fans have not seen the last of Mookie Wilson, as the fan favorite will be the team's first base coach in 2011. With stolen base threats like Angel Pagan, Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran, the Mets have a number of candidates who will be heeding Mookie's "GO" command from first base. It will be interesting to see how the players respond to having an experienced basestealer coaching them at first base.

Mookie Wilson once said "thou shalt not pass at thy offering" to describe his hitting philosophy. Therefore, as we celebrate his 55th birthday today, we shall not let the day pass without offering Mookie Wilson our best wishes for a happy birthday and a successful 2011 season as the Mets' first base coach. It may be true that the baseball season is a marathon and not a sprint, but try telling that to one of the fastest and most beloved Mets of all time.