One Season Wonders: George Stone

The 1972 Mets began the season with the tragic loss of manager Gil Hodges to a fatal heart attack.  New manager Yogi Berra took over the team in April and led them to the best start in franchise history.  By late May, the Mets had a 6½-game lead in the NL East.  On June 3, the Mets defeated the Atlanta Braves by the final score of 5-2 to improve their record to 31-12.  But within that victory, the Mets suffered a significant loss, as Rusty Staub was hit by an errant pitch thrown by Braves' reliever George Stone.

Coming into that fateful game, Stone had been one of the worst pitchers in the National League.  He had faced 62 batters in 1972 and allowed more than half of them (32) to reach base.  Opposing batters were hitting a whopping .491 against him over the first two months of the season causing his ERA to balloon to 11.70.  Ironically, his control wasn't that much of a problem, as he had walked only five batters and had yet to hit anyone with a pitch.  Then Rusty Staub's hand got in the way and everything changed for the 1972 Mets.

Prior to the series against Atlanta, Staub was putting up MVP-caliber numbers for the Mets.  In the team's first 41 games, Staub was hitting .323 with seven home runs and 27 RBI.  He also had an excellent eye at the plate, walking 20 times while striking out on ten occasions.  As a result, his on-base percentage was among the league leaders at .403.  His power stroke also placed him near the top of the league in slugging percentage, as Staub was slugging .506 at the time.

Staub continued to play after getting hit in the hand by Stone, but his performance suffered.  On June 18, after playing six innings against the Cincinnati Reds, Staub was taken out of the game and missed a month of action.  At the time, the Mets were still in first place in the NL East, albeit by a slim half-game margin.  Staub came back one month later, played the entire game in an extra-inning affair against the Los Angeles Dodgers, then was promptly placed on the disabled list, where he missed another two months of action.  By the time he came back, the Mets had fallen to third place in the NL East and were 16½ games behind the eventual division champion Pittsburgh Pirates.  Although the Mets weren't mathematically eliminated until the day after Staub returned to the lineup, their season was lost back in June at the hands of George Stone.

The strong start by the 1972 Mets gave fans reason to believe that their team was going back to the World Series for the second time in four seasons.  They would have to wait another year for that to happen and they would have an unexpected figure play a role in that march to the pennant, a figure who they felt cost them that opportunity in 1972. 

It's Amazin' how one wonderful season can turn boos into cheers.

Soon after the completion of the 1972 season, the Mets felt they needed an upgrade at second base.  Ken Boswell had been with the Mets since 1967 and became their primary second baseman in their championship season of 1969.  But after hitting .273 for the team in 1971, Boswell became an automatic out in 1972, batting .211 in 100 games and reaching base at a .274 clip.  A change was needed at second base and the Braves were making their second sacker available.  On November 2, 1972, the Mets got their man, acquiring three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner Felix Millan from Atlanta for pitchers Danny Frisella and Gary Gentry.  Millan wasn't the only former Brave to come to New York in the deal, as George Stone made the trek up north to complete the deal.

George Heard Stone had had some success with the Braves early in his career.  From 1968 to 1970, Stone was used as both a starter and reliever for Atlanta, going 31-25 with three saves and a respectable 3.60 ERA.  After falling to 6-8 in 1971, Stone hit rock-bottom in 1972, going 6-11 with a 5.51 ERA.  He also didn't make many friends in New York with his season-changing hit by pitch of Rusty Staub.  But Stone was going to be a Met in 1973, and the team decided to put him in the bullpen to start the season.  That role didn't last for very long.

When the 1973 season began, Jim McAndrew was slated to be the team's fourth starter, behind Tom Seaver, Jon Matlack and Jerry Koosman.  But after his best year in the majors in 1972 (11-8, 2.80 ERA), McAndrew struggled mightily to start the 1973 campaign.  Although he was 3-3 in his first six starts, McAndrew was carrying a 4.73 ERA.  He was also not pitching deeply into games, averaging barely more than five innings per start (32⅓ IP in six starts).  McAndrew earned a save pitching in relief in a 19-inning marathon victory over the Dodgers in late May, but then pitched horribly against the same Dodgers just two days later, allowing five runs on nine hits and three walks in only four innings of work.  A change was needed in the rotation and manager Yogi Berra gave George Stone a chance to redeem himself after a poor 1972 campaign in Atlanta.  It ended up being one of the best decisions made by the team in 1973.

On June 2, 1973, George Stone made his first start for the Mets after making seven relief appearances over the first two months of the season.  Stone was pitching brilliantly out of the pen, allowing only one run in 15 innings of work.  His best performance in relief came in the 19-inning game against the Dodgers in which Jim McAndrew collected his first and only save of the season.  Stone was the winning pitcher in that game, pitching six scoreless innings against Los Angeles.  The extended relief appearance prepared Stone for his first start a week later, this time against the San Diego Padres.  Stone pitched well against the Friars, giving up three runs in six innings.  He allowed only five hits and walked no one.  Unfortunately, the Mets were shut out by the Padres, 3-0, pinning Stone with his first loss of the season.

Stone would make five more starts over the next month, going 3-2 with a 3.32 ERA, which was respectable, but not great.  However, by then Jim McAndrew had completely lost any opportunity to return to the starting rotation, losing four consecutive decisions and watching his ERA spin out of control to 5.83.  Except for one start in August (another loss), McAndrew was in the bullpen for good, leaving the fourth spot in the rotation to George Stone.  It was an opportunity Stone would take full advantage of.

On a staff that featured Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack, it was George Stone who proved to be the most unbeatable pitcher during the second half of the 1973 season.

From July 14 to August 6, Stone started four games for the Mets, pitching nearly eight innings per start and allowing exactly two earned runs in each of the four starts.  The Mets won all four games, with Stone receiving credit for three of the wins.  Stone suffered a rare poor outing on August 11, a game in which he received a no-decision after he allowed six runs (four earned) in only one-third of an inning to San Francisco.  However, that would be the sole blip in the George Stone machine.  He followed up his outing against the Giants with 8⅔ innings of one-run ball against the Big Red Machine, with the only run scoring on a ninth-inning RBI single by future Hall of Famer Johnny Bench.  Again, Stone was credited with a no-decision as the Mets went on to lose the game, 2-1, in ten innings.  That no-decision streak would stretch to four in his next start (Stone got a no-decision in the Mets' victory on August 6 to start the streak), but the Mets did manage to win that game against the Dodgers, 4-3.

By late August, the Mets were in last place, a dozen games below .500.  However, despite their ugly 58-70 record, the Mets found themselves only 6½ games behind the first place Cardinals, who at 65-64 were leading the mediocre National League East.  Even after Tug McGraw told everyone on the team that "Ya Gotta Believe", it was difficult for anyone to believe that the Mets were going to play anything but the spoiler role in the National League East.  But George Stone, despite spoiling the Mets' season in 1972, was not going to be happy with just spoiling other teams' chances in the NL East.  He was absolutely a believer in the 1973 Mets and through his performances over the final month of the regular season, he was going to make everyone a believer, too.

At 58-70, no one was taking the Mets seriously in the lackluster NL East.  But George Stone still had something to prove to Mets fans.  On the night of August 27, 1973, Stone took the Shea Stadium mound against the San Digeo Padres, the team that beat him in his first start of the season.  This time, Stone would not be denied.  He pitched seven strong innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while walking no one.  Stone also helped the Mets at the plate in that game.  With the Mets trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Stone reached first on a catcher's interference call to lead off the inning.  As fate would have it, it would be Rusty Staub who drove him in on the strength of a grand slam home run later in the inning.  Stone's victory on that late August night at Shea would prove to be the game that turned the Mets' season around.

From August 27 to the end of the season, the Mets won 24 of their last 33 games, passing every team in the National League East on their way to an unlikely division title.  George Stone's victory against the Padres began a streak in which he won five consecutive starts.  After defeating San Diego in August, Stone's next four starts were among his stingiest of the season, as he allowed five runs in 27⅓ innings for a 1.65 ERA.  Those starts were only part of an historic second half of the 1973 season for Stone.  Beginning on July 14, Stone won eight consecutive decisions and gave up three runs or less in 12 of his final 13 starts.  By season's end, Stone was 12-3 with a 2.80 ERA and the Mets were National League East champions for the second time in five years.

It was on to the playoffs for the Mets, where they would face the powerhouse Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS.  After taking a two games to one lead over the Reds in the best-of-five series, George Stone was tabbed to help the Mets win the pennant in Game 4.  Stone was brilliant early on, allowing only two hits and one walk in six shutout innings.  But the Mets were also struggling at the plate, managing only one hit off Reds' starter Fred Norman and reliever Don Gullett through the first six innings.  But that one hit had produced the only run of the game, as the Mets took a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning.  However, one swing off the bat of Tony Perez changed all that, as his homer off Stone tied the game at 1.  Stone was taken out of the game and the Mets eventually lost in 12 innings.  Despite the no-decision, it was Stone's 13th game in 14 starts in which he allowed three runs or less.  The Mets did win the pennant the following night at Shea Stadium and they went on to play the defending World Series champion Oakland Athletics for the 1973 title, a series that may have been decided when Yogi Berra decided NOT to use George Stone.

Perhaps Yogi Berra wouldn't have been so stone-faced in this photo if he had let Stone face the A's.

Against the Oakland A's, manager Yogi Berra decided to go with a three-man rotation, sending Jon Matlack, Jerry Koosman and Tom Seaver to the mound in Games 1, 2 and 3, while using George Stone out of the bullpen.  The move paid off in Game 2 of the World Series, even though it looked as if Berra was never going to use Stone in the game.

The Mets dropped Game 1 of the World Series by the final score of 2-1, so they weren't going to take any chances in Game 2.  After scoring four runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 6-3 lead, Berra brought in closer Tug McGraw to pitch in the bottom of the sixth.  McGraw got through the sixth unscathed, but gave up a run to Oakland in the seventh.  With a well-rested Stone in the bullpen, Berra left McGraw in the game to pitch the eighth inning.  After retiring the A's in order in the eighth, McGraw was allowed to pitch the ninth inning.  Unfortunately, Oakland tied the game with two runs in the ninth to send the game into extra innings.  Stone was ready to pitch in extra innings, but Berra wasn't ready to give up on his closer.

Tug McGraw had pitched two scoreless innings in Game 1 of the World Series.  One day later, he was not as fortunate, allowing three runs in four innings of work.  Despite the extra work, McGraw was summoned to start the tenth inning against the A's.  His next two innings were spectacular, as the Tugger retired all six batters to face him, with four coming via the strikeout.  The Mets finally responded in the 12th inning, scoring four times to take a 10-6 lead.  Incredibly, McGraw was allowed to start his seventh inning of work, but this time he didn't make it through the inning.  After allowing the first two batters in the 12th to reach base, George Stone was finally summoned to replace McGraw.

Pitching for the first time since Game 4 of the NLCS, Stone gave up an RBI single to his first batter, Jesus Alou, then issued a one-out walk to Mike Andrews to load the bases.  The A's had the bases loaded, veteran pinch-hitter Vic Davalillo representing the winning run at the plate and All-Star Bert Campaneris on deck.  Stone had worked his way into a jam, but reared back and retired Davalillo on a pop-up to second baseman Felix Millan.  With the bases still loaded, he then retired Campaneris on a groundout to shortstop Buddy Harrelson, earning the save and allowing the Mets to tie the series at one game apiece.

The Mets returned to Shea Stadium and won two of the three games at home, taking a 3-2 series lead back to Oakland.  Needing one win to capture their second title, the Mets decided to go with Tom Seaver on three days rest in Game 6, bypassing the opportunity to use George Stone, who had only pitched one inning over the first five games of the series.  It was a move that would forever be questioned by Mets fans everywhere, as Seaver allowed single runs in the first and third innings and the Mets lost, 3-1.

By using Seaver instead of Stone in Game 6, the Mets were left without their ace in Game 7 and were forced to use second-year starter Jon Matlack to pitch the first seventh game in Mets history.  Matlack was knocked out early, allowing four runs in 2⅔ innings.  By the time the Mets came to bat in the seventh inning, the score was 5-1 and the season was slipping away.  George Stone was finally brought into the game in the bottom of the seventh to stop the bleeding, which he did, pitching two scoreless innings.  However, he would be the last Met to take the mound in 1973, as the Mets were only able to push across one run in the ninth inning, losing the game and the World Series.

If George Stone had started Game 6, this might not have been the only ring won by the Mets in '73.

Although he had a surprisingly good regular season, Stone was barely used in the postseason.  He started one of the five games in the NLCS and was used in relief twice in the World Series, allowing a combined one run on seven hits in 9⅔ innings.  Despite the unfortunate ending to the 1973 season, the Mets expected to contend for the division title in 1974 with George Stone joining Seaver, Koosman and Matlack as part of a formidable rotation.  Instead, they formed the nucleus of one of the most disappointing teams in Mets history.

Stone started 13 games for the Mets in 1974, fighting through injuries and finishing the year with a 2-7 record and a 5.03 ERA.  After finishing one win short of a championship in 1973, the Mets finished 20 games under .500 in 1974.  They did recover to win 82 games in 1975, but Stone did not recapture his 1973 magic, going 3-3 with a 5.05 ERA in 11 starts.  Although he was only 28 years old, Stone's career as a Met was over.

Four years after breaking the hand of Rusty Staub, George Stone was traded to the Texas Rangers for (ironically) a pitcher named Hands.  Neither player involved in the trade ever pitched in the major leagues again.

George Stone was disliked by Mets fans when the team acquired him five months after effectively ending their 1972 season.  But the boos directed at Stone quickly turned to cheers as the 1973 season progressed.  Stone was one of the most unexpected success stories in 1973, helping the Mets advance to the World Series after they had been left for dead in the National League East.  His .800 winning percentage led all Mets pitchers and his 2.80 ERA was second only to Tom Seaver.

Although Stone only won five more games as a Met following the 1973 season, he left an indelible mark in the minds of Mets fans who were rooting for another miracle to occur.  When George Stone was traded to the Mets prior to the 1973 season, he was basically a throw-in in a deal meant to strengthen the middle of the infield.  But he became a key cog in helping his teammates and the fans believe that miracles can happen where you least expect them to.  He may have had only one good season in New York, but what a wonderful season it was for both George Stone and the Mets.


Note: One Season Wonders is a thirteen-part weekly series spotlighting those Mets who had one and only one memorable season in New York.  For previous installments, please click on the players' names below:
 
January 2, 2012: Bernard Gilkey
January 9, 2012: Terry Leach

25 Years Ago: Mets Clinch NL East Division Title

Do you remember where you were 25 years ago today?  If you were alive and a Mets fan, you definitely should.

On September 17, 1986, the Mets became champions of the National League East for the first time in 13 years, riding the arm of a young Dwight Gooden en route to a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.  The game marked the first career start for Dave Magadan, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Cubs scored both of their runs on the "strength" of Rafael Palmeiro's two-run HR.  It was only the second home run of Palmeiro's career, a career that saw him blast 584 more longballs and wave one finger at Congress.

Despite Palmeiro's homer, manager Davey Johnson kept Gooden in the game for the ninth inning, when he could have used either of his co-closers (Jesse Orosco and Roger McDowell).  He also inserted Keith Hernandez at first base for the final inning.  It was Hernandez's bout with the flu that kept him out of the starting lineup and allowed Dave Magadan to get his first major league start at first base.

Gooden began the ninth inning by walking Cubs catcher Jody Davis.  Shawon Dunston (who himself had a key moment in Mets history during the 1999 NLCS) then grounded into a fielder's choice, with Davis retired at second base.  Pinch-hitter Chris Speier then singled to put the tying runs on base.

Two on, one out, no call to the bullpen.  It was Doc's game to win or lose.

Dwight settled down after the single to Speier, striking out pinch-hitter Jerry Mumphrey.  With two outs, Chico Walker stepped up to the plate.  Let's go to Steve Zabriskie and Rusty Staub for the play-by-play:




As Rusty Staub said, it was "13 years of waiting" for the Mets and their fans (Rusty himself was a key member of the last Mets team to win a division title in 1973), but the team finally clinched the National League Eastern division crown 25 years ago today, on September 17, 1986.

By losing four straight games on the road to Philadelphia and St. Louis (the Mets did win the final game of their two-game series in St. Louis on September 16), the Mets allowed themselves the opportunity and luxury of winning the division title in front of the Shea faithful.

Although millions of fans will now claim to have been there, a total of 47,823 fans tore into the field after the final out was recorded.  We don't know if any of those fans caught the flu from coming into close contact with Keith Hernandez after he caught the final out of the game, but we do know that the city had caught Mets fever.

On September 17, 1986, the Mets were champions again.  They'd go on to win the championship of the National League 28 days later and the World Series 12 days after that, but it's that first taste of champagne that's the sweetest.

Can you believe it's been 25 years already?

Justin Turner "Un-Vail-ed"

It seems like a lot of people have sent the Justin Turner bandwagon into overdrive. From #JustinTurnerFacts on Twitter (tip of the blue Mets cap to The Daily Stache for creating what has become a trending topic on Twitter) to this guy who's written too many blogs on him recently, Justin Turner seems to be on everyone's mind. Even a certain renowned writer who has an equal amount of "faith" and "fear" in his team has weighed in on Turner's recent accomplishments.

Needless to say, I noticed a connection between Justin Turner and Rusty Staub that has nothing to do with their hair color. Unfortunately, it's not one most Mets fans would want to make.

Let's hop into the DeLorean and set the time coordinates to 1975. At the time, the Mets were in a transitional phase. Yogi Berra was fired in August, replaced by Roy McMillan. 1969 World Series hero Cleon Jones was released outright. However, the Mets did produce their highest team batting average to date (.256), saw Dave Kingman belt a franchise-record 36 home runs and watched Rusty Staub become the first player to drive in 100 runs in a single season.

That team also produced a young outfielder named Mike Vail.

Mike Vail was a hitting machine at AAA-Tidewater in 1975, hitting .342 in 115 games. He was also a clutch hitter, driving in 79 runs despite hitting only seven home runs for the Tides. On August 18, he made his major league debut as a pinch-hitter. He singled in his first at-bat. Two days later, he made his first start and went 0-for-5. He wasn't held hitless again until September 16, when ironically, he did not collect a hit in an 18-inning victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, going 0-for-7 in the extra-inning affair.

Vail's 23-game hitting streak set the franchise record, unsurpassed until 1984 when Hubie Brooks hit in 24 consecutive games. After hitting .302 in 38 games in 1975, Vail made Rusty Staub expendable in the minds of the front office, who traded Le Grand Orange to the Detroit Tigers for the rotund and past-his-prime Mickey Lolich.

The Mets did well in 1976, finishing with the second-most wins in franchise history at the time (86), but that proved to be the final respectable season for the team until 1984. Rusty Staub went on to average 106 RBI per season for the Tigers from 1976-1978 (no Met drove in as many as 106 runs in a season until Darryl Strawberry collected 108 RBI in 1990). Mike Vail went kaplooie after being anointed as the "player of the future" following the 1975 season.

A basketball injury sustained during the off-season kept Vail on the disabled list for most of the 1976 season. Upon his return, Vail struggled, hitting only .217, scoring eight runs and driving in nine in 53 games. He performed slightly better in 1977, but still only produced a .262 batting average with eight home runs and 35 RBI in 108 games.

The so-called "player of the future" helped send the Mets back to their losing past. After being an excellent contact hitter in the minors, Vail struck out 114 times in 584 career at-bats for the Mets. He attempted eight stolen bases as a Met and was thrown out all eight times. Vail also made Jeff Francoeur look like a walking machine. From 1975-1977, Vail drew only 34 bases on balls, never walking more than 19 times in a single season for the Mets. This continued throughout his major league career, as Vail walked a mere 81 times in 10 big league seasons.

Now let's get back into the DeLorean, fire up the flux capacitor (anyone have a spare piece of plutonium lying around?) and return to 2011. Justin Turner just set the Mets' rookie record by driving in at least one run in his seventh consecutive game. Prior to his streak, Turner had only driven in six runs in his major league career. But like Vail, Turner was also an outstanding contact hitter in the minor leagues, hitting .309 and striking out only 279 times in 2,202 plate appearances.

Justin Turner is also playing third base, filling in admirably for the injured David Wright, who drove in over 100 runs last season. With just about every Met having the "untradeable" tag removed from them, could it be that history is about to repeat itself?

Let's hope not. Justin Turner is on quite a bit of a roll, but he will never be David Wright, even when the longtime third baseman reverts to his David K. Wright persona. At best, Turner will platoon with Daniel Murphy at second base until Terry Collins decides that one of them has won the job outright.

Justin Turner is a nice player whose 15 minutes of fame have stretched into a second week. He's not David Wright just like Mike Vail was not Rusty Staub. Let's enjoy his hot streak while it lasts, but let's not make the mistake the front office made in 1975 by anointing him "the player of the future". For now, Justin Turner is a player of the present. We'll let the future take care of itself.

Le Grand Justin Turner

Rusty Staub was beloved as a Met, setting numerous club records during his underrated career. So cherished was Rusty in New York that the team honored him with "Thanks Rusty Day" on July 13, 1986.

Mets players poured out of the dugout wearing red wigs in appreciation of Le Grand Orange, a key player in the march to the National League pennant in 1973 and one of the best pinch-hitters of all-time during his second stint with the Mets in the 1980s.

It's been 25 years since the Mets honored their red-headed sparkplug. Now the Mets have another in Justin Turner.

The arrival of Turner came "Justin" time for the Mets.

Justin Turner quietly put together a successful minor league career, hitting .309 in five minor league seasons. A doubles machine, Turner hit 124 two-baggers in the minors, a number surpassed by only 16 players in Mets history (including Rusty Staub, who hit 130 doubles for the Mets).

Now given the chance to play every day for the Mets due to injuries to Ike Davis and David Wright, Turner has flourished. Entering tonight's game, he was hitting .364, continuing his doubles onslaught with seven two-base hits in only 55 at-bats. With his first-inning RBI single, Turner broke Ron Swoboda's 46-year-old rookie record for consecutive games with an RBI (seven). Over those seven games, Turner has driven in 12 runs.

Terry Collins will have a dilemma on his hands when Ike Davis and David Wright return from their injuries to play first base and third base, respectively. Who will lose playing time between Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner? Will the lefty-swinging Murphy platoon with the right-handed hitting RBI machine? Has Turner earned the opportunity to play every day? Will someone be traded?

One thing's for certain. In the '70s and '80s, Mets fans were treated to the fantastic play of Le Grand Orange, Rusty Staub. It's been over a quarter century since Rusty announced his retirement. Now the fans have a new redhead to cheer. Le Grand Justin Turner is winning the hearts of Mets fans all over the city and making opposing pitchers see red every time he drives in another run. Not bad for a guy who only had four major league hits before 2011.

M.U.M.'s The Word (Most Underrated Mets): Rusty Staub

In 1971, the Mets boasted one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. Tom Seaver won 20 games and led the league with a 1.76 ERA (his only season with an ERA under 2.00). Danny Frisella and Tug McGraw combined to win 19 games and save 20, with both pitchers finishing with ERAs under 2.00. As a team, the Mets led the National League with a 2.99 ERA. Yet despite being able to keep their opponents off the scoreboard, the Mets found it difficult to put runs on the board themselves.

Collectively, the Mets hit .249 in 1971 and scored 588 runs (an average of 3.6 runs per game). They had no firepower in their lineup, as evidenced by their 320 extra-base hits (203 doubles, 29 triples, 98 home runs), which averages out to slightly under two extra-base hits per game. No Met hitter hit 15 HR, scored 70 runs or drove in 70. As a result, the excellent pitching was wasted more often than not, and the Mets suffered in the standings. With an 83-79 record, the Mets finished in third place in the NL East, 14 games behind the eventual World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Mets' front office realized that the team needed a serious upgrade in their offense if they wanted to compete in 1972 and beyond. Manager Gil Hodges was not in favor of trading the team's best prospects to acquire an established hitter, but the Mets were in desperate need. Unfortunately, Hodges would not live to see the Mets acquire their stud hitter, as he suffered a heart attack and passed away on April 2, 1972. Three days later, the Mets announced that they had traded former #1 overall draft pick Tim Foli, Queens native Mike Jorgensen and top prospect Ken Singleton to the Montreal Expos to acquire the big bat they had coveted for the better part of a year. That hitter would become one of the most popular players in Mets history.

That ain't no Danny Boy; that's Rusty Staub!

Daniel Joseph Staub, better known as Rusty, had been selected to the National League All-Star team in each of the previous five seasons prior to his trade to the Mets. By age 28, Staub had already put together an impressive baseball résumé, collecting 1,300 hits, 239 doubles, 135 HR and 640 RBI. He also showed a keen eye at the plate, with 619 walks and only 507 strikeouts over the first nine years of his career. With Staub batting cleanup between Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones, the Mets had a formidable middle of the lineup that was expected to give their pitchers much-needed run support.

Staub began the season on a tear, going into the month of June with a .325 batting average, .403 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage near .500. Not coincidentally, the Mets were also off to the finest start in their 11-year history. On May 20, the team held a 6½ game lead in the NL East, and as late as June 6, the Mets were 19 games above .500 (32-13). However, June 3 might have been the day that the season took a turn for the worse, for it was on that day that Rusty Staub's hand got in the way of a George Stone pitch.

In the seventh inning of a game eventually won by the Mets, Atlanta pitcher and future Met George Stone hit Rusty Staub with a pitch on his right hand. Staub continued to play for the next two weeks before the pain became unbearable and he was diagnosed with a broken right hand, necessitating a long stay in the disabled list. Over the next three months, Staub played in only one game. In his absence, the Mets' offense resembled the punchless 1971 version, not hitting for average and not hitting for power. The team was in first place with a 36-20 record after Staub's last game on June 18. When he returned for good on September 18, the Mets were already 16½ games behind the Pirates, having gone 36-47 during the three months. Naturally, once Staub returned, the team started to play well again, winning 11 of their final 17 games, but it was too late to save the season. The three-month stretch without their cleanup hitter took what could have been a memorable campaign and turned it into yet another 83-win season, the team's third consecutive year with that win total.

In 1973, the Mets actually regressed, finishing with their worst record since their pre-Amazin' days. However, the rest of the division also took two steps back, allowing the Mets and manager Yogi Berra to capture the mediocre National League East division title with an 82-79 record. This time, Rusty Staub was healthy for the entire season, and he helped carry the team to their unlikely division title.

After losing to the San Francisco Giants on August 26, the Mets found themselves with a 58-70 record, taking up residence in the NL East's basement. The San Diego Padres came to town to start a three-game series at Shea Stadium the following night. Through the first 4½ innings, the Padres held a 2-1 lead, which was par for the course for the 1973 Mets. But everything changed in the fifth inning with one mighty swing by Le Grande Orange, as Staub connected for a grand slam off Padres' starter Steve Arlin to give the Mets a 5-2 lead. The Mets went on to win the game for starter George Stone (remember him?) and then never stopped winning.

Beginning with Rusty's Grand Slam game on August 27, the Mets won 24 of their final 33 games, overtaking every division rival on their way to first place. During those 33 games, Staub carried the offense, hitting .321 and reaching base at a .411 clip. He scored 24 runs, drove in 20, and pounded out 11 extra-base hits (six doubles, five homers). He also made excellent contact, striking out only nine times in 151 plate appearances. Staub's production at the end of the regular season was excellent, but it was nothing compared to what he did in the postseason.

After losing Game 1 of the 1973 NLCS to the Cincinnati's Big Red Machine, the Mets' big orange machine took over the series. In the fourth inning of Game 2, Staub gave the Mets the lead with a solo homer off 18-game winner Don Gullett. It would be the only run the Mets would need as they tied up the series with a 5-0 victory. Staub repeated the feat in Game 3, giving the Mets an early 1-0 lead with a first inning blast. When Rusty came up for his next turn at bat in the second inning, the Reds decided to take out starting pitcher Ross Grimsley, replacing him with reliever Tom Hall. Did Rusty blink? Not a chance. This time, he unloaded a three-run homer off Hall, and the Mets cruised to a 9-2 victory in a game that also featured a brawl between Pete Rose and Buddy Harrelson at second base.

I'll bet Pete Rose knew what the Las Vegas odds were on this boxing match.

The Mets lost Game 4, 2-1 in 12 innings, but could have lost it an inning earlier had it not been for a brilliant catch by Rusty Staub off the bat of Dan Driessen. With two outs and two men on base in the top of the 11th inning, Driessen launched a shot near the right field fence. Running at full speed, Staub reached out and robbed Driessen of an extra-base hit, slamming into the right field wall in the process. Unfortunately, Staub separated his shoulder on the play and did not play in Game 5. However, the Mets were able to win that game without the services of their rightfielder, upsetting the Reds to win their second National League pennant.

Rusty Staub was banged up from his temporary game-saving catch in the NLCS, so had he performed poorly in the World Series against the defending champion Oakland Athletics, it would have been understood. Instead, Rusty turned in an MVP-caliber performance for the Mets that almost carried them to their second World Series title.

After not starting Game 1, appearing only as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning, Staub hit .423 over the remaining six games, collecting 11 hits in 26 at-bats. His biggest performance came in Game 4. With the Mets already down two games to one, Staub put the team on his shoulders and carried them to victory with a Herculean effort, going 4-for-4 and driving in five runs. In the first inning, Staub's three-run homer off 21-game winner Ken Holtzman gave the Mets the early lead. It was the lefty-hitting Staub's fourth home run of the postseason, all off southpaws. Later, with the Mets holding on to a 4-1 lead, Staub's two-run single broke the game open and the Mets went on to tie the series.

The Mets won Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead back to Oakland, but lost Games 6 and 7, failing to win their second championship. Rusty did all he could in Game 7, doubling home a run in the sixth inning to give the Mets their first tally after falling behind 5-0. But alas, not even the great Rusty Staub could carry the Mets on his separated shoulder forever. The Mets would probably not have made it to the seventh game of the World Series had it not been for Rusty. Even with his .423 batting average over the seven games, the Mets only hit .253 as a team in the World Series. Take away Rusty's heroics and the Mets collected only 55 hits in 235 at-bats (.234 batting average).

Still, the season had to be considered a great success for the Mets and for Rusty Staub, a season in which Rusty set the franchise record for doubles with 36, which surpassed the previous mark of 32 by Tommy Davis in 1967.

In 1974, the Mets underachieved in a major way, finishing the season with a 71-91 record, which was the team's worst record since Tom Seaver's rookie season in 1967. Again, Rusty Staub was among the team leaders in many offensive categories, but his .258 batting average was his lowest since 1965, when he was a 21-year-old playing in Houston (see photo below...umm...not sure which one though). Facing failure for the first time as a Met, Staub was determined to bounce back the following season, which he did in record-setting fashion.

Perhaps Rusty's poor 1974 season was due to the fans confusing him for Richie Cunningham.

The 1975 season saw the Mets return to contention after their post-pennant meltdown. As late as September 1st, the Mets were only four games out of first place, with dreams of their third division title in seven seasons becoming more realistic by the day. In addition to their usual excellent pitching, one of the main reasons for the Mets' success in 1975 was the resurgence of Rusty Staub. Le Grande Orange became the first Met in team history to surpass the 100 RBI mark in a single season, finishing with 105 (Donn Clendenon was the previous record holder with 97 RBI in 1970). Unlike some players who drive in their runs in bunches, Rusty was consistent throughout the year, driving in between 15 and 20 runs in every month of the season. Staub was at his best when he came to bat with a runner on third and less than two outs. In those situations, Rusty hit .436, driving in 42 runs and collecting a franchise record nine sacrifice flies.

Alas, the Mets fell short at the end of the season, finishing in third place with an 82-80 record. Despite their improvement in 1975, the Mets felt they needed more pitching, so they decided to trade their best hitter to Detroit for Mickey Lolich, who had won 207 games in 13 years with the Tigers. It was an ill-fated move for the Mets, who gave away their most productive RBI bat to acquire a pitcher who had lost 39 games over the previous two seasons. Over the next three seasons, Staub drove in 318 runs for the Tigers, while Lolich won a total of eight games in a Mets uniform. Until 1977, when the Mets held their Midnight Massacre, the trade of Staub to the Tigers would rank just below the Nolan Ryan/Jim Fregosi deal in 1971 as the worst in franchise history.

After his days with the Tigers, Staub played for the Montreal Expos and the Texas Rangers, before returning to the Mets as a free agent in 1981 to be their starting first baseman. The Mets had also traded for Dave Kingman, himself a victim of the Midnight Massacre in 1977, and moved him to first base from left field in May, relegating the 37-year-old Staub to the bench. It was as the team's primary pinch-hitter that Staub found a new life with the Mets.

After Kingman moved to first base, Staub was used as a pinch-hitter 32 times, excelling in the role. His .346 batting average and .438 on-base percentage off the bench made him one of the top pinch-hitters in the National League. Staub only struck out one time as a pinch-hitter during the strike-shortened 1981 season, making him one of the team's few offensive weapons in an otherwise forgettable year.

By 1982, the Mets were in the midst of their sixth consecutive losing season. Attendance was down and the magic (promised to the fans in a 1980 marketing campaign) wasn't back. There wasn't much to cheer about at Shea Stadium. But one player who always got the fans up on their feet was Rusty Staub. Although Staub's batting average as a pinch-hitter wasn't as good in 1982 (.211) as it was the previous year (perhaps he was concentrating on his new player-coach job), he still managed to drive in 13 runs in the role. In 1983, Staub had given up his player-coach role and gone back to full-time pinch-hitting. That was when Staub delivered his best performance for the up-and-coming Mets.

The Mets had started out poorly in 1983, going 16-30 over their first 46 games, which led to the resignation of manager George Bamberger. Soon after Frank Howard took over the sinking ship, Rusty Staub took his pinch-hitting to another level. From June 11 to June 26, opposing pitchers found it impossible to retire Staub, as Rusty tied the major league record by collecting eight consecutive pinch hits. He also started at first base on June 15, 1983 (the same day Keith Hernandez was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals and the first time yours truly attended a game at Shea Stadium) and went 3-for-4 as he kept the position warm for Keith's debut in the following game. For his efforts, Staub received the National League Player of the Week Award for the week of June 19.

Staub was not only hot in June; he was on fire all season. In addition to tying the consecutive pinch hit record (previously held by Dave Philley, who played for...you guessed it...the Phillies), Staub also tied the major league record with 25 pinch-hit RBI and broke the all-time record with 81 pinch-hit at-bats (94 plate appearances). Even with all the extra times at bat, Staub remained an outstanding contact hitter, striking out only six times in those 94 plate appearances.

By 1984, the Mets were back to being contenders and Staub's career was winding down. Still, at age 40, Rusty continued to be an RBI machine as a pinch-hitter, driving in 18 runs in 1984 before calling it a career in 1985 after collecting eight more pinch-hit RBI in only 42 at-bats. For the five years he was a Met in his second tour of duty with the team, Staub's pinch-hitting numbers were as follows: .271 batting average (75-for-277), 15 doubles, 6 HR, 70 RBI, .347 on-base percentage, 36 walks, 23 strikeouts.

So beloved was Rusty Staub at Shea Stadium that the Mets held a "Thanks, Rusty" day on July 13, 1986. (For two great videos of the ceremony, click here for Part One and here for Part Two.)

Some players have excelled for the Mets, left the team via trade or free agency, only to return a during the latter stages of their career as a shadow of their former selves (see Tom Seaver, Kevin McReynolds, David Cone). Although Rusty Staub did not become an everyday player during his second tour of duty with the Mets, he became the best pinch-hitter in franchise history and is remembered fondly for what he gave to the Mets during both of his stints in New York.

Tom Seaver and Rusty Staub - teammates on the 1973 National League Champion Mets and teammates on the 1983 cellar-dwelling Mets. In between, both players spent considerable time away from the Mets.

Since retiring from baseball, Rusty has remained active in the community as a restaurateur and through his humanitarian efforts. His Rusty Staub Foundation and the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund have raised millions of dollars for their respective causes.

Rusty Staub is a legend both on and off the field. He was a clutch hitter during his two stays in New York and ranks among the team leaders in various offensive categories. Still, when one thinks of the best players in franchise history, Rusty's name hardly gets a whisper, making Le Grande Orange also Le Grande Underrated Met. But if you're a Met fan who remembers the '70s and '80s well, I'm sure there are many warm memories that Rusty Staub helped create.

Note: M.U.M.'s The Word is a thirteen-part weekly series spotlighting some of the best Mets players of all-time who never got the recognition they deserved because they weren't the biggest names on the teams they played for. For previous installments, please click on the players' names below:

January 3, 2011: John Olerud
January 10, 2011: Sid Fernandez
January 17, 2011: Jon Matlack
January 24, 2011: Kevin McReynolds
January 31, 2011: Bobby Jones
February 7, 2011: John Stearns
February 14, 2011: David Cone

After Strawberry, It's Been 20 Years of Musical Chairs In Right Field

Ask any Mets fan who the greatest rightfielder in franchise history is and before you get to the word "franchise", you'll get your answer - Darryl Strawberry. Now ask them who the best rightfielder is after the Straw Man and you'll hear crickets.

It's no surprise that no one can name the second best rightfielder in Mets history. After all, since Darryl planted his Strawberry Patch and claimed the position for his own, the Mets have auditioned a plethora of candidates for the job and none of them has been able to make the position his own.

Here's a trivia question for you. Since Darryl played his last game as a Met in 1990, who has started the most games in right field for the team? Whatever answer you say, you're probably wrong. The correct answer is... wait for it... Jeromy Burnitz!


Burnitz had two short stints with the Mets. He played for the Mets briefly in 1993 (86 games) and 1994 (45 games), but never made much of a splash. He showed some promise in 1993 by hitting 13 home runs in 263 at-bats, but his uppercut to end all uppercuts (except his own) led to many strikeouts and a poor batting average. He paid the price for those home runs by hitting .243 during his rookie season. He fared worse in the strike-shortened 1994 season, hitting three home runs and striking out 45 times in 143 at-bats. (Meanwhile, his replacement in right field, Joe Orsulak, struck out 21 times in 292 at-bats in 1994.)

The Mets gave up on the man they thought would replace Strawberry as their left-handed power-hitting rightfielder after the 1994 season, trading him to the Cleveland Indians for pitchers Paul Byrd, Jerry DiPoto and Dave Mlicki (whose claim to fame is the 1997 shutout of the Yankees). The three pitchers combined for a total of 38 wins during their time with the Mets. Burnitz did a little better than that after leaving New York.

Once Cleveland traded Burnitz to the Brewers in 1996, his career took off. In his first full season in Milwaukee, Burnitz hit 27 HR and drove in 85 runs. The 27 homers were two more than he had hit over his first four big league seasons combined. He then had a stellar 1997 season for the Brewers, collecting 38 HR and 125 RBI. The RBI total is higher than any Met has achieved in nearly half a century of the franchise's existence (Mike Piazza had 124 RBI in 1999, a mark equaled by David Wright in 2008).

From 1997-2001, Burnitz averaged 33 HR and 102 RBI per season for Milwaukee, which made him a top target for the Mets in 2002. The Mets re-acquired the man they gave up on nearly a decade earlier to team up with fellow new acquisitions Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar in the hopes of pushing the Mets back to the top of the NL East. Let's just say that once Jeromy returned to New York, his career crashed and burn-itzed.

Jeromy Burnitz played one and a half seasons for the Mets after his return to New York in 2002. The one-time sure bet for a 100 RBI season was only able to drive in 99 runs in his year and a half with the team. However, his tendency to strike out did not abandon him the way his other skills did, as he fanned a total of 190 times in 2002 and the first half of 2003.


Despite his two short unsuccessful stints in New York, Burnitz's 290 starts in right field are the most since Darryl Strawberry left the Mets after the 1990 season to play for his hometown Dodgers. By comparison, David Wright has started 297 games at third base over the past two seasons. That's seven more games than any Mets player has started in right field over the past 20 years! And David Wright actually spent time on the disabled list in 2009 after suffering a direct hit from Matt Cain's head-seeking missile, yet he still started more games at third base over the past two years than any player has started in right field in 20 years.

Third base used to be the musical chairs position for the Mets. Through the end of the 2010 season, a total of 142 men had played at least one game at the hot corner. Third base has been replaced by right field as the position where long-term careers go to die. From 1962-2010, a total of 197 men have played at least one game in right field. If Carlos Beltran moves over to right field in 2011 (which he should), he would become the 198th Met to be player #9 on your scorecard.

Of those 197 men to play right field, only Darryl Strawberry (1,062 games) and Rusty Staub (535 games) have started more than 500 games at the position. Right field has been such a revolving door for players that the 290 starts made by Jeromy Burnitz in right field make him fifth on the all-time Mets leaderboard.

Finally, in the twenty seasons since Darryl Strawberry signed with the Dodgers, the Mets have used 102 players in right field, or more than half of the men who have played the position in franchise history. Now it's Angel Pagan's turn to be the Mets' rightfielder. (Or is it Carlos Beltran?) Given the recent history in right field, neither Pagan nor Beltran will probably keep the position for long.

Most successful teams have stability in their everyday lineup. Since Darryl Strawberry last played for the Mets in 1990, right field has been anything but stable. Isn't it time the Mets found someone they can feel comfortable with as their rightfielder? After all, twenty years is an awful long time to be conducting tryouts for the job.

Studious Metsimus Survey: New Food Stand Suggestions For Citi Field

Last year, Mets fans raved about all the new food items served at Citi Field. It might have been the only thing worth celebrating at Citi Field in 2009 (other than the reunion of the 1969 World Championship team on August 22). From Shake Shack to Box Frites to Blue Smoke to the various chicken nacho stands (a Studious Metsimus favorite), Citi Field's food choices were a huge upgrade from the fare at Shea Stadium.

However, just like with other things at Citi Field, there is very little mention of Mets history when it comes to food. Baltimore's Camden Yards has Boog's BBQ (named after former Orioles' great Boog Powell). Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park has numerous references to Phillies' legends, such as Bull's BBQ (after Greg "The Bull" Luzinski) and Harry The K's Broadcast Bar and Grille (after the late Harry Kalas).

What do the Mets have? Nothing. Not even a mention of Mets great and restaurateur Rusty Staub or a Tom Seaver winery. Staub would make the most sense to have an eatery named after him at Citi Field. How can the Mets not have a Rusty's Ribs at the ballpark, especially when similar establishments have popped up in Baltimore and Philly?

Therefore, Studious Metsimus would like to conduct a survey. Which eateries should the Mets open up at Citi Field? Be creative and be demonstrative when letting your feelings known. There's got to be a boyfriend of a third cousin's aunt's stepdaughter of a Mets employee reading this. Maybe word will get out and we'll be heard. Or maybe we'll just make ourselves hungry and order some takeout. Have fun with it!

(Here are some suggestions by the Studious Metsimus staff, followed by explanations):

Santana's Smoothies (because 'Han the Man is just soooo smooth)

Angel Food Cake (for Angel Pagan...this could be the main item in the Cake Shack that Studious Metsimus co-blogger Joey wants established.)

Castillo's Quesadillas (and they have to be big enough so that they have to be eaten with TWO HANDS!)

Bobby O's Chicken Fingers (in honor of the infamous hedge clipping accident where Bobby Ojeda severed the tip of his middle finger, fans would be served four and a half chicken fingers per serving.)

Strawberry's Daiquiris (for the lovely ladies in the hizzouse)

Anthony Young's 27 Wonderful Flavors (27 flavors of ice cream to commemorate AY's record-setting 27 consecutive losses)

Turk Wendell's Butcher Shop (with Mr. Wendell himself providing the meat!)

Sid And Benny's Hawaiian Pizza (for the two most famous #50s in Mets history...sorry, Sean Green.)

Koosman's Pub (where 36 beers are on tap, all served with their own Koos-ie)

Ed Charles' Burgers (home of the soon-to-be world-famous Glider's Sliders)

Mazzilli's Fusilli (for the pasta lovers in all of us)

Studious Metsimus can come up with at least one thousand nine hundred and eighty six more suggestions, but we'd like to turn it over to the fans now. Which food/beverage stands would you like to see at Citi Field? (Please, no Brooklyn Dodger references in your suggestions. We already have enough of those.) Enjoy!