Casey Stengel once famously said when he was helping assemble the fledgling 1962 New York Mets team and his first choice was a mediocre catcher named Hobie Landrith, "You have to have a catcher because if you don't you're likely to have a lot of passed balls."
Well, the Mets did manage to snag quite a few better catcher options over the years, but none can hold a candle to Hall of Famer Mike Piazza. Obtained in a trade with the Florida Marlins, the Mets gave up a good player in Preston Wilson along with Ed Yarnall and Geoff Goetz, pitchers who never amounted to much of anything. In fact, Goetz never even made the majors. Piazza, of course, was hitting personified both for his Dodger career and again for the Mets. During his 1998-2005 period with the Mets he hit .295 with an average of 37 HRs and 110 RBIs per season. When you hit like that people will grumble under their breath about your defense but no one can question all that you've done to help the club win ballgames.
The big gun behind the dish prior to Piazza was the acquisition from the Expos of Gary Carter. The man's big smile, solid defense and formidable offense made it clear why Carter was a Hall of Famer for his great career. He was an 11-time All Star, a 3-time Gold Glove winner and a 5-time winner of the Silver Slugger. He was in the MVP running on 7 separate seasons. For the Mets he hit .249 but average 24 HRs and 94 RBIs per season. He was in a way a more complete player than Mike Piazza, but not nearly the same run producer. The fans were blessed to have seen the Mets put two of the all-time greats into their home uniform.
Many folks questioned why the Mets went hot and heavy after Mike Piazza after their incumbent catcher Todd Hundley had just hit 41 home runs in a single season for his team. Of course, facts have surfaced suggesting Hundley's efforts were a bit aided and for his Mets career prior to that magical 1996 season when he also drove in 112 and made the All Star team. He followed that up with a 30 HR season in 1997 during which his batting average rose to .273 and he increased he finished with 86 RBIs earning a second All Star berth. From there he was dispatched to California where he turned in a few strong power seasons but never drove in very many nor hit for a high average again. He finished with a .234 batting average for his career.
Just as the Mets once consciously eschewed defense for offense at shortstop with Asdrubal Cabrera, in 2019 they did the same thing behind the plate with the addition of free agent hitter who owned catching gear, Wilson Ramos. He contributed with his bat with a .276 average and run production along the lines of 17 HRs and 77 RBIs extrapolated over the course of normal 162 game seasons but the pitchers didn't like throwing to him and their results pretty much showed it. Still, he did what he was hired to do which was hit the ball.
During one of the Mets many extended periods of bad baseball catcher John Stearns was a fan favorite. He could run which was unusual for a catcher. He was there for pretty much his whole career after a short intro in Philadelphia for a single game in 1974. Stearns average .259 with 9 HRs and 62 RBIs to go along with 18 SBs per season. He did earn 4 All Star berths but during those years the Mets weren't exactly bursting with baseball talent either.
Crazy-eyed Paul Lo Duca was another catcher more renowned for his hitting than his defense (as well as being a celebrated playboy after hours). He was a Met for just two seasons but hit .297 over that period while averaging 9 HRs and 69 RBIs. That output probably helped defray the rumblings about his after-the-game activities.
Finally, there is long time Mets catcher and future cattle rustler Jerry Grote. He was the ultimate defense-first catcher for the club who occasionally would contribute with his bat as well. He was obtained during the 1965/1966 offseason from the Astros for mediocre pitcher Tom Parsons who never hit the majors again. Grote played for a dozen years at Shea hitting .256 while providing 5 HRs and 47 RBIs per year. Despite the weak sounding bat, Grote was treasured by his pitchers. He was twice named to the All Star team for his efforts. He was not the same type of offensive weapon as some of the other catchers the Mets have enjoyed, but the team was certainly fortified having him out there day after day.
Did I forget any other catchers you think should be among the Mets' best? There were a lot of short term solutions and comical moments such as the throwing-impaired Mackey Sasser.
3 comments:
How did you miss Tomas Nido?
Grote would have had more All Star gigs were it not for a Bench. One thing I liked about Grote was that he transformed as a hitter - he was a Mendoza Line dweller for his first few MLB years, but then turned it around convincingly.
I wish Piazza had been the one up with 2 outs in the 9th yesterday. He had the "cool" to handle an at bat of that pressure.
Until Pete came along, Hundley co-owned the Mets' anemic 41 HR record. Oddly both had around 40 heading into their respective Septembers, then virtually stopped hitting homers.
I'm glad you mentioned Sasser. He had the potential to be a great catcher and one that was remembered for years for his hitting. Unfortunately he became remembered for the wrong reason - the yips throwing the ball back to the mound. What a tragedy! I would say, "This could only happen to the Mets", but then there was this guy across town named Chuck Knoblauch.
Any discussion about catchers in Mets history has to include Ron Hodges. He played 12 years for the Mets as a fine back-up.
Post a Comment