Although he moved around the infield quite a bit, most people regard Edgardo Alfonso coming into his own when he was a second baseman. He finished his career with more games at 3B than 2B, but you can't argue with what he did with his glove nor with his bat. As an eight-year Met Alfonso hit .292 with an average of 18 HRs and 80 RBIs.
He was one of the most popular Mets players of all time and took out of his own pocket a huge thank you message to Mets fans in the newspaper when he was traded away to San Francisco. We won't get into his surprising dismissal as manager in the Mets minor leagues, but if I left him off the list here or relegated him to 3B only, then I would hear about it for sure.
When the Mets made a deal with the Atlanta Braves to obtain their steady fielding but light hitting second baseman Felix Millan not too many people were doing cartwheels. What the man brought to the Mets was a steady defense and professional at-bats. During his New York Mets career he hit a respectable .278.
When the Mets made a deal with the Atlanta Braves to obtain their steady fielding but light hitting second baseman Felix Millan not too many people were doing cartwheels. What the man brought to the Mets was a steady defense and professional at-bats. During his New York Mets career he hit a respectable .278.
Run production wasn't a big part of his game, averaging just 2 HRs and 43 RBIs per season. He was a three time All Star and was awarded two Gold Gloves during his 12-year career
Although he moved around the diamond, to most fans Daniel Murphy will be associated with the position of second base. During his seven years with the Mets he had not really blossomed into the power hitter he'd become, but his overall seven year average was a very nice .288. He provided 11 HRs and 72 RBIs per season while delivering an average defensive posture in the field.
Although he moved around the diamond, to most fans Daniel Murphy will be associated with the position of second base. During his seven years with the Mets he had not really blossomed into the power hitter he'd become, but his overall seven year average was a very nice .288. He provided 11 HRs and 72 RBIs per season while delivering an average defensive posture in the field.
Later, of course, he had single season marks like .347 for the Nationals with 25 HRs and 104 RBIs which notched him second place in the MVP voting and a Silver Slugger. He was still pretty good for the Mets, too.
A man Mets fans love to hate was second baseman Jeff Kent. I never quite understood the animosity as he was a solid player. For the Mets he hit a fine .274 with an average run production of 21 HRs and 86 RBIs. Of course, after leaving the Mets he kicked it up into the next gear and finished with a career average of .290 with a typical season including 27 HRs and over 100 RBIs.
A man Mets fans love to hate was second baseman Jeff Kent. I never quite understood the animosity as he was a solid player. For the Mets he hit a fine .274 with an average run production of 21 HRs and 86 RBIs. Of course, after leaving the Mets he kicked it up into the next gear and finished with a career average of .290 with a typical season including 27 HRs and over 100 RBIs.
He did win the MVP once and was a five time All Star for other teams. Yeah, he was one who got away. Considering the Mets only got back an unproductive Carlos Baerga and Alvaro Espinoza, they were robbed.
Although primarily a platoon player and a volatile tempered minor league manager, Wally Backman was always fun to watch. The little guy played with great passion, fielding aggressively, stealing bases and taking the extra base. During his Mets career which lasted from 1980 through 1988 Backman hit .283 but supplied little in the way of run production, averaging just 1 HR and 32 RBIs per season.
Although primarily a platoon player and a volatile tempered minor league manager, Wally Backman was always fun to watch. The little guy played with great passion, fielding aggressively, stealing bases and taking the extra base. During his Mets career which lasted from 1980 through 1988 Backman hit .283 but supplied little in the way of run production, averaging just 1 HR and 32 RBIs per season.
He was sent packing to Minnesota for a nondescript package of Jeff Bumgarner, Steve Gasser and Toby Nivens. Both teams got stiffed.
Another player who has done time in both the infield and outfield, Jeff McNeil is surely deserving to be on this list. Even with his mediocre 2021 campaign, he sports a career batting average of .300, averaging 16 HRs and 67 RBIs per season. In 2022 the run production numbers may taper down batting 8th or 9th in Buck Showalter's lineup, but the batting average has come roaring back.
Any second basemen you feel deserve recognition here?
Another player who has done time in both the infield and outfield, Jeff McNeil is surely deserving to be on this list. Even with his mediocre 2021 campaign, he sports a career batting average of .300, averaging 16 HRs and 67 RBIs per season. In 2022 the run production numbers may taper down batting 8th or 9th in Buck Showalter's lineup, but the batting average has come roaring back.
Any second basemen you feel deserve recognition here?
Jeff McNeil threw in his 2 RBIs - err, I mean 2 cents - last night.
ReplyDeleteWhat Murphy and Kent did post-Mets combined would get a Hall of Fame nod. Ouch.
Little Timmy Teufel deserves some attention here, too. He did OK as a Met.
Doug Flynn had one 60 RBI season, but in his others, the glove whiz showed severe allergies to nuts and RBIs.
That Robby Cano was really something, huh?
I'm with you, Tom - Tim Teufel deserves some ink here. He platooned with Backman back in the tremendous 1986 season, and then later managed in the Mets' farm system and even did a stint with the big league club as a 3rd base coach. Tim was Tuff!
ReplyDeleteAnd as long as we are talking about middle infielders, the fundamentals coach in me had a great day yesterday, watching Lindor and McNeil. McNeil's relay throw to nail a Nats' runner at the plate was a thing of beauty from his on-line positioning to his one-motion crow-hop throw. And Lindor taking 2B on Soto's throw over the cutoff was just smart baseball. That type of heads up baserunning is rare because it is entirely up to the runner to see the play developing, make the decision, and go. No time for a coach to yell instructions. Ever since he joined NY, Lindor has demonstrated a high baseball IQ.
As an old timer I'd have to include Ron Hunt who always had a dirty uniform back in the day when that mattered and was our best player. By the way I'm just wondering how long till Buck gives JD the starting job at 3B because Escobar has been dreadful so far to the point that I have no idea why pitchers are even pitching to Pete as he's provided no protection behind him.
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