Listening to
Joe and Evan last week on WFAN in NYC, the topic turned to who would play
centerfield on the all-time Mets team.
For Joe Benigno it was Mookie
Wilson over Carlos
Beltran.
What you say? Mookie
Wilson over 5 time Mets All Star Carlos Beltran?
If you look at the numbers, Carlos Beltran is the clear
choice. In 6 plus years with the Mets,
Carlos Beltran put ups some impressive numbers: 839 Games; 3,640 PA, 3,133 AB, 551
Runs, 878 Hits, 208 2B, 17 3B, 149 HR, 559 RBIs, 100 SB, 16 Caught Stealing,
449 BB, .280/.369/.500 plus multiple game winning HRs.
Mookie Wilson’s numbers: 9+ years, 1,116 Games; 4,308 PA, 4,027
AB, 592 Runs, 1,112 Hits, 170 2B, 62 3B, 60 HR, 342 RBIs, 281 SB, 90 Caught
Stealing, 240 BB, .276/.318/.394.
The numbers may not say it but I see Joe’s point. Mookie was always one of, if not my most favorite Met.
First, I think when a player comes up in the system vs. a
player that is signed as a free agent, fans tend to always favor the home grown
player. It just seems always to be the
case.
Fair or not, a lot of expectations are sometimes placed on
the hired guns. No matter what, it never
seems good enough.
Second, let’s go back to the late 70’s. Ever since they traded Tom Seaver,
the Mets were a bad baseball team. They
finished 64-98 in 1977, 66-96 in 1978, and 63-99 in 1979. During that time, the team in Flushing did
not provide much hope but there were some youngsters making headway. The Mets had drafted Hubie
Brooks in 1978 and we heard stories of a speedster at AAA, Mookie
Wilson.
In 1980, Doubleday and Wilpon bought the team and the Mets
drafted Darryl
Strawberry. Things were
starting to look up.
Then in 1981, Hubie Brooks and Mookie Wilson came to
Flushing and Mets fans could see some positive signs.
Mookie was exciting to watch on the base paths and in
CF. He caught balls in the alley that
had been dropping in, he set a new Met record with 10 Triples in 1984 previous
(since broken by others – Lance Johnson has the record, 21 in 1996) and 58
stolen bases in 1982 (Jose Reyes, 78 in 2007 is the current record holder).
July 31, 1983, Mookie led off the bottom of the 12th
in a 0-0 tie game and was bunted over to second by Hubie Brooks. Keith Hernandez was intentionally walked. George Foster grounded into a force play at
second but Wilson kept running around third base and beat the throw to the plate
to score the winning run. Just an
exciting moment.
Winning baseball was on the way and Mookie was a big part of
it. Those kind of memories and feelings
go a long way to making a fan favorite.
Especially when that player is instrumental in a
championship.
Mets down, two outs, tying and go ahead runners on base,
season on the line. Both Mookie and
Carlos where in the that situation.
Mookie in 1986. Carlos in
2006.
Carlos struck out on 3 pitches, call strike on a get me over
fastball, foul ball on curve, strike three on curve ball looking.
Mookie, historic 10 pitch at-bat. Foul, Ball, Ball, Foul, Foul, Foul, Foul,
wild pitch (tying run scores), foul, foul, ground ball…”it gets by Buckner"…
One clutch at-bat in a very big spot goes a long way.
8 comments:
I vote with the heart here.
Mookie.
Ditto. It is how we are as fans.
This brings back memories to me of the Gary Carter trade. In that year, we had an intern in the office where I worked, who said that her father was on the Board of the Mets. She was married, so we had no way to check by comparing names. We were skeptical of her claims, but took her at her word on most of her inconsequential tidbits of info.
One day, she said she had word of a blockbuster trade for Gary Carter, and named names--- Youmans, Fitzgerald, Gardenhire and MOOKIE.
Weeks went by with no deal, increasing our doubts about her story.
Then she announced that there was a "complication" which might kill the deal. Montréal had said the deal must include Hubie instead of Gardenhire, and the Mets said "no way" unless Mookie were pulled back. The Mets said it was Mookie and Gardy, OR Brooks and Winningham.
She said the Mets were firm in that, and gave the Expos 24 hours to pick one pair, or the deal was off.
We now were convinced that this was her creative way of covering up the fact that her story was fiction all along, but the next day it was announced.
Would the Mets have won in '86 without the deal? Or if Brooks stayed and Mookie left? Who knows, but it's something to wonder about.
Bill,
Great insight. In Davey Johnson's book, "Bats", he said the Mets gave Montreal the choice of Mookie or Herm and Montreal chose Herm. Either way, glad Mookie stayed.
WHen they traded both Mookie and Dykstra in 1989 and put Juan Samuel in CF, it made no sense. One should have been kept.
Dykstra was traded because he was more trouble than he was worth.
I have no idea why Mookie was dealt. Davey was partly right, but I guess he didn't know the whole story. I can't imagine anyone preferring Winningham over Mookie.
Beltran, no-brainer. It's not remotely close, unless you are voting for "favorites," but that's a different conversation (I thought).
Dykstra second.
Jimmy
If you want to throw in a good name for comparison, don't forget Lance Johnson who, in his one year in New York at age 32, set the Mets all-time hits record, stole 50 bases, hit 21 triples and batted a mere .333.
Lance - the best one year Mets offensive season ever, IMO.
Loved Mookie - gets by Buckner does not happen with Lucas Duda running to first base.
My 2nd favorite Mookie message I wrote about years ago. Zachary got clocked, Mets trailed 6-0 after 5 innings, despite 9 hits. Mookie came up with 2 outs in the 9th, trailing 6-5 as I recall despite 22 hits. He homered for a walk off. Bedlam in the stands.
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