When John Franco became the Mets’ all-time leader in saves in 1994, he broke Jesse Orosco’s record. Prior to 1984, when the Mets became a perennial contender, Orosco was the sole bright spot on a last-place team.
In 1983, he went 13-7 with a 1.47 ERA and 17 saves. He actually led the team in wins that year despite pitching exclusively out of the bullpen. For his efforts, Orosco made his first All-Star team, finished 3rd in the Cy Young vote and actually finished 17th in MVP despite playing for a 94-loss team. The following year, Orosco became the first Met to surpass 30 saves in a single season and was voted to his second All-Star team, the first reliever in franchise history to make multiple trips to the Midsummer Classic. Two years later, Orosco made the final outs (and taught us all how to toss our gloves in the air in celebration properly) in both the NLCS and the World Series.
From 1981-1986, Orosco was 43-36 with a 2.31 ERA and 91 saves. Think about that for a second. He had a 2.31 ERA over a six-year span, a period in which he tossed 483.2 innings. This is not a small sample of innings. Simply stated, Jesse Orosco was one of the most consistent and effective relievers in Mets history.
It might be said that Franco’s selection was made so that each of the past two Hall of Fame classes wouldn’t focus so much on the 1986 team, what with Davey Johnson, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden and Frank Cashen getting the call in 2010. But Mookie Wilson (1996), Keith Hernandez (1997) and Gary Carter (2001) were selected consecutively (no Met was selected from 1998-2000). Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman were also selected in consecutive years when they got the call in 1988 and 1989, respectively.
If you want to take things a little further, here's another Hall of Fame nugget for you. Tug McGraw pitched in eight postseason games for the Mets. In those eight games, he was 1-0 with two saves and a 1.66 ERA. Jesse Orosco also pitched in eight postseason games as a Met. In his eight appearances, Orosco went 3-0 with two saves and a 1.97 ERA. Both McGraw and Orosco played longer for other teams than they did for the Mets (the Tugger pitched ten seasons in Philadelphia, while Orosco pitched for another 16 years with various teams after leaving the Mets) and they both won another World Series elsewhere, with McGraw recording the final out of the Phillies' first-ever title in 1980 and Orosco winning a ring as a member of the 1988 Dodgers. Of course, Tug McGraw has been in the Mets' Hall of Fame since 1993, while Jesse is still in limbo.
Speaking of the World Series, John Franco was the last Mets pitcher to win a World Series game, as he was given credit for the victory in Game 3 of the 2000 World Series. Jesse Orosco is the last Mets pitcher to be on the mound when the Mets won a World Series. There’s a big difference between winning a World Series game and winning a World Series.
Hey, I have no problem with John Franco making it into the Mets’ Hall of Fame and I congratulate him for becoming the 26th Met to receive the honor. But he shouldn’t have been selected before Jesse Orosco. Orosco had just as many accomplishments as a Met as Franco did, but he’s been waiting for the Hall honor longer than Franco did. Hopefully, the Mets will get it right and induct Orosco next year. He’s sure waited long enough to get that call.
I definitely think Franco comes before Orosco. Orosco may have won a World Championship with the Mets but Franco is a lifer... Now let's get some numbers retired!
ReplyDeleteIf not for Franco's longevity with the Mets, this move might not have happened so soon. Franco is the first member of the 2000 pennant-winning team to be selected for the Mets Hall of Fame. Shouldn't someone else from that team, like a certain Mr. Piazza, have gone in first?
ReplyDeleteFranco over Orosco --- it's about volume. I understand that.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Piazza, it's likely a sense of timing --- five years after retirement and all that. A sense of prudence.
Orosco is certainly on my shortlist. Top of my shortlist, though, is Rube Walker.
I can see what you're saying about timing in the case of Piazza, but if that's the case, then why did the Mets retire Seaver's number and induct him into their Hall of Fame in 1988, just two years removed from his last game in the majors and four years before his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame?
DeleteIt's true that Seaver is "The Franchise" and the best player in club history, but Piazza can make a case for being the best offensive player in Mets history.
I agree with Rube Walker, and think he should be inducted with Mel Stottlemyre at some point.