Jenrry Mejia started the season as the Mets' fifth starter but eventually became the team's closer when Bobby Parnell, Jose Valverde and Kyle Farnsworth all succumbed to injuries or ineffectiveness. Since then, Mejia has pitched through sports hernias, bases-loaded situations (of his own doing) and backbreaking celebrations to record 26 saves.
After a quarter century of importing closers from other teams, Mejia has followed in Parnell's footsteps to become a rarity in recent Mets history - the homegrown closer. In fact, Mejia's 26 saves are the most by a Mets pitcher who came up through the team's minor league system since Randy Myers recorded the same number of saves in 1988. Mejia is now just one save away from Tug McGraw's franchise record of 27 saves by a homegrown player, a mark McGraw established in 1972.
Note: Jesse Orosco made his major league debut in 1979 with the Mets and saved 31 games in 1984, but he is not a homegrown Met, as he was drafted by Minnesota in 1978 and pitched in the Twins' minor league system for one season before he was traded to New York for Jerry Koosman in February 1979.
Mejia might be closing in on a Mets record, but he has already set an obscure major league mark. His 26 saves are the most by any pitcher who made at least seven starts in the same season. In fact, Mejia is one of just three pitchers to record as many as 20 saves in a year he started seven times.
A little extra research found that only six pitchers other than Mejia have recorded as many as 25 saves when they made as little as one start during the same season. Those half-dozen pitchers are:
Ryan Dempster (2005 Cubs): 33 saves, 6 starts.
Danny Graves (2002 Reds): 32 saves, 4 starts.
Mike Marshall (1979 Twins): 32 saves, 1 start.
Dave Giusti (1970 Pirates): 26 saves, 1 start.
Lindy McDaniel (1960 Cards): 26 saves, 2 starts.
Tug McGraw (1973 Mets): 25 saves, 2 starts.
With a little over a week to go until the 2014 season comes to a close, Jenrry Mejia has joined or is about to join former Mets closer Tug McGraw in two respects. Mejia is one save away from tying McGraw's club mark for saves by a homegrown pitcher. Mejia and McGraw are also two of just seven pitchers who recorded 25 saves and made at least one start in the same season.
But even McGraw can't say that he made a month's worth of starts and still managed to save as many games as Mejia has in 2014. In fact, no major league pitcher can make that claim. Mejia stands all alone in that respect. It may be an obscure mark, but it's as good a reason as any for a closer to celebrate.
Funky Cold Mejia is all Kool and the Gang with his celebration. (Photo by Brad Penner/USA Today)
When the New York Mets won the World Series in 1969, the trophy they received was quite unique. In addition to it being the first World Series trophy handed out to a team that had to win a league championship series before winning the Fall Classic, it was also the only trophy to feature a pennant for the Seattle Pilots.
The Pilots were an American League expansion team in 1969, joining the Kansas City Royals as Junior Circuit neophytes. But after just one season in the Pacific Northwest, the team packed its bags days before the beginning of the 1970 season and headed to Milwaukee to become the Brewers.
Only four players who were members of the 1969 Pilots ended up joining the Mets after their short time in Seattle. One was Jim Gosger, the only non-pitcher to play for the 1969 and 1973 Mets who never appeared in a postseason game for either team. Two others were pitchers Jack Aker (1974) and Mike Marshall (1981), both of whom never appeared in a major league game after their one season with the Mets. The fourth former Pilot who eventually touched down in Flushing as a member of the Mets had a far more respectable (and longer) career in New York. In fact, he became one of the few dependable relief pitchers on a team that needed more than just a little relief.
The bespectacled Skip Lockwood had an eye for being a great relief pitcher for the Mets.
Claude Edward Lockwood (or "Skip" as he was better known) was a career American Leaguer prior to becoming a Met in 1975. After his one season in Seattle, Lockwood was used mostly as a starting pitcher by the Brewers from 1970 to 1973, then became a full-time reliever as a member of the California Angels in 1974. Lockwood spent one miserable season with the Halos (2-5, 4.32 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) and was then traded to the Yankees, who released him prior to the start of the 1975 season. One week after he was let go by the Yankees, he was signed by the Oakland Athletics, but Lockwood never pitched for the A's, as Oakland sent the six-year veteran to the minor leagues, where he remained until he was purchased by the Mets in July.
After the departure of Tug McGraw following the 1974 season, the Mets turned to Bob Apodaca to close out games for the team in 1975. Apodaca had a wonderful season for the Mets in '75, saving 13 games and posting a stellar 1.49 ERA. But he had two stints on the disabled list during his first season as the team's closer, which included a one-month stay on the DL that kept him off the mound until late July. Needing a dependable and healthy arm in the bullpen, the Mets turned to Lockwood, who surprised himself and the team by dominating National League hitters over the season's final two months.
Lockwood pitched in 24 games for the Mets in 1975, allowing just 28 hits in 48⅓ innings. Opposing hitters batted just .174 against him and he matched Apodaca with a 1.49 ERA. But what was more surprising was the number of strikeouts Lockwood was recording. From 1969 to 1974, Lockwood fanned 450 batters in 810⅔ innings, an average of 5.0 K/9 IP. But in less than 50 innings for the Mets in 1975, Lockwood struck out 61 batters, averaging 11.4 K/9 IP. In 14 of his 24 appearances, Lockwood fanned three or more batters, despite pitching two or fewer innings in nine of those 14 games. Perhaps his greatest effort came in the season's final game, a game in which he was called upon to pitch the Mets to a winning record, and help Tom Seaver win his third Cy Young Award.
The Mets went into Game No. 162 with an 81-80 record, needing a win to secure its sixth winning season in seven years. Tom Seaver entered the game with a 21-9 record and 2.29 ERA. But San Diego's Randy Jones had also recorded a 20-win season in 1975 and was leading the league with a 2.24 ERA. Jones also had three more complete games and one more shutout than Seaver. The one thing Seaver had going for him was that he was leading the league in strikeouts, while Jones pitched to contact, as evidenced by his 108 Ks in 285 innings. Seaver was not very good in his final start of the season, allowing four runs in five-plus innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. Seaver was pitching in and out of trouble all game, allowing four hits and five walks. After allowing the first four batters to reach base against him in the sixth inning, manager Roy McMillan pulled Seaver for Skip Lockwood. Lockwood retired all 12 batters he faced, striking out six of them, allowing the Mets to hold on for a 5-4 victory over the Phillies and preserving Seaver's league-leading 22nd victory.
Lockwood's perfect four-inning performance in the season finale earned him a save, but he saved more than just the game. He saved Seaver's bid for the Cy Young Award, which he earned by just ten votes over Randy Jones. He also saved the Mets' quest for a winning season, allowing the team to finish an otherwise mediocre season with an 82-80 record.
When the 1976 season started, new Mets manager Joe Frazier decided that Lockwood was going to be the team's primary closer, with Apodaca pitching earlier in games if he was needed to do so. Lockwood responded to his new role brilliantly, going 10-7 with a 2.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and a team-leading 19 saves. With 10 wins and 19 saves, Lockwood became the first pitcher in team history to reach double digits in both categories in the same season. Only Jesse Orosco (1983, 1984) and Roger McDowell (1986) have been able to match Lockwood's feat.
Skip Lockwood circa 1976
Lockwood also recorded 108 strikeouts in 94⅓ innings in 1976, making him the first Mets relief pitcher to strike out over 100 batters in a single season. (Tug McGraw struck out 109 batters in 1971, but he started one game that year, striking out nine batters in that start. Therefore, he recorded exactly 100 Ks in relief in 1971.) The only Mets reliever since Lockwood to have at least 108 Ks in one season is Armando Benitez, who whiffed 128 batters in 1999.
Once again, Lockwood was virtually unhittable, as he held opposing hitters to a .186 batting average in 1976. That gave Lockwood a combined .182 batting average against him in 1975 and 1976. According to baseball-reference.com, that made Lockwood the hardest pitcher to hit of all pitchers who threw at least 100 innings in '75 and '76. Only three other pitchers (Dave LaRoche, Mark Littell, Charlie Hough) held opposing batters to a sub-.200 batting average over those two seasons, but all of them allowed a batting average of .192 or higher.
The Mets finished the 1976 campaign with an 86-76 record. It was the second-highest win total in franchise history after the 1969 World Championship team. But it would also be the last time the Mets sniffed a winning record until 1983. As good as Skip Lockwood had been in 1975 and 1976, even he couldn't prevent the Mets from falling to the bottom of the NL East in subsequent seasons.
The 1977 season started off poorly for the Mets. By late May, the team was in last place with a 15-30 record and manager Joe Frazier was out of a job. By year's end, the Mets had lost 98 games, as well as top pitcher Tom Seaver (traded to Cincinnati) and top slugger Dave Kingman (traded to San Diego). The team couldn't hit, finishing dead last in the National League in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs and runs scored. Additionally, the team's top starting pitchers after Seaver (Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack) combined to go 15-35 with an ERA approaching 4.00. Skip Lockwood also had what would be a considered a down year for him, but his down year still made him one of the most dependable pitchers on an otherwise inconsistent team.
For the year, Lockwood went 4-8 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, striking out 84 batters in 104 innings. Although he was still very stingy against opposing hitters, allowing them to bat just .227 against him, it was the highest batting average recorded against him in his first three years as a Met. Even so, Lockwood recorded his first 20-save season in 1977 while blowing only four saves. The never-ending turmoil between the players and the front office seemed to have an effect on Lockwood's performance over the first three months of the season. Through June 29 (two weeks after the notorious Midnight Massacre), Lockwood had a 4.23 ERA and had lost four out of five decisions. But from June 30 to September 12, Lockwood pitched like he always had for the Mets, posting a 1.87 ERA in 30 appearances and holding opposing batters to a .196 batting average while recording 11 saves.
Lockwood had a similar season for the Mets in 1978, going 7-13 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 73 strikeouts in 90⅔ innings. But Lockwood only recorded 15 saves in 1978, mainly because he had to be shut down with a shoulder injury after making just one appearance in September. It's not like the Mets needed him during the season's final month, as the team finished in last place with a 66-96 record.
After two consecutive so-so seasons with the Mets, Lockwood was primed for a comeback season in 1979, especially since he was in the final year of a three-year contract he signed prior to the 1977 campaign. With free agent dollars on the horizon, Lockwood was on a personal mission to succeed, even if his teammates appeared to be on their own missions to fail. The Mets lost 99 games in 1979, but Lockwood was absolutely brilliant. Over the first two months of the season, Lockwood was nine-for-nine in save opportunities and posted a 1.49 ERA, matching his earned run average from his first year as a Met. But after allowing a run on June 6, Lockwood tore a shoulder muscle, ending his outstanding season prematurely, even though the team's physician, Dr. James C. Parkes, originally thought he was not seriously injured.
Skip Lockwood
"He has stiffness in the back of the shoulder. He pulled some small muscle fibers. But with heat and massage and rest, he should be ready to pitch Saturday. We don't think it's serious."
--Dr. James C. Parkes, Mets team physician
The Mets tread water over the next two months without their top reliever, but the lack of an experienced closer came back to haunt them, as the team lost 40 of 50 games from August 5 to September 25, going 2-14 in one-run games over that time period. Relievers were responsible for eight of the 14 losses, with future Mets closer Neil Allen earning four "L"s. How bad was the team's relief corps after Lockwood succumbed to his injury in June? Lockwood's nine saves led the team in 1979, even though he didn't throw a pitch after June 6.
Despite his penchant for losing one-run affairs, the Mets decided to keep Allen as their closer in 1980, waving goodbye to Skip Lockwood. Allen would go on to save 69 games for the Mets in four-plus years with the team, but he was never as dominant as Lockwood was, posting a 3.54 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. Allen also lost 40 games and blew 23 save opportunities from 1979 until his departure on June 15, 1983 in the trade that netted the Mets their future captain, Keith Hernandez.
Skip Lockwood pitched his last game for the Mets on June 6, 1979. He signed a free agent contract with his hometown team, the Boston Red Sox, prior to the 1980 season, but never saw eye-to-eye with manager Don Zimmer, who constantly misused him. The Red Sox released him after the season came to an end. Lockwood then signed a minor league contract with the Montreal Expos, but his career came to an end during the 1981 players' strike without ever playing a game for the Expos.
When you look back at the numbers posted by Skip Lockwood during his 12-year major league career, it appears as if Lockwood was a less-than-ordinary pitcher. He had a very low winning percentage, going 57-97 as a starter and reliever. Lockwood also had a 3.55 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, numbers that were fairly average for the era in which he pitched. But during his five years as a Met, Lockwood was as good a relief pitcher as the team had ever seen.
From 1975 to 1979, Lockwood pitched in 227 games for the Mets, all in relief. In those five seasons, Lockwood recorded 24 wins and 65 saves, posting a 2.80 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and striking out nearly a batter an inning (368 Ks in 379⅔ innings). What made this all the more impressive was that the Mets' combined record over those five seasons was 361-449. In other words, Lockwood pitched beautifully on a team that played horribly.
On a team that has had its share of great pitchers over the years, Skip Lockwood's name is usually overlooked. However, of all pitchers in Mets history with at least 300 innings pitched for the team, Lockwood ranks very highly in several categories. Through the 2013 season, Lockwood is among the team's all-time leaders in ERA (2.80; 4th all-time), WHIP (1.11; 4th), batting average against (.213; 4th), on-base percentage against (.285; 5th), slugging percentage against (.319; T-4th) and strikeouts per nine innings (8.72 K/9 IP; 2nd). Also, his 65 saves rank him 9th all-time in Mets history. Prior to becoming a Met, Lockwood never allowed opposing batters to finish a season with an on-base percentage under .300 against him. In five years with the Mets, his opponents' year-by-year OBP against him was .287, .265, .288, .298 and .292, respectively. Basically, Lockwood had opposing hitters on lockdown once he became a Met.
Skip Lockwood became a Met after spending six seasons with the Pilots, Brewers and Angels - teams that never posted a winning record during his time with them. He played a key role in helping the Mets to a winning record - his first as a major leaguer - in 1975. He then became the team's top closer in 1976, also a winning season for the Mets. But Lockwood never got to play for a winning Mets team again, as the team spiraled its way to the bottom of the division.
Lockwood was one of the greatest and most unheralded relief pitchers in the history of the Mets franchise. It's a shame that he never got to experience the thrill of a pennant race with the team. But then again, when you're one of the best players on some of the worst Mets teams, that kind of deal comes with the territory.
You can't discuss the best closers in Mets history without mentioning Skip Lockwood.
Note: The Best On The Worst
is a
thirteen-part weekly series spotlighting the greatest Mets players who
just happened to play on some not-so-great Mets teams. For previous
installments, please click on the players' names below:
"Who does this stupid blogger think he is, trying to say I wasn't worth the money? I didn't see him pitch a no-hitter."
After a six-year relationship with the Mets, Johan Santana is no longer on the team's payroll, as the Mets paid the lefty $5.5 million to buy out his $25 million option for 2014. With Santana no longer part of the team, the time has come to analyze whether or not the Mets did the right thing by trading for him in 2008.
At the time of the deal, which sent Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra to the Minnesota Twins, the Mets were trying desperately to make amends with their fans after their epic collapse in 2007. To complete the trade, the Mets signed Santana to a six-year, $137.5 million contract, which at the time was the most lucrative deal ever given to a pitcher.
Johan Santana was very good as a Met - when he was healthy. In his first year in Flushing, Santana was 16-7 with 206 strikeouts and a league-leading 2.53 ERA. Santana became the first left-handed pitcher in franchise history to lead the league in ERA in 2008, and the fourth Met overall to accomplish the feat, following right-handed starters Tom Seaver (1970, 1971, 1973), Craig Swan (1978) and Dwight Gooden (1985). Santana's 206 strikeouts are also tops for a southpaw in club annals, surpassing Jon Matlack's record of 205 Ks, which he accomplished in 1973.
In his final start of the season, Santana gave one of the gutsiest performances by a pitcher in the team's history. With the Mets needing to win to stay alive in the race for a postseason berth, Santana fired a three-hit shutout against the Florida Marlins on just three days rest. And he did it with a torn meniscus in his left knee. The Mets failed to make the playoffs in 2008 but succeeded in finally having a true ace atop their rotation. Or so it seemed.
Santana's start on September 27, 2008 came in the first year of his six-year commitment to the Mets. He would only make one more September start for the Mets over the last five years of his contract. An assortment of injuries kept Santana on the disabled list for all of 2011 and 2013, and curtailed his 2009, 2010 and 2012 seasons. But that 2012 campaign saw Santana do something no Mets fan ever thought he'd see.
On June 1, 2012, Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in franchise history in the team's 8,020th regular season game. Just like every Mets fan knows where he or she was on that unbelievable night, most Mets fans remember that he needed 134 pitches to complete his gem. After he struck out David Freese to enter no-hit nirvana, Santana suffered through pitching purgatory. An 8.27 ERA over his next ten starts left Terry Collins and Mets fans wondering if the inflated pitch count needed to secure his place in team history contributed to his post-no-hitter blues. They continued to wonder for a year and a half, as Santana never pitched again for the Mets after August 17, 2012.
Johan Santana went 46-34 in 109 starts as a Met. His 3.18 career ERA in New York is lower than the ERAs posted by all-time Met greats Ron Darling, Al Leiter and Rick Reed. But for $137.5 million, we expected a little more.
For example, Santana's 46 victories fell short of the win total posted by relief pitchers John Franco (48), Jesse Orosco (47) and Tug McGraw (47). Santana's 109 starts are also nine fewer than the number of starts made by Jonathon Niese, a pitcher who was still playing for AA-Binghamton when Santana made his first start for the Mets.
Great pitchers are supposed to produce great moments. But other than the penultimate game of the 2008 season and the no-hitter, can anyone honestly remember another memorable pitching performance by Johan Santana?
Photo by Ed Leyro/Studious Metsimus
Mention Tom Seaver and you immediately think of the "imperfect game" or his ten-inning performance in Game 4 of the 1969 World Series (the Ron Swoboda game), or any of a number of dominant performances in 1973 when the rest of the team was floundering. Similarly, say Doc Gooden's name and visions of back-to-back 16-strikeout games in 1984 and his 14-game winning streak in 1985 become crystal clear in your mind.
Johan Santana had two games that will forever be etched in the hearts and minds of Mets fans. That's the same number of complete seasons he missed.
Don't get me wrong. As a Mets fan who agonized over every late-inning first hit allowed by a starting pitcher, it was a dream come true to see someone like Johan Santana pitch the first no-hitter in team history. Better him than someone like Oliver Perez.
But $137.5 million is just a tad too much for a no-hitter and a season-saving gritty performance - one that saved the season until it was lost the following day. Carlos Gomez, the main piece in the deal that pried Santana away from the Twins, is now a Gold Glove-winning All-Star in Milwaukee. His 24 homers and 40 stolen bases for the Brewers in 2013 would have led the Mets in both categories. (Marlon Byrd's 21 homers and Eric Young's 38 steals led the team.) Since 1989, only one Met has led the team in home runs and stolen bases in the same season. That was Mike Cameron, who paced the 2004 Mets with 30 homers and 22 steals.
Carlos Gomez just completed the first year of a four-year, $28.3 million deal with the Brewers. That's just barely more than the $25.5 million Johan Santana was paid in 2013 to not throw a single pitch for the Mets.
The no-hitter was great. But I would have liked to see Santana win more games than Jesse Orosco. A monkey's paw-like wish for a moment 8,020 games in the making doesn't seem to be worth what the Mets doled out for their smooth former All-Star.
I became a Mets fan on Memorial Day 1981. My father wasn't feeling well that day so we had to cancel our annual Memorial Day barbecue, leaving eight-year-old me to find something to do since I was home from school that day. My ill father was in bed all day, so I decided to lay back on his comfortable-beyond-words recliner and watch TV. The last person who watched the tube had left it on Channel 9 and since 1981 was the pre-remote control era of television (at least it was in our household), I didn't feel like getting up to physically change the channel, so I just watched was on WOR at the time. It was a Mets-Phillies game. And it was beautiful.
The Mets destroyed Philadelphia, showing no brotherly love for their division rivals in a 13-3 romp. Although many players performed well for the Mets that day (Hubie Brooks, Lee Mazzilli and Joel Youngblood had three hits apiece and Dave Kingman hit a grand slam), it was Mookie Wilson who captured my attention and made me thankful that we weren't a remote control household. Mookie reached base four times that day (two hits, two walks). He also scored three runs and drove in two. After leading off the game with a walk, Mookie proceeded to swipe second and scored the first of the Mets' four runs in that inning. It was the first time I had been exposed to Mookie's baserunning abilities, and I was utterly amazed. Six innings later, Mookie crushed a long drive to center off former Met Tug McGraw that went for a two-run triple. His gazzelle-like speed mesmerized the eight-year-old me to the point where I checked the TV guide (I had to get off the couch eventually) for when the next Mets game was going to be aired on WOR.
Less than three weeks after discovering Mookie and the Mets, baseball went on strike. For two months, I couldn't indulge in my new passion - my New York Mets passion, that is. Fortunately, my father recovered from his illness and we were able to have many barbecues to pass the time during baseball's two-month hiatus. Baseball returned to my TV screen in August, and I quickly eschewed burgers and hot dogs on the grill for Mookie and the Mets on my grill.
Run, Mookie, Run!
Although my father hails from Puerto Rico, an island paradise that loves its baseball, he has never been much of a sports fan. He knows the object of the game, but can't differentiate between an infield fly and an unzipped fly. So naturally, you can imagine how difficult it was for me to get him to take me to a Mets game at Shea Stadium. Every conversation would start the same way ("We're not doing anything this weekend, right? Can you get us tickets for this game?") and unfortunately, they would also end the same way ("No."). It took over two years for me to finally make it out to Shea to meet the Mets, meet the Mets, step right up and greet the Mets. And when I did, it was because my Little League team went as a group. The date was June 15, 1983 - thirty years ago today - and it became a memorable day not just for the then ten-year-old me, but for all Mets fans.
When we got to the game, I remember how disappointed I was that Mookie Wilson was not in the starting lineup (Danny Heep took Mookie's place as the leadoff hitter and centerfielder for the game. It was only the second time all year that Mookie wasn't in the starting lineup for the Mets.) My fleet-footed hero didn't start, but Craig Swan did, taking the mound for the Mets against future Hall-of-Famer Ferguson Jenkins. Unfortunately, Swan was not graceful that night. By the
time I got back from my second bathroom break in the second inning (my Little League
teammates were not amused that I kept stepping on their feet every time I
tried to squeeze by them in our upper deck seats), Swan was out of the
game and the Mets were down 4-0.
The bullpen pitched very well after
Swan’s early exodus and the Mets rallied to tie the game. Mookie did pinch-hit in the fifth inning, but struck out against Jenkins, denying me the opportunity to see him fly around the bases. Of course, his one-day replacement in center field, Danny Heep, followed Wilson's strikeout with the game-tying hit, causing my Little League teammates to tease me by saying that Heep was going to be the centerfielder of the future. I'm glad they were wrong.
Neither team scored after Heep knotted the game, necessitating
extra innings and causing some of the parents and chaperones to wonder
if they should take the kids home. They decided to stick around for the tenth, but told us all that if the game went to the 11th, we would have to leave. We did get to see the game to its conclusion, but it wasn't the conclusion I wanted. The Mets lost the game to the
Chicago Cubs in ten innings by the score of 7-4. An error by first baseman Rusty Staub and a timely bunt by Bill Buckner set the Cubs up for their big inning and my bigger disappointment. But errors by Mets' first basemen were about to become a thing of the past, thanks to a brilliant trade engineered by general manager Frank Cashen.
A Gold Glove, a sweet swing, a killer 'stache. Keith Hernandez brought it all to the table.
Earlier in the evening, the Mets announced that they had acquired first baseman Keith Hernandez from the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals in a trade for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. I
remember how happy the sparse crowd of 11,631 was when the announcement was flashed on
DiamondVision. I also remember how confused I was that the biggest
cheer of the night was reserved for the “big TV screen in left field”
rather than the events taking place on the field. But as the years went by and my love of the Mets grew, I realized just how special Keith Hernandez truly was, both as a player and as a team leader.
As you all know, the trade for Keith Hernandez set off a chain of events that led to a World Series championship three years later (a World Series that turned my man Mookie into a Mets legend for all time). Hernandez's arrival gave instant credibility to the languishing franchise, although it took until the following season for that off-the-field credibility to translate into on-the-field wins.
In hindsight, it didn’t matter that the Mets lost on June 15, 1983. It was one of 94
games they lost that season anyway. That day was important to me for
more than just a game. That day began my love affair with Shea Stadium and my subsequent appreciation of Keith Hernandez. I should have known
the Mets had acquired someone special when I listened to the sweet voice
of Bob Murphy after the game during the radio post-game show when he
said “the Mets lost the game tonight, but they have gained a
superstar.” Thirty years ago today, the magic that was the Mets entered my life. It
has never left.
On Sunday, Bobby Parnell notched his sixth save of the season, recording the final three outs of the Mets' 4-3 victory over the Cubs. With the save, Parnell now has 20 in his six-year career with the Mets. Now that may not seem like much, but it does give Parnell a special title.
Tell me, my fellow Mets fans. Do you know which homegrown Met has the most saves in team history? That would be Tug McGraw, who had 86 saves in a Mets uniform. (Jesse Orosco, who had 107 saves in Flushing, made his major league debut with the Mets, but was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins and made his professional debut in their minor league system.)
McGraw is followed by Roger McDowell (84 saves), Neil Allen (69 saves), Randy Myers (56 saves), Doug Sisk (33 saves), Bob Apodaca (26 saves), Danny Frisella (24 saves) and Parnell.
Did you notice that all of the homegrown relievers ahead of Parnell pitched for the Mets exclusively in the '60s, '70s and '80s? When Randy Myers was traded for John Franco after the 1989 season, that began a nearly quarter century stretch in which the Mets went with closers whom they traded for or signed as free agents.
First it was John Franco (acquired from Cincinnati). Then it was Armando Benitez (acquired from Baltimore). Benitez was followed by Braden Looper (free agent signing), Billy Wagner (free agent signing), Francisco Rodriguez (free agent signing) and Frank Francisco (yup, another free agent signing). During that 20-plus year stretch, homegrown pitchers were used to close games primarily when the incumbent closer needed a day of rest or was on the disabled list.
So since the departure of Randy Myers following the 1989 campaign, which homegrown pitchers have registered the most saves for the Mets? Here is the top three list:
Bobby Parnell (20 saves)
Anthony Young (18 saves)
Aaron Heilman (9 saves)
The only homegrown pitchers to record at least ten career saves for the Mets since Randy Myers' last season in New York are Anthony Young and Bobby Parnell. Young is also the only homegrown closer since 1990 to record an individual season of more than seven saves when he saved 15 games in 1992 - the same year he began his major league-record 27-game losing streak.
Bobby Parnell has been given the closer duties by manager Terry Collins. He is the first homegrown pitcher since 1989 to earn that responsibility out of spring training. And he is now the team's all-time saves leader for homegrown pitchers since that year.
The Mets have not developed many closers over the past quarter century, choosing to bring in closers from other teams. Bobby Parnell is finally getting a chance to become the next Tug McGraw, Roger McDowell or Randy Myers. If he succeeds, he stands to join those pitchers as the best homegrown closers in franchise history.
Our ninth inning savior has finally arrived! And his name is Bobby Parnell. It sure is nice to see a familiar face on the mound in the ninth inning instead of a recruit from another team.
This is a scene that very few homegrown closers have been able to repeat.
On Saturday, all-time saves leader Mariano Rivera will formally announce that the 2013 season will be his last in the majors. He will retire with a handful of World Series rings and the unofficial title of greatest closer in baseball history.
How great has Rivera been over his career? Let's look at a few examples, comparing Rivera's accomplishments to those of various Mets greats.
Entering the 2013 campaign, Rivera has notched 608 saves. That's more than twice the amount recorded by John Franco on his way to becoming the Mets' all-time leader and surpasses the combined total posted by Armando Benitez, Jesse Orosco, Billy Wagner, Tug McGraw and Roger McDowell by 70 saves. It should be noted that those five pitchers rank No. 2 through 6 all-time on the Mets' saves leaderboard.
Just four pitchers in Mets history have recorded a single-season ERA under 2.00 with at least 50 innings pitched. Tom Seaver (1.76 ERA in 1971), Jesse Orosco (1.47 ERA in 1983) and Dwight Gooden (1.53 ERA in 1985) accomplished the feat once, while Tug McGraw (1.70 ERA in both 1971 and 1972) is the only Met to have two separate sub-2.00 ERA seasons. Mariano Rivera has 11 such seasons, including eight sub-2.00 ERA campaigns over a nine-year stretch (2003-2011).
Only six Mets relievers (Tug McGraw, Jesse Orosco, John Franco, Armando Benitez, Billy Wagner, Francisco Rodriguez) have been selected to represent the team in the All-Star Game, combining to appear in eight Midsummer Classics. (Orosco and Wagner were selected to two All-Star Games.) Rivera has gotten the call a dozen times.
And although we're loath to admit this as Mets fans, we have to acknowledge one more important fact about Mariano Rivera. Rivera has saved 42 postseason victories for the Yankees. The Mets have 43 postseason victories ... period.
Tom Seaver has always been known as "The Franchise" to Mets fans. And why wouldn't he be? After all, he holds virtually every pitching record for the team and won two pennants and one World Series during his 12½ seasons in New York.
When Seaver was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992, his name was on a record 98.8% of the ballots. Former teammate Nolan Ryan, Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken, Jr. and Kansas City Royals great George Brett came closest to Seaver's percentage, but couldn't quite match him. Mariano Rivera will become eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2019. Surely, he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. But can anyone see him not getting at least 98.8% of the votes? Derek Jeter has contributed greatly to the Yankees during their near-two decade run of excellence. But as much as he's meant to the franchise, Mariano Rivera has been "The Franchise" in the Bronx. Rivera is to the Yankees what Seaver was to the Mets. And all baseball fans, even Mets fans, have to agree that there will never be another closer like him.
There are some players who are so good in high school, they're considered can't-miss prospects. These are the players who are scooped up in the first round of the draft and given hefty signing bonuses, all before they've set foot on a professional baseball field. Because of their reputations, these players don't always have to put up eye-popping numbers in the minor leagues to advance from one level to the next.
But there are also players who are bypassed multiple times by every team, eventually taken in the middle-to-late rounds. More often than not, these players have flaws that prevent them from joining the can't-miss prospects in the earlier rounds. These players also have to prove themselves repeatedly in the lower minor league levels before even getting a sniff of a promotion. One such player was drafted by the Mets in the 13th round of the 1981 June amateur draft.
In the early rounds of the '81 draft, the Mets selected Terry Blocker and John Christensen, neither of whom made a significant impact in the major leagues. Their fifth round pick was used on Steve Phillips, who had a far greater impact on the team as its general manager than he did as a middle infielder. And of course, a fairly decent starting pitcher named Roger Clemens was selected in the 12th round (he decided to go to college instead of signing with the Mets, presumably to hone his bat-throwing skills). But it was the Mets' next pick after Clemens that eventually opened everyone's eyes. It's too bad that he opened more eyes as a division rival than he did as a Met.
Small in stature, but tough as nails. That was Lenny Dykstra.
Leonard Kyle Dykstra was the 315th overall pick in the 1981 draft. A skinny kid from California whose first word out the womb was probably "dude", Dykstra was an outfielder who played the game with reckless abandon and extreme confidence. If an outfield fence wasn't dinged up, it was because Dykstra hadn't played on that field. If a future Hall of Fame pitcher faced him, Dykstra would nonchalantly claim that he would "stick him". These were the intangibles that caught the eye of scout Myron Pines and led Frank Cashen to select Dykstra on draft day.
Although Dykstra's slight body wasn't built for hitting home runs, he possessed a wonderful eye at the plate and an exceptional ability to steal bases. After hitting .261 with 15 stolen bases in 48 games as an 18-year-old, Dykstra stole his way onto the team's radar in 1982. Playing for Shelby in the South Atlantic League, Dykstra batted .291 in 120 games for the Mets' Single-A affiliate. However, he had a .425 on-base percentage and stole 77 bases in 88 attempts. Both figures were second in the league. One year later, Dykstra was second to no one.
In 1983, while playing for Lynchburg in the Carolina League, Dykstra led the league in batting average (.358), on-base percentage (.472), hits (188), walks (107), triples (14), runs scored (132) and stolen bases (105). Despite hitting only eight home runs, Dykstra managed to finish fifth in the league with 81 RBIs and sixth in slugging percentage with a .503 mark.
Dykstra's production dropped off in 1984 playing for AA-Jackson. But his "down year" still resulted in a .275 batting average, .372 on-base percentage, 53 stolen bases and a league-leading 100 runs scored. Dykstra advanced to AAA-Tidewater to begin the 1985 campaign, but less than a month into the season, he received his first call-up to the Mets, replacing the injured Ron Gardenhire on the 25-man roster. It didn't take long for Dykstra to make an impact in the major leagues.
With Mookie Wilson getting a few days off to recover from a nagging shoulder injury, Dykstra was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time on May 3, 1985, batting leadoff against the Cincinnati Reds. Facing three-time All-Star Mario Soto, Dykstra struck out in his first at-bat before hitting a two-run homer off Soto the next time he faced him. Dykstra's debut was a success, as the centerfielder went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base in the Mets' 9-4 victory. Dykstra would go 5-for-12 in the three-game series at Riverfront Stadium, but was sent back down to Tidewater after appearing as a pinch-runner later in the week against Atlanta.
Over the first three months of the season, Dykstra rode the Tidewater-to-Shea shuttle several times. As a member of the Tides, Dykstra performed splendidly, batting .310 with 44 runs scored and 26 stolen bases in 58 games. As a Met, Dykstra struggled, batting .242 with only four runs scored and three steals in 12 games. But after the Mets defeated the Braves in a memorable 19-inning affair on the Fourth (and Fifth) of July, the post-game fireworks weren't the only thing set to explode.
In the Mets' 16-13 victory over Atlanta, Dykstra played all 19 innings, going 3-for-9 with a run scored and two RBIs. With the scored tied in the 18th inning, Dykstra hit a sacrifice fly that gave the Mets an 11-10 lead. Dykstra's run-scoring fly ball would have represented the winning run, but Braves relief pitcher Rick Camp decided to give Chief Noc-A-Homa and the dozens of fans still in attendance an unexpected thrill with a game-tying home run in the bottom of the 18th. Dykstra may have lost a game-winning RBI, but gained a starting job. And once he became an everyday player, the runs started piling up.
Over his next 19 starts, Dykstra served as the team's catalyst. He scored 21 runs, collected 11 RBIs, stole five bases and made outstanding contact, striking out only seven times in 102 plate appearances. More importantly, the Mets went 15-4 in Dykstra's starts and averaged 7.1 runs in those games after averaging only 3.4 runs in their first 75 games. For the season, Dysktra batted .254 and reached base at a .338 clip. Although he only had 236 at-bats with the Mets in 1985, he scored 40 runs and stole 15 bases.
In 1986, Dykstra went into spring training trying to win an everyday job with the Mets. Once again, he got his chance because of a teammate's misfortune. A gruesome eye injury suffered by Mookie Wilson during a rundown drill put the six-year veteran on the disabled list. Center field was now Dykstra's position to lose, and he made sure to take advantage of the opportunity.
Dykstra played in 78 of the team's first 85 games, batting .347 with a .420 on-base percentage. He also started driving the ball more, collecting 25 extra-base hits in his first 216 at-bats. His eye at the plate continued to be impeccable, as he drew more walks (28) than strikeouts (26). And as he did in 1985, Dykstra continued to contribute to a plethora of Mets victories.
The Mets won 58 of the 78 games in which Dykstra played through July 17. For the season, they were 100-47 when Dykstra played and 8-7 when he didn't. Dykstra finished his first full season in the majors with a .295 batting average, 77 runs scored and a team-leading 31 stolen bases. He was also one of six Mets to garner MVP consideration, finishing 19th in the vote. Dykstra only hit eight homers during the regular season, but during the postseason, he ratcheted up the power in several key situations.
Touch 'em all, Lenny. You'll never hit a bigger home run. (But you sure tried.)
In Game 3 of the NLCS against Houston, Dykstra's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth gave the Mets their first postseason victory at Shea Stadium since Game 5 of the 1973 World Series. Dykstra also hurt the Astros in Game 6, starting a three-run rally in the ninth inning with a long triple. In the 16th inning, Dykstra gave the Mets a 7-4 lead with an RBI single off Jeff Calhoun. The run-scoring hit proved to be the difference in the Mets' 7-6 pennant-clinching victory.
After the Mets dropped the first two games of the World Series to the Boston Red Sox at Shea Stadium, Dykstra led off Game 3 with a home run at Fenway Park. Dykstra followed in the footsteps of Tommie Agee and Wayne Garrett, who both homered to lead off Game 3 of the World Series, with Agee accomplishing the feat in the 1969 Fall Classic and Garrett doing it in 1973. Dykstra also broke open Game 4 by hitting a two-run homer in the seventh inning the following night.
The Mets went on to defeat the Red Sox in seven games to win the franchise's second World Series championship. In 13 postseason games, Dykstra batted .300 (15-for-50) with three homers, six RBIs and seven runs scored. The man known as "Nails" hammered the Astros and Red Sox to the tune of a .540 slugging percentage.
The 1987 season began with the newly-acquired Kevin McReynolds in left field, leaving center field to both Dykstra and Mookie Wilson. Neither player was particularly pleased with the situation, but they accepted manager Davey Johnson's decision (well, Mookie did) and played hard whenever they found themselves in the starting lineup. Dykstra, in particular, got off to a hot start. Lenny played in 45 of the team's first 53 games, starting 32 of them. In those games, Dykstra batted .326 with a .391 on-base percentage. His 19 extra-base hits in 141 at-bats contributed to an uncharacteristically high .560 slugging percentage. Unfortunately, that was higher than the team's winning percentage at the time, as the Mets struggled to keep their team - particularly their starting pitchers - healthy and on the field.
The Mets eventually got hot as the summer continued, pulling to within striking distance of the first place St. Louis Cardinals. The team suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Cards on September 11 when Roger McDowell allowed a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning to Terry Pendleton, followed by a tenth inning meltdown by Jesse Orosco. But even after the deflating defeat, Lenny Dykstra did whatever he could to keep the team in contention until the season's final week.
From September 13 to the day the Mets were officially eliminated from the playoff race, Dykstra carried the team on his back. He started all 16 games the Mets played during that stretch, batting .349 with ten doubles, a homer, 11 RBIs, 17 runs scored and four stolen bases. But not even a player as tough as nails could prevent the Mets from giving up their division crown to the Cardinals, as New York finished the year three games behind the eventual National League champions.
Despite his platoon role, Dykstra had a tremendous season in 1987. He played in 132 games, batting .285 with 37 doubles, 10 home runs, 43 RBIs and 86 runs scored. His 37 two-base hits set a new club record for left-handed hitters, a mark that would not be surpassed until 1999, when John Olerud (39 doubles) and Robin Ventura (38 two-baggers) passed him.
It was more of the same for Dykstra in 1988. Kevin McReynolds and Darryl Strawberry were the everyday corner outfielders, leaving Dysktra and Wilson to split the duties in center field. Dykstra performed well under those circumstances in 1987, but suffered from it in 1988.
Although the Mets won their second division title in three years, Dykstra struggled for most of the season. His .285/.352/.455 slash line from 1987 fell to .270/.321/.385 in 1988, causing a 100-point drop in OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). Also, his 19 doubles were barely half of his 1987 total and his 57 runs scored in 126 games were far less than the Mets had come to expect from their leadoff hitter.
Despite his subpar season, Dykstra turned his game up a notch in the postseason, batting .429 (6-for-14) with three doubles, a homer and no strikeouts in the seven-game NLCS against the Dodgers, but the Mets fell short of their ultimate goal, losing the series when Orel Hershiser pitched a complete-game shutout in Game 7. After the unexpected loss, the team was ready to make changes. One of those changes ended up becoming the death knell for the mid-to-late '80s Mets.
On June 18, 1989, the Mets traded Lenny Dykstra and Roger McDowell to the Phillies for Juan Samuel. Samuel was a two-time All-Star and a Silver Slugger-winning second baseman for the Phillies before becoming a Met. But the Mets didn't start him at second because Mets wünderkind Gregg Jefferies was already there. Rather, Samuel became the team's new centerfielder, effectively (or ineffectively) replacing Dykstra and causing Mookie Wilson to spend more time on the bench. Samuel, to put it bluntly, couldn't carry Dykstra's dirt-covered jock strap.
The Mets let their soul go, replacing him with Juan Samuel and his Soul Glo.
In 86 games with the Mets following the trade, Samuel hit .228 with three home runs and 28 RBIs. His .300 slugging percentage was the lowest of any Mets everyday player. That means it was lower than Barry Lyons' percentage (.340) and lower than Kevin Elster's figure (.360). Heck, it was even lower than the slugging percentage posted by notorious singles hitter Dave Magadan (.393), who beat Samuel by nearly 100 points! And let's not even get started with Samuel's play in the outfield. Fortunately, the Mets realized the error of their ways, trading Samuel to the Dodgers six months after they acquired him.
The trade of the popular Dykstra to Philadelphia meant that Lenny was now going to be an everyday player for the first time in his career. Like Samuel with the Mets, Dykstra also went through a period of adjustment in 1989, hitting .222 with 27 extra-base hits for the last-place Phillies. But the Phillies remained patient with Dykstra, and by the following season, they had an All-Star on their hands.
In 1990, the 27-year-old Dykstra had his best season to date. His .325 batting average was fourth in the National League and he led the league in both hits (192) and on-base percentage (.418). Dykstra also finished in the top ten in doubles (35; 7th place), walks (89; 4th) and runs scored (106; 5th). Dykstra became an All-Star for the first time in 1990 and finished 9th in the NL MVP vote despite playing for a sub-.500 team.
Injuries kept Dykstra from repeating his success in 1991 and 1992. He played in only 63 games in 1991 and 85 games in 1992. But despite playing in fewer than a full season's worth of games over those two years, Dykstra combined to hit .299 with 31 doubles, nine homers, 54 stolen bases and 101 runs scored. One year later, Dykstra was fully healthy for the first time since 1990 and he embarked on a season for the ages.
In 1993, the Phillies won their first NL East title in ten years. Philadelphia had many key contributors to their success, but none of them posted a season like Lenny Dykstra. Dykstra set a major league record with 773 plate appearances (a record since surpassed by Jimmy Rollins). He also led the league in at-bats (637), hits (194), walks (129) and runs scored (143), becoming the first National League player since Chuck Klein in 1932 to score over 140 runs in a single season. But being the first National Leaguer in over 60 years to score that many runs wasn't the most impressive achievement for Dykstra in 1993.
As mentioned before, Dykstra led the league in 1993 with 194 hits and 129 walks. In doing so, he became only the fifth player in major league history to pace his league in both categories. Dykstra joined Billy Hamilton (179 hits, 102 walks in 1891), Rogers Hornsby (227 hits, 89 walks in 1924), Richie Ashburn (215 hits, 97 walks in 1958) and Carl Yastrzemski (183 hits, 95 walks in 1963) in this exclusive fraternity. It should be noted that all four players are in the Hall of Fame.
Dykstra's historic year with the Phillies (he also set career highs with 44 doubles, 19 home runs, 66 RBIs and 37 stolen bases in 1993) continued in the the National League Championship Series and the World Series.
In 12 games against the Braves and Blue Jays, Dykstra batted .313 and reached base 27 times for a gaudy .450 on-base percentage. Dykstra also socked six homers, collected 10 RBIs and scored 14 runs for the National League champions. In the World Series alone, Dykstra smacked four homers, stole four bases and slugged .913. He would easily have been the World Series MVP had Joe Carter not sent the Skydome into a frenzy with his title-winning home run in Game 6. (Dykstra also had to settle for second place in the NL MVP vote, as he was the runner-up to Barry Bonds.)
Dykstra did not make the All-Star team in 1993 because of a slow start (he was hitting .265 as late as June 5), but he was selected to play in the Midsummer Classic in each of the following two seasons, including his only All-Star start in 1995. However, just like the 1991 and 1992 campaigns, injuries curtailed both seasons. Dykstra was held to 84 games in 1994 and 62 games in 1995. He did not perform nearly as well as he did in 1993 when he was healthy enough to play, batting .269 with seven homers and 42 RBIs in 569 at-bats over the two seasons. However, he did manage to hit 41 doubles, score 105 runs, steal 25 bases and walk 101 times over the same time period.
In 1996, Dykstra was limited to only 40 games and he missed the entire 1997 season due to injuries. Although Dykstra was only 33 years old when he played his final game in the majors, he still put up a number of fantastic seasons for both the Mets and the Phillies.
Dykstra ranks 36th on the all-time Mets leaderboard in games played. However, he's in the top thirty in batting average (.278; 17th place), on-base percentage (.350; 18th), doubles (104; 26th), triples (17; T-18th), runs scored (287; 27th) and stolen bases (116; 7th). He ranks so highly on the team's all-time lists despite never holding a firm grip on an everyday job in 4½ seasons in New York. His numbers are even better as a Phillie. A total of 58 players have played more games in a Phillies uniform than Dykstra did (Lenny took the field 734 times as a Phillie), but Dykstra still ranks highly on the team's leaderboard in batting average (.289; T-40th), on-base percentage (.388; 7th), OPS (.810; 31st), hits (829; 46th), total bases (1,211; 44th), doubles (177; 36th), walks (459; 24th), runs scored (515; 36th) and stolen bases (169; T-16th). Keep in mind that the Phillies have been in business since 1883 and have employed almost 2,000 players, while the Mets have yet to employ 1,000 players through the 2012 season.
In 12 years in the big leagues, Dykstra was a three-time All-Star and won a Silver Slugger Award in 1993. He also received MVP votes in three seasons, including two top ten finishes (1990, 1993). But as good as he was in the regular season, he was even better in the postseason.
Dykstra only reached the playoffs three times in his career but is still considered to be one of the best postseason hitters of all time. In 32 games, Dykstra hit .321 with a .433 on-base percentage. He also had a .661 slugging percentage and a whopping 1.094 OPS. (For the record, Reggie Jackson - who was known as Mr. October for his postseason prowess - had a .527 slugging percentage and .885 OPS in 77 career postseason games.) Almost half of Dykstra's 36 postseason hits went for extra bases, and 10 of them left the park. Not bad for a player who surpassed ten home runs in a single season only once in his 12-year career.
Lenny Dykstra was always in the spotlight playing for two large-market teams in New York and Philadelphia. Unfortunately, he has remained in the spotlight during his post-playing days, and not for reasons he would like. After running a successful car wash business for nearly a decade, Dykstra was sued by a former business partner in 2005, who accused him of steroid use and betting on baseball games. It would not be the last time Dykstra was named in a lawsuit. Dykstra also spent much of his money on extravagant cars, the stock market and other business pursuits. All of his post-baseball success was only temporary. By 2009, Dykstra was bankrupt, divorced and living on the street.
He may not have money, a wife or a permanent address. But at least Lenny Dykstra has his Twizzlers.
Two years later, Dykstra's problems with the law continued. In no particular order, he was:
Arrested on suspicion of grand theft for trying to buy a stolen car.
Accused of embezzling funds from a bankruptcy estate, trying to hide or sell almost half a million dollars worth of items without permission from the trustee.
Accused of sexual assault by his former housekeeper.
Charged with indecent exposure after luring women to his house via an ad on Craigslist.
Everything came crashing down on Dykstra in 2012, as he was sentenced to six months in prison for bankruptcy fraud. Dysktra had already been serving three years for auto theft and nine months for lewd conduct. He expects to be released from prison in June 2013, twenty years after his landmark season with the Phillies and more than a quarter century after he endeared himself to Mets fans. Like Tug McGraw before him, Lenny Dykstra was beloved by both Mets fans and Phillies fans and helped both teams to a World Series appearance. But unlike McGraw, Dykstra didn't remain a hero to his fans after his playing days were done. Sadly, McGraw succumbed to his demon when cancer took his life in 2004. Lenny Dykstra is still paying for the demons that took away his livelihood. In 1985, Dykstra was a skinny kid who thought he was the best player on the field. His "you can't stop me" attitude helped him win a World Series with the Mets and a National League pennant with the Phillies. But Dykstra was eventually stopped by the law and his vices. The Mets let Dykstra get away in 1989. Then Dysktra let his life get away 20 years later. Sometimes it's best to hold on to what you have. It's a heck of a lot better than not having a hold on anything.
Note: The Mets That Got Away
is a
thirteen-part weekly series that spotlights those Mets players who
established themselves as major leaguers in New York, only to become
stars after leaving town. For previous
installments, please click on the players' names below:
