Sunday, July 8, 2007By Barry Duchan
Editor's Note: We will publish a post from Barry Duchan every Sunday covering some aspect of Mets history. - M.S.
There have been many all-time Met teams listed in the past, but most of those include a few players such as Keith Hernandez, Howard Johnson, and Mike Piazza who were acquired in trades. So here's an all-time 25-player Mets team made up strictly of players who came up through the Mets' organization. It doesn't include players nurtured in the Mets' organization who enjoyed their best years elsewhere, such as Nolan Ryan. I was surprised how tough it was to fill out the roster. Was Ron Hodges really the second best catcher ever developed in the Mets' system in 45 years ?(Well, Jody Davis was certainly better, but that was after he left the Mets' organization.)
Starting Pitchers - Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, Bobby Jones, Craig Swan
Bullpen - Tug McGraw, Roger McDowell, Doug Sisk, Aaron Heilman, Randy Myers Catchers- Todd Hundley, Ron Hodges
Infield - Ed Kranepool, Edgardo Alfonzo, Bud Harrelson, David Wright, John Milner, Jose Reyes, Hubie Brooks
Outfield - Darryl Strawberry, Cleon Jones, Mookie Wilson, Len Dykstra, Lee Mazzilli
I found it most interesting that although the bullpen has been one of the great strengths of every good Mets' team, almost all of the team's best relievers came in trades or as free-agent signees.
About Barry Duchan: I've been following the Mets since 1962. Have to admit I was a Yankee fan as a kid, but I found it to be so much more interesting to see how a young team could build itself up rather than following a team where the season didn't really begin until October. I remember them all - Casey, Marv, ChooChoo, Don Bosch, The Stork, etc. As the years went on, I became more and more of a Mets fan, and a Yankee hater once Steinbrenner and Billy Martin entered the picture. Read More -->
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Comments (5)
Except for the starting pitching, this is not a very distinguished all-star homegrown roster covering a period of 45 years. I really wonder how other organizations compare.
Posted by Dana Brand | July 8, 2007 10:20 PM
I'd like to see a contrasting article about the best homegrown team made of those players traded away by the Mets.
Posted by Gene | July 9, 2007 10:04 PM
I'd like to see a contrasting article about the best homegrown team made of those players traded away by the Mets.
Posted by Gene | July 9, 2007 10:04 PM
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I'd like to see a contrasting article about the best homegrown team made of those players traded away by the Mets.
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A fellow could piece one together I suppose. Let's see, you've got Nolan Ryan and Mike Scott starting, Amos Otis and Ken Singleton in the outfield, maybe Tim Foli at short.....hum! Harder than I thought.
Mike Jorgenson would be considered a better player today than he was while active, about as deserving of a career as Doug Mientkiewitz, tho' that's not saying a lot. In a few years the answer for a first baseman might be Craig Brazell, currently 2nd in the Pacific Coast League in home runs; he was drafted a Met wasn't he? The same may be said of Kippinger, who is leading the International League in hitting at the moment, if he makes it to the show as a second baseman. No, he was signed elsewhere too. Paul Byrd? No, he was drafted by Cleveland, and besides that he's Paul Byrd.
Man; reviewing the Mets draft picks over the years, you get a big bunch of Shawn Abners and Kirk Presley's, darn few Darryl Strawberry's. So maybe the Mets haven't given so much away, unlike the Yankees and other teams; maybe they just haven't drafted worth a damn over the history of the franchise.
Posted by dd | July 10, 2007 8:00 AM
Amos Otis was not originally signed by the Mets. They drafted him out of the Red Sox organization. Paul Blair WAS originally signed by the Mets and drafted by Baltimore. You'd also probably have to put Ty Wigginton on the team. Catcher - choose from Jody Davis, Mike Fitzgerald and Jason Phillips. Pitchers ? Kazmir, of course, Isringhausen, maybe Paul Wilson who had a couple of decent years after he left. And Dykstra had his best years as a Phillie. Leroy Stanton had some okay years with the Angels. And Randy Myers was better with the Reds than he ever was with the Mets. Any others ?
Posted by Barry Duchan | July 10, 2007 11:40 AM