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The New York Mets; Expansion and Beyond
Topic Started: Mar 6 2012, 11:32 PM (930 Views)
Magoo Minaya
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Backstory shamelessly stolen from Wikipedia...

The Beginning of the Mets
In 1957, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants relocated from New York to California, leaving the largest city in the United States with no National League franchises. Two years later, on July 27, 1959, attorney William Shea announced the formation of a third major baseball league, the Continental League. He tried to get several existing clubs to move, including the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds, but no National League club was interested.

One of the Continental League's five charter members was a team in New York City. Majority interest was held by Joan Whitney Payson and Charles Shipman Payson, former minority owners of the Giants. The second largest stake was held by George Herbert Walker, Jr. (uncle of the future President George H. W. Bush), who served as vice president and treasurer until 1977. Former Giants director M. Donald Grant became chairman of the board. Grant and Joan Payson had been the only members of the Giants' board to oppose the team's move west.

The existing leagues, which had considerably more autonomy at the time, responded with plans to add four new teams, two in each league. One of the new National League teams was to be in New York. The NL offered this new franchise to the CL's New York group, provided that they commit to building a new park. Shea told New York Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr. that he had to personally cable every National League owner and guarantee that the city would build a new facility.

The new team required a new name, and many were suggested. Among the finalists were "Bees," "Burros," "Continentals," "Skyscrapers," and "Jets," as well as the eventual runner-up, the "Skyliners." Although Payson had admitted a preference for "Meadowlarks," the owners ultimately selected "Mets," because it was closely related to the club's already-existing corporate name, "New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, Inc.", it hearkened back to "Metropolitans," a name used by an earlier New York team in the American Association from 1880 to 1887, and because its brevity would naturally fit in newspaper headlines. The name was received with broad approval among fans and the press.

From the beginning, the Mets sought to appeal to the large contingent of former Giants and Dodgers fans. The Mets' team colors reflect this: orange (and, more recently, black) from the Giants, blue from the Dodgers. Coincidentally, orange and blue are also New York City's official colors. Thus two rival fan-bases with 19th Century origins were largely united in support of the new club.

This is where history stops. This is also where a new history is written. Travel with me back to 1962 and let's see if we can build a winner before 1969, and maintain it for a long time.

NEXT POST: The 1962 Expansion Draft...Who did we take?
Edited by Magoo Minaya, Mar 6 2012, 11:33 PM.
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Magoo Minaya
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The Expansion Draft

Well...they never said it was gonna be easy.

We ended up with a pretty old squad. Most of these guys are either past their prime, or they never had a prime. Here are some of the notables...

2B - Red Schoendienst (38 years old, .289, 82 HR, 761 RBI over 18 seasons)
1B - Gil Hodges (37 years old, .274, 361 HR, 1254 RBI over 17 seasons)
SP - Harvey Haddix (36 years old, 116-96, 3.66 ERA over 11 seasons)
SP - Don Larsen (32 years old, 64-69, 3.92 ERA over 10 seasons, pitched perfect game in 1956 World Series for the Yankees)
SP - Early Wynn (41 years old, 292-227, 3.52 ERA over 22 seasons, 1959 AL Cy Young Award winner)
SP - Joey Jay (26 years old, 45-34, 3.53 ERA over 9 seasons, went 21-10, 3.53 ERA for Cincinnati in 1961)

The rest were a bunch of unknowns or rejects from other clubs. Put it all together, it's a payroll of $1,145,960, one of the higher payrolls in the National League. This would be our lineup and rotation for 1962...

Lineup
1. CF Al Spangler
2. 2B Red Schoendienst
3. 1B Gil Hodges
4. RF Jim Hickman
5. LF Cleon Jones (R)
6. 3B Billy Klaus
7. C Hal Naragon
8. SS Joe Koppe
9. Whoever's unlucky enough to be pitching for us...

Rotation/Bullpen
1. Dick Donovan
2. Joey Jay
3. Don Larsen
4. Early Wynn
5. Harvey Haddix
---------------------------------
Closer - Ray Herbert
Setup - Bennie Daniels
Short Relief - Bud Daley, Chuck Estrada
Middle Relief - Paul Toth
Long Relief - Vinegar Bend Mizell

Top Prospects
LF Cleon Jones - Gets to ply his trade in the majors after the Mets failed to draft a competent enough left fielder.
1B Ed Kranepool - Starts out in rookie league, but is probably the Mets #2 prospect.
2B Ron Hunt - Starts on the bench in the majors, and is expected to become the starting second baseman when Red Schoendienst becomes too much of a liability.
SP Jerry Koosman - Will start in single-A and is expected to be brought up as soon as possible.

NEXT POST: 1962 Recap...we all know it's not going to go well, but we have to do it anyway...
Edited by Magoo Minaya, Mar 7 2012, 12:03 AM.
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MPH
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Sucks to have such a horrible team AND payroll. Hopefully they retire. Maybe the crafty vets can keep you competitive though..........
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Magoo Minaya
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1962 - A Franchise's First Year is Always a Throw-Away Year...

All you have to do is look at our roster to see that we're not going to be even the slightest bit competitive this season...and just as I suspected, things played out exactly as they should. We finished last in the majors with a dismal 46-116 mark. Fortunately, that means we get the #1 pick next year! There were some good things to come out of the season though...

Oh who am I kidding...everything was bad! The only good thing was that we hit more HR's (83) than Houston (59). Not one starter hit better than .252, and that was Al Spangler. As for our pitching, Dick Donovan led the way for us with 8 wins, and a respectable 4.09 ERA. Unfortunately, he lost 20 times. Veterans Don Larsen, Early Wynn, and Harvey Haddix did not survive the season, released in mid-season due to unusual suckitude. As much as I'd like to not post our team leaders...here they are.

Batting Average - Al Spangler (.252)
Home Runs - Johnny Blanchard (20)
RBI - Johnny Blanchard (55)
Earned Run Average - Dick Donovan (4.09)
Wins - Dick Donovan (8)
Saves - Ray Herbert (5)

World Champions: Los Angeles Dodgers (104-58), beating the New York Yankees in 5 games in the World Series

Offseason Deals
With not a lot of money to play with in free agency, I decided to get creative and use some of my excess cash towards trades. As such, we made a few moves.

Gil Hodges & Al Spangler were traded to the Cleveland Indians along with $80,000 in exchange for center field prospect Tommie Agee. Agee will get a chance to develop at the major league level, barring any shenanigans.

The Mets and Yankees decided on a small trade with sent Joe Koppe and $50,000 to the Yankees for 23 year old shortstop prospect Phil Linz. Like Agee, Linz will most likely start on the major league roster.
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1963 Outlook - Do We Have To?
Things do not look much better for the Mets in 1963. First off, they will be without Cleon Jones and Johnny Blanchard for most of April due to injuries. The only real thing to look forward to this season is the hopeful development of staff ace Jerry Koosman, and when he returns, Cleon Jones in his second full season in the majors. Also something to watch is Ed Kranepool, who will start 1963 on the bench, but if Dick Smith falters at first base (which is inevitable), then expect Kranepool to see a lot of time.

Both newly acquired players Tommie Agee and Phil Linz will begin the season in the majors. Agee is not expected to stay as he is not quite ready for prime time, so it looks like he is merely filling a spot until Cleon Jones returns. Other than that, it looks like another miserable season at the Polo Grounds.

Opening Day Lineup
1. 3B Billy Klaus
2. 1B Dick Smith
3. 2B Ron Hunt
4. CF Tommie Agee
5. RF Jim Hickman
6. LF Carl Boles
7. C Hal Naragon
8. SS Phil Linz
9. The pitcher who will lose the game for us today...

Pitching Staff
1. Jerry Koosman
2. Dick Donovan
3. Paul Toth
4. Joey Jay
5. Carl Bouldin
-------------------------------
Closer - Ron Taylor
Setup - Jack DiLauro
Short Relievers - Johnnie Seale, Ron Locke
Middle Relief - Darrell Sutherland
Long Relief - Ray Herbert

Top Prospects
1B Ed Kranepool - Starts 1963 on the bench but probably won't stay there. Could take his place in the lineup in mid-season when it's already guaranteed that we're out of it.

SP Jerry Koosman - It will be interesting to see how he rebounds from a miserable rookie campaign of 1962 (1-8, 4.25 in 11 starts).

RP Al Schmeltz - Starting where he belongs, rookie ball. Could make the team as a reliever in a few years.

On the flip side, we do have the #1 pick in the draft. Maybe we'll be able to draft a non-loser. Wish us luck, we're gonna need it. :'(
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1963 Recap - It's Not All Bad...

1963 saw another tough season for the New York Mets, but significant progress was seen...not just on the field, but in the draft room too. With the #1 pick, the Mets drafted Cilo, Alabama wonderkid Don Sutton. Sutton responded by going 13-5 with a 3.61 ERA in 20 starts. Progress was also seen from staff ace Jerry Koosman, who went 16-17 with a 4.60 ERA. While the ERA was a bit high, Koosman was able to keep his team in games. Unfortunately for him, he regressed a bit this season ability-wise, pretty much handing the staff ace job for 1964 to Sutton. Joey Jay rebounded from a hard 1962 with a respectable 11-6, 3.54 mark, making the 1963 NL All Star team. However, it is widely believed within the organization that he will not be re-signed.

Offensively, this team was just plain offensive. Hitting the least homeruns in the majors with just 66, the Mets were led by Cleon Jones, who hit .279 with 7 HR and 73 RBI in 134 games. Despite a .301 average off the bench, Ed Kranepool's development has stalled a bit, and rumors have begun to fly about a potential trade of one of the Mets' top prospects. Tommie Agee was plagued by injury all season long, only playing in 89 games before breaking his wrist. He should return for 1964, and there is belief that the Mets will be aggressive and put someone around him in the lineup to try and add more pop.

Repeating as World Champions were the Los Angeles Dodgers, beating the New York Yankees in a 4 game sweep.

Team Leaders
Wins - Jerry Koosman (16)
ERA - Don Sutton (3.61)
Saves - Ron Taylor (11)
Batting Average - Cleon Jones (.279)
Home Runs - Johnny Blanchard (17)
Runs Batted In - Cleon Jones (73)
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BREAKING NEWS: Tom Seaver Traded to Mets for 9 Players + Cash

A major deal took place during the offseason, that some thought nobody could pull off. Well, the New York Mets pulled it off. Sending 9 players including 1B prospect Ed Kranepool, starting pitchers Paul Toth and Carl Bouldin and 6 other prospects to the Kansas City Athletics in exchange for the highly-touted top prospect. Seaver joins a front-heavy rotation with Don Sutton and Jerry Koosman.

1964 Outlook - Pitching's The Key

If the 1964 New York Mets want to be successful this season, they will need superb pitching. Thankfully for them, three of their starters can do the job. Staff ace Don Sutton, Jerry Koosman, and the newly-acquired Tom Seaver, who's already being nicknamed "Tom Terrific" by fans. The Mets won't be doing much offensively for the future, as they had to clean out the majority of their minor league system to acquire Seaver. There are no real prospects in the minors to watch this season, so all eyes will be on the team currently assembled.

Lineup
1. CF Tommie Agee (when he returns from injury in May)
2. 2B Ron Hunt
3. LF Cleon Jones
4. 1B Dick Smith
5. C Johnny Blanchard
6. RF Jim Hickman
7. SS Phil Linz
8. 3B Bobby Pfeil
9. If it's Sutton, Seaver, or Koosman, we might win. If not...oh boy...

Pitching
1. Don Sutton
2. Tom Seaver
3. Jerry Koosman
4. Bud Daley
5. Chuck Estrada
----------------------------------------
Closer - Ron Taylor
Setup - Johnnie Seale
Short Relief - Darrell Sutherland, Dwight Siebler
Middle Relief - Dennis Bennett
Long Relief - Ron Locke

OOC: I'm trying to get to the 70's as quickly as I can. I know things will get better then :P
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Magoo Minaya
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1964 Recap - Still Sucky, but that Good Kind of Sucky...

The Mets opened Shea Stadium this season, but it didn't help their team offensively. However, they finished strong for once. With a 65-97 record, they had one of the better pitching staffs in the majors, with a team ERA of 3.72. It was their obvious lack of offense that let them down, only hitting 98 homeruns and hitting an NL-worst .230. Thankfully, help is on the way for the future, as the Mets were able to draft Wyncote, PA native Reggie Jackson. Known as Mr. Clutch in high school for his propensity for getting a big hit when his team needed it, Jackson came straight up to the majors and while he hit a dismal .167, he smacked 11 homeruns and drove in 44 runs. If he can improve his batting average, the sky's the limit for Jackson.

Tommie Agee was the team's lone offensive star in 1964, hitting .289 with 26 HR and 98 RBI. Cleon Jones had his struggles, but put up a fine season as well, hitting a respectable .280 with 13 HR and 58 RBI. Jim Hickman's time with the Mets appears to be at an end, as the right fielder fell out of favor with manager Casey Stengel, and was relegated to the bench after Reggie Jackson was drafted. His place on the roster could be taken by prospect Mike Lum. Lum is considered one of the team's top offensive prospects, and has spent time with the big club in 1963 and here in 1964. He has impressed scouts around the league with his willingness to learn, and could be one of the better players to watch in the future. He will have to move from right field though, as it looks like Reggie Jackson has that position on lockdown.

On the mound in 1964, both Don Sutton and Jerry Koosman recovered from terrible starts to post winning records. Sutton went 16-15 with a team-best 2.49 ERA, pitching his way onto the NL All Star team. Koosman went 15-14 and posted a career-low 3.79 ERA. As for the third head in this triangle of pitching studs, Tom Seaver had a tough time adjusting to New York. Despite a respectable 3.59 ERA, best for his career, Seaver struggled to a 11-19 mark. He is getting better though, and time can only be kinder to this youngster who hasn't even hit 20 yet. 1964 will also be remembered for the debut of another young pitching prospect, 18 year old Mike Torrez. Torrez would be a top prospect on most other teams, but here he is considered only a back-end rotation guy. He had his growing pains in 1964, going 3-12, yet posting an acceptable 3.77 ERA. For a pitcher his age, he performed admirably even if he had more walks (57) than strikeouts (51). These four pitchers are still very young and can only get better with time. The New York Mets will be strong in the starting rotation for years to come.

In another rematch, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series over the New York Yankees in 5 games.

Team Leaders
Wins - Don Sutton (16)
ERA - Don Sutton (2.49)
Saves - Ron Taylor (8)

Batting Average - Tommie Agee (.289)
Home Runs - Tommie Agee (26)
RBI - Tommie Agee (98)

Contract Extensions
2B Ron Hunt signed a 6 year extension, earning him $75,000 per year
LF Cleon Jones signed a 6 year extension, earning him $50,000 per year
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1965 Preview - Gettin' Closer...

1965 looks to be a very critical year for the New York Mets. They have not finished any higher than 9th place in the National League since they became a franchise. If they are to continue their slow march to respectability, the following things need to happen...

- Cleon Jones continues to take an aggressive approach at the plate. (.284, 13 HR, 58 RBI last season) Needs more RBI's.
- Tommie Agee becomes the Mets' first ever 30 HR/100 RBI man. (.289, 26 HR, 98 RBI last season)
- Reggie Jackson shaking the rookie jitters and hits above .200 (hit .167 last season in 251 at bats)
- The front end of the rotation (Sutton, Seaver, Koosman) get off to strong starts.
- Tom Seaver needs to have a winning season (34-52, 3.93 ERA in first three seasons, 2 with Kansas City)
- Bullpen needs to hold it together since they won't have Johnnie Seale (2-6, 2.78 ERA in 16 appearances last season before tearing rotator cuff)

Lineup
1. 2B Ron Hunt
2. 1B Dick Smith
3. LF Cleon Jones
4. CF Tommie Agee
5. RF Reggie Jackson
6. 3B Bobby Pfeil
7. C Jerry McNertney
8. SS Phil Linz
9. That guy who tosses the ball from that bump...

Pitching Staff
1. Don Sutton
2. Tom Seaver
3. Jerry Koosman
4. Mike Torrez
5. Dennis Bennett
----------------------------
Closer - Ron Taylor
Setup - Dwight Seibler
Short Relief - Darrell Sutherland, Tom Parsons
Middle Relief - Tug McGraw
Long Relief - Jim McAndrew
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Mid-Season Deal: Mets Acquire Rod Carew From California Angels!

The New York Mets keep finding ways to improve their team without trading their big pitchers.

This time, they reached an agreement with the California Angels to acquire potential star 1B Rod Carew in exchange for a package including solid 1B Dick Smith, several prospects, and $380,000 cash. Carew was hitting .500 in 4 at bats this season, and will now be inserted straight into a lineup that needs more quality hitters, and missing Tommie Agee due to injury.
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1965 Recap: Stengel's Last Stand Felt Like a Sit-Down...

In Casey Stengel's final year as Mets manager, once again they were a very solid pitching club. However, they got the offense wrong again. Winning more than 70 games for the first time in their history, the Mets went 72-90, good for 8th in the National League. Don Sutton had another strong season, which unfortunately ended with him having a losing record. He went 14-16 with a 2.43 ERA, good for 2nd in the majors only behind Bob Gibson (2.36) of the St. Louis Cardinals. Jerry Koosman led the team in wins with 18, with a 3.94 ERA. Tom Seaver had his first winning season of his career, going 15-13 and posting a 3.35 ERA.

Offensively, the Mets continued to be pretty inept. However, there were a few bright spots. Third Baseman Bobby Pfeil led the team in batting average, hitting .310 and driving in 46 runs. Reggie Jackson led the team in power, hitting .258 with 26 HR and 81 RBI. Cleon Jones continued to solidly contribute, hitting .268 with 15 HR and 79 RBI. There is concern in the front office about Jones' inconsistency though, and if the right deal comes along, they may consider trading him in favor of giving 19 year old Mike Lum a chance.

Yet again, it was a World Series between the Dodgers and the Yankees...and yet again the Dodgers won, this time in a sweep. Stupid Los Angeles, someone needs to put them in their place!

Team Leaders
Wins: Jerry Koosman (18)
ERA: Don Sutton (2.43)
Saves: Ron Taylor (10)

Batting Average: Bobby Pfeil (.310)
Home Runs: Reggie Jackson (26)
RBI: Reggie Jackson (81)
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Ess See
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Really good stuff so far, Magoo. I always like these rewriting history compositions.
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Magoo Minaya
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OOC: Starting in 1966, I will begin allowing fictional rookies to be created and put in the draft. It should mix things up a bit and create more interesting choices should these fictional rookies be any good!

Mets Trade Cleon Jones to Pittsburgh for Jim Hunter, Minor Leaguers, and Cash

Amidst rumors that the Mets front office might try to move Cleon Jones, they have done exactly that. The Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed a deal to acquire the left fielder from the Mets today in exchange for Jim "Catfish" Hunter, three minor league prospects, and $20,000 cash. Jones struggled in 1965, seeing his average drop to .268. The Pirates are banking that a change of scenery can rejuvenate the 23 year old former top prospect. Meanwhile, the Mets add yet another solid arm to their pitching staff and on paper look to have one of the best staffs in the league.
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1966 Preview: Mets Move On Without Jones

The aftermath of the trade of Cleon Jones to the Pirates has left the Mets with a gaping hole in the middle of their lineup, one that they'll have a hard time filling in 1966. Their pitching staff, on the other hand, has to be looked at as one of the better ones in the league, having added Jim "Catfish" Hunter to their rotation. It's a rotation that the Mets will hope to ride to a winning record this season.

Lineup
1. SS Jose Martinez
2. 2B Ron Hunt
3. CF Tommie Agee
4. RF Reggie Jackson
5. 1B Rod Carew
6. 3B Bobby Pfeil
7. LF Mike Lum
8. C Thurman Munson
9. Pick your poison...

Pitching Staff
1. Don Sutton
2. Tom Seaver
3. Jim "Catfish" Hunter
4. Jerry Koosman
5. Mike Torrez
----------------------------------
Closer - Johnnie Seale
Setup - Jim Bethke
Short Relief - Darrell Sutherland, Bill Hepler
Middle Relief - Tug McGraw
Long Relief - Dwight Siebler
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1966 Recap - Unexpected Progression!

Doormats no more, the 1966 New York Mets played with determination and skill and posted their first ever winning season in team history. Going 94-69 and reaching a one-game playoff for the National League Pennant, the Mets were defeated 4-3 despite Jim Hunter going the entire distance and keeping the Mets in the game. Still, so many positives can be taken out of this season. For the first time, the New York Mets were contenders, and acted as such when they acquired left fielder Boog Powell from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for two prospects. Powell was worth the trade, hitting .280 with 10 HR and 46 RBI in 56 games with the Mets. He is expected to be part of the team's plans for 1967.

Signed to a 7 year extension in mid-season, Don Sutton pitched the first ever no hitter in Mets history on July 11 against the Atlanta Braves in a 7-0 win, coming two walks short of a perfect game. Sutton went 25-10 with a NL-leading 2.37 ERA en route to winning the NL Cy Young award. Tom Seaver had the most wins on the team, going 26-13 with a 2.87 ERA.

Reggie Jackson led the team in home runs and RBI's, hitting .270 with 46 HR and 128 RBI. Tommie Agee returned to form in a huge way, hitting .302 with 25 HR and 108 RBI, justifying the faith in him that the Mets had when they signed him to a 5 year extension earlier in the season. Rod Carew won the NL Batting Title, hitting .345 and became the first Met to hit for the Cycle on May 17th in an 8-0 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies.

With a rising offense and a dominant rotation, the sky's the limit for the New York Mets, who are no longer a doormat in the National League, and were one game away from winning the pennant. That experience should make the Mets want it even more, and make them a force to be reckoned with in 1967.
Edited by Magoo Minaya, Mar 8 2012, 04:15 PM.
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