Saw a lot of tweets this morning on some notable trades and moments that took place on on this day in recent Mets history, so I thought I’d jot down a couple of quick memories. Away we go…
Hey Bubba!
Real Mets Legends noted on this day in 2000 the Mets acquired Bubba Trammell and Rick White for Paul Wilson and Jason Tyner. Happy 21st birthday to this move… lets drink to it. Why? Well, for starters JonnyIce and I were at Shea Stadium when we learned the trade happened via a scoreboard note. Imagine learning about a trade without Twitter? What a time to be alive.
It was a Friday night vs. the Cardinals, just weeks away from leaving home for my freshman year of college. I remember getting Andy (or Alan?) Benes’ autograph during the pre-game warm-ups. Bonus points because I got Jonny-boy to join me field level, which if you heard our first episode, you know is a big deal! This game was also memorable because in the middle innings, while sitting in our Loge seats at Shea Stadium, the pipe above us start leaking a row behind us. A facilities guy came with a ladder to fix the leak…in the middle of the game. To think, it would be only another 9 years before the Mets started playing in a new stadium. Ah, Shea…. we miss and love you.
Anyhow, while it was a relatively minor move in the grand scheme of things, Bubba and Rick did play a key role in the team’s march to the 2000 World Series, which we talk about here.
Welcome to the Stro Show
On this day in 2019, the Mets acquired Marcus Stroman. I have to admit, reading the news flash on my phone in the driveway after a day at Watch Hill, was uh…. stunning. I mean, to that point in the season, the Mets were – to use a wrestling term – tweeners. They traded away Jason Vargas earlier, so it made you think they were sellers at the deadline. And then they went off and reeled in a big fish. I was equally stunned because I just saw Anthony Kay pitch a few days earlier in Hartford vs. the Yard Goats, and he was lights out… talk about being bummed about losing a prospect.
It’s been a good – if not uneven – ride for Marcus as a Met. What I’ll remember most so far about Marcus, is being at his first game at CitiField vs. the Nationals. Talk about electric… and I am sure we all remember how that game ended…
Going back, back, to Ca…New York?
On this day in 2015, the Mets acquired Tyler Clippard. Tyler made his MLB debut with the Yankees in…Queens. This trade marked his return to New York and in many ways, I think it’s an underrated move when you think of the trades – and non-trades – that led the Mets to the World Series. Hear his thoughts about going to the postseason in ’15 below:
A streak is broken
Not a trade, but on this date in 1993, Anthony Young finally got a W. Anthony passed away much too soon, and it’s sad to think that the streak is his claim to fame, but I for one enjoy seeing this clip over and over again. And how about hearing Gary Carter on the broadcast for the Florida Marlins?
I remember watching this game while visiting family in Florida, which is why I remember hearing Gary Carter on-air. Ten-year-old me definitely jumped around in the living room when Eddie Murray’s shot went to the wall. Good times… good times.
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