All Time Mets

STARTING PITCHERS

1) Tom Seaver - RHP (1967-77, 83) Tom Seaver, "The Franchise" is the first great in Mets history. A graduate of USC, the former Marine was developed in the Mets farm system. He joined the Mets in 1967 and won the Rookie of the year award. He became the ace of the Mets pitching staff winning 25 games for the underdog Mets and led them to a world championship in 1969. In the 70's Seaver was always one of the league leaders in ERA, strkeouts, and won 3 cy young awards. He pitched several near no hitters including his 'near perfect' game July 9th 1969 agains the Cubs. That night he made believers of Mets fans that they could be a contender! Tom struck out 200 or more batters 8 seasons in a row. In 1973, he won 19 games, helping the Mets win the 1973 NL Pennant. June 15th 1977 is a date that will live in infamy! It would become known as the "Midnight Massacre" for on that night Tom Seaver was traded by Chariman of the Board, M. Donald Grant to the Reds. This was after a series of battles between Seaver and Grant over his contract and team direction. Dave Kingman was also traded that evening. While with the Big Red Machine, Tom pitched his elusive no hitter, and helped them win the NL West title in '79. The Mets ownership changed in 1980, and Seaver returned to the Mets briefly for the '83 season. Tom won his 300th game while pitching for the WhiteSox at Yankee Stadium in 1985. In 1992 Tom was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by highest percentage in history. Visit my Tom "Terrific" Seaver Page Seaver Stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 3) Jerry Koosman - LHP-SP (1968-78) Jerry Koosman or "Kooz" as he was nicknamed, was loved by fans and players alike. A great lefty to compliment Seaver in the Mets rotations of the 60's and 70's, he often doesn't receive the credit he is due for being a winner and clutch pitcher. Koosman was a rookie in 1968 winning 19 games (with an era of 2.08) for the last place Mets! Kooz followed his rookie performance with 17 wins for the '69 championship team. Jerry was at his best especially in postseason. In 1969, he beat the heavily favored Orioles twice including the series clincher! In the '73 playoffs, Koosman won game #3 against the Reds and in the World Series beat the A's in game 5. Kooz battled arm trouble and low run support in the seventies but managed to win 21 games for the Mets in the bicentennial year of 1976. This feat placed him on the cover of the '77 Mets yearbook. During the Mets '70s rebuilding program, Jerry was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Jesse Orosco - great trade - after the '78 season. Jerry's post Mets career included winning 20 games for his hometown Twins in 1979. Koosman Stats @ Baseball-almanac.com 5) Al Leiter - LHP (1998-2004) Al Leiter Stats at Baseball-Almanac.com 7) Ron Darling- RHP (1983-1991) Ron Darling Stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 9) Sid Fernandez - LHP (1984-93) El Sid's stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com RELIEF PITCHERS 11) Tug McGraw - LHP (1965-1974) Tug McGraw stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 13) John Franco - LHP (1990-2003) John Franco stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 15) Jesse Orosco - LHP (1979-87) Jesse Orosco stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 17) John Stearns - Catcher (1975-84) John Stearns stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 19) Todd Hundley - Catcher (1990-98) Todd Hundley stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com INFIELDERS 21) Keith Hernandez - 1B (1983-89) Keith Hernandez stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 23) Bud Harrelson - SS (1965-77) Buddy's stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 25) Felix Millan - 2B (1973-77) Felix Millan stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 27) Wayne Garrett - 3B/INF (1969-76) Wayne Garrett stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 29) Ray Knight - 3B (1983-86) Ray Knight stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 30) Kevin Elster - SS (1986-1992) Kevin Elster stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com OUTFIELDERS 31) Ed Kranepool OF/1B (1962-79) Ed Kranepool stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 33) Tommie Agee - CF (1968-72) Tommie Agee stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 35) Lenny Dykstra - CF (1985-89) Lenny Dykstra stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com 37) Dave Kingman - OF/1B (1975-77, 81-83) Dave Kingman stats @ Baseball-almanac.com 39) Rusty Staub - RF/1B (1972-75, 81-85) Rusty Staub stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com Bernard Gilkey OF (1996-1998) Bernard Gilkey stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com HONORABLE MENTIONS Frank Thomas, OF - Hit 34 homers in '62. Al Jackson, P - Fine lefty who won 13 games in '65. Ron Hunt, 2B - First Met All star game starter '64 Ron Swoboda, OF - Game saving catch '69 world series, game 5. Art Shamsky, OF - Platooned in rightfield in '69 and hit over .300. Skip Lockwood, P - A reliable reliever in 70's. Nino Espinosa, P - Fine starter on those bad late 70's teams. Dave Magadan, INF- Solid average hitter in late 80's/90's. SPECIAL FAVORITES Randy Tate, P - Struggled to as a starting pitcher winning only 5 games on the '75 Mets. His career highlight includes losing a no hitter. Doug Sisk, P - Doug was a fine closer for the '83 team but by '85 had lost his sinker. Nicknamed "Doug Risk" I put my 'believe' powers to work especially when he was on the mound.

2) Dwight Gooden - RHP (1984-1994)

Dwight Gooden a/k/a "The Doctor" was a phenom who dominated the National League for the Mets in the 80's. Only a 19 year old rookie in 1984, Dwight was blessed with a blazing fastball and wicked curve nicknamed "Lord Charles". Gooden piled on the strikeouts and won the rookie of the year award. The next year he followed up with the cy young award after winning 24 games. Gooden led the Mets staff towards 108 wins and the world championship in 1986.

Mets fans were shocked in the Spring of '87 when Doc tested positive for cocaine use. After a suspension during which he attended a rehab clinic, Doc returning to the Mets winning 15 games. In '88 he won 18 as the Mets won the NL East title. After some arm troubles, Doc returned to the Mets and won 19 games but he was never as effective as his first few seasons. Sadly Doc's cocaine woes resurfaced and he left the Mets after the '94 season. In 1996, Doc joined the Yankees and pitched a no hitter and helped them to a World Championship.

Gooden Stats @ Baseball-Almanac.com

4) David Cone - RHP (1987-1992)

David Cone was right handed flame thrower for the Mets during the 80's and early 90's. His fastball and 'laredo' slider were nasty. Cone was acquired by the Mets from the Kansas City Royals in '87, and David worked out of the bullpen that season. He became a fan favorite and his fanclub nicknamed themselves, "Cone Heads" (after the "Saturday Night Live" skit).. David was amazin' in 1988 going 20-3 as the Mets won the NL East title. During the playoffs, Cone the aspiring journalist 'wrote' a column for the Daily News. (ghost written by Bob Klapish) Always a hotwire, Cone proved his arrogance by alledging the Mets had no respect for the Dodgers against whom they had an 11-2 record. This motivated the Dodgers and they would beat the Mets for the pennant.

Cone could lose his composure on the mound when things went awry, one game in Atlanta in 1990, David allowed 2 runs to score while he held the ball arguing with an umpire! Like Gooden and Sid Fernandez, Cone was a strikeout pitcher. On the last game of the 1991 season, he struck out 19 Phillies at Veterans Stadium. David was traded to the BlueJays and grew into one of the best pitchers in the game. He led the Blue Jays to back to back World Series championships in 1992, and 1993. Returning to the Royals, he won the Cy Young award in 1994. David's career came full circle when as a Yankee he battled a life threatening aneurysm, to become ace of their ptiching staff and during their World Championship seasons of 1996, 98, 99, and 2000. His crowning achievement came in In 1998, when Cone threw a perfect game against the Montreal Expos! Despite being embraced as a Yankee by fans and the Yankee organization, David played his last season (2001) with the Redsox. He retired the following Spring after an aborted attempt to return to the Mets.

David Cone stats @ Baseball Almanac

6) Jon Matlack - LHP (1972-1978)