Countdown to Mets Fantasy Camp 20 Days to Go.
Every year for the last 3 years as Spring gives way to Fall, Mets season merges into NY Rangers season, I have been able to keep the baseball side of my brain occupied with thoughts of Mets Fantasy Camp. This year more so then ever, in the past I have simply gone down to cover the week long camp as a reporter, this season I am headed down to actually participate as a player. Each year I have tried to find unique ways of counting down the days until camp and sharing them with Mets fans, So this year I will do the countdown by Jersey numbers, When possible I will post my 3 favorite Mets who have worn that number, some numbers are harder then others.
Tommie Agee
Just like Cleon Jones, when you hear Agee's name it's hard to to imagine those wonderful catches in the 1969 World Series, but just like his pal from Alabama, Tommie did his best work at the plate, as evidenced by the old marker at Shea to commemorate Tommie's upper deck bomb.In 45 seasons of baseball at Shea Stadium, the upper deck has been just as unreachable - except for one swing on April 10, 1969.Some quotes about that home run:Ron Swoboda, the Mets' left fielder, was quoted in the following day's Daily News saying Agee's homer would have "hit the bus in the parking lot if it hadn't hit the seats." As he remembers it now, "it just seemed to hang up there so long.""I've never seen a ball hit like that," says Rod Gaspar, who was on deck when Agee hit the first of his two home runs that day. "Just incredible."It wasn't coming down when it hit those seats - it was just a line drive that kept on going," Bud Harrelson said. "A few years ago, they were celebrating something, and we went up and stood by that seat and took a picture - it may have been for the newspaper, maybe after (Agee) died (in 2001), memorializing him and that seat, and I remember saying, 'Man, this is high.' And looking down, it was scary."Agee had it all, speed, power, and arm, he was so exciting to watch. His Game 3 heroics ranks as possibly the greatest post season game of any NY Met.
Howard Johnson
Pound for Pound maybe the strongest Met there ever was at 5'10" and 175 lbs, Hojo managed to hit close to 200 Home Runs as a New York Met. In all the years I watched him play I never saw a fastball he couldn't turn on., Bob Murphy said it best "Trying to sneak a fastball past HoJo is like trying to sneak sunshine past a rooster."Hojo also had a big part in making David Wright the player he is today, Hojo is one guy the Mets should reach out to and get him back in the organization.
Shawn Green
What were the Diamondbacks thinking when they traded him for Evan Maclane, EVAN MACLANE ?? Yes Shawn was on the backend of a nice major league career, but Green was hitting .283 at the time of the trade. Green was a real nice fit in right field and added length to a good lineup in 2006 and 2007,His shining moment in a Mets uniform undoubtably was Game 1 of the National League Division Series.2006 against the Los Angeles Dodgers,former Met Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew started the second inning off with singles. Russell Martin then lifted a fly ball deep to right field, over the head of Shawn Green,Green played the ball perfectly. he stopped as he approached the wall and turned to field the carom,Kent had paused between second and third base, making sure the ball would not be caught. So, by the time he rounded third, the ball was well on its way from Green to second baseman Jose Valentin, who made a strong throw to catcher Paul Lo Duca.Lo Duca tagged out Kent, looked to the umpire for the call, then turned around and tagged Drew for the 9-4-2 double play. Drew did not hesitate in running from first base, and so he nearly caught Kent at third base.
Mets who wore #20
Craig Anderson
Greg Goossen
Choo Choo Coleman
Bob Friend
John Sullivan
Tommie Agee
Jerry May
Ike Hampton
John Pacella
Ken Henderson
John Pacella
Greg Harris
Rick Ownbey
Mike Fitzgerald
Howard Johnson
Ryan Thompson
Roberto Petagine
Bruce Benedict
Kurt Abbott
Mark Johnson
Jeromy Burnitz
Prentice Redman
Karim Garcia
Ricky Bottalico
Victor Diaz
Shawn Green
Jason Pridie
Anthony Recker
By: Mark Rosenman
WLIE 540 AM SPORTSTALKNY Host and Producer
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