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Most ignominious moments in Mets' history |
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By David Schoenfield ESPN.com Here they are. The 10 most ignominious moments in Mets' history, those times you were most ashamed to be a Mets fan. Don't worry, Yankees fans, we'll get back at you tomorrow. The 1962 Mets were not laughable. They were a disgrace to the game of baseball. They finished 40-120, finishing 60½ games out of first place. No team has ever lost more games. The ineptitude was best symbolized one day when Marv Throneberry legged out a triple but was called out for missing second base. When Casey Stengel went out to argue, the umpire told him, "Sit down, Casey. He also missed first base." 2. Nolan Ryan traded for Jim Fregosi This one didn't exactly work out, did it? The Mets sent their young fireballer to the Angels for Fregosi on December 19, 1971. Fregosi hit five home runs in his Mets career. Ryan, meanwhile, won 295 more games after the deal. 3. Tom Seaver traded to Reds He was the key player on the World Series teams of 1969 and 1973. He had won three Cy Young Awards. But he was in a salary dispute with tightfisted management. So, they traded him to the Reds in June 1977 for Steve Henderson, Pat Zachry, Dan Norman and Doug Flynn. The Mets finished last in five of the next seven seasons ... and Seaver won 122 games after the trade. 4. Doc's demise Dwight Gooden was the toast of baseball as a 19-year-old rookie in 1984. In 1985, he had one of the most dominant seasons ever, going 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA. In 1986, the Mets won the World Series. However, right before the start of the 1987 season -- after a winter that included an altercation with police in his hometown of Tampa -- Gooden entered a drug rehab program. He started 25 games that year, perhaps costing the Mets the pennant. And while he had other good years, he was never as dominant as he had been. 5. The Picture Day brawl Spring training, 1989. Time for the Mets to take their annual team photo. Pose for a few seconds and go on with your day. Keith Hernandez had once been Darryl Strawberry's mentor, but he grew tired of Strawberry's mood swings and drinking problems. In 1988, Strawberry narrowly lost the NL MVP Award to Kirk Gibson. Hernandez had lobbied for teammate Kevin McReynolds being a better choice than Strawberry, which ticked off Strawberry. Except the photographer didn't know about all this. So when he asked the two to sit next to each other, Strawberry turned around and clocked Hernandez. The demise of the late-'80s Mets had officially begun. 6. David Cone's alleged bullpen incident In March 1992, it was revealed three women had filed an $8.1 million civil suit against David Cone that included charges of sexual harassment. Cone allegedly exposed himself and masturbated before the women in the Shea Stadium bullpen before a game in 1989. "WEIRD SEX ACT IN BULLPEN" screamed the tabloids. 7. Vince Coleman's firecracker incident Vince Coleman's three years with the Mets were marked by bad play, indifferent attitude and multiple ejections. But he hit a low point in 1993 when he threw a lighted firecracker (OK, it was bigger than a firecracker, more like an M-80) into a crowd of people at the Dodger Stadium parking lot. The explosion injured a young girl and won Coleman 200 hours of community service. 8. Anthony Young's losing streak Only one pitcher in major-league history has lost 27 consecutive games (talk about unbreakable records) -- and he played for the Mets. Tough-luck right-hander Anthony Young lost on May 6, 1992, and he lost 13 more that season. He then lost his first 13 decisions in 1993 before finally breaking through on July 24, 1993. (And you wonder why the team went 59-103 in 1993?) 9. Bobby V. goes under cover Bobby Valentine gets ejected from a game ... but really wants to manage! So he dons a fake moustache, returns to the bench and gets caught! He's suspended for two games. 10. Time for some cards The Mets were facing elimination against the Braves in Game 6 of last year's playoffs. Rickey Henderson, who had been removed on a double-switch, and Bobby Bonilla, who had pinch-hit earlier in the game, weren't on the bench rooting for their teammates as the game headed into extra innings. Instead, they were back in the clubhouse playing cards. Nice team spirit, guys.  Copyright ©2000 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Click here for a list of employment opportunities at ESPN.com. |
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