VINN

[Edgy MD]

VINN. That's your acronym for remembering which states haven't yet gifted the world with a native son that would grow to be a Met:

• Vermont


• Idaho


• New Mexico


• North Dakota

As there are a lot of states whose names begin with those letters, it helps to remember that three of the four are Mountain Time Zone states. Yes, Idaho is only 3/4 in the Mountain Time Zone and North Dakota is only 1/4 situated there, but still, it's a helpful device.



But be not hopeless. There was a Vermont-born big leaguer as recently as 2014 (Daric Barton), and Hall of Fame Great Carlton Fisk is also a son of the Green Mountain State. It's also interesting that Vermont has produced major leaguers with last-name-first-names like "Daric" and "Carlton."



Idaho has been more fruitful in recent years — and we ain't talking about potatoes — currently boasting of two active big leaguers, Josh Osich and James Hoyt. James appears to be a member of the first-name-last-name club, and I frankly don't know how he made it to the big leagues with a stupid last name like "Hoyt." Good God.



New Mexico is a blessed place, home of warm sun, cool breezes, and our own A Boy Named Seo, but never native home to a Met. This is something of an historical accident, as the Land of Enchantment has produced dozens of players, and Albuquerque alone currently roots for native sons Ken Giles, Mitch Garver, and All-Star Alex Bregman, while up north residents of Farmington tell tales of longtime reliever Mike Dunn.



Surely one of those four will get some sense and join the Mets before his career is through.



Lastly is lonely North Dakota, and when you look to North Dakota, you look to Fargo, and when you look to Fargo, you're looking at the birthplace of hockey-haired Padres reliever Matt Straham. And debuting this year for Seattle was West Fargo's own Erik Swanson. That's a good prairie name. And it'd make a good Mets name.



So root for these states to do their jobs and get a player to the Mets. After 58 years, it's kinda shameful they haven't gotten the job done. Wyoming has produced two Mets and they're barely even trying.



Also, a tip of the hat to US territories such as Puerto Rico, Washington, DC, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, who all count native-born Mets among their official exports. I don't know what Guam's problem is, to say nothing of Samoa or The Mariana Islands, but they sure better get on the ball.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, what the fuck, Guam?

[Benjamin Grimm]

And here we go, the first player from each state, and when it happened. (Illinois, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania both had two representatives in the very first Mets game. If anyone cares to check the box score to see which player appeared first, be my guest.)



1962-04-11 Illinois Hobie Landrith

1962-04-11 Illinois Jim Marshall

1962-04-11 Indiana Gil Hodges

1962-04-11 Kentucky Herb Moford

1962-04-11 Kentucky Gus Bell

1962-04-11 Montana Ed Bouchee

1962-04-11 Nebraska Richie Ashburn

1962-04-11 North Carolina Roger Craig

1962-04-11 Ohio Don Zimmer

1962-04-11 Pennsylvania Bob Moorhead

1962-04-11 Pennsylvania Frank Thomas

1962-04-11 Puerto Rico Felix Mantilla

1962-04-11 Rhode Island Clem Labine

1962-04-11 Texas Charlie Neal

1962-04-13 New York Joe Ginsberg

1962-04-13 Oregon Bobby Gene Smith

1962-04-13 Wisconsin John DeMerit

1962-04-14 California Chris Cannizzaro

1962-04-14 District of Columbia Craig Anderson

1962-04-14 Tennessee Jim Hickman

1962-04-15 Kansas Rod Kanehl

1962-04-21 Missouri Bob Miller

1962-04-28 South Carolina Sammy Taylor

1962-04-28 Virginia Dave Hillman

1962-05-12 Mississippi Vinegar Bend Mizell

1962-06-01 New Jersey Willard Hunter

1962-07-16 Florida Choo Choo Coleman

1962-08-01 Arkansas Sammy Drake

1963-04-09 Michigan Al Moran

1963-04-11 Maine Carl Willey

1963-05-24 Connecticut Jimmy Piersall

1963-09-14 Alabama Cleon Jones

1964-04-17 Maryland Jack Fisher

1964-04-18 Oklahoma Jerry Hinsley

1965-07-09 Georgia Gordie Richardson

1965-09-01 Massachusetts Kevin Collins

1966-04-15 Louisiana Billy Murphy

1966-04-16 Iowa Jack Hamilton

1966-07-23 Delaware Dallas Green

1967-04-14 Minnesota Jerry Koosman

1969-04-10 Arizona Gary Gentry

1970-09-01 Colorado Ron Herbel

1972-06-29 South Dakota Bob Rauch

1973-04-14 Utah George Theodore

1981-09-12 Washington Mike Howard

1982-09-11 Hawaii Carlos Diaz

1995-08-08 New Hampshire Don Florence

1997-04-05 West Virginia Rick Reed

2006-08-19 Alaska Dave Williams

2013-04-01 Wyoming John Buck

2017-04-08 Nevada Paul Sewald

[Benjamin Grimm]

And here's the same information, for players born outside the United States:



1962-04-13 Canada Ray Daviault

1962-04-13 Venezuela Elio Chacon

1962-05-21 U.S. Virgin Islands Joe Christopher

1963-05-11 Cuba Chico Fernandez

1964-04-14 Dominican Republic Amado Samuel

1967-09-19 England Les Rohr

1971-09-14 Mexico Francisco Estrada

1978-08-17 Panama Juan Berenguer

1981-09-01 Germany Ron Gardenhire

1982-08-21 France Bruce Bochy

1989-09-07 Australia Craig Shipley

1997-05-01 Japan Takashi Kashiwada

1998-09-05 Netherlands Antilles Ralph Milliard

2002-07-21 South Korea Jae Seo

2005-06-14 Vietnam Danny Graves

2011-04-01 Taiwan Chin-lung Hu

2014-08-29 Columbia Dilson Herrera

2018-05-07 United Kingdom P. J. Conlon



I don't know why Puerto Rico landed on the first list and the U.S. Virgin Islands on the second list. Probably due to a decision I made twenty-one years ago!

[Edgy MD]

One Vietnam-born major-leaguer, but he played for the Mets. What excuse could Vermont possibly have?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Two brothers named Darryl, but no Mets.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I like how my lazy copying-and-pasting makes it look like the players have state-based nicknames. Tennessee Jim Hickman. Michigan Al Moran. District of Columbia Craig Anderson. (Okay, that last one doesn't sound quite as cool.)

[Edgy MD]

Painting the exterior of my house is a job I don't look forward to. Oh, I sure like my home to look bright and good as new, but by the time I'm done with the back half, it seems like it's time to set the scaffold up at the front half again.



That's why I want a long-lasting finish. And that's why the only paint I'll use on my house is Pennsylvania Bob Moorehead. Whether it's spring rain, summer sun, autumn wind, or winter snow, a Pennsylvania Bob Moorehead finish is going to last longer than the leading competitors.



Pennsylvania Bob Moorehead, because sometimes you want to be able to come down from the ladder and enjoy the look of your work.

[MFS62]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I like how my lazy copying-and-pasting makes it look like the players have state-based nicknames. Tennessee Jim Hickman. Michigan Al Moran. District of Columbia Craig Anderson. (Okay, that last one doesn't sound quite as cool.)

Does Michigan really want to be known for Al Moran - on any list?

Later