Blasts from the Past

[Frayed Knot]

Oh I just found it funny that this near exact conversation occurred 53 weeks ago and that I accidently stumbled across the old one while looking to add to the current one.



Torre was definitely a glove lover, although I'm not sure I see the Morgan/Flynn/Tavares comments as much more than a new manager not wanting to trash existing players prior to even donning the uniform for the first time.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Torre had already been managing the Mets for two and a half years at the time of that quote.

[Frayed Knot]

Ahh, I'm mixing up my blasts and my pasts.

[Benjamin Grimm]

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When I saw the photo that accompanies this article, I noticed Ruby before I noticed Darryl and thought it was Darryl in a silly wig. He really does look like his mom.



So it was essentially a toss-up about whether or not the Mets would take Strawberry or Billy Beane with their first draft pick? Wow... That was a dodged bullet. The fact that nobody else took him shows that the Mets evaluated Beane a lot higher than the other teams.

[Benjamin Grimm]

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This Blast From the Past is about Tommie Agee, inspired by a recent UMDB fan post about Rich Chiles. We see Dick Young being Dick Young, and a very odd column by Casey Stengel. (I'm pretty sure someone just transcribed his ramblings. I doubt that he sat down and typed that.)

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

The 73 Mets never really had a center fielder. They tried Chiles, Mays, Theodore, Gosger, Ted Martinez and Hahn.



Interestingly when Chiles went away he didn't go to Tidewater but was loaned out to Tucson which I suppose was a signal that he was hopeless and the Mets already were moving to other options.



He and Theodore were spring training roomies, according to this piece and enjoyed applesauce-marshmallow milkshakes together.



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[G-Fafif]

Dave Schneck started 12 of the 17 final (pressure-packed) games in 1973 in center, platooning with Hahn, but no postseason action awaited the September callup.

[kcmets]

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[Edgy MD]

I appreciate any scout granular enough not to round off his ratings to the nearest five.



Interesting how close he places Strawb's current ratings to his future ratings, as if he could have been an MLB All-Star in high school.

[kcmets]

I should note where I borrowed this from...



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1578150.Dollar_Sign_on_the_MuscleDollar Sign on the Muscle, page 48

[Edgy MD]

Terrific book.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I believe Schneck holds the Mets record for most years on the MLB roster without ever getting his own Topps baseball card.

[Benjamin Grimm]

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[Benjamin Grimm]

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[Benjamin Grimm]

Joe Torre wrote: Richie has to be delighted to come here.

Hebner, on arriving to the Mets was quoted in the next day's paper:

Richie Hebner wrote: The thing I'll miss most is the winning. It's going to be a long September."

At least he came to the club with a good attitude!







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I dug these out because Gary mentioned Hebner on the Mets broadcast the other night. I remembered, and wanted to find, the headline that said "Meet Richie, A Met Well Met". I didn't recall if it was from the Daily News or from Newsday, but here it is in the News. In this photo he seems happy enough...





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[G-Fafif]

Gads, I (like Stearns and Apodaca) was excited by this acquisition...yet mortified he didn't want to be here. I'd learned through free agency that players the Mets might have wanted maybe didn't want to be Mets, but showing up less than ecstatic once you were a Met seemed less than optimal.



At least Dick Young considered his agent a gentleman. I know comportment was important to Dick.



The News spelled Espinosa's name wrong in the second-day caption.

[Edgy MD]

Dick Young wrote: It's a good deal. Any time you can trade a starting pitcher for an everyday player, it's a good deal.

Dick Young, still trying to carry water to justify a trade made a year and a half earlier.

[Benjamin Grimm]

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Looks like the Richie Hebner Era didn't work out so well.

[Edgy MD]

I hadn't known Jerry Morales had been originally signed by the Mets — lost to the Padres in the 1968 Expansion Draft. Hmmm.



What was the "High Court ruling" that was going to put a "damper on hustle"? That sounds serious!

[Benjamin Grimm]

YOUNG IDEAS DICK YOUNG High Court ruling puts damper on hustle THEY‘RE LOOKING AT the films from last Sunday's game, and this NFL coach turns to the man on special teams and says “Why didn't you block that guy?" and the player says “Are you crazy? Not me!“ "What are you talking about?” says the coach remembering that there is a players‘ union so he had better not raise his voice. “Suppose he turns as I throw the block and I get called for clipping. and suppose I broke the guy's leg, or worse yet. his spine. He‘ll sue me for my lungs. Hey. man. I ain‘t making enough money to take chances like that." This is the sort of thing that could be an offshoot of the decision the Supreme Court of the United States came up with the other day. It could touch all pro sports. and some not so pro. TAKE BASKETBALL. The big guy goes up for a defensive rebound, and comes down with the pointed elbows flying, and takes out this other cat's eye. The guy with the elbow gets a personal, while the other guy feels his way to a phone and calls his lawyer. For the rest of the season there is very little rebounding. Why take chances? Says Simon Gourdine, deputy commissioner of the NBA. and a man with legal training: “We would be concerned with anything that has a chilling effect on the competive spirit of the players. The fans are entitled to see hustle. Rather than go to court for such things. we‘d like to meet with the union and set up some alternative remedy, perhaps an arbitration machinery.” The Supreme Court ruling said, in effect, that a player is entitled to sue another player for injuries received during a game. The Supreme Court issued the ruling “without comment,” which is always the best way to do something when you don‘t know much about what you‘re doing. Without comment. it is difficult to determine if the Supreme Court meant that the player was violating a rule when he caused the injury. Ironically. in the specific case involved, no penalty was assessed by the game officials. The game was played six years ago, which shows you that things are moving at just about the proper pace for our courts. It was between the Bengals and the Broncos. Boobie Clark of Cincy hit from behind Dale Hackbart of Denver, who alleges he sustained a neck-fracture, although he remained in that game and played two others. The Supreme Court did not rule on innocence or guilt. It ruled that the case should go to trial in the District Court of Colorado. The Bengals originally claimed that such matters are not the concern of the courts. Baseball exec Lee MacPhail concurs. “Anything connected with the game in which a player gets hurt should be left to league discipline," says the AL prez. He cites the case of a pitcher throwing at a batter. The umpire is authorized to warn him, then throw him out on a second offense. “If such cases go to court, you‘ll find the umpires will never warn a pitcher. That defeats our ability to police our game on the field,” says MacPhail. It should be emphasized that this case does not involve a fight between players. There have been many cases, in all sports, where fights have resulted in legal suits. This was part of the game's action which the plaintiff contends was “negligent and reckless.” If such thinking be upheld, you can expect Phil Esposito. after being banged into the boards, to turn to Mike Bossy and say. “You‘ll be hearing from my solicitor in the morning.“ Which reminds me, Howard Cosell may be hearing from Bob Arum's attorney. “I hate to bring lawsuits." says the fight promoter. who also happens to be an attorney, “but this is going too far." There was a recent appearance in Knoxville by Howard Cosell, wherein he referred to Arum as "The Apostle of Apartheid.“ “That,” says Arum. “is malicious. Everybody knows I fought apartheid in South Africa. My every action has proven that. I insisted upon integration of Loftus Versfield in South Africa for the Tate-Coetzee fight. Not only that, I got promises that other apartheid stadiums would be integrated." ARUM ALSO IS UPSET over an incident involving Cosell during the World Series. Cosell, in the cocktail lounge of the Cross Key's Hotel, Baltimore, engaged in one of his loud tirades against the press. He accused Red Smith of NY. Times of leaving the World Series to cover the Tate-Coetzee fight in Africa, because he must be on the take from Arum. It never occurred to Howard that a heavyweight title fight between a black and a white, in a nation that is rife with racial issues, is a valuable first-hand experience for a newsman. Such judgment is the difference between a good newsman and a TV man like Cosell. Pete Axthelm of Newsweek, resentful of '. Cosell's remarks, almost popped Howie in the snoot. ‘ Arum says he is asking Roone Arledge to remove Cosell from the mike for the Nov. 30 fight card in Vegas. Arum's Top Rank is promoting Sugar Ray Leonard vs Benitez that night, plus Antuofermo vs. Hagler. ABC has the rights. , “I'm putting Roone Arledge on notice to take Cosell off,” says Arum, who just might be named Promoter of the Year if he‘s not careful.

[Edgy MD]

Cancel culture!

[duan]

Edgy MD wrote: My big takeaway is "Norman, like Henderson, is black." Thanks for that scoop, Jack Lang.

My big take on it is that the Irish election was front page news in Ohio! Who knew!!!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Let's take a moment to remember Danny Frisella.





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[Edgy MD]

Not to knock Red Foley, but that's some kind of forced lede.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

There's like 10 typos in that article too. Felox Millan

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Good night

[Edgy MD]

"I'm dumbfounded, this is a shcoker."

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

I bet they were still using linotype machines at that time. Tough to make changes on the fly with those machines!

[Edgy MD]

And I'm totally taking Oakland to beat that spread.

[Benjamin Grimm]

This deal was truly a turning point in Mets history. I remember learning about it while listening to the game on the radio. Bob Murphy said, "The Mets have made a deal, and it is a blockbusterrrrrrr."



I still find it hard to believe that the Cardinals made this trade. They traded Hernandez within their division and got so little in return. I almost think that Samantha Stephens must have wriggled her nose and mind-controlled Joe McDonald.



These articles make it clear that Keith really didn't want to be a Met. (Much like Richie Hebner!) I've learned that sometimes when the worst thing happens, it can turn out to be the best thing. Keith probably knows that feeling.



"I'm stunned and disappointed. I'm going home to check my contract to see if I can veto the deal." Apparently he couldn't. Good for him, and for us.





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