Memories of Sam Clay

[Edgy MD]

One inning finishing up an 8-2 victory over the Phils in Game One of an August doubleheader, and then no more play for Mr. Clay.



Signed away a MONTH ago by Arizona.



https://securea.mlb.com/images/players/action_shots/621348.jpg>

[metirish]

I never heard of this Sam Clay

[Edgy MD]

AAAA lefty who got caught on the waiver carousel this season. Was with the Nats, waived, claimed off waivers by the Phils on July 5, waived again without so much as a minor league appearance for Reading, claimed by the Mets on July 10, making him property of three NL East teams in less than a week.



More fortuitously, he was falling upwards in the standings. Precipitously. Or maybe the opposite of precipitously. I'm not sure if precipitously works both ways.



He labored nobly for a few weeks for Fman in Syracuse, and got the old 27th-man callup for a doubleheader. As noted, his only appearance was pitching the ninth inning of a win. If you're going to throw only one inning, you might as well get a handshake from the catcher afterwards. In some cases, that's better than sex.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Edgy MD wrote: In some cases, that's better than sex.

That reference is a real throwback!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Seventeen years ago, on the Ultimate Mets Database: http://leaptoad.com/mets/profile.php?PlayerCode=0207&tabno=7Memories of Bob Alpacadaca

agee_of_aquarius December 2, 2005 Opening day, 1975, Apodaca saved the game at Shea. The next day, in the New York Times, he was quoted as saying something like "shaking Jerry Grote's hand after the final out was the best feeling I've experienced since sex". I was a kid then, and I remember doing a double-take while reading that. I also remember feeling glad I was not Apodaca's catcher.

[Lefty Specialist]

I have absolutely no memories of Sam Clay. He was merely a waterbug skimming across the pond of my Met consciousness, leaving no trace, not even a ripple to prove he was ever there.

[whippoorwill]

Until this thread.



You never know what you have til it's gone

[Fman99]

Y'all have to make the trip up here for some AAA Mets action. Side benefit: you'll recognize many more guys from the "Memories of..." threads.



I remember Sam Clay. He looked like a guy who would drink with you at the Moon Tower.

[MFS62]

Y'all have to make the trip up here for some AAA Mets action. Side benefit: you'll recognize many more guys from the "Memories of..." threads. I remember Sam Clay. He looked like a guy who would drink with you at the Moon Tower.

Did he have feet of ... oh, never mind.

Later

[roger_that]

Funny, I was just reading Catfish Hunter's autobiography last night (I plan to hunt some catfish later this week is why) and I came across a passage where he described former Yankee pitcher Ken Clay (Sam's pappy*) as "Great slider, great arm, bad brains. He wouldn't listen to anybody."



*Actually, upon checking, not. But "Hunter" is one of Sam Clay's middle names, it turns out.

[stevejrogers]

Funny, I was just reading Catfish Hunter's autobiography last night (I plan to hunt some catfish later this week is why) and I came across a passage where he described former Yankee pitcher Ken Clay (Sam's pappy*) as "Great slider, great arm, bad brains. He wouldn't listen to anybody." *Actually, upon checking, not. But "Hunter" is one of Sam Clay's middle names, it turns out.

Sorry but once I saw you reply, my first thought was that Clay is the type of ex-Met whom your surprise over Brian Ostrosser knowledge around these parts would be warranted!

[stevejrogers]

Edgy MD wrote: AAAA lefty who got caught on the waiver carousel this season. Was with the Nats, waived, claimed off waivers by the Phils on July 5, waived again without so much as a minor league appearance for Reading, claimed by the Mets on July 10, making him property of three NL East teams in less than a week. More fortuitously, he was falling upwards in the standings. Precipitously. Or maybe the opposite of precipitously. I'm not sure if precipitously works both ways. He labored nobly for a few weeks for Fman in Syracuse, and got the old 27th-man callup for a doubleheader. As noted, his only appearance was pitching the ninth inning of a win. If you're going to throw only one inning, you might as well get a handshake from the catcher afterwards. In some cases, that's better than sex.

And that one appearance was enough to lower his 2022 ERA from 10.38 to 8.44!

[Frayed Knot]

=roger_that post_id=116378 time=1673288297 user_id=128]
Funny, I was just reading Catfish Hunter's autobiography last night (I plan to hunt some catfish later this week is why)

[stevejrogers]

Frayed Knot wrote: =roger_that post_id=116378 time=1673288297 user_id=128] Funny, I was just reading Catfish Hunter's autobiography last night (I plan to hunt some catfish later this week is why)

And, as you probably already know, if you do go out hunting catfish, that's more than Catfish himself ever did.