Guess that Met

[batmagadanleadoff]

1 - Randle; 2 - Montanez; 3 - Leary; 5 - Piersall.

[Cowtipper]

All four are correct. If you want to go for a clean sweep, here is the hint given for #4 when the poem was originally posted:



"There is a well known image of him that may be thought of as the Mets' version of the Iwo Jima photo."

[batmagadanleadoff]

Is this the Iwo Jima style image you refer to?



[FIMG=333]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/b0cAAOSwMFxcl5qb/s-l1600.jpg[/FIMG]



Of course, those aren't actual Mets on the cover of the premiere issue of Jock magazine, but actors portraying Mets. If that's the image you're referring to, then the answer to #4 must be either Cleon or Kooz, as Seaver is in the HOF and the fourth Met represented on the mag cover is unidentifiable.

[Cowtipper]

No, the hint was more referring to the enduring nature of the image, rather than the actual resemblance to the Iwo Jima image.

[Cowtipper]

Four new questions, along with the remaining one from before, have been added below.



1. I played in a World Series

And it really is a shame

I hold an all time record

but won't be in the Hall of Fame



--originally posted by "ribant"



2. I hung with Tug and Cleon

And I'm more than just a jock

I kept involved in baseball

As a teams primary doc



--originally posted by "ribant"



3. If a biographer were a second sacker

Who penned the life of Dr. Johnson

Then this Amazin' was a lefty thwacker

Who often batted ahead of Cleon, son...



--originally posted by "Strawman"



4. In the minors I ran through the wall

My only at bat as a Met was a game winning hit

HoJo, a nice man, retrieved me the ball

But shortly after that I no longer was a fit



--originally posted by "Joe Rigatoni"



5. Some folks say I am arrogant

Others say I'm ruled by greed

But never before or after

Will a Met have my explosive speed.



--originally posted by "ribant"



Running tally of correct guessers:



Johnny Lunchbucket: 101

Edgy MD: 87

stevejrogers: 64

batmagadanleadoff: 31

DocTee: 9

metsmarathon: 9

Benjamin Grimm: 5

MFS62: 4

Marshmallowmilkshake: 1

Methead: 1

The Hot Corner: 1

[batmagadanleadoff]

2 - Taylor; 3- Boswell; 4- McCray.

[Cowtipper]

Ron Taylor, Ken Boswell and Rod McCray are correct! Three new questions have been added.



1. I played in a World Series

And it really is a shame

I hold an all time record

but won't be in the Hall of Fame



--originally posted by "ribant"



2. Some folks say I am arrogant

Others say I'm ruled by greed

But never before or after

Will a Met have my explosive speed.



--originally posted by "ribant"



3. I hit my only Shea Stadium home run

In one of the season's biggest game

It was one of my moments in the sun

But I'll never be in the Hall Of Fame



--originally posted by "Joe Rigatoni"



4. Mario Ramirez had five hits as a Met off of four pitchers during his brief 1980 stay in New York. Who can name the four pitchers he collected hits off of?



5. Who were the last three Mets pitchers to hit triples?



1.

2.

3.



Running tally of correct guessers:



Johnny Lunchbucket: 101

Edgy MD: 87

stevejrogers: 64

batmagadanleadoff: 34

DocTee: 9

metsmarathon: 9

Benjamin Grimm: 5

MFS62: 4

Marshmallowmilkshake: 1

Methead: 1

The Hot Corner: 1

[stevejrogers]

1 Jesse Orosco



2 Rickey Henderson

[Cowtipper]

Orosco is correct, but #2 is not Henderson. Though the poem is vague enough that it COULD be Henderson, the word "explosive" was put in there for a reason. A new question has been added, with hints for the rest.



1. Some folks say I am arrogant

Others say I'm ruled by greed

But never before or after

Will a Met have my explosive speed.



Hint: Was more well-known as a speedster with the Cardinals in the '80s. The Mets traded him to get Kevin McReynolds back.



--originally posted by "ribant"



2. Mario Ramirez had five hits as a Met off of four pitchers during his brief 1980 stay in New York. Who can name the four pitchers he collected hits off of?



Hints:



A. He started 11 games against the Mets during his career, going 5-5 with a 3.36 ERA. Mets outfielder Elliott Maddox had great success against him, hitting .368 while in a Mets uniform. He started two games against the Mets in the 1973 World Series.



B. He went 2-1 with a 5.93 ERA in six appearances (four starts) against the Mets during his brief stay in the National League (with the Dodgers). On June 22, 1980, he started against New York, allowing eight earned runs in only 4.1 innings of work. Claudell Washington went 4-5 with five RBI that day. His final appearance against the Mets was in 1981.



C. He probably had more success against the Mets than any other team he faced a lot in his career, going 21-14 with a 2.62 ERA in 43 appearances (37 starts). He tossed 14 complete games and five shutouts versus New York, including a two-hitter against Tom Seaver in 1971. His final shutout against the Mets came on May 16, 1981. He was originally drafted by the Mets in 1968, but did not sign.



D. He was a Met briefly in 1984, but didn't have much luck, posting a 9.19 ERA in 11 relief appearances. He never started against the Mets, but he made 31 relief appearances against them, going 6-4 with a 3.33 ERA. Fun fact: He was traded for Ray Burris partway through the 1979 season. Burris would join the Mets shortly after that, in August of that year.



3. Who were the last three Mets pitchers to hit triples?



1.

2.

3.



Hints: 1—Pitched for NY from 2015 to 2020; went to the Cardinals. 2—Pitched for NY from 2010 to 2015; went to the Royals. 3—Pitched for the Mets from 2008 to 2015, traded to the Pirates for Neil Walker, then returned to NY in 2016 in exchange for Antonio Bastardo.



4. Who were the last three Mets pitchers to hit home runs?



1.

2.

3.



5. Who were the three Mets hurlers to toss complete games in 2013?



1.

2.

3.



Running tally of correct guessers:



Johnny Lunchbucket: 101

Edgy MD: 87

stevejrogers: 65

batmagadanleadoff: 34

DocTee: 9

metsmarathon: 9

Benjamin Grimm: 5

MFS62: 4

Marshmallowmilkshake: 1

Methead: 1

The Hot Corner: 1

[stevejrogers]

Yeah the poem is off base (no bad baserunning miscue pun intended).



I can think of several Mets pre-1991 and a few more than since Vince Coleman's stint came to an end, especially since that specific post by the OP that could match him…



OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH! Must have been a reference to the firecracker incident that expedited his departure!

[Cowtipper]

Coleman is correct!



Answering the unanswered:



1. Mario Ramirez had five hits as a Met off of four pitchers during his brief 1980 stay in New York. Who can name the four pitchers he collected hits off of?



Vida Blue

Dave Goltz

Burt Hooton

Dick Tidrow



2. Who were the last three Mets pitchers to hit triples?



Steven Matz

Dillon Gee

Jon Niese



3. Who were the last three Mets pitchers to hit home runs?



Jacob DeGrom

Steven Matz

Noah Syndergaard



All did it in 2019; Zack Wheeler also hit a homer in 2019.



4. Who were the three Mets hurlers to toss complete games in 2013?



Dillon Gee

Matt Harvey

Jon Niese



Running tally of correct guessers:



Johnny Lunchbucket: 101

Edgy MD: 87

stevejrogers: 66

batmagadanleadoff: 34

DocTee: 9

metsmarathon: 9

Benjamin Grimm: 5

MFS62: 4

Marshmallowmilkshake: 1

Methead: 1

The Hot Corner: 1

[Cowtipper]

1. Who was the first Mets player to win Rookie of the Month honors?



2. I was an early

'70s first round pick

But like many Mets

Prospects, I did not stick

My big league career,

It was pretty lame

It consisted of

Four unimpressive games



Who am I?



3. Which hurler holds the Mets record for most shutouts thrown in a season?



4. Who are the unlucky Mets pitchers who have lost 20 or more games in a season?



5. Who are the lucky Mets pitchers who have won 20 or more games in a season?



Running tally of correct guessers:



Johnny Lunchbucket: 101

Edgy MD: 87

stevejrogers: 66

batmagadanleadoff: 34

DocTee: 9

metsmarathon: 9

Benjamin Grimm: 5

MFS62: 4

Marshmallowmilkshake: 1

Methead: 1

The Hot Corner: 1

[The Hot Corner]

Okay, I was all set to guess Al Jackson for sticky Throneberry with the "Marvelous Marv" moniker, but now that you posted a photo of the answer I will go with Jay Hook.

[Cowtipper]

Welcome to the party that never ends, the Guess that Met thread! Jay Hook was the correct answer to that question.

[Cowtipper]

Answering the unanswered:



1. Who was the first Mets player to win Rookie of the Month honors?



Justin Turner



2. I was an early

'70s first round pick

But like many Mets

Prospects, I did not stick

My big league career,

It was pretty lame

It consisted of

Four unimpressive games



Who am I?



Rich Puig



3. Which hurler holds the Mets record for most shutouts thrown in a season?



Dwight Gooden



4. Who are the unlucky Mets pitchers who have lost 20 or more games in a season?



Jack Fisher

Roger Craig

Al Jackson

Jerry Koosman

Tracy Stallard



5. Who are the lucky Mets pitchers who have won 20 or more games in a season?



Dwight Gooden

Tom Seaver

Jerry Koosman

David Cone

R.A.Dickey

Frank Viola



Running tally of correct guessers:



Johnny Lunchbucket: 101

Edgy MD: 87

stevejrogers: 66

batmagadanleadoff: 34

DocTee: 9

metsmarathon: 9

Benjamin Grimm: 5

MFS62: 4

Marshmallowmilkshake: 1

Methead: 1

The Hot Corner: 1

[Cowtipper]

New questions:



1. Who holds the Mets record for most walks surrendered in a season?



Hint: You might know him as a Hall of Famer whose number has been retired by multiple teams, who was known for walking 200-plus batters in a season.



2. Which player holds the record for most games played in a Mets uniform?



Hint: You might know him as a New York kid who debuted with the Mets at 17 in 1962 and then spent the next 18 years with the Mets.



3. Who hit the first regular season grand slam in Mets history?



Hint: My career was sometimes Rocky, but I was a defensive star in '69 playoffs, where I hit .400 in the Fall Classic. Then I helped bring Don Hahn aboard in 1971.



4. Who am I?



https://i.imgur.com/Bw68yNA.png>



Hint: You might know him as a short-lived Met who was actually a decent reserve in his lone year with the team, 1994; he'd previously spent a few years in St. Louis.



5. I was a Met for one game

But everything went wrong

I allowed 4 runs that day

And then I was gone



Who am I?



Hint: You might know him as a former Orioles first rounder who pitched for the Mets in 2012. He was once traded with one-time Met Ronny Cedeno for another one-time Met, Aaron Heilman.



Running tally of correct guessers:



Johnny Lunchbucket: 101

Edgy MD: 87

stevejrogers: 66

batmagadanleadoff: 34

DocTee: 9

metsmarathon: 9

Benjamin Grimm: 5

MFS62: 4

Marshmallowmilkshake: 1

Methead: 1

The Hot Corner: 1

[Cowtipper]

New day, new hints added above.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

4. Jim Lindeman



3. Swoboda



2. Kranepool

[Cowtipper]

Lindeman, Swoboda and Kranepool are correct! Well done. Three new questions have been added.



1. Who holds the Mets record for most walks surrendered in a season?



Hint: You might know him as a Hall of Famer whose number has been retired by multiple teams, who was known for walking 200-plus batters in a season.



2. I was a Met for one game

But everything went wrong

I allowed 4 runs that day

And then I was gone



Who am I?



Hint: You might know him as a former Orioles first rounder who pitched for the Mets in 2012. He was once traded with one-time Met Ronny Cedeno for another one-time Met, Aaron Heilman.



3. A promising closer, once was I

But with the Mets, I had lost my

Skills and so my ERA rose

And after a year, 'twas off to their foes



Who am I?



4. Edgardo Alfonzo hit 27 home runs and drove in 108 RBI in 1999, setting the Mets second base records. Which Mets second sacker held these records previously?



5. Who am I?



https://i.imgur.com/tbMu4C3.png>



Running tally of correct guessers:



Johnny Lunchbucket: 104

Edgy MD: 87

stevejrogers: 66

batmagadanleadoff: 34

DocTee: 9

metsmarathon: 9

Benjamin Grimm: 5

MFS62: 4

Marshmallowmilkshake: 1

Methead: 1

The Hot Corner: 1

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

5. Don Aaseclown

[Benjamin Grimm]

4. Jeff Kent

[Cowtipper]

Aase and Kent are correct! Two new questions have been added, with hints for the rest.



1. Who holds the Mets record for most walks surrendered in a season?



Hint: You might know him as a Hall of Famer whose number has been retired by multiple teams, who was known for walking 200-plus batters in a season.

Hint: Finished his career with over 5,700 strikeouts.



2. I was a Met for one game

But everything went wrong

I allowed 4 runs that day

And then I was gone



Who am I?



Hint: You might know him as a former Orioles first rounder who pitched for the Mets in 2012. He was once traded with one-time Met Ronny Cedeno for another one-time Met, Aaron Heilman.

Hint: Pitched in the majors from 2007 to 2012.



3. A promising closer, once was I

But with the Mets, I had lost my

Skills and so my ERA rose

And after a year, 'twas off to their foes



Who am I?



Hint: He started off super well, posting something like a 2.25 ERA through his first 20 appearances with the Mets, but stunk after that. Fans of Hank Aaron might not like him.



4. Alfonzo set the Mets team record by scoring 123 runs in 1999. Which player held the previous record?



5. Who am I?



http://i.imgur.com/DN7e6uY.jpg>



Running tally of correct guessers:



Johnny Lunchbucket: 105

Edgy MD: 87

stevejrogers: 66

batmagadanleadoff: 34

DocTee: 9

metsmarathon: 9

Benjamin Grimm: 6

MFS62: 4

Marshmallowmilkshake: 1

Methead: 1

The Hot Corner: 1

[Cowtipper]

Answering the unanswered:



1. Who holds the Mets record for most walks surrendered in a season?



Nolan Ryan



2. I was a Met for one game

But everything went wrong

I allowed 4 runs that day

And then I was gone



Who am I?



Garrett Olson



3. A promising closer, once was I

But with the Mets, I had lost my

Skills and so my ERA rose

And after a year, 'twas off to their foes



Who am I?



David Aardsma



4. Alfonzo set the Mets team record by scoring 123 runs in 1999. Which player held the previous record?



Lance Johnson



5. Who am I?



http://i.imgur.com/DN7e6uY.jpg>



Wally Backman

[Cowtipper]

1. I was a Met in '02 and '03

Like many then, bad luck befell me

I often had many ducks on ponds

And allowed a big homer to Bonds



2. Who is the Mets scout who signed Rick Aguilera? He also signed Tug McGraw and Greg Jefferies and caught in the majors from 1943 to 1948.



3. Shawn Abner was the Mets' first round draft pick in 1984, taken first overall out of high school ahead of Bill Swift, Jay Bell, Mark McGwire, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Al Leiter and more. Abner posted an unhuman batting average his senior year in HS, prompting the Mets to take him. Does anyone know what that batting average was? It was more than 100 points better than the highest average ever posted in a big league season.



4. Moving to right didn't suit me well

We two lunged for the ball as it fell

'Twas the white sphere who had won the race;

All I caught was another man's face



Who am I?



5. There's multiple ways that you might know me

I [was once] last Met alphabetically

I managed the Sox, the Cubs, the Rangers

With a nearby team I was no stranger

And by the way, how could I forget?

I was also an original Met

[Cowtipper]

Answering the unanswered:



1. I was a Met in '02 and '03

Like many then, bad luck befell me

I often had many ducks on ponds

And allowed a big homer to Bonds



Mike Bacsik



2. Who is the Mets scout who signed Rick Aguilera? He also signed Tug McGraw and Greg Jefferies and caught in the majors from 1943 to 1948.



Roy Partee



3. Shawn Abner was the Mets' first round draft pick in 1984, taken first overall out of high school ahead of Bill Swift, Jay Bell, Mark McGwire, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Al Leiter and more. Abner posted an unhuman batting average his senior year in HS, prompting the Mets to take him. Does anyone know what that batting average was? It was more than 100 points better than the highest average ever posted in a big league season.



.572



4. Moving to right didn't suit me well

We two lunged for the ball as it fell

'Twas the white sphere who had won the race;

All I caught was another man's face



Who am I?



Mike Cameron



5. There's multiple ways that you might know me

I [was once] last Met alphabetically

I managed the Sox, the Cubs, the Rangers

With a nearby team I was no stranger

And by the way, how could I forget?

I was also an original Met



Don Zimmer

[Cowtipper]

New questions.



1. Another trivia question! Former Mets first basemen Todd Zeile had multiple nicknames. Name one of them.



Hint: Hard to give hints for this one. One nickname is the same as a famous disposable baggie brand, another nickname is the same as a famous second-hand goods chain.

Hint:

https://i.imgur.com/ZfvuGsJ.png>https://i.imgur.com/Prahtlv.png>



2. It's been [about 25] years since I was a Met

And alas, I'm someone to forget

I was a starting shortstop for the Fish

But with New York, I sucked at the dish



Who am I?



Hint: Played for the Mets in 2000, appearing in 79 games off the bench. Went to the Braves for 2001. Had a 17 homer season for the Marlins in 1995.

Hint: From Baseball Reference Bullpen: "[This player] was a journeyman utility player, finding a niche with Jim Leyland-skippered clubs of the 1990s. Originally a member of the Oakland Athletics, [this player] saw his most regular action with the Florida Marlins, turning from regular to jack-of-all-trades as the club won the 1997 World Series. Batting leadoff for only the second time in his career on July 17, 1996, [This player] produced 6 RBI in 2 innings, hitting a three-run triple and a three-run home run in his second and third times to the plate for the Marlins. Over his last four seasons, [this player] saw action in another Fall Classic (2000 with the New York Mets) and ended his career in wild fashion with the Atlanta Braves in 2001. In his final big league appearance, he was gunned down at home plate by the Philadelphia Phillies' Doug Glanville trying to score on a single by Quilvio Veras to end the 8th inning of a game at Turner Field. [This player] was the last player selected in the 15th round of the 1989 amateur draft and the only non-pitcher from that round to ever play in the majors. His major league main teammates included Gary Sheffield (691), Jeff Conine (518), Robb Nen (394), Charles Johnson (386) and Kevin Brown (384). [This player] primarily wore number 7. Following his career, he became a sheriff's deputy in Martin County, FL. He won a championship for the "Caldwell Realty" Team of the Gulfport Florida Little League."



3. Who am I?



http://i.imgur.com/AzV3HMs.jpg>



Hint: Spent the first half of his career with the Rockies. Due to injuries, was the Mets' primary shortstop in 2013. Debuted with the Mets in 2012 and was brought back for 2014, as well. They loved this guy, apparently. Was once a first round pick.

Hint: Also played for the Rangers and Orioles in a career that spanned from 2005 to 2014.



4. Which former Mets prospect is this describing? This is from the back of an old baseball card. Hint: He had an obscenely low batting average in his big league career ... none of which came with New York.



"The New York Mets feel they have a second baseman for the future and with good reason ... This player was named the Mets' number five prospect by Baseball America in 1999, was named number seven prospect in the Gulf Coast League, and was named number two Prospect in the Appalachian League in 2000."



Hint: Hit .083 in the majors. Was taken by the Brewers from the Mets in the 2002 Rule 5 draft, having never played for NY. Was named Mets #5 prospect once, their #6 prospect once, and their #13 prospect once.

Hint: Also played for the Reds. He was a Brewer in 2003 and a Red in 2007.



5. Hey you there! Say, remember me?

The tall, hot hitting Mets 1B?

Drawing tons of walks was my game;

Some want me in the Hall of Fame



Who am I?



Hint: Won a batting title with the Blue Jays in 1993. Acquired for the low price of Robert Person. Went to the Mariners after his time with New York. Played for NY from 1997 to 1999. Hit .438 in 1999 NLDS.

Hint: Also played for the Yankees and Red Sox in a career that spanned from 1989 to 2005. Had 2,239 hits and 255 home runs.



Running tally of correct guessers:



Johnny Lunchbucket: 105

Edgy MD: 87

stevejrogers: 66

batmagadanleadoff: 34

DocTee: 9

metsmarathon: 9

Benjamin Grimm: 6

MFS62: 4

Marshmallowmilkshake: 1

Methead: 1

The Hot Corner: 1

Edited July 21, 2024 by Guest

[Cowtipper]

New day, new hints added above.

[Cowtipper]

New day, new hints added.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

1 i'll guess is "Ziploc" or "Goodwill" though no one ever called Zeile by these names

2 is Kurt Abbott

3 is Damian Easley

4 - Ralph Milliard

5 - Olerud

[Cowtipper]

Ziplock and Goodwill are correct! I think some baseball cards noted Zeile had those nicknames. Kurt Abbott is correct and so is John Olerud. Easley and Milliard are incorrect. The picture came a few years after Easley; he shares the first name of a former Mets GM. The Mets prospect isn't Milliard, the correct answer is Dominican.



1. Who am I?



http://i.imgur.com/AzV3HMs.jpg>



Hint: Spent the first half of his career with the Rockies. Due to injuries, was the Mets' primary shortstop in 2013. Debuted with the Mets in 2012 and was brought back for 2014, as well. They loved this guy, apparently. Was once a first round pick.

Hint: Also played for the Rangers and Orioles in a career that spanned from 2005 to 2014.



2. Which former Mets prospect is this describing? This is from the back of an old baseball card. Hint: He had an obscenely low batting average in his big league career ... none of which came with New York.



"The New York Mets feel they have a second baseman for the future and with good reason ... This player was named the Mets' number five prospect by Baseball America in 1999, was named number seven prospect in the Gulf Coast League, and was named number two Prospect in the Appalachian League in 2000."



Hint: Hit .083 in the majors. Was taken by the Brewers from the Mets in the 2002 Rule 5 draft, having never played for NY. Was named Mets #5 prospect once, their #6 prospect once, and their #13 prospect once.

Hint: Also played for the Reds. He was a Brewer in 2003 and a Red in 2007.



3. Who am I?



https://i.imgur.com/DdwiLoD.jpg>



4. Another "who is this describing" from the back of a baseball card:



"An excellent athlete, this guy has the ability to leadoff and play center field ... The Illinois native has been successful on 90 percent (86 for 96) of his steal attempts during his minor league career, and in 2002 he compiled an amazing .373 overall average to lead all Mets minor leaguers."



Who am I?



5. Slugging home runs with gusto and stuff

I was a recent's year's gem in the rough

I went from one home run the year before

To a guy who managed 24



Who am I?



Running tally of correct guessers:



Johnny Lunchbucket: 108

Edgy MD: 87

stevejrogers: 66

batmagadanleadoff: 34

DocTee: 9

metsmarathon: 9

Benjamin Grimm: 6

MFS62: 4

Marshmallowmilkshake: 1

Methead: 1

The Hot Corner: 1