Jordany Day

[Edgy MD]

On this day, 12 years ago, rookie Jordany Valdespin, with zero MLB hits to his name, faced off against Jonathan Papelbon, who, as Gary Cohen notes, had not given up a hit with runners in scoring position all season.



[media=youtube]hLR17xH2ZbE[/media]



What rogues gallery of Mets are in that dugout to greet him — a bunch of guys like Andres Torres, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Ike Davis. All of them are talented — even multi-talented — like Valdespin, capable of doing a lot of things, but holding down a regular job for a good team wasn't one of them. You get a not-ready-for-primetime version of Justin Turner, playing shortstop that day, Murph as elder statesman, and a total non-starter in Mike Nickeas scoring ahead of JV on the homer.

[metirish]

Was this PH HR the night of his infamous "I'm the man right now ",or did that come later in a post game with Burkhardt ? IiRC he had a few pinch hit home runs that season

[Edgy MD]

This put them in the lead on the road. The "I'm the man" comment came after a subsequent home walkoff.



In fairness to JV, Burkhardt set him up for that.



[media=youtube]ciK03VQVwCw[/media]

[Benjamin Grimm]

He was the Schaefer Mets Bench Player of the Month three times, so he has what is probably a disproportionate number of 1970s baseball cards:



https://leaptoad.com/mets/cards/JordanyValdespin1973.jpg> https://leaptoad.com/mets/cards/JordannyValdespin1974.jpg> https://leaptoad.com/mets/cards/JordanyValdespin1978.jpg>



Only Dominic Smith (6 times) and Wilmer Flores (5) have won it more often. Jordany's three ties him with Fernando Tatis, Daniel Murphy, Eric Campbell, and Kelly Johnson.

[MFS62]

What was the date we (and he painfully) found out he didn't wear a cup?

It made quite an, uh, ... impact on the IGT.

(or am I thinking of another player?)

Later

[metirish]

Verlander IIRC

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

The no-cup HBP was in Spring Training iirc