Lonely ... I'm Mr. Lonely ...

[MFS62]

John gibbons montana

[Cowtipper]

John Gibbons is correct! Time for hints?

[MFS62]

Fellow Montanan - Ed Bouchee

Later

[Cowtipper]

Ed Bouchee is correct!

[Cowtipper]

Time for hints: 

An Alaskan-born left-handed pitcher, he spent seven seasons in the majors with the Pirates, Reds, and Mets, highlighted by a 10-win season and a complete-game shutout for Pittsburgh in 2005. Acquired by New York during the 2006 season, he earned a victory in his Mets debut while filling in for Pedro Martínez, but neck surgery limited him to just one start in 2007 before his final major league appearance.

 

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

The Iguana Man, Julio Valera, was a Nicaraguan (I think)

[Cowtipper]

Valera was in fact Puerto Rican. Hint for the Nicaraguan:

A Nicaraguan right-hander who reached the majors at age 21, he began his career as a highly regarded Mariners prospect before becoming a versatile pitcher who moved between starting rotations and bullpens for several teams. He briefly joined the Mets in 2020, posting a 0.63 ERA in six relief appearances before hitting free agency and continuing his long MLB journey with several other clubs.

[MFS62]

Who can forget South Dakotan Kelvin Torve? (Or remember him)

Later

[Cowtipper]

Kelvin Torve is correct! They gave him Willie Mays' number. 

Another hint:

A durable Colombian left-hander and 2016 All-Star, he built a reputation as one of baseball’s steadiest starters, logging four consecutive 200-inning seasons and later becoming one of the few pitchers to record a win against all 30 MLB teams. After signing with the Mets before 2023, he missed half his first season following surgery for a rib lesion, then rebounded to make 31 starts in 2024, earn the first 100-win milestone by a Colombian-born pitcher, and help New York reach the postseason.

[Edgy MD]

If anybody in this thread is looking people up, shame on them.

[Frayed Knot]

1 hour ago, Edgy MD said:

If anybody in this thread is looking people up, shame on them.

Puts down my book on famous Idahoan born sports legends.

[Edgy MD]

7 minutes ago, Frayed Knot said:

Puts down my book on famous Idahoan born sports legends.

[duan]

@Cowtipper
Without getting into the politics it would make sense to change PJ Conlon from "United Kingdom" to "Ireland". 

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Quintana is the Columbian referred to above, right?

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

21 hours ago, Edgy MD said:

If anybody in this thread is looking people up, shame on them.

Ced Landrum

[Benjamin Grimm]

Shame on Ced Landrum for looking people up!

[Edgy MD]

3 minutes ago, Johnny Lunchbucket said:

Ced Landrum

That's Cedric Landrum, damn it!

[Edgy MD]

24 minutes ago, duan said:

@Cowtipper
Without getting into the politics it would make sense to change PJ Conlon from "United Kingdom" to "Ireland". 

Oh, you're in the politics NOW!!!!

In fairness to the quizmaster, the gerrymandered statelet of Northern Ireland was under different authority at the time of his birth than it was at the time of his brief Mets career, so it leaves ambiguity with regard to the question.

Mets Roster Central went with the Northern Ireland flag for Falls Road-born PJ.  We would do the same with any future Scottish, Welsh, or Manx Mets.

"United," my butt.  Or my arse.  Let's go with arse.

[Cowtipper]

Quintana is correct! 

Another hint: 

A two-time National League All-Star from Colombia, he spent nearly a decade in Atlanta's rotation, making six consecutive Opening Day starts and twice topping 200 innings while emerging as one of the franchise's most dependable starters. He later made a brief stop with the Mets in 2023, appearing in just one game before being designated for assignment, after previously earning Colombia's first-ever victory in the World Baseball Classic.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Julio Teheran

[Cowtipper]

Teheran is correct! Another hint:

This Colombian right-hander reached the majors after being one of the international prospects freed by MLB following the Braves' 2017 signing scandal, later debuting with the Cardinals after starring for Colombia in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. His brief Mets tenure in 2026 included a scoreless debut against Atlanta before he was designated for assignment just two days later and outrighted back to Triple-A.

[Edgy MD]

Sounds like a memory of ... Guillo Zuñiga!

[Cowtipper]

Guillo Zuniga is correct! A hint for the last Delaware guy:

This Delaware-born versatile infielder broke through with the Rays, earning an All-Star selection in 2021 after emerging from a career that began as a lightly regarded sixth-round draft pick and included a trade from Cleveland to Oakland before finding success in Tampa Bay. He spent just 18 games with the Mets in 2024 before being designated for assignment and released, ending what proved to be the final major league stop of his career.

[MFS62]

21 hours ago, Frayed Knot said:

Puts down my book on famous Idahoan born sports legends.

What a coincidence! I keep that book by my bed for quick reference.

You never know when a question will come up about Idahoan ballplayers.

Later

[Cowtipper]

Today's hint: 

This right-handed pitcher was born in Germany, discovered almost by accident when a scout came to watch another player and instead saw him strike out 15 batters, then worked his way from a 16th-round draft pick to the major leagues. His entire big league career came with the Mets, appearing in just five relief outings across the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

 

 

[Cowtipper]

Today's hint: 

This Montana-born former big league catcher spent time with the Mariners, Padres, Mets, and Cardinals, but is perhaps best remembered for an unusual twist to his career: he pitched scoreless relief appearances as a position player for both the Mets and Cardinals. During his 2012 stint with New York, he hit .250 in limited action behind the plate while also becoming the first Mets position player since Todd Zeile to take the mound in a game.

I forgot to include where the person was born in this one, which has been fixed: 

This Delaware-born versatile infielder broke through with the Rays, earning an All-Star selection in 2021 after emerging from a career that began as a lightly regarded sixth-round draft pick and included a trade from Cleveland to Oakland before finding success in Tampa Bay. He spent just 18 games with the Mets in 2024 before being designated for assignment and released, ending what proved to be the final major league stop of his career.