Kuh-Wiz: Beloved Backup Catchers

[Edgy MD]

The following are all beloved Mets backup catchers.  As they are not particularly busy these days, I've asked them to step forward and describe themselves.

Please name them based on their descriptions.  One guess per post, and no consecutive posts.

I have spoken to the ghost of Ron Hodges, and he assures me that, if you cheat by using the Internet, he will come to your home and do unspeakable things while you sleep — and you know he will, so don't.

1. Back when hazing rookies was a thing, my teammates made me dress up like Times Square's famed Naked Cowboy.
2. After an indifferent start to my career as a backup, I had a massive breakthrough in my fourth season.  It earned me a big contract which turned into a real boondoggle when I quickly reverted to my humdrum part-time ways.  But it made me a candidate to be traded for some other team's white elephant, and the white elephant I was traded for was Matt Harvey.
3. I was a decent enough hitter for a catcher, and I was athletic enough to play other positions.  But I lost my thyroid gland due to illness, and the condition only occasionally allowed me to catch by the time I reached the Mets.  I had two nephews who also were big-leaguers.
4. I was the son of a British 13-year professional footballer, and a rare-ish skill allowed me to be part of one of the bigger trades in Mets history.
5. A lot of backup catchers end up deployed as pitchers in blowouts, but we two count ourselves among the rare position players of any stripe to earn wins on the mound.
6. (See 5.)
7. I wore my name on both my back and my front.
8. That guy above sounds weird.  I don't quite get that — but I, oddly enough, wore a flapless batting helmet forward while catching, with my mask fixed below the brim and the strap running over the brim.
9. I formed a fairytale battery when teamed with Fernando Nieve.
10. Greater Philly was producing a lot of Italian-American catchers when I was young.  Unfortunately, most of us were more Joe DePastino than Mike Piazza, if you know what I mean. But I was as MEH-TUHL!! as Mike was, as my walkup song was "You've Got Another Thing Coming — which might have been more impressive if I didn't hit .171 / .266 / .232 // .498 a Met.  I would go on to manage in the Mets minor-league system and was Jacob deGrom's first professional skipper.

[metirish]

#2 is Travis d'Arnaud

[Edgy MD]

Sorry, man.

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10.  

Incorrect Answers: Travis d'Arnaud (#2)

[MFS62]

#10 - Paul LoDuca?

Later

[Edgy MD]

No Duca.

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2.  
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10.  

Incorrect Answers: Travis d'Arnaud (#2), Paul Lo Duca (#10).

[smg58]

Is #1 Anthony Recker?

[Edgy MD]

I thought these would be easier.  If Anthony Recker went around Times Square in his undies, the amount of ensuing civil disorder would have been historic.

1.  
2.  
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Incorrect Answers: Anthony Recker (#1), Travis d'Arnaud (#2), Paul Lo Duca (#10).

[MFS62]

Ya got me. There must have been a lot of Italian American catchers on the Mets since Yogi. Chiti and Chris Cannizzaro not named Piazza. But LoDuca was the only backup who came to mind.

They don't haze rookies anymore? What is this world coming to?

(I'm getting old)

Later

[Cowtipper]

I believe Matt Harvey was traded for Devin Mesoraco. That's #2.

[Edgy MD]

Devin is correct. Deven with an E is also the name of one of the nephews of #3.

I have to go head to the supermarket to buy some diarrhea lettuce, so I will be unavailable to respond to any other answers for a bit. 

1.  
2. Devin Mesoraco
3.  
4.  
5.   
6.  
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8.  
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10.  

Incorrect Answers: Anthony Recker (#1), Travis d'Arnaud (#2), Paul Lo Duca (#10).

[Cowtipper]

The rule is no consecutive posts, not no consecutive guesses, so I'll take that hint and run with it .... It's Eli Marrero.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

10. Is Mike diFelice

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

One of the answers is probably Mike Nickeas only I don;t know which question

 

[MFS62]

While Luis Torrens has pitched several games for the Mets, I don't think he earned a win. But I think they mentioned when he came in to pitch for the Mets that he got one prior to joining the Mets. Does that count? The wording of the question was kind of nonspecific.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

I knew 2, but couldn't get his name quite right. Anyway, I think 2 is Sandy Alomar Sr.

[Edgy MD]

Eli Marrero is correctarero.

Mike Difelice is correct, capisce?

The Mike Nickeas guess not only non-specific, but it is consecuposting.  Two minutes in the box for you.

Luis Torrens is one of our two catchers with a win on the mound.

Number two has been established to be Mesoraco.  Anyhow, Sandy Alomar, Sr. was an infielder.

1.  
2. Devin Mesoraco
3. Eli Marrero
4.  
5.  
6. Luis Torrens
7.  
8.  
9.  
10. Mike Difelice

Incorrect Answers: Anthony Recker (#1), Travis d'Arnaud, Sandy Alomar, Sr. (#2), Paul Lo Duca (#10).

[DocTee]

9. Henry Blanco

[metirish]

#1 Josh Thole 

[Edgy MD]

58 minutes ago, DocTee said:

9. Henry Blanco

Henri a raison!

55 minutes ago, metirish said:

#1 Josh Thole 

Josh, alas, is not our underwear man, but we're halfway home, and what better time to think about beloved backup catchers than as we approach the second game of a double-header?!

1.  
2. Devin Mesoraco
3. Eli Marrero
4.  
5.  
6. Luis Torrens
7.  
8.  
9. Henry Blanco
10. Mike Difelice

Incorrect Answers: Anthony Recker, Josh Thole (#1), Travis d'Arnaud, Sandy Alomar, Sr. (#2), Paul Lo Duca (#10).

[smg58]

5 hours ago, Edgy MD said:

I thought these would be easier.  

You should have said things like "hit memorable postseason series-clinching walk-off homerun that grazed the centerfielder's glove."  Now you're making us think, and I have a headache.

[Cowtipper]

Brent Mayne got a win. 

[Edgy MD]

Brent Mayne is not only correct, he's also the only guy in this quiz who played for the Mets in the 20th Century.

Four BELOVED BACKUP CATCHERS to go.

1.  
2. Devin Mesoraco
3. Eli Marrero
4.  
5. Brent Mayne
6. Luis Torrens
7.  
8.  
9. Henry Blanco
10. Mike Difelice

Incorrect Answers: Anthony Recker, Josh Thole (#1), Travis d'Arnaud, Sandy Alomar, Sr. (#2), Paul Lo Duca (#10).

[Frayed Knot]

#4 -- Mike Nickeas

[Edgy MD]

Canadian-born Mike Nickeas, son of Southport, England-born veteran football defender Mark Nickeas, and repatriated in the R.A. Dickey trade due to his experience handling the knuckleball.

Do you see how easy this is?!?!

1.  
2. Devin Mesoraco
3. Eli Marrero
4. Mike Nickeas
5. Brent Mayne
6. Luis Torrens
7.  
8.  
9. Henry Blanco
10. Mike Difelice

Incorrect Answers: Anthony Recker, Josh Thole (#1), Travis d'Arnaud, Sandy Alomar, Sr. (#2), Paul Lo Duca (#10).

[MFS62]

T'aint that easy.

I'd rather try to catch a knuckleball.

Later

[Cowtipper]

I remember watching the highlight of Brent Mayne's win on SportsCenter back in the day. It was pretty big news back then. How many Mets rookie catchers have their been in the 21st century? That whittles it down a bit. I'll randomly guess Kevin Plawecki for #1. 

[Edgy MD]

I like that you are putting your lead at risk, but Plawecki is incorrecki.

1.  
2. Devin Mesoraco
3. Eli Marrero
4. Mike Nickeas
5. Brent Mayne
6. Luis Torrens
7.  
8.  
9. Henry Blanco
10. Mike Difelice

Incorrect Answers: Kevin Plawecki, Anthony Recker, Josh Thole (#1), Travis d'Arnaud, Sandy Alomar, Sr. (#2), Paul Lo Duca (#10).

[Cowtipper]

Butch "Metz"ger sounds like a good answer for #7, and his name sounds more like one that would belong to a catcher not a pitcher, but he's not it. 

Through process of elimination, we'll get #1 eventually. Even if I get these wrong, I'm weeding out the wrong ones for my fellow posters. There's a silver lining. 

So, I'll guess for #1 ... Patrick Mazeika. 

 

[Edgy MD]

Patrick Mazeika is not our crooning exhibitionist.

1.  
2. Devin Mesoraco
3. Eli Marrero
4. Mike Nickeas
5. Brent Mayne
6. Luis Torrens
7.  
8.  
9. Henry Blanco
10. Mike Difelice

Incorrect Answers: Patrick Mazeika, Kevin Plawecki, Anthony Recker, Josh Thole (#1), Travis d'Arnaud, Sandy Alomar, Sr. (#2), Paul Lo Duca (#10).

 

Scoring is three points for a correct answer, and minus one for a miss.

Cowtipper: 7
DocTee: 3
Frayed Knot: 3
Johnny Lunchbucket: 2
MFS62: 2
Benjamin Grimm: -1
smg58: -1
metirish: -2

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

The highlight of Mike Nickeas' career was photos of his wedding party falling into the wrong hands.