Name that Common Thread

[Gwreck]

Trevor Williams?  He had a decent season-and-half with the Mets, maybe he had more than 3 WAR ?

[Edgy MD]

No, not Bobby.

Remember that we're only looking for significant legacies as a Mets.  If they so much as cut a fart in a Ranger uniform, that qualifies them.

I'd even give you Bobby for his managerial career, but he too had a negative WAR as a Met.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I kind of think that Claudell Washington was a Ranger, but I'm not sure. I may be just associating his last name with the city where the Rangers originated.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Joel Youngblood got around. I could see him as a short term Ranger.

[Edgy MD]

20 minutes ago, Benjamin Grimm said:

I kind of think that Claudell Washington was a Ranger, but I'm not sure. I may be just associating his last name with the city where the Rangers originated.

Claudell did, indeed, fart through Ranger pants, but his Met career was way brief and earned him only one bWAR.

5 minutes ago, Johnny Lunchbucket said:

Joel Youngblood got around. I could see him as a short term Ranger.

I like the 1970s Big Hair and Plastic Grass direction of this thread, but 'Blood spent almost all of his post-Mets career with a long run as professional hitter for the Giants.  No Ranger farts.

Here's a hint for one guy — he wasn't Todd Zeile, but it's very easy to associate him with Zeile, as he had, like, 63% Todd Zeile-ness in his makeup.

[Edgy MD]

13 hours ago, Gwreck said:

Trevor Williams?  He had a decent season-and-half with the Mets, maybe he had more than 3 WAR ?

Decent indeed, but part of my distaste for fWAR is that it screws relievers, which TW was, more often than not, as a Met.  Trev earned 1.9 fWAR as a Met, good for 33rd among once and future Arlington athletes, but not enough to qualify for this lofty list.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

The guy I'm thinking of I wouldn't compare to Zeile, I don't think, but Mike Jorgensen was definitely a Ranger

[Edgy MD]

4 minutes ago, Johnny Lunchbucket said:

The guy I'm thinking of I wouldn't compare to Zeile, I don't think, but Mike Jorgensen was definitely a Ranger

Jorgy definitely Ranged, but a second and related part of my antipathy for fWAR is its miserliness toward pinch-hitters and other bench assets, who — as Mike Jorgensen was — are deployed sparingly but in the sort of high-leverage spots that fWAR and its WAR cousins ignore.

Mike, therefore, had a dispiriting -0.7 fWAR as a Met, situating him at a sub-basement-dwelling 161st all-time among Lone Star Mets, far too low to breathe the sweet air of this list.

But the Me Decade Review continues!

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I'm running out of good Mets to guess

[Edgy MD]

A two-time Mets All-Star, with a solid Mets post-season resume to boast of.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I don't think he was a Mets All-Star, but did Elliott Maddox fart as a Ranger?

[Gwreck]

4 hours ago, Edgy MD said:

A two-time Mets All-Star, with a solid Mets post-season resume to boast of.

Jesse Orosco?  He had to have played a lot of places, what with his career games pitched record.

[Centerfield]

Was Dave Magadan a ranger. 

[Edgy MD]

5 hours ago, Benjamin Grimm said:

I don't think he was a Mets All-Star, but did Elliott Maddox fart as a Ranger?

Elliott Maddox farted so much as a Ranger, that his teammates called him "Smelliott."  His Ranger legacy is cemented in his favorite after dinner story — telling of how, with team after team that he ended up with, his arrival tended to be followed shortly after by the hiring of Billy Martin, and he would quickly get traded.

But baseball-reference, for some reason, did not like his 1979 performance at all, awarding him 0.0 bWAR for a season that doesn't look that different from his 1978 and 1980 performance, leaving him 28th in WAR by Mets-who-would-be-Rangers, just behind Todd Zeile, as a matter of fact.

1 hour ago, Gwreck said:

Jesse Orosco?  He had to have played a lot of places, what with his career games pitched record.

Jesse played for a bunch teams the second half of his career, but none as a Range-Rover.

He was a two-time Mets All-Star and earned a goodly amount of bWARs for a reliever, but he is not the Met we're looking for.

1 hour ago, Centerfield said:

Was Dave Magadan a ranger. 

You'd figure a professional hitter like Dave would find his way to Arlington, but Dave Danger was not a Ranger.

Here's another hint — the guy with the 63% Zeile-ness also had a signature way of subtly pimping his homers.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think Jim Fregosi was a Texas Ranger, but I really doubt he accumulated nearly enough WAR as a Met to qualify.

[Edgy MD]

15 minutes ago, Benjamin Grimm said:

I think Jim Fregosi was a Texas Ranger, but I really doubt he accumulated nearly enough WAR as a Met to qualify.

Jim earned all of 0.1 bWAR as a Met, but that was a hella 'spensive 0.1 bWAR.

That left Fregosi tied for 72nd among Mets who flatuated in Texas togs, but not qualifying him for our list.

Here's another hint — one of the dudes we're looking for is a pitcher who once started for the Mets on Opening Day.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I have no idea whether or not he was a Texas Ranger, but I'll roll with that hint and say Mike Torrez.

[Gwreck]

42 minutes ago, Edgy MD said:

Here's another hint — one of the dudes we're looking for is a pitcher who once started for the Mets on Opening Day.

Noah Syndergaard?  He bounced to a couple AL teams at the end I think.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Rick Reed the all-star with postseason accomplishment?

[Edgy MD]

30 minutes ago, Benjamin Grimm said:

I have no idea whether or not he was a Texas Ranger, but I'll roll with that hint and say Mike Torrez.

 

15 minutes ago, Gwreck said:

Noah Syndergaard?  He bounced to a couple AL teams at the end I think.

Neither Mike nor Syndy are members of this bunch.  Both played in the AL West, but neither with Los Guardabosques.
 

 

11 minutes ago, Johnny Lunchbucket said:

Rick Reed the all-star with postseason accomplishment?

YES!  Before his years of Mets GLORY, Wick Weed was an undistinguished member of the 1993-1994 Rangers, but he made enough of an impression on rising Texas scout Omar Minaya that when Omar came to the Mets, Wick followed.

And prospered, he did!

TWENTY bWAR-RIEST METS WHO ALSO PLAYED FOR THE RANGERS

1. Jacob deGrom 41.2
2. Carlos Beltrán 31.1
3. Jon Matlack 26.6
4. Brando Nimmo 26.0
5. Bud Harrelson 18.6
6. Rick Reed 16.4
7. R.A. Dickey 12.9
8. Lee Mazzilli 12.5
9. Max Scherzer 7.3
10. Rusty Staub 6.8
11. Asdrúbal Cabrera 6.7
12.  
13. Lenny Randle 5.0
14.  
15. Bartolo Colon 4.7
16.  
17. Roger McDowell 4.3
18.  
19.  
20.  

[Gwreck]

We’re running out of Mets opening day starters here.  Umm…Mike Pelfrey?  He played for the Twins, the Tigers…he could’ve been a mid-2010s Ranger too?

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I don't get 63% Zeile. Converted catcher? Played for 7 teams, not 11? Kinda gay? 

[Edgy MD]

34 minutes ago, Gwreck said:

We’re running out of Mets opening day starters here.  Umm…Mike Pelfrey?  He played for the Twins, the Tigers…he could’ve been a mid-2010s Ranger too?

Pelf never banged a gong for the Rangers

26 minutes ago, Johnny Lunchbucket said:

I don't get 63% Zeile. Converted catcher? Played for 7 teams, not 11? Kinda gay? 

Don't forget this guy also had a subtle, signature manner in which to pimp his homeruns.

[Gwreck]

15 minutes ago, Edgy MD said:

Pelf never banged a gong for the Rangers

Dillon Gee?   He started once on opening day.  I couldn’t tell you where he went after the Mets but I could believe it was Texas.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Endy Chavez was a Ranger

[Edgy MD]

11 minutes ago, Gwreck said:

Dillon Gee?   He started once on opening day.  I couldn’t tell you where he went after the Mets but I could believe it was Texas.

Take this gold sticker and affix it to your FOREHEAD!  You have been an absolute PLEASURE to have in class.

7 minutes ago, Johnny Lunchbucket said:

Endy Chavez was a Ranger

Don't think for minute you've been overlooked, either.  Endy had our highest difficulty rating, but you just went out and got him.  The other kids see this, and look to you as a leader, and Imma tell your parents when we do our conferences, assuming they show up this semester.

Dillon and Endy,  Endy and Dill.  Welcome to the list.

TWENTY bWAR-RIEST METS WHO ALSO PLAYED FOR THE RANGERS

1. Jacob deGrom 41.2
2. Carlos Beltrán 31.1
3. Jon Matlack 26.6
4. Brando Nimmo 26.0
5. Bud Harrelson 18.6
6. Rick Reed 16.4
7. R.A. Dickey 12.9
8. Lee Mazzilli 12.5
9. Max Scherzer 7.3
10. Rusty Staub 6.8
11. Asdrúbal Cabrera 6.7
12.  
13. Lenny Randle 5.0
14. Dillon Gee 4.9
15. Bartolo Colon 4.7
16.  
17. Roger McDowell 4.3
18.  
19.  
20. Endy Chavez 3.1

[Centerfield]

Pete Harnisch. 

[Edgy MD]

No Rangering for Pete Harnisch.

But, you know, some ex-Met with 36 career homers through the age of 30 went and wandered onto the Rangers roster mid-career, muscled up, and suddenly hit 24 bombs in a single season.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Elster

[Edgy MD]

6 minutes ago, Johnny Lunchbucket said:

Elster

Yes!  Yes!  Ellie!  I'd invite you to move two desks up in class, but that was really an over-the-top hint.  So, one desk.

Hint #3 for the guy who (1) has 63% Todd Zeile-ness in his make-up and (2) had a subtle, signature way of pimping his homers: (3) he had a kinda dumb but kinda catchy nickname.

TWENTY bWAR-RIEST METS WHO ALSO PLAYED FOR THE RANGERS

1. Jacob deGrom 41.2
2. Carlos Beltrán 31.1
3. Jon Matlack 26.6
4. Brando Nimmo 26.0
5. Bud Harrelson 18.6
6. Rick Reed 16.4
7. R.A. Dickey 12.9
8. Lee Mazzilli 12.5
9. Max Scherzer 7.3
10. Rusty Staub 6.8
11. Asdrúbal Cabrera 6.7
12.  
13. Lenny Randle 5.0
14. Dillon Gee 4.9
15. Bartolo Colon 4.7
16. Kevin Elster 4.6
17. Roger McDowell 4.3
18.   
19.   
20. Endy Chavez 3.1