Name that Common Thread

[Edgy MD]

1 hour ago, Benjamin Grimm said:

I'm not sure if he spent enough time in Texas, but what about Lee Mazzilli? 

Lee, of course, was the disco-est, but his time in Texas was not only short, but misbegotten and he left with -0.4 bWAR to his name — or 0.4 anti-bWAR.  That put him way down in an eight-way tie for 154th of 179 RangerMets known to humankind.

1. Kenny Rogers 31.2 bWAR
2. Marcus Semien 21.1
3. Julio Franco 20.2
4. Nolan Ryan 15.2
5. Jon Matlack 12.4
6.   
7. Darren Oliver 9.3
8.   
9.   
10.   
11. Frank Catalanotto 6.9 (tie)
12. Doc Medich 6.9 (tie)
13.   
14.   
15. Jacob deGrom 5.8
16.   
17. Del Unser 5.3
18.   
19.   
20.   

[Benjamin Grimm]

Claudell Washington? 

[Gwreck]

Marlon Byrd?  Maybe he was a Ranger long enough?

[Edgy MD]

5 hours ago, Benjamin Grimm said:

Claudell Washington? 

May all the best RangerMets be TorreMets.  This is your prayer.

Claudell, however, rings in at an unlofty 55th in this category, with a mere 0.9 bWAR as a Range Rover.

1 hour ago, Gwreck said:

Marlon Byrd?  Maybe he was a Ranger long enough?

Too many question marks!  You should be answering with confidence!  With authority!  Even if wrong!

Marlon, however, is very very right!  He comes in eight all-time, with 8.9 points worth Ranger bWAR, among dudes who also farted through Metly pants at one time or another.

1. Kenny Rogers 31.2 bWAR
2. Marcus Semien 21.1
3. Julio Franco 20.2
4. Nolan Ryan 15.2
5. Jon Matlack 12.4
6.   
7. Darren Oliver 9.3
8. Marlon Byrd 8.9
9.   
10.   
11. Frank Catalanotto 6.9 (tie)
12. Doc Medich 6.9 (tie)
13.   
14.   
15. Jacob deGrom 5.8
16.   
17. Del Unser 5.3
18.   
19.   
20.   

[Benjamin Grimm]

Frank Tanana.

Is it up there?

[MFS62]

Gary Matthews (not Sarge, the civillian)

Later

[Gwreck]

Give me…Todd Zeile for both lists!

[Edgy MD]

4 hours ago, Benjamin Grimm said:

Frank Tanana.

Is it up there?

GOOD ANSWER!  GOOD ANSWER!

Tanana at #10 also joins with Catalanotto at #11 to form a neat little Frank Block.

3 hours ago, MFS62 said:

Gary Matthews (not Sarge, the civillian)

Later

Gary, Jr. was actually called Sarge, Jr., so he actually shared his father's fantasy military status.

He is also correct!  In the number 6 slot with 10.2 bWAR!!

2 hours ago, Gwreck said:

Give me…Todd Zeile for both lists!

Todd Zeile is ... incorrect for both lists!!

1. Kenny Rogers 31.2 bWAR
2. Marcus Semien 21.1
3. Julio Franco 20.2
4. Nolan Ryan 15.2
5. Jon Matlack 12.4
6. Gary Matthews, Jr. 10.2
7. Darren Oliver 9.3
8. Marlon Byrd 8.9
9.   
10. Frank Tanana 7.7
11. Frank Catalanotto 6.9 (tie)
12. Doc Medich 6.9 (tie)
13.   
14.   
15. Jacob deGrom 5.8
16.   
17. Del Unser 5.3
18.   
19.   
20.   

[MFS62]

Doc Ellis. The other Doc.

Whether or not he knew he was in Texas can be debated.

Later

[Edgy MD]

2 minutes ago, MFS62 said:

Doc Ellis. The other Doc.

Whether or not he knew he was in Texas can be debated.

Later

I'm sorry I am not recording missed guesses (or tabulating points for that matter), but Dock Ellis has been guessed.

[Edgy MD]

Dude #9 was a productive long-time semi-regular with the Rangers, but only got into a dozen games with the Mets.  He had a Hall-of-Fame name and brought some solid Abraham Lincoln chinbeard action.

[Edgy MD]

Fellow #14 also had a Hall-of-Fame name, and even got a Hall-of-Fame vote, which angered one or two Twitter users.  He capped his career with a pretty replaceable stint for the Mets, but with the Rangers ... with the Rangers, he was somebody.

[MFS62]

He didn't make the other list, but did Elliot Maddox have enough WAR with Tejas to make this one?

Later

[Edgy MD]

Elliott Maddox sits just outside this list at 22nd, with 3.9 bWAR.  He, again, might have done better, but he was stuck in the strange pattern of getting traded whenever Billy Martin took over a team, and that's what happened to the Rangers at the end of 1973.

[Edgy MD]

Dude #13 was a groundbreaker as far as the assets he deployed.  He also sometimes chose to use a middle initial to distinguish himself from an MLB contemporary with the same first and last name.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Greg Harris?

[Edgy MD]

1 hour ago, Benjamin Grimm said:

Greg Harris?

Yes!  YES!!!  Shout 'em out if you know them!!  Shout 'em out if you just think them!!  Answer like a man, not a mouse!!  Greg Harris, who leans into your sweet spot by debuting as a Torre-era Met in 1981, but was still bringing it (somehow throwing almost exclusively curveballs) well into the 1990s, is our #13 dude!

Greg spent the heart of his career pitching about 110 innings per year, almost all of them out of the bullpen, for the Rangers.  That'll get you some bWAR!!

TWENTY bWAR-RIEST RANGERS WHO ALSO PLAYED FOR THE METS

1. Kenny Rogers 31.2 bWAR
2. Marcus Semien 21.1
3. Julio Franco 20.2
4. Nolan Ryan 15.2
5. Jon Matlack 12.4
6. Gary Matthews, Jr. 10.2
7. Darren Oliver 9.3
8. Marlon Byrd 8.9
9.   
10. Frank Tanana 7.7
11. Frank Catalanotto 6.9 (tie)
12. Doc Medich 6.9 (tie)
13. Greg Harris 6.5
14.   
15. Jacob deGrom 5.8
16.   
17. Del Unser 5.3
18.   
19.   
20.   

 

[The Hot Corner]

Todd Frazier left the Mets for the Rangers, but ended up back with the Mets.

[Edgy MD]

While Todd Fray-Fray was number 12 on the list of Best (bWAR-riest) Mets to Also Play for the Rangers, his Ranging career was not robust enough to qualify him for this list of Best (bWAR-riest) Rangersto Also Play for the Mets.  He put up but 0.1 bWAR as a Ranger, tied for 82nd among qualifying players, along with several other questionable characters.

[Gwreck]

Darren O’Day?  He had at least some Rangers time in there in the early 2010s?

[Edgy MD]

Darren O'Day?!  Darren O'YES!

Darren O'Day, born to be one of the great Rule V selections in Mets history, but they fumbled him away in one of those pointless bullpen shuffles.  Grabbed off waivers by Texas less than one month into the season, he instantly became an indispensable asset for the Ranger Corps.

He is one of two Darren O.'s on our list!

TWENTY bWAR-RIEST RANGERS WHO ALSO PLAYED FOR THE METS

1. Kenny Rogers 31.2 bWAR
2. Marcus Semien 21.1
3. Julio Franco 20.2
4. Nolan Ryan 15.2
5. Jon Matlack 12.4
6. Gary Matthews, Jr. 10.2
7. Darren Oliver 9.3
8. Marlon Byrd 8.9
9.   
10. Frank Tanana 7.7
11. Frank Catalanotto 6.9 (tie)
12. Doc Medich 6.9 (tie)
13. Greg Harris 6.5
14.   
15. Jacob deGrom 5.8
16.   
17. Del Unser 5.3
18.   
19.   
20. Darren O'Day 4.8

[MFS62]

IIRC Chris Young had some decent years before he came to the Mets. Can we fit his 6'10" body into this chart?

Later

[Edgy MD]

Young falls just short with 3.7 bWAR, good for 23rd.

We're looking for 

#9: Position player with a longish career, a Hall of Fame first name, but a brief and ineffective run as a Met toward the end.  Rocked a Lincolnian chinstrap beard.

#14: Pitcher with a longer career, a Hall of Fame first name, and a less brief but still ineffective run as a Met toward the end.  Wore a very light Van Dyke, barely more than stubble.

#16: LOOGy who spent most of his career in the AL, routinely being among the league leaders in appearances, but by the time he reached the Mets, he was pretty spent, and the league was outlawing LOOGys anyhow.  Made only three Mets appearances (which used to represent a weekend for him in his Texas days), but yes, amazingly, rocked a Lincolnian chinstrap beard.

#18: Already mentioned in the Mets half of this quiz.  Had lights-out talent, and that produced one terrific year with the Mets, but a second one that was more of a slog.

#19: Was kind of unfairly hated by Mets fans, because he reminded them of somebody else they unfairly hated, so he was kind of meta-unfairly hated.  Had a fun name, though.

 

[MFS62]

Robinson Chirinos (I'm guessing your clue of HOF name is the HOF-er's last name, you sly devil)

Later

[Edgy MD]

Robinson Chirinos was a hale and hearty semi-regular for the Rangers before he became a little-used emergency option for them Mets, and is indeed our #9 guy

TWENTY bWAR-RIEST RANGERS WHO ALSO PLAYED FOR THE METS

1. Kenny Rogers 31.2 bWAR
2. Marcus Semien 21.1
3. Julio Franco 20.2
4. Nolan Ryan 15.2
5. Jon Matlack 12.4
6. Gary Matthews, Jr. 10.2
7. Darren Oliver 9.3
8. Marlon Byrd 8.9
9. Robinson Chirinos 8.5
10. Frank Tanana 7.7
11. Frank Catalanotto 6.9 (tie)
12. Doc Medich 6.9 (tie)
13. Greg Harris 6.5
14.   
15. Jacob deGrom 5.8
16.   
17. Del Unser 5.3
18.   
19.   
20. Darren O'Day 4.8

[MFS62]

Imma gonna stare at the clues until I either get an answer or the men in the white coats come to take me away.  Either way, I think it will be a while. Someone else please try. Do it for the children.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

Is number 18 Lenny Randle?

[Edgy MD]

9 minutes ago, Benjamin Grimm said:

Is number 18 Lenny Randle?

Indeed he is!  Nobody holds a candle to Lenny Randle!

We're coming down the home stretch!  Let's see if we can wrap this up before the next Mets/Ranger series!

TWENTY bWAR-RIEST RANGERS WHO ALSO PLAYED FOR THE METS

1. Kenny Rogers 31.2 bWAR
2. Marcus Semien 21.1
3. Julio Franco 20.2
4. Nolan Ryan 15.2
5. Jon Matlack 12.4
6. Gary Matthews, Jr. 10.2
7. Darren Oliver 9.3
8. Marlon Byrd 8.9
9. Robinson Chirinos 8.5
10. Frank Tanana 7.7
11. Frank Catalanotto 6.9 (tie)
12. Doc Medich 6.9 (tie)
13. Greg Harris 6.5
14.   
15. Jacob deGrom 5.8
16.   
17. Del Unser 5.4
18. Lenny Randle 5.3
19.   
20. Darren O'Day 4.8

You have three guys — two relievers and the third a longtime starter who ended his career relieving for the Mets.

[Gwreck]

I thought the hint for #14 was a position player?  The best I could come up with is Adrian Gonzalez, who had a mustache, but that’s not really a hall of fame first name (?)

[Benjamin Grimm]

Adrian was Cap Anson's given name. So you may be on to something.