Web Gems

[Centerfield]

On Baseball Tonight, they will be counting down the best Web Gems in Mets history. Guesses as to what will be on the list?

Obviously Swoboda, and Tommie Agee's 2 catches. ReyO has to be on that list, though no one play stands out. I'm also guessing Mex shows up fielding a bunt and throwing a laser to third.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

David Wright's barehanded catch in San Diego last year.

[Willets Point]

David Wright barehand. Anderson Hernandez last spring. Rusty Staub switching between left & right field.

[Guest Iubitul]

The Hernandez fielding the bunt and throwing out the runner at third play in Cincinnatti with Carter at third...

Wright's dive into the stands last year should be on it

Ordonez throwing the runner out at the plate from his knees...

[MFS62]

And one or two David Wright plays.
Maybe even the Anderson Hernandez catch/nose dive.

Later

[Guest Iubitul]

of course - the ball off the wall play:

Jones to Garrett to Hodges - nailing Zisk at the plate....

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Of course, if they are only concentrating on Web Gems, then pre-ESPN history is going to be shortchanged.

[Guest Iubitul]

Then there was the dive and throwing while tumbling play that Ordonez made that one time....

They could do a show just on his plays...

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I hope they don't let Lance Armstrong emcee the show.

[MFS62]

ScarletKnight41 wrote: Of course, if they are only concentrating on Web Gems, then pre-ESPN history is going to be shortchanged.

It has been so far. Considering the long history of the Yankees, Derek Jeter had two nominated for the best one- his dive into the stands (what third baseman hasn't done something similar?) and his backhanded scoop in that playoff game. I didn't stick around to see which one won.

Scarlett's right. It seems like most of the nominees have been within the last 25 years, using the ESPN film library.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

Stoins was really big on the play where John Stearns broke Dave Parker's face.

[Willets Point]

B-b-b-ut Derek Jeter is the greatest Yankee of all time!!!

[MFS62]

Willets Point wrote: B-b-b-ut Derek Jeter is the greatest Yankee of all time!!!

Yeah, we know. You don't do SC.

Later

[G-Fafif]

Iubitul wrote: The Hernandez fielding the bunt and throwing out the runner at third play in Cincinnatti with Carter at third... Wright's dive into the stands last year should be on it Ordonez throwing the runner out at the plate from his knees...

In early '98, at Shea against the Reds, Rey dove for a grounder to his left and then, still on the ground, lunged for second base and tagged it with his glove ahead of the runner. God, he was beautiful.

Great call on the Hernandez/Carter bunt play. Another nominee from '86: The 8-2-5 double play, Dykstra to Gibbons to HoJo, in San Diego. "Out at home! Out at third!" Mex had a signature highlight reel play that year against the Astros that ended with him in foul territory yet nailing the runner.

Jay Payton climbed a wall in San Francisco in 2000 to great effect. The short-lived Pat Howell did something similar in center at Shea that was, perhaps, even more breathtaking.

Both Mackey Sasser (1991) and Eli Marrero (2006) made startling catches in right, startling probably because they were literally out of position. Woodward did something like that in left during Pedro's first Shea start.

Mike landed on his head at Dodger Stadium in 2000 to catch a foul pop.

Beltran dove across center to rob a National in April '05. And Cliff went over a side fence last July. Oh, and Cameron on his belly reaching up and grabbing a sinking liner against the Diamondbacks in June.

What an embarrassment of riches!

[Guest Edgy DC]

The first glove-hand-to-bare-hand-exchange doubleplay by Reyo and Baerga was pretty slick.

Darryl on a soaking Shea outfield and wearing bags on his feet diviing to his backhand making the catch, sliding 18 feet and coming up with about five pounds of water soaked into his uniform.

[Guest Iubitul]

G-Fafif wrote: Great call on the Hernandez/Carter bunt play. Another nominee from '86: The 8-2-5 double play, Dykstra to Gibbons to HoJo, in San Diego. "Out at home! Out at third!"

But that was just a routine double play...

[Frayed Knot]

ESPN has a tendancy to act like history began the day they started paying attention so, yes, I'd expect mostly recent film-worthy nominees.

- That Payton robbing a HR in SF that Greg brings up was a beaut that I had forgotten about

- I'd vote for Swoboda's personally ... as much for the effect of it as anything. Heck, that catch SAVED a WS game and the 3-1 series lead that was secured an inning later would have been 2-2. And it was real fucking good.

- Agee's two taken as a tandem were huge also but neither by itself were as good as Rocky's

- Wright's barehand was certainly a nice play but just doesn't do it for me. There have been many better ones. It's more of a novelty really ... of course so is Jeter's "dive" into the stands (umm, he caught the ball in fair territory but couldn't stop) so that's not going to stop them. HIS dive into the stands catch was better (than both his barehand as well as Jeter's)

- Mex's charged-bunt/DP was great just for the agressive, ballsy-ness of it all but it won't win since there wasn't anything particularly super-human (ergo highlight worthy) about the physical part of the play itself.

[HahnSolo]

The DP started by Backman to end a game against the Cardinals in April 86 ranks in the top 5 for me. No chance it will make ESPNs list.

[MFS62]

Swoboda's WS catch heads my list, too.

Later

[metirish]

The play that Reyes made bare handed when the ball hit the dirt and skipped away from his glove hand,on instinct he got the bare hand to it and threw a bullet to first.

[Diamond Dad]

I remember an outfield catch where Mookie and Lenny came together and locked elbows in mid-air, spinning each around and both landing flat on their backs. But Mookie caught (and hung on to) the ball for the out. Glorious -- and nobody was seriously hurt.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

That was a Friday night back in 1987.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

ESPN surprised me pleasantly.

#3 was David Wright's catch in San Diego
#2 was Agee's WS catch
#1 was Swoboda's WS catch

[Zvon]

="ScarletKnight41"]ESPN surprised me pleasantly. #3 was David Wright's catch in San Diego #2 was Agee's WS catch #1 was Swoboda's WS catch

#3


#2[they showed both! ].



#1


Hey-post any pics of great Met catches in this thread--
I collect em!

[Zvon]

="MFS62"]the Anderson Hernandez catch/nose dive.

[Willets Point]

Only three? That just isn't enough for the defensive talent of this franchise.

It doesn't look like Swoboda is going to catch that ball.

I'm still disappointed there's no love for Rusty.

[Benjamin Grimm]

="Zvon"] ="MFS62"]the Anderson Hernandez catch/nose dive.

Zvon, if you want to have some Photoshop fun, you can put a Frisbee in this picture. It looks like Hernandez is trying to catch something in his mouth.

[metsmarathon]

This car is SO cool! too bad its not a plymouth, official car of the mets.
VVVVVVVV

[Guest Edgy DC]

Wickit:


(Notice Booney getting the waterworks ready.)



No way:

[MFS62]

And Scarlett was right again.
Where ESPN footage of the catches was unavailable (as it was with Wright's catch), the clips shown for the '69 WS catches were horrible.
They weren't even clips from the official MLB Films. They were grainy and cut short. What made Agee's catches so great were not just the catches themselves, but how far he had to run to make the catches. And the clps last night didn't include his long runs.
As for Swoboda's catch, I'm sure we have seen the shot taken from the upper deck camera behind home plate. Last night they used a shot from what looked to be ground level, and the viewer lost the distance he had to run and the length of his dive.

They picked the right ones. But did their viewers outside New York, who may not have seen films of those catches in their entirety, a disservice. I'm sure that when (if?) the fans get a chance to vote on the all-time three catches, these will not get the support they deserve.

Later