Met Fact and Opinion III

[Guest Edgy DC]

On advice from the Thread Doctor, I'm going to let One Fact and Go die (althought you all may try and keep it alive) and relaunch Met Fact and Opinion.

A key to this thread is that you try and keep the distinction between fact and opinion clear, as you'll have plenty of opportunity for both.

You post a fact about the Mets, and the next contributor posts his or her opinion about that fact, before posting their own fact.

It should look something like this:

Fact: Kevin Kobel was from Buffalo.
_________________________

Opinion: He should have stayed there.

Fact: Both the Mets World Series MVPs wore 22.
__________________________

Opinion: Nady would've been the third.

Fact: Wes Westrum's middle name was Noreen

________________________

And so on.

I open with a fact.

Fact: Kevin Mitchell has denied killing anybody's cat.

[nymr83]

Opinion: he's full of shit

Fact: Jose Reyes raised his OBP 54 points and his SLG 101 points from 2005 to 2006.

[Guest patona314]

Opinion: He will be the next "Willie Mays"

Fact: Bobby Valentine was 536 - 467 w/a .534 winning percentage w/the Mets

[RealityChuck]

Opinion: Valentine lost his enthusiasm for managing in New York after 9/11.

Fact: Dave Kingman led the league in home runs with the lowest BA of any HR champ.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Opinon: Kingman lost his enthusasm for refining his not-insignificant secondary skills relatively early in his career.

Fact: Darryl Strawberry debuted May 6, 1983, going 0-4, with Mario Soto starting for Cincinnati. The Mets won in the thirteenth on a walkoff homer by George Foster, Darryl scoring ahead of him with the winning run.

[soupcan]

Opinion: Darryl never wanted to be the Black Ted Williams he wanted to be the next Reggie Jackson.

Fact: In the winter of 1987, the main scoreboard at Shea Stadium was redesigned/upgraded/modernized. The redesign incorporated additional space below the out-of-town scoreboard to list a RF and LF umpire that would be utilized during postseason games in anticipation of the Mets playing in the postseason frequently in the years to come.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Opinion: The scoreboard was better when it wasn't a gigantic Budweiser ad.

Fact: In 1967, the outfield walls at Shea were painted white, but met with a poor reception and were re-painted green in a few weeks.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Opinion: Joe Torre did everybody a big favor during his tenure by suggesting the walls be pulled forward a few feet in right or left, removing the ambiguity about whether the brick facade of the stands were in play or not.

Fact: Mike Stanton holds the Mets record for appearances by a pitcher with 83 in 2004.

[Guest patona314]

Opinion: Mike Stanton is Yankee Scum

Fact: When the Mets won Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Doug Sisk was warming up in the bullpen and would have pitched the next inning for the Mets if Mookie had made out after the Mets tied the game.

[nymr83]

Opinion: I hope nobody is used often enough in the regular season to break that record next year

Fact: Box Seats at Shea were only $10 in 1987
source: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1D61F3DF932A05753C1A961948260

[Guest Edgy DC]

Two facts on the table. Can one opinion respond to them both?

[DocTee]

opinion: Had Sisk been used, $10 would have been too much to see the NL champs play in '87.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

patona314 wrote: Opinion: Mike Stanton is Yankee Scum

Hey Rookie - I like how you think

[Guest Edgy DC]

DocTee owes us a fact.

[DocTee]

oops:

FACT: Former Met Jay Payton is testing the free-agent waters.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Opinion: Jay getting kissed by Liza Minnelli is one of the more lasting images from the 2001 season. (Isn't Lasting Image a young Mets outfielder?)


Fact: As a Met, Mike Piazza only led the National League in an offensive category once: GIDP in 1999.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Opinion: If GITP or LITP (grounded into or lined into triple play) was an official stat, Piazza would up near the top too, and that talk radio bozos would mention it while denigrating a player.

Fact: The Mets turned a triple play against the Giants 5/31/64 when Orlando Cepeda lined to SS Roy McMillan, who stepped on second to get Jesus Alou and threw to first to force Willie Mays. It was the 14th inning of a 23-inning game the Mets would lose 8-6.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Opinion: Amazin'.

Fact: When Joe Torre went to Atlanta, he took fellow firees Rube Walker, Joe Pignatano, and Bob Gibson. He also re-hired Dal Maxvill who coached under him with the Mets in 1978.

[Elster88]

Opinion: If not for Mariano Rivera, Joe Torre would be widely considered one of the worst managers of all time instead of one of the best.

Fact: Bernard Gilkey holds the all-time Metly record for doubles in one season.

[Guest iramets]

Opinion: Gilkey and two teammates (Lance Johnson, Todd Hundley) had career years in 1996.

Fact: The 1996 Mets had a losing record.

[Guest patona314]

Opinion: please don't remind me of the 91 to 96 Mets, I just ate lunch.

Fact: Joel Youngblood was the first player to play for two different teams in two different cities on the same day and get a hit.

[HahnSolo]

Opinion: He did it to double up on meal money.

Fact: Jerry Koosman was 3-0 with a 2.39 ERA in four World Series starts with the Mets.

[Vic Sage]

O: Kooz should have won the CY in 76 over junkballer Randy Jones.

F: The `69 Mets is the only WS winning team in at least the last 60 years to have 2 starting pitchers with ERA+ of 160 or better.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Opinion: It should have come as no surprise they were unable to repeat, given their offense.

Fact: Dave Williams this year became the first Met to make his debut wearing the racing stripes uni since Joe Vitko in 1992.

[RealityChuck]

Opinion: Williams has the most undistinguisable name in sports. He really needs a good nickname. Dave "The Bruiser" Williams, for instance.

Fact: The Mets were the last team for both the last active NY Giant (Willie Mays) and the last active Brooklyn Dodger (Bob Aspromonte)

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Opinion: It would be nice if I live long enough to see the Mets become the team of the last active New York Yankee.

Fact: The Mets have an all-time record of 1,770 and 1,640 at Shea Stadium. They only have to win 17 home games over the next two years to clinch a winning record there.

[Elster88]

RealityChuck wrote: Opinion: Williams has the most undistinguisable name in sports. He really needs a good nickname. Dave "The Bruiser" Williams, for instance.

LOL That's a great one.

I'm liking this thread.

Pats on the back all around.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Opinion: Stadium features are way overplayed. Home is what you make it.

Fact: In 1985, young Bret Saberhagen's wife gave birth their son Drew William, the same night as the infamous Don Denkinger call which helped Kansas City to the World Championship.

[stevejrogers]

Opinion: Young Drew Saberhagen can say his first full day on the planet truely was the best day of his father's life, in more ways than one

Fact: Cleon Jones is the only member of the Mets Hall of Fame to have played for the Mets to not have a Met uniform be represented on his bust in the Diamond Club lobby

[DocTee]

Opinion: Steve J Rogers spends too much time looking at busts in the Diamond Club Lobby.

Fact: Former Met and current Minny skipper Ron Gardenhire was born on an air force base in Germany.