Memories of Ricky Ledee

[Guest Edgy DC]

A challenger. Ricky's finest hour was a pinch-hit homer against the Nats on September 22nd, but the Mets lost by one anyhow.

Ricky heads to Oakland on a minor-league contract.

[metirish]

Not much in the memory bank here for me and Ledee but at times he reminded me of John Leguizamo.

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's a good memory.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

He wore No. 9, often a symbol of worse-than-averageness.

[Guest KC]

He was a true Yankee.

[Gwreck]

="Edgy DC"]A challenger. Ricky's finest hour was a pinch-hit homer against the Nats on September 22nd, but the Mets lost by one anyhow.

It was one of this three Mets hits.

[G-Fafif]

The calling card of the "A-minus lineup" Willie fielded the night after the division clinching. If Ricky Ledee was playing, we were encouraged not to be concerned with the outcome.

[Guest Edgy DC]

And yet, win we did, behind Glavine, Wagner and a homer by Anderson Freakin Hernandez.

1) ss Anderson Hernandez
2) cf Endy Chavez
3) lf Lastings Milledge
4) 3b Julio Franco
5) 1b Michael Tucker
6) 2b Chris Woodward
7) rf Ricky Ledee
8) c Mike DiFelice
9) p Tom Glavine

I wonder if we before ever batted a guy fourth with one homer in September.

[soupcan]

My memories of Ricky Ledee:

He sucked.

[Centerfield]

Ricky had a weird moustache. Like you weren't sure if he was trying to grow one, or if he just hadn't shaved, or if he was just a messy eater.

[Guest iramets]

Edgy DC wrote: I wonder if we before ever batted a guy fourth with one homer in September.

Been lookin'--so far I've just come up with one guy who batted fifth in his first major league game with 0 homeruns behind him in September of 1962 Probably not so rare--lots of slow slugging rookies get called up for September starts.

The amazing thing to me was that Casey somehow got the idea that this guy would make a good leadoff man in September of 1963. Took him two weeks to get over that idea.

[Guest iramets]

Edgy DC wrote: I wonder if we before ever batted a guy fourth with one homer in September.

BINGO!

He'd hit his first (and only) HR of the year the day before--this presumbly was his reward.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well done. That was a good series.

Now we have to find a game where we have a cleanup hitter with one homer in September, who spent the whole year with the team.

[Guest iramets]

Not yet, but here's a guy who batted fourth exactly once (in June), was with the Mets all season (pretty much), and hit 1 HR for the year.

I was looking for a backup, probably third string catcher (when they had such things) whom the Mets kept around for his bat. Tried Greg Goossen--nope. Tried Hawk Taylor--nope. Tried Butch Huskey --nope.

Still tryin'.

This guy was a flippin regular who hit 3 HRs all year, and batted cleanup six times!

Still trying'

[Guest iramets]

Another regular who batted cleanup three (straight) games, in late July and early August, who hit only 1 HR all year.

Where have I seen his name before?

[Guest iramets]

Here's a September cleanup batter, on the roster all season, who hit 2 HRs all year.

So close!

[Guest iramets]

Here's a legitimate number four hitter, one of the all-time great Mets, who batted cleanup two dozen times in September of 1972, and who had hit four HRs through August, playing as a regularall season long, give or take.

I guess cleanup batters without power aren't all that rare, not on the Mets, though none so far reaches Edgy's standard.

I'll stop with the near-misses now. I'm starting to think I'm the only one who finds this interesting.

[Guest cooby]

I always thought it was neat the way his name was pronounced La-day instead of Le-dee. Not much of a memory, I guess.

[G-Fafif]

Not exactly what's been asked for, but this guy strikes me as unlikely cleanup material. He was a bit of a hot hand (2 HR in the previous week, or 66.7% of his lifetime accumulation dating back over a six-year span) when he got his chance. He never came through after that particular vote of confidence. In fact he didn't stay in for the entire game and was gone from the majors within two months.

[Guest iramets]

Okay, one more, and then I'm stopping. This dude played all year long, hit one home run, started exactly one game (in August) and he batted cleanup in it.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Jeezus, wouldya look at that early 98 lineup. In a year, Steve Phillips would have it completely tricked out.

[G-Fafif]

This is indeed addictive.

Here's a Dude given 32 separate shots at the cleanup spot in 1980 but came up homer-empty (as he did in every slot that season). A finger injury in late July prevented him from removing himself from this conversation or making futile history.

[G-Fafif]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Jeezus, wouldya look at that early 98 lineup. In a year, Steve Phillips would have it completely tricked out.

Hundleyitis. Or PPS (Pre Piazza Syndrome).

Preston Wilson was a cleanup batter in good standing for others but not for us.

[Theoldmole]

G-FAF -- I dunno who else you would have put in at cleanup in that Jim Tatum game, given the general wretchedness of the lineup.

Also of interest, the 7 Mets on the opposite side of the lineup card.

[G-Fafif]

Leiter?

[Guest Edgy DC]

iramets wrote: Here's a September cleanup batter, on the roster all season, who hit 2 HRs all year. So close!

A lot of great answers here.

This one, however, looks like a late scratch, like Baerga or Olerud was supposed to be at first or somebody.

[Guest iramets]

Edgy DC wrote: Now we have to find a game where we have a cleanup hitter with one homer in September, who spent the whole year with the team.

Here ya go. Cleanup hitter--check. One homer in September--check. Spent whole year with the team--check.

He did HIT a HR in this game, but he was put in the cleanup spot, obviously, before his second and final HR of the season.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Great job. That's also later in the season than the Franco appearrance.

That's one desperate lineup Torborg threw out there. I eventually figured out that it was game two of a double header.

How about Gooden going eight?