Associations

[MFS62]

There have been several players over the years with whom I have associated another player, just because of their alphabetic proximity on a roster. For example, whe I read of the passing of Steve Barber the other day, I recalled that I had always associated his name with fellow Baby Bird Wally Bunker. Another was when Dennis Ribant was still a Brave and I thought of him in combo with Ron Piche.

Are there any players you recall who's name immediately brought to mind a particular roster-mate?

Later

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Royce Ring and Heath Bell, because of the nice verb/noun pairing.

And when I was a kid, Jerry Koosman and Jerry Grote. I liked that the pitcher and catcher were both named Jerry.

[Guest Edgy DC]

OK, here we go then.

Yancy associates Jerry Koosman with Jerry Grote because they were both Jerrys, and maybe because they were pretty damn contemporary and share the glorious moment in 1969.

Next guy begins, "I associate Jerry Grote with ______ because ______ ."

[Guest sharpie]

I associate Jerry Grote with Ken Boyer because they were the two Mets who I saw (separetly) in Junior Mets (or whatever they called it at the time) meetings. They talked, answered questions, and we got signed photos (long gone).

[dinosaur jesus]

I associate Ken Boyer with Ed Charles because they shared duty at third base in 1967, until Boyer was traded. And because their names together make Charles Boyer.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Ed Charles reminds me of Ron Swoboda because they were both Miracle Mets who left so quickly that they were already former Mets by the time I tuned in in 1971.

Most of the other 69ers were still around, but Charles and Swoboda were the prominent ones who, in my memory, have always been ex-Mets.

[Willets Point]

I associate Ron Swoboda with Fats Domino because they were both missing for a short time after Katrina flooded New Orleans.

[Farmer Ted]

Turk Wendell and Dennis Cook because they were both out of their minds.

[Centerfield]

I associate Dennis Cook with Darryl Hamilton because that duo was offered in a trade to every team in the major leagues.

[G-Fafif]

"Rock the Boat" by Hues Corporation and "Rock Your Baby" by George McRae always call each other to mind.

Whoops. Wrong topic.

Cleon and Tommie seem most inseparable.

Izzy and Pulse, too.

Mario Ramirez and Jose Moreno, to be esoteric about it.

There was a time I would have said Brian Giles and Jose Oquendo, skilled and athletic double play combo for a generation to come, but then they stopped being that altogether. I continued to link them lost past their expiration date. But now Oquendo makes me think of the "Cheap Seats" episode in which the Sklar Brothers attempt to win him induction into Cooperstown as the ultimate utility infielder (he winds up with a plaque in a utility closet) and Giles is synonymous with "not the one who played for the Mets, he'd be way too old to suddenly be hitting all those home runs for Cleveland, there's another Brian Giles," who in turn is synonymous in my mind with Marcus Giles who is synonymous with great annoyance and, to a lesser extent, Mark DeRosa.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Brian Giles and Jose Oquendo remind me of Wally Backman and Ron Gardenhire.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I associate Tom Seaver and Bud Harrelson because they were roommates on road trips.

[Willets Point]

Edgy DC wrote: OK, here we go then. Yancy associates Jerry Koosman with Jerry Grote because they were both Jerrys, and maybe because they were pretty damn contemporary and share the glorious moment in 1969. Next guy begins, "I associate Jerry Grote with ______ because ______ ."

So much for that idea.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Yeah well.

Mets I frequently associate due to confusing them in my mind:

John Pacella and Charlie Puleo.

Dale Murray and Dyar Miller

Mike Bruhert and Mark Bomback (and to a lesser extent, Mike Birkbeck).

[seawolf17]

I was wondering what happened to that also, so let's pick it back up, using a guy from JD's post:

I associate John Pacella with Claudell Washington, for no reason other than they're the two Mets I picture when I think of the 1981 Topps set:

[Guest Edgy DC]

I hate that 1981 set.

I associate Claudell with Jose Cardenal. Both were outfielders acquired mid-season during the Torre era by teams going nowhere with or without them. Both were in the midst of long impressive careers but I hadn't heard of either (even though Cardenal came from the division champs) at the time we got them.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I associate Claudell Washington with hitting 3 home runs in a game shortly after his arrival as a Met.

I associate Jose Cardenal withLarry Bowa in the subcategory -- Met infielders who weren't ever Mets, really, they were divisional opponents, man.

[DocTee]

I associate Darryl Strawberry with Dwight Gooden for obvious reasons.

[Frayed Knot]

I associate this thread with 'Georgie Girl'

[Guest sharpie]

I associate "Georgy Girl" with "Alfie" --- mid 60's British movies with hit title songs.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

sharpie wrote: I associate "Georgy Girl" with "Alfie" --- mid 60's British movies with hit title songs.

I associate "Alfie" with Alfalfa from the Our Gang comedies.

[Willets Point]

I associate Our Gang with the Gas House Gang and Dizzy Dean.

[G-Fafif]

I'm still associating it with the Association.

And Windy's got wings to fly.

[Theoldmole]

I associate Robert Preston with Preston Foster.

[MFS62]

I associated John Stearns and George Foster when they were on the Mets. I called them "The Mattress Company".

Later