SNY to Feature Best Years, Worst Years, All Years

[G-Fafif]

"Year of the METS Pitcher" was yet another big winner in the Mets Yearbook series. Pre-1969, Post-1964 Shea as I'd never seen it. Did you know there was a Bayer aspirin ad next to the Rheingold ad? And that the Rheingold ad was for the 10 Minute Head while Bayer is for headaches? Or that Tom Seaver threw on whatever jersey was handy (38, I think) for a clinic in a city park? Or that Look magazine covered Ron Swoboda? Or that, in the words of Bob Murphy (scripted by Dick Young), Bud Harrelson is a slender drink of water who offers a pound of hustle for every ounce of weight.

It was great watching so much excitement drained from a 73-89 record. And listening to Jerry Koosman's internal monologue. And Jerry Grote explain that it helped him to stop squawking at umpires. And Kevin Collins make a play at third. And hearing Banner Day referred to as "the granddaddy of them all" and the Mets' "soul" promotion. Young wasn't so bad before he turned evil.

It runs again Tuesday night (12/15) at 7:00 -- and runs about two minutes past its allotted time slot, so record accordingly. It will be followed at 7:30ish by the Omir Vaporizes Papelbon game...a new Mets Classic, of all things!

[Guest Kong76]

I watched some of this and was a little disappointing with the video
quality in some parts. I have to dig it out this afternoon and watch the
tape I have of this and see but I think I have a better copy than SNY
could get their hands on? That would be pretty funny (to me, at least).

[Edgy MD]

"Thank you, Mr. Kong. This will a great service to Met fans everywhere. Now please turn around and put your hands up against the wall. You have the right to remain silent..."

[Frayed Knot]

MLB.TV is replaying the 1999 Play-in game vs the Reds NOW!!!!

Just tuned in. 4-0 Mets in the 6th ... oops, 5-0 as Fonzie doubles.
Leiter has a 1-hitter thru 5.

[G-Fafif]

Tonight at 7:30 on SNY it's Mets Yearbook: 1963. A very chatty Casey Stengel, a very young Ed Kranepool, a very old Polo Grounds, a very under construction Shea Stadium and so much more.

[Guest themetfairy]

G-Fafif wrote: Tonight at 7:30 on SNY it's Mets Yearbook: 1963. A very chatty Casey Stengel, a very young Ed Kranepool, a very old Polo Grounds, a very under construction Shea Stadium and so much more.

Love Miss Rheingold, and the bullpen carts that are as modern as any you'd see on a golf course....

[G-Fafif]

Losing 111 games never sounded like such brand equity.

[G-Fafif]

SNY airing all five Mets Yearbooks thus far produced Saturday at 5:00 PM. Watch/record.

[Guest Kong76]

Thanks for the reminder, I have yet to see '75 and '84.

[Guest Kong76]

That '63 episode gets me right here. (pointing to lump in throat)
I'm far too emotional over this stuff sometimes lol.

[Guest Kong76]

I guess I never saw all of 1971 ... I have no recollection of Ralph
Kiner in uniform wearing #54 as a batting instructor.

[G-Fafif]

Tonight, 7:30, sez the program guide on my television, Mets Yearbook: 1976. I wonder how much praise will be heaped on the speedy Pepe Mangual.

[Edgy MD]

Highlights from Joe Frazier's troops.

• Koosman wins 21.
  
• Matlack wins 17.
  
• Seaver wins only 14 despite pitching more innings with a lower ERA than either. (You read it here first. Tom Seaver did not know how to pitch to the score.)
  
• Mazzilli homers in second career plate appearance.
  
• Kingman breaks his own team homerun record.
  
• Country gentleman with good glove at third.
  
• Felix Millan plays 162 games, leads league in getting hit by pitches and in choking up.
  
• Seeming breakthroughs by Bruce Boisclair and John Stearns on the bench.
  
• Jerry Grote has his best hitting seaoson in eight years.
  
• Lockwood and Apodaca dazzle in the pen.
  
• Nino Espinosa --- is that an afro or is that an afro?!
  
• This game. Holy crap, do I believe!

Unlikely to be shown:

• Offseason trade of the portly Staub for the portly Lolich being slowly but surely lost by the Mets.
  
• Nobody steals bases.
  
• Seaver so frustrated by his run support, he dreams of violence.
  
• All the while, Stengel and Payson are dead, the Mets are decapitated symbolically and perhaps in fact, but nobody quite knows it yet.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Is this an SNY premiere, or a rerun from 2009?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Tonight, 7:30, sez the program guide on my television, Mets Yearbook: 1976. I wonder how much praise will be heaped on the speedy Pepe Mangual.

Cardboard Gods recently featured a Jim Dwyer card, causing me to reflect on this trade. At the time, I think it hit me harder than the Seaver deal did, because at least with the latter there was a chance things worked out for us. It was evident to me right away that Mangual was a stiff, and Dwyer wouldn't show much till many, many years later as an O's supersub.

I was 10 that summer and as into baseball as ever, probably.

Kingman breaks his own team homerun record.

This despite missing so much time with that injury. We were "camping" in my friend's backyard and I heard this happen a transistor radio, what a crushing feeling.

This game. Holy crap, do I believe!

Did this inspire Lasorda's profane rant? Oh yes it did.

(WARNING, profane rant at this address)

http://tommykingman.ytmnd.com/

[Edgy MD]

Holla Famer Tommy Lasorda, ladies and gentlemen.

[Guest Kong76]

Holy ugly striped hats flashback, Batman!

[metirish]

I am in stitches here , WOW.....classic

[metirish]

That's not a skit is it? , I'm dying over here

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

That was awesome.

[Guest Kong76]

Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing that again. I haven't seen
it on SNY but I guess it's familiar from maybe rain delays or
something. Got a little verklempt a couple of times lol ...

[G-Fafif]

Thursday night, 7:30...1966! See Mets Yearbook celebrate the snot out of a team not losing a hundred games.

[Ceetar]

Looking forward to it. Just wish my optimum DVR was capable of recording "Mets Yearbook" new episodes instead of treating each year as a seperate show needing separate effort to record.

(Oh, i can record online..I should do that now or I'll end up forgetting to record it)

[metirish]

I just love the commentary on this, not sure about the red color that is coming through on my tv though. Mets went to Greenland on a goodwill tour, wow.

[Guest themetfairy]

Question - can a fine young pitcher like Tom Seaver make the jump to Shea Stadium?

[metirish]

On Hunt's inside the park home run the ball looked like it took a vicious bounce of the grass in CF and it clear bounced over the center fielder, the camera angle though looked like it was from right dowm by the catcher.

[G-Fafif]

New ep of Mets Yearbook, featuring 1980, Tuesday night at 6:30 (record before heading over to Two Boots), rebroadcast Wednesday afternoon at 4:00.

Long live Steve Henderson.

[Mex17]

New ep of Mets Yearbook, featuring 1980, Tuesday night at 6:30 (record before heading over to Two Boots), rebroadcast Wednesday afternoon at 4:00. Long live Steve Henderson.

1980: The year that my family moved back to NY after six or so years living in Massashusetts/New Hampshire. We had intended to stay at my grandparents in Ozone Park for only a few weeks while waiting for the new house in East Northport to close. Instead, that turned into the entire summer as my Dad's VA loan was being held up. I knew that I was not staying there, so I did not really venture out much to make friends. So, as a way to make it up and because it was so close, Dad took me out to Shea A LOT that season! I was there for the Steve Henderson walk-off. . .it was the first time I really saw and heard Shea really alive!

This is the year that I got hooked. It will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart despite it being a 90-loss year.

[Edgy MD]

Two things from the Henderson walkoff that my memory insists on that I need confirmed or exploded.

1) That the umpires participated in the curtain call. They may have been groundskeepers, but I remember seeing the backs of the crew clustered around home clapping as Henderson re-emerged.

2) That Henderson had already begun undressing, and came out of the dugout with his jersey already shed, and wearing suspenders over his three-quarter-sleeve undershirt.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Hendu was fully dressed when he emerged from the dugout for his curtain call. He was flanked by Mets ushers.