Minor Mets Who Boomerang as Actual Mets

[G-Fafif]

Jason Bay joins Endy Chavez and Angel Pagan as onetime Met farmhands who were sent away to return as actual Mets. Anybody else fit that description? Not looking for former major league Mets who came back a la Burnitz, Jorgensen, that Seaver fellow. Looking for guys who never worked their way up the chain the first time.

[Gwreck]

Nelson Figueroa?

[ashie62]

Lee Mazzilli?

[Gwreck]

Raul Casanova

Did we trade Mauro Gozzo to KC in the David Cone deal? And then have him back in the mid-90s?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Cool Lou Thornton was drafted by the Mets in 1981, never got higher than the Carolina League by 1984, and was Rule Fived away by the Blue Jays that winter.

After three years on the Syracuse-Toronto shuttle, he was traded to the Pirates in 1987. The Pirates weighed their options ("Hmm... Thornton or Bonds? Bonds or Thornton?") and released him two months later without a single major league plate appearance. The Mets signed him as a free agent after he cleared waivers. He batted .308 for us in 13 plate appearances in 1989, went 0-3 in 1990, and was done. Stunk it up at Tidewater also.

Maybe it's an outfielder thing.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Raul Casanova

Did we trade Mauro Gozzo to KC in the David Cone deal? And then have him back in the mid-90s?[/quote:6nfms50w]
Goose Gozzo. Good one.

[Gwreck]

Pete Walker

[Benjamin Grimm]

Guillermo Mota.

Mickey Weston.

Brian Daubach.

Joe DePastino (maybe).

Eric Gunderson.

[G-Fafif]

Thanks all for some good calls. Figureoa should have been obvious given that he's the last Met I saw throw a pitch. I also missed Casanova on a Sporcle of Mets catchers yesterday. Some guys just don't stick in one's mind.

I'd add Rich Rodriguez to this roster, though I wish I didn't have to.

Mazzilli and Walker each made the majors as Mets before leaving the first time. Since I was thinking (but didn't specify) minor leaguers who had never been in the majors before they played as minor league Mets, that would also count out Gunderson (who actually didn't play for any other organization between his '93 Mets minor league stint and subsequent release and his '94 re-signing; either way, he had pitched in the Majors before coming to the Mets).

Lou Thornton scored a walkoff run as a pinch-runner in a big game against the Cubs in September '89. Juan Samuel drove him in, moving the Mets to within 3-1/2 with 25 to play. Later, I'd confuse him regularly with Lou Collier, whom Expo GM Omar Minaya acquired from the Mets in exchange for the much-traveled pre-star Jason Bay.

If Bay passes his physical and doesn't disintegrate before April 5, here's the list, thus far, of Lost Boys Found as I have it with your considerable help:

Jason Bay
Raul Casanova
Endy Chavez
Brian Daubach
Nelson Figueroa
Mauro Gozzo
Jerry Morales
Guillermo Mota
Angel Pagan
Rich Rodriguez
Lou Thornton
Fernando Vi�a
Mickey Weston

[RealityChuck]

Fernando Vina. Drafted by the Mets, lost to Seattle on Rule V, then sent back. He had been in 24 major league games when he debuted for the Mets.

[G-Fafif]

Fernando Vina. Drafted by the Mets, lost to Seattle on Rule V, then sent back. He had been in 24 major league games when he debuted for the Mets.[/quote:17ed798l]

Awesome add. I knew there was someone circa 1994 who'd qualify; thanks for nailing it. Updated the list in previous post.

[G-Fafif]

Y'all helped me put the above list together. Now it is a major motion picture!

Or a FAFIF post anyway.

Thanks again for the assist.

[metirish]

Y'all helped me put the above list together. Now it is a major motion picture!

Or a FAFIF post anyway.

Thanks again for the assist.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

No offense to JB (does he have a nickname yet?).[/quote:37fmqyf1]
Is it too on-the-nose to suggest that we co-opt the Gammons slur and affectionately mark LF for the next four years (hopefully) as "Bay-rut?"

Indeed, thanks as always, G.

[metirish]

No offense to JB (does he have a nickname yet?).[/quote:3ujcba22]
Is it too on-the-nose to suggest that we co-opt the Gammons slur and affectionately mark LF for the next four years (hopefully) as "Bay-rut?"

Indeed, thanks as always, G.[/quote:3ujcba22]


I like it but let's see what Val has been working on.(you do know that he is the official nick name giver here)

[Valadius]

Should he wind up sucking, I'll call him Achilles.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Thanks for the shout-out about Mickey Weston! He's well-deserving!