Cleanup

[Theoldmole]

How common is it for a rookie brought up in midseason to be installed as the regular cleanup hitter? Anyone think of any other examples? Have the Mets ever done it before? I wondered about Mike Vail in 75, but UMDB tells me he batted third.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Steve Henderson?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Darryl debuted at number three. But didn't hit fourth until year two.

[Theoldmole]

Henderson batted some cleanup, but not consistently.

[Theoldmole]

Ralph Kiner led the league in home runs from his rookie year on, so there's a good chance he batted a lot of cleanup, but I can't find box scores from the 1940s, and I don't think he'd fit the midseason callup requirement.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I got 14 games at cleanup for Milner his rookie year, 20 for Swoboda.

OE: 15 for Shinjo.

[G-Fafif]

Ike Davis is a one of a kind Met, a one of a kind player, a one of a kind human being. They made an Ike Davis mold only to break it when he emerged a fully formed cleanup hitter.

[Centerfield]

Edgy DC wrote: I got 14 games at cleanup for Milner his rookie year, 20 for Swoboda. OE: 15 for Shinjo.

No way. Shinjo was our cleanup hitter?

[Zvon]

I got 14 games at cleanup for Milner his rookie year, 20 for Swoboda. OE: 15 for Shinjo. No way. Shinjo was our cleanup hitter?

[Theoldmole]

Shinjo was cool.

[Chad ochoseis]

Wayne Hagin said something tonight about this being Ike's 30th cleanup appearance, breaking the all-time record held by Steve Henderson. He didn't specify what exact all-time record was broken, but I guess it's cleanup appearances by a Met rookie.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Centerfield wrote: I got 14 games at cleanup for Milner his rookie year, 20 for Swoboda. OE: 15 for Shinjo. No way. Shinjo was our cleanup hitter?

Don't forget that 2001 team-wide offensive slump (led METSSC to coin the term NOFFENSE).

It actually worked for a few games there. And then it didn't. At all.