Walk-off trivia

[Benjamin Grimm]

There's only one player who has hit walk-off home runs both for and against the Mets.

The one that came first was the one that led to a happy recap. It came against a pitcher who would later be a Met.

The second homer, the one against the Mets, came on the 12-year anniversary of the first homer. It was hit, naturally, against a pitcher who was currently a Met.

Anybody care to guess who this batter is?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I don't know why, but I'm getting a Jeff Kent vibe off of this.

[HahnSolo]

The 12-year thing should narrow it down, I would imagine. I thought of Straw, but Kent is a good guess.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I was thinking about what I might have guessed if I didn't already know the answer, and Jeff Kent was the first name I thought of.

But no, he's not the answer.

Kent did the walkoff thing against the Mets on May 3, 2000 but never hit one during his time as a Met.

[metirish]

Ventura?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Jim Hickman's a theoretical possibility, though not as good a guess as Kent: Hickman only hit two HR's in 1974, his last season in the majors.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Not Ventura; remember, the against-the-Mets homer came twelve years after the for-the-Mets homer.

And no, not Hickman either.

[batmagadanleadoff]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Jim Hickman's a theoretical possibility, though not as good a guess as Kent: Hickman only hit two HR's in 1974, his last season in the majors.

Wait a second! There's some life here. One of Hickman's 1974 HR's was against the Mets' George Stone. But was it a walk off? I'll check.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Whatever the answer is that's an unbelieveably great trivia Q.

I'll guess Hubie Brooks.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Hickman had two walkoffs as a Met, both in 1963.

[Benjamin Grimm]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Whatever the answer is that's an unbelieveably great trivia Q. I'll guess Hubie Brooks.

Thanks!

Not Hubie. His only Mets walk-off came in 1991, and his career was long over by 2003.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Hickman had two walkoffs as a Met, both in 1963.

His 1963 walkoff grand slam ended Roger Craig's losing streak.

[metirish]

is this person a second string catcher type?

[Benjamin Grimm]

No. He started over 400 games as a position player.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Mike Jorgensen?

[HahnSolo]

Joel Youngblood?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Not Jorgensen. Not Youngblood.

Another hint: Our hero/villain has participated in post-season play as a Met.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Wayne Garrett?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Garrett had two as a Met (one in 1970 and one in 1975) but none as an opponent.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Jerry Grote?

[Willets Point]

Lenny Dykstra.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Not Grote. Not Dykstra.

Another hint: Our guy was an infielder.

[metsmarathon]

kevin mitchell

[HahnSolo]

Jefferies?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Milner?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Not Mitchell, not Jefferies, not Milner.

Yet another hint: Not only did he play in the postseason; he was on a World Series winning team as a Met.

[TransMonk]

Elster, Kevin

[HahnSolo]

Kevin Elster?

[Benjamin Grimm]

DING!

Kevin Elster hit a walkoff homer for the Mets (off Alejandro Pena) on May 31, 1988, and did the same against the Mets on May 31, 2000 against Turk Wendell.

Thanks for playing!

[metsmarathon]

that was my second guess, but i didnt want to pepper it...