Ed Bouchee 1933-2013

[G-Fafif]

Perpetually disgruntled 1962 Mets first baseman Ed Bouchee, the pride of Spokane, Wash., passed away Wednesday at 79 years old.

From We Played The Game, the 1994 oral history that recorded the thoughts of various major league ballplayers who played in "baseball's greatest era," 1947-1964:

Casey Stengel shouldn't have been managing that team. He was worthless. Worthless!

How could he play Gil Hodges, a one-legged first baseman you had to shoot up with Novocaine, just because he had a name in the New York area and would draw people? How can you play a cripple? I was the guy that shouldve been playing first base.

I resented the portrayal of the 1962 Mets as a comedy act. But it was a circus.

I don't really think there were good things about being on that Mets team. I'm not even sure the Mets fans were as great as they were cracked up to be. I just remember they liked to boo.

[Edgy MD]

Nice.

Rest in peace, Ed. I hope the afterlife is more comforting than retirement seems to have been.

Eddie helped Ben Grimm squeak by me on the road to a championship: http://archives.cranepoolforum.net/1900/f18_t1911.shtml

[Frayed Knot]

I don't really think there were good things about being on that Mets team. I'm not even sure the Mets fans were as great as they were cracked up to be. I just remember they liked to boo.

I believe both Cliff Floyd and Mike Cameron were know to utter that same comment from time to time.

[G-Fafif]

Ed becomes the eighth of 14 Mets who played in the very first game in franchise history to hit the showers, as it were. If they had a tontine over who gets the bottle of brandy, the surviving Mets from April 11, 1962, angling to fill the role of Colonel Potter are Felix Mantilla, Roger Craig, Hobie Landrith, Jim Marshall, Frank Thomas and Don Zimmer.

[G-Fafif]

Edgy MD wrote: Nice. Rest in peace, Ed. I hope the afterlife is more comforting than retirement seems to have been. Eddie helped Ben Grimm squeak by me on the road to a championship. http://archives.cranepoolforum.net/1900/f18_t1911.shtml

Uh, ain't that Eddie Bressoud?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

In the same league as Ryne Sandburg and Mark Rypien as an athlete but only one of them was arrested for indently exposing themselves.

Member of the All-Creepy Mets Team for sure.

[Edgy MD]

G-Fafif wrote: Nice. Rest in peace, Ed. I hope the afterlife is more comforting than retirement seems to have been. Eddie helped Ben Grimm squeak by me on the road to a championship. http://archives.cranepoolforum.net/1900/f18_t1911.shtml Uh, ain't that Eddie Bressoud?

Eddie B. vs. Eddie B. Clearly, I didn't know much.

[G-Fafif]

Made 1962 Topps history, per MGIM.

Bouchee certainly was not the best of the 1962 Mets, appearing in only 60 games and batting just .161. But his card is historic, marking the first time the Mets full uniform appeared in a Topps set. Since the team was new , Topps relied heavily on its �big head, no hat� shots for Mets that year. Only two players, who appeared in a later series, are shown wearing the beautiful Mets uniform. Don Zimmer, who lasted just 14 games, is wearing his Mets cap. But Bouchee has the only card showing a whole uniform.

[G-Fafif]

Ed Bressoud lives.

[Edgy MD]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: In the same league as Ryne Sandburg and Mark Rypien as an athlete but only one of them was arrested for indently exposing themselves.

Oh, that Eddie B.

If I recall correctly, he ended up getting institutionalized for his actions. Different time. Can't say for sure whether it wasn't the right way to go.

[Edgy MD]

So this guy rips both Casey and Hodges, both indispensable parts of the baseball of that era, and decries his lack of opportunity decades later, despite hitting .161 in the 50 games he did get into. (And, yeah, Hodges out OPS-ed him by 214 points in about the same amount of games.) He disrespects the fans, and hated the team's portrayal while acknowledging it's accuracy. And that's leaving out the predatory pervert part of his backstory.

I mean, I guess his dog thought he was OK, but... tell me something good about this guy!

[batmagadanleadoff]

Made 1962 Topps history, per MGIM. Bouchee certainly was not the best of the 1962 Mets, appearing in only 60 games and batting just .161. But his card is historic, marking the first time the Mets full uniform appeared in a Topps set. Since the team was new , Topps relied heavily on its �big head, no hat� shots for Mets that year. Only two players, who appeared in a later series, are shown wearing the beautiful Mets uniform. Don Zimmer, who lasted just 14 games, is wearing his Mets cap. But Bouchee has the only card showing a whole uniform.

The only four Topps cards from the Mets inaugural season to display the Mets uniform, in whole or in part (or two cards, depending on your definition of "Mets card"):


As noted above. A rare shot of Bouchee, not because he's clad in '62 era Mets garb, but because he's clad in any garb at all. Baseball bat as phallic symbol? I wouldn't have asked if it was any other '62 Met. Still, that's some wood.


Al Jackson, the littlest original Met, and the cheapest to outfit on a per square inch of material basis.


Don Zimmer, who, according to Don Zimmer, was the first Met ever to wear and be photographed in a Met uni. Plausible story. Probably true.


Bobby Gene Smith. Barely mentioned in Ryczek's book. And Koppett's The New York Mets has no index. I think that The Monkees wrote a song about him. First Met to hit a triple.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

G-Fafif wrote: Made 1962 Topps history, per MGIM. Bouchee certainly was not the best of the 1962 Mets, appearing in only 60 games and batting just .161. But his card is historic, marking the first time the Mets full uniform appeared in a Topps set. Since the team was new , Topps relied heavily on its �big head, no hat� shots for Mets that year. Only two players, who appeared in a later series, are shown wearing the beautiful Mets uniform. Don Zimmer, who lasted just 14 games, is wearing his Mets cap. But Bouchee has the only card showing a whole uniform.

That alone should have made him happier!