Mets 3B Debuts Since 7/21/2004

[G-Fafif]

Milestone Alert! Zach Lutz became the Mets' 150th third baseman ever last night, though only the 21st to debut at the not so hot corner since David Wright became No. 129 almost nine years ago. An entire generation of Mets fans has come along with little idea every third base debut would earn a note in the game story in which it occurred. And who of a certain age cohort could forget the ode to the (then) 79 Mets who played third base in 1986's 25th anniversary celebration video cassette, An Amazin' Era?

Smith and Jones and a Stearns named Dude
Samuel, Valentine, Reynolds, Bressoud

If experience counts, the Mets have four backups for David on the roster at present (in bold). Let's hope we almost never see any of them at his position.

150. Zach Lutz 06/27/2013
149. Vinny Rottino 05/28/2012
148. Ronny Cede�o 04/10/2012
147. Josh Satin 09/28/2011
146. Nick Evans 07/17/2011
145. Daniel Murphy 05/31/2011
144. Willie Harris 05/12/2011
143. Luis Hernandez 08/31/2010
142. Mike Hessman 07/29/2010
141. Justin Turner 07/19/2010

140. Wilson Valdez 08/25/2009
139. Andy Green 08/19/2009
138. Fernando Tatis 06/17/2008
137. David Newhan 09/29/2007
136. Ruben Gotay 09/07/2007
135. Damion Easley 04/19/2007
134. Julio Franco 09/10/2006
133. Eli Marrero 07/02/2006
132. Jose Valentin 05/26/2006
131. Miguel Cairo 04/21/2005

130. Chris Woodward 04/13/2005
129. David Wright 07/21/2004

[Benjamin Grimm]

G-Fafif wrote: An entire generation of Mets fans has come along with little idea every third base debut would earn a note in the game story in which it occurred.

I do remember that! I wonder, when did it stop? Has it been since David Wright took over?

[G-Fafif]

Probably faded in the wake of David's emergence, along with the passing from the press box of writers who had kept it going (not sure if it was something the PR staff ever included in their game notes, but a generation of Jay's interns probably have no idea of its historical resonance). I can remember it still coming up in the happy days of Fonzie and the high-flying years of Robin every time a stray Lamb would wander to third.

We're now talking fewer than three 3B per year over the lifetime of the franchise, which doesn't sound all that preposterous. It was the failure to maintain a regular third baseman for any sustained period of time that made it as bad as it sounded for so long. Once Hubie took over the position, I thought the callbacks to third base as a "perennial trouble spot" were overblown, but a legend is a legend. It's a way more fun legend when it's been rendered inactive.

[Frayed Knot]

Can we* get a count of number of Starts at 3B by those on the above list since Sugar's debut?




* and when I see "we" I mean done by someone other than me

[G-Fafif]

115 games started by Not Wright since 7/21/2004, the bulk of those by Murphy and Turner when his back was crushed by Carlos Lee in 2011 and by Tatis after he got Cained in the head in 2009.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Number of games started at third base for the Mets since July 21, 2004:

David Wright 1335
Justin Turner 37
Daniel Murphy 25
Fernando Tatis 24
Chris Woodward 8
Mike Hessman 5
Willie Harris 5
Julio Franco 4
Ronny Cede�o 2
Ty Wigginton 1
Damion Easley 1
Jos� Valentin 1
Ruben Gotay 1

[G-Fafif]

Plus 1 for Zach Lutz.

[Frayed Knot]

Just three guys in double figures - that's the part I was curious about.

[Benjamin Grimm]

G-Fafif wrote: Plus 1 for Zach Lutz.

Right. I haven't pasted last night's box score into the UMDB yet.

[Ceetar]

G-Fafif wrote: It's a way more fun legend when it's been rendered inactive.

185 games without a no-hitter.

[Benjamin Grimm]

That may end tonight.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Wayne 'Red' Garrett and Pumpsie Green.

Great memories.

[MFS62]

And the infielder we got for Nolan Ryan.
Bad memories.

Later

[HahnSolo]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Number of games started at third base for the Mets since July 21, 2004: David Wright 1335 Justin Turner 37 Daniel Murphy 25 Fernando Tatis 24 Chris Woodward 8 Mike Hessman 5 Willie Harris 5 Julio Franco 4 Ronny Cede�o 2 Ty Wigginton 1 Damion Easley 1 Jos� Valentin 1 Ruben Gotay 1

Little Solo's first ever game at Shea was one of the Julio-Franco-at-third games, 2007 against the Dbacks.

[Edgy MD]

Perhaps there was a certain charm to the beat writers hanging onto the legend. It was silly by the time a cameo by Gary Carter became "He's the XXXth person to man the hot corner since the franchise's inception," as if he's somehow there in pursuit of an actual solution due to the utter failure of Howard Johnson, Ray Knight, and Kevin Mitchell. The position was actually stacked at the time (with Gregg Jefferies and Dave Magadan in the pipeline) but they had column inches to fill, and I had a basic need to consume them.

But when it persisted into the nineities, as right field became THE position the team couldn't fill, but wasn't reported as such, the story became problematic.

On May 16, Rick Ankiel became the 211th rightfielder chewed through by the Mets.

Interestingly, on June 20th, I officially forgot Rick Ankiel was ever a Met.

[seawolf17]

Edgy MD wrote: Interestingly, on June 20th, I officially forgot Rick Ankiel was ever a Met.

No no no. It seemed like he was a Met because he walked all those guys in the NLCS, but he never actually played for us.

[Edgy MD]

Positions Ranked by the Number of Players Appearing There for the Mets in Their History
With Career Leaders, Active Leaders, and Most Recent Debuts)

1. Left Field: 242
   
   • Jones #1: 800
     
   • Duda #23: 110
     
   • Brown Most Recent Debutante: 6/20/2013

[*]Right Field: 211

• Strawberry #1: 1,062
  
• Duda #22: 123
  
• Ankiel Most Recent Debutante: 5/16/2013

[*]Center Field: 168

• Wilson #1: 907
  
• Nieuwenuis #62: 60
  
• Young Most Recent Debutante: 6/19/2013

[*]Third Base: 150

• Wright #1: 1,326
  
• Wright #1: 1,326
  
• Lutz Most Recent Debutante: 6/27/2013

[*]First Base: 146

• Kranepool #1: 1,302 games
  
• Davis #6: 382 games
  
• Rottino Most Recent Debutante: 5/21/2012

[*]Second Base: 136

• Backman #1: 681
  
• Murphy #12: 221
  
• Young Most Recent Debutante: 6/25/2013

[*]Shortstop: 118

• Harrelson #1: 1,280
  
• Tejada #11: 229
  
• Quintanilla Most Recent Debutante: 5/29/2012

[*]Catcher: 86

• Grote #1: 1,176
  
• Buck #35: 61
  
• Recker Most Recent Debutante: 4/7/2013

[*]Designated Hitter: 47

• Piazza #1: 34
  
• Duda #5: 8
  
• Brown Most Recent Debutante: 6/25/2013

Lucas Duda is the team's active leader at three positions. He's versatile!

[duan]

Have we not had a 1b debutante this season?

[Edgy MD]

First base in 2013 has been covered by Ike Davis (52 games), Daniel Murphy (7 ), Justin Turner (7 also), Lucas Duda (5), and Josh Satin (another 5). All appeared in previous seasons, and by my reckoning, all debuted before Rottino. Lutz did, too.

[G-Fafif]

151. Wilmer Flores 08/06/2013

150. Zach Lutz 06/27/2013
149. Vinny Rottino 05/28/2012
148. Ronny Cede�o 04/10/2012
147. Josh Satin 09/28/2011
146. Nick Evans 07/17/2011
145. Daniel Murphy 05/31/2011
144. Willie Harris 05/12/2011
143. Luis Hernandez 08/31/2010
142. Mike Hessman 07/29/2010
141. Justin Turner 07/19/2010

140. Wilson Valdez 08/25/2009
139. Andy Green 08/19/2009
138. Fernando Tatis 06/17/2008
137. David Newhan 09/29/2007
136. Ruben Gotay 09/07/2007
135. Damion Easley 04/19/2007
134. Julio Franco 09/10/2006
133. Eli Marrero 07/02/2006
132. Jose Valentin 05/26/2006
131. Miguel Cairo 04/21/2005

130. Chris Woodward 04/13/2005
129. David Wright 07/21/2004

[duan]

Edgy MD wrote: First base in 2013 has been covered by Ike Davis (52 games), Daniel Murphy (7 ), Justin Turner (7 also), Lucas Duda (5), and Josh Satin (another 5). All appeared in previous seasons, and by my reckoning, all debuted before Rottino. Lutz did, too.

I think I thought Downtown Andrew Brown got an inning or 9.

[Edgy MD]

Brownie got 1 2/3 innings there on July 19, a few weeks after I made that post.

[G-Fafif]

The wheels of Met versatility are unstinting in their progress.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

I would never have guessed that Wally Backman is the all-time leader at second -- especially since he was platooned a lot.

[Edgy MD]

A mere six games more than Felix Millan, but active leader Daniel Murphy is only 37% of the way to catching Wally. He could play the rest of the season there and he won't even catch Tim Teufel in tenth place.

[Edgy MD]

Worth noting is that there is a conspiracy afoot with Ruben Tejada. He is one game short of tying Ron Gardenhire in tenth place among apperances at short for the Mets.

Clearly, Gardie relishes his top-ten status and has his buddy Backman giving the Mets bad reports on Tejada to keep him buried in Vegas.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ooooh! Such intrigue!

Maybe Ron Gardenhire would be interested in being the Mets starting shortstop in 2014.

Let's all say it together now: "He can't be any worse than what we already have."

[stevejrogers]

G-Fafif wrote: Probably faded in the wake of David's emergence, along with the passing from the press box of writers who had kept it going (not sure if it was something the PR staff ever included in their game notes, but a generation of Jay's interns probably have no idea of its historical resonance). I can remember it still coming up in the happy days of Fonzie and the high-flying years of Robin every time a stray Lamb would wander to third. We're now talking fewer than three 3B per year over the lifetime of the franchise, which doesn't sound all that preposterous. It was the failure to maintain a regular third baseman for any sustained period of time that made it as bad as it sounded for so long. Once Hubie took over the position, I thought the callbacks to third base as a "perennial trouble spot" were overblown, but a legend is a legend. It's a way more fun legend when it's been rendered inactive.

Going through the Met Media Guides, the "All-Time Met Third Basemen" filler was still going strong by 2002. In 2003 the "trivia nugget" was "The Last 25 Third Basemen" counting from 100 (Alfonzo) onward.

Oddly BOTH show up in the 2004 guide, through 2006 and in 2007 just the All-Time third base roster is listed. And it's been in every guide since, including the 2013 one.

So while it probably hasn't been a big deal by the media, or the Mets PR notes for games, it still gets its own notation in the Media Guide.

[G-Fafif]

152. Omar Quintanilla 09/15/2013
151. Wilmer Flores 08/06/2013

150. Zach Lutz 06/27/2013
149. Vinny Rottino 05/28/2012
148. Ronny Cede�o 04/10/2012
147. Josh Satin 09/28/2011
146. Nick Evans 07/17/2011
145. Daniel Murphy 05/31/2011
144. Willie Harris 05/12/2011
143. Luis Hernandez 08/31/2010
142. Mike Hessman 07/29/2010
141. Justin Turner 07/19/2010

140. Wilson Valdez 08/25/2009
139. Andy Green 08/19/2009
138. Fernando Tatis 06/17/2008
137. David Newhan 09/29/2007
136. Ruben Gotay 09/07/2007
135. Damion Easley 04/19/2007
134. Julio Franco 09/10/2006
133. Eli Marrero 07/02/2006
132. Jose Valentin 05/26/2006
131. Miguel Cairo 04/21/2005

130. Chris Woodward 04/13/2005
129. David Wright 07/21/2004

[dgwphotography]

I never would have guessed that there have been 23 new players at third since Wright's debut..