Rivals Before Realignment, Comrades After

[G-Fafif]

These questions were inspired by the 20th Century thread and are appropriate besides in light of this year being the 20th anniversary of the death of four-division baseball.

1) Who was the last player active who at some point in his career was a Met AND a member of an N.L. East franchise until expansion wrought three divisions and suddenly that team was no longer in the N.L. East? (Put more simply, who was the last pre-1994 Cub, Cardinal or Pirate and at some point Met to keep playing major league baseball?)

2) Who was the last player active who at some point in his career was a Met AND PLAYED AGAINST THE METS as a member of one of the franchises that was realigned out of the N.L. East once expansion wrought three divisions? (Again, looking for a pre-1994 STL, CHI or PIT and eventual NYM.)

The answer to the first question is a guy who never played a game against the Mets until after Florida and Colorado existed for a year (as teams, not states). The answer to the second question is a guy who did compete directly against the Mets in pre-N.L. Central times as an N.L. Easterner.

[Edgy MD]

Last pre-1994 Pirate? Barry Bonds.
Last pre-1994 Cub? Um, Moyer. Gotta be, right?
Last pre-1994 Cardinal? Rheal Cormier.

[Edgy MD]

Two is harder. I'll go with Watson. Dunston. Um, Bonilla.

My brain hurts.

[TransMonk]

I'm not sure I understand either question...but I'm guessing Shawon Dunston off the top of my head for either one (likely #2).

[G-Fafif]

Yeah, the question-asking was terrible. Let me try again.

I'm looking for a) the last active guy who was a) a member of the Cubs, Pirates or Cardinals when those franchises were in the N.L. East and later played for the Mets. The asterisk here is that guy didn't face the Mets when he was a pre-1994 Cub, Pirate or Cardinal, which is why there's the followup question -- looking for in part II a) the last active guy who was a member of the Cubs, Pirates or Cardinals when those franchises were in the N.L. East and later played for the Mets and c) played for one of those aforementioned clubs against the Mets.

Either way, no Bondses or Madduxes would qualify. And Dunston's a great guess, but isn't quite it.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Traxxxxxy

[G-Fafif]

Trachsel is an excellent guess...but not quite the right one. He was a pre-1994 Cub but never faced the Mets in an N.L. East capacity. And somebody who was a pre-1994 Cub or Cardinal or Pirate actually predated him in the N.L. East and outlasted him in MLB (that's the guy who also didn't face the Mets as N.L. Easterner).

[seawolf17]

So the mystery "b" guy was a Cub/Cardinal/Pirate who never faced the Mets, then was a Met, then faced the Mets as a member of another team?

[G-Fafif]

seawolf17 wrote: So the mystery "b" guy was a Cub/Cardinal/Pirate who never faced the Mets, then was a Met, then faced the Mets as a member of another team?

"A" guy: Cub/Cardinal/Pirate who predated 1994 but didn't face Mets pre-1994; later became Met; stayed active in MLB longer than anybody else who fits that description. FWIW, he played against the Mets before becoming a Met, but not after.

"B" guy: Cub/Cardinal/Pirate who predated 1994 and did face Mets pre-1994; later became Met; stayed active in MLB longer than anybody else who fits that description. FWIW, he did play against the Mets after becoming a Met as well.

[batmagadanleadoff]

If I'm right, it's only because of those baseball card threads I did last season....

Moises Alou is your guy who didn't face the Mets until expansion to Miami/Denver.

[G-Fafif]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: If I'm right, it's only because of those baseball card threads I did last season.... Moises Alou is your guy who didn't face the Mets until expansion to Miami/Denver.

Excellent guess...except he didn't outlast the pre-1994 Pirate/Cub/Cardinal we're looking for. Moises's final game was June 10, 2008. The other guy was still playing when Shea Stadium no longer existed.

[batmagadanleadoff]

[fimg=300:1eufa16o]http://static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120914120351/uncyclopedia/images/b/b5/Exploding-head.gif[/fimg:1eufa16o]

[G-Fafif]

Hints:

The guy who didn't play against the Mets pre-1994 didn't become a Met until after Moises Alou retired.

The guy who did play against the Mets pre-1994 finished his career in New York, but not as a Met.

[seawolf17]

B-Red this one and figured out the (a) guy. Only pitched in one game pre-1994, and it was against the Phillies; and I only marginally remember him being a Met at all: Miguel Batista.

[G-Fafif]

seawolf17 wrote: B-Red this one and figured out the (a) guy. Only pitched in one game pre-1994, and it was against the Phillies; and I only marginally remember him being a Met at all: Miguel Batista.

That rates a ding-ding, as in correct. Miguel Batista was a member of the 1992 National League Eastern Division champion Pittsburgh Pirates and a Met in 2011 and 2012. One of my favorite statistics, per Baseball-Reference, is Batista was the sixth-youngest player in the N.L. in 1992 and the sixth-oldest in 2011.

Still the need the last active N.L. East Cub/Pirate/Cardinal who played against the Mets and later played for the Mets.

Hint: A little off the top.

[Guest sharpie]

Rey Sanchez

[G-Fafif]

sharpie wrote: Rey Sanchez

Before enjoying a 2003 haircut at Armando Benitez's clubhouse scissors, he played against the Mets for the Cubs as far back as 1992 when the Cubbies roamed the N.L. East. He was still playing in 2005, as an MFY. Outlasted erstwhile N.L. East Cardinal Todd Zeile by a season for the distinction.

[batmagadanleadoff]

G-Fafif wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: If I'm right, it's only because of those baseball card threads I did last season.... Moises Alou ....> Excellent guess...

You're too kind. It was a bad guess for the category "didn't face the Mets before expansion". I was so psyched to remember that Moises was a Pirate for about three seconds at the start of his career, that I forgot that he then went to the Expos, and played against the Mets plenty.