Pinch Homers

[Edgy MD]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: [fimg=377]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR0IrtDOsjzSZRL2MFLyrca-NlywgmJaP70OcXOKkWT_ebN8t-J[/fimg]

Mike Jorgensen has pinch homered for the Mets three times, but never more than once in a season --- no mean feat but not enough to make either of our main lists.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote:

Scott Hairston, we already have.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote:

Lenny Harris has pinch-hit many times for the Mets and homered a few times. But I'm afraid, despite three seasons as a Met reserve, none of those homers came as a pinch-hitter. As a weapon, he was oversold.

[Guest Trachsel My Tears]

Zvon wrote: First pinch hr i'm guessing Marv Throneberry. Ha! Love the name

You've got a good one, too, assuming you refer to the late great Warren. We're so musical here!!

Wait--a cross-out means Throneberry is wrong? Can I keep guessing?

[Guest Trachsel My Tears]

Some first baseman. Ed Bouchee?

[Guest Trachsel My Tears]

Researching that question, I found out some things I hadn't known about Mr. Bouchee, though I'm not completely positively that he did hit the first Mets pinch-hit hr (just the first one I could find in April of '62). He died early this year, and through searching his obits, I found this detailed explanation of his mysterious "trouble with the law" that marred his promising career with the Phils http://suite101.com/a/morals-conviction-stalled-but-didnt-end-ed-bouchees-mlb-career-a359043

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Tony Clark had a good year in '03?

[Guest Trachsel My Tears]

Do I remember correctly that Big Tony just got an important job in MLB? Or did I dream that?

I've had stranger dreams--last night, I dreamt that instead of dying, Al Goldstein had bought MSNBC and instituted an all-nude "Morning Joe."

[Guest d'Kong76]

Yes, a big-shot with the Players Association. Don't remember
if the biggest-shot ... but a big-shot.

[Guest Trachsel My Tears]

Yes--Executive Directer of the players' Association. Glad I didn't just dream that. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/tony-clark-appointed-executive-director-of-major-league-baseball-players-association?ymd=20131203&content_id=64359956 and he did hit very well in his brief stay with the Mets.

[Frayed Knot]

Mike Jacobs ... as in a guess for the PH question, not as a recommendation for a MLPA job.

[batmagadanleadoff]

[Zvon]

Researching that question, I found out some things I hadn't known about Mr. Bouchee, though I'm not completely positively that he did hit the first Mets pinch-hit hr (just the first one I could find in April of '62). He died early this year, and through searching his obits, I found this detailed explanation of his mysterious "trouble with the law" that marred his promising career with the Phils http://suite101.com/a/morals-conviction-stalled-but-didnt-end-ed-bouchees-mlb-career-a359043

Wow. That's some crazy stuff.

Yea, Warren Zevon.
I've been Zvon on the web since 1999.

[Edgy MD]

Trachsel My Tears wrote: Some first baseman. Ed Bouchee?

On April 18, 1962, the Mets were down 8-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Desperate to get back into the matchup, Casey Stengel watched the unlikeliest of rallies unfold in front of his eyes. Jim Marshall opening with a base hit wasn't so crazy, but then Bobby Gene Smith, hitting .077, followed with a walk and .125-hitting Don Zimmer, matched that with a walk of his own.

One imagines that Johnny Keane took a walk out to the mound to coax Larry Jackson into throwing strikes, and it would seem to have worked when number-eight hitter Hobie Landrith flew to center. A run scored, but, you know, just get outs.

Casey looked up his bench, he looked down his bench. He looked up one more time. As deep as their hole was, Ol' Kase hadn't yet gone to his bench, having left Sherman "Roadblock" Jones in to take his medicine thus far. Kase called the name "Bouchee" (or more likely "Doc" or "Melvin" or something), and with runners at the corners, Bouchee launched the first pinch-hit homer in Mets history, plating two runs and cutting the lead of the might Cardinals in half, to 8-4.

What a glorious moment --- ultimately a prelude to an eventual 15-5 loss. I'd ask Ed how it felt but he died in January.

Top Ten All-Time Met Pinch-Hit Homer Hitters
1) Mark Carreon, 8
T2) Rusty Staub, 6
T2) Ed Kranepool, 6
T2) Jordany Valdespin, 6
T2) Scott Hairston, 6
T6) Matt Franco, 5
T6)
T6)
T6)
T10) Danny Heep, 4
T10)
T10)

[crossout]Danny DeVito[/crossout], [crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout], [crossout]John Milner[/crossout], [crossout]Lenny Harris[/crossout], [crossout]Mike Jorgensen[/crossout]

Top Ten All-Time Seasons for Individual Met Pinch Homer Hitters
1) Jordany Valdespin, 5 (2012)
T2) Mark Carreon, 4 (1989)
T2) Danny Heep, 4 (1983)
T4) Mark Carreon, 3 (1991)
T4) Rusty Staub, 3 (1983)
T4) Ed Kranepool, 3 (1978)
T4) Matt Franco, 3 (1997)
T4) Scott Hairston, 3 (2011)
T4) Scott Hairston, 3 (2012)
T4) Chris Jones, 3 (1995)
T4)
T4)
T4)
T4)

[crossout]Danny DeVito[/crossout], [crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout], [crossout]John Milner[/crossout], [crossout]Lenny Harris[/crossout], [crossout]Mike Jorgensen[/crossout]

What was the pinch-hit-homeriest year for the Mets?

What was the Mets worst season for pinch-hit homers?

How many pinch-hit homers have the Mets knocked in their history?

How many Mets have done the deed?

Who did it first?

Ed, Bouchee, [crossout]5[/crossout]4/18/1962

[crossout]Marv Throneberry[/crossout]

Who did it most recently?

[crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout]

Has it ever been pulled off in the post-season by the Mets? If so, by whom and when?

What color are my socks?

[crossout]red and green[/crossout]

[Edgy MD]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Tony Clark had a good year in '03?

Tony Clark hit 13 homers in 2003, but only two as a pinch-hittin' guy.

Frayed Knot wrote: Mike Jacobs ... as in a guess for the PH question, not as a recommendation for a MLPA job.

Mike Jacobs got only one pinch-hit homer in his first tour of duty with the Mets. Don't feel so bad, as it came in only two pinch-hitting appearances. He didn't appear as a pinch-hitter at all during his second tour of duty, and, well, enough said about that particular adventure.

batmagadanleadoff wrote:

While Jerk Ganeshsun struggled off the bench for the Mets, Steve Hindusun was quite the success, clubbing three of his 10 1978 homers in that role, and five such homers over the course of his Met career. Who knew? The man he replaced and who replaced him, Dave Kingman, was never such a bench threat. In only 17 plate appearances as a pinchie for the Mets, he went .412 / .412 / 1.235 // 1.647. Those three pinch homers in 1978? They were in four trips to the plate!!

Top Ten All-Time Met Pinch-Hit Homer Hitters
1) Mark Carreon, 8
T2) Rusty Staub, 6
T2) Ed Kranepool, 6
T2) Jordany Valdespin, 6
T2) Scott Hairston, 6
T6) Matt Franco, 5
T6) Steve Henderson, 5
T6)
T6)
T10) Danny Heep, 4
T10)
T10)

[crossout]Danny DeVito[/crossout], [crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout], [crossout]John Milner[/crossout], [crossout]Lenny Harris[/crossout], [crossout]Mike Jorgensen[/crossout], [crossout]Tony Clark[/crossout], [crossout]Mike "Jakemonster" Jacobs[/crossout]

Top Ten All-Time Seasons for Individual Met Pinch Homer Hitters
1) Jordany Valdespin, 5 (2012)
T2) Mark Carreon, 4 (1989)
T2) Danny Heep, 4 (1983)
T4) Mark Carreon, 3 (1991)
T4) Rusty Staub, 3 (1983)
T4) Ed Kranepool, 3 (1978)
T4) Matt Franco, 3 (1997)
T4) Scott Hairston, 3 (2011)
T4) Scott Hairston, 3 (2012)
T4) Chris Jones, 3 (1995)
T4) Steve Henderson, 3 (1978)
T4)
T4)
T4)

[crossout]Danny DeVito[/crossout], [crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout], [crossout]John Milner[/crossout], [crossout]Lenny Harris[/crossout], [crossout]Mike Jorgensen[/crossout], [crossout]Tony Clark[/crossout], [crossout]Mike "Jakemonster" Jacobs[/crossout]

What was the pinch-hit-homeriest year for the Mets?

What was the Mets worst season for pinch-hit homers?

How many pinch-hit homers have the Mets knocked in their history?

How many Mets have done the deed?

Who did it first?

Ed, Bouchee, 5/18/1962

[crossout]Marv Throneberry[/crossout]

Who did it most recently?

[crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout]

Has it ever been pulled off in the post-season by the Mets? If so, by whom and when?

What color are my socks?

[crossout]red and green[/crossout]

[Guest Trachsel My Tears]

Edgy MD wrote: Who did it first? Ed, Bouchee, 5/18/1962

I think that should be April 18, not May 18. Bouchee's HRs as a Met all came in April.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, well, I got it right in the writeup.

[Lefty Specialist]

Trachsel My Tears wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Who did it first? Ed, Bouchee, 5/18/1962 I think that should be April 18, not May 18. Bouchee's HRs as a Met all came in April.

Wow, cool, new guy.

Here's the bright pink Hello Kitty backpack full of candy and chewing tobacco. Take it out to the bullpen.

And the pinch-homeriest season for the Mets was 1983, with 12, for no particular reason other than they were excited to have Keith around, I guess.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

What was the pinch-hit-homeriest year for the Mets?
1983

What was the Mets worst season for pinch-hit homers?
1965

Damion Easley 2007

[Edgy MD]

And the pinch-homeriest season for the Mets was 1983, with 12, for no particular reason other than they were excited to have Keith around, I guess.

Well, Keith is relevant in that his presence meant a lot fewer (like, none) starts for the four lefthanded hitting firstbaseman already on the roster. 1983 is correct. In addition to the already-noted four pinchie homers by Heep and three by Rustic, Mark Bradley had two and the team got one each from Mike Jorgensen, George Foster, and Dave Kingman (another guy who got more pinch-hit opportunities thanks to Keith.

What was the Mets worst season for pinch-hit homers? 1965.

Five times in 1965, Casey Stengel and/or Wes Westrum told a player to get up and grab a bat, and was rewarded with the four bags of glory. Ron Swoboda did it twice, Jim Hickman, Charley Smith, and Johnny Lewis pulled it off once each. A pretty solid year from the pinch-hit-slugging point of view, and therefore not our poorest season.

Damion Easley 2007

I admire you going for both the player and the year. Damion knocked but one out in 2007. It was a nice one though. On April 24, 2007, game two of a double header, Aaron Cook and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez locked up in a shutout battle. Each went seven before yielding to the bullpen, even though it was game two and the pens were gassed, because 100 pitches.

Aaron Heilman looks at Cook and says "You're not the only Aaron throwing bullets tonight," and gives the Mets a clean eighth before yielding to Billy Wagner. This wasn't good, and Wagner throws a shutout ninth and strikes out the first tow of the tenth before yielding a run on a double to Willy F. Taveras and Triple to Troy Tulowitzki. (Memo to Billy W.: The pitcher was on deck --- WALK TULO!)

Shawn Green and Jose Valentin made two quick outs in the Mets' 10th, because that is what they did in 2007, before Willie called on Damion. After 29 fruitless outs, one pitch from defeat, Damion drove the next offering from Brandon Fuentes deep over the left-centerfield wall.

Easley exited the game in the eleventh, replaced by Scott Schoeneweis, but he joined the celebration in the 12th when Endy Chavez brought Green home with a walkoff bunt single.

Top Ten All-Time Met Pinch-Hit Homer Hitters
1) Mark Carreon, 8
T2) Rusty Staub, 6
T2) Ed Kranepool, 6
T2) Jordany Valdespin, 6
T2) Scott Hairston, 6
T6) Matt Franco, 5
T6) Steve Henderson, 5
T6)
T6)
T10) Danny Heep, 4
T10)
T10)

[crossout]Danny DeVito[/crossout], [crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout], [crossout]John Milner[/crossout], [crossout]Lenny Harris[/crossout], [crossout]Mike Jorgensen[/crossout], [crossout]Tony Clark[/crossout], [crossout]Mike "Jakemonster" Jacobs[/crossout]

Top Ten All-Time Seasons for Individual Met Pinch Homer Hitters
1) Jordany Valdespin, 5 (2012)
T2) Mark Carreon, 4 (1989)
T2) Danny Heep, 4 (1983)
T4) Mark Carreon, 3 (1991)
T4) Rusty Staub, 3 (1983)
T4) Ed Kranepool, 3 (1978)
T4) Matt Franco, 3 (1997)
T4) Scott Hairston, 3 (2011)
T4) Scott Hairston, 3 (2012)
T4) Chris Jones, 3 (1995)
T4) Steve Henderson, 3 (1978)
T4)
T4)
T4)

[crossout]Danny DeVito[/crossout], [crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout], [crossout]John Milner[/crossout], [crossout]Lenny Harris[/crossout], [crossout]Mike Jorgensen[/crossout], [crossout]Tony Clark[/crossout], [crossout]Mike "Jakemonster" Jacobs[/crossout]

What was the pinch-hit-homeriest year for the Mets?

1983

What was the Mets worst season for pinch-hit homers?

[crossout]1965[/crossout]

How many pinch-hit homers have the Mets knocked in their history?

How many Mets have done the deed?

Who did it first?

Ed, Bouchee, [crossout]5[/crossout]4/18/1962

[crossout]Marv Throneberry[/crossout]

Who did it most recently?

[crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout]

Has it ever been pulled off in the post-season by the Mets? If so, by whom and when?

What color are my socks?

[crossout]red and green[/crossout]

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jim Beauchamp

Your socks are black

Fewest pinch homers = 1967

[Frayed Knot]

Desi Relaford

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Oh, Marlon Anderson before he sucked.

[Edgy MD]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Jim Beauchamp

Jim Beauchamp's next pinch-hit homer for the Mets will be his first. And since he's dead at the present time, it will prove quite the challenge. He did pinch-hit a homer for Houston in 1970 in the second game of the season. It was a his last homer as an Astro.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Your socks are black

As this quiz is now into it's third day, I have changed my socks a few times. But no, they were not black at the time of the original post; nor are they black now.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Fewest pinch homers = 1967

You are cleverly aiming at a period of depressed offense, and 1967 is a good guess --- one of five seasons in which the Mets clobbered only one signle pinch-hit homer. In this case, the season's pinch-hit glory belonged to Jerry Buchek. On July 9, again in game two of a doubleheader, Jerry pinch-hit with two-outs in the ninth for power-poor leadoff hitter Bud Harrelson and socked a game-tying solo homer off of Braves reliever Dick Kelley. Kelly got all riled and three walks and a single later, the Mets walked off victorious.

But in one season, the Mets got no such acts of heroism at all.

Desi Relaford

Desi proved quite an able backup, but never gave us a pinch homer. Unlike Beauchamp, though, there's still time.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Oh, Marlon Anderson before he sucked.

Marlon pulled it off three times, including a fantastic inside-the-parker, but they occurred in three different seasons, so he makes neither of our lists, where the cutoff is four on the career, or three on an individual season. Still, though... Marlon.

[Ceetar]

I feel like there is a regular guy on this list, but I'm not coming up with any answers I like.

Mike Piazza?

[Edgy MD]

Long-time regulars is the way to go at this point. Piazza hit three --- one every other year from 1998 to 2002. No cigar, but good thinking.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Poorest year? I'll say 1980.

Your socks were blue, in the spirit of winter fun.

[G-Fafif]

Joel Youngblood?

[Edgy MD]

Drawing a blank.

Poorest year? I'll say 1980.

Well, I already tol' ya Steve Henderson went deep in 1980. If I didn't, I'm telling you now. Steve Henderson went deep in 1980, one of four times a Met did so that year while pinch-hitting. We're looking for a shutout season.

Your socks were blue, in the spirit of winter fun.

My socks, as of the original posting, had blue toes and heels. Some credit to you.

Joel Youngblood?

Also still searching for his first Mets pinch-hit homer.

Top Ten All-Time Met Pinch-Hit Homer Hitters
1) Mark Carreon, 8
T2) Rusty Staub, 6
T2) Ed Kranepool, 6
T2) Jordany Valdespin, 6
T2) Scott Hairston, 6
T6) Matt Franco, 5
T6) Steve Henderson, 5
T6)
T6)
T10) Danny Heep, 4
T10)
T10)

[crossout]Danny DeVito[/crossout], [crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout], [crossout]John Milner[/crossout], [crossout]Lenny Harris[/crossout], [crossout]Mike Jorgensen[/crossout], [crossout]Tony Clark[/crossout], [crossout]Mike "Jakemonster" Jacobs[/crossout], [crossout]Jim Beauchamp[/crossout], [crossout]Desi Relaford[/crossout]

Top Ten All-Time Seasons for Individual Met Pinch Homer Hitters
1) Jordany Valdespin, 5 (2012)
T2) Mark Carreon, 4 (1989)
T2) Danny Heep, 4 (1983)
T4) Mark Carreon, 3 (1991)
T4) Rusty Staub, 3 (1983)
T4) Ed Kranepool, 3 (1978)
T4) Matt Franco, 3 (1997)
T4) Scott Hairston, 3 (2011)
T4) Scott Hairston, 3 (2012)
T4) Chris Jones, 3 (1995)
T4) Steve Henderson, 3 (1978)
T4)
T4)
T4)

[crossout]Danny DeVito[/crossout], [crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout], [crossout]John Milner[/crossout], [crossout]Lenny Harris[/crossout], [crossout]Mike Jorgensen[/crossout], [crossout]Tony Clark[/crossout], [crossout]Mike "Jakemonster" Jacobs[/crossout], [crossout]Jim Beauchamp[/crossout], [crossout]Desi Relaford[/crossout], [crossout]Damion Easley[/crossout]

What was the pinch-hit-homeriest year for the Mets?

1983

What was the Mets worst season for pinch-hit homers?

[crossout]1965[/crossout], [crossout]1967[/crossout], [crossout]1980[/crossout]

How many pinch-hit homers have the Mets knocked in their history?

How many Mets have done the deed?

Who did it first?

Ed, Bouchee, [crossout]5[/crossout]4/18/1962

[crossout]Marv Throneberry[/crossout]

Who did it most recently?

[crossout]Andrew Brown[/crossout]

Has it ever been pulled off in the post-season by the Mets? If so, by whom and when?

What color are my socks?
Day one: Blue toes and heels. What was the base color though?
Day two:
Day three:

[crossout]red and green[/crossout], [crossout]black[/crossout]

[Ceetar]

Ramon Castro?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

hBBMAd6xyB8 3:25!!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Jeremy Burn Itch.

Forgot about Hendu. Howzabout 1979?

And the base color was beige, because base is beige. Right now, though the socks are gray.