–Me, The Day Jose Reyes Grew Fins, February 2012

Putting aside the ridiculousness of me quoting myself, Ruben Tejada indeed did not let the pressure get to him. In Fact, he didn’t believe in whatever we think “pressure” is. He did his thing, and it was awesome for us as fans to be apart of the Education of Ruben Tejada.

How He Handled the Bat

He actually started off a bit slowly in 2012. After a 4 for 5 day in the 3rd game of the year brought his average to .364, he steadily declined through April, hitting his season low of .239 on April 26, still higher than Jose Reyes’ .205, who was starting off slowly in Miami and went 0-4 against the Mets that same day. Ruben was, however, keeping his OBP above .300 with a .316. The next day, when the Mets lost 9-18, he went 4 for 6 to quickly bring his average to .274. By the end of the weekend in Colorado, he used the mile-high air to bring it to .310. Unfortunately, 6 games later, Tejada took a tumble, and his numbers were stuck on .305, having gotten his OBP up to .362. He was hitting a ridiculous .340 or so with 2 strikes; working the count and getting on base, and us Mets fans were missing his exciting at bats until June 24. From there, he went on a tear, topping out for the year on July 4th at .331. From there, though he kept his average above .320 for another 8 games, Ruben’s hot streak steadied off, and he eventually fell under .300, bottoming out for the 2nd half at .284 on September 16th. He finished the year with a .289 AVG, a .333 OBP and a slightly heavier .351 SLG. You see, Ruben, with his ability to find the baseball in the strike zone and make line drive contact, hit some doubles to raise the slugging, taking that extra base 26 times in the 134 hits he collected. He even went yard in the pitcher-friendly AT&T for the 2nd home run of his career and the 1st since 2010. He’s turning in Rey Ordonez home run performances, but with actual batting skills.

How he Handled the Glove

Absolutely fantastic. Without taking a look at his numbers and just using what my eyes witnessed, he’s a young man who takes great paths to the ball from both his left and right side, and can sling it across the diamond as good as anybody. When looking at the numbers, we see a growing player at shortstop with 12 errors in 964.2 innings, good for a .974 fielding percentage. He turned 72 double plays, assisted 280 outs and put 164 out on his own. The Fielding Percentage was actually the 3rd best in the game with a minimum of 900 innings played at shortstop on the year. Jose Reyes was the 4th best with a .973 fielding percentage. Heh.

How He Handled the Facial Hair

NON-APPLICABLE.

Projected Role for 2013

He is nothing but our shortstop of the future. I look forward to Ruben Tejada getting big hit after big hit for the remainder of his Mets career, which I hope is his entire career.

Contract Status/Chance of Being Traded

Ruben will make the league minimum next year, and he is not arbitration-eligible till 2014. I’m sure he’s very attractive to other teams, and they will most assuredly ask about the young player this offseason as the Mets attempt to wheel-and-deal. I think he might be more untouchable than others, though, as the Mets already have enough holes to fill. I expect Ruben Tejada back, and I expect the soon-to-be 23-year-old to be better than ever come 2013.

 (He shares his birthday with a certain Mets anniversary, as well as with Jon Niese.)

Thanks for reading! You can read Sam Maxwell’s personal Mets Blog here.

On the mound for the Braves is Ron Reed, the 28-year-old, 6’6″ right-hander from LaPorte HS in Indiana. He will face shortstop Bud Harrelson to lead off the gamewhogrounds the 1st pitch to short. Marty Perez fields it, but bobbles to put Bud on with no out. Up walks 3rd baseman Wayne Garrett, looking to put a charge into this Mets team early. Unfortunately, he flies to center for the 1st out of the ball game. That brings up World Series Hero, center fielder Tommie Agee. He singles to center, sending Harrelson all the way to 3rd. Now it’s up to left fielder Cleon Jones. Agee takes the ground ball double play away by stealing 2nd, putting 2 runners in scoring position as well. Jones then comes through with a single to center, plating Bud for the 1st run of the ball game. Tommy goes to 3rd. Lifelong Met, 1st baseman Ed Kranepool, is next up, and he puts a charge into one, sending it to center for a sacrifice fly. Agee scores and the Mets are up 2-0. It is now time for 2nd baseman Ken Boswell to come through with 2 out. Setting a pattern for the day, Boswell doubles to right field to score Jones for the 3rd early run of the day. Right fielder Ken Singleton strikes out, though, and the Mets threat is done in the 1st.

On the mound for the Mets is Nolan Ryan, the 24-year-old, 6’2″ right-hander from Alvin HS in TX. While he gets 2nd baseman Felix Millan to ground to short, he exhibits what he has struggled with so far in his young career: his wildness. He walks left fielder Ralph Garr, and then  catcher Jerry Grote lets one get away while facing Hank Aaron. The Hammer fouls out to 3rd, but right fielder Mike Lum singles to right, and the Braves score their 1st run of the game. Though Nolan hits catcher Earl Williams and walks center fielder Sonny Jackson, 3rd baseman Zoilo Versalles strikes out and the Out-Of-Control Ryan Express is done with the threat.

The Mets take off from there. Grote singles to center and reaches 2nd on Nolan’s sac bunt. Harrelson bunts as well, but this one gets down for a single and the bases are loaded with Metsies. Garrett hits a sacrifice fly, plating Grote for the 4th run of the game. Agee is intentionally walked to get to Jones, who makes Reed pay with a single to right to plate Mr. Ryan. That’s it for Ron Reed, who is yanked by Manager Lum Harris and replaced by Mike McQueen. Wanting to press the issue, Manager Gil Hodges pinch hits Donn Clendenon for Kranepool, and he immediately delivers with a bases loaded walk to plate the 6th run. Back up is Boswell, looking to do Somethin’ Amazin’. If nothing yet has quieted down the 20,827 Braves’ fans, the Grand Slam that Boswell hits surely does. It is now 10-1 Mets, and the crowd is stunned, except for the scattered Orange and Blue fans having a blast. Singleton and Grote each fly out, and the inning mercifully comes to an end.

They continue through 9 to add to the much-needed laugher. The 11th and 12th runs score on a Wayne Garrett single in the 5th, along with the 13th run on a Tommy Agee single. The 14th run scores in the 6th on a Grote single, along with the 15th and 16th run on new shortstop Tim Foli’s single. Clendenon hits a 2-run blast in the top of the 7th to plate the 17th and 18th runs, and the 19th and 20th score in the 9th on an error by the Braves 3rd baseman.

Nolan Ryan pitches poorly, but is able to go 8 because of the run differential. The Braves score 4 in the 5th and 1 in the 6th to increase the damage to 6. His line includes 8 hits, 5 walks and 7 strikeouts. He exits the game 9-9 with a 2.98 ERA. Ron Taylor saves the 20-6 Mets win.

Ken Boswell goes 4-5 with 3 runs scored, 5 batted in, and a walk.

The Mets use a couple September winning streaks to stay above .500, finishing the year 83-79, 14 games back of the division-winning Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 1971 New York Mets.

Indeed, if the Mets spend their golden anniversary toasting Tom Seaver without mentioning Young, they will not only be whitewashing five decades, but essentially missing what it means to be a fan of this team.”

–Michael Trager and Eric Trager, April 21, 2012; New York Times

Calling The 1993 New York Mets a complete disappointment would be an understatement. Coming off “The Worst Team Money Could Buy,” Manager Jeff Torborg is fired after a 13-25 start and replaced by Dallas Green, who isn’t doing any better. His team stands at 34-65 going into a match-up with the Expansion Florida Marlins at William A. Shea Municipal Stadium. The team has, however, won 2 in a row.

On the mound for the Mets this evening is Bret Saberhagen, the 29-year-old, 6’1” right-hander from Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda, CA. Bret is pitching adamantly, but, naturally, is getting terrible run support. He is 6-7 with a 3.36 ERA. He will face the Marlins’ leadoff hitter, center fielder Chuck Carr. Saberhagen, looks in, sets and pitches. Carr fouls it off for strike 1. After another foul and a ball, Chuck hits it down the left field line in foul territory. Joe Orsulak settles under it and makes the catch. The next 2 batters,  2nd baseman Bret Barberie and left fielder Jeff Conine, ground out to short and fly out to left, respectively, for the 1-2-3 inning.

Pitching for the Teal Team is Jack Armstrong, the 28-year-old, 6’5” right-hander from Neptune High School in New Jersey. He will first face the Mets’ leadoff hitter, center fielder Ryan Thompson. He runs the count to 2-2, but strikes out looking on the 5th pitch. Up walks left fielder Joe Orsulak, looking to get something started for the Metsies. Armstrong’s first 2 pitches are out of the strike zone. The 3rd pitch, though, is planted into the Shea stands, way back there for a right field solo shot. The Mets lead, 1-0. Next up is 1st baseman Eddie Murray. On 7 pitches, Murray grounds out weakly to 3rd base. Bobby Bonilla, the Mets’ 3rd baseman, then doubles to deep left-center before right fielder Jeromy Burnitz walks, but 2nd baseman Jeff Kent grounds it back to Armstrong to end the frame.

Both teams leave some men out there against their respective pitchers in the 1st 3 innings. The Mets are trying to change that trend, however, leading off the bottom of the 4th. Burnitz singles to left to get things started, but both Kent and catcher Todd Hundley line out to right. Shortstop Tim Bogar heads to the plate, looking to make something out of Burnitz’ leadoff single. The count runs to 2-2, and on the 5th pitch, Burnitz takes off for 2nd.The pitch is wide and eludes catcher Benito Santiago. Burnitz gets up from his slide and heads to 3rd on the wild pitch. Armstrong’s next throw is then sent into center field for a single, and the Mets take a 2-0 lead. Saberhagen lines out to right field, and the 4th comes to a close.

The Mets hold the lead steady until the top of the 6th, when Carr begins with a single on the 2nd pitch he sees. Second baseman Bret Barberie makes contact on the 2nd pitch he sees as well, but this one goes sailing to deep right-center, way back there to tie the game at 2. Bret makes quick work of the next 3 batters, though, to keep the score knotted up.

The Mets don’t answer till the bottom of the 7th. With Matt Turner taking the mound for the Marlins, Bogar and Saberhagen line out and ground out, respectively. With 2 out and with an 0-2 count, Ryan Thompson drives the 3rd pitch he sees to deep right-center, way back to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. Orsulak then walks and Murray singles, sending Orsulak to 3rd, but Murray is picked off 1st with Bonilla up to end the Mets’ rally.

Saberhagen heads back out there in the top of the 8thlooking to lock the win down for the rarely-in-the-win-column Orange and Blue. With 1 out, however, Barberie singles to right. Conine strikes out looking, but 3rd baseman Gary Sheffield singles, sending Barberie down t0 3rd. He’s been battling all day, but it looks as though Bret Saberhagen has reached the end of the line. Dallas Green, however, leaves his veteran in the game to wiggle out of his own jam. Plenty of second guessing occurs next, though, as 1st baseman Orestes Destrade doubles to right-center, plating Barberie with the tying run. Sheffield trucks around 3rd looking to score the go-ahead run, but the fundamentals are strong as Burnitz hits the shortstop Bogar, who throws the ball Hundley’s way to nail Gary at home. The Mets get out of it with the tie intact once more. They go quietly, however, in the bottom half of the inning.

A double-switch occurs, with Dave Gallagher replacing Burnitz in right. From the bullpen comes Anthony Young, the 27-year-old, 6’2″ right-hander out of Furr High School in Houston, TX.  Young is entrenched in a Major League record 27 consecutive losses, which began on May 6, 1992. Earlier in the year, he was removed from the starting rotation and put into the bullpen. He has the chore of keeping it knotted up for the Metsies in the top of the 9th. Young does not get off to a good start, however, as Santiago singles to lead things off.  Young makes an error on a sacrifice bunt by right fielder Darrell Whitmore, and both runners are safe. The Marlins have 2 on and none out. Shortstop Walt Weiss is up to bunt them over, but the Mets botch that one as well and the bases are now loaded. Not the way you try to snap 27 consecutive losing decisions. Pinch-hitter Rich Renteria is up, but he fails miserably at his role. He hits a ground ball to Bonilla at 3rd, who throws the ball home for the 1st out. Hundley throws down to Murray at the right-corner bag and the double play is completed. The Amazin’s and Mr. Young are miraculously 1 away from getting out of the jam. Standing in their way, however, is the leadoff hitter Chuck Carr. On the 1st pitch he sees, Chuck bunts it weakly between 2nd and 1st. They have no play, and Whitmore comes home for the Marlins’ leading run. Barberie strikes out swinging, but the damage is done. The Mets are once again in jeopardy of letting a win get away.

Bryan Harvey heads to the mound for the Teal. The shortstop Bogar is pinch-hit for by Jeff McKnight, who gets things going quickly by singling on the 1st offering. Gallagher is up there to bunt, and he does so, sending McKnight to 2nd. Ryan Thompson is up, looking to tie it for New York. He hits a blooper over 1st, and it falls in for the base hit. McKnight rounds 3rd and heads home to tie the game. Anthony Young cannot lose this game now, and, unbelievably, he has a chance to win. That is up to the Mets’ offense, looking to end it right here in regulation. Orsulak does not abide however, flying out to left. With 2 out, it is up to the veteran Eddie Murray. For the fans left over from the 24,377 people to turn the stiles earlier this evening, a huge thrill is had as Murray doubles to right on Harvey’s 1st pitch. Thompson scores, the Mets win their 35th game, 5-4, and Anthony Young wins his 1st game in a year and a half.

“In 18 years of living under the same roof, there was only one late-night, father-waking-son baseball celebration — and it wasn’t for a World Series victory or trade-deadline blockbuster…For the better part of two seasons, we had suffered through Young’s agonizing run of misfortune. And now that it was over, we not only saluted Young’s salvation, but our own endurance.”

–Michael Trager and Eric Trager, April 21, 2012; New York Times

Young is now 1-13 with a 4.19 ERA. It is his only win of the year. Anthony goes 1-16 with a 3.77 ERA.

Saberhagen goes 8 innings, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk, striking out 6.

While it is The New York Metropolitan Baseball Club’s 3rd win in a row, they can never get into any sort of groove, and have to win their last 6 games to avoid losing more than 103. They are the 1st Mets team since the 1967 squad to lose 100 or more games.

The 1993 New York Mets.

Thanks for reading! You can read Sam Maxwell’s personal Mets Blog here.