Mets: Moises Alou had 102 of the best games we don’t talk about

In his short time with the New York Mets, Moises Alou battled injuries. However, when on the field, he was a hit machine.

The 2007 and 2008 New York Mets are best-known for one thing: collapsing. Both years, it looked like the team was heading to the playoffs. Unfortunately, both seasons ended in disappointment.

Partially along for the ride in both seasons was veteran outfielder Moises Alou. A staple of 1990s and early 2000s baseball, Alou joined the Metropolitans for his age 40 season. Despite the advanced age, he was coming off of two straight seasons of hitting over .300.

Amazingly, Alou would have two more just like it.

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To be fair, Alou’s years in New York weren’t like the pair he had with the San Francisco Giants prior. Alou played in 123 games for the 2005 Giants and another 98 for the 2006 squad. Things were a little different with the Mets. Injuries took their toll and Alou was limited to 87 games in 2007 and just 15 in 2008.

Even so, Alou’s numbers pretty great in this small sample size of 102 games and 414 plate appearances. The veteran outfielder slashed .341/.392/.524 in year one with the club. In year two, he hit .347/.389/.388.

The icing on the cake occurred late in the latter part of the 2007 season when Alou put together a team-record 30-game hitting streak.

In a year where he played only 87 games, 30 of them included consecutive hits. It’s an impressive feat at any level outside of backyard wiffle ball where you get 20 at-bats per game.

Alou’s overall numbers as a member of the Amazins include a .342/.391/.507 slash line, 13 home runs, and 58 RBI. Translated into a full season and he’s having one of the better years for a player over 40.

Not remembered as one of the great Mets, Alou certainly gave the club a whole lot of production from the plate in his limited time with the ball club. Although we can probably suspect his numbers may have dipped in a full campaign, they are what they are. And what they are is pretty fantastic.

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Who knows what may have happened if Alou remained healthy for the full year? Even hitting at a pace less than what he was at, the Mets may have had enough to overtake the Philadelphia Phillies and finish up their tenure at Shea Stadium on a high note.