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NY Mets managers ranked based on their playing career

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NEW YORK - CIRCA 1971: Manager Gil Hodges #14 of the New York Mets argues with and umpire during an Major League Baseball game circa 1971 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Hodges managed the Mets from 1968-71. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - CIRCA 1971: Manager Gil Hodges #14 of the New York Mets argues with and umpire during an Major League Baseball game circa 1971 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Hodges managed the Mets from 1968-71. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK – CIRCA 1981: Manager Joe Torre #9 of the New York Mets looks on prior to the start of a Major League Baseball game circa 1981 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Torre managed the Mets from 1977-81. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

3) Met manager Joe Torre

Joe Torre was an all-star catcher with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for slugger Orlando Cepeda. With St. Louis already having Tim McCarver behind the plate, Torre played the corner infield positions for the Cardinals.

Torre was a nine-time all-star and won a Gold Glove Award as a catcher, while batting .297 over his career accumulating over 2,400 base hits including over 250 home runs. In 1971 he collected a league-leading 230 hits to lead the NL with a .363 batting average and he was named the NL MVP.

Torre was brought to the Mets at the age of 34 to play third base, but he would just turn out to be another failed attempt at stability in that position for the Mets. His playing time in a Mets uniform was not indicative of the kind of offensive player Torre was. He is probably most famous for grounding into four consecutive double plays in a game. And he blamed it all on Felix Millan who singled ahead of him all four times.

Torre played two seasons as a part-time player, never playing more than 114 games. In his third season, 1977, he became the player-manager, but retired to manage full-time after appearing in just 26 games, and just in time for the Midnight Massacre

His best playing days were in another uniform other than the Mets and, obviously, the Hall of Fame manager had his best managerial days in another uniform other than the Mets.

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