NY Mets: 3 worst teams that were still fun to watch play ball

There is no shortage of bad New York Mets baseball teams. Just look at the first few seasons of the franchise’s existence. Then take a gander at the years after Tom Seaver was traded away and once more post-Bernie Madoff. Sprinkle in a few other stretches and you have plenty of bad baseball throughout the franchise’s history!

Just because a team was bad doesn’t necessarily make the season an entire waste. Some bad Mets teams have actually been kind of fun at times.

For consideration on this list, I think bad simply means below .500. While these Mets teams may have lost more than they had won, I think there are some positive takeaways from each year.

The 1983 Mets were a sneak preview of better days ahead

With a record of 68-94, the 1983 Mets were far from competitive. Managed by George Bamberger and Frank Howard that year, the club representative the tail end of the dark days following the complete tear down in 1977.

Tom Seaver was back for one season which gave fans something to cheer about. Add in the outstanding year they got from relief pitcher Jesse Orosco (13-7, 1.47 ERA, 17 saves) and you have yourself something positive to look forward to every few games.

This was also the season where we got to see some other young Mets contribute. Ron Darling started five games for the club, going 1-3 with a 2.80 ERA. It wouldn’t be long before he was a core member of the rotation.

Much bigger was the midseason addition of Keith Hernandez in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. The catalyst to go from a non-competitive club to a contender, Hernandez gave the team some legitimacy.

Let’s not forget the biggest draw of all: The Straw. The year marked Darryl Strawberry’s rookie campaign. The 26 home runs he hit in 122 games played showcased a bright future ahead for the young Mets outfielder.

Wins may not have been easy to find this year. However, on both sides of the ball, there was plenty to get excited about.