3 former NY Mets players who were expected to replace stars and didn't

Dave Magadan was not Keith Hernandez but, then, who is?

I’m Keith Hernandez. Well, HE’s Keith Hernandez. Hernandez is the guy who unwillingly came to the Mets the way Tom Seaver did years before, and gave the club legitimacy and the fire and will to win. He was the leader, the field general, he was the smartest player on the field, and he performed day in and day out.

Dave Magadan was second round draft pick of the Mets in 1983 out of the University of Alabama. He led the NCAA in hitting. He continued hitting in the farm system and the Mets gave him a cup of coffee during the 1986 season.

Magadan was being brought along as another one a long line of Mets third base hopefuls. The Mets had Howard Johnson penciled in at third base for what seemed like years to come. And Hernandez was still going strong at first base. And there was no DH yet. So what to do.

Well, Magadan would get plenty of playing time because although he wasn’t good defensively at either third base OR first, Davey Johnson loved offense over defense. And with injuries hitting the Mets, Magadan would get playing time, albeit inconsistent.

Magadan was a big guy but he had virtually no power – he was what used to be called a “punch and judy” hitter and would spray the ball from gap to gap but mostly to the left gap because he really didn’t pull the ball much.

And when you don’t have much power, you had better hit for high average and drive in runs. That’s what Hernandez did. But Magadan didn’t.

He didn’t hit enough, especially having no power, to play either corner position. And when Hernandez was finally done as a Met and left following the 1989 season, Magadan had a good season in 1990 hitting .328 with a .417 OBP, and had career-highs with 6 HR and 72 RBI.

After that he was truly pedestrian as he was injured and just didn’t hit enough to warrant taking up a power position on the field, The Mets finally gave up on him when they signed future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray as a free agent before the ’92 season and he didn’t produce at third base.

HE was Keith Hernandez whereas Dave Magadan was not. And like Zachry replacing Seaver years earlier, the comparison is unfair. Hernandez was a special player and will always be special for Mets fans and Magadan was just in the wrong place at the wrong time to replace a legend.