3 former NY Mets players who made it known they never wanted to be here

2) Richie Hebner didn't like the idea of going from a winning dynamic to the NY Mets losing culture

Hebner was a reliable hitter who began his career and had a lot of success over nine seasons as the rhird baseman for the Pittsburgh Lumber Company. He was a contact hitter with some pop, great RBI guy, and was fundamentally sound.

Hebner hit free agency following the 1976 season, when the whirlwind spending had just begun, and he signed a huge contract to play first base for the division and in state rival Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies were looking for pitching and approached the Mets about Nino Espinosa. The Mets were willing to take on Hebner as long as the Phillies picked up part of the contract.

After two seasons in Philly, Hebner was on his way to the Mets right before start of the 1979 season. Hebner WANTED to play in Philadelphia, which is why he signed there. They were on their way to building a championship team (they won it all in 1980). He DID NOT want to play in New York. They were on their way to catacombs, baseball’s abyss, whatever you want to call it, in 1979. They were brutal.

And unlike Lolich a few years before, Hebner had no say. He was not a 5/10 player and so he couldn’t veto the trade or, at least, make things difficult. And, so, he made things difficult for the Mets.

The Mets saw him as their answer (again) to their eternal third base problem. But Hebner had given up on playing third and considered himself a first baseman exclusively. Let’s just say that, although his stats were not horrible, the effort just wasn’t there.

He didn’t want to be there, and he made no attempt to hide that fact. Hebner played in 136 games in his one season as a Met, and hit a respectable .268 with 10 HR and tied with Lee Mazzilli for the team lead with 79 RBI.

It didn’t take long for the Mets to rid themselves of Hebner, working with their good old trading partner, the Detroit Tigers, swapping him for another third base hopeful, Phil Mankowski. Remember that name? Oh course you don’t.

Hebner went on to have two productive seasons in Detroit, before returning to Pittsburgh for a two-year encoure, and then the Chicago Cubs for two seasons, serving as a very productive role player for both the Bucs and the Cubbies.