The 3 worst pitchers to start for the Mets on Opening Day

The New York Mets have been known to have some great pitchers throughout their history. And some of the greats – like, obviously, Tom Seaver – have been handed the ball with the honor of starting the season. However, there have also been those who haven’t been as deserving of such an honor.

Some of the selections to start Game 1 have been a bit head-scratching. But who actually were the three worst pitchers to start opening day?

Jack Fisher was handed the ball for the upstart 1966 New York Mets

The early years were brutal for the New York Mets. And 1964 was no different. But they had begun moving away from importing aging, recognizable stars and getting younger. Part of that movement was to bring in young arms. One of those young arms was Jack Fisher.

Fisher came up at 20 years old with the Baltimore Orioles and struggled during his four seasons with the Birds pitching to a 30-39 record and 3.92 ERA. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants where he spent one season going 6-10 with a 4.58 ERA.

The Mets plucked Fisher from the Giants in a special draft following the 1963 season. He joined a pitching staff that included some names familiar to Mets fans…well…OLDER Mets fans…Tracy Stollard, Galen Cisco, and fan favorite Al Jackson. They all could have achieved success on a different team, but they all suffered the growing pains of the early Mets.

In 1965, Fisher would win a mere eight (8) games and suffer a league-leading, and nothing to be proud of, 24 losses…still a team record. He also gave up a league-leading 111 earned runs, the second consecutive year he led the league in that category.

And, yet, Fisher was tabbed to start the Mets 1966 season opener. Fisher actually pitched a great game, holding on to a 2-1 lead heading into the top of the ninth inning against a hard-hitting Atlanta Braves team that included Hank Aaron, Joe Torre, and Rico Carty. The Braves would take the lead on an unearned run thanks to an errant throw from right fielder Cleon Jones. Fisher would pitch a complete game but the Mets would lose 3-2.

Fisher had his best season as a Met in 1966, pitching to a record of 11-14 with a 3.68 ERA. In his four seasons with the Mets, Fisher would go 38-73 with a 4.12 ERA. Following the 1967 season (when he would again lead the team in losses with 18) he would be included in the trade with the Chicago White Sox that brought Tommie Agee and Al Weis to the Mets.

Bobby Jones got the starting nod for three New York Mets openers in 1995, 1996, and 1998

When Mets fans think of Generation K, a subject that is almost taboo, the names Paul Wilson, Bill Pulsipher, and Jason Isringhausen immediately come up and make everyone cringe. But, for some reason, the name of RIGHT hander (remember that) Bobby Jones, a first round draft pick, seems to always get lost in that conversation. And maybe that’s a GOOD thing?

I guess, if I were Jones, I wouldn’t want to be grouped with them either. And, for the most part, he shouldn’t be. Because he did enjoy some time in the Major Leagues with the New York Mets. Time…not great success.

To be fair, Jones was with the Mets during the period when they were transitioning from the horrible free agent purchases to the arrival of one Mike Piazza. The mid ‘90’s were yet another down period for the franchise and, if nothing else, Jones marched out to the mound every fifth day and gave the Mets innings. For four consecutive seasons – 1995-1998 – Jones would start 30 games and throw at over 190 innings.

In three of those seasons, Jones would be the Mets opening day starter. The only season he wasn’t the starter, 1997, Pete Harnisch would get the opening day nod and take the loss.

Jones would have the honor of opening the 1995 season in Colorado. That wouldn’t go well as he didn’t survive the fifth inning – giving up five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings - as the Rockies would win a barn burner 11-9 in 13 innings.

In 1996, Jones pitched what would be the season and home opener at Shea, and he didn’t fare any better. In fact, he would be worse. He gave up six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. The Mets, however, would rally, thanks to a four-run seventh inning, to win the game, 7-6.

After giving way to Harnisch in 1997, Jones again got the ball in the 1998 season and home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. Jones threw six four-hit innings of shutout ball before yielding to the bullpen, and the Mets would enjoy a walk off 1-0 win in the bottom of the 14th inning.

Jones would spend eight seasons with the Mets and go a respectable, while pedestrian, 73-56, with a 4.12 ERA. His last two seasons were rough, as he pitched to ERA’s over 5.00 in 1999 and 2000. Oh, and in 2000, he had to share the spotlight with another Bobby Jones…Bobby M. Jones. Other than Bobby M being left handed, the two were interchangeable as they both struggled…and both were out of baseball soon after.