3 New York Mets players who had a big Opening Day but didn't do much else

Washington Nationals  v New York Mets
Washington Nationals v New York Mets | Jim McIsaac/GettyImages

Opening Day is on the horizon in the MLB and there's always anticipation that surrounds it. For the New York Mets, Opening Day is like their specialty. They've always been dominant on that day and actually hold one of the best Opening Day records in all of the MLB.

They have been so good on Opening Day as a matter of fact that players that did not even last long in orange and blue played a major impact on the Mets Opening Day victories. Even though they did not last long in a Mets uniforms as the player and the Mets had hoped, their moments will always last in Mets Opening Day history

1) Collin Cowgill had a memorable NY Mets Opening Day in 2013

In 2013, the Mets faced off against the San Diego Padres, and in a game that they pretty much out of hand from the get-go, one player who only lasted 23 games as a Met, put Mets fans on notice.

Outfielder, Collin Cowgill was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012 and was named the Mets' opening day center fielder and with the bases loaded and two outs with the score already 7-2, Cowgill hit a grand slam that made the game 11-2 and fans excited about what Cowgill might bring to the team. Unfortunately, he only played 23 games and had just a .180 batting average with two home runs that resulted in him getting designated for assignment.

2) Andrew Brown had a memorable NY Mets Opening Day in 2014

In 2014, the Mets were hosting their rivals, the Washington Nationals. There was a ton of anticipation in this game as the Mets had Curtis Granderson making his Mets debut and starting pitcher Dillion Gee making his first career Opening Day start. But, there was one player who made the lineup only because of an injury, got the Mets out to a fast start.

Outfielder Andrew Brown was called to play in the first game due to fellow outfielder Chris Young being scratched from the lineup due to an injury. When Brown stepped up to the plate with runners on the corner and two outs against starter, Stephen Strasburg, Brown got a hold of one and launched a three-run homer giving the Mets an instant 3-0 lead. Brown only ended up playing 19 games that season before being cut and subsequently retiring from baseball.

3) Adrian Gonzalez had a memorable NY Mets Opening Day in 2018

Against the St. Louis Cardinals, inserted at their first base position was six-time All-Star Adrian Gonzalez. He was brought in mainly as a placeholder while prospects Dom Smith and Pete Alonso were not ready to get the call to the major leagues.

The game was tied at three in the bottom of the fifth, Gonzalez came up to the plate and laced a go-ahead RBI double that plated Todd Frazier to give New York a 4-3 and eventually go on to win the game, 9-4. Gonzalez would stick around for a little bit more until being cut by the team in June after only hitting .237 and six home runs.

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