4 times the Mets traded a fan favorite to the Phillies

Trades between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are rare but not uncommon. In fact, some of the deals between these two longtime rivals have included a fan favorite going from New York to Philadelphia.

An honorable mention should go out to the Rico Brogna trade. A fan favorite in the eyes of WFAN’s Evan Roberts, he made enough of an impact on the afternoon show host to inspire a podcast. Brogna didn’t quite capture too many other fans. Many more found a way to fall in love with these four other players.

1) NY Mets traded fan favorite Tug McGraw to the Phillies

So who owns the catchphrase “Ya gotta believe!” A rallying cry of the Mets and Phillies thanks to Tug McGraw, the man managed to become a cult hero for both franchises.

It was on December 3, 1974, when the two teams swapped three players each. A future fan favorite the Mets picked up in the deal, John Stearns, helped some of the suffering. Stearns became one of the more productive catchers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, making multiple All-Star teams along the way. McGraw would have his share of ups and downs in Philadelphia. The biggest up came in the 1980 season when he helped the team win its first World Series.

McGraw is one of the more interesting people in the history of both franchises. Even if we take out the fact that he was traded from one to the other, his colorful personality helped make him a fan favorite in both cities

The same would be true for a few others on this list.