New York Mets

Team information

• Inaugural season: 1962
• Home ballpark: Citi Field, Queens, New York City
• Owner: Fred Wilpon
• Team colors: Blue, orange, and white

Overview

The New York Mets is a Major League Baseball (MLB) team playing in the East division of the National League (NL). The successor of two previous New York-based professional baseball franchises, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants, and counted among the MLB’s earliest expansion teams, the Mets first took the field in 1962. Over the course of its history, the team has won several World Series championships, NL pennants, and other accolades. Heading into the 2020 season, the Mets had an all-time record that included 4,448 wins and 4,808 losses for an overall .481 win/loss record. In spite of their frequent on-field struggles, the Mets are known for having some of the most passionate and committed fans in all of baseball.

History

The history of the New York Mets began with the relocation of both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants from New York in the late 1950s, leaving the New York Yankees as the sole remaining major league team in New York. With these teams both relocated to the West Coast, New York was left without an NL team. Since the MLB appeared to have little initial interest in rectifying this problem, New York-area attorney Bill Shea took matters into his own hands. With the help of former Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey and a number of other baseball luminaries, Shea proposed the establishment of a third professional baseball league to be known as the Continental League (CL). Although the CL was officially announced in 1959, it never made it past the era stages of its creation. Hoping to prevent the emergence of a competitor league, MLB attempted to dissuade CL leadership from moving forward with their plans. After a year of contentious negotiations, CL officials agreed to shut down their league in exchange for four new MLB expansion franchises.

One of the expansion franchises was an NL team to be located in New York. Led by Shea, the new team soon became known as the New York Mets. The “Mets” moniker was deemed appropriate because it reflected the franchise’s corporate name—the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, Inc.—and nostalgically recalled an earlier New York-area baseball team known as the Metropolitans. In addition to finding the team an initial home at the city’s famous Polo Grounds, Shea put together a roster of veteran stars including players such as Gil Hodges, Gene Woodling, and Don Zimmer as well as manager Casey Stengel.

Taking the field for the first time in 1962, the Mets’ inaugural season was nothing short of a disaster. Stacked with aging players, the Mets majorly struggled. By the end of the year, they had lost a total of 120 games—more than any other team in the twentieth century. Still, fans never wavered in their support for the hard-luck Mets, often referring to them as the “Loveable Losers.” Even with the devotion of their diehard fans, the Mets continued to play poorly, losing more than one hundred games in each of their first few seasons. Highlights of these years included the introduction of Mr. Met as the first MLB mascot in 1963 and the team’s move to the brand new Shea Stadium in 1964.

As a number of talented pitching prospects started appearing on the Mets’ major league roster in the late 1960s, the team finally began to show some promise. The culmination of the Mets’ rise to prominence came in 1969. That year, the Mets went on an unexpected run that saw it win one hundred games for the first time in franchise history and make their postseason debut. After defeating the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series (NCLS) to win their first NL pennant, the Mets went on to face the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. While they dropped Game 1 to the Orioles, the so-called “Miracle Mets” subsequently swept the rest of the series to claim their first World Series championship.

The Mets remained competitive following their 1969 victory but did not find postseason success again until 1973, when the team returned to the World Series for the second time before ultimately losing to the Oakland Athletics. For the remainder of that decade and into the 1980s, the Mets fell into mediocrity and failed to make the postseason for quite some time. By the mid-1980s, the Mets were again loaded with young, up-and-coming players who led the team into a resurgence. In 1986, the Mets won 108 games and embarked on a playoff run that culminated in a World Series matchup with the Boston Red Sox. Thanks in part to a legendary error by Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner in Game 6, the Mets eventually won their second World Series championship.

After falling back to the bottom of the standings in the 1990s, the Mets returned to prominence once more in the early 2000s. In 2000, the Mets won 94 games and ultimately met their crosstown rivals the New York Yankees in a World Series matchup that came to be known as the “Subway Series.” Although the Mets managed to win their first home game of the series, they ultimately lost to the Yankees in five games.

In the years following the Subway Series loss, the Mets largely floundered near the bottom of the standings, with their only subsequent postseason appearance for a long stretch coming in 2006. Eventually, however, the team had another breakout season in 2015. After winning ninety regular season games, the Mets finally won a playoff berth and ultimately returned to the World Series once again. Facing the Kansas City Royals, the Mets again lost in five games. That loss marked the beginning of another period of struggle that mostly kept the postseason out of reach.

Notable players

Several former New York Mets players have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Chief among these honorees is catcher Mike Piazza. A Mets legend from 1998 to 2005, Piazza distinguished himself as one of the best hitting catchers of all time. Over the course of his Mets career, Piazza recorded 1,028 hits, 532 runs, and 220 homers. He was also a key contributor to the Mets’ 2000 World Series run, even putting up two home runs and four runs batted in (RBIs) in the Subway Series itself. Pitcher Tom Seaver played twelve seasons for the Mets over two separate stints with the team. After making his rookie debut with the Mets in 1967 and remaining with the team until 1977, he later returned for another season in 1983. During that time, he recorded 2,541 strikeouts and nearly 200 wins. Seaver, who was then known as “Tom Terrific,” also led the Mets during their 1969 World Series championship campaign. Although he spent most of his Hall of Fame career with the Yankees, legendary Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra played his last few MLB games with the Mets in 1965. By the time of his retirement, Berra had amassed a total of 2,150 hits, 1,175 runs, and 358 homers. Much like Berra, longtime New York/San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays spent his final playing days with the Mets in 1972 and 1973. Over the course of his career, Mays put up 3,283 hits, 2,062 runs, and 660 homers. All-time great pitcher Nolan Ryan got his start with the Mets in the 1960s and remained with the team through the 1971 season. During his time with the Mets, Ryan recorded 4,993 strikeouts and 29 wins, including the team’s 1969 World Series victory. Other notable Hall of Famers who played for the Mets include Roberto Alomar, Richie Ashburn, Pedro Martinez, and Warren Spahn.

There have been many other notable New York Mets as well. Right fielder and first baseman Rusty Staub played for the Mets from 1972 to 1975 and 1981 to 1985. Over that time, he recorded 709 hits, 296 runs, and 75 homers. In the 1973 NCLS against the Cincinnati Reds, Staub hit three home runs to help lift the Mets to the World Series. Shortstop and second baseman Bud Harrelson played for the Mets from 1965 to 1977. During that time, he recorded 1,029 hits, 490 runs, and 6 homers. He also had a pair of critical hits in the 1969 NCLS that helped lift the Mets over the Atlanta Braves as the team cruised to its first World Series. Harrelson also played a role in the team’s 1986 World Series championship, serving as bench coach at the time. Some other notable Mets include Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, and Jose Reyes.

Bibliography

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