New York Mets hire new GM and Manager to change their fortunes

[hvs1717]

Feb 21, 1980 - After the worst 3 year stretch in Mets history since 1965-67, owner Trevor Brown has relieved GM Joe McDonald and Manager Joe Torre of their duties. Torre finishes his brief 2 1/2 year Mets career with an overall record of 178 wins, 263 losses and 1 tie. McDonald, who was promoted from recruiting director in 1974, oversaw the collapse of the Mets from the World Series in 73 and the infamous 1977 trade of Tom Seaver and finishes his Mets career 361-449-1. For the first time in Mets history, they are hiring a GM and Manager combo. Shaughnessy becomes the 6th GM in team history and the 9th Manager.
( I wanted to take over at a realistic time in Mets history but as much as I really wanted them to have Gooden and Strawberry, they would have had too much talent in their farm system at that point to make this a true rebuild. My settings are set true to the era. I have made trades hard and favoring veterans. 20-80 ratings. 30-50-10-10 ratings. And there will be a draft. Players will not be placed with their original teams. Fortunately or unfortunately, the 1980 draft has already happened and Darryl Strawberry and pre injury Tim Leary are in my system.)

[hvs1717]

The Mets are in full rebuild mode. After finishing 63-99-1 in 1979, the third straight year with less than 70 wins, McDonald made very few significant moves. That was very surprising to me but Brown is listed as an economizer so I wouldn't be surprised to find out that he is cheap and dind't allow McDonald to spend any money. Here are a recap of the offseason moves before I take over on March 3.
Oct 26 - Traded relief pitcher Dwight Bernard to Milwaukee for Minor Leaguer Mark Bomback. Bomback was stellar in AAA in 1979 winning 22 games, posting a 2.56 ERA and recording 151 strikeouts. Bernard made 30 appearances in 1979 with one start. But he wasn't particularly effective. Bernard was a fringe piece so this looks like a great deal to me. Hopefully, Bomback can come close to what he was in AAA.
Oct 31 - Trade starting 3B Richie Hebner to the Detroit Tigers for 3B Phil Mankowski and Jerry Morales. To me this just looks like McDonald dumped Hebner. Hebner wasn't great with the Mets in 79 but neither Mankowski or Morales figure in our rebuilding plans, maybe not even 1980 but we will see.
Free Agency - The Mets let rp Andy Hassler, rp Skip Lockwood and 1B Ed Kranepool walk and signed no one. Hassler was one of our better relievers last year but with Reardon and Allen ready for full time work, there was no need to bring him or Lockwood back. Skip's shoulder injuries are a worry and does a 60 win team really need a high paid premier reliever? It sucks that Kranepool is gone. He was the last original Met playing and even though he was just an ok player, one of my favorite Mets. Kranepool was the starting 1B after McDonald traded Willie Montanez in August but it was obvious he is not the future.
Dec 10 - Traded C Jody Davis to the Cardinals for Ray Searage. Based on real life this looks like a terrible trade for the Mets. We will see how it turns out. We need help in the bullpen and Stearns is a solid starting catcher.
Dec 11 - Released Bob Apodaca. Another former ace reliever who declined because of injuries. He may need to retire.
Feb 20, 1980 - Trade minor leaguer to Houston for C Reggie Baldwin. I don't know much about Baldwin but you can never have enough good catchers.
Free Agency, Revisited - After McDonald was fired on Feb 21 and before I was hired on March 3, the Mets signed two free agents, P Tom Dixon and 2B Rob Andrews. Andrews doesn't even make it to spring training and retires. Not sure why he signed. Dixon is a marginal major leaguer who was decent in 77 and 78 but terrible in 79. He looks like one of those cheap low risk pick ups. If he bounces back we get a steal if he stays on his decline, it isn't a big loss. He was signed for the league minimum.
There were no more moves before I was hired on March 3, two days before Spring Training. I scoured the waiver wire and free agency. There were a couple of decent minor league fill ins but otherwise nothing too promising.
**** - I forgot in my original post that I will be using OOTP's generator and not the actual stats so players may not develop like they did in real life.

[hvs1717]

With only 2 days to get to know the entire organization, I will be relying on my Bench Coach heavily early on. I am going to take a look at the organization by each group of postions - starting pitching, relief pitching, infielders, catchers and outfielders.

Starting Pitching - Invited 12 Players

Locks - Pete Falcone, Craig Swan, Pat Zachry
Competing for last two spots - Juan Berenguer, Mark Bomback, Ray Burris, Kevin Kobel, John Pacella, Mike Scott
Outside chance at best - Greg A Harris, Scot Holman, Ed Lynch

Juan Berenguer (25) 36/47 - Berenguer was a September call up in 1979. He made 5 starts going 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA. He threw 30 2/3 innings and struck out 25. If he pitches even close to that in Spring Training it is going to be tough to keep him out of the rotation.
Mark Bomback (26) 44/42 - Bomback spent the entire season with Milwaukee's AAA affilate. He was a workhorse and had an outstanding season. He made 33 starts and threw 246 innings and striking 151. He won 22 games with only 7 losses and had a 2.56 ERA in the PCL.
Ray Burris (29) 47/47 - Ray joined the Mets late in the season after underwhelming stints with both the Cubs and Yankees. Pitching out of the bullpen with both the Cubs and Yankees his ERA was over 6.00. With the Mets he was only a starter and pitched decent. 4 starts 21 2/3 innings pitched with a 3.32 ERA.
Pete Falcone (26) 49/50 - Falcone was brilliant for the month of August (6 starts, 40 1/3 ip 3-3 27 ks 2.23 ERA) last year but otherwise he is just very inconsistent. He finished 6-14 with a 4.16 ERA. He started 31 games, pitched 184 innings and struck out 113 batters. If he develops some consistency, he could be an ace.
Greg A Harris (24) 30/49 - Probably isn't ready for the majors yet. Pitched very well in AA in 1979. 25 gs 163 ip 9-11 89 ks 2.26 era. He has always been a starter but is very highly rated as a reliever. We may convert him but after a year like that in AA we need to give him a chance as a starter at AAA.
Scot Holman (21) 29/23 - Dominated AA. 23 gs 149 ip 13-7 62 ks 1.99 era. He is still pretty young so a year in AAA will probably be best.
Kevin Kobel (26) 49/48 - Pitched solidly the last two years for the Mets. Last year he started 27 games and threw 161 2/3 innings. His stuff is below average though and I don't think he is a long term answer.
Ed Lynch (24) 38/49 - Pitching for Tuscon in the PCL, he put up decent numbers for the PCL. 156 innings pitched striking out 65 with a 4.85 era. Another year in AAA is probably best
John Pacella (23) 44/20 - Didn't impress as a September call up. 3 starts 16 1/3 ip 0-2 12 ks 4.41 era. Was ok at Tidewater. 24 starts 142 ip 95 ks 3.68 era.
Mike Scott (24) 42/59 - Mike is our 3rd highest rated prospect overall and the highest rated starting pitching prospect that we have. He made the Mets roster out of spring training last year but wasn't very good. He pitched well at AAA 15 gs 99 ip 8-4 40 ks 3.18 era. He was called up in September and dominated in his first start then gave up 7 runs in 1/3 of an inning in his second. He did pitch well out of the bullpen. Might need more time in AAA but we hope he wins a starting spot.
Craig Swan (29) 49/49 - Swanny has been the ace of the staff since the Seaver trade. He was solid again last year. He started 35 games while throwing 251 1/3 innings with 10 complete games. He also won 14 games while the team won 63 as a whole. His 3.29 era was very solid. As long as he is healthy he is a lock to make the rotation.
Pat Zachry (27) 50/50 - Missed most of 1979 with an injury but was solid while healthy. 7 gs 42 2/3 ip 5-1 17 ks 3.59 era. He should be a lock if he is healthy

[hvs1717]

Relief Pitching - Invited 12 players

Locks - Neil Allen, Jeff Reardon, Ed Glynn
Competing for last 2-3 spots - Tom Dixon, Tom Hausman, Terry Leach, Roy Lee Jackson, Dyar Miller, Jesse Orosco, Ray Searage, Dave Von Ohlen
Outside Chance - Thad Troedson

We really don't have a lot of depth in the bullpen. I am not too impressed with the free agents the owner brought in - Miller, Dixon. I might have to move a starter or two to the pen or go with young guys that aren't quite ready

Neil Allen (22) 56/57 - One of the most talented players on the roster. He had a solid rookie season. 50 appearances 99 innings 6-10 65 ks 3.55 era 8 svs. He is the favorite for the closer role
Tom Dixon (24) 38/30 - Seems to be a reclamation project brought over from the Astros. He pitched decently in 1977 and 1978. He was brutal in 1979. My guess is the owner brought him in because he is cheap.
Ed Glynn (26) 48/33 - He is pretty much a lock as a left handed reliever. He made 46 appearances last year throwing 60 innings with a 3.00 era and 7 saves.
Tom Hausman (26) 48/41 - Started and threw out of the pen in 79 for the Mets. He made 19 appearances with 10 starts. He threw 78 2/3 innings with a 2.75 era and 2 saves. He is the favorite to claim the long reliever/emergency starter role in the pen.
Terry Leach (25) 38/40 - Dominated in AA and AAA in the Braves system in 79. He made 47 appearances and threw 106 innings with a 1.95 era and 3 saves. He only threw 14 innings at AAA so he may need another year.
Roy Lee Jackson (25) 47/48 - He pitched very well as a September call up. He made 8 appearances pitching 16 1/3 innings with a 2.20 era. He didn't record a save but did strike out 10 batters.
Dyar Miller (33) 39/39 - The owner picked him up cheap after Toronto let him go. He pitched decently well for California early in 79 but got battered with Toronto, 10.57 era in 15 and 1/3 innings.
Jesse Orosco (22) 26/48 - One of my all time favorite Mets, I don't think he is ready yet. If I was being honest, I probably should have listed him as an outside shot. He made his major league debut last year but wasn't very good. He even started 2 games. I think another year in the minors is probably best.
Jeff Reardon (24) 56/57 - Also one of the most talented players on the roster. If Allen loses the closer battle it will be to Reardon. He was dominant as a September call up last year. 18 appearances 20 2/3 innings 1-2 10 ks 1.74 era 2 svs.
Ray Searage (24) 32/46 - We can always use good lefties. He was brought over from St Louis in the off season. He pitched very well in AA. 42 appearances 89 innings 63 ks 2.22 era 3 saves. He may not be ready for the majors yet.
Thad Troedson (23) 20/20 - Pitched A/AA in the Astros system in 79. He pitched very well. 47 appearances 79 innings pitched 8 wins, 3 losses 2.73 era 7 saves. I don't think he is a major league prospect but we don't have a lot of quality options.
Dave Von Ohlen (21) 41/36 - He was dominant out of the bullpen for the Mets AA Jackson team in 79. He made 37 appearances and thew 34 innings while striking out 26. He went 4-1 with a 1.85 era and 7 saves.

[hvs1717]

Infielders 11 players invited

Locks - Doug Flynn, Mike Jorgensen, Elliott Maddox, Frank Taveras
Competing for Spots - Wally Backman, Jose Moreno, Ken Perry
Outside Chance - Archie Amerson, Kelvin Chapman, Phil Mankowski, Mario Ramirez

Archie Amerson (25) 32/36 - He normally wouldn't be a major league prospect but we don't have a lot of talent and he can play many positions. He played with Minnesota's AAA affiliate in Toledo. In 333 at bats he only hit .231 with a .300 on base percentage. He did hit 13 homers with 45 rbis so he may be able to provide a little pop off the bench.
Wally Backman (20) 35/49 - The switch hitting middle infielder is probably not ready for the majors yet but having him in spring training with guys like Doug Flynn can't hurt him. He had a very good season in 1979 at Jackson (AA). He hit 2 homers with 19 rbis while hitting .282 and stealing 23 bases. His .346 on base percentage was solid also. He may develop into a top of the lineup bat.
Kelvin Chapman (23) 24/38 - Was a late season call up and did not hit at all, .150 batting average over 80 at bats. He had a decent AAA season but I don't think he is anywhere near ready for a bench role in the majors.
Doug Flynn (28) 36/37 - Has been the Mets starting 2B since coming over in the Tom Seaver trade in 1977. Doug is a very light hitting middle infielder but has Gold Glove potential at both 2B and SS. He is probably just holding this spot until Wally Backman is ready.
Mike Jorgensen (31) 42/40 - The old GM brought him over from Texas to compete for the 1B job. He wasn't very good in Texas last year. He only had 157 at bats and hit 2 homers 14 rbis with a .223 batting average.
Elliott Maddox (32) 43/43 - Elliott platooned in RF with Dan Norman when Joel Youngblood replaced Steve Henderson in LF after his season ending injury. This year he is the favorite to replace Richie Hebner at 3B. Elliott is easily the best defensive 3B we have at the moment. We don't have much talent at this position at any level in the system.
Phil Mankowski (27) 20/27 - Mankowski came over in the Richie Hebner trade. He is going to have a hard time making the roster.
Jose Moreno (22) 36/36 - He had a decent season at Tidewater (AAA) in 1979. 3 hr 48 rbi .256 ba 20 sb in 407 ab. I think he is a marginal major league prospect but he is versatile and we have few major league ready options.
Ken Perry (25) 32/31 - He was on the original 25 man roster otherwise he wouldn't even be here. I don't think he is a prospect.
Mario Ramirez (22) 20/32 - He was invited because we needed players for spring training. He was not very good at Tidewater (AAA) in 1979. .218 ba .276 obp .303 slg 376 ab
Frank Taveras (30) 40/38 - Starting SS and leadoff hitter for the Mets in 1979. Stole 44 bases while hitting .262/.298/.335. His on base percentage needs to get better and he is slightly below average defensively.

[hvs1717]

Catchers 7 players invited

Locks - John Stearns, Alex Trevino
Competing for Spots - Reggie Baldwin, Ron Hodges, Luis Rosado
Outside Chance - Butch Benton, Lloyd McClendon

Reggie Baldwin (25) 31/34 - He earned a September call up with Houston last year after playing well at AA and AAA. He hit .278/.303/.420 in 255 at bats with 7 home runs and 45 rbis. He has a solid chance at the third catcher spot.
Butch Benton (22) 27/38 - Probably a long shot. He couldn't even hit the Mendoza line last year at Tidewater (AAA). He hit .198/.252/.262 in 313 at bats. He had hit well in the past so hopefully he gets his confidence back.
Ron Hodges (30) 23/23 - Has been the Mets backup or third Catcher and left handed bat off the bench for the most part since 1973. He hit terribly last year mostly as a pinch hitter. 163/.311/.209 in 86 at bats.
Lloyd McClendon (21) 39/46 - He was an 8th round pick in the 1980 draft. Since he is so highly rated and we can always use catchers in spring training, I invited him. Since he hasn't played pro at any level yet, I think he would be better off with some minor league seasoning rather than backing up Stearns.
Luis Rosado (24) 31/39 - Made it to the majors for a cup of coffee in 77 with the Mets. He has been in AAA ever since. He played most of 79 with Syracuse, Toronto's AAA team. He hit ok. He has a chance to be the third catcher
John Stearns (28) 50/52 - He is one of the few players on the roster that has either been or is an All Star. He is very good defensively at C and 1B. We could look to move him to 1B since we have little talent there or since he is in his prime he may be a little too old for the rebuild so we could use him for trade bait.
Alex Trevino (22) 38/40 - Had a solid rookie year as a backup to Stearns in 1979. He appeared in 79 games as a catcher, third baseman and second baseman. He hit .271/.338/.333 in 207 abs.

[hvs1717]

The first games started on March 10. With so many players in camp, I thought about making my first cuts on March 17. But with so many players in camp, I decided to give them an extra week before the first cuts.

First Round of Cuts, March 24, 1980


Starting Pitching:
Pat Zachry, Craig Swan and Pete Falcone have solidified their spots at the front of the rotation so far.
Juan Berenguer, Mark Bomback, Ray Burris and Mike Scott have pulled ahead in the battle for the last two starting spots.
Greg A Harris, Ed Lynch and John Pacella are falling behind and may be my next round of cuts.
Kevin Kobel has been getting shelled. His era is so bad (11.57) over 15 innings that I don't think I can keep him. He has been solid for 2 years though so I am keeping him for at least one more round even though he doesn't deserve it.
Scot Holman was the first starting prospect demoted. He was getting shelled. Maybe a year in AAA will help.

Relief Pitching
Neil Allen, Ed Glynn and Jeff Reardon have all pitched well and are pretty much locks at this point. Roy Lee Jackson has pitched very well and has locked up the fourth reliever spot.
Dave Von Ohlen has pitched very well and will probably be our second left hander and fifth reliever.
Ray Searage hurt his hamstring and will be out 6 weeks so that takes away von Ohlen's main competition for the LHP role.
Jesse Orosco and Tom Dixon are probably going to be cut with the next round but aren't pitching terribly.

We demoted three pitchers:
Tom Hausman,Terry Leach and Dyer Miller

All three had ERAs over 10 and did not look good. Hopefully Hausman gets it together. I was really disappointed that we had to demote Hausman. I was expecting him to be our long reliever/emergency starter. Now I may have to keep one of the starters in that role.

Infielders
Elliott Maddox has claimed the 3B job. Frank Taveras has made the roster at SS. Mike Jorgensen is making a big push to be the starting 1B. Wally Backman is playing very well but Doug Flynn is rising to the challenge, hitting over .300 in spring training. If Flynn can't beat out Backman outright, I may platoon the three of them - Taveras, Backman, Flynn. That leaves one infield position open.
Kelvin Chapman, Jose Moreno and Ken Perry are battling it out for the last last spot.

We demoted three infield prospects:
Archie Amerson (3B), Phil Mankowski (3B), Mario Ramirez (2B/SS)

Amerson, Mankowski, and Ramirez all had a slim chance to make the roster and then made the decision easy but performing so poorly.


Catchers
With Stearns and Trevino locked in at #1 and #2 cutting catchers wasn't too difficult. We trimmed our catching corps down to four, leaving Ron Hodges as the third catcher. Lloyd McClendon is having a great camp and is making me consider him for the majors sooner rather than later. But he needs playing time so he will go back to the minors at the end of camp.

We demoted three Catchers:
Reggie Baldwin, Butch Benton, Luis Rosado

I thought Baldwin would have won the job as our 3rd catcher but he did not hit at all this spring. Maybe some time in the minors will help. Benton and Rosado did not play well and made the decision to send them down easy.

Outfielders
Henderson (LF), Mazzilli (CF) and Youngblood (RF) have further solidified their holds on the starting jobs. With Jorgensen playing so well the thought of moving Mazzilli isn't as urgent. Jose Cardenal is out of options and can play multiple positions and will probably make the team as the fifth outfielder. Dan Norman, who is having a solid spring, is the favorite for the fourth outfield position. Brooks and Wilson are showing why they are projected as future major leaguers but they both could use some more time in the minors. Ed Cipot and Gil Flores look like they might be our next round of cuts.

We demoted one outfielder:
Jerry Morales


Originally I thought Morales would make the roster as a back up to all 3 OF positions but he played so poorly that going younger makes more sense.

[hvs1717]

Second Round of Cuts - March 31, 1980

Starting Pitching - 2 spots open
Made the 25 Man Roster: Pat Zachry (27) 50/52, Pete Falcone (26) 49/50, Craig Swan (29) 49/49
Still Competing: Juan Berenguer, Mark Bomback, Ray Burris, John Pacella, Mike Scott
Demoted: Greg A Harris, Kevin Kobel, Ed Lynch

Berenguer and Bomback are really making a push for the fourth and fifth starting spots. Burris is making it a three man competition but with his experience out of the bullpen, I am leaning towards Ray Burris taking the sixth bullpen spot. Mike Scott has pitched decently well but I think I am just keeping him around for the extra experience before demoting him. Pacella is a conundrum. He doesn't have good stuff. He doesn't have good control but he puts up good numbers. I am not sure what to do with him. Harris was about what I expected. He may be good enough for the majors but not yet. The same with Ed Lynch. Kobel just continued to get shelled. Maybe he can figure it out in the minors.

Relief Pitching - 2 spots open
Made the 25 Man Roster: Neil Allen (22) 56/57, Ed Glynn (26) 48/33, Roy Lee Jackson (25) 47/48, Jeff Reardon (24) 56/57
Still Competing: Tom Dixon, Thad Troedson, Dave Von Ohlen
Demoted: Jesse Orosco

As expected, Von Ohlen has solidified his hold on the LH reliever spot. Dixon has started pitching better but I am not sure he can fill the long reliever role. We need to look at him over longer stretches this week.
Troedson is pitching better than expected but he is just depth at this point.
Orosco just isn't ready.

Infielders - 1 spot open
Made the 25 Man Roster: Wally Backman (20) 35/49, Doug Flynn (28) 36/37, Mike Jorgensen (31) 42/40, Elliott Maddox (32) 43/43, Frank Taveras (30) 40/38
Still Competing - Kelvin Chapman, Jose Moreno
Demoted: Ken Perry

Maddox and Jorgensen are locked in at the corners. Backman, Flynn and Taveras are my 2B/SS although I am still not sure who is starting. Even though Perry has a left handed bat which I would have liked to have but he only plays 1B. I am not really happy with either backup option with Chapman or Moreno but it is who we have.

Catchers

Catching is settled.
Starter - John Stearns (28) 50/52
Backup - Alex Trevino (22) 38/40
Depth - Ron Hodges (30) 23/23

McClendon is still with the team getting experience. Originally I was going to place him in the Carolina League with Lynchburg (A) but he has played so well I am going to try him out in Tidewater (AAA) instead.

Outfielders
Locks - Jose Cardenal, Steve Henderson, Lee Mazzilli, Dan Norman, Joe Youngblood
Still Competing - Ed Cipot, Gil Flores
Demoted: Hubie Brooks, Mookie Wilson

With the demotion of Mookie Wilson and Hubie Brooks, the outfielding positions are settled. Ed Cipot and Gil Flores are still in camp but just to get some at bats so we don't over use our guys before the season even starts. Here is the OF depth chart going into opening day.

LF - Steve Henderson (27) 51/50
CF - Lee Mazzilli (24) 56/55
RF - Joel Youngblood (28) 49/49
Bench - Dan Norman (25) 29/35, Jose Cardenal (36) 29/29

[hvs1717]

Final Cuts - April 6, 1980

Starting Pitchers - Juan Berenguer, Mark Bomback, Pete Falcone, Craig Swan, Pat Zachry

The starting pitching battle ended pretty much as expected with Juan Berenguer and Mark Bomback winning the fourth and fifth starting roles. Ray Burris was unable to secure a spot in the rotation. Mike Scott and John Pacella were the final two sent to the minors.

Relief Pitchers - Neil Allen, Ray Burris, Ed Glynn, Roy Lee Jackson, Jeff Reardon, Dave Von Ohlen

Tom Dixon just doesn't have the stamina to be a long reliever but he pitched better this spring than I expected. He might end up being decent depth in case of injury but for now will have to work out of the minor leagues. Burris pitched well enough to start but we really need a long reliever and he is ok with coming out of the bullpen.

Infielders - Wally Backman, Kelvin Chapman, Doug Flynn, Mike Jorgensen, Elliott Maddox, Frank Taveras

Neither Moreno or Chapman played particularly great but Chapman has major league experience and is more versatile in the field. But we really need to improve our bench. Moreno may get another chance quickly if Chapman doesn't play well.

Catchers - Ron Hodges, John Stearns, Alex Trevino

Demoted Lloyd McClendon to the Tidewater Tides.

Outfielders - Jose Cardenal, Steve Henderson, Lee Mazzilli, Dan Norman, Joel Youngblood

Ed Cipot and Gil Flores didn't do anything to change the depth chart and were the last two outfield prospects to be demoted.

[hvs1717]

I thought that now that we have our 25 man roster set it would be a good time to look at our future Mets:

We have the #14 Minor League System and Darryl Strawberry (#23) and Tim Leary (#29) are our only Top 100 prospects.

Top 10 Prospects:
1. Darryl Strawberry (18) 32/66 - Kingsport (R). #1 pick in the 1980 draft. Strawberry could be a 30/30 guy in the majors. He should man the RF corner for a decade.
2. Jeff Reardon (24) 56/57 - New York Mets. Made his debut last September. Should end up being a very good closer
3. Mike Scott (25) 43/56 - Tidewater (AAA). Mike has been slow to develop but if he reaches his potential he could be a very good starting pitcher, but he may be better as trade bait.
4. Tim Leary (21) 41/54 - Tidewater (AAA). Tim was the #2 overall pick in the 1979 draft but he didn't play at all. As good as he is right now, we will see if he is ready for AAA. He should be in the starting rotation in NY sooner rather than later.
5. Jose Oquendo (16) 20/52 - Lynchburg (A). Oquendo is a defensive wizard at SS. The question is will he be able to hit at the major league level.
6. Wally Backman (20) 41/51 - New York Mets. Had a phenomenal spring. I thought he would start the season in AAA. He could be one of the young pieces to the rebuild in the middle infield. He can play either 2B or SS.
7. Greg A Harris (24) 34/50 - Tidewater (AAA). Harris will start at AAA but eventually his best chance to make the majors will be as a reliever.
8. Hubie Brooks (23) 35/49 - Tidewater (AAA). Should be ready by September. But where will he play? CF? SS? 3B?
9. Ed Lynch (24) 40/49 - Tidewater (AAA). Ed was a pleasant surprise in spring training. He could be a ML starter eventually. Hopefully, that will carry over to the regular season.
10. Roy Lee Jackson (26) 47/48 - New York Mets. He has looked really good out of the bullpen this spring and during his September call up. I am really looking forward to adding him to the bullpen.

Next 10 prospects:

11. Jesse Orosco (23) 29/48 Jackson (AA)
12. Juan Berenguer (25) 42/52 New York Mets
13. Lloyd McClendon (21) 41/46 Tidewater (AAA)
14. John Gibbons (17) 33/45 Kingsport (R)
15. Jamie Nelson (20) 20/45 Lynchburg (A)
16. Brian Giles (20) 34/44 Tidewater (AAA)
17. Mookie Wilson (24) 38/44 Tidewater (AAA)
18. Ray Searage (25) 32/43 Tidewater (AAA)
19. Mark Bomback (27) 46/42 New York Mets
20. Ron Gardenhire (22) 26/41 Jackson (AA)

[hvs1717]

Not surprisingly, the Mets were predicted to finish 64-98 and 6th in the NL East. We just aren't very talented yet. Thankfully, we got through the preseason relatively injury free. We lost Ray Searage for 6 weeks but no one else to more than day to day bumps and bruises. I do feel bad for the Texas Rangers. They signed Gaylord Perry to a 1 yr $700,000 contract and lost him to a torn labrum on March 24. He isn't expected back until the end of July or beginning of August.

[hvs1717]

Apr 10, 1980 - Opening Day is finally here. The Mets open at home against the hated Chicago Cubs. Pat Zachry is taking the mound for the good guys while Rick Reuschel is going for the Cubbies. Our opening day lineup is:

Frank Taveras, SS
Wally Backman, 2B
Lee Mazzilli, CF
Steve Henderson, LF
Joel Youngblood, RF
John Stearns, C
Mike Jorgensen, 1B
Elliott Maddox, 3B
Pat Zachry, P

Backman is making his major league debut. After a strong spring, he skipped AAA while earning this start. Reuschel and Zachry bothed pitched strong through 4 innings, with the Mets holding a slim 2-1 lead. the Cubs scored 3 in the top of the 5th to break the game open and take a 4-2 lead. The Mets clawed out 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th to take a 5-4 lead. Steve Henderson led off the 8th with a single. Joel Youngblood followed up with a double, driving in Henderson. John Stearns singled next to drive in Youngblood and tie the game. Mike Jorgensen singled and Stearns aggressive running ended with him on third and nobody out. After Elliot Maddox struck out, Alex Trevino, pinch hitting for Ray Burris, hit into a fielders choice, scoring Stearns with the go ahead run. The Mets brought on Neil Allen to close out the Cubs but unfortunately the youngster didn't have his best stuff allowing the Cubs to tie the game without getting a base hit - 3 walks and an HBP and take the lead on a single by Bill Buckner that drove in the final two runs. Bruce Sutter came in and finished off the Mets from there to secure the 7-5 win.

[hvs1717]

After the opening day loss the Mets got very solid pitching to win 3 of the next 4, only dropping a 4-3 loss at home against the Cubs.

Apr 11, 1980 - New York (N) 2, Chicago (N) 1
Pete Falcone was brilliant in his first start of the season. He only allowed 2 hits over 7 innings of work. He struck out 8 and walked 3. Jeff Reardon pitched the final two innings and wasn't much sharper than Neil Allen was on opening night but he managed to get the save with the tying run on base.

Apr 12, 1980 - Chicago (N) 4, New York (N) 3
New York blew a 3-0 lead, giving up 2 runs in both the 6th and 7th innings to drop to 1-2 on the season. Craig Swan gutted out 6 strong innings giving up only two runs even though he walked 8 batters and gave up 11 base runners total. Roy Lee Jackson came in and immediately gave up the lead with 2 runs in the 7th. Neil Allen at least came in and pitched a better 9th but still walked a batter.

Apr 13, 1980 - New York (N) 10, Chicago (N) 1
New York jumped all over Dennis Lamp from the first batter scoring 5 and sending 10 men to the plate in the first and 2 more runs in the second. The 7-1lead made sure there was no comeback this time. Mark Bomback threw a complete game 3 hitter in his major league debut striking 8 and walking 1. John Stearns drove in 4 runs while going 3 for 4 on the day. Joel Youngblood hit his first HR of the season and drove in 3 runs. And Doug Flynn making his first start of the season drove in 3 runs.

Apr 15, 1980 - New York (N) 5, Montreal 1
Pat Zachry had his second strong start of the season giving up 1 run and 8 hits over 7 innings. Ray Burris and Jeff Reardon closed it out with perfect 8th and 9th innings. Elliott Maddox hit his first home run of the season while driving in two run and rookie 2B Wally Backman went 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Unfortunately that was the last thing to go right for us for awhile as we only win one more game for the rest of April losing the next 9 games and 11 out of 12 to finish the month with 4 wins and 13 losses.

April 27, 1980 - New York (N) 1, Houston 0
In the one win , Craig Swan out dueled Nolan Ryan throwing a complete game shutout on the road in the Astrodome. Swan allowed 3 hits while striking out 6 and walking none. Steve Henderson staked Swanny to a 1-0 lead with first inning triple driving in rookie Wally Backman. It was the only mistake Ryan made but it was the difference in the game as the Mets won 1-0.

[hvs1717]

At the end of the first month of the season, things have not gone well overall with only 4 wins in 17 tries and we are already 9 1/2 games out of first place. The Padres have been the biggest surprise of the early season. Predicted to go 80-82 they have jumped out to 15-5 and first place in the NL West.

[hvs1717]

Apr 30 - Pitching recap for the month of April

Unfortunately, we lost lefty Dave Von Ohlen to an injury today. We are promoting Kevin Kobel to take his LHP spot in the bullpen. Kobel has been pitching well in AAA.

I think I need to rely on my bullpen more but other than Jeff Reardon, they haven't been very good when they have pitched.

After throwing a shutout in his major league debut, Mark Bomback has been awful.

I knew we didn't have a bunch of aces but I thought our pitching staff would be better than it has been. We may have been the worst staff in the National League.

[hvs1717]

Apr 30, 1980 - Batting recap for the month of April

We have shown absolutely no power with 2 home runs as a team in April, 1 from Joel Youngblood and 1 from Elliott Maddox. We really need to manufacture runs but we don't have a lot of guys getting on base either. It is going to be a really long season. It might be best to start looking to see who will make good trade bait.

Joel Youngblood has been our best hitter so far hitting .333/.353/.439 in 66 at bats so far on the season.

John Stearns is having another solid season hitting .300/.328/383 and leads the team with 11 rbi.

[hvs1717]

The Mets started out the month strong with a 2-0 win over the Phillies at Shea Stadium and winning 4 of their first 8. Again it wasn't a pace that we would be able to sustain, winning only 5 more games the rest of the month finishing with 9 wins and 19 losses in May.

May 1, 1980 - New York (N) 2, Philadelphia 0
Pete Falcone threw his second complete game shutout on the season.Through 5 starts, Falcone is 2-3 with a 3.00 era over 36 innings while striking out 32 batters.

The Mets dropped the first two games of a four game series with the Padres, 6-4 on the 2nd and 4-2 on the 3rd. They tied up the series with a double header sweep on Sunday the 4th.

May 4, 1980 - New York (N) 6, San Diego 4 - Game 1
The Mets were down 4-1 after 5 innings before scoring the final 5 runs of the game to cap the comeback win. Frank Taveras, Lee Mazzilli, Joel Youngblood and Elliott Maddox each had two hits keying the win.

May 4, 1980 - New York (N) 4, San Diego 3 - Game 2
The Mets outlasted the Padres, finally overcoming them, 4-3, in 10 innings on John Stearns game winning single. It was a back and forth affair all day with the lead changing 6 times. Pat Zachry threw 6 innings of 1 run ball. Frank Taveras, John Stearns, Steve Henderson, Joel Youngblood and Alex Trevino had two hits a piece in their second comeback win of the day.

May 16, 1980 - New York (N) 6, Atlanta 1
Pete Falcone helped the Mets stop a 6 game losing streak with 8 strong innings against the Braves, giving up 1 run and 3 hits. Falcone raised his record to 3-5 and lowered his ERA to 2.89 on the season. Joel Youngblood and Mike Jorgensen each had two hits and drove in two runs each. Lee Mazzilli had two hits also, a double and a home run.

The win on the 16th started a streak of 4 wins over 6 games, winning series on the road over the Braves and at home over the Astros. Unfortunately, again we end the month on a really bad streak winning only one of our last 9 games in May.

May 18, 1980 - New York (N) 10, Atlanta 7
After a 5-1 loss to Atlanta on the 17th the Mets and Braves combined for 11 runs in the 9th inning, with the Mets scoring 6 in the top half of the inning and Altanta 5 in the bottom half. Mark Bomback threw 8 strong innings only giving up 2 runs. Up 10-2 going into the bottom of the 9th inning, Kevin Kobel did his best to give it all back, giving up 5 runs in 1/3 of an inning pitched. Jeff Reardon had to come in to stop the bleeding and record the final two outs.

May 24, 1980 - Atlanta 2, New York (N) 0
Juan Berenguer, Roy Lee Jackson, Jeff Reardon and Ray Burris combined to hold the Braves to 2 runs but it wasn't enough as Atlanta got a complete game shutout from ace Phil Niekro. Niekro improved to 6-1 on the season and lowered his era to 1.28. Berenguer left in the 5th with a forearm strain. He should miss about two weeks.

[hvs1717]

The 13-32 Mets fell 6 more games behind the first place Pirates to sit 15 1/2 games out of first place on June 1.

I know the season is only a little over a quarter over but there are some fun stats so far.

One player from each league is still hitting over .400, George Brett .419 in the AL and Bill Buckner .411 in the NL. Brett also leads the AL in HRs with 11.

Richie Hebner, who had 60 rbi all of last season in New York, leads the American League in runs batted in with 40. Trading him for Mankowski and Morales looks even worse now since neither player made the Mets roster out of spring training.

Steve Carlton 0.81 and JR Richard 0.87 lead the NL with ERAs below 1.00. Bill Travers 1.84 and Brian Kingman 1.90 lead the AL.

[hvs1717]

June 1 - Batting Recap for the month of May

Lee Mazzilli, Steve Henderson, Joel Youngblood and Frank Taveras led our batters. Youngblood's stats aren't shown below but his stats for the month of May are:

G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI AVG OBP SLG
28 28 115 102 11 32 7 0 1 20 . 314 .383 .412

Doug Flynn, John Stearns cooled off from hot starts. Elliott Maddox has added power to his game but his ba cratered to .215 for the month of May.

On May 31, Wally Backman lacerated his hand in a collision at 2nd base. The hand is day to day for 2 weeks.

I unfortunately forgot to screen shot the total statistics for my players on June 1 so I will have to wait until July 1 to share that information.

[hvs1717]

June 1 - Pitching Recap for May

Neil Allen is still struggling with his control 5.6 BB/9 but is pitching much better than he did earlier in the season.

Ray Burris has really taken to his reliever role. He has been lights out.

Juan Berenguer is starting to battle injury issues, going on the DL for 2 weeks on May 26. Promoted Ed Lynch from AAA Tidewater to replace Berenguer.

Craig Swan and Mark Bomback are getting shelled. It may be time to see if another team will offer anything decent for Swanny and Bomback probably needs some time in AAA.