New York Mets - The Reagan Years (1980-1989)
 
   
 
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        Yr P W L   Yr P W L   Yr P W L               1980  
        1980 5 67 95   1983 6 68 94   1987 2 92 70               Decade  
        1981 x 41 62   1984 2 90 72   1988 1 100 60               Click  
        1982 6 65 97   1985 2 98 64   1989 2 87 75               on Logo  
                  1986 1 108 54                            
                                                       
                                                             
   
  Titles: Top Mets Players of the Eighties  
  1986 - World Champs  (Beat Boston)  
  1988 - Division Champs (lost to LA in NLCS) Pitchers:  
    Doc Gooden (30.7) -   62  
  Ballpark: Ron Darling (15.52) -   48  
  Shea Stadium Jesse Orosco (12.34) -   34  
    Sid Fernandez (15) -   33  
  Team Name: Bob Ojeda (8.44) -   21  
  Mets Roger McDowell (4.27) -   21  
    Ed Lynch (5.81) -   20  
  Owner:  Neil Allen (3.18) -   20  
  Doubleday Inc (1980-1986) David Cone (7.93) -   20  
  Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon (1987-1989) Randy Myers (4.87) -   14  
    Pat Zachry (4.15) -   14  
  General Managers: Rick Aguilera -   13  
  Frank Cashen Pete Falcone -   12  
    Mike Scott -   11  
  Managers: Walt Terrell (4.05) -   10  
  Joe Torre (1980-1981) Craig Swan (2.87) -   9  
  George Bamberger (1982-1983) Tom Seaver (2.49) -   7  
  Frank Howard (1983) Terry Leach (5,36) -   7  
  Davey Johnson (1984-1989) Randy Jones (1.91) -   2  
       
  Hall of Famers: Catchers:  
  Joe Torre  Gary Carter (11.38) -   37  
  Tom Seaver John Stearns (7.89) -   21  
  Gary Carter    
    First Basemen:  
  Rookie of the Year:  Keith Hernandez (26.61) -   60  
  Darryl Strawberry (1983)    
  Doc Gooden (1984) Second Basemen:  
    Wally Backman (11.61) -   20  
  MVP Tim Teufel (7.48) -   7  
  None    
    ShortStop:  
  No Hitters: Rafael Santana (1.54) -   11  
e None Kevin Elster (3.7) -   11  
e      
e Cy Young: Third Base:  
e Dwight Gooden (1985) Howard Johnson (16.78) -   31  
e   Hubie Brooks (4.7) -   17  
  Notable Events: Dave Magadan (6.53) -   14  
     
  1980 - The Mets enter the decade looking up from the bottom of the barrel.  Outfield:  
   They are in the midst of a seven year run where they finish a distant last  Mookie Wilson (20.81) -   91  
   or next to last in the Division each year.  Darryl Strawberry (30.3) -   76  
  To make matters worse, the cross-town Yankees are contending Lenny Dykstra (16.56) -   39  
   every year while the Mets are barely noticed.  Kevin McReynolds (10.74) -   24  
  And, to make matters even worse than that, there are a bunch of ex-Mets  George Foster (4.68) -   21  
   that would still be extremely helpful doing well all over both leagues: Lee Mazzilli (3.16) -   16  
  □ RHP Nolan Ryan - Houston 11-10 3.35 in '80 Joel Youngblood (3.51) -   12  
  □ RHP Tom Seaver - Reds 10-8 3.64 in '80 Dave Kingman (0.15) -   10  
  □ LHP Jerry Koosman - Twins 16-13 4.03 in '80 Steve Henderson (2.55) -   10  
  □ LHP Jon Matlack - Texas 10-10 3.68 in '80 Kevin Mitchell (2.25) -   8  
  □ Lefty Reliever Tug McGraw - Phillies 5-4 1.64 with 20 saves in '80 Gregg Jeffries (2.13) -   7  
  □ CF Amos Otis - KC 10 53 .251 with 16 stolen bases in '80    
  □ OF Ken Singleton - Baltimore 24 104 .304 in '80 Notable Events:  
     
  1980 - Doubleday publishing buys the Mets from Lorinda de Roulet 1985 - Rick Aguilera, a 23 year old righty, is a rookie.   
  If nothing else, you can't get a name more synonymous with baseball. He was a 3rd round pick in the '83 draft  
     
  1980 - Frank Cashen is hired away from the Orioles organization  1986 - Twenty three year old infielder Dave Magadan is a rookie.  
   as General Manager. Doubleday is obviously serious about winning as   He was a second round pick in the '83 draft  
  Cashen is as good as they come.    
  The roster cupboard is far from bare for Cashen when he takes over: 1986 - Kevin Elster, 21 year old shortstop, is a rookie.   
  □ Righthander Pat Zachry, 28, acquired from Reds for Tom Seaver  He was a a 2nd round pick in the '84 draft  
  □ Righthander Craig Swan, 29, 3rd round pick in '73 draft  
  □ Righthander Mike Scott, 25, 2nd round pick in '76 draft 1986 - Lefty Bob Ojeda, 28, is acquired from the Red Sox. He is the  
  □ Righty reliever Neil Allen, 22, 11th round pick in '76 draft final piece of the championship puzzle as the Mets improve to 108 wins  
  □ Righty reliever Jeff Reardon, 24, amateur free agent in '77    
  □ Righty reliever Ed Lynch, 24, 22nd round pick in '77 draft 1986 - New York wins the title and are awesome, altho' it doesn't   
  □ Lefty reliever Jesse Orosco, 23,   come without a liitle bit of luck. Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner's   
   acquired in '79 from Twins in a trade for Jerry Koosman error in extra innings in game six of the World Sereis allowed the  
  □ Outfielder Lee Mazzilli, 25, 1st round pick in '73 draft  Mets to come back from the dead and win that game and then  
  □ Catcher John Stearns, 28, acquired from Phillies for Tug McGraw  New York came from behind 3-0 in game 7 to win that game and  
  □ Second Baseman Wally Backman, 20, 1st round pick in '77 draft the World Series. It seemed like fate that the Mets won.   
  □ Outfielder Mookie Wilson, 24, 2nd round pick in '77 draft  Earlier, in a series between 1962 expansion teams, the Mets beat the   
  □ Third Baseman Hubie Brooks, 23, 3rd overall pick in '78 draft Astros to make it into the World Series winning the final two games in   
  extra innings. In 1986 the Mets live up to their name, The Amazin' Mets  
  1980 - Outfielder Darryl Strawberry, 18, is the first overall pick of the draft    
  He'll come up as a rookie in '83. 1987 - Gregg Jefferies, 19, is a rookie.   
   He was a first round pick in the '85 draft  
  1981 - Cashen trades very little for washed up former Padres ace    
  Randy Jones, 31. His career does not revive in New York. 1987 - Righthander David Cone, 24, is stolen from KC for catcher  
     Ed Hearn in one of the all time lopsided deals.  
  1981 - In a misfire for Cashen, he deals talented young reliever Jeff  
  Reardon, 25, to Montreal for hard hitting outfielder Ellis Valentine, 26, in   1987 - Outfielder Kevin McReynolds, 27 is obtained from San Diego for   
  what should have been a quality for quality trade. Ellis becomes one of the  twenty four year old outfield prospect Kevin Mitchell and the first  
  first of many stars who forget how to hit once they land with the Mets.  overall pick in the '84 draft, outfielder Shawn Abner, who     
     never ended up amounting to anything with the Padres.  
   1982 - The Mets use three first round draft picks to select righty     
  Doc Gooden, 17, righty reliever Roger McDowell, 21, and 1988 - the Mets win 100 games and win the Division but lose to the   
   lefty reliever Randy Myers, 19.   Dodgers in the NLCS. In case anyone hasn't noticed, Frank Cashen  
     did one of the most amazing (no pun intended) team building jobs in  
  1982 - In what turns out to be an inconsequential deal, Cashen trades   baseball history. You can count on one hand, and have a couple   
  very little for Reds slugger George Foster, 33. Foster, as many big Mets  of fingers to spare, the number of other times in baseball history    
  acquisitions over  the years, sees his performance fall off a cliff in New York. that a GM has built a team thru trades.  It just doesn't happen.   
    Cashen did it. He got Cone, Darling, Ojeda, Fernandez, Hernandez,   
   1983 - In a rare misstep during the decade, Cashen gets fleeced by  Carter, Johnson and McReynolds thru trades.  
   Al Rosen of the Astros as he deals future ace Mike Scott, 28, to Almost all of those deals were severely one sided.   
   Houston for future non entity Danny Heep.    
    1988 - The other rare times in history where a GM had traded his team   
  1983 - Righthanders Ron Darling, 22, and Walt Terrell, 25, are acquired   into contention were:  
   from Texas for outfielder Lee Mazzili - great trade by Cashen □ Bill Veeck Sr of the Cubs in the late Twenties, early Thirties. He obtained  
   Charlie Grimm, Rogers Hornsby, Kiki Cuyler, Riggs Stephenson and  
   1983 - New York acquires Keith Hernandez, 29, from the Cards for   Hack Wilson, a murderers row, for virtually nothing in return.  
  Neil Allen. Both have been plagued by substance abuse issues. □ Frank Lane of the White Sox in the Fifties. He procured Sherm Lollar,  
     Hernandez overcomes his. Allen continues to struggle with his.  Nellie Fox, Chico Carrasquel, Billy Pierce and Dick Donovan   
     for very little in return.   
  1983 - Lefty Sid Fernandez, 20, is acquired from the Dodgers for □ John Quinn of the Phillies in the Sixties.    
    Bob Bailor and Carlos Diaz - another steal by Cashen  He traded for Jim Bunning, Jack Baldschun, Cookie Rojas, Tony Taylor,  
     John Callison and Tony Gonzalez for a pittance.  
   1984 - The Mets hire manager Davey Johnson and proceed to have their □ Gabe Paul of the Yankees in the Seventies.   
   first winning season in eight years.    He acquired Rudy May, Ed Figueroa, Dock Ellis, Dick Tidrow,   
  It begins a mini-dynasty run of seven seasons of 87 or more wins  Chris Chambliss, Willie Randolph, Graig Nettles, Lou Piniella   
  (six over 90 wins, two over 100). New York finishes first twice and and Mickey Rivers for not a whole lot.   
   second five times during the run.    
  1989 - New York drops thirteen games in the standings as the  
  1985 - All star catcher Gary Carter, 31, is obtained from the Expos for   mini-dynasty begins to wind down. Some key players are starting  
  Hubie Brooks and three others. Yet another great trade by Cashen.  to age and others are beginning to succumb to injuries   
     
  1985 - Hard hitting third baseman Howard Johnson, 24, is picked up in a  1985 - Centerfielder Lenny Dykstra, 23, is a rookie.  
  deal with Detroit for Walt Terrell. Ditto all the other great trades listed above.  He was an eleventh round pick in the 1981 draft.