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