I was doing the morning rounds and the Google Tracker noticed that someone in the Mets Blog comments asked that instead of doing NYBD’s Top 50 Mets that someone do the Worst 50 Mets.
That’s so wrong, yet fun. Let’s go for it. I think to be the worst you have to do something to achieve worsedom…like be traded for Tom Seaver, or displace Dave Magadan at first, or spend half a season not pitching and not going to AAA. There’s no sense on picking on guys who had like 4 at bats.
I will go first and nominate Juan Samuel. The Mets gave up Lenny Dykstra and Roger McDowell to get this CFer who hit .228 in 86 games for the 1991 Mets. Thanks Juan.
What about Kenny Rodgers? He pitched well for the Mets down the stretch in 1999, but Game 6 of the NLCS has to place him in the bottom 50 of all time.
I would also consider Rich Rodriguez of the 2000 Mets for the bottom 50. Every time he entered the game, it was a sign the Valentine conceded. He only pitched in 37 innings, but he posted an ERA of 7.78!
Kenny is a good call.
Let me see if I understand the parameters of this. A great Mets player has to be traded and his replacement(s) must be subpar compared to him? If so, trading Nolan Ryan, Don Rose, Francisco Estrada and Leroy Stanton for Jim Fregosi (which at the time was probably viewed as a even trade)has to qualify. Worst though, has to be Tom Seaver for Pat Zachry, Steve Henderson, Doug Flynn, and Dan Norman.
If, on the other hand, we’re talking about disappointing Free Agents, I’d nominate Bobby Bonilla (who, for some reason, the Mets felt compelled to obtain twice).
No, a Met can be “worst” for any reason. I just suggest there’s no reason to add say Randy Milligan for going 0 for 1 in his Mets career.
Bobby Bonilla is a good one.
Charlie O’Brien – I don’t care how good defensively you are, but a career .212 hitter while a Met?
And now if we are talking about free agents who disappointed I think Vince Coleman would top that list. And then there’s the Ollie Perez/Luis Castillo.
Unfortunately, the list goes on.
Carlos Baerga. What a hyped acquisition who already, we found out, was done.
Kaz Matsui — not only terrible, but pushed Reyes to 2B which hindered his (Reyes’) development too
He didn’t play in very many games, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a worse all-around player in a Mets uni than Angel Berroa in 2009. Watching him play sealed my opinion on Minaya. How incompetent does your GM have to be for someone like that to ever find his way into a Major League game?
I will refine this over time, but start with, 31 names:
Dave Schneck, Joe Foy, Bob Aspromonte, Roy Staiger, Tom Hall, Roy Lee Jackson, Dan Norman, Mike Howard, Ronn Reynolds, Wes Gardner, Juan Samuel, Mike Marshall, Charlie O’Brien, Anthony Young, Pete Schourek, Dick Schofield, Chris Donnels, Eric Hillman, Pete Smith, Pete Harnisch, Mel Rojas, Gary Matthews, Roberto Alomar, Jay Bell, Pedro Atsacio, Tyler Yates, Victor Zambrano, Alay Soler, David Newhan, JJ Putz, Oliver Perez.
How can Oliver Perez not be on this list? Or Luis Castillo for that matter?
Off the to[p of my head, I can honestly say that I never enjoyed ny of the following who would be on my list of all-time worst mets — in no particular order:
James Baldwin
Jose Lima
Tony Fernandez
Mike Glavine
Mel Rojas
Matt Wise
Donnie Wall
Billy Taylor
Ricky Ledee
Joe Foy
Ricky Bottalico
Miguel Cairo
Jorge Julio
Doug Mientkiewicz
Guillermo Mota
Tim Redding
Ryan Thompson
Young
Doug Sisk
Mo Vaughn, for obvious reasons.
Roger Cedeno, for having no talent yet being the leadoff guy.
Eddie Kunz, who was recently outpitched by Charlie Brown.
Timo Perez for showboating us out of a World Series.
Aaron Heilman for his chronic complaining and serving up meatballs.
Billy Taylor, who apparently lost all his talent on the flight from Oakland to New York when traded for Jason Isringhausen.
Vince Coleman for not being able to hit or run and for throwing firecrackers at little girls’ faces.
Luis Lopez. I just never liked him.
Brian McCrae, who was a black hole in our lineup for far too long.
Mike Jacobs. He’s awful. Need I say more?
This is fun!
Carlos Baerga
Roberto Alomar
Jeromy Burnitz (round two)
I was going to add Mickey Lolich, but despite his 8-13 record as a Met he pitched on an awful team but sported a 3.22 ERA.
Similarly, Kenny Rogers was 5-1 yet is demonized for that walk.
Was Burnitz 2 worse than Matthews Junior 2?
Dave Kingman, especially the second time around. Sure he hit a lot of home runs, but very little else. One year, he lead the league in Ks despite playing only 100 games. The next year, he won the HR crown — with an OBA of .285. He was too stupid to even attempt to hit the ball to right, so you got hundreds of long files to left, hundreds of strikeouts, and the occasional home run.
Don Hahn. People complain about Willie Mays’s final season, how he wasn’t able to play center. He played because Hahn was infinitely worse, a guy with no power in the slightest but who swung for the fences on every pitch.
It’s tough to top Vince Coleman in my book.
Joe McEwing. Why is he never on these lists? Everyone always says, “you gotta love Super Joe!” Why? He can play every position? He hit about .215 at every position. How does that help the team?
THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE!!!! NO IFS ANDS OR BUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On April 25, 1962—before he even played a game for the Indians—Chiti was acquired by the expansion New York Mets for a player to be named later. However, he was sent back to the Indians on June 15, 1962 after 15 games and a .195 batting average.[1] Since Chiti was the “player to be named later,” he thus became the first player ever traded for himself. He never played another major league game, spending two more years at AAA before retiring in 1964.
REALIT IS STRNGAR THAN FICTION!!!
I already said Baerga, but yes, Mel Rojas sucked slightly more. Guess I had blocked him out of my memory in an effort to keep my sanity….
Does anybody remember Paul Gibson? It seemed everytime he pitched in 1992 in relief he could do nothing right. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gibsopa01.shtml
I’ll also nominate Jorge Julio.
Frank Taveras. Truly Awful!
Mickey Loilich. joe foy, fregosi, rich rodriguez, hebner, Garry Matthews jr Brian McCray , mike bordick shall i go on lol
how I hated Paul Gibson — but I hated even more that Gibson, who absolutely sucked, was lovingly called Gibby in tv interviews by The Original Mouth, John Franco. Screw you, Gibby, and Franco too, for choosing allegiance over what was best for the team (see Rick Reed)…
How about Mackey Sasser? 15 HR’s in 5 seasons.
worse met ever. joe foy.
the first met allegedy with substance abuse issues in 1970.
Worst Mets of All Time
• Nolan Ryan traded (to become HOFer) with three players for Jim Fregosi
• Amos Otis traded for Joe Foy
• Ken Singleton traded with Tim Foli and Mike Jorgensen for Le Grande Orange
• George Foster overpaid for diminished production
• Bobby Bonilla overpaid for diminished production and toxic personality (twice)
• Roberto Alomar overpaid for diminished production
• Mo Vaughn overpaid for diminished production
• Kevin Appier overpaid but outlasted Mo Vaughn (thank God for insurance)
• Vince Coleman overpaid for diminished production and toxic personality
• Willie Montanez traded for Jon Matlack and John Milner then for Mike Jorgensen and Ed Lynch
• Timo Perez for dogging it
I’d say Bobby Bonilla, because of all the bad ones, he was the one who was supposed to be the anchor from the great 1980s, and instead was just a miserable person.