It’s February 5th and the biggest Met team news is about …well, there is no big news. So let’s take another look back at one of the yearbooks of Mets season past. Today it’s a random game in 1981 (translation I didn’t take score so have no idea of the date).
On May 28, 1981, the Mets traded Dan Norman & Jeff Reardon (yeah, another pitcher that would do great things after leaving the Mets), for former All-Star Ellis Valentine. Valentine had a rocket arm and I remember thinking that wow, we were getting someone good for a change.
Ha – Valentine started with the Mets on the DL and hit .207 for the rest of the year. He was with the Mets one more year before leaving as a free agent. In other words, this cover was one of the highlights of his time with the team.
So let’s open up and see what we have on the inside
So how many of you knew that Bob Gibson was once a pitching coach for the Mets? And yes, that is Joe Torre there too! Kids, believe it or not the Yankees were not the first New York team that Torre managed.
Gibson may have been a great pitcher, but he wasn’t really a great evaluator of talent. The Mets had a chance to get a young Roger Clemens, but Gibson told Torre and the Mets to pass. Thankfully he didn’t evaluate Gooden as well.
Ah, Hubie. I really liked Hubie. Seriously, how could you not like a guy named Hubie – who was obviously the solution to third base. Well, at least til they traded him for Gary Carter.
Hubie was a good solid player for the Mets, and would eventually become an All-Star with the Expos. He would return to the Mets in 1991 in a trade for Bobby Ojeda
Lastly, we come to Mexico’s gift to the Mets – catcher Alex Trevino. I wish I coyuld tell you some great anecdote about Trevino, but to be honest, I got nuttin here. Trevino was John Stearns’ backup (which meant he played a lot given Stearn’s injuries). His biggest claim to fame though was being part of the package that the Mets sent to the Reds to get George Foster. The less said about that the better.
OK, so this yearbook flashback wasn’t that exciting – but then again, the 1981 Mets weren’t that exciting either.
Main Mets Police page
Subscribe to The Mets Police by Email
Get Mets Police via reader/RSS
Follow us on twitter @metspolice
Facebook page
Contact: shannon at metspolice.com (Guest posts welcome!)
Share Photos: pictures at metspolice.com
