The other day I was stuck in a really really really really really really long meeting. Really long.
At some point I started thinking about Lost.
Scribbled down 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Usually I see Yankees numbers when I see that sequence…but this time I saw 1986 Mets (with Buddy coaching third). I started to wonder if the Mets with those numbers were better than the Yankees.
Whitey Ford/Dwight Gooden is half-way arguable….Carter/Berra I guess you could maybe debate (although Yogi has two hands filled with rings, it is hard to diss him)….then I got to Dykstra/Gehrig and surrendered.
But what about the teens….maybe there is some hope there!
10 Rusty Staub vs Phil Rizzuto. Phil is a HOFer, Rusty was really good. I’ll nod to the HOFer.
11 Damn. Who knew Lefty Gomez wore #11? So did Gooden! In Flushing (and Manhattan) Duke Snider wore #11 for the Mets (why couldn’t he get #4?) Tim Teufel? Vince Coleman. Damn Yankees win again.
12. Surely 12 will be better! Um…John Stearns? Probable Hall of Famer and Hated Met Jeff Kent? In the Bronx….the first DH Ron Blomberg? Famous Red Sock Wade Boggs? My dad used to tell me about 5 time all star Gil McDougald….so once again a nod to the Yankees.
13. Yankees coach Lee Mazzilli vs Mets World Series champion Lee Mazzilli? How about A-Rod vs Alex Cora? Cora it is! 3-1 Yankees.
14. Gil Hodges or Bobby Cox, 5 time all Star Bill Skowron, Ron Swoboda of all people or Lou Piniella. Since this is a Mets blog I will get lyched if I don’t pick Gil…and he is the right pick. 3-2 Yankees.
15. Captain Munson vs… Jerry Grote? Carlos Beltran? One of Ron Darling’s numbers? I begrudgingly give this to the Yankees…4-2.
16. Although this is Lee Mazzilli’s true Mets number, I will throw Dwight Gooden in this matchup. As always with Dwight we think about the promise…Doc finished 194-112 and was with a lot of teams besides the Mets…..Whitey Ford won 236 and has a great nickname. 5-2 Yankees.
From the MLB website:
The wily southpaw’s lifetime record of 236-106 gives him the best percentage (.690) of any 20th century pitcher. He paced the American League in victories three times, and in ERA and shutouts twice. The 1961 Cy Young Award winner still holds many World Series records, including 10 wins, 33 consecutive scoreless innings and 94 strikeouts. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974.
This is going poorly Mets fans. Hopefully we can rally, and we have some big bats coming up.
17. The Captain. Who’s cooler than Keith Hernandez. The Yankees have Dwight Gooden (again??), 4 time All Star Vic Raschi, Mickey Rivers and someone named Rafael Santana. Sorry Yankee fans…Mex gets the nod. 5-3 Yankees.
18. Darryl…Darryl….um Deion Sanders was 1989 Yankee? He was? no contest. 5-4 Yankees.
19. Last chance for the Mets to tie (well assuming you believe A-Cora is better than A-Rod, otherwise this is over already). The Yankees offer some interesting choices: Dave Righetti, Fritz Peterson, Johnny Murphy and someone named Robin Ventura. In Flushing..I gotta pick Bob Ojeda as best of the bunch. Johnny Murphy has 7 World Series rings by the way. Yankees.
Well that didn’t work out well. Maybe I’ll try again next week with the 20’s. Hell, maybe I’ll torture us all and do the single digits too…I mean Mookie is better than Billy Martin right?
…
Let’s all take a second to think about Johnny Murphy. 7 rings. That’s manly.
Besides, one of my ancestors shared that name.
Thanks to YankeeNumbers and Mets By The Numbers for the help!
