Here are the names so far suggested in the original post. Again, you have to earn your way on to the list. There is no point on picking on Randy Milligan for going 0 for 1.
Y’all are a passionate bunch – here’s what came in so far, and many of you provided reasons. Keep ’em coming.
In no particular order, and we can whittle these down in a week or so and pick The Worst…
• 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
Mackey Sasser? 15 HR’s in 5 seasons.
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)
Mickey Loilich. Joe Foy, Jim Fregosi, Rich Rodriguez, Richie Hebner, Garry Matthews Jr., Brian McCray , Mike Bordick
Frank Taveras. Truly Awful!
Carlos Baerga, Roberto Alomar, Jeromy Burnitz (round two)
That’s Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar sir.
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
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?
It’s tough to top Vince Coleman in my book.
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.
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.
Doug Sisk
How can Oliver Perez not be on this list? Or Luis Castillo for that matter?
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
Anthony Young
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?
Carlos Baerga. What a hyped acquisition who already, we found out, was done.
Charlie O’Brien – I don’t care how good defensively you are, but a career .212 hitter while a Met?
Kaz Matsui — not only terrible, but pushed Reyes to 2B which hindered his (Reyes’) development too
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.
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?
Harry Chiti: 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.
The list for worst move begins and ends with trading Seaver.
Some other moves to consider in no particular order (some have been mentioned):
1. Juan Samuel trade
2. Not drafting Reggie Jackson
3. Bay for Reed
4. Izzy for Billy Taylor
5. Bordick for Mora
6. McReynolds for Mitchell
7. Coleman
8. No CF for the 2002 Mets team
9. Letting Dallas Green handle the Young Guns
10. Baerga trade
11. Waiting too long to trade Milledge
12. Putting Ryan Church on the plane
13. Joe Foy
14. Resigning Oliver Perez
15. Not extending Jose Reyes
16. Art Howe hiring
17. Jeff Torborg hiring
18. Bobby V firing
19. Making Tom Glavine and Al Leiter co-GM’s
20. Zambrano for Kazmir
21. Payton for Thompson
22. Reyes to 2B for Matsui
23. Bringing in Rogers over Dotel
24. Mel Rojas
25. Citi Field, home of the Dodgers
26. Mota shaking off LoDuca
27. Giving Duaner Sanchez cabfare
28. Not pitching Gentry in Game 6 of the 1973 WS
29. Giving A-Rod and Hampton money to Traschel, D’Amico, and Appier
30. Everything associated with Ramon Castro
31. Letting Cliff Floyd go (heart and soul of ’06 team)
32. Moving Piazza to 1B
33. Trading for and playing Gary Matthews, Jr.
34. Not signing Albert Pujols when he was drafted by the Mets
35. Same for Clemens (although I hate him)
36. Dan Warthen, pitching coach
37. Firing Rick Peterson
38. Grant’s tomb
39. Allowing Doc to pitch to Scioscia
40. Retiring Stengel’s number
41. Seaver – free agent
42. Robinson Rotunda, no Seaver acknowledgement
43. Heath Bell trade
44. Lack of drug counseling for Daryl and Doc
45. Bringing in Benitz against the Braves
46. Allowing Benitz to pitch to Burrell
47. Having no bullpen in 2008
48. Meijia set-up man
49. Extening Jerry Manuel after the 2008 collapse
50. Bringing in Schoenweis to allow HR to complete 08 collapse.
There’s 50 for the upcoming Mets 50th season.
What about the wilpons buying the team in the first place