Recently I cracked wise about the 1978 Mets and how even I hadn’t heard of Mardi Cornejo. Fortunately, Grag Price had….
For the better, was the idea, but entering 1978, the power of positive thinking seemed inoperable in Metropolitan circles. Yet here were the Mets, not losing more than they were winning, which wasn’t widely anticipated in March. There was a 3-0 start; there were home runs from old faces (Ed Kranepool — a walkoff winner); young faces (Steve Henderson — a grand slam); grizzled faces (ex-Giant Ken Henderson, belting his sole Met shot before succumbing to serious injury). There were Mets up from Tidewater, like unheralded righty starter and Queens native Mike Bruhert and reliever Mardie Cornejo, whose nickname, for some unspecified reason, was The Chief.
via The Happiest Recap: 013-015 « Faith and Fear in Flushing.
Ket that be a cautionary tale before you go trading one or two of the career leaders out of town.
