I remember the moment clearly. I was rolling out of Field 6 at Jones Beach. Right at the exit onto Ocean Parkay east where you gun it and try to get over three lanes to make the U-turn. WFAN tells me the Mets have traded David Cone for two guys. It reminded me of the Dykstra/McDowell trade.
I hated Ryan Thompson and didn’t care much for Jeff Kent and to this day I’d still rather have David Cone at however old he is than both those guys in their prime.
From the Times of April 13, 1994 we see that Kent is a leader and a crowd pleaser. I laugh.
But he has already become a leader on the field. With excellent offensive numbers in his first full season with the Mets — Kent’s 20 home runs and 81 r.b.i. were best in Mets history for a second baseman — and a fast start this spring, Kent has become the player the Mets depend on for offense. This has particularly been the case during the absence of Bobby Bonilla, who is out at least a week with a shoulder injury.
“Jeff has really taken a leadership role in the offensive lineup,” said Manager Dallas Green, who has great respect for Kent’s work ethic. “There’s no question about that. He did it all spring and it looks like he’s going to carry it into the season.” Crowd Pleaser
