This Week in Mets History 1-12: Tom Terrific, Rusty, a Darling Trade and Strawberry's Moonshot

Frank Gray
MM Editor

This week, we celebrate baseball's opening week with a bang. We remember two mega trades that didn't seem big at the time, a new team debuts in Shea, and Darryl raises the roof. All this and more, this week in Mets history.


April 1, 1982 - In an attempt to build on youth and part ways with the players of the past few pathetic seasons, the Mets trade fan favorite Lee Mazzilli in an unpopular move. They deal Maz to the Texas Rangers in exchange for two rookie starting pitchers: Ron Darling and Walt Terrell.

Darling won 99 games with the Mets to go with a World Series, an All-Star appearance and a Gold Glove. He remains with the team in the booth calling games for SNY. While Terrell didn't have a bad Mets tenure (19 wins and a Mets career 3.53 ERA), he did have a major impact on the team's future. They would trade him to Detroit two years later for Howard Johnson.


April 3, 1966 - After a dispute with NCAA and Major League Baseball, Tom Seaver is drafted by the Mets through a special process. He was ineligible to play his senior year at USC because he had signed a professional contract.

When Seaver's father threatens a lawsuit, MLB voided his contract with Atlanta who had signed him and allowed other teams to match their offer. The Mets had their name drawn out of a hat and won the rights to draft him. Seaver then became the Hall of Fame icon we all know and love, but it was very close to never happening with the Mets.


April 3, 2009 - After the Detroit Tigers cut ties with Gary Sheffield and his massive $14 million contract, the Mets swooped in and signed him in the hopes that he would boost their outfield offense. The son of former Mets great Dwight Gooden, would hit ten homers, drive in 43 RBI and hold a .276 AVG in his one year with the Mets.


April 4, 1988 - In an opening day explosion, Kevin McReynolds and Darryl Strawberry both hit two home runs each in a memorable 10-6 win over the Expos in Montreal. The most memorable part of the game though was Strawberry's second home run. It traveled an estimated distance of 525 ft and hit a light rim in the ceiling at Olympic Stadium. It is the longest home run in the history of that venue.


April 5, 1972 - The Mets look to get stronger for the future. They do so by trading Ken Singleton, Tim Foli and Mike Jorgensen to the Montreal Expos for All Star Rusty Staub. Staub would become a fan favorite and a major part of the "Gotta Believe" Mets of 1973. The man nicknamed "Le Grand Orange" would play nine years for the Mets in two separate stints.

He would hit .276 AVG and drive in 399 RBI in Queens. Today he is the author of two Mets-themed books. He is also the founder of the NY Police and Fire Widows and Children Benefits Fund in which has raised over $112 million in donations since 9/11.

This week in Mets history 1-4: Keith and Jessie

Photo courtesy of  CBS Sports

Frank Gray
MM Editor

For those who do not know, I write a weekly column over at Mets360.com. In recent weeks, I have begun a weekly glimpse into events in Mets history. I would like to bring that series to Mets Menu. For the first three installments of the series (to get caught up), please visit the following links: This week in Mets history 1-1, This week in Mets history 1-2 and This week in History 1-3. Thank you.

In this edition, we visit two members of the 1986 title team, a disgruntled cast away from the 70's  and an even more disgruntled reject from the 2000's. Ahhh, the memories. Soak them in folks.


February 3, 2009- Struggling for consistency in their rotation, the Mets re-signed Oliver Perez to a three year, $36 Million deal. They had hoped that he would improve from his previous season. He didn't. Perez spent the majority of that deal in and out of the rotation.

The Mets so regretted it that when Sandy Alderson took over, one of their first moves was to eat the remaining third of his deal just to get rid of him. He posted a 3-9 record with a 6.81 ERA in the first two years of that contract, only pitching in 31 games.


February 7, 1979- The Mets finalized a trade that would send longtime great Jerry Koosman to the Minnesota Twins. They acquired a player to be named later. On this date, that player was named. It was Jesse Orosco.

The two-time All Star, Orosco, would be the last Mets pitcher to celebrate a World Series championship. During his tenure in Queens, he saved 107 games and appeared in 372 of his MLB record 1,252 games. To this day, he is considered one of the greatest closers, not only in Mets history, but in MLB history.


February 10, 1982- Looking to bolster their offense, the Mets pull of a trade for Reds great George Foster. To complete the trade, they ink him to a five year, $10 Million deal. In nearly five years in Queens, Foster would only hit 99 home runs and hold an abysmal .252 AVG with the team.

He would be released in the 1986 season after controversial accusations of racism within the organization that would keep him from playing even though the man replacing him was a fellow African American, Kevin Mitchell.


February 10, 1984- While the team was looking for the future talent to take root, they needed to keep the veteran talent they had in the fold. With impending free agency looming, the Mets agreed to a five year, $8 Million deal with Keith Hernandez to remain with the team. Hernandez went on to anchor the infield of that 1986 Championship team.

He would hit for a Mets career .297 AVG, collect five gold gloves and three All Star selections in his tenure in Queens. After retiring, he took to the booth where he resides with fellow Mets player Ron Darling and Gary Cohen as the trio that calls Mets games for SNY.