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Opening Day fun facts

Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 02:30 PM

It looks like this year there will be no Mets making their debut as part of the starting lineup on Opening Day. In the 47 seasons that the Mets have played, there have been only six seasons in which the season opener didn't include at least one player making his Mets debut. The last time it happened was in 1988, a year which saw only three new Mets the entire season. It also happened in 1986, 1983, 1977, 1976, and 1974. It probably won't happen in 2009, unless Santana throws a complete game, it's likely that Putz, Rodriguez, Green , or O'Day will get into the game. The season opener with the most Mets debuting was, of course, 1962 with 14 players. Aside from 1962, the most debuting opening day players were found in 1995, with 9. There were 6 each in 1967, 1992, 1997, 2004, 2005, and 2006. Years in which there was only one opening day newbie were 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001. I won't say who any of the players are. Feel free to post your guesses over the next couple of days. When this thing peters out I'll post the answers. I haven't even looked myself, yet, though I'm pretty sure I can guess who the lone new guys were in 1982 and 1987.

metirish Mar 31 2009 02:34 PM

I hope Alex Cora won't make his debut on opening day as part of the starting lineup , with a week to go though who knows.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 31 2009 02:35 PM

69: Garrett 01: Shinjo!

Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 02:38 PM

1982 Foster 1987 McReynolds

Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 02:39 PM

1989 Don Aase

Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 02:39 PM

Shinjo is correct for 2001. Garrett is not. (He debuted in the fifth game of the 1969 season.)

Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 02:40 PM

Then I'll go with Dr. Ron Taylor.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 02:40 PM

Foster and McReynolds are correct. (Those were easy.) Aase, less easy, is also correct for 1989.

metsguyinmichigan Mar 31 2009 02:40 PM

So, what you're saying, is that you want Livan to be the Opening Day starter!

Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 02:40 PM

1991 Coleman.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 02:41 PM

="Edgy DC":oa2l0jd4]Then I'll go with Dr. Ron Taylor.[/quote:oa2l0jd4] Getting colder. Doctor Ron debuted with the Mets in 1967. Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 02:42 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":11i18yb8]Foster and McReynolds are correct. (Those were easy.) Aase, less easy, is also correct for 1989.[/quote:11i18yb8] I finally found trivia that I rock at. batmagadan has had me feeling quite trially impotent. Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 02:42 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":2snh0iy4]So, what you're saying, is that you want Livan to be the Opening Day starter![/quote:2snh0iy4] Interesting reading between the lines there! And yes, 1991 is Vince Coleman. (Pete Schourek debuted the very next day.) metirish Mar 31 2009 02:42 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Mar 31 2009 05:31 PM According to UMDB Shinjo came in a a pinch runner , Benny Agbayani was in the starting line up. I was going to guess Desi Relaford but that's not correct. Sorry Ben Grim but I was asking if I was right about this. Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 02:47 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":88ijrl1q] ="Edgy DC":88ijrl1q]Then I'll go with Dr. Ron Taylor.[/quote:88ijrl1q] Getting colder. Doctor Ron debuted with the Mets in 1967.[/quote:88ijrl1q] That's because I'm confusing my briefly great bullpenners and I meant Jack Dilauro. John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 31 2009 02:49 PM 73: George Theodore Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 02:51 PM Not DiLauro, not Theodore. The 1973 guy was a significant off-season acquisition. Met Hunter Mar 31 2009 02:55 PM Felix the Cat. What about Joe Foy in 1970? Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 02:58 PM Gotta be Gaspar the second-class star. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 31 2009 03:08 PM 1980: Jerry Morales 1981: Mike Cubbage Centerfield Mar 31 2009 03:14 PM 1992: Eddie Murray, Bobby Bonilla, Vince Coleman, Willie Randolph, Daryl Boston and....? G-Fafif Mar 31 2009 03:16 PM ]1988, a year which saw only three new Mets the entire season. Four new Mets in '88: Sasser from the beginning, McClure and Nunez added at trading deadline (or thereabouts) and David West called up in September. Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 03:30 PM Gaspar, Foy, Millan, Morales, and Cubbage are all correct. Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 03:31 PM ="G-Fafif":3d3vzy48] Four new Mets in '88: Sasser from the beginning, McClure and Nunez added at trading deadline (or thereabouts) and David West called up in September.[/quote:3d3vzy48] You're right. I was going from memory, and that memory was faulty. Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 03:33 PM ="Centerfield":3sees5y6]1992: Eddie Murray, Bobby Bonilla, Vince Coleman, Willie Randolph, Daryl Boston and....?[/quote:3sees5y6] Bonilla, Murray, and Randolph are correct. Not Coleman and not Boston. Coleman was the 1991 guy, and Boston joined the Mets in May 1990. Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 03:41 PM Joe Orsulak. Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 03:41 PM By Orsulak, I mean, Dave Gallagher. Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 03:46 PM Yes to Gallagher. For another of the 1992 guys, remember that it was also Jeff Torborg's debut. G-Fafif Mar 31 2009 03:48 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":1ijaeyp2] ="G-Fafif":1ijaeyp2] Four new Mets in '88: Sasser from the beginning, McClure and Nunez added at trading deadline (or thereabouts) and David West called up in September.[/quote:1ijaeyp2] You're right. I was going from memory, and that memory was faulty.[/quote:1ijaeyp2] Jason my blog partner, he of The Holy Books collection of a card for every Met even if he had to create them himself (and the nine he self-manufactured are dazzling in their faux-Toppsness), told me a million pre-UMDB years ago that '88 was the lightest season on new Mets, four. Been implanted in the head ever since. Strangely enough, Sasser, the only one of those four with Met staying power, is the one I usually have to think about. Nunez sticks in mind because during the division clinching champagne bath, he showed up standing in his locker, behind the plastic covering, smiling but making a point that he didn't want to get wet. Edwin Nunez never pitched for a team anywhere near the playoffs yet suddenly he's a dry-clothed veteran on September 22, 1988. Then he was left off the 24-man NLCS roster. Hope he enjoyed not getting soaked. G-Fafif Mar 31 2009 03:49 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":3pgkqadq]Yes to Gallagher. For another of the 1992 guys, remember that it was also Jeff Torborg's debut.[/quote:3pgkqadq] Bill Pecota. metirish Mar 31 2009 04:50 PM Was I wrong about Shinjo or did I miss the point of this thread. Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 05:20 PM Johnny guessed Shinjo (correctly) in the second or third post of this thread. metirish Mar 31 2009 05:32 PM ="metirish":xlm3fylz]According to UMDB Shinjo came in a a pinch runner , Benny Agbayani was in the starting line up. I was going to guess Desi Relaford but that's not correct.[/quote:xlm3fylz] Sorry Ben Grim but I was asking if I was right about this. Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2009 06:03 PM Yes, Shinjo entered the game as a pinch-runner, but he was the only player to make his Mets debut in the first game of 2001. metirish Mar 31 2009 06:08 PM Oh I thought you meant in the starting nine. HahnSolo Apr 01 2009 09:01 AM ="metirish":2zrh990b]Oh I thought you meant in the starting nine.[/quote:2zrh990b] Yeah, I was wondering why Don Aase was on the list. So if relief/bench players count, then wouldn't KRod, Putz, Green, Reed be possibilities? [Edit: nevermind, I'm easily confused. I should read things more thoroughly before I post] Benjamin Grimm Apr 02 2009 06:56 AM Junior Noboa is the remaining 1992 guy. Edgy DC Apr 02 2009 07:19 AM I deserve copious amounts of parting gifts for coming up with Aase. I mean, I should lose half of them for conflating Orsulak and Gallagher, but there you are. G-Fafif Apr 02 2009 08:18 AM ="Edgy DC":28f3t4q6]I deserve copious amounts of parting gifts for coming up with Aase.[/quote:28f3t4q6] Page 163. Fman99 Apr 02 2009 09:22 AM I think I'll dip into recent history for the 2006 group of 6: LoDuca Delgado Nady Wagner Julio Franco Valentin Benjamin Grimm Apr 03 2009 07:51 AM Fman goes six for six with '06 picks! Fman99 Apr 03 2009 07:53 AM ="Benjamin Grimm":3g47tz21]Fman goes six for six with '06 picks![/quote:3g47tz21] I was thinking A-Hern too, who was the opening day 2B, but he had a callup in the fall of '05.