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Mike Sielski of the Journal says "Hey Mac," and Mac replies.
One Batter and He Was History
Mac Scarce's Last-Pitch Loss to Pirates in 1975 Came in His Only Game as a Met
Mac Scarce doesn't remember much about the night his playing career with the Mets began and ended. The infielders playing behind him? He couldn't say. The whole thing lasted only a few pitches, and so many years have passed since.
"You do know this was in 1975, right?" he said.
When Mets reliever Manny Acosta gave up a game-ending home run Monday night to pinch-hitter Laynce Nix, giving the Reds a 3-2, 11-inning victory, the moment harkened back 35 years, to Mr. Scarce and stranger circumstances surrounding a last-pitch Mets loss.
On April 11, 1975, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Mr. Scarce surrendered a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth inning to the Pirates' Richie Hebner. Mr. Hebner's hit won the game for the Pirates, 4-3, and completed a four-run comeback in the inning.
In the short term, the game was a devastating loss to the Mets. In the long term, it has become an oft-forgotten oddity, for Mr. Hebner was the only hitter Mr. Scarce faced in the only game Mr. Scarce ever pitched for the Mets.
"Good grief," Mr. Scarce said when reached by phone recently. "I have a lot fonder memories of playing for the Phillies than I do with the Mets."
Mr. Scarce, 61, who now lives near Atlanta and has owned a mortgage company since 1990, came up in professional baseball through the Phillies' farm system. The team made him an eighth-round draft pick in 1971. A 6-foot-3, 180-pound lefthander whose best pitch was his slider, Mr. Scarce was a bullpen mainstay for the team from 1972 to 1974. He led the Phillies in saves in 1973 with 12, posting a fine 2.42 ERA, and appeared in a career-high 58 games the following season.
On Dec. 3, 1974, in a deal that turned out to be significant for both teams, the Phillies traded Mr. Scarce, outfielder Del Unser and catcher John Stearns to the Mets for outfielders Don Hahn and Dave Schneck and reliever Tug McGraw. Mr. Stearns went on to spend 10 years with the Mets, and over a decade with the Phillies, Mr. McGraw saved 94 games and helped the franchise win its first World Series, in 1980.
Mr. Scarce, though, had begun having arm problems during the '74 season, and while pitching for Clearwater, Fla., in the Instructional League that off-season, he said, he tore his rotator cuff.
"When I got traded, I was damaged goods," he said, "and I just never recovered from it."
Nevertheless, he made the Mets' Opening Day roster, and the team's third game of the season was a Friday night in Pittsburgh. Mets starter Jerry Koosman carried a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Pirates led off with three consecutive singles to spoil the shutout. After replacing Mr. Koosman, reliever Rick Baldwin allowed a bases-loaded single to tie the game and still had runners on first and second with one out.
Mets manager Yogi Berra then called on Mr. Scarce to face Mr. Hebner, Pittsburgh's left-handed-hitting first baseman, just as an important, early-season win against arguably the National League's best team was slipping away. The Pirates won five division titles and a World Series from 1970 to 1975.
"I didn't want to face them," Mr. Scarce said. " 'The Lumber Company,' are you kidding me? We had guys on the Phillies who, when we'd go into Pittsburgh, all of a sudden they'd have a sore arm. They didn't want to pitch against those guys."
Mr. Hebner singled to left field, and Pittsburgh's Paul Popovich scored the winning run from second base.
Four days later, on April 15, the Mets traded Mr. Scarce to the Reds for another left-handed reliever, Tom Hall.
His arm injury kept Mr. Scarce in the minor leagues until 1978, when he pitched in 17 games for the Minnesota Twins. He retired shortly thereafter.
"You want to go play, but the handwriting's on the wall," Mr. Scarce said. "Sure, guys you played with, you see them on TV, and it was hard for a while. You had to make the decision and move on. I knew I wasn't going to be a minor leaguer in my 30s, trying to get back to playing major-league baseball.''
For the record, since Mr. Scarce couldn't remember, the Mets' infield on the night he pitched for them had John Milner at first base, Felix Milan at second base, Bud Harrelson at shortstop and Joe Torre at third base.
And because it's only fair, Ike Davis, Luis Castillo, Jose Reyes and David Wright were playing behind Mr. Acosta when he threw the spinning, 80-mph slider that Mr. Nix sent over the right-field wall.
"One mistake," Mr. Acosta said, according to an interpreter, "and you saw the result."
It could have been worse.
Manny Acosta was still a Met on Tuesday. |
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