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RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

G-Fafif Mar 29 2018 11:55 AM

Sad, sad news to open the season with. From Bill Madden in the Daily News: In every way, Rusty Staub, the beloved Mets' hitting icon, who passed away early Thursday morning at age 73, was bigger than life — a bigger-than-life baseball personality, humanitarian, gourmet chef, wine connoisseur, friend-to-all and, to the fans of Montreal, quite simply, "Le Grand Orange." The hulking 6-2 Staub, whose post-retirement weight fluctuated from 250-300 pounds, had battled a number of health issues in recent years, including a near-fatal heart attack, October 2, 2015, on a plane flight from Ireland to New York. He reportedly became woozy while playing golf near his Palm Beach Gardens, Fl. home in late January and was later discovered to be suffering from cellulitis, which evolved into a blood infection that resulted in a shutdown of his kidneys. Staub died at 12:30 a.m. Thursday at the Good Samaritan Medical Center in Palm Beach, Florida, due to multiple organ failure. He was initially admitted with pneumonia, dehydration and an infection and spent the last eight weeks in the hospital. He would have turned 74 on Sunday. Staub’s legacy is immense, and will be immediately felt at Citi Field where the Mets open their season Thursday afternoon.

cooby Mar 29 2018 11:59 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Oh no!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 29 2018 12:05 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Crud. Orange (instead of black) band on the sleeve would be a nice tribute.

Edgy MD Mar 29 2018 12:17 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

No tribute seems enough. My first clear baseball memory is him wrecking the his shoulder smashing into the wall in right in the 1973 post-season, and throwing underhand later in the series.

41Forever Mar 29 2018 12:20 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Tremendous loss to the Mets family, especially after Ed Charles' passing a few weeks ago. How I'll always remember Rusty -- sleeveless and ready to mash!

Benjamin Grimm Mar 29 2018 12:21 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Orange (instead of black) band on the sleeve would be a nice tribute. That's a great idea. Such sad news.

dgwphotography Mar 29 2018 01:01 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 29 2018 01:09 PM

Just devastating news, especially on Opening Day. RIP Rusty. As good as he was on the field, he was a first ballot hall of famer off the field.

MFS62 Mar 29 2018 01:02 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

He gave so much. He did so much. And in later years, he suffered so much. RIP. Later

d'Kong76 Mar 29 2018 01:09 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Aw crap, and Keef said not long ago he was doing much better. RIP, Big Guy.

seawolf17 Mar 29 2018 01:12 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

An all-time Met, by any metric. One of the Metsiest Mets who ever Metsed.

Lefty Specialist Mar 29 2018 01:13 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Wow. That really sucks. Not just a good player, but a good person. He did a lot for the 9/11 police and fire widows, among many many other things. Agreed on the orange stripe- it would be so perfect.

Farmer Ted Mar 29 2018 01:20 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Always giving. RIP. http://www.answerthecall.org/ http://www.rustystaubfoundation.com/

Edgy MD Mar 29 2018 01:21 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

A great apple polisher. The ideal of what a ballplayer-citizen could be.

G-Fafif Mar 29 2018 01:25 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Only one Rusty Staub.

metirish Mar 29 2018 01:35 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

How sad, loved seeing him in the booth over the years

Chad Ochoseis Mar 29 2018 01:51 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Goodbye, and au revoir. It's pretty much impossible to be 50ish, a Mets fan, and not have some early memory of Rusty. Mine is this game, from August 14, 1974, which featured a walkoff single by Rusty with bases loaded, one out, and the outfield playing at what he described in the following day's Daily News as "deep Little League".

Benjamin Grimm Mar 29 2018 01:54 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

I remember the first-inning grand slam that he hit on Mother's Day, 1972. Put the Mets ahead of the Giants 4-0. The Giants later tied the score at 4, but the Mets would get the winning run on a solo homer by the new guy, playing against his old team. (That new guy is also known as "Willie Mays".) Final score: Mets 5, Giants 4.

Zvon Mar 29 2018 01:57 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Ugh. This sucks. RIP Rusty. [fimg=500]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/k5LDiAfSHHAo5kIHkCfB0eDhg2XMTG64QhJlTI5ctsdkT23kuMjwhL2e63uWZ7FTBx820-UF5dWqwa_6JdmcvJ7MUGnYh0HTvoGE2ofxRCCpR6aHR6GSvot2XjRnqasop2T4QZyNT9KPSiyIRgsp2EYn5l7xkXoMuMAFmc0Xu3K4J91sYzVB6J4pLZbKy2tQMFZfi4j1s7GbWl7Ob2tHGNSXbn-ZzEVVshqil3rVLIknUxF-5rqLYgfET-4zneVwlpZce9gtgjHqhLW82Xh2JrA4k3FhV0UbTEsAzwCXkb0S-rG0i5bRDccpwIfOc8PlHynz3O25skLFwyx0kVcTH6dIksbFaqjhI0PED2a-5GhqqMpoxeQmx97T9H6earmXyTIKqRE-xdJBeankZUokQYsmb423v3J_mEyjvC-XRw6ryyKtQ9nzs00DeFGyE1zswrAU6LJ3pTSRk8D2LqnlwtGZFn76wqwL4LdOwDYmGDbYifkGopQ0eJxV3N46KA2EWgS9bAgkInLuKACdviOv-3Gek_B9gcU1Vc5gDTRXdh9XuTtNqFBylA_iV9jon3SbAVn7GSfnqe9kohUvLeq8XEm4F900LbHObrER9h37=w692-h488-no[/fimg]

cooby Mar 29 2018 02:13 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

So awesome. My first Mets crush

batmagadanleadoff Mar 29 2018 02:21 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Zvon wrote: [fimg=500]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/k5LDiAfSHHAo5kIHkCfB0eDhg2XMTG64QhJlTI5ctsdkT23kuMjwhL2e63uWZ7FTBx820-UF5dWqwa_6JdmcvJ7MUGnYh0HTvoGE2ofxRCCpR6aHR6GSvot2XjRnqasop2T4QZyNT9KPSiyIRgsp2EYn5l7xkXoMuMAFmc0Xu3K4J91sYzVB6J4pLZbKy2tQMFZfi4j1s7GbWl7Ob2tHGNSXbn-ZzEVVshqil3rVLIknUxF-5rqLYgfET-4zneVwlpZce9gtgjHqhLW82Xh2JrA4k3FhV0UbTEsAzwCXkb0S-rG0i5bRDccpwIfOc8PlHynz3O25skLFwyx0kVcTH6dIksbFaqjhI0PED2a-5GhqqMpoxeQmx97T9H6earmXyTIKqRE-xdJBeankZUokQYsmb423v3J_mEyjvC-XRw6ryyKtQ9nzs00DeFGyE1zswrAU6LJ3pTSRk8D2LqnlwtGZFn76wqwL4LdOwDYmGDbYifkGopQ0eJxV3N46KA2EWgS9bAgkInLuKACdviOv-3Gek_B9gcU1Vc5gDTRXdh9XuTtNqFBylA_iV9jon3SbAVn7GSfnqe9kohUvLeq8XEm4F900LbHObrER9h37=w692-h488-no[/fimg] Sad day for the Mets family. What I remember most about the footage above of Rusty crashing into the outfield wall is the umpire running into the frame and making the out sign. I like the orange colored armband idea. And this being the Mets, it'd be cheaper than an orange with the numbers 4 and 10 inside.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 29 2018 02:34 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Zvon wrote: [fimg=500]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/k5LDiAfSHHAo5kIHkCfB0eDhg2XMTG64QhJlTI5ctsdkT23kuMjwhL2e63uWZ7FTBx820-UF5dWqwa_6JdmcvJ7MUGnYh0HTvoGE2ofxRCCpR6aHR6GSvot2XjRnqasop2T4QZyNT9KPSiyIRgsp2EYn5l7xkXoMuMAFmc0Xu3K4J91sYzVB6J4pLZbKy2tQMFZfi4j1s7GbWl7Ob2tHGNSXbn-ZzEVVshqil3rVLIknUxF-5rqLYgfET-4zneVwlpZce9gtgjHqhLW82Xh2JrA4k3FhV0UbTEsAzwCXkb0S-rG0i5bRDccpwIfOc8PlHynz3O25skLFwyx0kVcTH6dIksbFaqjhI0PED2a-5GhqqMpoxeQmx97T9H6earmXyTIKqRE-xdJBeankZUokQYsmb423v3J_mEyjvC-XRw6ryyKtQ9nzs00DeFGyE1zswrAU6LJ3pTSRk8D2LqnlwtGZFn76wqwL4LdOwDYmGDbYifkGopQ0eJxV3N46KA2EWgS9bAgkInLuKACdviOv-3Gek_B9gcU1Vc5gDTRXdh9XuTtNqFBylA_iV9jon3SbAVn7GSfnqe9kohUvLeq8XEm4F900LbHObrER9h37=w692-h488-no[/fimg] Sad day for the Mets family. What I remember most about the footage above of Rusty crashing into the outfield wall is the umpire running into the frame and making the out sign. I like the orange colored armband idea. And this being the Mets, it'd be cheaper than an orange with the numbers 4 and 10 inside. Wow. I've been reading some of Staub's obituary articles out there and I had no idea of the size and scope of his philantrophic contributions.

seawolf17 Mar 29 2018 03:03 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Two Rusty games stand out in my memory. The switching from LF to RF one, obviously, and a game-winning pinch HR late in '84 or '85.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 29 2018 03:10 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

I met Rusty at a banquet in 1983 when he refused to sign a baseball card. Michigan/batmags on the cards, Michigan blog linked here too: http://www.mbtn.net/?p=2870

41Forever Mar 29 2018 03:20 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

I met Rusty at a banquet in 1983 when he refused to sign a baseball card. Michigan/batmags on the cards, Michigan blog linked here too: http://www.mbtn.net/?p=2870 That's right! We solved the mystery of the worst card ever!

Benjamin Grimm Mar 29 2018 03:23 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

And that inspired this:

smg58 Mar 29 2018 03:26 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Not sure the Mets ever had a more universally liked player. I also like the orange stripe idea.

seawolf17 Mar 29 2018 03:28 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

smg58 wrote: Not sure the Mets ever had a more universally liked player. I also like the orange stripe idea. The only other player who comes to mind is Mookie.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 29 2018 03:30 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Would it be tacky or respectful to have him lie in state in the Citi Field rotunda? If it's a respectful thing, he certainly deserves it, but I'm afraid it probably falls more on the side of tacky.

G-Fafif Mar 29 2018 03:32 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Would it be tacky or respectful to have him lie in state in the Citi Field rotunda? If it's a respectful thing, he certainly deserves it, but I'm afraid it probably falls more on the side of tacky. Fitting in the scheme of baseball history, but given that he died in Florida (I don't know where his final resting place will be), the logistics might be tricky.

Edgy MD Mar 29 2018 03:38 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

I wonder if Washington will see fit to honor him in some way also.

metirish Mar 29 2018 03:42 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

I am sure it will be a great send off from his friends , I can see Fran Healy etc telling great stories about Rusty...

batmagadanleadoff Mar 29 2018 03:46 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Rusty didn't take with him to the grave, the story of why he didn't appear in the Topps '72 and '73 sets. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25775&p=699914&hilit=+Rusty#p699914

seawolf17 Mar 29 2018 03:47 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Keith on Rusty. Heartbreaking. https://www.facebook.com/SNY/videos/2153259871367736/

Edgy MD Mar 29 2018 03:48 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Keef sat with the media this morning to remember Rusty. I posted it to the Crane Pool FB page. Tough but worthy watch. (wolf beat me)

batmagadanleadoff Mar 29 2018 04:20 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Rusty didn't take with him to the grave, the story of why he didn't appear in the Topps '72 and '73 sets. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25775&p=699914&hilit=+Rusty#p699914 Here's the link to the CPF thread on "that" Staub card. http://archives.thecranepool.net/13100/f1_t13176.shtml On the final day of the Mets 50th anniversary symposium held at Hofstra University, there was a dinner for attendees. A few Mets spoke before the crowd and participated in a Q&A session, including Rusty Staub and Ed Charles. (And don't nobody tell me that Kranepool and Harrelson were the other speakers at that dinner.) I didn't ask any questions. While driving home afterwards, I kicked myself (mentally) for not asking Rusty about his two year absence from the Topps sets. Up until I recently discovered the answer, it was a big mystery and I'd spent a good deal of time over the years searching, unsuccessfully, for the explanation.

cooby Mar 29 2018 04:50 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

I can’t find the crane pool forum Facebook page

Edgy MD Mar 29 2018 05:16 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

CPF Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/The-Crane-Pool ... 123367182/

cooby Mar 29 2018 05:17 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Just says unavailable Edgy

Edgy MD Mar 29 2018 05:34 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Can't figure out what's wrong.

Edgy MD Mar 29 2018 05:35 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Fixed. Sheesh. How did that become unpublished, man?

41Forever Mar 29 2018 07:46 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Tigers give proper tribute to Rusty today.

Fman99 Mar 29 2018 08:29 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Zvon wrote: Ugh. This sucks. RIP Rusty. [fimg=500]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/k5LDiAfSHHAo5kIHkCfB0eDhg2XMTG64QhJlTI5ctsdkT23kuMjwhL2e63uWZ7FTBx820-UF5dWqwa_6JdmcvJ7MUGnYh0HTvoGE2ofxRCCpR6aHR6GSvot2XjRnqasop2T4QZyNT9KPSiyIRgsp2EYn5l7xkXoMuMAFmc0Xu3K4J91sYzVB6J4pLZbKy2tQMFZfi4j1s7GbWl7Ob2tHGNSXbn-ZzEVVshqil3rVLIknUxF-5rqLYgfET-4zneVwlpZce9gtgjHqhLW82Xh2JrA4k3FhV0UbTEsAzwCXkb0S-rG0i5bRDccpwIfOc8PlHynz3O25skLFwyx0kVcTH6dIksbFaqjhI0PED2a-5GhqqMpoxeQmx97T9H6earmXyTIKqRE-xdJBeankZUokQYsmb423v3J_mEyjvC-XRw6ryyKtQ9nzs00DeFGyE1zswrAU6LJ3pTSRk8D2LqnlwtGZFn76wqwL4LdOwDYmGDbYifkGopQ0eJxV3N46KA2EWgS9bAgkInLuKACdviOv-3Gek_B9gcU1Vc5gDTRXdh9XuTtNqFBylA_iV9jon3SbAVn7GSfnqe9kohUvLeq8XEm4F900LbHObrER9h37=w692-h488-no[/fimg] These animated cards are fan fucking tastic.

G-Fafif Mar 29 2018 08:32 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

G-Fafif wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: Would it be tacky or respectful to have him lie in state in the Citi Field rotunda? If it's a respectful thing, he certainly deserves it, but I'm afraid it probably falls more on the side of tacky. Fitting in the scheme of baseball history, but given that he died in Florida (I don't know where his final resting place will be), the logistics might be tricky. Rusty arranged to be buried in France, per his brother.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 29 2018 08:33 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Maybe he'll have a layover at LaGuardia...

Zvon Mar 29 2018 08:40 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Fman99 wrote: These animated cards are fan fucking tastic. Thank you sir. A bit of a time consuming pain to make but I always love the outcome. I should have had Rusty's helmet pop up over the upper border as he ran (on "round-tripper"), like how you can see the ball come down on the "great catch" GifCard™. Even this great opening day win couldn't cheer me up. Well,.....lil' bit.

Zvon Mar 29 2018 08:56 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Great salute by JoeP! [tweet:lropxdkk]https://twitter.com/Joey_Paints/status/979348059028107264[/tweet:lropxdkk]

Frayed Knot Mar 30 2018 01:26 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

For those of you who only saw Rusty as the somewhat roundish/father-figure/guru/pinch-hitting specialist during his second go-around with the Mets, you missed a real good all-around ballplayer. No, he never was fast (although stole 47 bases in his career) but he was a real good outfielder with a terrific arm (although it never quite came all the way back from that '73 playoff injury) and of course the bat spoke for itself. He was the first OF I remember seeing with the sliding (as opposed to diving) catch which he based on the idea that hitting the ground first and then making the catch made it less likely that the ball would be jarred loose than the other way around. He was also the first I remember as doing the forward tumble after a throw as a result of getting all his momentum behind it. I'm sure he didn't invent either of these techniques but he was the guy I remember pulling them off. I guess I was aware of him as a player during his days in Houston, but my first vivid memory was from his second game as an Expo. Gary referenced the '69 opener today where the Mets lost an 11-10 game to the expansion 'Spos (all four expansion teams won their first game that year). Dad and I were supposed to be at that game but somehow we BOTH got sick and so went the next day instead. Sitting in the RF I had a good view of Rusty catching a ball coming in as his hat fell off. In doing so I found out why he was nicknamed Rusty because I had ever seen hair quite that color. Keep in mind that black-and-white TV sets still dominated in that era and even the color sets that did exist weren't all that good, giving a kind of pastel-hued tinge to everything, so it took seeing him live to discover that that shade was one actually found in nature. His hair color softened in his later years but it was a unique shade in his early days. What sticks in my head from his later years was how he was almost automatic streak down the stretch in 1984. - (Sept 18) after not having played in eight days, he leads off the 9th inning of a 5-5 tie vs Philly (PH'ing of course) with a single. Three batters later his run (he was PR'd for) plus another one score on Strawberry's 3R HR - his next AB doesn't come until six days later, again in a 5-5 tie game vs Philly, this time in the home 8th. He doubled in two runs and the Mets went on to win. - the very next night the Mets trail the Phils 4-2 but get two in the 9th to tie it. So NOW Staub comes as a PH for Raffy Santana w/the winning run on 2nd: 2R walk-off HR He had just three ABs between Sept 11 and Sept 25, took three swings and the results were a single, a double, and a HR in last AB tie games, and all either won the game or set-up a win. It's too short to call such a run 'a streak' but the automatic and seemingly pre-ordained successful outcome in those appearances was one of the most freakish things I had seen from a hitter. And he was 40 y/o at the time.

Edgy MD Mar 30 2018 01:44 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Rusty finished with 2,716 hits, 499 doubles and 292 homers. It's not hard to see how a little more DHing could have helped him clear the milestones that would have made a Hall-of-Famer of him. But he stayed with the Mets as a bench player. Good on him. What I never got was how he ended up on the Mets bench. He re-joined them in 1981 as their first baseman. Despite putting up an .800 OPS (tops on the team, once Youngblood got hurt) through the first half of the season, he was relegated to the bench once the second season started. Yeah, he probably was below average as a firstbaseman, but he was replaced by Dave Kingman, so that wasn't really an issue. Effectively, it was the acquisition of a going-nowhere Ellis Valentine that knocked him out of the lineup. Coming off the bench, rounding into September, he hit and hit and hit as the Mets hung around the fringes of second half contention — no thanks to Valentine and Lee Mazzilli, the corner outfielders pushing Dave Kingman to first and Staub to the pinch-hitter's role — but, checking the game logs, he re-entered the lineup September 25, and over the last nine games, he went 11-27 (.407 / .484 / .814 // 1.298) over the last nine games. And that was it. He was never a starter again. As a Mets manager, Torre always seemed to pick the glove guy over the hitter, but Rusty's final OPS+ that year was 147. (147!) It was a tragedy to see him sit while he was capable of that kind of productivity with such monumental milestones within reach. Initially, anyhow. Obviously, it was a special pleasure to see him flourish as a pinch-hitter/elder-statesman as the Mets slowly found their footing in the early 80s Bamberger/Howard era, continuing into the contention of the early Johnson years. Keith cleared up part of the mystery this morning, saying between tears that Rusty could have gone back to the American League and DH'd for a bit more, but he was too committed to New York City, as a restauranteur and philanthropist, which is as wonderful as it is enlightening. How he ended up on the bench despite swinging a sweet bat, I guess, is as simple as the reality that, if a team gets a five-tool player like Ellis Valentine in (what should have been) his prime, they've of course got to play him, and as the oldest guy among players eligible to be replaced, Rusty was the odd guy out. I guess part of the mystery is how the Expos successfully sold Frank Cashen the lemon that Ellis Valentine actually was. Oh, you want to give me this still-young All-Star, Gold Glove right fielder, and all you want is my second-best reliever? Sounds good. I'd call him a sucker for not seeing that Ellis was actually a coked-out shell of his All-Star form, but, buying similarly low on Keith Hernandez would work great two years later, so I guess he gets a pass.

cooby Mar 30 2018 01:55 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

For those of you who only saw Rusty as the somewhat roundish/father-figure/guru/pinch-hitting specialist during his second go-around with the Mets, you missed a real good all-around ballplayer. No, he never was fast (although stole 47 bases in his career) but he was a real good outfielder with a terrific arm (although it never quite came all the way back from that '73 playoff injury) and of course the bat spoke for itself. He was the first OF I remember seeing with the sliding (as opposed to diving) catch which he based on the idea that hitting the ground first and then making the catch made it less likely that the ball would be jarred loose than the other way around. He was also the first I remember as doing the forward tumble after a throw as a result of getting all his momentum behind it. I'm sure he didn't invent either of these techniques but he was the guy I remember pulling them off. I guess I was aware of him as a player during his days in Houston, but my first vivid memory was from his second game as an Expo. Gary referenced the '69 opener today where the Mets lost an 11-10 game to the expansion 'Spos (all four expansion teams won their first game that year). Dad and I were supposed to be at that game but somehow we BOTH got sick and so went the next day instead. Sitting in the RF I had a good view of Rusty catching a ball coming in as his hat fell off. In doing so I found out why he was nicknamed Rusty because I had ever seen hair quite that color. Keep in mind that black-and-white TV sets still dominated in that era and even the color sets that did exist weren't all that good, giving a kind of pastel-hued tinge to everything, so it took seeing him live to discover that that shade was one actually found in nature. His hair color softened in his later years but it was a unique shade in his early days. What sticks in my head from his later years was how he was almost automatic streak down the stretch in 1984. - (Sept 18) after not having played in eight days, he leads off the 9th inning of a 5-5 tie vs Philly (PH'ing of course) with a single. Three batters later his run (he was PR'd for) plus another one score on Strawberry's 3R HR - his next AB doesn't come until six days later, again in a 5-5 tie game vs Philly, this time in the home 8th. He doubled in two runs and the Mets went on to win. - the very next night the Mets trail the Phils 4-2 but get two in the 9th to tie it. So NOW Staub comes as a PH for Raffy Santana w/the winning run on 2nd: 2R walk-off HR He had just three ABs between Sept 11 and Sept 25, took three swings and the results were a single, a double, and a HR in last AB tie games, and all either won the game or set-up a win. It's too short to call such a run 'a streak' but the automatic and seemingly pre-ordained successful outcome in those appearances was one of the most freakish things I had seen from a hitter. And he was 40 y/o at the time. Thanks FK for this It’s kinda when Ed Charles died and I didn’t remember him or this week on my beloved serius/XM oldies devoting time to baseball classics featuring guys I’d heard of but didn’t know, I wondered how many fans at citifield today remembered Rusty. And I respect that I am in true mourning.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 30 2018 02:39 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Edgy MD Mar 30 2018 02:56 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

My other big Rusty Staub question, besides "Why was he pushed to the bench in the first place?" is "Why didn't Yogi Berra just put him at first and Milner in the outfield when he hurt his shoulder?" It obviously wasn't the ideal alignment, but both had meaningful (and recent enough) experience at the other's position. A first baseman certainly handles more balls than a rightfielder, but is a guy who can't throw overhand that much bigger a handicap at first than in right?

Zvon Mar 30 2018 03:54 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Frayed Knot wrote: He was also the first I remember as doing the forward tumble after a throw as a result of getting all his momentum behind it. I used to get such a kick out of that! ( [fimg=900]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/He-x5at2bUIv5j-y2d7FrylIx88WsWu58GOMeyxT1Zg0NYkd2sjLIqlw3Dw2xd3DFsJVhVl1HAyYGXAZO5xJn9Q5v9C59aWcTy_25jvhpEvNIP84s7uQh0x-oT009dRgV5IRNe0p5ERsN_N_DHQlL4QA2lZO1d1G-OQAIfhkPZrmycQoDOF7NVOPp_Y8RBPEVQ8EBU3Gub4bOtOiCZemNGxk4wcVL3ELV6iLJQYjx2euu689YStRcRllt6w6rB-vEy-PDVcQoL3DhtqVSknPrzaCbRR2TexeL-bQ6_RJ0EFyOyRlYiAep7GxsrFOz97UTVnxtgp-ouCgKkoPXVYnA5hJ9Rq0C8oziTp_Lkmu3BjA_bZwfR4a0zlrUsf-1iopk8AZTYw5u_Urne4fKAJkXZ4yjMGswlS-MzrGOd25XzVPw3iinU6DYZbk1KNVnrUG2-uuFkpuzGsNvFyng56w5duCPXiAcvTR9rWIoAQtY1C04T1wQUZGrdjDvBKjbyWODgkOovs6tjuLUJlAdjDggBR7T6P_1AvEjotVpOafNvhL7wQqtTr23zPi8S7KckHQHMjwCzvWRxat-t9rZxqYWUrdlaSxFgmCL5z_7388=w1152-h228-no[/fimg] [fimg=900]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Cv7tRR5Kvo-hagY11AqMhiPBQ8t32bzEMD2KXt3aB4yHyHUr4ycroi0VrNMnBNJS5i9ZVlS_M2bD3iXRcPFFeFv6L4XYKzqdej3iSS2jJ_ThXnxkGktxr5OkunY9p1fAaVRnS9Z_tAKwPiDfYsc9fpVdGa2ovS4CY56sI68XsYLINtoJ3QF4E76osu5Lk25h0u1ZkXXe_39CU910NWF7oHUJwykHeVn_VY5Y35faiwt3F-jFklyN8j8dbJUBxxarumjpnG9NxaPelkZpn_rbork7kEuzQswykZxLXeb2PzNfnmbh2NQHVoQKVwzxlVlC-sM4gsie8RNP4VIEIL3WPrqm4Nas7eO305qIi9J_Su5Z3JspJC_0_afCJdXQq2hHbjRtjmfwKlwwc8N1xxZDjpTH7AUX8_tcYxKXxzG6mTW4IbEZPKawn1KWNRNx5_jwC14vGdffdy5Rx2NcPIDK4Q5X_kmizFTTtRZNU_NEc6QJU5vAil1gg1UYaeSJ80ZD_1gQSJHX7WqJT1B5h1SvyNSn-x_GkeFJ8JqrX4Rml56BW_c0KVaLjRFLL0F59CygxpvyLeDeb0K4RkS1eEJVs8EzJ8rXjqjE5lnsa3D_=w1440-h243-no[/fimg] [fimg=900]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PzecxbEjXnrdWZpej0w6TQCB_kBhH-90B_douauLnsHFk48z5D-TMw5L2gvzwnG8rYvYc0pvJYokoWCAP8htHrZoC1vsUJvPMVWsv2f02MK_cibsXnILvNTLQyNfQ5xuI9IuS2JPVqqBplDxdu-KZbvMqAazGx5zcVQRnT8srOw89YnFsbaf6GV3NTPkSlP-GX5gC2UNr5JXDfbgiKaNEZnXZGDmIRbJuJOlmkb1KQZcqTqxYAPtKCRx7TTDd12LsdrM7rK0Bb6YfS01TvdylgbnG5-8h8-68FS0qrfMuSiuP_4DT6tVCtkWYTFke3C1c9_93WAzzjQ3PH3CFuT-9EKZBbmvzKi-4gFvK_x2HJGtkfkeit9Z3-hK5-N7Kb-xu18s49VKA18RO5tmPCcEn172u3JO-xMpmATB3_jg84QSD2fUohAQZglSIfUa0tuefrvyBPIor61KL1vyIJMRH-4scjiU--n3XEzc36sotz0J9jMlWcVI3FaT7iVFFPYp9qv5OGpFJRQK2FoQXGWkBmS96oEqWXA6rCZklmnoLk_rYCDODPJR9xGA3UgkzKGl8b4ux0jdKkzbX-HBbXsi9b_HPGr6D5rW5OTa28M=w1440-h327-no[/fimg] [fimg=400]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a66gMxV0CPKEyIZduUnUVDTkaEjYSERw_nS1c-yrKjttRsJ-Xz_uAqN8v9bEWs-j3e4E3pWMarKho1e2F3Tb1tXScowFBK-DkP1uTG-qqqGL56S6YExFxfY2iu_ABTPjP6E0GtLMQhapzQVkAy3JWNPoHNSfAQCLsC6eIwN8MpUHMLGXzCxB_ZdKy024jSeTt4s2H4hgCRjc0iFKvnqo5APNFcC1mXfodrDwu91RPITSNM6oanrpZaYz4IbzQ-lDbGlx2N8w523vVoootmcPPPj9z_29iArEMMhaUplLCsaxB0NI8MOG17ti_q0bv6_B4glprhiHgVgZGCZIydVTss4emiipqF4lCBcK2uv5F1t2WgD9Wjl1R4L8ovQj6L_LSSdeTkW_1-7h9J3rzhKWyBi3f7Anr-1RdrvEfFtDyZUdYRZS5biS23P0eahbjQHNcPu2oLEOs2XlnkfyripWLp7v6gDx6sb0TolhVHdYOknyM6xg9UnpgF2Y2xMg5E5jSLWWagXaACMdXNLp-UmV1K6c8ag1ESlgWIAjD5AuKMwCkxJ4xH4nHryPWrtvPaRovsMtpxgqEzFzKbavKWr59uKck2Qk32CSS_x1P-c=w560-h774-no[/fimg] He had an overabundance of heart as well. Rusty after Pete Rose hit the walkoff in the 1973 NLCS. This is how I'll remember Rusty. Always into the game and willing to root his own team mates on. [fimg=400]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/j23ezTRQFXf5OO-6RK1tvFo04oXWJioAgIv1yGtRM16iHO89jDhOpp2Bl1hJKf9A_1Da2qYgIbeY8IKB_xFBbzMp8SvGB0zXkQMcAHA3XttohXnvr_sVpuCn_74ZPHEoXHXEuFa6P67_yGO6llCfjuz94ATtUjqaTyhFkPU2jwTqKnZGqDbcakmOl9Q1YAMIsNHvl4wA81CXx5ZMMo2A5zGyz_rkq_4ApjR-OYNqvGy4U2nxKlj_ToGSTg3R9ioxIpnOaJp_1X6hcCLOVOnvca5S8YpM_RuGNUOu0h0BxygoWrLy6XqfglcYT7nkRJRFuqs5gxs4Dnkov5D5dg0l_6Q9I-O4zy8X1s4PnEJH0afHZNG2xMMDjeZOyW3utcuXrRtYqtkws7jZUzdh9k7rVdE_EP725L3Phjyo7ReKdvfb3PsniK2gnD-C-KrrvlxtERoSE58cTrkxZwpsJC4yOwkzVAact67ZiWV0E1XIuchsWQiFOQl4Iwn7HiEWAWfWX-4kJMlQ73EuR_tPXIfyB94SXapU_G8TdpFFPs5FKJZWp5fqtlCAboEMfXdQhjp0qC9B5Fp2zouD6HlzTRghTUL7ho9iB57KdbJQURKP=w716-h859-no[/fimg]

Frayed Knot Mar 30 2018 07:42 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Those tumbling/sliding sequences are spot on Z, that's exactly what I was talking about. And, again, I doubt he was the first to do either but he was the first on my radar for both and I spent decades using each move in countless softball games. I should probably also add that, like a lot of NY'ers, I got to meet and/or see Rusty on several occasions since he was so visible around town. His restaurants weren't just a place with his name slapped on them. I went to the uptown one numerous times and the one in midtown once or twice and saw him working the floor, or at least walking around, more times than not. Also met him up close once or twice and my main impression was just how damn big he was; big tall, big wide, big deep - and most of that was while he was still playing and not nearly as big-overweight as he later became. In one instance I was at a function my father took me to and while standing around in small circles, as groups tend to do during cocktail hour, I realized that he and my father were in separate little circles but standing back-to-back only a foot or so apart. So I motioned to dad to turn around and when he did he found his average-sized self staring eyes-to-shoulder blades with what looked like a gray flannel covered section of the Berlin Wall that had somehow been transported to a NYC hotel space.

Lefty Specialist Mar 30 2018 08:00 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Saw him outside Citi shortly after it opened. Was struck by how enormous he was, which probably shortened his life quite a bit.

cooby Mar 30 2018 09:42 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Opening Day many years ago. I think it was the last year of Shea. I was the guest of metfairy and her family in a warm comfort controlled (section? Inner sanctum?) area. KC can concur or dispute. He was there too. We were sitting in our indoor cozy nook with our friends when someone looked back into the interior area and saw Rusty chatting quietly with metfairy’s daughter who had no interest in the game (I kid you not) and was reading a book. Whoever it was said ‘Rusty!!’ And we just moved, en masse, out to the inner sanctum. A bunch of 40-somethings Like a herd of buffalo. Rusty and his (bodyguard?) were prolly used to it If your Facebook friends with me check out the ensuing photo op!

Frayed Knot Mar 30 2018 11:40 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Benjamin Hoffman at the NY Times makes the case that, while still short of the HoF, Rusty was a lot better than often given credit for. And while you don't want to give too much weight to single stats in isolation, the phrase "reached base 1,000 times more than DiMaggio" (and, yes, he means Joe) kind of leaps out at you.

Edgy MD Mar 31 2018 09:55 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Josh Wilker's obsession with mortality catches up to him, reflecting on Rusty and losing his own father.

seawolf17 Mar 31 2018 11:36 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Frayed Knot wrote: "reached base 1,000 times more than DiMaggio" (and, yes, he means Joe) kind of leaps out at you. Rusty had an incredible career, and no, he's not a HOFer, and yet: 13th in games played 35th in AB 44th in times on base (And in all of those cases, everyone who's eligible and not steroid-connected ahead of him is in. I know those are "longevity stats" and not "Hall stats," but still, he's 152nd in HR also.) PLUS all the off the field stuff. A legend.

G-Fafif Mar 31 2018 03:09 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Mets will wear a patch for Rusty: black circle, his autographed first name (Rusty, not Daniel) in orange. Would look better against a field of deep Mets blue, but the thought is a good one. Kinda wish the Glider were getting his due as well, but I suppose there are perceived levels to franchise royalty.

Zvon Mar 31 2018 03:26 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

G-Fafif wrote: Mets will wear a patch for Rusty: black circle, his autographed first name (Rusty, not Daniel) in orange. Would look better against a field of deep Mets blue, but the thought is a good one. Kinda wish the Glider were getting his due as well, but I suppose there are perceived levels to franchise royalty. And they will wear it all season. I like it. [tweet]https://twitter.com/Mets/status/980094148350013440[/tweet]

batmagadanleadoff Mar 31 2018 06:01 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Could've been better. If I didn't read the press articles, I never would've figured out on my own that the patch said Rusty. Just great. An illegible signature as a tribute. This forum could've come up with 30 better ways to do this.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 31 2018 06:53 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

I can imagine young fans wondering who "Punf" is.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 31 2018 07:18 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

It's a good thing that Rusty didn't sign his name with an "x".

41Forever Mar 31 2018 10:49 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

G-Fafif wrote: Mets will wear a patch for Rusty: black circle, his autographed first name (Rusty, not Daniel) in orange. Would look better against a field of deep Mets blue, but the thought is a good one. Kinda wish the Glider were getting his due as well, but I suppose there are perceived levels to franchise royalty. I like the patch. It's something different. Wearing the number would have been a challenge since he wore two of them, and they are in service. Probably have to save that for retired numbers. Making it orange was a nice touch.

Edgy MD Mar 31 2018 11:01 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

My Grande Orange with a Black Band didn't quite work out.

d'Kong76 Mar 31 2018 11:49 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Ugly patch, at the very least the black should be Met blue. Disappointed but not surprised they'd fuck it up.

A Boy Named Seo Mar 31 2018 11:51 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

What a nice thread this sad new has turned into. Great page 2 posts by FK and Edgy. Rusty pt II is how I think of Staub the Met, so I much appreciate those insights. Also, the Rusty/autograph patch is a nice sentiment, but it doesn't look good. Yall are right, the orange armband (edit: or just a big round orange, duh) with numbers 4 and 10 would look so, so nice.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 01 2018 12:51 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

I sorta get the message about the "signature" it helps signify Rusty's uniqueness. Doing a double-number thing would have been a disaster. I still think the single band would be better, but you gotta understand the Mets are trying to appeal to young families, they don't care much about long time fans like us who they know they already have on the bag.

Frayed Knot Apr 01 2018 12:35 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

I have no problem with the patch. If that's Rusty's signature than that's Rusty's signature and altering it so as to make it more readable would be a worse alternative, as would simple block letters. My first thought also was orange on a field of blue (or a blue sig on an orange background). But instead it's black for mourning with the orange representing both the team and his nickname, and that's fine. Met fans will all know what it means and if other fans don't then their announcers will explain it to them in games against the Mets and then hopefully also give them an education as to what Rusty was all about both on and off the ball field.

d'Kong76 Apr 01 2018 02:02 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

cooby wrote: Opening Day many years ago. I think it was the last year of Shea. I was the guest of metfairy and her family in a warm comfort controlled (section? Inner sanctum?) area. KC can concur or dispute. He was there too. We were sitting in our indoor cozy nook with our friends when someone looked back into the interior area and saw Rusty chatting quietly with metfairy’s daughter who had no interest in the game (I kid you not) and was reading a book. Whoever it was said ‘Rusty!!’ And we just moved, en masse, out to the inner sanctum. A bunch of 40-somethings Like a herd of buffalo. Rusty and his (bodyguard?) were prolly used to it I don't remember what year that was or if it was Shea's last. I kinda think not. I think Shea's last OD I sat out in the bleachers with a NYPD party bus group. I don't remember the details of Rusty's actual arrival but do kinda remember goofing around about S sitting around with her nose buried in a book haha. I have pics somewhere, not sure if they're digital or prints. I'll look for them this week. I also kinda remember my friends Antknee and Tony coming to the suite to say hi and they got to meet Rusty and then I had to tell them to vamoose because uninvited low-life's weren't allowed to hang out in the D'Knight's luxury suite haha.

Edgy MD Apr 17 2018 01:56 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Memorial Mass slated for St. Patricks on Wednesday, April 25 at 2PM. Mets will be on the road in St. Louis.

seawolf17 Apr 17 2018 02:23 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Anyone know if they're selling the patches yet? I feel like I should have purchased the KID one when it was available too.

G-Fafif Apr 17 2018 04:46 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

seawolf17 wrote: Anyone know if they're selling the patches yet? I feel like I should have purchased the KID one when it was available too. Yup, in at least a couple of the stores at Citi Field, $20, with a portion going to charitable causes (from what I've read).

G-Fafif Apr 17 2018 04:48 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Tribute to Rusty from Canada's House of Commons.

Edgy MD Apr 17 2018 04:58 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Most Canadian thing ever?

G-Fafif Apr 17 2018 05:04 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Edgy MD wrote: Most Canadian thing ever? The Nordiques sweaters push it over the top.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 17 2018 05:28 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

I think they're all wearing sweaters for the Humboldt kids. I was more shaken up with that tragedy than most, I think its because like any sport or event (after school track meet, marching band away game) etc. you can relate to the long bus ride to get there and that in retrospect the bus ride is the best part. Canadians playing hockey especially since there are literally hundreds of miles of plains between places where they play.

G-Fafif Apr 17 2018 05:34 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I think they're all wearing sweaters for the Humboldt kids. I didn't realize. Very touching (and still quite Canadian).

seawolf17 Apr 18 2018 12:31 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I was more shaken up with that tragedy than most, I think its because like any sport or event (after school track meet, marching band away game) etc. you can relate to the long bus ride to get there and that in retrospect the bus ride is the best part. Canadians playing hockey especially since there are literally hundreds of miles of plains between places where they play. I was thinking about that too. High school and college athletes must log millions of bus miles every year.

Edgy MD Apr 25 2018 06:10 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Pipers from the FDNY, NYPD, and PAPD join together in opening Rusty's memorial Mass with "The Dawning of the Day." [tweet:2b2tnamw]https://twitter.com/TeddyAviles/status/989203776849498112[/tweet:2b2tnamw]

Edgy MD Apr 25 2018 06:42 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

[tweet:3mp0jqlj]https://twitter.com/CathCharitiesNY/status/989209511784275968[/tweet:3mp0jqlj]

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 25 2018 06:55 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Forgive the question but did he ever come out?

Edgy MD Apr 25 2018 06:58 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

No, sir!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 25 2018 07:11 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

but he totally was, right?

G-Fafif Apr 25 2018 07:15 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Forgive the question but did he ever come out? Fairly often, assuming there was a pinch-runner available.

Benjamin Grimm Apr 25 2018 07:15 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

The rumors have been out there, but haven't there also been stories of him being quite the "ladies' man"? Not that the two are necessarily mutually exclusive, I guess.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 25 2018 07:39 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

G-Fafif wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Forgive the question but did he ever come out? Fairly often, assuming there was a pinch-runner available. lolooollloooolol

d'Kong76 Apr 25 2018 07:48 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

G-Fafif wrote: Fairly often, assuming there was a pinch-runner available. Hah! Good one!

G-Fafif Apr 25 2018 10:54 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Among the baseball people on hand, according to Newsday's Laura Albanese, were Franco, Darling, Mazzilli, Omar, Bobby V, Larry Dierker, Jim Beattie, Rob Manfred and the Wilpons. From the world of hockey, Mark Messier and (according to another person) Rod Gilbert.

Edgy MD Apr 27 2018 07:24 PM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

“He was such a good human being, it didn’t matter if he never got any hits, any runs scored, any RBIs,” said Ron Darling, who called Staub his guardian angel for the way he took care of young players like Darling, who made his major- league debut in 1983 during Staub’s second stint with the Mets. “All that was in his heart was to do good, to help people less fortunate and I think he’s a beacon for ballplayers today . . . [As players] we have such an opportunity to do good works. Some do, some don’t, and Rusty did it the best.” Good writeup by Laura Albanese.

Edgy MD May 14 2018 01:29 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

OK, Jose Oquendo? “I was surprised,” Rusty Staub says, “by how well he handled the bat last year.” Jose Oquendo? How well he handled the bat? A .213 hitter? Rusty Staub obviously isn’t going to say anything bad about anybody. But after you’ve talked for several hours with Rusty Staub, you realize he isn’t bullshitting you, he really believes everything he says. This isn’t a guy who lets “personal loyalty” cloud his judgment, this is a guy for whom “personal loyalty” is his judgment. Great long article from 1984 by Ross Wetzsteon for by New York Sports magazine, republished at metsmerizedoline.com.

G-Fafif Jun 01 2018 05:45 AM Re: RIP Rusty Staub, 1944-2018

Marty on Rusty... https://metsinsider.mlblogs.com/remembe ... 89028264=1