Master Index of Archived Threads


One Defining Distinction

AG/DC Jan 04 2008 09:56 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 04 2008 10:09 PM

It strikes me that history records a non-descript tenure for the vast majority of Mets coaches. Surely these guys must have made an impresson if you paid close enough attention. I'm counting on you to have paid close enough attention. Give me a defining distinction for each of the Mets coaches ever, alphabetically. If you don't know one, find one. If you can't find one, subpoena one. Try and stick to baseball, but if we have to go with, "He was fat and old," then, so be it. Keep in mind that doesn't distinguish too many coaches from one another, though. We'll start with the recently departed Manny Acta.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 04 2008 10:04 PM

Manager in waiting.

AG/DC Jan 04 2008 10:08 PM

Fuckin' young one too. Sandy Alomar, Sr.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 05 2008 10:44 AM

Sent more men to their death in 2007 than GWB.

AG/DC Jan 05 2008 11:13 AM

Ouch, no place on Mt. Coachmore for you. Bob Apodaca.

AG/DC Jan 05 2008 11:55 AM

Sure, I'll take that one. Bob wore a stopwatch around his neck as pitching coach. I don't know what he was timing. Don Baylor.

SteveJRogers Jan 05 2008 12:31 PM

Did some work helping awareness for Multiple Myeloma during his tour of duty.

AG/DC Jan 05 2008 01:02 PM

Bruce Benedict, 1997-1999.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 05 2008 05:58 PM

I had lots of his baseball cards as a kid.

AG/DC Jan 05 2008 06:48 PM

Which doesn't distinguish his coaching tenure.

Frayed Knot Jan 05 2008 08:30 PM

AG/DC wrote: Bruce Benedict, 1997-1999. Reffed major college basketball during the off-season

AG/DC Jan 06 2008 12:09 PM

That's cool. Doesn't say much about his Met tenure, but beggars and choosers, I guess. Yogi Berra (1965 - 1971) is up. And just to keep me from having to keep jumping in... Mickey Brantley 1999 Tom Burgess 1977 Phil Cavarretta 1975 - 1978 Chris Chambliss 2002 Guy Conti 2005 - 2007 Chuck Cottier 1979 - 1981 Mike Cubbage 1990 - 1996 Rick Down 2005 - 2007 Gene Dusan 1983 Doc Edwards 1990 - 1991 Dave Engle 2001 - 2002 Bobby Floyd 2001, 2004 Barry Foote 1992 - 1993 Jim Frey 1982 - 1983 Matt Galante 2002 - 2004 Bob Gibson 1981 Harvey Haddix 1966 - 1967 Mel Harder 1964 Bud Harrelson 1982, 1985 - 1990 Don Heffner 1964 - 1965 Solly Hemus 1962 - 1963 Rickey Henderson 2007 Whitey Herzog 1966 Chuck Hiller 1990 Rogers Hornsby 1962 Vern Hoscheit 1984 - 1987 Charlie Hough 2001 - 2002 Frank Howard 1982 - 1984, 1994 - 1996 Al Jackson 1999 - 2000 Darrell Johnson 1993 Deron Johnson 1981 Howard Johnson 2007 Red Kress 1962 Dave LaRoche 1992 - 1993 Cookie Lavagetto 1962 - 1963 Jerry Manuel 2005 - 2007 Dal Maxvill 1978 Willie Mays 1974 - 1979 Tom McCraw 1992 - 1996 Clyde McCullough 1963 Roy McMillan 1973 - 1976 Bill Monbouquette 1982 - 1983 Johnny Murphy 1967 Randy Niemann 1997 - 1999, 2001 - 2003 Tom Nieto 2005 - 2007 Salty Parker 1967 Greg Pavlick 1985 - 1986 , 1988 - 1991, 1994 - 1996 Sam Perlozzo 1987 - 1989 Rick Peterson 2004 - 2007 Gary Pettis 2003 - 2004 Joe Pignatano 1968 - 1981 Bill Robinson 1984 - 1989 Sheriff Robinson 1964 - 1967, 1972 Tom Robson 1997 - 2000, 2002 Cookie Rojas 1997 - 2000 Red Ruffing 1962 Vern Ruhle 2003 Dick Sisler 1979 - 1980 Denny Sommers 1977 - 1978 Warren Spahn 1965 Tom Spencer 1991 Rusty Staub 1982 John Stearns 2000 - 2001 Mel Stottlemyre 1984 - 1993 Steve Swisher 1994 - 1996 Bobby Valentine 1983 - 1985 Rick Waits 2003 Rube Walker 1968 - 1981 Dave Wallace 1999 - 2000 Denny Walling 2003 - 2004 Wes Westrum 1964 - 1965 Ernie White 1963 Mookie Wilson 1997 - 2002 Bobby Wine 1993 - 1996 Eddie Yost 1968 - 1975

SteveJRogers Jan 06 2008 01:06 PM

Nobody don't like Yogi! Well, that was the title of that one-man play about Berra that was produced a couple of years ago. Except for one current Newsday columnist who thought Yogi was a hypocritical POS for going back on his pledge never to step inside Yankee Stadium. Don't worry AG/DC I'll take the next few coaches off =;)

AG/DC Jan 06 2008 01:31 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 06 2008 02:01 PM

Back to Yogi's Mets coaching tenure. When Ron Swoboda set the then Mets homer for homers by a rookie, he lost a homer on an umpiring decision at Crosley Field, where a ball was in play if it hit off the concrete (!) outfield wall, but a homer if it hit off the wood wall behind it. Swoboda's apparent first-inning grand slam was ruled in play and Coach Berra was furious and got himself ejected in a subsequent argument, leading to perhaps the greatest Berra-ism of his career coaching the Met basepaths: "Anybody who couldn't hear that ball hit the wood is blind."

MFS62 Jan 06 2008 01:37 PM

Do we have to do them in order? I don't know if I will be able to contain myself if I have to wait with my Frank Howard comment. Later

AG/DC Jan 06 2008 02:01 PM

Tell it to somebody on the street.

AG/DC Jan 07 2008 09:10 AM

Sure, I'll tell you one thing about Mickey Brantley. He replaced Tom Robson in the Steve Phillips' June 1999 gutting of Bobby Valentine's coaching staff. They went out and salvaged the Yankee series by pounding Roger Clemens, before somebody named Todd Erdos shut them down. They hit the rest of the way, better than they did before or after his tenure --- which ended with the season --- but it took a few years for him to get another big-league job. The Blue Jays hired him in 2005, and he quickly went from a base coach to hitting coach, where he remains under former Metly colleague John Gibbons.

metirish Jan 07 2008 09:24 AM

Dave Engle - Good organizational guy makes it to the big club as hitting coach but seemed out of his depth , that was a tough season for the team though as they faltered after making the WS in 2000. IIRC Engle went back to work in the minor system for the Mets. Side Fact - First player to homer in the MetroDome.

sharpie Jan 07 2008 09:50 AM

Tom Burgess was surely referred to as "Smokey" by Ralph Kiner at least one time.