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Here's the ball, Ace --- go get 'em

AG/DC Mar 31 2008 07:52 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 31 2008 07:55 PM

I could be wrong, but I think today's happiness makes Johan Santana the first hotshot offseason acquisition Met pitcher to ever go out and get a win his first start.* Pitcher Season How Acquired Date Opp. Dec. IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Warren Spahn 1965 For Cash 14-Apr Astros ND 8 7 3 3 1 3 0 3.38 Mickey Lolich 1976 For Rusty Staub and Bill Laxton 11-Apr Expos L 2 3 3 1 0 2 0 4.50 Tom Seaver 1983 For Charlie Puleo, Lloyd McClendon and Jason Felice 5-Apr Phillies ND 6 3 0 0 1 5 0 0.00 Bret Saberhagen 1992 With Bill Pecota for Kevin McReynolds, Gregg Jefferies and Keith Miller 7-Apr Cardinals L 2.1 9 7 7 3 0 0 27.00 Mike Hampton 2000 With Derek Bell for Roger Cedeņo, Octavio Dotel and Kyle Kessel 29-Mar Cubs L 5 4 2 2 9 1 0 3.60 Tom Glavine 2003 Free Agent (3 yr., $35 mil., mutual option for fourth year at $6.5 mil, $2 mil buyout) 31-Mar Cubs L 3.2 8 5 5 4 2 0 12.27 Pedro Martinez 2005 Free Agent (4 yr., $53 mil.) 5-Apr Reds ND 6 3 3 3 2 12 1 4.50 Johan Santana 2008 For Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey, plus extension for 6 yr., $132 mil., option year at $25 mil., with $5.5 mil. buyout 31-Mar Marlins W 7 3 2 2 2 8 1 2.57 Totals 1-4 39.3 40 25 23 22 33 2 5.26 *Frank Viola got a win, but his was a mid-season dealio.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 31 2008 07:55 PM

Did Lolich get hurt in that outing? That's an awfully quick hook for 1976.

AG/DC Mar 31 2008 07:56 PM

I was going to gas up the WayBack and check that one myself.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 31 2008 08:15 PM

I was working on my own opening-day didjaknow. Went through each opener selecting the least-likely/most insignificant/shortest-lived players to start on opening day. Then my notes vanished. C: Tim Spehr 1998 1B: Dick Stuart 1966 2B: Ricky Gutierrez, 2004 SS: Bob Bailor, 1983 3B: Don Zimmer, 1962 LF: Angel Pagan, 2008 CF: Billy Cowan, 1965; Jerry Morales 1980; Don hahn, 1974 RF: Mike Howard 1983; Eric Valent 2005; Rod Gaspar, 1969 P: Mike Torrez, 1984; Pat Zachry, 1981

Gwreck Mar 31 2008 08:58 PM

Pecota at third in '92?

metirish Mar 31 2008 09:19 PM

Does Derek Bell count?

AG/DC Mar 31 2008 09:39 PM

Nothing wrong with Zachry in 1981. He earned it. After Torrez, the real head-scratcher is Pete Harnisch in 1997. Besides Mike Howard, the opening day ghost in right field is 1978's Ken Henderson.

sharpie Apr 01 2008 06:55 AM

Jury is still out as to whether Angel Pagan belongs on that list but I grant that he is the likeliest of the current bunch.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 01 2008 07:06 AM

How convenient is this? [url]http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYM/opening.shtml[/url] In left it's either Pagan (who inspired me to start looking this up the hard way), Gene Clines (1975) or maybe David Segui (1995). Right field despite Strawberry has really become the revolving door in Metland, as pointed out during yesterday's broadcast. There's been 29 different starters there, includiong a brand new one now for 5 years running.

AG/DC Apr 01 2008 07:33 AM

Clines is definitely who Pagan has to beat to get off of this list. Most consecutive years without a repeat: p: 6, 1980-1985 (Swan, Zachry, R. Jones --- holy shit! Randy Jones! --- Seaver, Torrez, Gooden) c: 5, 1962-1966 (Landridth, C.C. Coleman, Taylor, Cannizzaro, Grote) 1b: 6, 1962-1967 (Hodges, Harkness, D. Smith, Kranepool, Stuart, Swoboda) 2b: 7, 1962-1968 (Neal, Burright, A. Samuael, Klaus, Hunt, Buchek, Boswell) 3b: 7, 1975-1981 (Torre, Garrett, Staiger, Randle, Hebner, Maddox, Brooks) ss: 5, 1981-1985 (Taveras, Gardenire, Bailor, Oquendo, Santana) lf: 6, 1964-1969 (Thomas, Christopher, Swobada, T. Davis, Shamsky C. Jones) cf: 9, 1988-1996 (Dykstra, M. Wilson, K. Miller, V. Coleman, H. Johnson, Orsulak, R. Thompson, Butler, L. Johnson) rf: 8, 1977-1984 (Kingman, K. Henderson, Maddox, Jorgensen, M. Wilson, Youngblood, M. Howard, Strawberry)

AG/DC Apr 01 2008 07:48 AM

Jackie Robinson Memorial All-Out-of-Position Opening Day Team p: Roger Craig, 1962, as he had been a swingman up until that point in his career --- long reliever and fifth starter in four-man rotations c: Hawk Taylor, 1964 (he played one third of his games in the outfield, and had an outfielder's name) 1b: Ron Swoboda, 1967 2b: Wayne Garrett, 1970 3b: Ron Hunt, 1964 (honorable mention to Jim Fregosi, 1972-1973) ss: Howard Johnson, 1992 lf: David Segui, 1995 cf: Maybe too many dumb ideas here in five years to single one out: K. Miller, 1990; V. Coleman, 1991; H. Johnson, 1992; Joe Orsulak, 1993; plus Cede&#241o, 2003. I'll elimate Johnson because he's already our shortstop and throw it to Keith Miller. rf: M. Wilson, 1981, edges Jorgensen, 1980

Benjamin Grimm Apr 01 2008 07:53 AM

I remember being very upset when Mike Torrez was given the 1984 Opening Day start. It's funny to look back and see how much I cared about such stuff when I was 21. (I thought I was grown up back then, but from my current perspective I can see I was just a kid. I wonder, when I'm in my 60's will I look back on my 40-something self the same way?)

AG/DC Apr 01 2008 07:56 AM

Find a 60-something and ask him if you're stupid.

Benjamin Grimm Apr 01 2008 08:07 AM

I can ask my mom, but she's probably not very objective.