Tag / Mike Piazza

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Mets All Time Leaders – Through 2025

21st-CENTURY-METS_01To paraphrase from a famous movie, the one constant through all the years has been baseball.  Now that 2026 is here, we continue our look at the all-time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. Today, we take a deeper dive into the New York Mets.

The Mets began life in 1962, joining the National League following the abandonment of the New York market by both the Dodgers and Giants in 1957.  I’ve seen 174 players don the Mets uniforms in the 19 games of theirs that I’ve attended live, including Opening Day at Shea Stadium in 2003, Tom Glavine’s 300th career victory, their pennant clinching victory in the 2015 NLCS, and, most recently, in August of 2024 at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Home Runs

Name Total
Pete Alonso 3
Cliff Floyd 2
Daniel Murphy 2

Hits

Name Total
David Wright 7
Pete Alonso 7
Daniel Murphy 6

Runs

Name Total
David Wright 7
Pete Alonso 5
Daniel Murphy 4
Carlos Beltran 4

RBI

Name Total
Pete Alonso 7
Lucas Duda 6
Cliff Floyd 5

Doubles

Name Total
Carlos Delgado 3
Lucas Duda 2
David Wright 2
Jeromy Burnitz 2
Pete Alonso 2

Triples Continue reading →

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Hall Of Fame Batting Leaders

baseballhof

Today, former White Sox outfielder Tim Raines joins long time Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell and well travelled catcher Ivan Rodriguez in taking their place in Cooperstown.  With 3 new hitters joining the list of Hall of Famers I’ve seen play live, let’s check back in with the new leaders on the offensive side of the ball amongst Hall of Famers for all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2017.

Home Runs

Name Total
Frank Thomas 15
Ivan Rodriguez 4
Carlton Fisk 2
Craig Biggio 2
Mike Piazza 2
Ken Griffey Jr 2
Eddie Murray 2

Hits

Name Total
Frank Thomas 54
Ken Griffey Jr 32
Ivan Rodriguez 16
Continue reading →
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2017 Hall Of Fame Ballot – The Newcomers

baseballhof

The BBWAA released their ballot for the Hall of Fame class of 2017 last Monday.  The results of the vote are due to be revealed on January 18th, with induction taking place next July.  After Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were elected in last year’s voting, the new ballot contains 15 holdovers along with 19 newcomers, which may start to cause a bit of a problem.  The current BBWAA rules continue to limit the number of votes on one ballot to 10, and there may be more than 10 deserving candidates, so there will be too many qualified candidates fighting for limited spots in a shorter amount of time.  Once again, the BBWAA and the Hall may find themselves with a mess on their hands.

Yesterday, we looked at the returning candidates.  Today, it’s time to look at the newcomers and who may be thankful come January.

Casey Blake

Literally has no chance to stay on the ballot for another year, let alone earn election at some point.

Pat Burrell

It should be a quick one and out for the longtime Phillie.

072008-Cabrera-03Orlando Cabrera

The former Angels and White Sox shortstop has, again, put together a perfectly acceptable career, but will be lucky to get a sympathy vote from a hometown writer.

Mike Cameron

Wow, this batch of newcomers is starting to look a little weak.  Cameron had a decent career, but will never be confused for a Hall of Famer.

J.D. Drew

Yet another nominee for the hall of the very good, but lacking credentials for the Hall of Fame.

Vladimir Guerrero

Now we’re talking.  The former Expo and Angel great should earn enshrinement eventually, though likely not on his first try.

Carlos Guillen

The 3-time All Star will be lucky to make a second appearance on the ballot.

Derrek Lee

The former Cub first baseman was a fan favorite, but is not a Hall of Famer.

Melvin Mora

I can’t imagine anyone voting for Mr. Mora.

Magglio Ordonez
Continue reading →

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2017 Hall Of Fame Ballot – The Holdovers

baseballhofThe BBWAA released their ballot for the Hall of Fame class of 2017 on Monday. The results of the vote are due to be revealed on January 18th, with induction taking place next July. After Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were elected in last year’s voting, the new ballot contains 15 holdovers along with 19 newcomers, which may continue the logjam caused by the current BBWAA rules which limit the number of votes on one ballot to 10 and the ongoing refusal by some writers to vote for players tainted by PEDs, leaving too many qualified candidates fighting for limited spots.

Let’s take a look at the returning candidates today before moving on to the newcomers.

Jeff Bagwell
Years on ballot: 6
2015 Percentage: 71.6

Bagwell was less than 4% away from induction last year and seems guaranteed to get elected this time around.

Barry Bonds
Years on ballot: 4
2015 Percentage: 44.3

The all time home run champion saw his vote percentage rise for the second straight time last year, so the PED bias holding him back may be subsiding.  Whether he has enough time to get up to 75% remains to be seen.

Roger Clemens
Years on ballot: 4
2015 Percentage: 45.2

Roger Clemens, he of the 354 career victories and 7 Cy Young awards, also found himself with a second consecutive rise after his fourth run through the voting process.  For some odd reason, perhaps by having played for more teams, Clemens continues to get marginally more support than his fellow PED poster child Barry Bonds.

Trevor Hoffman
Years on ballot: 1
2015 Percentage: 67.3

One of only 2 pitchers with over 600 saves, Hoffman came close to election on his first time on the ballot.  I would expect his to break through either this year or next.

Jeff Kent
Years on ballot: 3
2015 Percentage: 14.0

The 2000 NL MVP earned the exact same percentage of the vote as he did the previous year, meaning the future does not look good for him.

Edgar Martinez
Years on ballot: 7
2015 Percentage: 43.4

The longtime DH for the Mariners saw a big jump last year, but may not have enough time left on the ballot to build up to the necessary 75%.  His long career as a DH in the Pacific Northwest may be holding him back.

Fred McGriff
Years on ballot: 7
2015 Percentage: 20.9 Continue reading →

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Hall Of Fame Batting Leaders

baseballhofgriffeyToday, former White Sox outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. takes his place in Cooperstown, alongside Mike Piazza.  It has been 2 years since we last looked at the overall leaders amongst Hall of Famers, so let’s check back in with the inclusion of 2 classes worth of Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball for all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2016, starting with the offense.

Home Runs

Name Total
Frank Thomas 15
Carlton Fisk 2
Craig Biggio 2
Mike Piazza 2
Ken Griffey Jr 2
Eddie Murray 2

Hits

Name Total
Frank Thomas 54
Ken Griffey Jr 32
Continue reading →
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HOF Election Thoughts

baseballhofAll eyes turned towards Cooperstown yesterday as the votes were tallied and two new members were announced as the Hall of Fame class of 2016: Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza.  Griffey, in his first year of eligibility, set the all time record by being named on 99.3% of the ballots, eclipsing Tom Seaver’s mark of 98.8% in 1992.  Piazza earned 83% of the vote in his 4th year of eligibility, an increase 13.1 point increase from last year.

Four others tallied greater than 50% of the vote, led by Jeff Bagwell, who fell a mere 15 votes shy of election.  Next was Tim Raines, who only has one more chance to boost his total from 69.8% to the required 75%.  Trevor Hoffman had a surprisingly strong showing in his first year, garnering 67.3% of the vote.  Finally, Curt Schilling showed a big improvement in his 4th year on the ballot, going from 39.2% to 52.3%.

The news continued to be bleak for the alleged PED users, as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa still failed to gain entry.  McGwire, in his 10th year of eligibility, now falls off the ballot, as does former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammel.  13 others failed to reach 5% and will also fall off the ballot.

As for the newest Hall of Famers, I’ve seen Griffey play 37 times, mostly during his stint with the White Sox in 2008, including the ALDS against the Rays. I only saw Piazza play 7 times over the course of his career.

Ken Griffey Jr’s numbers in games I attended were:

Continue reading →

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2016 Hall Of Fame Ballot – The Holdovers

baseballhof

The BBWAA released their ballot for the Hall of Fame class of 2016 on Monday.  The results of the vote are due to be revealed on January 6th, with induction taking place next July.  After Craig Biggio, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz were elected in last year’s voting, the new ballot contains 17 holdovers along with 15 newcomers, which may start to cause a bit of a problem.  The current BBWAA rules continue to limit the number of votes on one ballot to 10, and there may be more than 10 deserving candidates, so there will be too many qualified candidates fighting for limited spots in a shorter amount of time.  Once again, the BBWAA and the Hall may find themselves with a mess on their hands.

Let’s take a look at the returning candidates today before moving on to the newcomers.

Jeff Bagwell
Years on ballot: 5
2015 Percentage: 55.7

Bagwell bounced back last year with a small increase, but things continue to look bleak for him thanks to seemingly unsubstantiated PED rumors.  I fear he’ll continue to wait for that elusive call.

Barry Bonds
Years on ballot: 3
2015 Percentage: 36.8

The all time home run champion saw his vote percentage rise for the first time last year, but not significantly.  I doubt he’ll see much more support this year, leaving him on the outside looking in.

Roger Clemens
Years on ballot: 3
2015 Percentage: 37.5

Roger Clemens, he of the 354 career victories and 7 Cy Young awards, also found himself with a slight rise after his third run through the voting process.  For some odd reason, perhaps by having played for more teams, Clemens continues to get marginally more support than his fellow PED poster child Barry Bonds.

Nomar Garciaparra
Years on ballot: 1
2015 Percentage: 5.5

Considered at one time on an even keel with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, Garciaparra is likely to drop off the ballot after this election.

Jeff Kent
Years on ballot: 2
2015 Percentage: 14.0

The 2000 NL MVP saw his support wane in his second year of eligibility.  With the number of candidates coming down the pike, the future does not look good for him.

Edgar Martinez
Years on ballot: 6
2015 Percentage: 27.0

The longtime DH for the Mariners has had plenty of support from the Internet but not as much from the BBWAA, though his percentage did increase slightly last year.  His long career as a DH in the Pacific Northwest may be holding him back.

Fred McGriff
Years on ballot: 6
2015 Percentage: 12.9 Continue reading →

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Franchise Four – NL East

Major League Baseball is asking its fans to vote for the four most impactful players who best represent the history of each franchise.  The winners will be announced in July at the All Star Game in Cincinnati.  Today, I will give my Franchise Four picks for the National League East.

F4BravesWell, this is a nice collection of players selected to represent the Braves.  6 of the 8 have been elected to the Hall of Fame with a 7th sure to make it once he is eligible.  Hank Aaron and Warren Spahn rise above their Hall brethren, so they take the first two slots.  The last two slots come down to Eddie Mathews, with his 512 career home runs, and the 3 aces of the 90s, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz.  I’m going to go with Mathews and Maddux.

F4Marlins

A much different scenario for the Marlins, who have only been in existence since 1993 and have a history of ownership who ships out any player that may be any good and, thus, command a decent salary.  The 8 players in the running have averaged less than 7 years in a Marlin uniform.  That said, I will pick Josh Beckett, Gary Sheffield, Mike Lowell, and current star Giancarlo Stanton.

F4Mets

Continue reading →

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Election Thoughts

mlb_hof

The votes were tallied in Cooperstown and, for the first time since 1955, four former players were elected to become members of the Hall of Fame.  Ballot newcomers John Smoltz, Pedro Martinez, and Randy Johnson, along with third-timer Craig Biggio, became the newest members of baseball’s greatest fraternity, garnering more than 75% of the votes.  Only three other candidates, Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, and Tim Raines, managed to top 50% of the vote.

The news for players with PED connections was mixed, with Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds gaining a little ground, while Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire lost votes.  Don Mattingly falls off the ballot after 15 tries.  17 candidates who were eligible for the first time will drop off the ballot due to not receiving 5% of the vote.

As for the newest Hall of Famers, I’ve somehow seen 755 baseball games over the past 30 years, none of which included Pedro Martinez or Randy Johnson.  John Smoltz I saw twice, during his closing phase.  Craig Biggio, as an everyday player, was the enshrinee I saw most often, including Game 2 of the 2005 World Series.

Craig Biggio’s numbers in games I attended were:

Continue reading →

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2015 Hall Of Fame Ballot – The Holdovers

mlb_hofThe BBWAA released their ballot for the Hall of Fame class of 2015 yesterday.  The results of the vote are due to be revealed on January 7th, with induction taking place next July.  After Frank Thomas, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine were elected in last year’s voting, the new ballot contains 17 holdovers along with 17 newcomers, which may start to cause a bit of a problem.  The current BBWAA rules continue to limit the number of votes on one ballot to 10, and there may be more than 10 deserving candidates.  To complicate things, the number of years of eligibility has been dropped from 15 to 10, with those who were between 10 and 15 grandfathered in.  So, there will be too many qualified candidates fighting for limited spots in a shorter amount of time.  Once again, the BBWAA and the Hall may find themselves with a mess on their hands.

Let’s take a look at the returning candidates today before moving on to the newcomers.

Jeff Bagwell
Years on ballot: 4
2014 Percentage: 54.3

Things have started to trend in the wrong direction for Bagwell, which may be due to the 10 vote limit.  Given the qualified list of newcomers and the continued PED rumors, I expect he will continue to be waiting for that elusive call.

Craig Biggio
Years on ballot: 2
2014 Percentage: 74.8

Narrowly missing election in last year’s vote, Biggio seems destined to make it on his third try, giving Astros fans something to look forward to next summer.

Barry Bonds
Years on ballot: 2
2014 Percentage: 34.7

The all time home run champion saw his vote percentage drop in his second year on the ballot.  While the Giants may be softening on having Bonds involved with them, having him throw out a first pitch during this year’s NLCS, the writers voting for the Hall are unlikely to have done the same.

Roger Clemens
Years on ballot: 2
2014 Percentage: 35.4

Roger Clemens, he of the 354 career victories and 7 Cy Young awards, also found himself falling after his second run through the voting process.  For some odd reason, perhaps by having played for more teams, Clemens continues to get marginally more support than his fellow PED poster child Barry Bonds.

Jeff Kent
Years on ballot: 1
2014 Percentage: 15.2

The 2000 NL MVP did not find much support in his first year of eligibility.  With the number of candidates coming down the pike, the future does not look good for him.

Edgar Martinez
Years on ballot: 5
2014 Percentage: 25.2

The longtime DH for the Mariners has had plenty of support from the Internet but not as much from the BBWAA, as his percentage dropped by over 10 percentage points.  His long career as a DH in the Pacific Northwest may be holding him back.

Don Mattingly
Continue reading →