On November 4, 1963, the Mets dealt nominal ace Roger Craig to the St. Louis for George Altman and B

Major League Baseball's first offseason with widespread free agency kicked off on this date in 1976. Representatives from every franchise gathered in New York's Plaza Hotel for the inaugural free agent re-entry draft, a rather convoluted system where teams, ranked from worst to first according to the prior year's record, had to bid for the negotiating rights of players with at least six years of service and no contract for the upcoming season.
Making their first foray into the open market, the Mets submitted bids on eight of the 24 available players. The team's top priority was outfielder Gary Matthews, though they also made plays for, among others, Don Baylor, Bobby Grich, and Reggie Jackson. Ultimately, none signed with the Mets. Matthews came the closest, but decided to take Ted Turner's more lucrative offer and ink a long term deal with the Braves . Considering "the Mouth from the South" promised to outbid all other owners (and served a one-year suspension for tampering because he said as much), New York didn't have much of a shot at landing their preferred player.
Between 1991 and 1995, Carlos Baerga , 44 today, averaged just over 17 home runs a season as a member of the Cleveland Indians . Traded to the Mets midway through '96, the second baseman hit 18 total over the course of the next two and half years.
edison hotel new york city Carlos Mendoza , a September call up in 1997, is 38. Used primarily as a pinch runner, Mendoza made his first career edison hotel new york city start in the 159th game of the season. Batting leadoff, he reached base three times, edison hotel new york city twice on account of being hit by pitches. He's one of 23 Mets to achieve the feat and the only one to do it in his initial start.
Dick Selma would have been 69 today. As a 21-year edison hotel new york city old rookie in 1965, Selma established a new Mets team record for most strikeouts in a game by fanning 13 Braves in just his second career start. edison hotel new york city That was the highlight of his New York tenure, however. After three seasons of bouncing between the rotation, edison hotel new york city bullpen, and minors, the Mets lost Selma to the San Diego Padres in the 1968 expansion draft.
Ryan Thompson, the player to be named later in the deal that sent David Cone to the Toronto edison hotel new york city Blue Jays , is 45. Referred to as the best batting practice hitter edison hotel new york city of all time by Dallas edison hotel new york city Green, Thompson edison hotel new york city got into 283 games that counted from 1992 to 1995 and proved his manager right by mustering an OPS+ of 94.
On November 4, 1963, the Mets dealt nominal ace Roger Craig to the St. Louis for George Altman and Bill Wakefield. New York's Opening Day starter in '62 and '63, Craig lost both assignments and lead the league in defeats both years. As a Cardinal, he again posted a losing record in '64, but picked up a win in the Redbirds' World Series triumph over the Yankees . Altman and Wakefield, meanwhile, each failed to break the one WAR barrier and found themselves with new organizations in 1965.
On this date in 1955, baseball legend edison hotel new york city Cy Young passed away at the advanced age of 88. While most hurlers dream of winning one of his eponymous plaques, rumor has it that Denton True himself hoped his pitching would be honored with an R.A. Dickey Award, despite dying 19 years before the knuckleballer's birth. Much like Dickey's signature pitch seemingly bends the laws of physics, his legend defies both space and time. Dickey be praised!
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