Chin-lung Hu is the first MLB player to have just two letters in his last name.

There are 15 players with the first name of Carlos playing in the majors. There are also 15 players with the first name of John playing in the majors.

Willie Randolph, Johnny Oates, Lou Piniella, and Bucky Dent were/are all MLB managers. All four were also members of the 1981 Yankees.

Chuck Tanner managed 19 seasons in MLB. In his 19 seasons managing, he had just one team finish in first place (1979 Pirates). He had six teams finish in sixth place.

Bill Madlock had ten seasons hitting over .300.

John Vukovich, Johnny Oates, Bob Boone, and Larry Bowa, all former managers, played for the 1976 Phillies.

Tim McCarver once hit 13 triples in a season (1966).

Pete Rose had fifteen seasons of hitting over .300, yet his career batting average was just .303

Bob Welch won 211 games, and had a .591 winning percentage. That's a better winning percentage than Jim Bunning, Luis Tiant, Orel Hershiser, Catfish Hunter, Don Sutton, Phil Neikro, and Steve Carlton.

In Greg Maddux' first full season, he was 6-14.

Former Pirate Al Oliver had twelve .300 seasons, including ten straight seasons. He finished with 2743 hits for his career.

In 17 seasons, power hitter Boog Powell struck out more than 100 times just once in a season.

In 1965, Yogi Berra played four games for the Mets.

In 19 seasons, the most Yogi Berra ever struck out in a season: just 38 times (1959) Berra was one of the most difficult players to strike out in major league history. This, while hitting 358 career homeruns.

Baseball is my favorite sport. And I enjoy watching football as much as anyone...but for excitement, nothing beats Stanley Cup hockey.

During his sixteen year career that saw him win 236 games, Whitey Ford had at least one save in thirteen seasons.

In 1931, Lefty Grove was 31-4.

Richie Hebner hit 203 home runs over his 18-year career. He also held an off-season job as a gravedigger.

Mike Schmidt had 174 stolen bases in his career.

Bake McBride had eight .300 seasons during his 11 year career.

Has anyone seen the 2003 AL Rookie of the Year?

The last NL Rookie of the Year to make the Hall of Fame was Johnny Bench in 1967.

By the way, the 2003 AL Rookie of the Year was Angel Berroa.

Who knew that the last White Sox player to win the MVP award would be so outspoken?

By the way, the last White Sox player to win the MVP award was Ozzie Guillen.

Not only have the Mets never had a pitcher toss a no-hitter, but they've never had a player win the MVP Award either.

In 1978, Paul Splittorff won 19 games. His strikeout total that season: 76

In his ten year career, Gary Nolan had a .611 winning percentage.

Garry Templeton and Ozzie Smith were once traded for each other. Templeton had a career .271 batting average, Ozzie Smith had a career .262 average.

Speaking of Templeton, in 1979, he hit 19 triples. Who was the player traded with Templeton to the Padres for Ozzie Smith? If you said Sixto Lezcano, you'd be correct.

Some of the Mets first round draft picks in the 1990's: Al Shirley (1990), Kirk Presley (1993), Ryan Jaroncyk (1995), Robert Stratton (1996), and Geoff Goetz (1997). Some of their 2nd round draft picks: Aaron Ledesma (1990), Marc Kroon (1991), Eric Ludwick (1993), Sean Johnston (1994), Brett Herbison (1995), Brendan Behn (1996), Tyler Walker (1997), Pat Strange (1998), and Neal Musser (1999). How about their 2nd round picks since 2000: Matthew Peterson (2000), Alhaji Turay and Corey Rangsdale (2001), no 2nd round draft picks in 2002/2003, Matthew Durkin (2004 selected right before Reid Brignac), no draft picks in 2005.

In 1970, Bert Campaneris hit 22 homeruns. During his 19 seasons, his next highest HR total was 1972 when he hit 8 HR.

Roger Metzger had 4201 career at-bats. He averaged one HR for every 840 at-bats.

Fans will remember how Ed Whitson was booed out of New York by the Yankee fans who despised his very being. Oddly enough, Whitson was 15-10 during his tenure with the Yankees. Randy Johnson was also booed terribly during his stint with the Yankees. His time in New York was considered a failure. Johnson was 34-19 in his two seasons with the Yankees. And I thought Met fans were tough on their team.

In 1974, Ed Kranepool hit .486 (17 for 35) as a pinch hitter, which is the highest batting average ever for someone with 30 or more pinch at bats.

Who was the first player to hit a home run in an interleague game? That would be Stan Javier.

In Kirby Puckett's first MLB season, in 557 at-bats, he had 0 homeruns and just 31 RBI. His next season, in 691 at-bats, he hit just 4 HR.

Cecil Cooper had seven consecutive .300 seasons for the Brewers. He also went more than 1600 at-bats without being hit by a pitch.

Cesar Cedeno had 550 stolen bases in his career.

In 17 seasons, Kirk Gibson never had a season where he grounded into ten or more double plays. By comparison, in a fifteen year career, Rondell White had ten seasons where he hit into ten or more double plays, and in 14 seasons, Don Mattingly had eleven seasons of hitting into ten or more double plays. That's an obvious testament as to how hard Gibson ran to first base on every ball he hit.

On November 6, 1976 Manny Sanguillen was involved in an unusual trade as he was sent to the Oakland A's in exchange for manager Chuck Tanner and $100,000. He was traded back to the Pirates following the next season.

Rumor has it that back in 1996, Carlos Baerga was sleeping with Indians' closer Jose Mesa's wife. Mesa demanded "either he goes or I go," and Baerga was then shipped off to the Mets.



Court Adjourned!