We’re only a few weeks into the 2024 season, and already the concept of the “Mets nemesis” has come into play a couple times. First, in the opening weekend, former Phillies infielder Rhys Hoskins efforted to re-establish himself in the role with his new team, the Milwaukee Brewers. After a season lost to injury, Hoskins opened up this year with a questionable slide, a mocking gesture, and most importantly (and most painfully) some clutch hitting.
Then, just this past week, the Mets signed Julio Teheran who used to haunt them from the mound while with the Braves, especially during the 2013-2018 seasons. Teheran, who will be making his Mets debut against the Braves tomorrow, was a particular thorn in the Mets side in 2016, when he went 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA against them.
So, this got us at KinersKorner.com thinking about the many nemeses in Mets history, and with that, this week’s “The 5” was born. As usual, there were an abundance of names to choose from and narrowing it down to a top 5 was definitely a challenge.
There are a few players whose villainy was impactful, but short-lived, so they didn’t make the list. Players like Mike Scott, Terry Pendleton, John Rocker, Shane Victorino, Roger Clemens, and Yadier Molina certainly had some major moments in Mets history, but their success was not sustained enough to earn them a spot on the list. Similarly, there were a few pitchers who owned the Mets during their first few seasons in existence (1962-1966), which was a time when frankly, most pitchers owned the Mets. So, despite their Mets dominance, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and (eventual Mets pitcher) Bob Friend do not make the list.
Lastly, even with the removal of those types of players mentioned above, there were still MANY to choose from so this week’s honorable mention will be even longer than usual, and you may be surprised to see some names here instead of among the final top 5.
Honorable Mentions:
Hank Aaron
Dick Allen
Pat Burrell
Bob Gibson
Ryan Howard
Derek Jeter
Hong-Chih Kuo
Jim Maloney
Juan Marichal
Willie McCovey
Jimmy Rollins
Pete Rose
Mike Schmidt
Mets Nemeses
5. Rico Carty
I wouldn’t blame you if you were confused after seeing all of the Hall of Famers on the honorable mention list and then a relatively forgotten about player in Rico Carty at #5. Really though, that aspect is a big part of why he’s on this list. Carty only player 8+ seasons out of his 15-year career in the National League. Even during those years in the NL, Carty missed significant time due to injuries and illness. That didn’t stop him from bringing out his best against the Mets though. In 300 Career at-bats against them, Carty batted a robust .380, with 15 home runs, 67 RBIs (including 27 in 1964 alone), and a 1.067 OPS. He had a .962 OPS in the 1969 NLCS, although the Mets got the last laugh when they swept Carty’s Braves in 3 games.
4. Clayton Kershaw
When you think of dominant pitchers against the Mets, there are many who come to mind. It was tempting to put Steve Carlton on this list, although for all the success he had against the Mets, they also got the better of him on a number of occasions. I also came mighty close to adding Juan Marichal and Bob Gibson to this list because they consistently gave the Mets fits throughout their careers. However, even the Mets even beat those greats on a few occasions. Not so with Clayton Kershaw. In 17 career regular-season games against the Mets, Kershaw is 11-0, with a 2.03 ERA, and 123 K’s in 110.2 innings. From 2009-2016, they never scored more than 2 earned runs in a season against the Los Angeles southpaw. Their lone victory of any kind against Kershaw was in Game 1 of the 2015 NLDS when he was charged with all 3 runs and the loss in the Mets 3-1 victory.
3. Chase Utley
It was in that same 2015 NLDS that Chase Utley cemented himself as one of the most-hated Mets opponents in history, as his late take-out slide at second to break up a double play literally took out Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada who fractured his fibula against Utley’s helmet and missed the rest of the postseason. Truthfully though, that play was the climax of the career-long ire that the Mets and Utley felt towards each other. In his 16-year career, mostly spent with the Phillies, Chase Utley was a 6-time All-Star who some (not I) feel is worthy of consideration for the baseball Hall of Fame, and playing against the Mets seemed to bring the best out of him. In 194 career games, Utley batted hit 39 home runs, drove in 116 runs, and had a .900 OPS. In other words, 15% of his career home runs and 11% of his career RBIs came against the Mets, while his OPS was nearly 100 points higher against them than against the rest of the league. His 14 home runs at Citi Field were his most at any park other than Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, both of which he called home for part of his career. It’s not just about the numbers, either. Many of his home runs against the Mets were game-changing, and for Mets fans, heart-breaking. He wore his anti-Mets feelings on his sleeve, and was vocal about these feelings when talking to the media. For Mets fans, it was mutual.
2. Willie Stargell
On April 17, 1964, Willie Stargell hit the first home run at Shea Stadium. And it seemed like he didn’t stop hitting home run against the Mets until he retired in 1982. Actually, for accuracy’s sake, his last home run against the Mets came in 1979. Still, between 1963 and 1979, in 230 games against the Mets, Stargell hit 60 home runs, the most by any Mets opponent. For his career, Stargell had 182 RBIs against the Mets, which is 20 more than the next guy on the list (Mike Schmidt). Gaudy as those numbers are, they were also difference-makers, as he logged 41 game-winning RBIs, which was once again, more than any Mets opponent. In 1970 alone, Stargell hit in 14 straight games against the Mets, with nine game-tying or game-winning home runs. Earlier in his career (1967), he had two separate multi-game home run streaks against them, with a 4-game home run streak in July, and a 3-game streak in August.
1. Chipper Jones
Over the course of his 19-year career, Chipper Jones went from annoying pest to hated enemy to respected Mets rival. Jones is in the top 5 in multiple offensive categories against the Mets: 2nd in home runs, 3rd in RBIs, 3rd in total bases, 4th in hits, and 4th in walks. Beyond that, he was the symbol of the Braves dominance over the Mets during the 1990’s and early 2000’s. It wasn’t just his bat that earned him his place in Mets nemesis history. Following a late season victory over the Mets that virtually knocked them out of postseason contention, Jones quipped that all the Mets fans could “go home and put their Yankees stuff on.” Needless to say, this didn’t go over well. Still, while the Mets went on an end-of-season winning streak to eventually earn them a spot in the postseason, they ultimately lost to the Braves in the NLCS. This was not the only time that Jones trolled the Mets, and was also not the only time he was able to back it up with his play. It wasn’t long before the Mets fans (and some of their players) took to calling Chipper by his given first name, “Larry.” Still, while this admittedly got under his skin, it also inspired him to play even harder when he came to Queens. So much so that he eventually named his third son for the stadium at the time, Shea. By the time Jones retired, he had moved on from his anti-Mets feelings from earlier in his career, and appreciated his battles with the team over the years and the fans level of passion. The feelings were reciprocated, and in 2012, in his final series against the Mets in New York, Jones got a warm and respectful reception (for the most part) from the fans at the game.
Seeing these players achieve great things against the Mets was always extra tough to stomach, while on the rare occasions when the Mets came out ahead, it was that much sweeter.
Please share some memories of these players, or add some players you think I might have missed, in the comments below.
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