Baseball is a numbers game. Nearly every aspect of the sport is computed, calculated, compared, contrasted, and often contested. It's easy to find statistical rankings of all types: season leaders, team leaders, career leaders, in all sorts of categories. At the same time, baseball isn't just a numbers game. There's a beauty to it that cannot be captured by equations and algorithms.
It's with this paradox in mind, that I present to you a Mets Top 5 list. Simply writing about a collection of players with something in common is a little dry. Put a number in front of that information, and it becomes more interesting. At the same time, lists like these cannot be definitive. These lists are based on opinions and exist as the beginnings of discussions and not the end of them.
This week, I present the top 5 outfield throwing arms in Mets history.
As you'll see, this list will contain one of the all-time Mets greats, some who were with the team for only a short stint, and a couple who might make you think, "oh yeah, that guy, he had a gun!" While I kept the criteria pretty loose for this, I will say that the players had to display their throwing capabilities while with the team. So, for example, even though Willie Mays had one of the greatest arms in baseball history, it wasn't quite the same by the end of his career.
One additional note on Mays - it's hard not including Willie Mays on all top 5 lists. It would even be tempting to include Mays on the "Top 5 Players Not Named Willie Mays" list.
5. Rod Gaspar (1969-1970) - Rod Gaspar made his major league debut on Opening Day (a rarity in Mets history), and batted second in the lineup. While he wasn't expected to be a regular starter, a spring training injury to Art Shamsky opened up the spot. Despite a productive first month, Gaspar soon fulfilled his Mets expectations as a late-inning replacement. Gaspar played in just 118 of the team's games that season, only taking the field in 91 of them. Still, he led Mets outfielders in assists with 12 and led all NL outfielders in double plays with 6.
Gaspar's most famous play was scoring the winning run in Game 4 of the 1969 World Series. In the field, however, it was a play in San Francisco's Candlestick Park that is most memorable. With the game tied at two in the bottom of the ninth, one out, and Giants right fielder, Bob Burda, on first base, Willie McCovey stepped to the plate. The Mets went into their "McCovey Shift" which put left fielder Gaspar just about in centerfield. McCovey hit one down the left field line, Gaspar raced over, picked up the ball from the wet grass, and threw a beautiful strike to home plate to nab Burda and keep the game tied. As it happens, catcher Jerry Grote then threw McCovey out at third to end the inning (with first baseman Donn Clendenon covering). The Mets would go on to win the all-important game in extra innings.
4. Jeff Francoeur (2009-2010) - Jeff Francoeur (aka Frenchy) played in 199 games for the Mets over 2 rather forgettable seasons. When Francoeur first arrived in the majors with the 2005 Braves, he was instantly considered a 4-tool threat (not so much with the stolen bases). While his offensive production over his nomadic 16-year career was inconsistent, his throwing arm was the one tool that never faltered. A simple search of "Jeff Francoeur Outfield Assists" on YouTube will yield plenty of enjoyable highlights.
Francoeur had 16 total outfield assists while with the Mets, and the spectre of his arm no doubt prevented others from even testing it.
3. Darryl Strawberry (1983-1990) - I'm sure I didn't have to write his last name. I could have just written "Darryl" and you'd know exactly who I was talking about. As you probably know, Darryl's number 18 will be retired by the Mets later this season, and nobody will attribute this to his throwing arm. However, this is an aspect of Darryl's game that is often overlooked.
If you were simply voting on appearance, just about everything that Darryl did on the field could top any list. His leg kicks, whether before a swing at-bat or just after fielding a ball was a sign that something worth watching was about to happen. When he would take a cut at the plate, it was beautiful no matter the result. His gazelle-like gait around the basepaths was somehow simultaneously speedy and slo-motion. And his cannon of an arm in right field was better than textbook, even if his aim wasn't always on target. Darryl had double-digit assists in 3 different Mets seasons (1984, 1986, and 1990). Although with throws like this one from his rookie season (1983), the stats seem insignificant
2. Joel Youngblood (1977-1982) - Joel Youngblood's tenure with the Mets was probably most notable for trades that bookended it. He was traded to the Mets from the Cardinals on the same day that the team traded away Tom Seaver to the Reds in a different trade. And, of course, Youngblood's last day on the Mets was when he became the answer to the famous trivia question: Who is the only MLB player to hit on two different teams same day? In between those two days, Youngblood put together a solid, yet unspectacular, Mets career, including one appearance in the All-Star Game (1981). While his performance at the plate was not especially noteworthy, it was Joel Youngblood's throwing arm that really endeared him to the exclusive club of Mets fans of the late 70's/early 80's. His 18 outfield assists in each of 1979 and 1980 easily led the team and nearly led the National League.
Interestingly though, it was a slightly imperfect throw from Youngblood that would be his most memorable. In late June 1978, the Mets were playing in Pittsburgh. They took the lead in the top of the ninth inning and then nearly gave it up in the bottom of the frame. With the Mets holding on by one, and Pirates outfielder Dave Parker on third base, future Mets coach Bill Robinson hit a fly ball to Youngblood in right. He made the catch easily and threw a nice one-hopper to catcher John Stearns that was just a couple feet on the first base side. Stearns grabbed the ball and dove back over home plate and put up his glove. The 230-pound Parker charged full speed toward the plate, and Stearns held his ground. The two players collided, Stearns held onto the ball, the Mets won, and Parker broke his jaw.
Ellis Valentine (1981-1982) - Ellis Valentine was traded to the Mets in during the tail end of an especially bad period. From 1977-1982, the team's best winning percentage was 1980's .414 (that's a 67-95 record). Meanwhile, Valentine's best seasons came with the Montreal Expos, with whom he played 638 games over 7 seasons. Expos teammate Felipe Alou once said, "There's a plateau where you can't throw the ball any harder and you can't be any more accurate. That was Ellis Valentine."
The Mets obtained him while he was on the disabled list (now known as the injured list) in the strike-shortened 1981 season, and he only played 48 games for them that year. The following season, Valentine played in 111 Mets games. Late in that especially disappointing year, he told the New York reporters that the Mets were "the worst organization in baseball." However, despite his vocal (albeit understandable) frustrations, and his relatively lackluster performance at the plate (a .661 OPS as a member of the Mets), if you ask most Mets fans what they remember of Ellis Valentine, the answer will be his throws. In 127 Mets games, Valentine threw out 17 base runners, and likely prevented others from even trying. For such an unfortunate period in Mets history, Ellis Valentine's arm gave fans a reason to cheer.
As I wrote at the beginning, the list above list will hopefully spark some memories and some conversation, and even some healthy debate. There are plenty of Mets outifelders who could have easily made the Top 5 and will instead be considered honorable mentions, like: Rusty Staub, Kevin McReynolds, Starling Marte, Bernard Gilkey, Yoenis Cespedes, Claudell Washington, Rick Ankiel, and Kevin Mitchell, and likely a few more.
Starling Marte:
Yoenis Cespedes:
Kevin Mitchell:
Players with powerful outfield arms may not get the same notoriety clutch hitters, sluggers, base stealers, or even Gold Glove fielders. Still, as evidenced by the list above, they could still be game changers.
Who had the Best Arm as a Mets Outfielder ?
Rod Gaspar
Jeff Francoeur
Darryl Strawberry
Joel Youngblood