Thursday Trade Tracker: Houston Astros. A World Series MVP, A Championship Catcher, Denver Schools, and Mike Scuff.

The New York Mets and the Houston Astros share much history. They both began as expansion teams in 1962. They had perhaps the most dramatic NLCS ever in 1986. They shared some of the greatest pitchers in baseball history: Nolan Ryan, Justin Verlander, and Billy Wagner. What did they not share? The Mets did not star in the underrated "Bad News Bears in Breaking Training" in 1977. Cameos by Cesar Cedeno, Bob Watson, Leon Roberts, Enos Cabell, and J.R. Richard highlighted the famous scene where the Bears play in the Astrodome. Watson should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor! To this day, if the Mets are stuck in a rain delay, I try to start a round of , "Let them play!"

October 19, 1965. Mets get C Jerry Grote for RHP Tom Parsons.

On all lists of greatest trades in Mets history, we rarely see this one. Grote caught 12 years in a Mets uniform and was a two-time All-Star. The tough Texan was a true leader during the 1969 and 1973 post season runs. He isn't remembered as much of a stick, but he had a .252 lifetime batting average and in 9 seasons, he hit above .250. Today, anyone hitting above .230 is a star. The only reason Grote didn't win his share of Gold Gloves was due to some guy named Bench. Johnny always said, "If Grote and I were on the same team, I'd be playing third base."

Grote was known as a rough, growling, not very friendly guy, but it was credited to him being a fierce competitor. Grote was known for rolling the back to the far side of the pitcher's mound at the end of an inning so the opposing pitcher would have to walk a few extra steps to pick up the ball!

Grote caught every inning in the 1969 and 1973 post season. People remember pinch runner Rod Gaspar scoring the winning run in 69 World Series Game 4 on the thrown away bunt by J.C. Martin, but did you know it was Grote's double that started the tenth inning? Gaspar ran for Grote.

In 1975, Grote hit .295 and led all NL catchers with a .995 fielding percentage.

I had the pleasure of speaking with him at a Baseball Card show a long time ago. I asked him why Jon Matlack was never a big winner. Grote proceeded to go into great detail (with a long line of people waiting) on how Matlack had no deception in his delivery. Every windup and throw were basically the same. Grote explained that they tried to get Matlack to deceive the batters but he couldn't get it. he felt Big Jon would have been a consistent 20-game winner. (But Jerry, who was going to score all those runs you need for 20 wins?)

Parsons went 2-12 pitching for the Mets and never played in the majors again after the trade.

TEACHER SAYS A. This trade was something it was hard to do with Grote behind the plate...a steal.

November 28, 1994 Mets get RHP Pete Harnisch for pitchers Juan Castillo and Andy Beckerman.

Harnisch was a local legend from Long Island who went to college at Fordham. He had already had three major league seasons with at least 11 victories. What could go wrong? First of all, he was acquired during the 1994 strike and the 1995 season started a month late. Harnisch's first full season with the Mets was in 1996 and it wasn't a good one. He went 8-12 on a 4.21 ERA. He was handed the Opening Day assignment in 1997, but gave up three homers in 5 innings. The padres would go on to defeat the Mets, 12-5. The Mets poison pen of Yorkis perez, Toby Borland, Barry Manuel, and Ricardo Jordan gave up 9 runs in 3 innings!

Harnisch missed much time due to symptoms of anxiety. He later signed with the Reds. In what seems like a steady pattern, players seem to find their old, successful selves after leaving the Blue and Orange. Pete was no exception, having a 14 and a 16 win season in Cincy.

Beckerman never reached the majors and Castillo pitched 2 games for the Mets, but never played in the majors again.

TEACHER SAYS C. Harnisch was a huge disappointment for the Mets, even though they gave up nothing.

August 28, 1984. Mets get 3B Ray Knight for minor league pitcher Mitch Cook, INF Manny Lee, and OF Gerald Young.

A key piece of the 1986 World Champions arrives. Knight pushes Hubie Brooks to shortstop for September of 1984. That makes Hubie an even more valuable piece to the Montreal Expos, who trade future Hall of Famer Gary Carter for Brooks in late '84.

Knight hits only .218 in 1985, but starts 1986 hot and never stops hitting. He hits .298 for the year with 11 homers and 76 RBI. He only strikes out 63 times, and unheard of figure for today's game. Knight started his career taking over for Pete Rose at third in Cincinnati, so he had to be used to pressure. Knight finished fifth in MVP balloting in that first year for him as a regular!

Knight hit .306 with 12 RBIs in April of 1986, making pitcher Ron Darling remark, "Besides our pitching, it has been Ray Knight's emergence that has been the difference. He carried us for a long time." Knight was also remembered for a fight in Cinncinati where he gave a right cross to Eric Davis. Former Gold Glove boxer Knight wasn't someone to be pushed around. The famous Game 6 rally in 1986 featured Knight, whose single drove in the first run of the inning. He later scored the winning run on the infamous Bill Buckner error. The next day, Knight's tie breaking homer late in Game 7 cemented the Series and Ray was named MVP. (Your friendly neighborhood writer was at Game 7!) As you know, the only World Series MVPs in Mets history wore 22. (Knight and Donn Clendenon). Who wears it today? Juan Soto.

For much of Knight's career, he was only the second most famous athlete in his own family! His wife was Champion Golf Pro Nancy Lopez. One of their daughters, born in 1986, was named Erinn Shea. Knight also spent a few years as Reds manager. He replaced Davey Johnson. Don't you just love how baseball keeps doing that?

The Astros got two good players in the deal. Lee played 11 years in the bigs, mostly with Toronto. Young played 8 years, highlaighted by a 65 stolen base season in 1988.

TEACHER SAYS A. World Series MVP? That's a pretty, pretty good trade.

December 23, 1999. Mets get LHP Mike Hampton and OF Derek Bell for minor league pitcher Kyle Kessel, OF Roger Cedeno, and RHP Octavio Dotel.

Mike Hampton was the answer to a Mets trivia question for a long time. Since there wasn't an NLCS MVP named in 69 or 73, and Astro Mike Scott won it in 86, the only Mets NLCS MVP until 2015 was Hampton! Hampton had finished second in the 1999 Cy Young ballot, winning 22 games. In his only Mets season, he went 15-10 with a 3.14 ERA. He was probably the best hitting pitcher of his time. He had four seasons of at least 20 hits with 5 Silver Slugger Awards. Hampton quickly left the Mets for free agency heaven. He signed a huge contract with the Rockies. I say go get your money. I'd run to Yankee Stadium for a few million myself. But Mike Hampton went on and on about the Denver School system being the best for his family. Be honest with us, Mike! No one would have flinched if you had said, "I know Colorado is deadly for pitchers, but wow, I got over a hundred million, suckers!" His only two seasons in Denver saw Mike's ERA balloon to 5.41 and 6.15 (not a typo). Leaving the Mile High city did wonders for him, as he had two excellent seasons in Atlanta (14 and 13 wins).

The Mets also got Derek Bell. Bell was the regular right fielder in the 2000 NL Championship season. He hit .266, with 18 homers and 69 RBI. Not bad, But he was injured in September, which led to Timo Perez playing right field in the World Series (I'm choosing to stop there. I refuse to replay that play in my mind again!). EVEN I COULD HAVE SCORED ON THE ZEILE DOUBLE! Darn, I couldn't control myself.

Bell wound up in Pittsburgh in 2001, where he hit a robust .173. When the Pirates informed him he needed to compete for a job, he stopped trying. he said, "If it is a competition, then I'm going into Operation Shutdown. I ain't going out there to hurt myself in spring training battling for a job." Surprise! He never played again.

TEACHER SAYS B. Mets gave up Cedeno, who returned and was never as good as his .313 average with 66 steals in 1999. Dotel was a very valuable relief pitcher over 15 years. However, he pitched for 13 teams! The good grade is for getting the 2000 NLCS MVP. Hamptonwas 2-0 vs St. Louis, not allowing a run in 16 innings!

December 10, 1982. Mets get OF Danny Heep for RHP Mike Scott.

"Every single ball was scuffed. When you have 15, 20 balls that have been scuffed, you know it's not done by foulig them off." This was said by wally Backman in 1986.

"He's very clever. Players who have been over there in Houston with him say he does it." Roger Craig, Giants manager in 1989.

"It's a real circus." Mets manager Davey Johnson in 1986.

The Mets were not hitting Mike Scott. He pitched two complete games vs the Mets in the 1986 NLCS. He gave up 8 hits, 1 run, and struck out 19. Who was this guy?

Scott was a Met from 1979 to 1982. He went 14-27 with a 4.64 ERA. So when they traded him for Heep, it seemed like one backup outfielder for a failed pitcher. Even steven. But Scott found some "magic." He won 110 games for Houston: A Cy Young, Two more Cy Young Vote seasons, Two MVP vote seasons, an NLCS MVP, a no-hitter than won a division, and his number retired.

Was he cheating? This is what he finally said in 2011, "I've thrown balls that were scuffed, but I haven't scuffed every ball that I've thrown." Gee, thanks. Can you give back your trophies and awards? Give back your number on the wall at Houston? Which balls weren't scuffed? Probably just his Mets pitches.

Heep was an essential Mets pinch hitter and bench player. He did his best in 1985, filling in for awhile when Darryl Strawberry dove for a ball and broke his thumb. Heep was the first Designated Hitter in Mets history, starting Game 3 in the 1986 World Series. Cool tidbit: Heeps initials? DH.

TEACHER SAYS C. Tough one to grade. Scott would never have found success as a Met. He needed to learn the cheat pitch in Houston. But, when you get your number retired, I will respect it.

Additional names in Mets-Astros transactions: Justin Verlander, J.D. Davis, Dan Wheeler, Richard Hidalgo, Carl Everett, Dan Schatzeder, Gary Rajsich, Bruce Bochy, Ken Boswell (went 3-3 in 1973 Series as pinch hitter), and Ron Taylor (closer for 1969 Champions).