Trade Tracker Thursday: California Angels. The Ryan Express and the Worst Trade in Mets History

Every time the Mets and the Angels are brought up in the same sentence, a collective shudder still ripples through historians of the Flushing faithful. There once was a deal that will always echo through the cold winds swirling around the memory of Shea Stadium. Mets - Angels trades begin and end with the ghost of December 10, 1971. The Mets traded Nolan Ryan.

The title of the piece is no error. I am not referring to the Los Angeles Angels, literally Angels Angels. Or the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They are the California Angels. Winston Llenas. Rudy Meoli. Bob Oliver. Frank Tanana. Nolan Ryan.

December 10, 1971. Mets get 3b Jim Fregosi for C Francisco Estrada, RHP Don Rose, OF Leroy Stanton, and RHP Nolan Ryan.

I was at a game in the early to mid 1970's and the Shea scoreboard flashed that Nolan Ryan was no-hitting some poor, unfortunate team in the late innings. I knew who Ryan was and the stadium gave a polite applause. My father told me something that rocked this young Met fan to his bones. "You know, the Mets used to have Nolan Ryan." I think my eyes must have fallen out of my head. "What?? Why??", was all I could say. I'm still waiting for the why.

The Mets were always looking for a little offense and someone to play third base. Fregosi was a 6-time All Star with the Angels and garnered MVP votes in 8 straight years! He also won a Gold Glove in 1967. These were not Lindor numbers, but roughly 13 homer, 67 rbi years. Think Daniel Murphy numbers (before, of course, he left the Mets and turned into Ted Williams). Mets luck being Mets luck, Fregosi broke his thumb in his first spring training with the team. He hit .233 in only 146 games as a Met spread out over a year and a half. Estrada went 1-2 in his entire career. Don Rose pitched 19 games with 3 teams. Leroy Stanton was a decent hitter, peaking with a 27 homer , 90 rbi year with the 1977 Mariners. Whitey Herzog, the Mets farm director, valued Stanton highly and famously and correctly stated that he would not have traded Stanton even up for Fregosi.

A true turning point in Mets history has long been stated with the death of Gil Hodges. The Mets felt they needed a "name" and hired Yogi Berra. It has long been written that Berra, a terrific Hall of Fame player, was an awful manager. If only they would have hired Herzog. It would have fundamentally altered the trajectory of the franchise. Most likely preventing the lost decade of 1974-1983. Maybe the Mets would have been that sound fundamental team the Cardinals under Herzog turned out to be. Agressive base running and high energy would have been at Shea instead instead of Busch Stadium.

Nolan Ryan was an inconsistent pitcher with the Mets. He finished fifth in the majors in walks, with 116, in only 152 innings in 1971. The pitchers with more walks all pitched between 215 and 294 innings. Ryan often developed blisters on his fingers, which frustrated the Mets. Hard to believe now, but he even averaged less than a strikeout an inning as a Met. (A strikeout an inning is still really, really good. That's 9 a game). What changed? He was given full starting assignments, without bullpen appearances like he had as a Met. He developed a sharp curve that he learned to throw for strikes under new pitching coach Tom Morgan. He improved his mechanics. And most likely he prospered because he was out of the New York media spotlight, the Texas boy found his confidence and challenged hitters.

Ryan had incredible stamina, often throwing over 200 pitches in a game. When no one was throwing anything near 100 mph, not only was Ryan reaching that, but in a recent documentary, "Facing Nolan", the filmmakers used the tools available and attained that Ryan was regularly throwing 108 mph! Believe that at your own risk. He pitched for 27 seasons (now a pitcher will rarely have 27 starts in a season), had 5,714 strikeouts (that averages 381 strikeouts every year for 15 years, as an example), and seven no-hitters! He also had 12 one-hitters, 18 two-hitters, and 69 total starts where he allowed three or fewer hits. He presently holds 51 Major League records. Was he a space alien? You decide.

For you young folks, his nickname, The Ryan Express, comes from a 1965 World War ll movie starring Frank Sinatra, "Von Ryan's Express."

TEACHER SAYS F. Maybe G, H, I J, and K. Giving up a 324 game winner for a broken down shortstop they tried to move to third base. It doesn't get any worse.

Met fans: Please let me know your opinions below. Is this the worst trade in Mets history? How about baseball history? Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio. Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas. John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander. Jeff Bagwell for Larry Anderson. What do you think?

December 27, 2001. Mets get 1B Mo Vaughn for RHP Kevin Appier.

The Mets needed a powerful left-handed bat to protect Mike Piazza. They targeted Vaughn. "The Hit Dog" was coming off seasons with MVP votes in five of his last 5 seasons in Boston, including winning the 1995 MVP. After two excellent seasons in Anaheim (33 homers, 108 rbi and 36 homers, 117 rbi), he ruptured a bicep tendon and missed the entire 2001 season. After one workout in front of the Mets, they were convinced and traded for him. I'll never understand how one workout in a cage after missing a whole season would be able to sway an opinion. The painfully out of shape and sloth-like Mo was even more of each as a Met. In a year plus a month, he only played in 166 games. He was done by 2003. (Except for one incredible 505-foot blast off the Shea scoreboard).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUA6HV3jX4o

Vaughn was also part of a Mets team that featured superstar acquisitions who suddenly and shockingly, totally forgot how to play baseball. All of them. All at once. Roberto Alomar. Jeromy Burnitz. Roger Cedeno. My apologies if you were in the middle of some yummy, sloppy sandwich. Put it down. You're not finishing it after reading those names. If you think you can....Jason Bay! Carlos Baerga! Bobby Bonilla!

Kevin Appier was a solid starter. Eight double digit win seasons for mostly Kansas City and an 11-win season for the Mets with a 3.57 ERA. Grade trade, Angels! Appier won 14 games for you in 2002 and helped you win the World Series!

TEACHER SAYS F. I'm a tough grader today, but you saw Vaughn, too. He added nothing. (But the 505-homer was pretty cool).

May 27, 2015. Angels purchase OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis from Mets.

June 13, 2015. Mets select OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis from Angels.

Not a typo with dates or the name. The Mets said to Kirk, "I can't quit you." They brought him right back.

Kirk (I'm not typing that name 100 times) was a solid backup outfielder for almost four years. In 263 games as a Met, he hit 17 homers with 117 rbi. He arrived back just in time for the 2015 post season, going a combined 0-4. But Kirk holds a remarkable Mets record.

In the 54th year of Mets history, Kirk became the first Met to hit a three homer game at home! It was on July 12, 2015 vs Arizona. The previous 9 Mets to hit 3 homers in a game ALL did them on the road. Kirk had to be the last guess anyone would have to this question. What made it so out of the orange and blue were the following: He had just been re-acquired and was hitting .091. He had not hit a home run yet the entire year. What are the odds that NO Met had hit three homers in a home game, and it was a .091 hitter? Guess what happened 2 weeks later? Lucas Duda became the second Met to homer three times in a game at home! None for 54 years, and two in two weeks! Don't you love baseball? Here are all 14 Mets to homer 3 times in a game. (Hickman, Kingman, Washington, Strawberry, Carter, Alfonzo, Reyes, Beltran, Ike Davis, Kirk, Duda, Cespedes (twice!), Cano (at Citi), and Lindor (also at Citi, memorably vs the Yankees).

Remember, no Met ever hit three home runs at Shea Stadium.

TEACHER SAYS A. Why not? We got him back to be the first.

March 22, 1975. Mets get RHP Ken Sanders for C Ike Hampton.

Sanders, who received MVP votes when he led the AL in saves in 1971 for Milwaukee, pitched for 8 teams in his 10 year career. That a lot of luggage stickers. He had a career ERA of 2.97, so maybe he was better than you rememered. As a Met, he pitched during the 1975 and 1976 seasons, with a 2.60 ERA in 61 games.

Ken was obviously traded a lot. Some of the interesting names involved in his trades included Jim Gosger, Jose Tartabull, Lew Krausse, Phil Roof, Ken Brett, Jim Lonborg, Bill Champion, Don Money, Cesar Tovar, and Joe Lis. That's a lot of 1970's baseball cards dancing in my head.

Hampton seemed like he appeared in every yearbook of my youth under the title "Young Men with a Future." Future in car sales? Ike went 0-4 as a Met and finished his career with 109 games as an Angel.

TEACHER SAYS A. They received two years of solid relief for very little. Sorry Ike. I did not aim to mention both Ikes in Mets history in the same column.

More Mets-California Angels names in transactions: Dominic Leone, Eduardo Escobar, Collin Cowgill, Julio Valera, Dick Schofield, Hubie Brooks, and "Fat" Jack Hamilton.

I'd love to read about your Nolan Ryan memories. Please leave some in the comments ! And if you want to keep the conversation going join our Kiner’s Korner Facebook group. It’s the perfect place to share stories, photos, and of course, a little healthy Mets debate.