Mets All-Time Team

Tonight on SNY, they unveiled the New York Mets' 50th Anniversary All-time Team.  There weren't any surprises (the ceremony was actually held on Sunday), but there were definitely some deserving players that were left off.  For example, they only had one right-handed starting pitcher.  Since that was obviously going to the undisputed greatest player in Mets history, there wasn't any room for Dwight Gooden on the team.  And how were the voters supposed to choose between Mike Piazza and Gary Carter at catcher?

I have no such problems.  Since an actual baseball team consists of 25 players, I'm going to take the team that was announced today and add a few more players to it.  Mike Piazza or Gary Carter?  How about both!  Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden in the same rotation?  Sure.  Tug McGraw and John Franco both in the bullpen?  You got it.

And with that, here we go...

Starting Pitchers: Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, Ron Darling
The only guy wearing a Mets hat in Cooperstown, as well as the only player in franchise history to have his number retired, Seaver's a no-brainer.  You'd get very little argument from anybody that he's the best player in Mets history.  His sidekick Jerry Koosman was the left-handed starter on the All-Time Team.  The conversation regarding Koosman's place on the team probably took as long as the one about Seaver.  If there was another starting pitching spot available, it would've gone to Dwight Gooden, who might be the most electric player in franchise history.  He trails only Seaver on the Mets' all-time wins and strikeouts lists, and might have joined him in the Hall of Fame if not for his "problems."  Ron Darling's not just a great broadcaster, he's fourth on the franchise's all-time list with 99 career wins.  He started three games in the 1986 World Series, including the Game 7 clincher.  Matlack's the only one that required any sort of thought.  But I went with him over guys like Sid Fernandez and Al Leiter because Matlack brought home some hardware (1972 Rookie of the Year, 1974 All-Star Game MVP), and he helped them reach the 1973 World Series.

Relief Pitchers: Tug McGraw, John Franco, Jesse Orosco, Roger McDowell, Rick Aguilera, Billy Wagner
Just like the right-handed starter was a problem area, the lefty reliever must've been a tough selection.  The voters went with Tug McGraw, who was the heart and soul of that '73 team.  And I'm sure he got bouns points for coming up with "Ya Gotta Believe."  But how can any all-time Mets team be complete without Franco or Orosco?  Franco's probably as closely identified with the New York Mets as anybody.  A Queens guy, he's their all-time leader in appearances (695) and saves (276).  Yes, Jesse Orosco became a running joke for pitching for every Major League team until he was about 80 years old, but he was at his best with the Mets.  And how about that 1986 postseason?  I love the celebration after striking out Marty Barrett to end the 1986 World Series.  The pickings are slim on the right side, but Roger McDowell was the right call.  Before he spit on Kramer and Newman, he was perhaps the most valuable member of that bullpen in 1986.  I gave the last two spots to Rick Aguilera and Billy Wagner because, if this was an actual team, they'd be pretty sick setup guys.

Catchers: Mike Piazza, Gary Carter
Clearly the hardest choice for the actual selection committee.  Carter's in the Hall of Fame.  Piazza will be.  The late, great Gary Carter has always been one of my all-time favorite players, and he was the missing piece that turned the Mets into a championship team.  He gets my vote.  I also hate Mike Piazza.  But I'm not disputing his greatness, and I understand why he got the nod.  Catchers aren't supposed to put up those kind of offensive numbers.  And that walk-off home run against the Braves in the first game after 9/11 is a moment that won't be forgotten anytime soon.

Infielders: Keith Hernandez, Edgardo Alfonzo, Jose Reyes, Bud Harrelson, David Wright, Howard Johnson
Keith Hernandez ("I despise him!") was an obvious selection at first base.  So obvious, in fact, that he's the only first baseman on my 25-man roster.  It's unfair to even try and explain how good Keith Hernandez was, so I'm not going to.  Edgardo Alfonzo won the second base spot by default.  That tells you how good the second basemen the Mets have had were (although Roberto Alomar and Jeff Kent both spent time with the Mets).  Alfonzo's not even really a second baseman (he's listed as a third baseman on the Mets' all-time stats), but he was there on the 2000 World Series team, so I guess that counts.  The voters clearly hold no bitterness towards Jose Reyes for signing with the Marlins during the offseason.  He's certainly one of the most exciting players in Mets history.  That's for sure.  And he has 37 more triples than second-place Mookie Wilson.  Bud Harrelson is slightly underrated as a player, but he's been such a part of the franchise in so many different aspects that it would seem wrong to leave him off the all-time team.  David Wright's the Mets' best player right now.  Earlier this year, he became the franchise's all-time leader in RBIs.  But I'd still take HoJo over Wright.  A switch-hitter, he was one of the utility guys on the '86 team before solidifying his place at third in the late 80s.  HoJo's also temporarily third on the Mets' all-time home run list until Wright hits his next one.

Outfielders: Darryl Strawberry, Carlos Beltran, Cleon Jones, Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson, Ron Swoboda
Let's start with the easy one.  Darryl Strawberry in his prime.  Do I need to say anything else?  This is why the Mets were so fun to watch in the 80s.  The Mets' all-time leader in home runs, and second in RBIs.  It's really not fair how good he was.  He might've been the best player in the National League for a few years during his prime.  The voters were clearly able to overlook the called strike three in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS in awarding the center field spot to Beltran.  That's the only one I think is a little questionable.  I would've gone with Mookie Wilson, and not just because he has an awesome name.  Mookie's behind only Reyes in triples and stolen bases.  And I seem to recall him hitting a ground ball once upon a time.  Lenny Dykstra was your prototypical leadoff hitter.  He made that '86 team go.  Cleon Jones got the left field spot almost by default.  But who am I to argue with it?  He first got called up in '63, so he had to endure a lot of losing before the 1969 Miracle Mets.  It was Jones that caught the final out of the Mets' first championship.  My final roster spot went to Ron Swoboda, who was probably the Mets' greatest right fielder until Strawberry came along.  Like Harrelson, he didn't put up numbers that blow you away.  Like Harrelson, I can't picture a 25-man team without him.  Plus, I need a backup for Hernandez at first base, so he serves a dual purpose.

There you have it.  My take on the Mets' all-time team, with a few additions of my own.  I hope you Mets fans think I did it justice.  You would know better than me if I left anybody out.