World Series Champion and beloved SNY analyst Keith Hernandezwas number 17 by the Metson July 9th. Fourth player and manager Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges in the history of the franchise to retire and confer its honor. This is the first of a 10-part daily countdown of Hernandez's greatest moments and achievements after arriving in Flushing in 1983.
No. 10. From St. Louis to Siberia, Satisfaction
1979 National League Batting Champion and Co-MVP Keith Hernandez June 15, 1983 It is often said that when World Series champion Cardinals handed him out to pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Aunbay's Mets on the day, he believed he was being sent to "Baseball Siberia."
Mets has been in the midst ofseven consecutive defeat seasonssince 1977, when they traded off the franchise's cornerstone Tom Seaver.
"Why was Siberia? Mets was the last team and the Giants were terrible, so the only other bad place to play at the time was the candlestick." A native of Northern California told the post earlier this week. "New York was also bankrupt in the 70's and early 80's. The city was messed up and unsafe, so in every respect when I started filling Shea [stadium] almost every night to see a turnaround with my fans. It was a gift from God to me.
"And It certainly turned out to be life-changing. "
Gold Grab Award Winners are keen on the idea of staying by the end of their first season in Flushing. We worked on it and signed a five-year contract worth $ 8.4 million beforebecame one.
General manager Frank Cassen and Hernandez's father, John (the first baseman in the 1940s minor leagues), have a bright future for Mets. The 1983 NL Rookie of the Year, Darryl Strawberry, was already at hand, with admired young people Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling, Lenny Dykstra and others participating in the farm system.
Hernandez often says that former Cardinal manager Whitey Herzog wants to get him out of St. Louis. However, Helzog is a documentary on SNY's Keith Hernandez, and Cardinals ownership is behind what Mets teammate Mookie Wilson called the "most important deal" in franchise history. I said there is.
"He later understood the talent they came from, but the fact of the matter is that this franchise was in the dark when Keith arrived," Hernandez said. SNY partner Gary Cohen told the post. "I equate his arrival with the arrival of Siever in 1967. The franchise only knew to lose. Similarly, this franchise before Keith came here for 50 years only knew to lose. Did not.
"His presence, his pedigree, his ring, his leadership, his gloves and his clutch hitter changed it all almost immediately. Was there a championship without Keith? It's totally? I don't think it's certain. With Keith here, the whole story about this franchise has changed. "
