Michael Garry - Game of My Life New York Mets: Memorable Stories of Mets Baseball

Copyright 2015 by Michael Garry

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Jacket design by Tom Lau

Cover photo credit AP Images

ISBN: 978-1-61321-761-0

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61321-784-9

Printed in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to my wife, Maureen, and my son, Ethan, for their love and support,

And to my late parents, Frances and Sol,

And to my Aunt May, for always being there for me.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

T hey say it takes a village to raise a child; it took at least that to write this book.

I am obliged to first thank Jon Springer, my erstwhile colleague at Supermarket News , and the author of the book and website Mets by the Numbers for recommending me to Skyhorse Publishing.

My second thanks goes to Julie Ganz, my editor at Skyhorse Publishing, for believing I could do this and for serving as a constant sounding board throughout the challenging process of trying to meet the Mets.

I deeply appreciate the efforts of Harris Schoenfeld, the Mets coordinator for marketing and communications, who set up phone interviews for me with Edgardo Alfonzo, Ed Kranepool, and Ed Charles (the three Eds). This happened early in my research and was a springboard for everything that followed.

I owe a special debt of gratitude to Doug Dickey, the Mets coordinator for special projects, corporate sales, and partnerships, for giving me access to the players at the Mets 2014 Fantasy Camp. During two glorious January days there, I met with Ron Swoboda, Al Jackson, Felix Millan, John Stearns, Eric Hillman, Anthony Young, Turk Wendell, and Todd Pratt.

Another person whose early help proved crucial is Meg Aldrich, owner, Talk Communications. She provided me access to a Nesquik-sponsored wiffle ball event in September 2013 at Citi Fields parking lot that raised money for the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club. It was there that I met the honorary coaches, Edgardo Alfonzo and Bud Harrelson, and through Edgardo, Harris Schoenfeld.

The person who tipped me off about the wiffle ball opportunity, Greg Prince, was an enormously helpful resource. Greg, who during the baseball season provides daily inspiration with erudite, funny, and brilliantly written observations about the Mets on his blog Faith and Fear in Flushing (which he shares with his equally talented colleague, Jason Fry), recommended a variety of helpful avenues. In addition, the first volume of his history of Mets victories, The Happiest Recap, First Base: 1962-1973 , was one of my best guides to the early Mets.

I would like to thank Lorraine Hamilton, the Mets senior director for broadcasting & special events, for arranging my two-day field press pass for the 2014 spring training camp, and Jay Horwitz, the Mets vice president of media relations, for signing the pass when I arrived at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie, Fla. At spring training I spoke to Daniel Murphy, Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, Travis dArnaud, Tim Teufel, and Frank Viola. I was also able to converse with the Mets great radio broadcaster Howie Rose, who generously shared memories of the game of his broadcasting life, Johan Santanas no-hitter. I am also honored that Howie wrote the foreword to this book. WFANs Ed Coleman passed along to me that the game of his broadcasting life was the Todd Pratt walk-off-homer playoff game in 1999 vs. Arizona.

In a few cases, I was able to connect with former players simply by reaching out to them directly, and I am especially grateful to those individuals. Benny Agbayani was the first Met I interviewed after he graciously returned a phone message I left for him at work. Bobby J. Jones called me after receiving a US mail-delivered letter, which initially went to someone else in the Fresno, California, area named Bobby Jones; Id like to thank the other Bobby Jones for passing along my letter to the pitcher.

In mailing letters to former and current Mets, I referred to Harvey Meiselmans 2014 Baseball Address List.

Jane Allen Quevedo, the co-author of Felix Millans autobiography, Tough Guy, Gentle Heart , put me in touch with Felix, who spoke to me on the phone from Puerto Rico. I was able to meet Jane; her husband, Carlos; Felix; and his wife, Mercy, at Fantasy Camp. All four are wonderful people who added immeasurably to the book.

My dear friend Steve Aaronson, whom Ive known since our chance meeting at MITs Baker House dormitory in 1973, was my photographer and assistant at Fantasy Camp, and made that trip more fun, productive, and memorable than it would otherwise have been.

A special note of gratitude goes to attorney Alan Neigher, who generously provided valuable legal advice at the outset of this project.

Steve Jacobson, retired sports reporter and columnist for Newsday , and author of Carrying Jackies Torch , graciously offered insights about Al Jackson, Ed Charles, Casey Stengel, and the early days of the Mets, which he covered first-hand.

The following people also contributed time and advice: Mark Rosenman (host of SportsTalkNY, WLIE, 540 am), Gary Perone, Nick Diunte, Chris Mack, Jordan Weiss, Paul Kocak, Gary Velez, Howard Pripas, Barry Horn (Dallas Morning News), and Fred Lief (Associated Press).

Much of my Mets-watching at Shea Stadium and Citi Field over the past 30 years has been done in the company of another dear friend, Ron Faber, and in more recent years, his son, Ben Faber. Thanks, guys, for the great company and the many Mets-focused discussions, debates, and trivia contests.

Projects of this type require considerable forbearance from ones family, and I have received more than my share from my wife, Maureen, and my son, Ethan, whose love and support never waver.

Finally, Id like to thank the many Mets fans I have encountered in my life. These are people I had never met before but with whom I would easily strike up baseball conversations based on my Mets cap or their Mets T-shirt, whether at an airport or in a supermarket or sitting next to me at the ballpark. Sports, like music, is a kind of universal language, and loving a particular team opens up lines of communication like few other things in life.

And thanks to the Mets for making life interesting.

Michael Garry

August 2014

FOREWORD

I ve learned something over the years about major league baseball players. Their recall about famous big league games that took place when they were kids is rather limited, and for a very good reason. They werent watching! Time after time I have brought up a famous play from a classic game in conversation with a player, only to get a blank stare or a shrug of the shoulder in return. When I ask any of these players how it can possibly be that he cant recite chapter and verse about a seminal moment in a particular season, invariably the response is the same.