Reversal of Misfortune...A Mets Dynasty

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Over the span of their existence, the New York Mets have treated their devoted fans to a fair share of pain, disappointment and misery. Yet, they are still our beloved Amazins, who delivered the unforgettable gifts of 1969 and 1986. But, could they have given us more?

I'm about to try and find out, embarking on a Mets Dynasty that will launch from where it all began...the Polo Grounds in 1962.

A quick review of the organization finds very little to get excited about. We have a couple teenagers in the minors worth watching in Paul Blair and Ed Kranepool, but the inaugural big club is ripe with old guys who won't be around long enough to see Shea Stadium open.

So, we hope to build through the draft, noting that Joe Morgan will be available for our first one in the offseason. But that is a long ways off. For now, we hope to be entertaining and improve on the 40-120-1 showing the Mets produced IRL back in '62.

Come along for the ride.

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How bout it? Had to play the first game of the dynasty.

Mets open in St. Louis against Bob Gibson and hang a four-spot in the top of the 2nd, fend off challenge after challenge and score a historic 9-8 Opening Day victory.

Hobie Landrith and Charlie Neal each with HUGE two-run singles in the late innings and Al Jackson didn't blink in the face of Gibson, who tossed 147 pitches over six innings.

#LFGM

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Have to enjoy this while it lasts!! Mets riding a six-game win streak and off to a 7-1 start!!! Timely hitting of Charlie Neal (10 RBI).

Mets sit at No. 2 in the Power Rankings.

This ain't gonna last long so have to soak it in while we can.

#LFGM

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What are we doing?????

A month into the Joe Morgan Sweepstakes and this crew thinks its the '27 Yankees.



Richie Ashburn claims NL Batter of the Month! The guy is second to Mickey Mantle in MLB in average at .463.



Bob Miller has a perfect April, going 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA. And, the Mets top the NL in runs scored (111), are second in team batting average at .295, are third in stolen bases (12), third in runs against (78), tops in starter ERA (2.75) and - most disturbingly - are perched in first place in the NL at 14-5, a half game up on the Dodgers.

Even when we're winning, the Mets can't get it right!

#LFGM #wewantjoemorgan

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Ok, that's a little more like it.

Mets go 14-18 in May and begin their descent to where we belong.



The Amazins slip into fourth place and reside three games above .500. Four game sweeps applied by the Phillies and Braves expedite our fall from grace.

Richie Ashburn has returned to Earth, but still batting .335, four points behind team leader Frank Thomas, who also leads the NL with 17 HRs and 49 RBI. The beloved Gil Hodges is on his heels with 15 and 41, respectively.

There are Mets dotting the stat leaders thru the first two months...

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Mets continued to slide in the standings, but not at the rate you might anticipate.

We sit a game above .500 heading into July.


Starting to make some moves, clipping dead weight and freeing up a little cash.

1B Ed Bouchee requested a trade. Shop him around with nary a sniff, so he was placed on waivers with the intent to DFA.

Traded disgruntled 3B 31-year old Don Zimmer to the White Sox in exchange for 23 year-old minor league LHP Frank Kreutzer.

Frank Thomas and Gil Hodges are 1-2 in the NL in both HRs & RBIs.



Bob Miller leads the staff with 10 wins. Al Jackson boasting an 8-1 mark,



Have to be honest, I never anticipated in my wildest dreams Mets would be anywhere near .500 this deep into the season. I fully anticipated us to be the front runners for the No. 1 in draft but it's gonna take a significant collapse to land that pick.

And, I love it!!

We have reached July unconventionally, rolling without a pitching coach but I just offered 40-year old Zach Richards a three-year deal and await his response.

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Here is the mid-season review from ownership...


Let me set the record straight...
We are an EXPANSION team.
We are currently in 7th place in the National League, two games under .500
AND, at 43-45, we have three more wins BEFORE the All-Star break than the IRL Mets had for the entire, abysmal 40-120-1 1962 campaign.

Got that off my chest.

Herb Moforrd, who sprained his ankle in April, came off the IL and is currently on rehab assignment. He was penciled to be our 5th starter at the outset of the season.

Zach Richards has agree to terms to become the pitching coach for the big club.

As the All-Star game approaches, the Mets have no player currently in position to start through the fan vote. LF Frank Thomas would be the closest, some 32,000 votes behind Duke Snider.

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The trade deadline passed quietly for the Mets. No one came seeking any help nor was willing to take any we offered in a deal worth pursuing.

An update on where we stand involving our team goals...


Pleased that fan interest is up and chemistry is content, despite a woeful 8-21 showing in July. That plants the Mets in 7th place in the NL at 48-61. Five teams currently have a worse record, so the Joe Morgan Sweepstakes may find us outside looking in. Stay tuned.

A look at Mets team leaders...

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September has arrived and with it came the inevitable reality of the Mets being eliminated from playoff contention.However, New York has no shot at the No. 1 pick and is looking at 5th pick in the draft. This better-than-expected inaugural showing, though a nice story, will set us behind in development of a contender.



Enough with the sad sacking. On a positive and exciting note, the Mets have started September call ups, including a couple of teenagers in SS/CF Paul Blair and CF/1B Ed Kranepool.

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Midway through Septemeber and MLB has released its top 10 draft prospects


Here's a look at the standings as of Sept. 16, 1962


No shot at the top pick but it's boiling down to us and the Senators for the second pick. Stay tuned!

That's what I'm going to enjoy about this dynasty. Yes, I would love to land Seaver when he's draft eligible but for this season, I'm not grabbing Cleon Jones or Buddy Harrelson before I land a Reggie Smith or Tony Conigliaro...or a Rudy May, just based on his longevity. Can't wait to break this draft down.

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The 1962 regular season has concluded and I have to say, Mets represented themselves respectably during this inaugural campaign. We went 69-93 which was 29 wins above their actual 40-120-1 performance IRL.



I'll post all the final stats after the World Series, which will feature the Detroit Tigers vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were two of the four teams that finished with 100 wins or more this season.

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Dodgers topped the Tigers in the World Series, winning in six. Don Drysdale stamped the championship run, hurling a seven-hit shutout that included nine strikeouts in a 6-0 triumph.

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Here's a look at how the Mets stacked up...


Here are the final offensive leaders for the Mets...



And, a look at our pitching leaders...

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I love defense, so not to be overlooked....



Our final offensive numbers...


Our final staff numbers...

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Gold Glove winners from the AL



The AL Fireman of the Year...


And, the NL Fireman of the Year


Get ready for a run on Dodgers during Awards Season.

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Here are the list of 1962 Silver Slugger recipients



And, the Rookie of the Year is...

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