Reversal of Misfortune...A Mets Dynasty

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Leaving 2B Manny Trillo and SS Chris Speier unprotected. Here are the 15 we will protect for the upcoming Expansion Draft.

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Seven Mets went to salary arbitration in November of 1976.

Team goes 4-3 in the court room, with 3B George Brett, RF Ken Griffey and LHP Dave LaRoche winning their cases while C Brian Downing, 1B Cecil Cooper, 2B Manny Trillo and RHP Charlie Hough all lose.

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The first class of free agents filed to test the open market. One of them was our own OF Reggie Smith.

Thought a lot about Smith and what to do but at his age (31) I wondered if he was worth a multi-year deal at the money he's asking. He wants six years at $6.32 million. High price tag. But, we will most likely put a bid in.

He are some of the more notable names on the free-agent list...

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We have hemorraghed some cash early in the off season so it was time to recoup a few bucks.

Mets land Rick Camp, a Double A pitching prospect with the Braves in a bid to bolster the farm system.

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Mets have gotten into the free-agent bidding for both OF Reggie Jackson and RHP Nolan Ryan. Both wanted extensive long-term deals. We've countered with four-year deals to each, both making a shade over a $1M per year.

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Always loved Wally Backman. Played hard, played with passion and backed down from nobody.

Thus, we plucked him in the first round of the MLB Draft.
Picked slugging OF Ron Kittle in the second round.
Have to bolster our farm system.

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Mets lose both SS Chris Speier and 2B Manny Trillo in the Expansion Draft.

Speier heads north to Toronto and Trillo is packing for the northwest and Seattle.

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Was kinda inevitable but OF/1B Reggie Smith inked a free-agent deal with the Detroit Tigers.

Guy was instrumental crafting in our championship pedigree. Wish him all the best and indebted to Reggie for his contributions over 11 seasons with us.

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Forget the 7 train....clear the platform because the Von Ryan Express is pulling into the station.

Mets have come to terms with free agent RHP Nolan Ryan. Big get for us and now our rotation is Seaver, Blue, Carlton, Ryan and Wilbur Wood.

Means we could be moving an arm. Stay tuned.

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Mets come to terms with free agent OF Reggie Jackson. Love the idea of this guy being a force in Queens.

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Another blockbuster as Mets secure OF Jim Rice. We have to dump salary as we currently work in the negative. Bid farewell to Ken Griffey and Mike Caldwell, both expendable considering our free-agent acquisitions, Reggie Jackson and Nolan Ryan.

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Two-time defending champion Mets have embarked on the '77 campaign.

A look at the standings through April...

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Gotta feeling we are in for a dogfight this year if we want to maintain our supremacy in the NL East.


Offensive leaders



Pitching leaders

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Mets holding down a sizeable cushion atop NL East at the All-Star break...

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Mets are on the cusp of another divisional title but they will pursue it minus a staple.

C Johnny Bench has a torn hamstring that will sideline him for the next five weeks. The injury occurred on Sept. 3, so there is a chance Bench could rejoin the team during the playoffs, assuming we make the post season.

Here is how things stand right now...

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Mets outdistanced Philadelphia en route to locking up their eighth consecutive NL East title.

Mets will tackle the San Francisco Giants while the Oakland A's, who fashioned the best record in baseball for 1977, square off against the Baltimore Orioles.

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Was looking over the final American League stats and one of the reasons the Oakland A's are the heavy favorite to reach the World Series is Rod Carew. who batted at an astonishing .402 clip for the season.

WOW!

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Mets were three outs away from advancing to their eight straight World Series but Bruce Sutter collapsed in the bottom of the ninth of Game 4 and now Mets head back to Shea Stadium to host Giants for Game 5.

Even more newsworthy in the moment, the Baltimore Orioles swept the Oakland A's and await the winner for the Fall Classic.

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Mets' bats slumbered while the Giants swung timely lumber and defeated New York, 4-2, in Game 5 of the 1977 NLCS.

The loss ends the Mets' bid for a third straight World Series title.

A relatively quiet offense, coupled with a less-than-dominating Tom Seaver, spelled doom for the Amazins.

A walk, a one-out RBI triple by Al Bumbry and a sac fly from Rick Burleson staked San Francisco to a 2-0 lead in the third. The Mets drew even in the fourth on consecutive RBI doubles from Reggie Jackson and Robin Yount.

However, Pete Rose laced a triple in the eighth that scored Omar Moreno and Rose dashed home singled to put the Giants back on top, 4-2.

Seaver fanned eight but was touched for six hits and two runs. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth in favor Bobby Brown, who flew out with a runner on second.