Reversal of Misfortune...A Mets Dynasty

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Mets have the 2nd and 5th pick in the first round of the draft (2nd compensation for Darrell Evans not signing..PS he is back in this draft).

We really have some needs on the corners and starting pitching, too.

Here are the options to choose from....

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The Mets selected LHP Vida Blue with the 2nd pick and 3B Ron Cey with the 5th pick in the first round of the 1967 MLB Draft. We added SS Manny Trillo in the 2nd round.

Looking down the road in two years, Carlton, Blue and Dierker should make a nice top of the rotation. Cey will fill the hole a third temporarily covered by Tony Perez, who will slide to 1st.

Hoping this is starting to shape up. Time will tell.

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Here is the Opening Day roster for your 1968 New York Mets!


Major upgrades that promote a flicker of offensive promise.

Jim Hickman will assume the primary role at 1B with recently-acquired Joe Morgan at second, Buddy Harrelson at short and Tony Perez spending this season filling the void at third. Hickman and Perez can swing with potential power, Morgan will be a staple in the leadoff spot and Harrelson will hopefully roll the lineup over in the lower third.

Tony Gonzalez, who won the AL batting title last year in Chicago, comes to NY and assumes LF, Reggie Smith takes over in center with Blair going to the Chisox in exchange for Gonzalez and the legend, Roberto Clemente is in right.

The Johnny Bench Era commences behind the plate. He's only 20 but we think he is ready to be the fixture behind the dish and a lynchpin in the middle of the order.

Steve Carlton, Larry Dierker, Lew Krausse, Dick Selma and Tommie Sisk comprise the starting rotation, which will presumably be top heavy.

The bench in the bullpen will tilt heavy to the left with southpaws Jim Brewer, Grant Jackson, David Langrock, Tug McGraw, Jim Rooker and closer Wilbur Wood all slinging from the portside. This may be or point of concern when we get into situations where a righty out of the pen is the only choice and we may have to address this early.

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The Mets get tasked with kicking off '68 on the left coast against the formidable San Francisco Giants. Mets jump to a 1-0 lead in top 1st but Steve Carlton concedes a two-run homer to Jim Ray Hart in the 2nd and eight earned runs over 6 1/3 innings in a 11-6 loss.

Offense did its part, tagging Juan Marichal for six runs and nine hits over his 6 1/3 innings of work. Big days for Reggie Smith (HR), Tony Perez, rookie Johnny Bench and Bud Harrelson in the loss.

Mets fall to 5-2 in Opening Day games.

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The Mets finish April of '68 with a lackluster 8-10 mark. However, if their is any hint of a silver lining, it may reside in the strength of early-season schedule.

San Fran, LA and the surprising Houston Astros comprised the first 14 games of the month and we finished April riding a three-game win streak. We lost three games decided by a run.

A look at our April schedule...


The standings...


Mets' offense...


Mets' pitching...


And, our standing in team stats...

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I don't want to jinx it, but...

After winning their last three outings of April, the Mets streaked into May, running their tear to seven straight and 13 of 15 en route to building an 19-12 record as of May 14th.

I know, temper the excitement. We've seen this before (12 games over .500 in July of 1965) but it feels a little different. For the first time in the history of our dynasty, the New York Mets are looking down on the rest of the National League!

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The Mets send C Jerry Grote to the Houston Astros in exchange for minor-league 3B Graig Nettles.

Grote deserved to go where he could be a starter and Nettles will address our upcoming void at 3B when Tony Perez slides back to his natural position of 1B.

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Mets rocketed through the first half of May, going 14-3 on a path that stopped at first place in the National League. However, that tear was countered by an unfortunate spiral, subdued by a 3-10 skid that was stamped by a four-game losing streak.


Thanks to the tailspin, we are now in the middle of the pack and have our work cut out for us in order to track down the San Francisco Giants.


Middle of the pack or below when it comes to overall team statistics. That's troubling. We are hitting .239 and last in hits as a club.


Our numbers at the plate...


And, on the bump...


So, we steer into June. Will it be a typical swoon or a move that indicates we are finally starting to assert ourselves as a contender? Stay tuned.

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It literally took all of five minutes for what looked like a promising season to manifest into a rapid crash and burn.

After starting June with a win over the Cardinals, the Mets have dropped NINE straight, including a painful and telling four-game sweep in San Fran. Perhaps most painful, five of the losses were of the one-run variety. We gotta start finding ways to win instead of ways to lose.

Hmm, that sounds like the actual 2023 Mets.

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Mets go 10-19 in June, find themselves six under .500 and continue their historical struggle to find the elusive consistency the organization so desperately seeks.

Mets recently called up 3B Graig Nettles. He should be our guy at that corner for awhile but it also allows Tony Perez to go back to 1st and allows us to remove the slumping Jim Hickman out of the lineup.

We also moved 2B Dick Green to Cleveland for right-handed reliever Bill Monbouquette. A bullpen previously - and exclusively - left handed was doing us no favors.

One of our key off-season acquistions, Joe Morgan, was sent down after batting just .195. The 24-year-old was absolutely frigid at the plate and we hope he can find his swing ASAP.

We are 36-42, 8th in the NL and 17 games back of - who else? - the San Francisco Giants. Can't lie, this season is highly disappointing. Thought we put something together that could at least be over. 500. And, we have more holes that I recognized.

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The corner outfield posts will be manned by a pair of Mets when the All-Star Game commences on July 9th.

LF Tony Gonzalez and RF Roberto Clemente were each voted to the starting lineup for the National League.

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Rookie backstop Johnny Bench was named to the All-Star team. His numbers have not been glaringly impressive but still an great accomplishment in his first full MLB season.

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We shall see...Mets trade 21-year-old SP Larry Dierker to the Baltimore Orioles in return for 24-year-old SP Nelson Briles.

Dierker was spinning his wheels for us, we take $90K off the books and keep our fingers crosses Briles can deliver.

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The 1968 season is done and, so too, were the ridiculous notions that the Mets could be a legit contender.

The Mets finished 68-94 (worst than the 73-89 mark RL). This is the first time in the dynasty that the actual Mets outperformed my crew.

Really bitter taste regarding this performance. I thought we put pieces in place to make a serious charge. Instead, our pitching disappointed, Joe Morgan was completely overmatched and was sent down (subsequently getting hurt for eight weeks).

Not inspired to go nuts with final stats, etc. Gotta focus in on building a contender. The next season - 1969 - was a championship run for the actual Mets. My group is nowhere near that level.

Made some minor moves at trade deadline but one off-field hire was Gil Hodges. We inked him to be the bench coach for the Mets. We also clipped our assistant GM.

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The Giants topped the White Sox in five games to win another World Series trophy, their third in four years.

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The Mets selected and signed RHP Bert Blyleven, LHP Jeff Pentland, OF Mike Easler and OF Omar Moreno.

We also decided to step out of the way in the dugout - for the time being - and strictly concentrate on the role of GM. Thus, the Mets have hired Gil Hodges as manager for the 1969 season. Hoping a change of the guard can perhaps light a fuse with this team.

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Meet the 1969 New York Mets

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Trying to learn from previous seasons and keep enthusiasm muted.

So, I'll say check out the standings through April...


Offensively, Tony Perez set the power pace by homering in each of the first four games and Roberto Clemente just continues to be the incomparable Roberto Clemente...


Dick Selma has been a quiet pillar of our staff for some time now and headlines our pitching staff...

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And, the MLB concurred...