1988 New York Mets season
Encyclopedia
The New York Mets
' 1988 season
was the 27th regular season for the Mets. They went 100-60 and finished 1st in the NL East. They were managed by Davey Johnson
. They played home games at Shea Stadium
.
, Los Angeles, California
, Los Angeles, California
, Flushing, New York
, Flushing, New York
, Flushing, New York
, Los Angeles, California
, Los Angeles, California
1988 MLB All-Star Game
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
' 1988 season
1988 Major League Baseball season
In , the Major League Baseball season ended with the underdog Los Angeles Dodgers shocking the Oakland Athletics, who had won 104 games during the regular season, in the World Series. The most memorable moment of the series came in Game 1, when injured Dodger Kirk Gibson hit a dramatic pinch-hit...
was the 27th regular season for the Mets. They went 100-60 and finished 1st in the NL East. They were managed by Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson
David Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
. They played home games at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
.
Offseason
- December 11, 1987: Jesse Orosco was traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Mets to the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. The Dodgers sent Jack SavageJack SavageJohn Joseph "Jack" Savage is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1987 and the Minnesota Twins in 1990. He was born on April 22, 1964 in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville, and he went on to attend the University of...
to the Mets, and the Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
sent Kevin TapaniKevin TapaniKevin Ray Tapani is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs from 1989 to 2001.-Early life:...
and Wally WhitehurstWally WhitehurstWalter Richard Whitehurst is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from to with the New York Mets, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees...
to the Mets. The Dodgers sent Bob Welch and Matt YoungMatt YoungMatthew John Young is a former American Major League baseball player. Young played for a variety of teams over his career, and is best known for his unofficial no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians while a member of the Boston Red Sox....
to the Athletics, and the Athletics sent Alfredo GriffinAlfredo GriffinAlfredo Claudino Griffin is a former Major League Baseball player, who played shortstop for four teams from 1976 to 1993. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Playing career:...
and Jay HowellJay HowellJay Canfield Howell is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs , New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers , Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers .Howell was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers when they won the 1988 World Series...
to the Dodgers. - December 11, 1987: Rafael SantanaRafael SantanaRafael Francisco Santana de la Cruz is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who won a World Series ring with the 1986 New York Mets. He currently serves as the Dominican Republic scouting and player development supervisor for the Chicago White Sox.-St...
and Victor Garcia (minors) were traded by the Mets to the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for Darren ReedDarren ReedDarren A Douglass Reed is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played with the New York Mets in 1990 and with both the Montreal Expos and Minnesota Twins in 1992. He played a total of 82 Major League games, 26 for the Mets, 42 for the Expos and 14 for the Twins...
, Phil LombardiPhil LombardiPhillip Arden Lombardi is a former professional baseball player. He played parts of three seasons in Major League Baseball, between and , for the New York Yankees and New York Mets...
, and Steve FreySteve FreySteven Francis Frey is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He attended William Tennent High School in Warminster, Pennsylvania, and played three seasons of college ball at Bucks County Community College before being drafted by the New York Yankees in the fifteenth round of the 1983 Major...
. - March 26, 1988: Randy MilliganRandy MilliganRandall Andre Milligan is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1987-1994. He is currently a scout with the Baltimore Orioles. Milligan is nicknamed "Moose".-External links:...
and Scott Henion (minors) were traded by the Mets to the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
for Mackey SasserMackey SasserMack Daniel Sasser is a former professional baseball catcher, who played from to for the New York Mets, the San Francisco Giants, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Seattle Mariners....
and Tim DrummondTim Drummond (baseball)Timothy Darnell Drummond is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during three seasons at the major league level for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins. He was signed by the Pirates in the 12th round of the amateur draft...
.
Regular season
- August 9: The Mets participated in the first official night game at Wrigley FieldWrigley FieldWrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, which the Cubs won, 6-4.
Notable transactions
- August 4, 1988: Tom McCarthyTom McCarthy (1980s pitcher)Thomas Michael McCarthy is a former middle relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox...
and Steve SpringerSteve SpringerSteven Michael Springer is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who played for two seasons. He played for the Cleveland Indians in 1990 and the New York Mets in 1992, playing in eight career games....
were traded by the Mets to the Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
for Mike MaksudianMike MaksudianMichael Bryant Maksudian is a former Major League Baseball catcher/corner-infielder. He spent 1992 with the Toronto Blue Jays, 1993 with the Minnesota Twins, and 1994 with the Chicago Cubs. In 41 career at-bats, he collected 9 hits and 6 RBIs. He was famous for consuming insects in the Jays'...
and Vince Harris (minors). - August 22, 1988: Héctor RamírezHéctor Ramírez (baseball)Héctor Bienvenido Ramírez is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of two seasons, and , for the Milwaukee Brewers.-Sources:...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Mets.
Roster
| 1988 New York Mets | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
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Starters by position
Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Gary Carter Gary Carter Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold... |
130 | 455 | 110 | .242 | 11 | 46 |
| CF | Len Dykstra | 126 | 429 | 116 | .270 | 8 | 33 |
| RF | Darryl Strawberry Darryl Strawberry Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it... |
153 | 543 | 146 | .269 | 39 | 101 |
Other batters
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mackey Sasser Mackey Sasser Mack Daniel Sasser is a former professional baseball catcher, who played from to for the New York Mets, the San Francisco Giants, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Seattle Mariners.... |
60 | 123 | 35 | .285 | 1 | 17 |
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Relief pitchers
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randy Myers Randy Myers Randall Kirk Myers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During a 14-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-1998 for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays.-Career:Myers first began his major league career with... |
55 | 7 | 3 | 26 | 1.72 | 69 |
| John Mitchell John Mitchell (baseball) John Kyle Mitchell is a former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in parts of five Major League Baseball seasons, from through , for the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles.-Boating accident:... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 |
Game 1
October 4: Dodger StadiumDodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| Los Angeles | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| WP: Randy Myers Randy Myers Randall Kirk Myers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During a 14-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-1998 for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays.-Career:Myers first began his major league career with... (1-0) LP: Jay Howell Jay Howell Jay Canfield Howell is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs , New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers , Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers .Howell was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers when they won the 1988 World Series... (0-1) |
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| HR: NYM – None.; LA – None. | ||||||||||||
Game 2
October 5: Dodger StadiumDodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| Los Angeles | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| WP: Tim Belcher Tim Belcher Timothy Wayne Belcher is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He won the Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award in for the National League... (1-0) LP: David Cone David Cone David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five... (0-1) SV: Alejandro Pena Alejandro Peña Alejandro Peña Vásquez [PEH-nya] in Cambiaso, Dominican Republic, is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Peña batted and threw right-handed... (1) |
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| HR: NYM – Keith Hernandez Keith Hernandez Keith Barlow Hernandez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He is currently a baseball analyst working for the New York Mets, for whom he played from –, on SportsNet New York and WPIX television broadcasts... (1); LA – None. |
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Game 3
October 8: Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, Flushing, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | X | 8 | 9 | 2 |
| WP: Randy Myers Randy Myers Randall Kirk Myers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During a 14-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-1998 for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays.-Career:Myers first began his major league career with... (2-0) LP: Alejandro Pena Alejandro Peña Alejandro Peña Vásquez [PEH-nya] in Cambiaso, Dominican Republic, is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Peña batted and threw right-handed... (0-1) |
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| HR: LA – None.; NYM – None. | ||||||||||||
Game 4
October 9: Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, Flushing, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
| WP: Alejandro Pena Alejandro Peña Alejandro Peña Vásquez [PEH-nya] in Cambiaso, Dominican Republic, is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Peña batted and threw right-handed... (1-1) LP: Roger McDowell Roger McDowell Roger Alan McDowell is the pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves and was a right-handed relief pitcher for twelve seasons in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1996. He played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League and the Texas Rangers and... (0-1) SV: Orel Hershiser Orel Hershiser Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for... (1) |
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| HR: LA – Mike Scioscia Mike Scioscia Michael Lorri Scioscia is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He has worked in that capacity since the 2000 season, and is the longest-tenured manager in Major League Baseball.... (1), Kirk Gibson Kirk Gibson Kirk Harold Gibson is a former Major League Baseball player and currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a player, Gibson was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed... (1); NYM – Darryl Strawberry Darryl Strawberry Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it... (1), Kevin McReynolds Kevin McReynolds Walter Kevin McReynolds is a former Major League Baseball outfielder with a 12-year career from 1983 to 1994... (1) |
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Game 5
October 10: Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, Flushing, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 0 |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| WP: Tim Belcher Tim Belcher Timothy Wayne Belcher is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He won the Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award in for the National League... (2-0) LP: Sid Fernandez Sid Fernandez Charles Sidney Fernandez was a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher from to . Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Fernandez was proud of his roots and wore uniform number 50 in honor of Hawaii being the 50th state... (0-1) SV: Brian Holton Brian Holton Brian John Holton , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues primarily in relief from 1985-1990. He was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers 1988 World Series winners, notching a save in game 5 of the 1988 NLCS against the New York Mets along the way... (1) |
||||||||||||
| HR: LA – Kirk Gibson Kirk Gibson Kirk Harold Gibson is a former Major League Baseball player and currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a player, Gibson was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed... (2); NYM – Lenny Dykstra Lenny Dykstra Leonard Kyle "Lenny" Dykstra , nicknamed "Nails" and "Dude", is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. Dykstra played for the New York Mets during the late 1980s before playing for the Philadelphia Phillies during the early 1990s.... (1) |
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Game 6
October 11: Dodger StadiumDodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| Los Angeles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| WP: David Cone David Cone David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five... (1-1) LP: Tim Leary (0-1) |
||||||||||||
| HR: NYM – Kevin McReynolds Kevin McReynolds Walter Kevin McReynolds is a former Major League Baseball outfielder with a 12-year career from 1983 to 1994... (2); LA – None. |
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Game 7
October 12: Dodger StadiumDodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Los Angeles | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| WP: Orel Hershiser Orel Hershiser Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for... (1-0) LP: Ron Darling Ron Darling Ronald Maurice Darling, Jr. is an American former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics and Montreal Expos... (0-1) |
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| HR: NYM – None.; LA – None. | ||||||||||||
Awards and honors
- Keith Hernandez, Gold Glove Award
- Keith Hernandez, Major League Record, Most Gold Gloves by a First Basemen (it was also his 11th Consecutive Gold Glove)
- Kevin McReynolds - Player of the Month, September 1988
- Gary Carter - 300 career home runs, and set record for career putouts for a catcher
1988 MLB All-Star Game
- Gary Carter
- David Cone
- Dwight Gooden
- Darryl Strawberry
Team leaders
- Games - Darryl Strawberry (153)
- At-Bats - Kevin McReynolds (552)
- Home Runs - Darryl Strawberry (39)
- Runs Batted In - Darryl Strawberry (101)
- Batting Average - Wally Backman (.303)
- Hits - Kevin McReynolds (159)
- Doubles - Kevin McReynolds (30)
- Triples - Mookie Wilson (5)
- Walks - Howard Johnson (86)
- Stolen Bases - Len Dykstra (30)
- Wins - David Cone (20)