I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling (20)22.
A new year has begun, and the Mets are looking to celebrate their 60th anniversary in style. To usher in the ‘22 season, I’ve created a trivia quiz relating to players who wore the number 22 for the Mets.
Think you know some obscure Mets history? Try your hand at the following questions.
Who are the only Mets players to be named World Series MVP?
Two Mets players have been named World Series MVP, and both wore the number 22.
In 1969, the honor went to a slugger who came over in a mid-season trade with the Montreal Expos. Donn Clendenon didn’t appear in the NLCS sweep of the Braves, but he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Fall Classic after hitting .357 (5-for-14) with three home runs in the series.
When the Mets won it all again in 1986, Ray Knight was their knight in shining armor. He scored the winning run in Game 6 and clubbed a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning of Game 7. Overall, Knight hit .391 with five RBIs in the seven-game set.
Which former Mets pitcher threw the first no-hitter in Marlins history?
For seven seasons, a native New Jerseyan was a reliable innings eater for the Mets, even earning an All-Star selection in 2000.
This southpaw threw a no-hitter for the Florida Marlins in 1996, the very first in that franchise’s history. The pitcher in question is Al Leiter, who blanked the Rockies on the evening of May 11, 1996. Leiter issued just two free passes in his masterpiece, not bad for a pitcher who led the American League in walks and wild pitches the previous season. The lefty even became the first pitcher to record a three-pitch inning in a no-no.
Leiter wore number 25 at the time, but he would wear 22 in all seven of his years as a Met.
Which Mets outfielder stole 21 bases without being caught in 1988?
The 1988 Mets won 100 games in the regular season to run away with the National League East. Their shot at winning a second championship in three years was thwarted when the Dodgers edged them in the NLCS and went on to beat the A’s in the World Series.
Despite that ultimate disappointment, the ‘88 Mets were nearly as talented as the ‘86 club. In addition to holdovers like Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez, and Darryl Strawberry, the ‘88 Mets boasted a gifted outfielder named Kevin McReynolds.
McReynolds made his Mets debut in 1987 and enjoyed his best season the following year, when he finished third behind Kirk Gibson and teammate Darryl Strawberry in NL MVP voting. He stole 21 bases without being caught, a record that would stand until Chase Utley broke it in 2009 (damn you, Chase Utley!).
The taciturn Reynolds let his on-field play do the talking, an approach that drew criticism from the quote-hungry New York press. In 1988, Jim Murray of The New York Times weighed in:
It’s not that New York intimidates him. The big city. For him, Tulsa is a big city. Or his native Little Rock. Nor is he a ‘Yup,’ ‘Nope’ type. Kevin will talk, but you better hurry. Your best bet is on the way to the shower. He holds the team record for in and out after a game.
Who was the last Mets player to lead the NL in stolen bases?
For most Mets fans, the obvious answer would be José Reyes, the franchise’s all-time leader in thefts. But while Reyes led the NL in steals each year from 2005 to 2007, he is not the most recent Met to win a stolen base crown.
That distinction actually goes to Eric Young Jr., who stole a combined 46 bases for the Rockies and Mets in 2013. Young was non-tendered by the Mets after the 2014 season, thereby ending his brief stint in New York.
Which former Cy Young winner wore #22 for the Mets in 2020?
If you’ve blocked the 2020 MLB season from your memory, I don’t blame you. That season, which consisted of 60 games in empty ballparks due to the coronavirus pandemic, was unusual in all the worst ways.
So although 2020 wasn’t that long ago, it’s easy to forget some of the particulars. You may have forgotten, for example, that 2016 AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello was on the Mets that year. He was mostly ineffective, going 1-7 with a 5.64 ERA over 59 innings. That one win was a milestone, however: the 150th of his career.
Searle’s Final Say
I rarely pay attention to uniform numbers, but they hold great significance for many. The players mentioned above are connected by the number they wore, and for their time in the orange and blue. In case you’re wondering, a total of 31 players have worn #22 for the Mets, including Xavier Nady, José Valentín, and Dominic Smith.
