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Bob Apodaca
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 78 of 1233 players
Robert John Apodaca
Born: January 31, 1950 at Los Angeles, Cal.
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Height: 5.10 Weight: 175

Bob Apodaca was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on October 25, 2007, December 15, 2007, December 16, 2007, December 17, 2007, October 20, 2011, January 31, 2012, January 31, 2014, February 9, 2019, and May 22, 2021.

Non-playing roles with Mets Pitching Coach 1996 - 1999

First Mets game: September 18, 1973
Last Mets game: September 18, 1977

Share your memories of Bob Apodaca HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY: Bernard Aguinaldo Fired as pitching coach June 1999, from that point on Mets had best record in baseball. Coach HoJo 20 May 12, 2001 Horrible pitching coach... nuff said murphy June 4, 2001 Apodaca showed a lot of promise as a young pitcher, but he was always hurt. Every time Mets fans thought he could make a nice compliment to Craig Swan, he got hurt again. As a pitching coach, I'm glad he's gone. When Al Leiter doesn't like your coaching, it's time to leave. Mike July 30, 2001 Possibly the oddest looking player in Met history, I thought he looked like the sleestak in Land of the Lost. A few weeks before his firing in 99, I was at a game and saw him go off on some heckling fans. The guy was stressed out. Cheeba Wilson December 20, 2001 I remember him on Kiners Korner twidling his thumbs in between questions with Ralph. Shari May 17, 2002 I remember one thing about Bob: He broke his humerous bone in his arm throwing a pitch. I remember this only because I had the done the same thing to my arm throwing a softball, I know had I gotten proper coaching it never would have happened to me so I guess that doesn't say a lot for Rube Walker as Bob's pitching coach does it? Larry Burns January 28, 2003 Inadequate Apodaca is more like it. Never amounted to much as a pitcher. He was always "gonna" be a solid addtition to our staff but he was only a solid addition to opposing hitters averages. Then to make matter worse the Mets hire him as a pitching coach where he acted as if all the "secrets" he had learned were gonna take the Metropolitans to the next level. He was awful in both roles. Once fired the Mets became better although there was much complaining about his termination. I can only hope the firing of Valentine has the same positive effect on the squad. Joe Figliola February 24, 2003 Frankie B, over at Sergio Ferrer's page, wrote that he always got Ferrer's and Bob Apodaca's cards. Where was Frankie when I needed Apodaca to complete my Mets sets in the 1970s?! Bob's card was always one of the most difficult Mets cards to get for me. I didn't get his '74 rookie card (and that includes the one where Topps misspelled his name), I never got his '75 card. His card did come my way in '76 and '77, but not in '78 or '79. And would you believe that Topps put out a card of him in '80, even though he was on the DL for TWO straight years!? On the mound, I remember Bob was about to come into his own as a reliever in '75 until Johnny Oates of the Phillies hit a line drive into his face. I think Bob broke a cheekbone. But it's the frustration of not getting his cards as a teenager is what he is best known for to me. (Note: I eventually got Apodaca's cards when putting together my Mets sets back in the 1980s.) Rick M May 19, 2003 Bob's ERA his first year is infinity. On his Topps card they just put a line under that category. Didn't he miss a throw back from the catcher during warm-ups, hit him in the mouth? (Coaching) What does he use the stop watch that's around his neck for? flushing flash May 20, 2003 Rick: I (and Retrosheet) will help you out with your question. On Sept. 18, 1973, the Mets were facing the Pirates at Three Rivers. Trailing 4-1, the Mets scored five runs in the top of the ninth to take a 6-4 lead. Yogi Berra brought in Bob Apodaca in the bottom of the ninth for his first ML appearance. Apodaca walked pinch hitter Gene Clines, and then walked pinch hitter Milt May. Yogi brought in Buzz Capra at that point who nailed down the save. That was Apodaca's only game appearance in 1973. Think about it. It's the heat of a pennant race, and the manager brings in a rookie pitcher who has never been in a ML game to get a save in the ninth inning? And we think Art Howe makes some strange moves! Proves that the 1973 Mets really were a miracle team. Bill Henderson June 5, 2003 I remember seeing the game on TV where Johnny Oates of the Phillies hit the line drive into Bob's nose. The camera went right in for the close up, then quickly switched away to a safe and tranquil shot of the crowd. That two-second view was grossest, goriest thing I had ever seen on TV or otherwise in all my 13 years. I was (am) a Phillies fan -- and I never forgot that pitcher's name or that event. I found your site because I searched on "Bob Apodaca Hit Face" because I wondered if anyone else ever documented this moment... and found that someone else had remembered it too! Nice website, thanks. Jonathan Stern March 7, 2005 Bob Apodaca and Bobby Valentine were both interviewed together on WFAN soon after they were hired in 1996. They both sounded exactly alike. It was hard to tell the two of them apart. They sounded like members of Jim Henson's Muppet factory. Come to think of it, Apodaca looks a little like Guy Smiley. I wonder if Mr. Smiley would have survived 1999. Lifelong Fan July 21, 2005 I used to work for the woman whose husband drove the ambulance to the hospital when he got hit in the nose on a comebacker. Man, the blood was flying out like from out of a garden hose. He blew out his arm coming back too soon and was never the same. Was a great reliever. agee_of_aquarius December 2, 2005 Opening day, 1975, Apodaca saved the game at Shea. The next day, in the New York Times, he was quoted as saying something like "shaking Jerry Grote's hand after the final out was the best feeling I've experienced since sex". I was a kid then, and I remember doing a double-take while reading that. I also remember feeling glad I was not Apodaca's catcher. Joe December 7, 2005 Met the Mets (minor league team) at a hotel elevator in Shreveport, LA. Bob was not in a good mood, I guess. After telling him and two other coaches I envy professional baseball players he took a step at me like he was going to slug me. His partners told him to calm down, held on to his arms and stepped in between us. He is the biggest jerk I ever met - a classless idiot! A disgrace to the sport. JK January 17, 2006 I think it was one of his first games late in the '73, pennant race. Yogi walks to the mound in the ninth and motions for Apodaca, the camera caught Grote making a funny face with a twisted expression mouthing the name APODACA?? I forget what happened, maybe it was the game previously mentioned where he walked the two batters he faced. SmellyCat June 28, 2006 My most vivid memory of Bob Apodaca was in July 1977. Watching the game on Channel 9, the stinko Mets, who were reeling after trading Tom Terrific and King Kong on June 15, were facing the powerhouse Dodgers who were in the midst of an almost-storybook season. The Mets were leading 3-2 until Torre brings in Appy with a man on and 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th. He proceeds to give up a bunt single to an 80-year old Manny Mota and then a 3-run homer to Davey Lopes and the Metsies lose yet another one, 5-3. That was the first time I ever cried over a baseball game - I was 8. Bob P July 16, 2006 Futher to SmellyCat's June 28 post, I think it is only fair to mention that the homer Apodaca allowed came after Bruce Boisclair had dropped a foul pop by Lopes that would have ended the game. Ironically Boisclair had tied the game in the top of the ninth with a pinch-hit sac fly. This game was played on Sunday, July 24, 1977. Crazy Dave August 2, 2006 My most visual moment of Apodaca was when he threw the pitch to the plate and a split second later it came right back at him. He fell like a sack of potatoes. I screamed OUCH! (I was about 13) I always hoped Apodaca could turn it around for the Mets but it just didn't happen. Brooke September 16, 2007 No matter what "Joe" says, Bobby is the sweetest person. I have seen him in bad moods but rarely. He always tries to be nice. I really look up to him. Jeff The Pug September 16, 2007 The thing I remember most about Apodaca is, ironically, that he was forever injured. Every year, I would hear from someone in the off-season, "Apodaca is coming back." It's late August 2007, and I, for one, am not expecting Apodaca to come back. Paul April 22, 2008 Probably what I remember most about Apodaca is Bob Murphy uttering his name in those lazy mid 70's summer evenings and afternoons. "And coming in from the bullpen is Bob Apodaca." A great baseball name. I wish I was a kid again. Billy E. June 29, 2008 I remember Apodoca breaking his nose against the Phillies, but I thought it happened after the batter, who I think was Johnny Oates, hit a one hopper off home plate that hit Apodoca in the nose because he was charging in to field a possible SAC bunt. I'm probably wrong. DAVID MERCADO July 20, 2008 I was at the game when Bob got hit in the face by the Phillies outfielder Gary Matthews Sr. Man, lots of blood. I remembered Wayne Garrett helping Bob out and he was put on a stretcher to the clubhouse. Phillies were bad asses then but could not beat the Dodgers though. Larry Ojibe October 15, 2010 I remember he kicked a soccer ball to me in the parking lot before a game. We were playing soccer while the adults tailgated. I didn't drink the beer then because I was a boy, but we were playing soccer and Bob Apodaca was going into the players entrance, he motioned to kick the ball to him and Tony, my friend did it. Then Bob kicked the ball to me. I didn't know who it was until Tony's father told us he was a young pitcher on the Mets. That was a good one! Bruzzone January 23, 2012 Hey Larry, I grew up in California near Bob Apodaca and he coached soccer for a local kids team. He also used to hold baseball clinics in the winter at my elementary school. Daryl Trembulak June 24, 2013 As a kid, I used to listen to all the Mets games on the radio. My favorite memory of Bob was when they called him in the game and Lindsey Nelson would say, "It's Raaaaa-bert Ap-o-da-ca". We had great announcers back then with Nelson, Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner. I'm surprised nobody else mentioned it. I guess most of these people only know him as a pitching coach and didn't hear the old broadcasts. Jim Snedeker May 27, 2022 I remember somebody in the Mets' broadcast booth exclaiming "Apo-dac-a-DOO!" (as in Fred Flinstone's Yabba-dabba-DOO!) after a good performance by Bob. Tom L June 6, 2022 My best memory of Bob Apodaca was him coming in to close a game in the 8th inning against the Phillies in a one-run game during the dark days of 77. Bob lets the Phils tie the game in the 9th, but despite the pessimism of my friends and myself, Apodaca tightened up and finished the game that the Mets won in the 10th inning. You'd think it would be a happy memory, but the Green Line bus ride home to Flatbush was spoiled by a drunk who sang the ENTIRE 40 minute ride home, "HAPPY APODACA, HAPPY APODACA, HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY-HAP-HAP-HAP-HAPPY.....AP-O-DAC-A!" (Or some different variations thereof, but you get the idea) Me and my 2 buddies were all of 13, but we were seriously thinking of gagging the guy halfway through the ride, even with him being 300lbs and nearly weighing as much as the 3 of us! Now I have the "Happy Apodaca" song stuck back in my head! Alex November 8, 2022 Bob Apodaca was the Mets pitching coach when I first got into the club in 1999 at 9 years old, so I remember him mostly for that. His surname always had a nice ring to it --Apodaca--and is a big reason I still remember his role with the team from way back then. I can't remember the '99 Mets' hitting coach or the bench coach, but I remember Bob Apodaca the pitching coach. He was quite the awesome pitcher during his playing days; it's a shame he didn't last longer. He finished with a sub-3 ERA with the club and had a 2.17 mark between 1975 and 1976. I wrote him an autograph request through the Rockies in 2012. He signs about 80% of the time. But not for me :-(.

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