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John Candelaria

John Candelaria
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 325 of 1218 players
Candelaria
John Robert Candelaria
Born: November 6, 1953 at New York, N.Y.
Throws: Left Bats: Both
Height: 6.06 Weight: 225

John Candelaria was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on March 1, 2022, and November 6, 2022.

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First Mets game: September 18, 1987
Last Mets game: September 28, 1987

Share your memories of John Candelaria

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Larry Burns
June 4, 2002
This guy rivaled Juan Berenger as the ugliest Mets ever. His hatred of NY spurred him to leave the Mets for the Yankees? This guy does not even lie well. He actually had a good career with the Pirates, but he became a major booze hound and threw his career away. Unlike most of his compatriots, he did it with legal substances.

Jonathan Stern
November 6, 2005
The Candyman couldn't.

The 1987 Mets brought him in to aid their pennant run and he did not deliver. Then he was gone. That they turned to him at all (after trying out Seaver and several other over-the-hillers) was a telling measure of how much the team was hurting even then, a big reason being Doc's drug problems.

Candelaria also had a pitching meltdown for the tragic 1986 Angels. He did not, however, fail as a member of the 1979 Pirates, one of my least favorite teams as a child ("We are Family!/I got all my sisters with me!"). Yecch.

Kevin C
August 24, 2006
I agree with Bigstro, Candyman was a great basketball player and La Salle had Gary Druitt and Kevin King on that team. I saw him play at St. Helena's HS gym and then again in the NY City Catholic HS playoffs. I too remember that win against Seaver---not sure why Mets didn't draft him, but then again he did not play HS baseball---all baseball talent developed in sandlot leagues if I remember right.

Mark Tartaglione
September 6, 2008
When I think of John Candelaria, I think of the song "The Candy Man". The lyrics went "The Candy Man Can" When it comes to this particular Met, It should read, "The Candy Man Couldn't" He was horrible down the stretch in 1987!

Daniel Candelaria
March 30, 2009
John Candelaria is my cousin. So all you punks who said that stuff. John had a great heart and played very well. So open your eyes maybe you"ll see him. I thank the people who said nice stuff. John Candelaria is the best!

Guli
July 19, 2021
I remember the Candy Man pitching in summer ball with Pete Falcone at the Parade Grounds in Brooklyn. Many scouts always in attendance every weekend. Also Lee Mazzilli played and gave me great exposure as a pitcher also. Met scout always liked John but said his off-field antics always was concern for the draft. True pleasure to have played with the greats of pro ball!!!!

Rocco Rocky Sagarese
January 9, 2023
I remember playing baseball for the Bonnie's organization down at the parade grounds in Brooklyn. I played shortstop at the time and John Candelaria played for Holy Innocence. I remember facing him as a batter. They called him the Candyman at that time. He was tall; you felt like his pitch was on top of you the minute he released it. Those were good old days. Hope he's doing fine. We played a lot down in the parade grounds Prospect Park Brooklyn.








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