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Share your memories of Julio Valera
HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:
flushing flash
Called upon to start the most important game of the 1990 season, against the Bucs in September, he failed miserably. This one bad managerial decision cost us the 1990 NL East title.
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murphy
May 7, 2001
That start not only killed the Mets season, it killed Valera's career. Never made it. Another overrated minor league pitcher from the Mets farm system.
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Danny Erickson
July 26, 2001
I recently seen the Long Island Ducks Play against Nashua. I glanced out at the field and there was Julio taking his warmup pitches for Nashua. I glanced a little further and there was Buddy Harrelson coaching first base. I wondered if Buddy felt a little insecure or was having flashbacks as he watched Julio out on the mound.
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1-DaWg
November 13, 2001
Caught a line-drive foul ball down the first base line off the bat of Will Clark in Valera's major league debut against the Giants. He should've hung it up after that...great decision to start him in such a big game being that he was in the big leagues for about a week and a half.
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Jonathan Stern
August 6, 2004
Buddy made a strange decision by starting Valera in that crucial 1990 game. It may have been the first public sign that the Met legend was not fit to be a major league manager. As much victim as perepetrator, Valera never recovered from that game, eating his way to becoming the Human Butterball before his brief career came to end.
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Joe P.
September 24, 2004
Didn't hear much from him after losing that important night game to the Pirates way back in '90.
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johnnyd
January 2, 2005
Oh that night in 1990! I was working the late shift at JFK and all Steve Summers (WFAN) said all night after this guy lost the game was JULIO VALERA...over and over. This cost Harrelson his job and all credibility with the players. Harrelson was a Wilpon/Harazin stooge and was coerced into starting this guy. Davey Johnson would have told them both to drop dead.
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KMT
March 4, 2005
Harrelson turned on Ron Darling because the Mets braintrust believed Valera was the next pitching star to come through the system! Harrelson's decision to go with this lump cost him in the long run. I never understood what they were thinking! It truly did cost us the division in 1990!
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DailySkew
December 18, 2008
Actually saw his debut at Shea with my family. There was a LOT of hype before that start. He gave up 3 runs in 6 innings, 3 walks, 3 K. My family was very disappointed.
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scott r
April 24, 2009
The guy ended up a bum, and probably shouldn't have started those games, but if you look at the games, they won two of them and the one he lost against the Pirates was Sept 6th, early enough that they still could've won pennant, not a great decision but it's too much to put blame on him.
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