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Rico Brogna

Rico Brogna
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 132 of 1218 players
Brogna
Rico Joseph Brogna
Born: April 18, 1970 at Turners Falls, Mass.
Throws: Left Bats: Left
Height: 6.02 Weight: 200

Rico Brogna was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on March 31, 2010, September 20, 2022, and October 23, 2022.

1b

First Mets game: June 22, 1994
Last Mets game: June 19, 1996

Share your memories of Rico Brogna

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Mr. Sparkle
July 18, 2001
Rico retired today. Too bad. I really liked this guy. He really only had one good year with the Mets and was a part time player the other two but you had to like this guy. He was a solid citizen and fairly clutch as I remember. Olerud was defintely better but Rico was a class act, too bad he didn't stay around longer.

Gregory Gewirtz
April 1, 2003
The reason we should be thankful we got more than two jockstraps back for Brogna is that he was suffering from a back condition called anklyosis spondylitis (spelling is probably off,) and there was always the chance that it would become worse and he'd be forced to retire from it. This only became public knowledge several months after we traded him.

Miss Sparkle
May 28, 2003
Rico has always been a class act, going back to his days in single A - Florida! He might have got in a "slump" with the batting game (very rare), but he always came out of his slumps, especially with a little help from his friends and team mates. I only regret not staying in touch with such a remarkable (in more ways, than time) individual and friend.

Joe Figliola
June 5, 2003
Had back problems not short-circuited his career, Rico would have been a John Olerud-type hitter. He could hit for average and power and played a great first base. I also think the Mets would have been a bit better in '96 with a healthy Brogna in the lineup.

I remember the hype following that five-hit game he had against the Cardinals on national TV. And he was pretty decent to score, too.

Actually, my favorite memory of Rico had absolutely nothing to do with me directly. He appeared at a baseball card shop out in Mastic Beach, NY and my longtime friend Jimmy Wells brought his son James (a big Brogna fan at the time) to see him. Rico, according to father and son was nothing but a class act.

Shari
January 23, 2004
Funny thing about Rico's trade was that the Mets knew he had medical problems so they got rid of him and he ends up being very successful with the Phillies and Braves, nowadays they trade for damaged goods on a semi-regular basis.

Jeff
February 21, 2004
Rico was one of the few bright spots during the otherwise depressing mid 90’s. Remember when he came up shortly before the strike in ’94 and the Mets started playing better? Like me, Rico was an Italian- American Lefty from Litchfield County, CT, so he’s not too far from Mookie and Carter on my list of all time favorite Mets. My friends and I went down to Shea when he came back for his first game with the Phils. Apparently, we were the only ones in attendance who recognized the occasion as “Rico Brogna Night”.

Jonathan Stern
September 11, 2005
Best defensive Mets first baseman since Keith, and an unbelievably nice guy. I got his autograph at a show at the Westchester County Center prior to the start of the 1996 season. He told to me to get ready because the Mets were going to be good. It didn't happen in 1996, but it did happen in 1997 - with John Olerud at 1B.

Yeah, we replaced Brogna with Olerud, but I am still very sorry we let him go, especially since many veteran Philly fans believe that Rico was the best first baseman in PHILLIES history! I know he had health problems, but he played too well after he left here for me to be happy with the Mets for sending him packing. It would have been nice to have seen him in the 1999 and 2000 postseasons. Particularly 2000, which saw Olerud replaced by Todd Zeile.

And I won't mention Toby Boyland and Ricardo Jordan.

Returning to that day at the County Center, it was a telling measure of how beloved Brogna was at the time that he attracted a huge line of autograph-seekers... while Bill Walton and Muhammad Ali were ignored.

Bonbolito
December 21, 2005
I remember that the rap on Rico with the Tigers is that they wanted him to pull the ball to right for more home runs. The Mets encouraged him to his more natural style of line drives to all fields. I think Rico's success here made the Mets realize John Olerud could do the same thing here. I liked Rico and was sorry to see him go. I think he wanted to be here.








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