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Orel Hershiser

Orel Hershiser
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 199 of 1218 players
Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser
Born: September 16, 1958 at Buffalo, N.Y.
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Height: 6.03 Weight: 195

Orel Hershiser was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on September 16, 2011, September 16, 2012, February 21, 2019, December 5, 2020, and August 14, 2021.

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First Mets game: April 8, 1999
Last Mets game: October 19, 1999

Share your memories of Orel Hershiser

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Mike Welch
Statistics cannot do justice to the amazing year Orel Hershiser had for the Mets in 1999. He was the heart and soul of the Mets team, and I believe he'd make an excellent coach/manager for a major league team some day. Orel came in to pitch on short rest, pitched some very clutch innings, and showed NY Mets fans everywhere why he's nicknamed the "Bulldog!"

Mr. Sparkle
March 27, 2001
Absolutely hated this guy when he was with the Dodgers. And he was not the reason the Mets lost in 88, Tim Belcher was. But, when he came to the Mets you had to love the guy. A real firey competitor. It would have been great having him as a pitching coach this year. I can't figure why they picked Charlie Hough instead. Probably because Bobby V thought he might be too opinionated on the staff. Who knows.

Jon
April 18, 2001
Great comments, Big E. I never understood a thing about Hershiser till he reached the Mets. Then there was one game that summer where he worked on 3 days rest, going on total fumes, and he got us through. An unbeliveable competitor long after his talent escaped him.

Larry Burns
June 22, 2002
He killed the Mets by himself in 1988. The only reason I did not absolutely despise him was the fact that his semi-retard teammate Mickey Hatcher actually made me more insane with blind rage. (I, to this day, really believe that he was mentallly challenged). When Orel came to the Mets he was past his prime and I never knew why Tommy "Slimfast" Lasorda called him "Bulldog." But this altar boy looking guy was a tough and crafty pitcher. Most guys who stuff had left them would have been shelled---he actaully pitched well for the Mets.

Shari
June 25, 2002
I honestly could not stand Orel when he was with the Mets. (Sorry to digagree with you on this one Larry, we normally see eye to eye on just about everyone!) To me it represented another Mickey Lolich trade, and he could never seem to make it past the 5th inning-and with good reason-he was just out of gas and at the end of his career. Not that I think he wasn't a great pitcher with the Dodgers (another reason I couldn't stand him) To me he represented falling short in the play-offs in 1988 and I resented us getting him when he was almost finished. I guess it just fueled my frustration of getting super-stars that are in their twilight years. I'm surprised we never ended up with Jose Canseco, unless Steve Phillips is working on this one as I'm writing this.

Mr. Sparkle
July 1, 2002
It drives me crazy that this guy was given so much credit for beating the Mets in 88. just because the guy had that scoreless inning streak during the year and won the Cy Young is no reason to make him the big savior for the Dodgers in the NLCS. I'm not saying he was bad but he did not single handedly beat the Mets. True, he won the clincher in game 7 but he also got 2 no decisions in Dodger losses. He did get a save but he only pitched to one batter. So he started 2 games they lost, got a one out save (Benitez could do that) and won game 7. Not exactly awesome. Mickey Hatcher, regretfully had more to do with beating the Mets than did Orel. And Tim Belcher was 2-0 in 2 starts. I don't know why I need to relive this pain. I will always hate Kirk Gibson for this series as well.

Feat Fan
February 21, 2004
Game 5, October 1988 found me at the Beacon Theater in NYC watching my favorite band, Little Feat as they continued their comeback tour.

The Mets dominated the Dodgers that year going 10-1 or 11-1 but Orel DOMINATED the NL and was at his absolute best from September on.

Although we were lovin' the music inside, my thoughts were on the game that night. I waited until a song came on that I didn't love ( Cajun' Girl ) and ran downstairs to the phone bank to call Sportsphone. The grim look on a dude with a Mets cap told me all I needed to know, we were down early at The Bulldog was at his best.

A class act and a classy pitcher, probably hung on too long and as a SF GIANTS/NY METS fan, hard for me to like him. However, class is class, good is good, and he was.

To this day, whenever I hear Little Feat do Cajun' Girl, I think of Game 5 and Hershiser's shut out!

Shari
April 22, 2004
We got him about 10 years too late, he pitched OK for us but I barely remember him going past the 5th inning in a lot of his starts, which meant from the 6th on the game got handed to the always shaky middle relief.

Jonathan Stern
October 4, 2005
I recall a late-90's Mets-Braves game where a brawl took place. I do not remember whether or not it was touched off by chin music from Greg Maddux. But I do remember Maddux and Hershiser standing to the side of the dogpile and chatting with each other in a seemingly amiable way. The broadcasters commented on their smiles and wondered if the two veterans were engaging in pleasantries amidst the donnybrook. After the game, it was revealed that, in fact, their smiles were NOT friendly smiles. Hershiser was telling Maddux that one of his teammates was going to go down.

Hershiser was, from most reports, a wholesome, squeaky-clean type off the field. But you did not want to mess with him on the field. And, brief though his Mets stint was, ya gotta love him for giving the Braves what-for while he was here!

bonbolito
February 17, 2006
Class and guts. He really had no business playing in 1999 not with the way Lasorda ran him into the ground. But here he was, only good for 4 innings and five was pushing it. He gave us what he had left physically and spitritually. Octavio Dotel throws that seven inning one hitter in August who meets him in the dugout and escorts him into the clubhouse with his arm around him? Game five against the Braves I'm in the upper deck section 1 last row. Hershiser comes in to relieve Yoshii and I can still remember the nervous apprehension in the crowd. I don't think Met fans have ever been more thankful for 3.1 innings with five strikeouts in their lives. In that miserable weather, charging at a windmill, he was the most inspirational part of a game that to me was so great that it still doesn't matter what happened afterwards.

Jim
January 6, 2008
He was one player that was past his prime when he pitched for the Mets. But, I still feel that he was an excellent pick up. I know he could not go more then five innings, but he had this quality about him that his mere presence on the Mets made them a better team. He was a great influence on the younger players, especially the pitchers.

Mitch45
October 1, 2011
Say what you want about Orel - but we don't win the '99 Wild Card without him.








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