Ultimate Mets Database - The Ultimate Mets Scrapbook

THE ULTIMATE METS DATABASE IS NOT AFFILIATED IN ANY WAY WITH THE NEW YORK METS OR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.

- All-Time Roster Every Met player... EVER!
- Mug Shots The pretty ones and the ugly ones -- we have them all!
- Player Awards Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Hall of Fame, and more.
- Transactions Over a thousand player transactions -- in chronological order!
- Managers & Coaches The men who have led the Mets, and the men who helped them.
- Mets Staff Executives, General Managers, Broadcasters, and more. (And Jane Jarvis too!)
- Birth Places Perfect for planning your Mets pilgrimages!
- Oldest Living Mets See which Mets players have spent the most time walking the Earth.
- Necrology Mets players and personnel who are no longer with us.

- Game Results
  All the wins, all the losses. Includes box scores and score cards!
- Opening Day
  The first day of each season! See the starting lineups, who started at each position year-by-year, and leaders by position.
- Walkoff Wins & Losses
  Interactively search for the happiest and saddest endings to Mets games.
- Postseason Games How the Mets have fared in the games that count the most!
- No-Hitters & One-Hitters See a list of every no-hitter and one-hitter pitched by the Mets, or against them. One of these categories was frustratingly empty for over fifty years, but not anymore!
- All-Star Games Mets who have appeared in baseball's Mid-Summer Classic
- Opponents & Ballparks See the Mets won-lost record against every team, and in every ballpark in which they've played!
- Daily Standings What was the Mets' pennant outlook on any given day in past seasons?
- Yearly Finishes The heights and the depths: the Mets won-lost record at the end of each season.
- Mayor's Trophy Games A look back at the long-ago annual series between the Mets and their Bronx rivals.

- Leaderboards Career, season, and individual game leaders at your fingertips!
- Team Leaders Players who led the Mets in various categories, from season to season.
- Decade Leaders Mets history broken down into ten-year chunks!
- Post-Season Leaders Mets leaders, by category, in post-season games

- Ultimate Mets Scrapbook The history of the Mets, as it was reported when it happened!
- Forum Visit the Crane Pool Forum to discuss the Mets and just about anything else!
- Fan Memories Insightful. Poignant. Thrilling. Somber. Nutty. Our visitors have submitted thousands of thoughts and memories of the Mets and the games they've played.
- Mets Uniforms It's more than just laundry! Trace the evolution of the Mets official uniform over the years.
- Uniform Numbers In association with Mets By the Numbers, we present a full history of who wore what number, and when!/li>
- Baseball Cards Our collection of home-made baseball cards, in the style of the classic Topps cards of the 1970's.
- This Date in Mets History Births, Deaths, Transactions, Newspaper Covers

- Contact Us
- FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

The Ultimate Mets Scrapbook, a website within a website, presents the history of the Mets as it was originally reported. The games, the trades, the people, the places. The good news and the bad news. The hard news, and the soft news. We have examples of all of that here.

A comment form is present for each article. As always, you are welcome and encouraged to share your thoughts with other visitors.

New articles will be added periodically, so keep coming back again to see what's new!

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Expansion Draft, Tim Foli, Shea Goodbye

Released October 26, 2022

Coverage of the 1961 expansion draft which provided the Mets with their first batch of players.
Spotlight on Tim Foli. The Mets made him the first draft pick in the nation in 1968.
Shea Goodbye! The final game ever played at Shea Stadium ended the Mets' postseason hopes, but was followed by a star-studded ceremony.
Polo Goodbye! The final game ever played at the Polo Grounds had no fanfare at all and very few fans in attendance.
Now Straw's the Man Who Stirs the Mets: A Joe Gergen column from Newsday in 1988. Darryl Strawberry is coming into his own as a superstar.
From 1969, Bruce Stark portraits of Tom Seaver and Cleon Jones.
Obituaries of Bill Robinson and Clem Labine.

	Gil Is Back: 'It Will Be a Little Strange' Newsday, October 11, 1961 After being selected in the expansion draft by the Mets, Gil Hodges is returning to New York.
Tags: Gil Hodges.

	Mets' $1.8M Buy Hodges, Chacon, Zimmer, 19 Others New York Daily News, October 11, 1961 The Mets have selected 22 players in the expansion draft, highlighted by former Brooklyn Dodger Gil Hodges.
Tags: Elio Chacon, Gil Hodges, Don Zimmer.

	Mets, Colts Pick 6 Dodgers Los Angeles Times, October 11, 1961 Coverage of the 1961 expansion draft from Los Angeles.
Tags: Gil Hodges.

	Old Friends Pay Their Respects Newsday, September 19, 1963 The Polo Grounds, where so much history was made by the New York Giants, from John McGraw and Christy Mathewson to Willie Mays and Bobby Thompson, closes with little fanfare. The Mets go quietly against the Phillies and a chapter of baseball history comes to an end.

	Mets Grab Slugging SS; Yanks Draft Catcher No. 1 New York Daily News, June 7, 1968 The "slugging shortstop", Tim Foli, the first pick of the first round in 1968, would only hit one home run as a Met. The catcher the Yankees drafted was Thurman Munson.
Tags: Tim Foli.

	Foli Makes His Pick: Baseball Over Football Newsday, June 28, 1968 The Mets have signed their first-round draft pick, Tim Foli, a high-school player out of Sherman Oaks, California.
Tags: Tim Foli.

	Tom Seaver, by Bruce Stark New York Daily News, September 17, 1969 One in a series of portraits of the 1969 Mets by cartoonist Bruce Stark for the Daily News.
Tags: Tom Seaver.

	Cleon Jones, by Bruce Stark New York Daily News, September 18, 1969 One in a series of portraits of the 1969 Mets by cartoonist Bruce Stark for the Daily News.
Tags: Cleon Jones.

	Messersmith to Yanks, Foli to Mets Newsday, December 8, 1977 The Mets have purchased the contract of Tim Foli from the Giants, bringing back one of the three players dealt to the Expos for Rusty Staub in 1972.
Tags: Tim Foli.

	Foli is cool as Joe goes to Chapman New York Daily News, March 3, 1979 It's spring training 1979, and a "mature" Tim Foli is about to lose his starting shortstop job to Kelvin Chapman. Foli would be dealt to Pittsburgh in the coming weeks.
Tags: Kelvin Chapman, Tim Foli, Joe Torre.

	Pirates Ship Taveras to Mets, Acquire Foli: Tanner Seeking to Bolster Buc Defense Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 20, 1979 The Tim Foli/Frank Taveras trade, as reported from Pittsburgh. From this perspective, Taveras is a poor defensive player who was just "peddled" to the Mets.
Tags: Tim Foli, Frank Taveras.

	Mets get Pirates' Taveras for Foli New York Daily News, April 20, 1979 An exchange of shortstops between the Mets and the Pirates. The Mets get Frank Taveras, the Pirates get Tim Foli.
Tags: Tim Foli, Frank Taveras.

	Now, Straw's the Man Who Stirs the Mets Newsday, June 22, 1988 Steve Jacobson of Newsday says that Darryl Strawberry has finally reached his potential. He's carrying the Mets on his back.
Tags: Darryl Strawberry.

	Clem Labine, 80; former Dodgers relief pitcher played in 5 World Series Los Angeles Times, March 3, 2007 Obituary of Clem Labine, who in addition to five World Series, pitched three games for the Mets.
Tags: Clem Labine.

	Bill Robinson: Spent 8 seasons with Pirates Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 30, 2007 Obituary of former Mets hitting instructor Bill Robinson.
Tags: Bill Robinson.

	For Ex-Mets, End is a Cruel Choke New York Daily News, September 29, 2008 Stars from the Mets' past gathered for the last game at Shea Stadium, but saw a disillusioning finish to what had been a promising season.
Tags: Dwight Gooden, Mike Piazza, Tom Seaver.

	Despite loss, fans stay for stars Newsday, September 29, 2008 The Mets' season came to a heartbreaking end, but the post-game ceremony to close Shea Stadium went on.
Tags: Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry.

	No Easy Answers: Mets have many holes, few fixes as they try to regroup yet again New York Daily News, September 29, 2008 Looking ahead at what's next for the Mets after the disappointing end to the 2008 season.

	Brutal way to Shea goodbye Newsday, September 29, 2008 Newsday's account of the last game at Shea Stadium.

Other releases

January 29, 2024
Spotlight on Bud Harrelson
In memory of Mets Hall-of-Famer Bud Harrelson. This release includes articles dating back to when Bud first signed with the Mets organization in 1963, through his playing career including the World Championship in 1969, the fight with Pete Rose in 1973, his decline and trade to the Phillies, his return to the Mets organization as a minor league manager and then a major league coach, his turbulent tenure as Mets manager and his association with the Long Island Ducks. There's a lot here, so you'd better get started!

August 31, 2023
Forty-three Obituaries
Obituaries for 43 Mets players, coaches, etc., including John Stearns, Tim McCarver, Joe Pignatano, Pedro Feliciano, and more.

Here's the full list:

Larry Bearnarth, Jerry Buchek, Chuck Carr, Gene Clines, Tommy Davis, Pedro Feliciano, Tony Fernandez, Larry Foss, Jim Frey, Bob Friend, Jesse Gonder, Joe Grzenda, Tommy Holmes, Jeff Innis, Cookie Lavagetto, Phil Linz, Tim McCarver, Jeff McKnight, Herb Moford, Harold W. O'Shaughnessy, Brock Pemberton, Joe Pignatano, Grover Powell, Hal Reniff, Arthur Richman, Les Rohr, Red Ruffing, Ray Sadecki, Dick Selma, Norm Sherry, Dick Sisler, Denny Sommers, Tracy Stallard, Eddie Stanky, Leroy Stanton, John Stearns, Dick Stuart, Ralph Terry, Claudell Washington, George Weiss, Carl Willey, Gene Woodling, and Don Zimmer.

July 31, 2023
Ron Swoboda, Edgardo Alfonzo, Gary Carter's debut, and more

Spotlights on Ron Swoboda, Edgardo Alfonzo, and Gary Carter's Opening Day home run in 1985
Portraits of Jerry Koosman, Bud Harrelson, Ron Swoboda, and Wayne Garrett by Bruce Stark
A visit from Cool Papa Bell
A memorable 18-inning win over the Pirates in 1985 at Shea
Obituary of Mets coach Clyde McCullough
Cartoons from Bill Gallo and Bruce Stark
The morning of the first home opener at Citi Field, by Mike Lupica
Francisco Alvarez enjoys participating in the Subway Series against the Yankees

November 16, 2022
Kevin McReynolds, Bruce Stark (1963), Robert F. Kennedy

Spotlight on Kevin McReynolds
Four 1963 cartoons by Bruce Stark of the Daily News.
The Mets honor the memory of Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Rick Aguilera struggles to gain a foothold in the 1988 Mets starting rotation.

November 7, 2022
April 1962
Contemporary coverage of the Mets' first month in the National League. Their first game in St. Louis, a ticker-tape parade in Manhattan, the reopening of the Polo Grounds after four idle years, their first home game, and more, including profiles of Joan Payson and Jay Hook.

October 18, 2022
First update
Jim Bunning's 1964 perfect game, and Mets postseason losses in 1973, 1986, 2000, and 2015. Willie Randolph gets fired, Warren Spahn dies, Ron Darling and Tim Teufel get arrested, trades for Bruce Berenyi and for Carlos Baerga, and more. Includes two cartoons from Bruce Stark.