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Jose Cardenal
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 267 of 1252 players
Jose Rosario Domec Cardenal
Born: October 7, 1943 at Matanzas, Cuba
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Height: 5.10 Weight: 150

Jose Cardenal was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on October 7, 2004, June 30, 2011, October 7, 2011, August 2, 2012, and May 9, 2016.

First Mets game: August 4, 1979
Last Mets game: August 3, 1980

Share your memories of Jose Cardenal HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY: flushingflash Biggest hair in Mets history and an all-around funny and likeable guy. He really got shafted by the Yankees. Hope he gets treated better in Tampa. Dave A December 17, 2000 As much as Nino Espinsa tried, the Mets never matched the 'fro of Oscar Gamble..until Jose Cardenal arrived Mr. Sparkle February 22, 2001 He's one of those Mets that was a non-Met. He was hardly there and did absolutely nothing to help the team win. Kinda like Larry Bowa, Gary Templeton and Dick Hebner. Awesome fro though. Andy from Rego Park March 22, 2001 Traded to the Mets by the Phillies between games of a doubleheader, two days later (or so it seemed) he dove for a fly ball, and broke his finger. Such was the luck of the Mets in 1979. By October, 1980, he was the KC Royals second to last out before Tug McGraw fanned Willie Wilson to win the series for the Phillies. Shannon October 20, 2001 Remember him as a coach with the Cardinals.He was a bit of a flirt. Lee Margolis February 18, 2002 I remember Jose Cardenal for a game he played against the Mets when he was with the Cubs in the mid- seventies. The Cubbies were beating the Mets late in the game and my friend and I started to make our way towards the subway to beat the crowd. We stopped to watch the last of the game at the overhang of the mezzanine level near the rightfield foul pole. There was a small crowd gathered there and we were really letting Jose, who was playing rightfield for the Cubs, have it. We were all over him with the kinds of things only NY baseball fans could even think up to yell. Before you know it, the Mets had strung together a small rally. Then Jerry Grote sliced one into the rightfield corner that Cardenal should have had but completely misplayed. The group of us that was gathered near the foul pole just knew we had rattled the guy and contributed to that play which helped the Mets to a come from behind win. We knew it. We were positive. And we were thrilled. Larry Burns May 31, 2002 From his picture, he looks like a guy you could buy some merchandise off of in Bryant Park. He actually had a pretty productive major league career, but only before and after he was on the Mets. Joe "Metsie" Feltman April 29, 2003 I think he was awarded firstbase by a homeplate umpire when a pitch grazed his afro. I think this was shown on T.W.I.B. notes. Jonathan Stern February 12, 2004 Actually, Frank White was the guy Tug faced before striking out Willie Wilson to end the 1980 World Series. White hit the pop fly that led to the bizarre play involving Pete Rose and Bob Boone - still, to this day, the most amazing play I've ever seen (the ball bounced out of Boone's glove into Pete's). This was the top of the ninth, Game 6. Cardenal was the last batter Tug faced in Game 5, at KC. Tug struck him out, but not before a strange moment that only Tug could have brought about. The bat flew out of Cardenal's hands onto the pitcher's mound on a hard swing. Cardenal screamed at Tug to give him his bat (threw in some choice words in Spanish). Tug said, no you come out here and get it. Cardenal came out with some more choice words and Tug jabbed him in his stomach with the bat. Then he struck Cardenal out. Good ol' Tugger! Though he was not with the Mets for long, Cardenal was a good player and a character. As a Cub, he once asked out of a game because, so he claimed, one of his eye- lids was stuck open! Rory B. Bellows February 21, 2004 Awesome Fro!!!! I remember a game where Jose played it with a fro pick sticking out of the back of his head for half an inning. I couldn't stop laughing. Best fro in all of baseball. Feat Fan April 10, 2004 Next to the best fro. Oscar Gamble was Number One! Cardenal was a good player, had sucess in '65-66 with Cal Angels and later on with Chi Cubs. Good fielder with an accurate arm and speed! Kiwiwriter June 23, 2004 I remember his exploding hair, and his first game at Shea as a Met. He wore a uniform without a name on the back. ("Prisoner without a number, person without a name...") He was one of many guys who came to the Mets on their last or next-to-last stop before being tossed in baseball's junkyard, which was just beyond the Shea parking lot on Willetts Point Boulevard. The remains of many a journeyman ballplayer can be found there.... Bluto August 20, 2004 Whoever said Jose was a flirt earlier on this board is correct. I remember going to a game during the year he was with the Mets with my mom and twin brother. We were sitting on the third base side of the field boxes and my mom starts waving toward the dugout. I asked her, "Who are you waving at?" and she pointed to Jose. She claimed that he waved at her first. I can't believe that my mom would lie about something like that!! Bill August 20, 2004 I remember being at the game at Shea the day Munson died. They flashed news of the death on the scoreboard, and then announced that they had acquired Jose Cardenal from the Phillies. It was between games of a double header and he walked from one dugout to the other. Can't remember if he played game 2. What a bizarre day! JFK November 16, 2004 I remember being about 13 years old and attending a day game at Shea. I walked to the end of the Loge section to look into the Mets bullpen and there is Jose spread out on the hood of the bullpen car flirting with every female in the stands during the game. I knew even at that age that Jose's actions were unprofessional. I always wondered why was he in the bullpen in the first place. Mark July 12, 2005 Two memories of Jose: 1. When he was with the Cubs he seemed to feast on Mets pitching. Didn't hit so well with the Mets (big surprise). 2. BIG hair. Mike Allen October 19, 2007 Jose was the first baseball player I ever saw play. He was playing for the Cubs in 1975. My grandpa had the game playing on TV. I was 8 years old and My grandpa asked me who my favorite player was. I looked on TV and asked, "who's the guy who just caught the ball?" when he told me Jose Cardenal, I told him it was Jose Cardenal. I followed him through his career. Very cool he ended up a Royal in 1980. I saw his last at-bat ever. Because of my Grandpa and Jose Cardenal, I played baseball for 15 years and still sub occasionally today for different amateur teams. At 40, I'm getting up there, but still have fond memories of Jose. Don Engbers May 10, 2008 Jose was the first person I met when I reported to the Giants spring training complex in Casa Grande Arizona in 1963. I arrived by bus into town and Jose was driving down Main St.and asked me if I was a player and if I needed a ride to camp. I didn't know who he was but he was extra nice. I know it says he is 5/10 and 150 lbs. but I'm not sure he was ever that big during his career. He had unbelievable power for his size. Alex November 12, 2024 Cardenal was about done when he got to New York, but you cannot complain about his .297/.409/.568 line in 11 games for the club in 1979. It gave the Mets a spark of excitement during that dismal year. He was hardly a slugger by the time he got to New York, but he hammered two dingers for the club in '79, off of two pretty impressive pitchers. The first was off of 1978 All-Star Ross Grimsley and the second—the final homer of his career—was off of future Hall of Famer Phil Niekro. Both homers broke tie games and helped lead the Mets to victory. And though he wasn't a Hall of Famer himself, he did make the Hall of Fame ballot in 1986 and he even earned a vote or two. Not too many Mets even make the ballot, so you gotta take what you can get. Also, I've written him two autograph requests in my day, the first in 2018 and the second in 2020. He's signed both times. Thanks, Jose!

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