I Love the 80s - 1982 New York Mets

This is a series of posts on a 1980's Frankenset. Each page features a different team, with 9 of my personal favorite cards from that year's team. You might find players repeated, you'll definitely see brands repeated, but hopefully you'll agree that there are some interesting selections from the 1980s!

The team in 1981 finished in 5th place, with manager Joe Torre wearing out his welcome. The narrative around the Mets is that they are always the runner-up in vying for the attention of New York fans. In 1982 this was no different, as articles would say the Mets were trying to "steal" New York from the Yankees. The big off season trade to acquire George Foster would not result in an instant change of their fortunes. 

In 1982, The Mets would do even worse, despite the key acquisition of Foster and the early quick start. The team's high water mark of 27-21, was followed by a deep dive. The team finished with 97 losses and a sixth place finish in the NL East. One of the more notable moments for the Mets in 1982 was a highlight shared with another team. It was in August that Joel Youngblood got a hit for the Mets, was traded to Montreal, then picked up another hit later that same day. That month, the Mets dropped 24 of 29 games, and the New York Times headline declared that the Mets "must start from scratch" in 1983. 

The Cards:

Topps #494 Hubie Brooks - Just one example of many, the season that Hubie Brooks had in 1982 was a far cry from his 1981 campaign, and well short of his career averages. After hitting .307 with a 116 OPS+ and finishing 3rd in the ROY vote, Brooks slashed just .249/.297/.317 in 1982. He actually had a pair of subpar seasons before blossoming into a star player in 1984. After being traded to Montreal, Brooks would make 2 All-Star teams and won a pair of silver slugger awards as the Expos' Short Stop. 

Topps #465 Lee Mazzilli - Mazzilli was drafted out of a Brooklyn high school by the Mets in 1973, was an All-Star in 1979, and made a circuitous route through the major leagues between 1982 and 1986 to make his way back onto to the Mets' 1986 World Series roster. He was traded to the Rangers in April of 1982 for Ron Darling and Walt Terrell, and would split that season between Texas and the Yankees. He then played for the Pirates for a few years before being released mid way through the 86 season. The Mets picked him up for the tail end of the year, and he ended up being a trusted pinch hitter. He had a pair of hits in the World Series in just 5 plate appearances.

Topps #143 Mookie Wilson - Mookie was more or less immune to the slump that plagued most of the Mets in 1982. He hit .279, just above his career average, while stealing 58 bases as the team's leadoff man. He tallied career highs in hits and RBI in addition to those steals. His speed was also on display in the post season, as he swiped 4 bags in 1986, 3 in the World Series, without being caught. He was also a standout in the field, leading the NL in putouts as a Center fielder in 1982. 

Fleer #536 Rusty Staub - Le Grand Orange was in rare form in 1981, hitting a career high .317 as a pinch hitter. In 1982, he like so many Mets had a backslide, hitting just .242. He actually hit more homers in 81 in a strike shortened season with nearly 100 fewer plate appearances than he did in 1982. Of course he would come back in 1983 with another fine season, now 39 years old and still providing value to the Mets as bench bat. The 6 time All-Star had over 2,700 base hits over his 23 year career.

Fleer #524 Pete Falcone -  Pete Falcone is featured here on one of the most iconic card collector's cards of the 80s. For a deep dive on this card, I recommend the Shlablotnik Report. Falcone was another hometown product from Brooklyn like Lee Mazzilli, though his path to Queens came via San Francisco and Saint Louis. He had a successful 1981 out of the bullpen for the Mets. 1982 was a rough season as a member of the starting rotation - going 8-10 with a 3.84 ERA. 

Fleer #539 Frank Taveras - The Mets everyday SS in 1981, Taveras was traded in the off-season to Montreal, where he played just 48 games. It was a far cry from 1979, when he played in a bewildering 164 games split between the Pirates and the Mets.  He was known mostly for his speed, having led the NL in steals in 1977, and swiping 300 bases in his career. For the Mets in 1981, he hit just .230. His first career home run came after 1,594 at bats, but he made the most if it- the blast was a grand slam. What might not surprise you - it was an inside-the-park homer. 

Topps #592 Craig Swan - Swan led the Mets' starting rotation in Wins and ERA in 1982 and was the team's only starting pitcher with an ERA+ above league average. He was the 1978 NL ERA champ, with a 2.43 mark. Pitching for the Mets during some of their most challenging seasons, Swan had just three campaigns in which he had more wins than losses. He was fairly stingy with the gopher ball, posting a 0.8 HR/9 mark for his career. In 1982, he connected for his own long tripper, the lone homer of his career. The homer was also notable in that he hit it off of Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins. 

Topps #478 Ray Searage - Known more today for his role as a pitching coach, particularly in Pittsburgh, Searage was a 7 year MLB vet. He was used exclusively out of the bullpen in the big leagues, appearing in 254 big league games. Searage pitched in 26 games as a rookie with the Mets in 1981, and sported a 3.68 ERA. He also had a single plate appearance, and notched his first and only big league hit. He reached on an infield nubber to the pitcher, but as far as the boxscore is concerned, it was a line drive. He would spend 82 and 83 in Cleveland's minor league system, before returning to the bigs with Milwaukee. He would have a great stint with the White Sox in 1986, sporting a 0.62 ERA over 29 appearances.

Topps #432 Mike Scott - 1982 was not Mike Scott's year. He had a tough time as a starter, with a 5.21 ERA over 22 starts. In 15 relief appearances he did a little better, notching 3 saves and finishing 10 games. He would bounce back in a big way once he was traded to Houston. He was the NL Cy Young Winner in 1986, and won 20 games in 1989. Scott was also named MVP of the 1986 NLCS, despite the fact that the Astros were eliminated by the Mets. His 2 starts in the NLCS were both complete game victories over his former team, including a shutout in Game 1 out dueling Dwight Gooden. The game 6 win by the Mets in 16 innings saved them from having to face Scott again in Game 7.