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Daniel Murphy: The Mets Years Part One (2008-2014)

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Daniel Thomas Murphy was born April 1, 1985, in Jacksonville, Florida to Tom & Sharon Murphy. He has a sister & younger brother as well. The six-foot two left hand hitting, right hand throwing Murphy attended Jacksonville University playing baseball for the Dolphins team. He was a good hitter who insisted he batted third on the order but was not known to be a good fielder. In college he won an A-Sun Player of the Year award when he batted .398. Murphy drafted by the New York Mets in the 13th round of the 2006 amateur draft. Minor League Ball: That season he played in the Rookie League at Kingsport & the Gulf Coast before getting to the A ball Brooklyn Cyclones for eight games at the end of the year. There he was 7-29 (.241) with one double & three RBIs. In 2007 he played at A Ball St. Lucie developing into a good hitter batting .285 with 11 HRs 78 RBIs in 135 games as the teams main third baseman.  In 2008 he started the year back with the Brooklyn ...

Remembering Mets Opening Days (1996) Mets Make Their Biggest Opening Day Comeback

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Monday April 1st, 1996:   The 1995 Mets had finished in second place in the NL East but only posted a 69-75 record. In 1996 Dallas Green would start out the season as Mets manager, but after going 59-72 he would get let go. Bobby Valentine would take over & began his successful seven year run as Mets manager. This season the Mets brought in speedy Lance Johnson one of the game's best defensive centerfielders & solid hitter who would set five Mets records that year. They also brought in outfielder Bernard Gilkey from St. Louis & pitcher Mark Clark from Cleveland who would lead the staff with 14 wins. Generation K: The Mets were relying on three young pitchers to take them to the top, Jason Isringhausen, Paul Wilson & Bill Pulsipher who were highly promoted as "Generation K". All three pitchers suffered various injuries & the whole thing never came to be. On Opening Day at Shea, 42,060 Mets fans came out excited to start a new season. The Mets hosted T...

Rusty Staub (Part Two) The 1980's Mets Years: 1980 - 1985

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Rusty Staub-Part Two: In December of 1980 Staub returned to New York signing with the New York Mets as a free agent. Things had changed drastically in the five years he was gone. He found himself on a last place team & an organization at the lowest point of their history. The team had just been bought by a new ownership of Nelson Doubleday & Fred Wilpon. Joe Torre was in his last year as Mets manager. It would take a few years, but things were going to get better.  L e Grand Orange once again became a popular player at Shea Stadium, adding to his Mets legacy in a new era at the twilight of his career. 1981 Strike Shortened Season: On Opening Day 1981 he was the Mets first baseman batting in the fifth position, at Wrigley Field hitting a HR in his Mets return.  From April 19th-Arile 25th, he drove in runs in four straight games, including both ends of a double header. Staub drove in runs in four straight games that April, finishing the m...