2007 New York Mets season
Encyclopedia
The New York Mets
' 2007 season
was the 46th regular season for the Mets. The Mets were defending their first divisional championship since 1988. While the Atlanta Braves
were counted as possible competition, the Philadelphia Phillies
were predicted as the front-runners, albeit by their own star shortstop, Jimmy Rollins
. Ultimately, Rollins' prediction rang true, as the Phillies won the NL East Division title on the last day of the regular season. With a seven-game lead on September 12, the Mets suffered a historic collapse by losing 12 of their last 17 games and missing the postseason. It is regarded as one of the worst collapses in MLB history.
was done for the remainder of the year due to a left calf muscle strain. Later it was announced that Pedro would have to undergo rotator cuff surgery and would miss a sizable portion of the 2007 season. On October 3, the day before his game 1 NLDS start, it was announced that Orlando Hernández
tweaked his right calf muscle while jogging in the outfield at Shea. He wouldn’t be able to pitch again until the 2007 season.
Coming into the 2006 offseason, it was clear that the team’s biggest need was pitching. Pedro would return, but in what condition? El-Duque was a question mark with his age and veteran Steve Trachsel
guaranteed his departure with a Game 3 NLCS meltdown. Omar Minaya
, the Mets’ General Manager, made it clear that his first order of business concerned their in-house free agents including: Tom Glavine
, Orlando Hernández
, and Chad Bradford
. The Mets also went hard after Japanese SP Daisuke Matsuzaka
. On November 14, the Boston Red Sox
outbid the Mets $51.1 million to ~$39 million for negotiating rights to Matsuzaka. Also on this day, the Mets tendered contracts to Orlando Hernández and 37-year-old José Valentín
. Two days later 37-year-old Damion Easley
was acquired as a fourth outfielder and to occasionally spell Valentín at second base. 40-year-old slugger Moisés Alou was signed to replace Cliff Floyd in left field. On December 1, with the hopes of winning his 300th game, Tom Glavine signed a single year contract. The Mets also had their eyes on free agent SP Barry Zito
who eventually ended up with the San Francisco Giants
after signing the largest contract ever for a pitcher at the time in MLB history. Former All-Star pitcher Chan-ho Park
was also signed but lasted only one poor start before being released.
The biggest changes took place in the bullpen. The Mets lost Chad Bradford
, Roberto Hernández, and Darren Oliver
to free agency. The Mets also initiated a series of questionable moves where young bullpen arms were traded away. Heath Bell
and Royce Ring
were packaged in a deal to San Diego for outfielder Ben Johnson and reliever Jon Adkins
. Hard throwers Henry Owens
and Matt Lindstrom were traded to the Florida Marlins
for lefties Jason Vargas
and Adam Bostick. Serviceable starter Brian Bannister
was traded to the Kansas City Royals for the 23 year old flame thrower Ambiorix Burgos
. The worst news came with the loss of pitchers Duaner Sanchez
and Juan Padilla
. Sánchez, who had recovered from a mid-2006 taxicab accident and signed a new contract, was sidelined after reinjuring his shoulder during Spring Training. In addition, newly signed Guillermo Mota
was suspended for the first 50 games of the regular season for steroid use. The Mets were forced to rely on mainstays Billy Wagner
, Aaron Heilman
, and Pedro Feliciano
in addition to new acquisitions: veteran reliever Scott Schoeneweis
and veteran starter-turned-reliever Aaron Sele
. The remaining spots were populated by rookie Joe Smith and Ambiorix Burgos.
The 2007 Mets began the season much older and untested than the 2006 team. The starting pitching wasn’t improved. Old veterans Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernández appeared at the top of the rotation followed by question marks: John Maine
and Oliver Perez
. It was unknown how healthy Glavine and Hernandez would be by the end of the season. It was also unknown if Maine and Perez would continue to improve after their postseason successes and if they could handle the load of pitching a full season. The fifth spot was given to rookie Mike Pelfrey. The lineup also aged dramatically with the inclusion of Alou and Easley to a roster already containing Julio Franco
, José Valentín, Carlos Delgado
, and Paul Lo Duca
. The bullpen lost valuable arms in Chad Bradford, Darren Oliver, and Duaner Sanchez. By the time it became apparent that Sanchez and Padilla would be unable to pitch, the Mets had already traded away Heath Bell and Henry Owens. Both had the experience and ability to step in and contribute on a major league level.
and jumped into first place. Unlike 2006, the Braves stayed close throughout April and even held sole possession of first place at the end of the month. Also unlike 2006, the Mets were led by an unlikely hero, John Maine
, who was undefeated and named the National League Pitcher of the Month
for April. David Wright hit only .244 with no home runs and six RBI in April but carried over a hitting streak
from 2006 that reached a franchise record 26 games.
New York followed their strong April with an even stronger May. Jorge Sosa
replaced Pelfrey in the starting rotation and compiled a 4–1 record for the month. His 8–1 win on May 16 put the Mets alone in first place where they stayed uninterrupted until the last week of the season. Wright led the offense in May with eight home runs and 22 RBI. The Mets went 19–9 in May and finished the month with a 4½ game lead despite starting second baseman José Valentín
out for the entire month with an injury and starting outfielders Moisés Alou
and Shawn Green
missing time as well.
As the calendar turned to June however, the Mets began slumping, losing six straight series against teams with winning records, the last four series part of a stretch of 18 straight games against 2006 playoff teams, facing the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Twins, Athletics, and Cardinals, becoming the first team in MLB history to play six consecutive series against six different teams that made the playoffs the previous season. This stretch started poorly for the Mets, as they lost 9 out of 12 to the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, and Twins. However, they turned it around and won 5 out of 6 against the Athletics and Cardinals to finish this stretch. The Mets entered the All-Star break with 48 wins and 39 losses, with a slim lead over the second-place Atlanta Braves. The Mets acquired Luis Castillo and Jeff Conine
before the playoff roster deadline of September 1 to fill holes that were created due to injuries. On July 12, 2007, Julio Franco
was released by the Mets.
Shortstop José Reyes was mentioned at mid-season as a possible MVP. Pedro Martínez
notched his 3,000th strikeout. Tom Glavine
got his 300th win. The team went into Wrigley Field
in August and took two of three from the NL Central's first place Cubs, then beat up on the NL West's first place Diamondbacks a week later. Despite being swept by the second place Phillies in a four-game series in Philadelphia on August 27–30 (during which the Mets saw their six game lead evaporate to two), the Mets won nine out of their next ten games, and everything was seemingly going the Mets' way. On September 12, the Mets were 21 games over .500 with a record of 83–62. Over the last three weeks of the baseball season, they won only five games.
Pedro Martínez returned to the Mets starting rotation in time for the September playoff deadline. As of September 17, the Mets were in first place in the NL East with a 83–66 record and a two and a half game lead over the charging Phillies. They had lost four in a row, including a three game sweep by the Phillies. Moisés Alou, as of September 17 had a twenty-one game hitting streak.
Down the stretch, the Mets played poorly including losing five out of six games with the fourth-place Washington Nationals
. They lost on September 28 to fall into second place for the first time in over four months but pulled back into a tie with Philadelphia on September 29. On September 30, the Mets faced the Florida Marlins
with hopes of winning the NL East or at least forcing a one-game playoff. Unfortunately, Tom Glavine
surrendered 7 runs in the first inning as the Mets fell 8–1. The Phillies capped their miraculous comeback with a 6–1 victory over the Washington Nationals
to win the National League East
. The 2007 Mets collapse is one of the worst in baseball history, mirroring "the Phold" of 1964, where the Phillies lost a 6.5 game lead in the last twelve games. The Mets, who had come back in 1969 against improbable odds to beat out the Cubs, now found themselves on the other side of the equation, coincidentally, against a team in the Phillies that in 1964 had pulled a similar collapse.
The 2007 Mets finished the season with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses. They placed second in the National League East, and third in the Wild Card standings. Many would say that the main catalyst to the "collapse" was due to the pitching, or lack thereof. In a 10 game sequence from September 16 to the 25th, the Mets lost six games. In four of these six games, the Mets scored six, eight, seven, and nine runs. These losses were directly related to the weak pitching from the Mets' starters and even into the bullpen.
, the Dodgers
, the Yankees
, the Twins
, the Athletics
, and the Cardinals
. The Mets went 8–10 on this stretch.
' 2007 season
was the 46th regular season for the Mets. The Mets were defending their first divisional championship since 1988. While the Atlanta Braves
were counted as possible competition, the Philadelphia Phillies
were predicted as the front-runners, albeit by their own star shortstop, Jimmy Rollins
. Ultimately, Rollins' prediction rang true, as the Phillies won the NL East Division title on the last day of the regular season. With a seven-game lead on September 12, the Mets suffered a historic collapse by losing 12 of their last 17 games and missing the postseason. It is regarded as one of the worst collapses in MLB history.
was done for the remainder of the year due to a left calf muscle strain. Later it was announced that Pedro would have to undergo rotator cuff surgery and would miss a sizable portion of the 2007 season. On October 3, the day before his game 1 NLDS start, it was announced that Orlando Hernández
tweaked his right calf muscle while jogging in the outfield at Shea. He wouldn’t be able to pitch again until the 2007 season.
Coming into the 2006 offseason, it was clear that the team’s biggest need was pitching. Pedro would return, but in what condition? El-Duque was a question mark with his age and veteran Steve Trachsel
guaranteed his departure with a Game 3 NLCS meltdown. Omar Minaya
, the Mets’ General Manager, made it clear that his first order of business concerned their in-house free agents including: Tom Glavine
, Orlando Hernández
, and Chad Bradford
. The Mets also went hard after Japanese SP Daisuke Matsuzaka
. On November 14, the Boston Red Sox
outbid the Mets $51.1 million to ~$39 million for negotiating rights to Matsuzaka. Also on this day, the Mets tendered contracts to Orlando Hernández and 37-year-old José Valentín
. Two days later 37-year-old Damion Easley
was acquired as a fourth outfielder and to occasionally spell Valentín at second base. 40-year-old slugger Moisés Alou was signed to replace Cliff Floyd in left field. On December 1, with the hopes of winning his 300th game, Tom Glavine signed a single year contract. The Mets also had their eyes on free agent SP Barry Zito
who eventually ended up with the San Francisco Giants
after signing the largest contract ever for a pitcher at the time in MLB history. Former All-Star pitcher Chan-ho Park
was also signed but lasted only one poor start before being released.
The biggest changes took place in the bullpen. The Mets lost Chad Bradford
, Roberto Hernández, and Darren Oliver
to free agency. The Mets also initiated a series of questionable moves where young bullpen arms were traded away. Heath Bell
and Royce Ring
were packaged in a deal to San Diego for outfielder Ben Johnson and reliever Jon Adkins
. Hard throwers Henry Owens
and Matt Lindstrom were traded to the Florida Marlins
for lefties Jason Vargas
and Adam Bostick. Serviceable starter Brian Bannister
was traded to the Kansas City Royals for the 23 year old flame thrower Ambiorix Burgos
. The worst news came with the loss of pitchers Duaner Sanchez
and Juan Padilla
. Sánchez, who had recovered from a mid-2006 taxicab accident and signed a new contract, was sidelined after reinjuring his shoulder during Spring Training. In addition, newly signed Guillermo Mota
was suspended for the first 50 games of the regular season for steroid use. The Mets were forced to rely on mainstays Billy Wagner
, Aaron Heilman
, and Pedro Feliciano
in addition to new acquisitions: veteran reliever Scott Schoeneweis
and veteran starter-turned-reliever Aaron Sele
. The remaining spots were populated by rookie Joe Smith and Ambiorix Burgos.
The 2007 Mets began the season much older and untested than the 2006 team. The starting pitching wasn’t improved. Old veterans Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernández appeared at the top of the rotation followed by question marks: John Maine
and Oliver Perez
. It was unknown how healthy Glavine and Hernandez would be by the end of the season. It was also unknown if Maine and Perez would continue to improve after their postseason successes and if they could handle the load of pitching a full season. The fifth spot was given to rookie Mike Pelfrey. The lineup also aged dramatically with the inclusion of Alou and Easley to a roster already containing Julio Franco
, José Valentín, Carlos Delgado
, and Paul Lo Duca
. The bullpen lost valuable arms in Chad Bradford, Darren Oliver, and Duaner Sanchez. By the time it became apparent that Sanchez and Padilla would be unable to pitch, the Mets had already traded away Heath Bell and Henry Owens. Both had the experience and ability to step in and contribute on a major league level.
and jumped into first place. Unlike 2006, the Braves stayed close throughout April and even held sole possession of first place at the end of the month. Also unlike 2006, the Mets were led by an unlikely hero, John Maine
, who was undefeated and named the National League Pitcher of the Month
for April. David Wright hit only .244 with no home runs and six RBI in April but carried over a hitting streak
from 2006 that reached a franchise record 26 games.
New York followed their strong April with an even stronger May. Jorge Sosa
replaced Pelfrey in the starting rotation and compiled a 4–1 record for the month. His 8–1 win on May 16 put the Mets alone in first place where they stayed uninterrupted until the last week of the season. Wright led the offense in May with eight home runs and 22 RBI. The Mets went 19–9 in May and finished the month with a 4½ game lead despite starting second baseman José Valentín
out for the entire month with an injury and starting outfielders Moisés Alou
and Shawn Green
missing time as well.
As the calendar turned to June however, the Mets began slumping, losing six straight series against teams with winning records, the last four series part of a stretch of 18 straight games against 2006 playoff teams, facing the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Twins, Athletics, and Cardinals, becoming the first team in MLB history to play six consecutive series against six different teams that made the playoffs the previous season. This stretch started poorly for the Mets, as they lost 9 out of 12 to the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, and Twins. However, they turned it around and won 5 out of 6 against the Athletics and Cardinals to finish this stretch. The Mets entered the All-Star break with 48 wins and 39 losses, with a slim lead over the second-place Atlanta Braves. The Mets acquired Luis Castillo and Jeff Conine
before the playoff roster deadline of September 1 to fill holes that were created due to injuries. On July 12, 2007, Julio Franco
was released by the Mets.
Shortstop José Reyes was mentioned at mid-season as a possible MVP. Pedro Martínez
notched his 3,000th strikeout. Tom Glavine
got his 300th win. The team went into Wrigley Field
in August and took two of three from the NL Central's first place Cubs, then beat up on the NL West's first place Diamondbacks a week later. Despite being swept by the second place Phillies in a four-game series in Philadelphia on August 27–30 (during which the Mets saw their six game lead evaporate to two), the Mets won nine out of their next ten games, and everything was seemingly going the Mets' way. On September 12, the Mets were 21 games over .500 with a record of 83–62. Over the last three weeks of the baseball season, they won only five games.
Pedro Martínez returned to the Mets starting rotation in time for the September playoff deadline. As of September 17, the Mets were in first place in the NL East with a 83–66 record and a two and a half game lead over the charging Phillies. They had lost four in a row, including a three game sweep by the Phillies. Moisés Alou, as of September 17 had a twenty-one game hitting streak.
Down the stretch, the Mets played poorly including losing five out of six games with the fourth-place Washington Nationals
. They lost on September 28 to fall into second place for the first time in over four months but pulled back into a tie with Philadelphia on September 29. On September 30, the Mets faced the Florida Marlins
with hopes of winning the NL East or at least forcing a one-game playoff. Unfortunately, Tom Glavine
surrendered 7 runs in the first inning as the Mets fell 8–1. The Phillies capped their miraculous comeback with a 6–1 victory over the Washington Nationals
to win the National League East
. The 2007 Mets collapse is one of the worst in baseball history, mirroring "the Phold" of 1964, where the Phillies lost a 6.5 game lead in the last twelve games. The Mets, who had come back in 1969 against improbable odds to beat out the Cubs, now found themselves on the other side of the equation, coincidentally, against a team in the Phillies that in 1964 had pulled a similar collapse.
The 2007 Mets finished the season with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses. They placed second in the National League East, and third in the Wild Card standings. Many would say that the main catalyst to the "collapse" was due to the pitching, or lack thereof. In a 10 game sequence from September 16 to the 25th, the Mets lost six games. In four of these six games, the Mets scored six, eight, seven, and nine runs. These losses were directly related to the weak pitching from the Mets' starters and even into the bullpen.
, the Dodgers
, the Yankees
, the Twins
, the Athletics
, and the Cardinals
. The Mets went 8–10 on this stretch.
' 2007 season
was the 46th regular season for the Mets. The Mets were defending their first divisional championship since 1988. While the Atlanta Braves
were counted as possible competition, the Philadelphia Phillies
were predicted as the front-runners, albeit by their own star shortstop, Jimmy Rollins
. Ultimately, Rollins' prediction rang true, as the Phillies won the NL East Division title on the last day of the regular season. With a seven-game lead on September 12, the Mets suffered a historic collapse by losing 12 of their last 17 games and missing the postseason. It is regarded as one of the worst collapses in MLB history.
was done for the remainder of the year due to a left calf muscle strain. Later it was announced that Pedro would have to undergo rotator cuff surgery and would miss a sizable portion of the 2007 season. On October 3, the day before his game 1 NLDS start, it was announced that Orlando Hernández
tweaked his right calf muscle while jogging in the outfield at Shea. He wouldn’t be able to pitch again until the 2007 season.
Coming into the 2006 offseason, it was clear that the team’s biggest need was pitching. Pedro would return, but in what condition? El-Duque was a question mark with his age and veteran Steve Trachsel
guaranteed his departure with a Game 3 NLCS meltdown. Omar Minaya
, the Mets’ General Manager, made it clear that his first order of business concerned their in-house free agents including: Tom Glavine
, Orlando Hernández
, and Chad Bradford
. The Mets also went hard after Japanese SP Daisuke Matsuzaka
. On November 14, the Boston Red Sox
outbid the Mets $51.1 million to ~$39 million for negotiating rights to Matsuzaka. Also on this day, the Mets tendered contracts to Orlando Hernández and 37-year-old José Valentín
. Two days later 37-year-old Damion Easley
was acquired as a fourth outfielder and to occasionally spell Valentín at second base. 40-year-old slugger Moisés Alou was signed to replace Cliff Floyd in left field. On December 1, with the hopes of winning his 300th game, Tom Glavine signed a single year contract. The Mets also had their eyes on free agent SP Barry Zito
who eventually ended up with the San Francisco Giants
after signing the largest contract ever for a pitcher at the time in MLB history. Former All-Star pitcher Chan-ho Park
was also signed but lasted only one poor start before being released.
The biggest changes took place in the bullpen. The Mets lost Chad Bradford
, Roberto Hernández, and Darren Oliver
to free agency. The Mets also initiated a series of questionable moves where young bullpen arms were traded away. Heath Bell
and Royce Ring
were packaged in a deal to San Diego for outfielder Ben Johnson and reliever Jon Adkins
. Hard throwers Henry Owens
and Matt Lindstrom were traded to the Florida Marlins
for lefties Jason Vargas
and Adam Bostick. Serviceable starter Brian Bannister
was traded to the Kansas City Royals for the 23 year old flame thrower Ambiorix Burgos
. The worst news came with the loss of pitchers Duaner Sanchez
and Juan Padilla
. Sánchez, who had recovered from a mid-2006 taxicab accident and signed a new contract, was sidelined after reinjuring his shoulder during Spring Training. In addition, newly signed Guillermo Mota
was suspended for the first 50 games of the regular season for steroid use. The Mets were forced to rely on mainstays Billy Wagner
, Aaron Heilman
, and Pedro Feliciano
in addition to new acquisitions: veteran reliever Scott Schoeneweis
and veteran starter-turned-reliever Aaron Sele
. The remaining spots were populated by rookie Joe Smith and Ambiorix Burgos.
The 2007 Mets began the season much older and untested than the 2006 team. The starting pitching wasn’t improved. Old veterans Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernández appeared at the top of the rotation followed by question marks: John Maine
and Oliver Perez
. It was unknown how healthy Glavine and Hernandez would be by the end of the season. It was also unknown if Maine and Perez would continue to improve after their postseason successes and if they could handle the load of pitching a full season. The fifth spot was given to rookie Mike Pelfrey. The lineup also aged dramatically with the inclusion of Alou and Easley to a roster already containing Julio Franco
, José Valentín, Carlos Delgado
, and Paul Lo Duca
. The bullpen lost valuable arms in Chad Bradford, Darren Oliver, and Duaner Sanchez. By the time it became apparent that Sanchez and Padilla would be unable to pitch, the Mets had already traded away Heath Bell and Henry Owens. Both had the experience and ability to step in and contribute on a major league level.
and jumped into first place. Unlike 2006, the Braves stayed close throughout April and even held sole possession of first place at the end of the month. Also unlike 2006, the Mets were led by an unlikely hero, John Maine
, who was undefeated and named the National League Pitcher of the Month
for April. David Wright hit only .244 with no home runs and six RBI in April but carried over a hitting streak
from 2006 that reached a franchise record 26 games.
New York followed their strong April with an even stronger May. Jorge Sosa
replaced Pelfrey in the starting rotation and compiled a 4–1 record for the month. His 8–1 win on May 16 put the Mets alone in first place where they stayed uninterrupted until the last week of the season. Wright led the offense in May with eight home runs and 22 RBI. The Mets went 19–9 in May and finished the month with a 4½ game lead despite starting second baseman José Valentín
out for the entire month with an injury and starting outfielders Moisés Alou
and Shawn Green
missing time as well.
As the calendar turned to June however, the Mets began slumping, losing six straight series against teams with winning records, the last four series part of a stretch of 18 straight games against 2006 playoff teams, facing the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Twins, Athletics, and Cardinals, becoming the first team in MLB history to play six consecutive series against six different teams that made the playoffs the previous season. This stretch started poorly for the Mets, as they lost 9 out of 12 to the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, and Twins. However, they turned it around and won 5 out of 6 against the Athletics and Cardinals to finish this stretch. The Mets entered the All-Star break with 48 wins and 39 losses, with a slim lead over the second-place Atlanta Braves. The Mets acquired Luis Castillo and Jeff Conine
before the playoff roster deadline of September 1 to fill holes that were created due to injuries. On July 12, 2007, Julio Franco
was released by the Mets.
Shortstop José Reyes was mentioned at mid-season as a possible MVP. Pedro Martínez
notched his 3,000th strikeout. Tom Glavine
got his 300th win. The team went into Wrigley Field
in August and took two of three from the NL Central's first place Cubs, then beat up on the NL West's first place Diamondbacks a week later. Despite being swept by the second place Phillies in a four-game series in Philadelphia on August 27–30 (during which the Mets saw their six game lead evaporate to two), the Mets won nine out of their next ten games, and everything was seemingly going the Mets' way. On September 12, the Mets were 21 games over .500 with a record of 83–62. Over the last three weeks of the baseball season, they won only five games.
Pedro Martínez returned to the Mets starting rotation in time for the September playoff deadline. As of September 17, the Mets were in first place in the NL East with a 83–66 record and a two and a half game lead over the charging Phillies. They had lost four in a row, including a three game sweep by the Phillies. Moisés Alou, as of September 17 had a twenty-one game hitting streak.
Down the stretch, the Mets played poorly including losing five out of six games with the fourth-place Washington Nationals
. They lost on September 28 to fall into second place for the first time in over four months but pulled back into a tie with Philadelphia on September 29. On September 30, the Mets faced the Florida Marlins
with hopes of winning the NL East or at least forcing a one-game playoff. Unfortunately, Tom Glavine
surrendered 7 runs in the first inning as the Mets fell 8–1. The Phillies capped their miraculous comeback with a 6–1 victory over the Washington Nationals
to win the National League East
. The 2007 Mets collapse is one of the worst in baseball history, mirroring "the Phold" of 1964, where the Phillies lost a 6.5 game lead in the last twelve games. The Mets, who had come back in 1969 against improbable odds to beat out the Cubs, now found themselves on the other side of the equation, coincidentally, against a team in the Phillies that in 1964 had pulled a similar collapse.
The 2007 Mets finished the season with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses. They placed second in the National League East, and third in the Wild Card standings. Many would say that the main catalyst to the "collapse" was due to the pitching, or lack thereof. In a 10 game sequence from September 16 to the 25th, the Mets lost six games. In four of these six games, the Mets scored six, eight, seven, and nine runs. These losses were directly related to the weak pitching from the Mets' starters and even into the bullpen.
, the Dodgers
, the Yankees
, the Twins
, the Athletics
, and the Cardinals
. The Mets went 8–10 on this stretch.
2nd Half: New York Mets Game Log on ESPN.com
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
' 2007 season
2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
was the 46th regular season for the Mets. The Mets were defending their first divisional championship since 1988. While the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
were counted as possible competition, the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
were predicted as the front-runners, albeit by their own star shortstop, Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins
James Calvin "Jimmy" Rollins , nicknamed "J-Roll", is an All-Star and former MVP shortstop, who most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League....
. Ultimately, Rollins' prediction rang true, as the Phillies won the NL East Division title on the last day of the regular season. With a seven-game lead on September 12, the Mets suffered a historic collapse by losing 12 of their last 17 games and missing the postseason. It is regarded as one of the worst collapses in MLB history.
2006 Offseason
The Mets’ high hopes for the 2006 postseason were thwarted on September 29, 2006 when it was announced that ace Pedro MartínezPedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
was done for the remainder of the year due to a left calf muscle strain. Later it was announced that Pedro would have to undergo rotator cuff surgery and would miss a sizable portion of the 2007 season. On October 3, the day before his game 1 NLDS start, it was announced that Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández Pedroso , nicknamed "El Duque", is a former Cuban right-handed baseball pitcher....
tweaked his right calf muscle while jogging in the outfield at Shea. He wouldn’t be able to pitch again until the 2007 season.
Coming into the 2006 offseason, it was clear that the team’s biggest need was pitching. Pedro would return, but in what condition? El-Duque was a question mark with his age and veteran Steve Trachsel
Steve Trachsel
Stephen Christopher Trachsel , nicknamed "The Human Rain Delay", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is known for the long amount of time he takes to deliver the ball to home plate in between pitches. Games in which he pitches are known to be considerably longer than most games, leading...
guaranteed his departure with a Game 3 NLCS meltdown. Omar Minaya
Omar Minaya
Omar Teodoro Antonio Minaya y Sánchez is a former baseball executive who served as General Manager for the Montreal Expos and New York Mets.-Early life:...
, the Mets’ General Manager, made it clear that his first order of business concerned their in-house free agents including: Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
, Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández Pedroso , nicknamed "El Duque", is a former Cuban right-handed baseball pitcher....
, and Chad Bradford
Chad Bradford
Chadwick Lee "Chad" Bradford is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was well known for his extreme submarine-style pitching, and his success in MLB despite his unconventional delivery and the slow speed at which he threw the ball led to him figuring prominently in the Michael Lewis...
. The Mets also went hard after Japanese SP Daisuke Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze...
. On November 14, the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
outbid the Mets $51.1 million to ~$39 million for negotiating rights to Matsuzaka. Also on this day, the Mets tendered contracts to Orlando Hernández and 37-year-old José Valentín
José Valentín
José Antonio Valentín is a former Major League Baseball infielder, who played with the Milwaukee Brewers , Chicago White Sox , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets .-Early years:...
. Two days later 37-year-old Damion Easley
Damion Easley
Jacinto Damion Easley is a former Major League Baseball player who is currently Executive Director of Warrior Baseball Academy. He is also an assistant coach for the Peoria Padres.-Biography:...
was acquired as a fourth outfielder and to occasionally spell Valentín at second base. 40-year-old slugger Moisés Alou was signed to replace Cliff Floyd in left field. On December 1, with the hopes of winning his 300th game, Tom Glavine signed a single year contract. The Mets also had their eyes on free agent SP Barry Zito
Barry Zito
Barry Zito is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He previously played seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, where he won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award and made three All-Star teams....
who eventually ended up with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
after signing the largest contract ever for a pitcher at the time in MLB history. Former All-Star pitcher Chan-ho Park
Chan-ho Park
Chan Ho Park is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher for the Hanwha Eagles of Korea Baseball Organization. He previously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League...
was also signed but lasted only one poor start before being released.
The biggest changes took place in the bullpen. The Mets lost Chad Bradford
Chad Bradford
Chadwick Lee "Chad" Bradford is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was well known for his extreme submarine-style pitching, and his success in MLB despite his unconventional delivery and the slow speed at which he threw the ball led to him figuring prominently in the Michael Lewis...
, Roberto Hernández, and Darren Oliver
Darren Oliver
Darren Christopher Oliver is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Oliver was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 3rd round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft, and has had three separate stints with the club.-Early life:...
to free agency. The Mets also initiated a series of questionable moves where young bullpen arms were traded away. Heath Bell
Heath Bell
Heath Justin Bell is an American professional baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. After taking over the San Diego Padres closer role from Trevor Hoffman in 2009, Bell was named a three-time All-Star and has been awarded with the Rolaids Relief Man Award twice and has also won the DHL...
and Royce Ring
Royce Ring
Roger Royce Ring is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Schools:Ring graduated from Monte Vista High School and attended San Diego State University where he was a star closer....
were packaged in a deal to San Diego for outfielder Ben Johnson and reliever Jon Adkins
Jon Adkins
Jonathan Scott Adkins is a Major League Baseball area scout for the Boston Red Sox, covering the Ohio River Valley...
. Hard throwers Henry Owens
Henry Owens
Henry Jay Owens is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Florida Marlins. He bats and throws right-handed....
and Matt Lindstrom were traded to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
for lefties Jason Vargas
Jason Vargas
Jason Matthew Vargas is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. He has played parts of two seasons in the major leagues with the Florida Marlins, part of one season in the major leagues with the New York Mets and the last two seasons with the Seattle Mariners.-College...
and Adam Bostick. Serviceable starter Brian Bannister
Brian Bannister
Brian Patrick Bannister is a former baseball starting pitcher who most recently pitched for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.-Personal:...
was traded to the Kansas City Royals for the 23 year old flame thrower Ambiorix Burgos
Ambiorix Burgos
Ambiorix Burgos is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Career:In , Burgos made his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals and appeared in 59 games as a relief pitcher. Despite pitching only 60 innings, he managed to be 10th in the league in wild pitches...
. The worst news came with the loss of pitchers Duaner Sanchez
Duaner Sánchez
Duaner Sánchez is a Dominican-American professional baseball player currently playing for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. He is a right-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent in Major League Baseball...
and Juan Padilla
Juan Padilla
Juan Miguel Padilla is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He is now pitching for the American Defenders of New Hampshire of the independent Can-Am League.-Major league career:...
. Sánchez, who had recovered from a mid-2006 taxicab accident and signed a new contract, was sidelined after reinjuring his shoulder during Spring Training. In addition, newly signed Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Reynoso Mota is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He stands tall and weighs . He throws and bats right-handed. Mota has played for the Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Marlins, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers and the San...
was suspended for the first 50 games of the regular season for steroid use. The Mets were forced to rely on mainstays Billy Wagner
Billy Wagner
William Edward Wagner , nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He pitched for the Houston Astros , the Philadelphia Phillies , the New York Mets , the Boston Red Sox , and the Atlanta Braves...
, Aaron Heilman
Aaron Heilman
Aaron Michael Heilman is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Heilman was drafted by the New York Mets out of Notre Dame in 2001. He came up through the Mets system as a starting pitcher but was converted to a relief pitcher in 2005...
, and Pedro Feliciano
Pedro Feliciano
Pedro Juan Feliciano Molina is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees.-Early career:...
in addition to new acquisitions: veteran reliever Scott Schoeneweis
Scott Schoeneweis
Scott David Schoeneweis is an American Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.In the five seasons from 2003–07, Schoeneweis allowed only one home run to left-handed batters...
and veteran starter-turned-reliever Aaron Sele
Aaron Sele
Aaron Helmer Sele is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is currently the minor league pitching instructor for the Los Angeles Dodgers.-Early years:...
. The remaining spots were populated by rookie Joe Smith and Ambiorix Burgos.
The 2007 Mets began the season much older and untested than the 2006 team. The starting pitching wasn’t improved. Old veterans Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernández appeared at the top of the rotation followed by question marks: John Maine
John Maine
John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia...
and Oliver Perez
Oliver Pérez
Óliver Pérez Martínez is a left-handed pitcher currently in the Washington Nationals organization.-San Diego Padres:...
. It was unknown how healthy Glavine and Hernandez would be by the end of the season. It was also unknown if Maine and Perez would continue to improve after their postseason successes and if they could handle the load of pitching a full season. The fifth spot was given to rookie Mike Pelfrey. The lineup also aged dramatically with the inclusion of Alou and Easley to a roster already containing Julio Franco
Julio Franco
Julio César Robles Franco is a former Major League Baseball infielder and designated hitter. In , Franco was the oldest active player in the major leagues at the age of 49....
, José Valentín, Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....
, and Paul Lo Duca
Paul Lo Duca
Paul Anthony Lo Duca is a television personality and a former Major League Baseball catcher. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Florida Marlins , New York Mets , and Washington Nationals...
. The bullpen lost valuable arms in Chad Bradford, Darren Oliver, and Duaner Sanchez. By the time it became apparent that Sanchez and Padilla would be unable to pitch, the Mets had already traded away Heath Bell and Henry Owens. Both had the experience and ability to step in and contribute on a major league level.
Regular season
The season started similarly to 2006 for the Mets as they swept the season-opening series against the defending champion St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and jumped into first place. Unlike 2006, the Braves stayed close throughout April and even held sole possession of first place at the end of the month. Also unlike 2006, the Mets were led by an unlikely hero, John Maine
John Maine
John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia...
, who was undefeated and named the National League Pitcher of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
The Pitcher of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league for each month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award in . The American League followed in...
for April. David Wright hit only .244 with no home runs and six RBI in April but carried over a hitting streak
Hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the number of consecutive official games in which a player gets at least one base hit.According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is ended when a player has at least 1 plate appearance and no hits...
from 2006 that reached a franchise record 26 games.
New York followed their strong April with an even stronger May. Jorge Sosa
Jorge Sosa
Jorge Bolivar Sosa is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. Sosa stands at 6'2" tall and reportedly weighs 218 pounds...
replaced Pelfrey in the starting rotation and compiled a 4–1 record for the month. His 8–1 win on May 16 put the Mets alone in first place where they stayed uninterrupted until the last week of the season. Wright led the offense in May with eight home runs and 22 RBI. The Mets went 19–9 in May and finished the month with a 4½ game lead despite starting second baseman José Valentín
José Valentín
José Antonio Valentín is a former Major League Baseball infielder, who played with the Milwaukee Brewers , Chicago White Sox , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets .-Early years:...
out for the entire month with an injury and starting outfielders Moisés Alou
Moisés Alou
Moisés Rojas Alou |Spanish:]] ; born July 3, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, 421 doubles, 332 home runs, and 1,287 runs...
and Shawn Green
Shawn Green
Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball player.Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star...
missing time as well.
As the calendar turned to June however, the Mets began slumping, losing six straight series against teams with winning records, the last four series part of a stretch of 18 straight games against 2006 playoff teams, facing the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Twins, Athletics, and Cardinals, becoming the first team in MLB history to play six consecutive series against six different teams that made the playoffs the previous season. This stretch started poorly for the Mets, as they lost 9 out of 12 to the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, and Twins. However, they turned it around and won 5 out of 6 against the Athletics and Cardinals to finish this stretch. The Mets entered the All-Star break with 48 wins and 39 losses, with a slim lead over the second-place Atlanta Braves. The Mets acquired Luis Castillo and Jeff Conine
Jeff Conine
Jeffrey Guy Conine is a former Major League Baseball first baseman/outfielder who played several years with the Florida Marlins. Previously, Conine played with the Kansas City Royals , Florida Marlins , Baltimore Orioles , Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Reds , and New York Mets . He batted and...
before the playoff roster deadline of September 1 to fill holes that were created due to injuries. On July 12, 2007, Julio Franco
Julio Franco
Julio César Robles Franco is a former Major League Baseball infielder and designated hitter. In , Franco was the oldest active player in the major leagues at the age of 49....
was released by the Mets.
Shortstop José Reyes was mentioned at mid-season as a possible MVP. Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
notched his 3,000th strikeout. Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
got his 300th win. The team went into Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
in August and took two of three from the NL Central's first place Cubs, then beat up on the NL West's first place Diamondbacks a week later. Despite being swept by the second place Phillies in a four-game series in Philadelphia on August 27–30 (during which the Mets saw their six game lead evaporate to two), the Mets won nine out of their next ten games, and everything was seemingly going the Mets' way. On September 12, the Mets were 21 games over .500 with a record of 83–62. Over the last three weeks of the baseball season, they won only five games.
Pedro Martínez returned to the Mets starting rotation in time for the September playoff deadline. As of September 17, the Mets were in first place in the NL East with a 83–66 record and a two and a half game lead over the charging Phillies. They had lost four in a row, including a three game sweep by the Phillies. Moisés Alou, as of September 17 had a twenty-one game hitting streak.
Down the stretch, the Mets played poorly including losing five out of six games with the fourth-place Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. They lost on September 28 to fall into second place for the first time in over four months but pulled back into a tie with Philadelphia on September 29. On September 30, the Mets faced the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
with hopes of winning the NL East or at least forcing a one-game playoff. Unfortunately, Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
surrendered 7 runs in the first inning as the Mets fell 8–1. The Phillies capped their miraculous comeback with a 6–1 victory over the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
to win the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
. The 2007 Mets collapse is one of the worst in baseball history, mirroring "the Phold" of 1964, where the Phillies lost a 6.5 game lead in the last twelve games. The Mets, who had come back in 1969 against improbable odds to beat out the Cubs, now found themselves on the other side of the equation, coincidentally, against a team in the Phillies that in 1964 had pulled a similar collapse.
The 2007 Mets finished the season with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses. They placed second in the National League East, and third in the Wild Card standings. Many would say that the main catalyst to the "collapse" was due to the pitching, or lack thereof. In a 10 game sequence from September 16 to the 25th, the Mets lost six games. In four of these six games, the Mets scored six, eight, seven, and nine runs. These losses were directly related to the weak pitching from the Mets' starters and even into the bullpen.
Roster
2007 New York Mets | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches (third base) (bullpen) (hitting) (first base) (bench) (catching) (pitching) |
Game log
A green-colored background signifies a Mets win, while a red-colored background shows a Mets loss.2007 Game Log | |
---|---|
Starters by position
Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted InPos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SS | José Reyes | 160 | 681 | 191 | .280 | 12 | 57 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted InPlayer | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting pitchers
Note: GS = Games Started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Maine John Maine John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia... |
32 | 191 | 15 | 10 | 3.91 | 180 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W= Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; HLD = Holds; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dave Williams | 2 | 4.1 | 0 | 1 | 22.85 | 2 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W= Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; HLD = Holds; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Billy Wagner Billy Wagner William Edward Wagner , nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He pitched for the Houston Astros , the Philadelphia Phillies , the New York Mets , the Boston Red Sox , and the Atlanta Braves... |
66 | 2 | 2 | 34 | 2.63 | 80 |
Trivia
Between June 8 and June 28, the Mets became the first team in MLB history to play six consecutive series against six different teams that made the playoffs the previous season. These teams are the TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, the Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, the Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, and the Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. The Mets went 8–10 on this stretch.
Farm system
- Class AAA: New Orleans ZephyrsNew Orleans ZephyrsThe New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
(Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast LeagueThe Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
; Ken OberkfellKen OberkfellKenneth Raymond Oberkfell is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman and ex-coach for the New York Mets. He played from 1977-1992 for six different teams. Oberkfell primarily played third base but was also known to play second base and both corner outfield positions...
, manager) - Class AA: Binghamton MetsBinghamton MetsThe Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...
(Eastern League; Mako OliverasMako OliverasMax "Mako" Oliveras was a Minor League Baseball player and also was a minor league manager with the Binghamton Mets. Oliveras played seven seasons in the minor leagues. He was also a coach in the Major Leagues for the Chicago Cubs.In May , he took over as skipper of the independent Miami Marlins...
, manager) - Class A: St. Lucie MetsSt. Lucie MetsThe St. Lucie Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Port St. Lucie, Florida.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the High-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club.The team plays at Digital Domain Park...
(Florida State LeagueFlorida State LeagueThe Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
; Frank CacciatoreFrank CacciatoreFrank I. Cacciatore is currently a minor league baseball coach. Previously, he played baseball in the minor leagues and managed in the minor leagues as well.-Playing career:...
, manager) - Class A: Savannah Sand GnatsSavannah Sand GnatsThe Savannah Sand Gnats are a minor league baseball team in Savannah, Georgia and are a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. Since the 2007 season, the Sand Gnats have been an affiliate of the New York Mets.-History:...
(South Atlantic LeagueSouth Atlantic LeagueThe South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
; Tim TeufelTim TeufelTimothy Shawn Teufel is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, and currently the 3rd base coach for the New York Mets.Teufel was a member of the World Series champion New York Mets...
, manager) - Class SS-A: Brooklyn CyclonesBrooklyn CyclonesThe Brooklyn Cyclones is a minor league baseball team in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League, affiliated with the New York Mets. The Cyclones play at MCU Park just off the Coney Island boardwalk in the New York City borough of Brooklyn....
(New York-Penn League; Edgardo AlfonzoEdgardo AlfonzoEdgardo Antonio Alfonzo a.k.a. "Fonzie" is a former Major League Baseball infielder who most recently played for the Yomiuri Giants. He bats and throws right-handed, and is tall and weighs...
, manager) - Rookie: Kingsport MetsKingsport MetsThe Kingsport Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Kingsport, Tennessee, United States. The team, which plays in the Appalachian League, is a Rookie League affiliate of Major League Baseball's New York Mets....
(Appalachian LeagueAppalachian LeagueThe Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
; Domovan Mitchell, manager) - Rookie: GCL Mets (Gulf Coast LeagueGulf Coast LeagueThe Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
; Juan López, manager)
External links
The New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
' 2007 season
2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
was the 46th regular season for the Mets. The Mets were defending their first divisional championship since 1988. While the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
were counted as possible competition, the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
were predicted as the front-runners, albeit by their own star shortstop, Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins
James Calvin "Jimmy" Rollins , nicknamed "J-Roll", is an All-Star and former MVP shortstop, who most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League....
. Ultimately, Rollins' prediction rang true, as the Phillies won the NL East Division title on the last day of the regular season. With a seven-game lead on September 12, the Mets suffered a historic collapse by losing 12 of their last 17 games and missing the postseason. It is regarded as one of the worst collapses in MLB history.
2006 Offseason
The Mets’ high hopes for the 2006 postseason were thwarted on September 29, 2006 when it was announced that ace Pedro MartínezPedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
was done for the remainder of the year due to a left calf muscle strain. Later it was announced that Pedro would have to undergo rotator cuff surgery and would miss a sizable portion of the 2007 season. On October 3, the day before his game 1 NLDS start, it was announced that Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández Pedroso , nicknamed "El Duque", is a former Cuban right-handed baseball pitcher....
tweaked his right calf muscle while jogging in the outfield at Shea. He wouldn’t be able to pitch again until the 2007 season.
Coming into the 2006 offseason, it was clear that the team’s biggest need was pitching. Pedro would return, but in what condition? El-Duque was a question mark with his age and veteran Steve Trachsel
Steve Trachsel
Stephen Christopher Trachsel , nicknamed "The Human Rain Delay", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is known for the long amount of time he takes to deliver the ball to home plate in between pitches. Games in which he pitches are known to be considerably longer than most games, leading...
guaranteed his departure with a Game 3 NLCS meltdown. Omar Minaya
Omar Minaya
Omar Teodoro Antonio Minaya y Sánchez is a former baseball executive who served as General Manager for the Montreal Expos and New York Mets.-Early life:...
, the Mets’ General Manager, made it clear that his first order of business concerned their in-house free agents including: Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
, Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández Pedroso , nicknamed "El Duque", is a former Cuban right-handed baseball pitcher....
, and Chad Bradford
Chad Bradford
Chadwick Lee "Chad" Bradford is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was well known for his extreme submarine-style pitching, and his success in MLB despite his unconventional delivery and the slow speed at which he threw the ball led to him figuring prominently in the Michael Lewis...
. The Mets also went hard after Japanese SP Daisuke Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze...
. On November 14, the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
outbid the Mets $51.1 million to ~$39 million for negotiating rights to Matsuzaka. Also on this day, the Mets tendered contracts to Orlando Hernández and 37-year-old José Valentín
José Valentín
José Antonio Valentín is a former Major League Baseball infielder, who played with the Milwaukee Brewers , Chicago White Sox , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets .-Early years:...
. Two days later 37-year-old Damion Easley
Damion Easley
Jacinto Damion Easley is a former Major League Baseball player who is currently Executive Director of Warrior Baseball Academy. He is also an assistant coach for the Peoria Padres.-Biography:...
was acquired as a fourth outfielder and to occasionally spell Valentín at second base. 40-year-old slugger Moisés Alou was signed to replace Cliff Floyd in left field. On December 1, with the hopes of winning his 300th game, Tom Glavine signed a single year contract. The Mets also had their eyes on free agent SP Barry Zito
Barry Zito
Barry Zito is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He previously played seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, where he won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award and made three All-Star teams....
who eventually ended up with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
after signing the largest contract ever for a pitcher at the time in MLB history. Former All-Star pitcher Chan-ho Park
Chan-ho Park
Chan Ho Park is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher for the Hanwha Eagles of Korea Baseball Organization. He previously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League...
was also signed but lasted only one poor start before being released.
The biggest changes took place in the bullpen. The Mets lost Chad Bradford
Chad Bradford
Chadwick Lee "Chad" Bradford is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was well known for his extreme submarine-style pitching, and his success in MLB despite his unconventional delivery and the slow speed at which he threw the ball led to him figuring prominently in the Michael Lewis...
, Roberto Hernández, and Darren Oliver
Darren Oliver
Darren Christopher Oliver is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Oliver was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 3rd round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft, and has had three separate stints with the club.-Early life:...
to free agency. The Mets also initiated a series of questionable moves where young bullpen arms were traded away. Heath Bell
Heath Bell
Heath Justin Bell is an American professional baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. After taking over the San Diego Padres closer role from Trevor Hoffman in 2009, Bell was named a three-time All-Star and has been awarded with the Rolaids Relief Man Award twice and has also won the DHL...
and Royce Ring
Royce Ring
Roger Royce Ring is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Schools:Ring graduated from Monte Vista High School and attended San Diego State University where he was a star closer....
were packaged in a deal to San Diego for outfielder Ben Johnson and reliever Jon Adkins
Jon Adkins
Jonathan Scott Adkins is a Major League Baseball area scout for the Boston Red Sox, covering the Ohio River Valley...
. Hard throwers Henry Owens
Henry Owens
Henry Jay Owens is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Florida Marlins. He bats and throws right-handed....
and Matt Lindstrom were traded to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
for lefties Jason Vargas
Jason Vargas
Jason Matthew Vargas is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. He has played parts of two seasons in the major leagues with the Florida Marlins, part of one season in the major leagues with the New York Mets and the last two seasons with the Seattle Mariners.-College...
and Adam Bostick. Serviceable starter Brian Bannister
Brian Bannister
Brian Patrick Bannister is a former baseball starting pitcher who most recently pitched for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.-Personal:...
was traded to the Kansas City Royals for the 23 year old flame thrower Ambiorix Burgos
Ambiorix Burgos
Ambiorix Burgos is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Career:In , Burgos made his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals and appeared in 59 games as a relief pitcher. Despite pitching only 60 innings, he managed to be 10th in the league in wild pitches...
. The worst news came with the loss of pitchers Duaner Sanchez
Duaner Sánchez
Duaner Sánchez is a Dominican-American professional baseball player currently playing for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. He is a right-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent in Major League Baseball...
and Juan Padilla
Juan Padilla
Juan Miguel Padilla is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He is now pitching for the American Defenders of New Hampshire of the independent Can-Am League.-Major league career:...
. Sánchez, who had recovered from a mid-2006 taxicab accident and signed a new contract, was sidelined after reinjuring his shoulder during Spring Training. In addition, newly signed Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Reynoso Mota is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He stands tall and weighs . He throws and bats right-handed. Mota has played for the Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Marlins, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers and the San...
was suspended for the first 50 games of the regular season for steroid use. The Mets were forced to rely on mainstays Billy Wagner
Billy Wagner
William Edward Wagner , nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He pitched for the Houston Astros , the Philadelphia Phillies , the New York Mets , the Boston Red Sox , and the Atlanta Braves...
, Aaron Heilman
Aaron Heilman
Aaron Michael Heilman is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Heilman was drafted by the New York Mets out of Notre Dame in 2001. He came up through the Mets system as a starting pitcher but was converted to a relief pitcher in 2005...
, and Pedro Feliciano
Pedro Feliciano
Pedro Juan Feliciano Molina is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees.-Early career:...
in addition to new acquisitions: veteran reliever Scott Schoeneweis
Scott Schoeneweis
Scott David Schoeneweis is an American Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.In the five seasons from 2003–07, Schoeneweis allowed only one home run to left-handed batters...
and veteran starter-turned-reliever Aaron Sele
Aaron Sele
Aaron Helmer Sele is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is currently the minor league pitching instructor for the Los Angeles Dodgers.-Early years:...
. The remaining spots were populated by rookie Joe Smith and Ambiorix Burgos.
The 2007 Mets began the season much older and untested than the 2006 team. The starting pitching wasn’t improved. Old veterans Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernández appeared at the top of the rotation followed by question marks: John Maine
John Maine
John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia...
and Oliver Perez
Oliver Pérez
Óliver Pérez Martínez is a left-handed pitcher currently in the Washington Nationals organization.-San Diego Padres:...
. It was unknown how healthy Glavine and Hernandez would be by the end of the season. It was also unknown if Maine and Perez would continue to improve after their postseason successes and if they could handle the load of pitching a full season. The fifth spot was given to rookie Mike Pelfrey. The lineup also aged dramatically with the inclusion of Alou and Easley to a roster already containing Julio Franco
Julio Franco
Julio César Robles Franco is a former Major League Baseball infielder and designated hitter. In , Franco was the oldest active player in the major leagues at the age of 49....
, José Valentín, Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....
, and Paul Lo Duca
Paul Lo Duca
Paul Anthony Lo Duca is a television personality and a former Major League Baseball catcher. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Florida Marlins , New York Mets , and Washington Nationals...
. The bullpen lost valuable arms in Chad Bradford, Darren Oliver, and Duaner Sanchez. By the time it became apparent that Sanchez and Padilla would be unable to pitch, the Mets had already traded away Heath Bell and Henry Owens. Both had the experience and ability to step in and contribute on a major league level.
Regular season
The season started similarly to 2006 for the Mets as they swept the season-opening series against the defending champion St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and jumped into first place. Unlike 2006, the Braves stayed close throughout April and even held sole possession of first place at the end of the month. Also unlike 2006, the Mets were led by an unlikely hero, John Maine
John Maine
John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia...
, who was undefeated and named the National League Pitcher of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
The Pitcher of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league for each month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award in . The American League followed in...
for April. David Wright hit only .244 with no home runs and six RBI in April but carried over a hitting streak
Hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the number of consecutive official games in which a player gets at least one base hit.According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is ended when a player has at least 1 plate appearance and no hits...
from 2006 that reached a franchise record 26 games.
New York followed their strong April with an even stronger May. Jorge Sosa
Jorge Sosa
Jorge Bolivar Sosa is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. Sosa stands at 6'2" tall and reportedly weighs 218 pounds...
replaced Pelfrey in the starting rotation and compiled a 4–1 record for the month. His 8–1 win on May 16 put the Mets alone in first place where they stayed uninterrupted until the last week of the season. Wright led the offense in May with eight home runs and 22 RBI. The Mets went 19–9 in May and finished the month with a 4½ game lead despite starting second baseman José Valentín
José Valentín
José Antonio Valentín is a former Major League Baseball infielder, who played with the Milwaukee Brewers , Chicago White Sox , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets .-Early years:...
out for the entire month with an injury and starting outfielders Moisés Alou
Moisés Alou
Moisés Rojas Alou |Spanish:]] ; born July 3, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, 421 doubles, 332 home runs, and 1,287 runs...
and Shawn Green
Shawn Green
Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball player.Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star...
missing time as well.
As the calendar turned to June however, the Mets began slumping, losing six straight series against teams with winning records, the last four series part of a stretch of 18 straight games against 2006 playoff teams, facing the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Twins, Athletics, and Cardinals, becoming the first team in MLB history to play six consecutive series against six different teams that made the playoffs the previous season. This stretch started poorly for the Mets, as they lost 9 out of 12 to the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, and Twins. However, they turned it around and won 5 out of 6 against the Athletics and Cardinals to finish this stretch. The Mets entered the All-Star break with 48 wins and 39 losses, with a slim lead over the second-place Atlanta Braves. The Mets acquired Luis Castillo and Jeff Conine
Jeff Conine
Jeffrey Guy Conine is a former Major League Baseball first baseman/outfielder who played several years with the Florida Marlins. Previously, Conine played with the Kansas City Royals , Florida Marlins , Baltimore Orioles , Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Reds , and New York Mets . He batted and...
before the playoff roster deadline of September 1 to fill holes that were created due to injuries. On July 12, 2007, Julio Franco
Julio Franco
Julio César Robles Franco is a former Major League Baseball infielder and designated hitter. In , Franco was the oldest active player in the major leagues at the age of 49....
was released by the Mets.
Shortstop José Reyes was mentioned at mid-season as a possible MVP. Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
notched his 3,000th strikeout. Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
got his 300th win. The team went into Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
in August and took two of three from the NL Central's first place Cubs, then beat up on the NL West's first place Diamondbacks a week later. Despite being swept by the second place Phillies in a four-game series in Philadelphia on August 27–30 (during which the Mets saw their six game lead evaporate to two), the Mets won nine out of their next ten games, and everything was seemingly going the Mets' way. On September 12, the Mets were 21 games over .500 with a record of 83–62. Over the last three weeks of the baseball season, they won only five games.
Pedro Martínez returned to the Mets starting rotation in time for the September playoff deadline. As of September 17, the Mets were in first place in the NL East with a 83–66 record and a two and a half game lead over the charging Phillies. They had lost four in a row, including a three game sweep by the Phillies. Moisés Alou, as of September 17 had a twenty-one game hitting streak.
Down the stretch, the Mets played poorly including losing five out of six games with the fourth-place Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. They lost on September 28 to fall into second place for the first time in over four months but pulled back into a tie with Philadelphia on September 29. On September 30, the Mets faced the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
with hopes of winning the NL East or at least forcing a one-game playoff. Unfortunately, Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
surrendered 7 runs in the first inning as the Mets fell 8–1. The Phillies capped their miraculous comeback with a 6–1 victory over the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
to win the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
. The 2007 Mets collapse is one of the worst in baseball history, mirroring "the Phold" of 1964, where the Phillies lost a 6.5 game lead in the last twelve games. The Mets, who had come back in 1969 against improbable odds to beat out the Cubs, now found themselves on the other side of the equation, coincidentally, against a team in the Phillies that in 1964 had pulled a similar collapse.
The 2007 Mets finished the season with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses. They placed second in the National League East, and third in the Wild Card standings. Many would say that the main catalyst to the "collapse" was due to the pitching, or lack thereof. In a 10 game sequence from September 16 to the 25th, the Mets lost six games. In four of these six games, the Mets scored six, eight, seven, and nine runs. These losses were directly related to the weak pitching from the Mets' starters and even into the bullpen.
Roster
2007 New York Mets | |||||||||
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Outfielders |
Manager Coaches (third base) (bullpen) (hitting) (first base) (bench) (catching) (pitching) |
Game log
A green-colored background signifies a Mets win, while a red-colored background shows a Mets loss.2007 Game Log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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style="background:#ff5731; ">April
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style="background:#ff5731; ">May
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style="background:#ff5731; ">June
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style="background:#ff5731; ">July
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style="background:#ff5731; ">August
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style="background:#ff5731; ">September
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Starters by position
Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted InPos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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SS | José Reyes | 160 | 681 | 191 | .280 | 12 | 57 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted InPlayer | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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Starting pitchers
Note: GS = Games Started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Maine John Maine John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia... |
32 | 191 | 15 | 10 | 3.91 | 180 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W= Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; HLD = Holds; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dave Williams | 2 | 4.1 | 0 | 1 | 22.85 | 2 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W= Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; HLD = Holds; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
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Billy Wagner Billy Wagner William Edward Wagner , nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He pitched for the Houston Astros , the Philadelphia Phillies , the New York Mets , the Boston Red Sox , and the Atlanta Braves... |
66 | 2 | 2 | 34 | 2.63 | 80 |
Trivia
Between June 8 and June 28, the Mets became the first team in MLB history to play six consecutive series against six different teams that made the playoffs the previous season. These teams are the TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, the Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, the Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, and the Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. The Mets went 8–10 on this stretch.
Farm system
- Class AAA: New Orleans ZephyrsNew Orleans ZephyrsThe New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
(Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast LeagueThe Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
; Ken OberkfellKen OberkfellKenneth Raymond Oberkfell is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman and ex-coach for the New York Mets. He played from 1977-1992 for six different teams. Oberkfell primarily played third base but was also known to play second base and both corner outfield positions...
, manager) - Class AA: Binghamton MetsBinghamton MetsThe Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...
(Eastern League; Mako OliverasMako OliverasMax "Mako" Oliveras was a Minor League Baseball player and also was a minor league manager with the Binghamton Mets. Oliveras played seven seasons in the minor leagues. He was also a coach in the Major Leagues for the Chicago Cubs.In May , he took over as skipper of the independent Miami Marlins...
, manager) - Class A: St. Lucie MetsSt. Lucie MetsThe St. Lucie Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Port St. Lucie, Florida.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the High-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club.The team plays at Digital Domain Park...
(Florida State LeagueFlorida State LeagueThe Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
; Frank CacciatoreFrank CacciatoreFrank I. Cacciatore is currently a minor league baseball coach. Previously, he played baseball in the minor leagues and managed in the minor leagues as well.-Playing career:...
, manager) - Class A: Savannah Sand GnatsSavannah Sand GnatsThe Savannah Sand Gnats are a minor league baseball team in Savannah, Georgia and are a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. Since the 2007 season, the Sand Gnats have been an affiliate of the New York Mets.-History:...
(South Atlantic LeagueSouth Atlantic LeagueThe South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
; Tim TeufelTim TeufelTimothy Shawn Teufel is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, and currently the 3rd base coach for the New York Mets.Teufel was a member of the World Series champion New York Mets...
, manager) - Class SS-A: Brooklyn CyclonesBrooklyn CyclonesThe Brooklyn Cyclones is a minor league baseball team in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League, affiliated with the New York Mets. The Cyclones play at MCU Park just off the Coney Island boardwalk in the New York City borough of Brooklyn....
(New York-Penn League; Edgardo AlfonzoEdgardo AlfonzoEdgardo Antonio Alfonzo a.k.a. "Fonzie" is a former Major League Baseball infielder who most recently played for the Yomiuri Giants. He bats and throws right-handed, and is tall and weighs...
, manager) - Rookie: Kingsport MetsKingsport MetsThe Kingsport Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Kingsport, Tennessee, United States. The team, which plays in the Appalachian League, is a Rookie League affiliate of Major League Baseball's New York Mets....
(Appalachian LeagueAppalachian LeagueThe Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
; Domovan Mitchell, manager) - Rookie: GCL Mets (Gulf Coast LeagueGulf Coast LeagueThe Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
; Juan López, manager)
External links
The New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
' 2007 season
2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
was the 46th regular season for the Mets. The Mets were defending their first divisional championship since 1988. While the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
were counted as possible competition, the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
were predicted as the front-runners, albeit by their own star shortstop, Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins
James Calvin "Jimmy" Rollins , nicknamed "J-Roll", is an All-Star and former MVP shortstop, who most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League....
. Ultimately, Rollins' prediction rang true, as the Phillies won the NL East Division title on the last day of the regular season. With a seven-game lead on September 12, the Mets suffered a historic collapse by losing 12 of their last 17 games and missing the postseason. It is regarded as one of the worst collapses in MLB history.
2006 Offseason
The Mets’ high hopes for the 2006 postseason were thwarted on September 29, 2006 when it was announced that ace Pedro MartínezPedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
was done for the remainder of the year due to a left calf muscle strain. Later it was announced that Pedro would have to undergo rotator cuff surgery and would miss a sizable portion of the 2007 season. On October 3, the day before his game 1 NLDS start, it was announced that Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández Pedroso , nicknamed "El Duque", is a former Cuban right-handed baseball pitcher....
tweaked his right calf muscle while jogging in the outfield at Shea. He wouldn’t be able to pitch again until the 2007 season.
Coming into the 2006 offseason, it was clear that the team’s biggest need was pitching. Pedro would return, but in what condition? El-Duque was a question mark with his age and veteran Steve Trachsel
Steve Trachsel
Stephen Christopher Trachsel , nicknamed "The Human Rain Delay", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is known for the long amount of time he takes to deliver the ball to home plate in between pitches. Games in which he pitches are known to be considerably longer than most games, leading...
guaranteed his departure with a Game 3 NLCS meltdown. Omar Minaya
Omar Minaya
Omar Teodoro Antonio Minaya y Sánchez is a former baseball executive who served as General Manager for the Montreal Expos and New York Mets.-Early life:...
, the Mets’ General Manager, made it clear that his first order of business concerned their in-house free agents including: Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
, Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández Pedroso , nicknamed "El Duque", is a former Cuban right-handed baseball pitcher....
, and Chad Bradford
Chad Bradford
Chadwick Lee "Chad" Bradford is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was well known for his extreme submarine-style pitching, and his success in MLB despite his unconventional delivery and the slow speed at which he threw the ball led to him figuring prominently in the Michael Lewis...
. The Mets also went hard after Japanese SP Daisuke Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze...
. On November 14, the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
outbid the Mets $51.1 million to ~$39 million for negotiating rights to Matsuzaka. Also on this day, the Mets tendered contracts to Orlando Hernández and 37-year-old José Valentín
José Valentín
José Antonio Valentín is a former Major League Baseball infielder, who played with the Milwaukee Brewers , Chicago White Sox , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets .-Early years:...
. Two days later 37-year-old Damion Easley
Damion Easley
Jacinto Damion Easley is a former Major League Baseball player who is currently Executive Director of Warrior Baseball Academy. He is also an assistant coach for the Peoria Padres.-Biography:...
was acquired as a fourth outfielder and to occasionally spell Valentín at second base. 40-year-old slugger Moisés Alou was signed to replace Cliff Floyd in left field. On December 1, with the hopes of winning his 300th game, Tom Glavine signed a single year contract. The Mets also had their eyes on free agent SP Barry Zito
Barry Zito
Barry Zito is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He previously played seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, where he won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award and made three All-Star teams....
who eventually ended up with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
after signing the largest contract ever for a pitcher at the time in MLB history. Former All-Star pitcher Chan-ho Park
Chan-ho Park
Chan Ho Park is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher for the Hanwha Eagles of Korea Baseball Organization. He previously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League...
was also signed but lasted only one poor start before being released.
The biggest changes took place in the bullpen. The Mets lost Chad Bradford
Chad Bradford
Chadwick Lee "Chad" Bradford is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was well known for his extreme submarine-style pitching, and his success in MLB despite his unconventional delivery and the slow speed at which he threw the ball led to him figuring prominently in the Michael Lewis...
, Roberto Hernández, and Darren Oliver
Darren Oliver
Darren Christopher Oliver is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Oliver was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 3rd round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft, and has had three separate stints with the club.-Early life:...
to free agency. The Mets also initiated a series of questionable moves where young bullpen arms were traded away. Heath Bell
Heath Bell
Heath Justin Bell is an American professional baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. After taking over the San Diego Padres closer role from Trevor Hoffman in 2009, Bell was named a three-time All-Star and has been awarded with the Rolaids Relief Man Award twice and has also won the DHL...
and Royce Ring
Royce Ring
Roger Royce Ring is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Schools:Ring graduated from Monte Vista High School and attended San Diego State University where he was a star closer....
were packaged in a deal to San Diego for outfielder Ben Johnson and reliever Jon Adkins
Jon Adkins
Jonathan Scott Adkins is a Major League Baseball area scout for the Boston Red Sox, covering the Ohio River Valley...
. Hard throwers Henry Owens
Henry Owens
Henry Jay Owens is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Florida Marlins. He bats and throws right-handed....
and Matt Lindstrom were traded to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
for lefties Jason Vargas
Jason Vargas
Jason Matthew Vargas is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. He has played parts of two seasons in the major leagues with the Florida Marlins, part of one season in the major leagues with the New York Mets and the last two seasons with the Seattle Mariners.-College...
and Adam Bostick. Serviceable starter Brian Bannister
Brian Bannister
Brian Patrick Bannister is a former baseball starting pitcher who most recently pitched for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.-Personal:...
was traded to the Kansas City Royals for the 23 year old flame thrower Ambiorix Burgos
Ambiorix Burgos
Ambiorix Burgos is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Career:In , Burgos made his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals and appeared in 59 games as a relief pitcher. Despite pitching only 60 innings, he managed to be 10th in the league in wild pitches...
. The worst news came with the loss of pitchers Duaner Sanchez
Duaner Sánchez
Duaner Sánchez is a Dominican-American professional baseball player currently playing for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. He is a right-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent in Major League Baseball...
and Juan Padilla
Juan Padilla
Juan Miguel Padilla is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He is now pitching for the American Defenders of New Hampshire of the independent Can-Am League.-Major league career:...
. Sánchez, who had recovered from a mid-2006 taxicab accident and signed a new contract, was sidelined after reinjuring his shoulder during Spring Training. In addition, newly signed Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Reynoso Mota is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He stands tall and weighs . He throws and bats right-handed. Mota has played for the Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Marlins, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers and the San...
was suspended for the first 50 games of the regular season for steroid use. The Mets were forced to rely on mainstays Billy Wagner
Billy Wagner
William Edward Wagner , nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He pitched for the Houston Astros , the Philadelphia Phillies , the New York Mets , the Boston Red Sox , and the Atlanta Braves...
, Aaron Heilman
Aaron Heilman
Aaron Michael Heilman is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Heilman was drafted by the New York Mets out of Notre Dame in 2001. He came up through the Mets system as a starting pitcher but was converted to a relief pitcher in 2005...
, and Pedro Feliciano
Pedro Feliciano
Pedro Juan Feliciano Molina is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees.-Early career:...
in addition to new acquisitions: veteran reliever Scott Schoeneweis
Scott Schoeneweis
Scott David Schoeneweis is an American Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.In the five seasons from 2003–07, Schoeneweis allowed only one home run to left-handed batters...
and veteran starter-turned-reliever Aaron Sele
Aaron Sele
Aaron Helmer Sele is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is currently the minor league pitching instructor for the Los Angeles Dodgers.-Early years:...
. The remaining spots were populated by rookie Joe Smith and Ambiorix Burgos.
The 2007 Mets began the season much older and untested than the 2006 team. The starting pitching wasn’t improved. Old veterans Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernández appeared at the top of the rotation followed by question marks: John Maine
John Maine
John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia...
and Oliver Perez
Oliver Pérez
Óliver Pérez Martínez is a left-handed pitcher currently in the Washington Nationals organization.-San Diego Padres:...
. It was unknown how healthy Glavine and Hernandez would be by the end of the season. It was also unknown if Maine and Perez would continue to improve after their postseason successes and if they could handle the load of pitching a full season. The fifth spot was given to rookie Mike Pelfrey. The lineup also aged dramatically with the inclusion of Alou and Easley to a roster already containing Julio Franco
Julio Franco
Julio César Robles Franco is a former Major League Baseball infielder and designated hitter. In , Franco was the oldest active player in the major leagues at the age of 49....
, José Valentín, Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....
, and Paul Lo Duca
Paul Lo Duca
Paul Anthony Lo Duca is a television personality and a former Major League Baseball catcher. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Florida Marlins , New York Mets , and Washington Nationals...
. The bullpen lost valuable arms in Chad Bradford, Darren Oliver, and Duaner Sanchez. By the time it became apparent that Sanchez and Padilla would be unable to pitch, the Mets had already traded away Heath Bell and Henry Owens. Both had the experience and ability to step in and contribute on a major league level.
Regular season
The season started similarly to 2006 for the Mets as they swept the season-opening series against the defending champion St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and jumped into first place. Unlike 2006, the Braves stayed close throughout April and even held sole possession of first place at the end of the month. Also unlike 2006, the Mets were led by an unlikely hero, John Maine
John Maine
John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia...
, who was undefeated and named the National League Pitcher of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
The Pitcher of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league for each month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award in . The American League followed in...
for April. David Wright hit only .244 with no home runs and six RBI in April but carried over a hitting streak
Hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the number of consecutive official games in which a player gets at least one base hit.According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is ended when a player has at least 1 plate appearance and no hits...
from 2006 that reached a franchise record 26 games.
New York followed their strong April with an even stronger May. Jorge Sosa
Jorge Sosa
Jorge Bolivar Sosa is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. Sosa stands at 6'2" tall and reportedly weighs 218 pounds...
replaced Pelfrey in the starting rotation and compiled a 4–1 record for the month. His 8–1 win on May 16 put the Mets alone in first place where they stayed uninterrupted until the last week of the season. Wright led the offense in May with eight home runs and 22 RBI. The Mets went 19–9 in May and finished the month with a 4½ game lead despite starting second baseman José Valentín
José Valentín
José Antonio Valentín is a former Major League Baseball infielder, who played with the Milwaukee Brewers , Chicago White Sox , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets .-Early years:...
out for the entire month with an injury and starting outfielders Moisés Alou
Moisés Alou
Moisés Rojas Alou |Spanish:]] ; born July 3, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, 421 doubles, 332 home runs, and 1,287 runs...
and Shawn Green
Shawn Green
Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball player.Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star...
missing time as well.
As the calendar turned to June however, the Mets began slumping, losing six straight series against teams with winning records, the last four series part of a stretch of 18 straight games against 2006 playoff teams, facing the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Twins, Athletics, and Cardinals, becoming the first team in MLB history to play six consecutive series against six different teams that made the playoffs the previous season. This stretch started poorly for the Mets, as they lost 9 out of 12 to the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, and Twins. However, they turned it around and won 5 out of 6 against the Athletics and Cardinals to finish this stretch. The Mets entered the All-Star break with 48 wins and 39 losses, with a slim lead over the second-place Atlanta Braves. The Mets acquired Luis Castillo and Jeff Conine
Jeff Conine
Jeffrey Guy Conine is a former Major League Baseball first baseman/outfielder who played several years with the Florida Marlins. Previously, Conine played with the Kansas City Royals , Florida Marlins , Baltimore Orioles , Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Reds , and New York Mets . He batted and...
before the playoff roster deadline of September 1 to fill holes that were created due to injuries. On July 12, 2007, Julio Franco
Julio Franco
Julio César Robles Franco is a former Major League Baseball infielder and designated hitter. In , Franco was the oldest active player in the major leagues at the age of 49....
was released by the Mets.
Shortstop José Reyes was mentioned at mid-season as a possible MVP. Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
notched his 3,000th strikeout. Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
got his 300th win. The team went into Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
in August and took two of three from the NL Central's first place Cubs, then beat up on the NL West's first place Diamondbacks a week later. Despite being swept by the second place Phillies in a four-game series in Philadelphia on August 27–30 (during which the Mets saw their six game lead evaporate to two), the Mets won nine out of their next ten games, and everything was seemingly going the Mets' way. On September 12, the Mets were 21 games over .500 with a record of 83–62. Over the last three weeks of the baseball season, they won only five games.
Pedro Martínez returned to the Mets starting rotation in time for the September playoff deadline. As of September 17, the Mets were in first place in the NL East with a 83–66 record and a two and a half game lead over the charging Phillies. They had lost four in a row, including a three game sweep by the Phillies. Moisés Alou, as of September 17 had a twenty-one game hitting streak.
Down the stretch, the Mets played poorly including losing five out of six games with the fourth-place Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. They lost on September 28 to fall into second place for the first time in over four months but pulled back into a tie with Philadelphia on September 29. On September 30, the Mets faced the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
with hopes of winning the NL East or at least forcing a one-game playoff. Unfortunately, Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
surrendered 7 runs in the first inning as the Mets fell 8–1. The Phillies capped their miraculous comeback with a 6–1 victory over the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
to win the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
. The 2007 Mets collapse is one of the worst in baseball history, mirroring "the Phold" of 1964, where the Phillies lost a 6.5 game lead in the last twelve games. The Mets, who had come back in 1969 against improbable odds to beat out the Cubs, now found themselves on the other side of the equation, coincidentally, against a team in the Phillies that in 1964 had pulled a similar collapse.
The 2007 Mets finished the season with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses. They placed second in the National League East, and third in the Wild Card standings. Many would say that the main catalyst to the "collapse" was due to the pitching, or lack thereof. In a 10 game sequence from September 16 to the 25th, the Mets lost six games. In four of these six games, the Mets scored six, eight, seven, and nine runs. These losses were directly related to the weak pitching from the Mets' starters and even into the bullpen.
Roster
2007 New York Mets | |||||||||
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Outfielders |
Manager Coaches (third base) (bullpen) (hitting) (first base) (bench) (catching) (pitching) |
Game log
A green-colored background signifies a Mets win, while a red-colored background shows a Mets loss.2007 Game Log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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style="background:#ff5731; ">April
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style="background:#ff5731; ">May
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style="background:#ff5731; ">June
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style="background:#ff5731; ">July
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style="background:#ff5731; ">August
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style="background:#ff5731; ">September
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Starters by position
Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted InPos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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SS | José Reyes | 160 | 681 | 191 | .280 | 12 | 57 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted InPlayer | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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Starting pitchers
Note: GS = Games Started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Maine John Maine John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia... |
32 | 191 | 15 | 10 | 3.91 | 180 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W= Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; HLD = Holds; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
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Dave Williams | 2 | 4.1 | 0 | 1 | 22.85 | 2 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W= Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; HLD = Holds; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
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Billy Wagner Billy Wagner William Edward Wagner , nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He pitched for the Houston Astros , the Philadelphia Phillies , the New York Mets , the Boston Red Sox , and the Atlanta Braves... |
66 | 2 | 2 | 34 | 2.63 | 80 |
Trivia
Between June 8 and June 28, the Mets became the first team in MLB history to play six consecutive series against six different teams that made the playoffs the previous season. These teams are the TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, the Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, the Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, and the Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. The Mets went 8–10 on this stretch.
Farm system
- Class AAA: New Orleans ZephyrsNew Orleans ZephyrsThe New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
(Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast LeagueThe Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
; Ken OberkfellKen OberkfellKenneth Raymond Oberkfell is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman and ex-coach for the New York Mets. He played from 1977-1992 for six different teams. Oberkfell primarily played third base but was also known to play second base and both corner outfield positions...
, manager) - Class AA: Binghamton MetsBinghamton MetsThe Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...
(Eastern League; Mako OliverasMako OliverasMax "Mako" Oliveras was a Minor League Baseball player and also was a minor league manager with the Binghamton Mets. Oliveras played seven seasons in the minor leagues. He was also a coach in the Major Leagues for the Chicago Cubs.In May , he took over as skipper of the independent Miami Marlins...
, manager) - Class A: St. Lucie MetsSt. Lucie MetsThe St. Lucie Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Port St. Lucie, Florida.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the High-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club.The team plays at Digital Domain Park...
(Florida State LeagueFlorida State LeagueThe Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
; Frank CacciatoreFrank CacciatoreFrank I. Cacciatore is currently a minor league baseball coach. Previously, he played baseball in the minor leagues and managed in the minor leagues as well.-Playing career:...
, manager) - Class A: Savannah Sand GnatsSavannah Sand GnatsThe Savannah Sand Gnats are a minor league baseball team in Savannah, Georgia and are a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. Since the 2007 season, the Sand Gnats have been an affiliate of the New York Mets.-History:...
(South Atlantic LeagueSouth Atlantic LeagueThe South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
; Tim TeufelTim TeufelTimothy Shawn Teufel is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, and currently the 3rd base coach for the New York Mets.Teufel was a member of the World Series champion New York Mets...
, manager) - Class SS-A: Brooklyn CyclonesBrooklyn CyclonesThe Brooklyn Cyclones is a minor league baseball team in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League, affiliated with the New York Mets. The Cyclones play at MCU Park just off the Coney Island boardwalk in the New York City borough of Brooklyn....
(New York-Penn League; Edgardo AlfonzoEdgardo AlfonzoEdgardo Antonio Alfonzo a.k.a. "Fonzie" is a former Major League Baseball infielder who most recently played for the Yomiuri Giants. He bats and throws right-handed, and is tall and weighs...
, manager) - Rookie: Kingsport MetsKingsport MetsThe Kingsport Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Kingsport, Tennessee, United States. The team, which plays in the Appalachian League, is a Rookie League affiliate of Major League Baseball's New York Mets....
(Appalachian LeagueAppalachian LeagueThe Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
; Domovan Mitchell, manager) - Rookie: GCL Mets (Gulf Coast LeagueGulf Coast LeagueThe Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
; Juan López, manager)
Game Logs
1st Half: New York Mets Game Log on ESPN.com2nd Half: New York Mets Game Log on ESPN.com
- Batting Statistics: New York Mets Batting Stats on ESPN.com
- Pitching Statistics: New York Mets Pitching Stats on ESPN.com