Remember Them? 14 Most Random Mets Sluggers Of The Past 20 Years
By Brad Kallet, WFAN.com
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Oh, the Mets. What a franchise. Some success, but much more heartbreak and failure.
But we love them anyway (at least some of us do).
Here are 14 sluggers that Mets fans loved at one point or another. Some were good, some were bad and some were just ... ehhhh. But one thing is for sure: They were all RIDICULOUS on one level or another.
I use the term "slugger" very loosely here. Basically to qualify for this list, you had to have been big, played for the Mets and hit a few homers along the way. You won't find Mike Piazza, Carlos Delgado, Robin Ventura or Cliff Floyd below.
Think of it this way: If you were a bona fide slugger, you wouldn't find yourself on a "most random" list.
Hopefully this takes you down memory lane and provides you with a laugh or two.
1. David Segui
His tenure in Queens was so short that this was literally the only photo I could find of him in a Mets uniform. What a horrible picture. Went on to have a very solid big league career.
2. Rico Brogna
Is it just me, or does nobody EVER talk about this guy? "Rico Suave" is known more as a Phillie than a Met, but he batted .351 in 39 games in '94 and jacked 22 homers in '95.
3. Todd Hundley
What a bad a-- this guy was. When you think of mid-90s Mets, you think of Todd Hundley. The catcher was built like a truck and was as cool as they come. Just look at those shades. He hit 41 bombs in 1996, and was named in the Mitchell Report in 2007. Shocking.
4. Butch Huskey
The manliest name in the history of men. And it's not close.
5. Bernard Gilkey
Another great name. He was inexplicably in "Men in Black." Nobody knows why, and that includes the film's casting director. What a stud.
6. Benny Agbayani
He forgot how many outs there were, handed a caught fly ball to a fan, and then took it back! His walk-off shot in Game 3 of the 2000 NLDS against the Giants was awesome, though.
7. Jason Phillips
Without question the dorkiest-looking athlete in sports history.
8. Mike Jacobs
He hit a few bombs, and then Pedro Martinez campaigned for him to stay on the Mets' roster. Not a bad endorsement. An all-or-nothing hitter, he belted 100 dingers in his eight-year career.
9. Richard Hidalgo
This man had serious power. Richie only played 86 games in a Mets uniform, but you might remember that he hit 21 homers over that span and went deep in five consecutive games.
10. Eric Valent
I'd say this is the most random name on the list. If you remember him, give yourself a pat on the back. I distinctly remember going NUTS when he hit for the cycle against the Expos in 2004. As if he was the next coming of Pete Rose. He wasn't.
11. Victor Diaz
My buddies used to call him "Mini Manny." Couldn't have been more off.
12. Fernando Tatis
He hit two grand slams in one inning. Off the same pitcher. (How had that pitcher not been taken out when he came to bat the second time?) He also bounced into, what seemed like, 643 double plays in his last year in Queens.
13. Gary Sheffield
Unquestionably the best and most well-known player on this list. Sheff played just one year for the Amazin's, but hit his 500th blast in the orange and blue.
14. Scott Hairston
This guy was so understated that I think people forget he hit 20 homers for New York in 2012. That got him a two-year, $5 million deal from the Cubs. But he disappointed in Chicago, and Washington thereafter.
Brad Kallet is an editor and columnist for CBSNewYork.com. He has written for TENNIS.com, MLB.com and SMASH Magazine, among others. You can follow him on Twitter @brad_kallet.
