1992 New York Mets season

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1992 New York Mets
File:NewYorkMets.gif
DivisionEastern Division
BallparkShea Stadium
CityNew York
OwnersFred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday, Jr.
ManagersJeff Torborg
TelevisionWWOR-TV/SportsChannel New York
(Ralph Kiner, Tim McCarver, Fran Healy, Rusty Staub, Bob Carpenter)
RadioWFAN
(Bob Murphy, Gary Cohen, Todd Kalas)
WSKQ-FM (spanish)
(Juan Alicea, Billy Berroa, Renato Morffi, Armando Talavera)
← 1991 Seasons 1993 →

The New York Mets' 1992 season was the 31st regular season for the Mets. The Mets entered the season attempting to improve on their 1991 season, where due in part to a second half collapse they finished 78-84 and recorded their first losing record since 1983. All 81 of the Mets' home games were played at Shea Stadium.

Background

After contending for most of the first two-thirds of the 1991 season, the Mets stumbled from second place to fifth at the end of the season. The collapse cost second-year manager Bud Harrelson his job, as he was fired toward the end of the campaign. To replace him the Mets brought in Jeff Torborg, who had led the Chicago White Sox to second place in the American League West in 1991. In memory of the man responsible for bringing National League baseball back to New York, the Mets wore a memorial patch for William A. Shea during this season.

Major acquisitions

The Mets' front office went to work trying to rebuild their squad that was only three years removed from their last playoff appearance. Their biggest acquisition was Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bobby Bonilla, who signed a five-year contract for just over $29 million that was one of the largest in league history at the time.

Another major acquisition for the Mets was pitcher Bret Saberhagen, the former ace of the Kansas City Royals. The price New York paid to get him was steep, as the team traded their leading hitter, second baseman and future All-Star Gregg Jefferies, to acquire Saberhagen (along with outfielder Kevin McReynolds, their second leading home run hitter, and backup infielder Keith Miller). However, the Mets were in need of a front of the rotation starter after the team elected to part ways with All-Star pitcher Frank Viola following a collapse in the second half of the season that resulted in his finishing with a 13-15 record after an 11-5 start. Saberhagen was expected to fill the void left by the former world champion and was still highly regarded as a top flight starter.

The Mets' acquisitions were rounded out by a pair of veterans. Second baseman Willie Randolph, who had spent 1991 with the Milwaukee Brewers, was brought in to replace Jefferies and had finished among the American League leaders in batting average the year before. To add some power to the lineup, the Mets also brought in Eddie Murray, who had been playing first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Returning players

Although the Mets lost their leading hitter when they acquired Saberhagen, they were returning the defending National League leader in home runs and runs batted in with utility man Howard Johnson. The pitching staff would be led by ace Dwight Gooden, coming off a 13-7 campaign, and #2 starter David Cone, who had led the league in strikeouts en route to a 14-14 season which he finished with a one-hit, nineteen-strikeout performance against the Philadelphia Phillies; his strikeout total for the game tied the then-National League record.

Season

Despite the high expectations, the Mets regressed and finished the season with a 72-90 record, their first 90-loss season since 1983. The team managed to hover near .500 at the All-Star Break but only won thirty times afterward.

The two marquee acquisitions for the Mets both fizzled in their first year in New York. Bonilla, despite improving his home run total from 1991 by one, drove in only seventy runs and hit below .250, drawing boos from the local fans who were expecting more from him given his record contract. Saberhagen was injured and ineffective throughout the season and only recorded fifteen starts with a 3-5 record. Their other two major additions had other luck. Murray, at 36, managed to hit 16 home runs and drive in 93 runs, but Randolph was injured for most of the season and only managed to play 90 games in what proved to be his final year as an active ballplayer.

Howard Johnson's numbers also fell as he battled injuries, with his home run total reduced to seven in 100 total games. No Mets player hit more than nineteen home runs (Bonilla), and only Daryl Boston even reached double digit home runs (11). In addition, only Bonilla and Murray recorded fifty or more RBIs for the season and, among qualified batters, the highest average anyone recorded was Murray's .261.

The pitching staff also had its share of issues. Closer John Franco missed much of the year with injuries and the team attempted to convert starter Anthony Young into a reliever to fill the role. This proved advantageous at first as he converted his first twelve opportunities. He then blew five of his last eight chances, taking the loss in all five games. In total, Young finished with a record of 2-14, with each decision loss being consecutive.

Sid Fernandez led the Mets in wins and ERA and was the only Met starter other than Cone to post a winning record. Gooden posted his worst record as a starter to that point in his career, finishing at 10-13 and with a career low 145 strikeouts. Cone managed a 13-7 record and once again passed 200 strikeouts, but the Mets decided to part ways with him in August and he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays where he started and won that year's decisive World Series game.

Criticism

The fact that the Mets made such inroads to increase payroll with little to no result, combined with the distant attitudes and actions of some of the players and Jeff Torborg's inability to maintain control of the chaotic situation, led to a controversial account of the inner workings of the Mets during that 1992 season.[1] The book was written by current North Jersey Media Group writer Bob Klapisch and current New York Daily News baseball writer John Harper, and titled The Worst Team Money Could Buy: The Collapse of the New York Mets (ISBN 0-8032-7822-5),

Shortly after the book's April 1993 release, Klapisch was confronted by an irate Bobby Bonilla. Bonilla threatened Klapisch and kept trying to goad him into a physical confrontation.[2][3]

Offseason

Regular season

Season standings

NL East 		W L Pct. GB Home Road
Pittsburgh Pirates 96 66 0.593 — 53–28 43–38
Montreal Expos 87 75 0.537 9 43–38 44–37
St. Louis Cardinals 83 79 0.512 13 45–36 38–43
Chicago Cubs 78 84 0.481 18 43–38 35–46
New York Mets 72 90 0.444 24 41–40 31–50
Philadelphia Phillies 70 92 0.432 26 41–40 29–52

Record vs. opponents

1992 National League record

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Team ATL CHC CIN HOU LAD MON NYM PHI PIT SD SF STL
Atlanta — 10–2 9–9 13–5 12–6 4–8 7–5 6–6 7–5 13–5 11–7 6–6
Chicago 2–10 — 5–7 8–4 6–6 7–11 9–9 9–9 8–10 5–7 8–4 11–7
Cincinnati 9–9 7–5 — 10–8 11–7 5–7 7–5 7–5 6–6 11–7 10–8 7–5
Houston 5–13 4–8 8–10 — 13–5 8–4 5–7 8–4 6–6 7–11 12–6 5–7
Los Angeles 6–12 6–6 7–11 5–13 — 4–8 5–7 5–7 5–7 9–9 7–11 4–8
Montreal 8–4 11–7 7–5 4–8 8–4 — 12–6 9–9 9–9 8–4 5–7 6–12
New York 5–7 9–9 5–7 7–5 7–5 6–12 — 6–12 4–14 4–8 10–2 9–9
Philadelphia 6-6 9–9 5–7 4–8 7–5 9–9 12–6 — 5–13 3–9 3–9 7–11
Pittsburgh 5–7 10–8 6–6 6–6 7–5 9–9 14–4 13–5 — 5–7 6–6 15–3
San Diego 5–13 7–5 7–11 11–7 9–9 4–8 8–4 9–3 7–5 — 11–7 4–8
San Francisco 7–11 4–8 8–10 6–12 11–7 7–5 2–10 9–3 6–6 7–11 — 5–7
St. Louis 6–6 7–11 5–7 7–5 8–4 12–6 9–9 11–7 3–15 8–4 7–5 —


Opening Day starters

Notable transactions

Roster

1992 New York Mets
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Manager

Coaches

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
C Todd Hundley 123 358 75 .209 7 32
1B Eddie Murray 156 551 144 .261 16 93
2B Willie Randolph 90 286 72 .252 2 15
3B Dave Magadan 99 321 91 .283 3 28
SS Dick Schofield 142 420 86 .205 4 36
LF Daryl Boston 130 289 72 .249 11 35
CF Howard Johnson 100 350 78 .223 7 43
RF Bobby Bonilla 128 438 109 .249 19 70

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned Run Average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned Run Average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned Run Average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G W L SV ERA SO

Farm system

See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AAA Tidewater Tides International League Clint Hurdle
AA Binghamton Mets Eastern League Steve Swisher
A St. Lucie Mets Florida State League John Tamargo
A Columbia Mets South Atlantic League Tim Blackwell
A-Short Season Pittsfield Mets New York–Penn League Jim Thrift
Rookie Kingsport Mets Appalachian League Andre David
Rookie GCL Mets Gulf Coast League Junior Roman

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Binghamton[12]

External links

References

  1. ^ http://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/columnists/bob-klapisch/2017/02/12/klapisch-a-25th-anniversary-mets-would-rather-forget/97826830/
  2. ^ Klapisch, Bob (February 26, 2002). "1992 taught Mets a chemistry lesson".[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Fein, Esther B. (May 17, 1993). "Bookseller's Art of the Headlines". The New York Times. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  4. ^ Bobby Bonilla page at Baseball Reference
  5. ^ Hubie Brooks page at Baseball Reference
  6. ^ Kevin McReynolds page at Baseball Reference
  7. ^ Jeff Gardner page at Baseball Reference
  8. ^ Willie Randolph page at Baseball Reference
  9. ^ Dick Schofield page at Baseball Reference
  10. ^ Darin Erstad page at Baseball Reference
  11. ^ David Cone page at Baseball Reference
  12. ^ Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007
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