1997 New York Mets

1997 New York Mets / Franchise: New York Mets / BR Team Page

Record: 88-74, Finished 3rd in NL Eastern Division (1997 NL)

Managed by Bobby Valentine

Coaches: Bob Apodaca, Bruce Benedict, Randy Niemann, Tom Robson, Cookie Rojas and Mookie Wilson

Ballpark: Shea Stadium

History, Comments, Contributions

The 1997 New York Mets finished in third place in the National League East and missed the playoffs, but that year also marked the first time since 1990 that the club had a winning record and was the first of five straight winning campaigns. Under manager Bobby Valentine — in his first full year at the helm — the team slugged 153 home runs, while its pitchers allowed just 504 walks, en route to an 88-74 record. First baseman John Olerud and catcher Todd Hundley proved to be the team's primary offensive threats, with the former slashing .294/.400/.489 with 22 home runs, 102 RBI, 90 runs scored and a 135 OPS+ in 154 games, while the latter hit .273/.394/.549 with 30 homers, 86 RBI and a 148 OPS+ in 132 games. At just 23 years old, Edgardo Alfonzo hit .315/.391/.432 with 10 home runs, 72 RBI and 84 runs scored, while 25-year-old Butch Huskey added 24 home runs and 81 RBI, while batting .287. Bernard Gilkey slugged 18 home runs and Carl Everett contributed 14. The team didn't have a designated speed demon, though multiple players contributed their fair share of stolen bases. Everett led the team with 17, while Alfonzo had 11; Rey Ordonez and Manny Alexander swiped 11 each, while Lance Johnson stole 15 — in addition to hitting .309 with a .385 OBP — in 72 games before being traded to the Chicago Cubs in August. Luis Lopez, Matt Franco and Todd Pratt provided solid support off the bench, hitting .270, .276 and .283, respectively. The club also featured youngsters Carlos Mendoza (22 years old), Alex Ochoa (25) and Jason Hardtke (25), though none factored greatly into the team's 1997 or future fortunes (Mendoza was lost to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1997 expansion draft, while Ochoa was later traded for Rich Becker and Hardtke was lost to waivers).

The team was anchored by an excellent bullpen that led the league with 49 saves, as well as solid starters like Rick Reed and Bobby J. Jones. Closer John Franco had 36 saves and a 2.55 ERA in 59 appearances, while Greg McMichael contributed 7 saves and a 2.98 ERA in 73 games. 25-year-old Cory Lidle was a here-then-gone reliever, making 54 appearances and posting a 3.53 ERA, while contributing a 7-2 record. Despite not leading the team in victories, Reed was arguably the team's best starter, going 13-9 with a 2.89 ERA in 33 games (31 starts), while walking just 31 in 208 1/3 innings and posting a 131 ERA+. Jones paced the club with 15 victories to just 9 losses, as he made 30 starts and tossed 193 1/3 frames for the club. Dave Mlicki also ate up 193 2/3 innings, while contributing 8 victories, while Mark Clark, Brian Bohanon and Armando Reynoso made 52 starts and won 20 games between them. The team's hurlers' average age was over 29, however former top prospect Jason Isringhausen, still just 24, indicated there was a remaining, though dwindling, youth movement among the corps. After Isringhausen and Lidle, Takashi Kashiwada was the next-youngest pitcher at 26. Kashiwada was the Mets' first Japan-born player (while Ordonez was the Mets' first Cuba-born player since Jose Cardenal in 1980).

The team wasn't playoff-ready in 1997, but it served as a prelude of things to come. After another solid year in 1998, the Mets would advance to the National League Championship Series in 1999.

Awards and Honors

• All-Stars: Todd Hundley and Bobby Jones
• Gold Glove: Rey Ordonez (SS)

Further Reading

• Matt Meyers: "The week Dave Mlicki ruled New York", mlb.com, January 3, 2022. [1]

1997 MLB season by team