New York Metropolitans

Win-Loss Record: 270-309-13 (.466)

Pennant Clinched: October 9, 1884, vs. Cincinnati Red Stockings

Post Season Record: 0-3 (.000)

Ballparks: Polo Grounds I (September 29, 1880-October 25, 1883, July 17, 1884-October 1, 1885), Metropolitan Park (May 13-August 23, 1884), St. George Cricket Grounds, Staten Is. (April 22, 1886-October 7, 1887)

Team History

Established in 1880, the New York Metropolitans spent the first three years as an independent club before joining the American Association for the 1883 season. They were named after the original Metropolitan of New York club which was an amateur club that began playing as early as 1857. During this time the Metropolitans, along with their fellow National League rivals, the New York Gothams were owned by John Day, although day-to-day operations were supervised by President Joseph Gordon and General Manager Jim Mutrie. The team won the league pennant in only its second year in the league, 1884, but were swept by the Providence Grays in a three-game post season series, behind the Grays' ace pitcher Old Hoss Radbourn. The next three seasons found the team finishing in 7th place. The Metropolitans dropped out on October 8, 1887.

The current New York Mets team is named after the old Metropolitans team, but is officially registered simply as the Mets, although they are sometimes called the Metropolitans.

Sources

• Peter Filichia: Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebrations of All 273 Major League and Negro League Ballparks Past and Present, Addison Wesley Publishing Company, 1993.
• John O'Malley: "The Mets open in New York", Baseball Research Journal, 1980, pp. 140–144.
• John O'Malley: "Mutrie's Mets of 1884", The National Pastime, 1985, Vol. 4, Nr. 1, pp. 39–41.

Related Sites

• New York Mets
• BR page