History of the New York Mets

In 1962, the New York Mets filled the void in New York baseball that resulted from the moves of the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants to the West Coast. Seven years later, the Miracle Mets brought back World Series excitement to New York. It took them until 1986 to win another World Series. That year, they had their best season with 108 wins and 54 losses.

1962-1969

The New York Mets started as an expansion franchise in 1960. A year later, the new franchise club drafted 22 players, including many older former Dodgers and Giants players. Casey Stengel was then hired to manage the new team.

The Mets' first game was on April 11, 1962 in the old Polo Grounds, where the team played until Shea Stadium was completed in 1964. The team got off to a poor start and lost their first nine games. That first season continued to go badly and the Mets ended the 1962 season with a 40-120 win-loss record.

The Mets had a long stretch of losing until they drafted Tom Seaver in 1966. The next year, they still ended up in last place, but Seaver was named Rookie of the Year and it looked like the Mets finally had a winner on their team. The 1968 Mets struggled, but they acquired several promising players, including Bud Harrelson, Jerry Koosman, and Tommie Agee.

The Mets started out slowly in 1969, but they picked up steam at the end of the season and won 38 of their last 49 games. That was enough for them to win the National League East division title. The Miracle Mets ended the regular season with a win-loss record of 100-62. After winning the National League East division title, they faced the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship series. They went on to sweep the series and suddenly found themselves in their first World Series. Their opponent was the strong Baltimore Orioles team, with the Robinsons (Frank and Brooks) and Jim Palmer. No one expected the Mets to win, but they took the series in four games to one, under the leadership of their manager, Gil Hodges.

The Mets had three managers in their first decade. Wes Westrum managed in between Casey Stengel (1962-1965) and Gil Hodges (1968-1971), replacing Stengel in 1965.

In addition to Tom Seaver, the Mets had another future Hall of Fame pitcher on their roster in the 1960s. Nolan Ryan played his first years in the major leagues (1966, 1968-1971) with the Mets.

1970-1979

Although the Mets had winning seasons from 1970 through 1972, they didn't make it to the postseason. In 1972, Gil Hodges died from a heart attack and Yogi Berra became the Mets manager.

The year 1973 brought a renewed spirit to the Mets with relief pitcher Tug McGraw's positive attitude. His "Ya Gotta Believe" became the motto of the team and its fans, and the Mets turned around a losing record to win the National League East division title. They then faced Cincinnati's Big Red Machine in the NLCS and they won. They then went through seven games in the World Series against the powerful Oakland Athletics, but they lost the series.

The Mets had winning seasons in 1975 and 1976, but once again they didn't get to the postseason. They faltered after that and, in 1978, the Mets were back in last place in the NL East division.

Berra continued to manage the Mets until he was replaced in 1975 by interim manager Roy McMillan. Joe Frazier took over the job in 1976 and part of 1977. Joe Torre replaced Frazier in 1977 and he led the Mets into the 1980s, staying with the team through 1981.

In the 1970s, the Mets signed the great Willie Mays, who played his final years of major league baseball with them. Pitcher Jon Matlack joined the team in 1971, and he was named the NL Rookie of the Year the following season.

1980-1989

New ownership took over the Mets in 1980, and efforts were made to improve the team. Frank Cashen was hired as general manager and he helped the Mets acquire top young prospects, including Daryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden. By 1984, under the leadership of the Mets' new manager, Davey Johnson, the team began winning again, and they ended the season with a 90-72 record. The next season was even better, but the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Mets for the division title.

The new, revitalized Mets won the National League East division title in 1986 with a 108-54 record. They went on to beat the Houston Astros in the NLCS and then the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

The Mets continued to have winning seasons from 1987 through 1989, and in 1988, they again went to the postseason. They finished the regular season with 100 wins and 60 losses and they won the NL East title. They lost the NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After Joe Torre, the Mets had three more managers in the 1980s. George Bamberger managed in 1982 and part of 1983. Frank Howard replaced him in 1983 but he lasted for just that season. Davey Johnson took over in 1984 and he managed the Mets for the rest of the decade.

In 1983, the Mets acquired three players who helped them win the World Series in 1986. First baseman Keith Hernandez won a Silver Slugger award in 1984 and Gold Gloves from 1983 through 1988, pitcher Ron Darling won a Gold Glove in 1989, and outfielder Daryl Strawberry won the 1983 NL Rookie of the Year award and Silver Slugger awards in 1988 and 1990. Perhaps the biggest impact came with the arrival of pitcher Dwight Gooden in 1984. He won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1984, and a year later, he won both the NL Cy Young award and the Triple Crown.

1990-1999

The Mets had a winning season in 1990, but, starting in 1991, they began a downhill slide. By 1993, the Mets were once again at the bottom of their division, losing 103 games that season. They didn't have another winning season until 1997.

The Mets played well in 1997 and 1998, but they didn't make it to the postseason. In 1999, their best season, they had 97 wins and 66 losses and they won the NL East division title. They then defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS but they lost the NLCS to the Braves.

Former Mets' player Bud Harrelson took over the managerial position from Davey Johnson in 1990. Jeff Torborg followed in 1992, managing the team until Dallas Green took over in 1993. Green was replaced in 1996 by Bobby Valentine.

The Mets had strong pitching in the 1990s with Dwight Gooden and David Cone. Cone joined the team in 1987 and pitched for them through 1992. He led all major league pitchers in strikeouts in 1990 and 1991.

2000-2009

The Mets had six winning seasons in the first decade of the new century. They played well in 2000, finishing with 94 wins and 68 losses and winning a Wild Card spot. They defeated the Giants in the NLDS and the Cardinals in the NLCS, but they lost the World Series to their New York rivals, the Yankees.

At the end of the 1990s, the Mets added future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza to their roster. Piazza stayed with the team through 2005. Jose Reyes brought speed and infield defense to the team in 2003. A year later, David Wright was drafted.

Unfortunately, the addition of Piazza, Reyes, and Wright made no impact on the team in 2003, when they finished with 66 wins and 95 losses. The following year, was only slightly better with 71 wins and 91 losses.

Bobby Valentine managed the Mets through 2002. He was then followed by Art Howe in 2003 and 2004.

New ownership and new executives brought changes to the Mets in 2005. Willie Randolph was hired to manage the team and strong players were acquired, including Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, and Paul Lo Duca.

The 2006 season, with the Mets' new roster and manager, resulted in the National League East division title. That year, they had their best record with 97 wins and 65 losses. They defeated the Dodgers to win the NLDS but they lost the NLCS to the Cardinals.

In 2008, Jerry Manuel replaced Willie Randolph as manager. The Mets had winning seasons under Randolph in 2007 and under Randolph and Manuel in 2008, but they didn't advance to the postseason. In 2009, still led by Manuel, they moved to Citi Field, but the new field didn't bring them a winning season.

2010-2019

The last nine years have been mostly disappointing ones for the Mets and their fans. However, several bright spots have occurred. First came the Mets' first no-hitter from Johan Santana on June 1, 2012. That year, R.A. Dickey won the NL Cy Young award. Next came another World Series in 2015. And in 2018, Jacob deGrom won the NL Cy Young award with the lowest ERA of a Mets' pitcher since Dwight Gooden.

The Mets had losing seasons from 2010 through 2014. They finished in fourth place in the NL East division in 2012, and in third place in 2013. They tied the Braves for a second place finish in 2014, with 79 wins and 83 losses. A highlight of that season was Jacob deGrom, who won the NL Rookie of the Year award.

The Mets finished the 2015 season with 90 wins and 72 losses and the NL East division title. They then went on to defeat the Dodgers in the NLDS and the Cubs in the NLCS. They lost the World Series that year to the Kansas City Royals. In 2015, the Mets were helped by pitcher Matt Harvey, who won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award. A key player in their World Series run was Yoenis Cespedes, who was acquired at the trade deadline.

The Mets added several young players to their roster in 2015 and 2016. First came pitcher Noah Syndergaard and outfielder Michael Conforto in 2015, followed a year later by outfielder Brandon Nimmo.

The Mets finished in second place in the NL East division in 2016 with 87 wins and 75 losses. They won a Wild Card spot but they lost the Wild Card game to the Giants. The following season was a bleak, injury plagued one for the Mets. They finished 2017 with 70 wins and 92 losses.

Jerry Manuel managed the Mets in 2010. He was followed by Terry Collins, who managed the team for seven seasons (2011-2017). Mickey Callaway managed the team in 2018 and 2019.

The Mets started the 2018 season strong, winning 11 of their first 12 games. They looked like playoff contenders but everything unraveled for the team in midseason. They finished again in fourth place in the NL East division, with 77 wins and 85 losses. The main highlight of the season for Mets fans was watching Jacob deGrom pitching. He won his first Cy Young award that season.

The Mets hired a new general manager, Brodie Van Wagenen, after the 2018 season ended. As part of his goal of revitalizing the Mets, he made a trade with the Seattle Mariners for second baseman Robinson Cano and relief pitcher Edwin Diaz. Wilson Ramos was added to improve the team's catching position.

The Mets finished the 2019 season in third place in the National League East division. They had 86 wins and 76 losses. Although the season wasn't good enough for them to make the playoffs, they had two players who made the season a delight for Mets fans. Jacob deGrom won his second consecutive Cy Young award and Pete Alonso, who broke Aaron Judge's rookie home run record with 53 home runs, won the NL Rookie of the Year award.

2020-2022

The Mets started the 2020 season with another new manager, Luis Rojas. They finished the shortened 2020 season in fourth place in the NL East division with 26 wins and 34 losses. Rojas continued as manager in 2021, and he led the team to a third place finish in the NL East division with 77 wins and 85 losses.

The 2022 season started once again with a new manager, this time with veteran manager Buck Showalter. The team had their best season since 1986, with 101 wins and 61 losses. Although they were tied with the Braves in wins, they ended up in second place in the NL East division. They played against the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card game and lost by a score of 2 to 1.

The 2022 season added some new players, including future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer. Jeff McNeil had an outstanding season, winning the MLB batting title with a .326 batting average.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - New York Mets
Baseball Reference - New York Mets