The joy and pain of this work
There are players that are at the foundation of Mets history. You know them: William A. Shea, Payson, Casey, Hodges, Seaver, Mazzilli … yes, Mazzilli.
When I was thinking about creating @MetsRewind, I did a few things:
I wrote a short description — a vision, if you will — of what I would (and would not) create
I developed categories that informed how I would tell stories
I drafted a list of people I’d like to speak to 1:1 to teach me about the history I believed (my opinions) into a foundation of truth that is based in fact
There are players, leaders and events (games/trades) that are at the foundation of New York Mets history. You know them: William A. Shea, Joan Payson, Casey Stengel, Gil Hodges, Tom Seaver, Bud Harrelson, Lee Mazzilli … yes, Lee Mazzilli.
Mazzilli is but a speck on franchise history, and for some younger generations, unknown. He had two tenures in Queens (1976-1981, 1986-1989).
If we are being honest, Mazzilli was an average MLB player. He batted .264, hit 68 HRs, and had 796 hits over 10 season and 979 games with the Mets.
But unless you grew up in the late 70s and suffered through 1977-1983 when the Mets were 64-98, 66-96, 63-99-1, 67-95, 41-62-2 (strike-shortened season), 65-97 and 68-94, you can not begin to understand what Mazzilli meant to the Mets in that context.
If you asked a Mets fan the hypothetical question, if the winning run was in third base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth of a tie game, who would you want at the plate? At one moment in time the answer would be Lee Mazzilli.
During those years it was Mazzilli who served as the hope of the Mets. He was our star.
I don’t consider Mazzilli my “idol,” but I do feel a deep sense of connection to his early days with the Mets and what he meant to a team and a fan base that suffered through a lot of bad baseball.
Shea, Payson, Casey, Hodges, Seaver and Harrelson have all passed away.
I met Harrelson briefly at a Little League banquet in the early 70s. I was terrified and mostly stared at him. The others are all gone except Mazzilli.
So, I set out to find him. I knew an interview with Maz would be a thrill for me simply because of my fandom as a teenager. Then I was hit with the proverbial slap in the face. When I requested an interview with Mazzilli, I was told, “He doesn’t do interviews.”
Why? In the weeks and months that followed, Mazzilli appeared on television and podcasts. I was more than frustrated, I was angry. All I kept hearing each time I’d see or hear Mazzilli was, he doesn’t do interviews.
Well, that was a bold-faced lie. But, then again, I came to realize quickly that there are a lot of fabrications that come with this work (truth-telling), some are just more painful than others.
ABOUT @METSREWIND
New York was redefined on March 6, 1961 when the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club Inc. formally received a certificate of membership from league president Warren Giles.
Of the 30 Major League Baseball clubs today, the case could be made that no other team has a more compelling franchise history than the New York Mets. From Casey Stengel to Yogi Berra, Marv Throneberry to Tom Seaver, Willie Mays, Tug McGraw, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez, Bobby Valentine, Pedro Martinez, Matt Harvey and Pete Alonso, the Mets are loaded with character(s).
Then there are the Amazin’ seasons — 1962, 1969, 1973, 1986, 2000, 2006-2008 and 2015 — full of miracles, joy, hope and heartbreak.
@MetsRewind is designed to share team history in unique and entertaining digital formats including Twitter, Instagram, and Substack.
We hope you — the baseball fan — enjoy the content. We encourage you to share your memories.