Agee and Aspromonte. Alfonzo and Agbayani. Alou (Moises) and Anderson (Marlon). The possibility that two Mets whose last names began with an ‘A’ could each produce an HR in the same game has intermittently existed over the decades. I have confirmed Bob Aspromonte and Tommie Agee indeed went deep in tandem on May 18, 1971, as did Fonzie and Benny on September 12, 2000. Alas, no such connection exists between the MA&MA boys listed above.
But THREE Mets whose last names begin with an ‘A’ doing the ultimate damage to baseballs in the very same game? Why, you’d need a proven slugger; a budding slugger; and maybe a rookie who we weren’t told is any kind of slugger. That combination could jump-start your offense in the time it would take to call AAA.
Meet Pete Alonso, Francisco Alvarez and Luisangel Acuña, the three A-list batters who could give the American Automobile Association a run for its money, while simultaneously putting a dent in the pitching staff of the Washington Nationals. On Tuesday night at Citi Field, each of the three took a different Nat over a fence.
What kind of grade do you suppose they deserved for that performance?
Pete Alonso has been a little inconsistent about raising Apples this year. Sure, he has 33 home runs, but…actually, 33 home runs is a lot, isn’t it? Hasn’t seemed like it. Maybe it’s all the chasing of low and outside pitches between home runs. No wonder that the goosebumps the Polar Bear gave us Tuesday were only partly homer-derived. He blooped the best-placed single you’re ever gonna see in right to drive in the runs that gave the Mets the lead in the third. It was as if Samson’s hair grew back all at once. Later there’d be a ringing double serving to preface his three-run dinger. Pete is locked in, one is tempted to say. Pete is back, one is tempted to add. Pete should never be anywhere else, one is tempted to decide. One probably oughta settle for simply luxuriating in Alonso’s three hits and five RBIs and hoping more of each will follow.
Francisco Alvarez has hidden his power most of 2024. Lately, though, POW! That home run that put away the Jays last Wednesday. The tater that helped mash the Phillies on Friday. And in this game, he launched one so high and so obviously gone that it took him a couple of seconds to commence his trot. Me, I’d start running right away, but I don’t know what it’s like to hit anything like that.
The ‘X’ factor among the ‘A’ team was Luisangel Acuña, whose game is allegedly more about slashing and speed. For Syracuse this year, he homered seven times. In no minor league campaign had he exceeded a dozen longballs. Well, in his fourth major league game, he blasted his first home run, which represents a pace of awesome. After going 3-for-4, including delivering the double that carried his first ribbie, Luisangel’s batting .455. That would certainly be a pace to keep up.
I must confess to time-shifted giddiness at having witnessed the exploits of Alonso, Alvarez and Acuña live and in person, as I was in Met-aphorical hand-sitting mode when those homers were hit, necessitated by my perspective from the Citi Field press box. No cheering there, you know. Just furtive signals of approval from this totally objective reporter as the Mets mounted their 10-1 rout of the Nationals. Ditto for my quiet appreciation of the solid six innings from starting pitcher Tylor Megill, who’s coming to remind me of another Met whose name began with an ‘A,’ Rick Aguilera. Aguilera (author of three home runs when men were men) was the fifth starter who pitched as well as any of his rotationmates in the latter stages of 1986. Aggie came in quite handy in the postseason.
Might Meggie, who we don’t call that? Might there be postseason baseball for the 2024 Mets, fifth starters and everybody else? Based on the out-of-town scoreboard, it shouldn’t be ruled out. Oh, don’t assume it, because to ass-ume might make Atlanta and Arizona angry, but, then again, who cares what they think? Agitate the A right off their respective logos if you like! They both lost on Tuesday. The Brave defeat drew the evening’s biggest cheer at Citi (the one time I really did have a hard time holding back on expressing my glee out loud). The Diamondbacks dropping their contest came later, but it might have been even more significant. While the Braves have fallen two behind us for the third and final Wild Card, the Snakes slipped into a tie for the second one with us…and we have the tiebreaker over them.
At this late hour, I’m now seeing the Astros — this ‘A’ theme is the gift that keeps on giving — have finished ahead of the Padres in their West Coast affair. Suddenly, we’re 2½ behind San Diego for Wild Card One, and we have a tiebreaker on them, too. I would have thought that asking all our adversaries to lose on the same night would be too much. But who would have thought to have asked for any of this?
That was a hopeful game. The A-Team sure came through. And even without the HRs we scored five. Alonso’s double was a great sign, he put a nice swing on that one. I’m taking issue with the folks who wrote the reports saying Acuna’s top was as a utility player. Could still happen that way but that quick, level swing and the way he carries himself are impressive. And the starting pitching just keeps rolling along.
Lately our offense has been either feast or famine. I’ll settle for 11 modest but hearty meals instead of baseball’s version of an eating disorder.
Being a utility player is a good thing based on how Mendoza deployed McNeil. Reports are that the Mets have been training their top middle-infield prospects like Acuna to be utility players in the McNeil mold.
It’s hopeful that, so far, Iglesias and Acuna are holding up well as McNeil and Lindor replacements. Eddy Alvarez has done his job, though without showing off some of his newfound AAA pop yet. Iglesias, in particular, has stood out for hitting in games in which his teammates have not because I would have looked to McNeil for hits to break up a cold offense. Iglesias has done that.
Acuna swings like his brother. His on-line scouting reports and minor-league stats suggest otherwise, but his small big-league sample so far has me wondering if Altuve might be a ‘comp’ for Acuna’s “top”. If his current production comes from the league not adjusting yet to a free swinger, let’s hope the league doesn’t catch up to Acuna for at least 11 more games.
To digress for a moment, it is time to retire Ed Kranepool’s #7 from general circulation. It was nice that they had Eddie’s grandson throw out the first ball to his son on Monday night, and I get it that there is no more room on their collective sleeves for a memorial patch this year in light of the unfortunate uptick in Metropolitan attrition, but a number retirement ceremony next season with ample advance notice would be more than appropriate. The case for such a move is as follows:
1) This man was a Met longer than anybody not named Jay Horwitz. and played for all managers from Casey to Torre.
2) He has played more games in orange and blue than any other human.
3) For a brief time, he had the most important, game changing hit in Mets history (7/8/69).
4) He was a contributing member of the World Champion Miracle Mets.
5) He was our native son, living and playing in NYC and environs his entire career and in his retirement years.
6) His extraordinary pinch hitting late in his career gave us something to cheer about through some very difficult Met seasons.
7) Let the Yankees’ fan scoff that we retired such a pedestrian non-superstar, we Mets fans do not keep score only in Wins and Losses and MVP awards, we recognize overall contribution to the team, the community and to baseball goodwill shared with others.
8) The Knicks have set a sound precedent for retiring a number (#15) graced by two outstanding performers (Earl Monroe and Dick McGuire), and the Mets could similarly recognize and honor Eddie and the best all-around shortstop we ever had, NL batting champion Jose Reyes at the same time (although I recognize there is some baggage there).
For all of you who may agree with some or all of these sentiments (particulary Greg and Jason), I would implore you to carry the banner for this initiative as we move forward, since it would mean a lot to many of us. Let’s Go Mets!
I love the sentiment, Joey. I imagine #7 will be retired eventually … but for Reyes and the fact that he is team leader in steals and triples. And second in hits and doubles.
well, if the number retirement weren’t to work out, how about a part of the stadium (or grounds) named after Ed?
when i first started following the mets in ’73 it blew my mind that he went all the way back to the polo grounds (which to a nine year-old might as well have been the stone age). his name deserves to be known by all who enter the stadium.
what an evening of straight A’s, A , all that.
thrilled to see pete walk the walk after his talk at the team meeting, panned by many in the post’s comment section.
yes: carry the team and all will be forgiven.
and yes acuna looks like the real deal indeed, and arriving in the midst of a late, late-season pennant run, and at times subbing for the team mvp.
and perhaps alvarez has finally found his stroke from wherever he misplaced it.
and scoreboard help all around, oh my!(God)
if the mets indeed make it to october, last night will be looked back upon as one of the pivotal games…until the next pivotal game!
You only need one “A” word to talk about the Mets.
AMAZIN’
Awesome game yesterday. 2 points:
First: I know I’ve been beating this drum for a while, but Pete Alonso should be a Met next year, and for the foreseeable future. It’s almost crazy to just let him go with a “don’t let the door hit you on the way out” attitude. As just one example: Alonso has hit over 30 home runs six seasons in a row, including this supposed bad season. No other Met has done that. Not Piazza. Not Strawberry. Not Wright or Beltran or Hundley or Kingman or Alfonzo. And Pete did it in the first six years of his career. And in this, his supposedly horrible season, he’s one home run short of the 34 hit by Original Met Frank Thomas, a team record that stood for a decade and a half. I understand that business is business, and that Alonso is represented by the most demanding agent in baseball history, but come on, Mr. Cohen. You got to get this done.
Second: Luisangel Acuna has been really fun to watch since he came up, and yesterday was obviously an awesome day for him. I’m just thinking about another guy who came up during a not-great AAA season to immediately wow everyone on the big stage – a guy named Gregg Jefferies. In the end, he wound up having a decent career, but as a Met he was always a victim of ridiculously high expectations. I think we should enjoy watching young Mr. Acuna play (I love the bubblegum!) without thinking of him as the next Lindor or Reyes (or Ronnie Acuna). That would be best both for him and us.
Imagine Acuna goes to his brother’s home and is the key to beating the Braves. I wonder how Atlanta fans would treat their superstar’s little brother who swings just like Ronald?
Not to take anything from your argument but Pete has hit 30+ homers in five of his six seasons; he hit 16 in the Covid season of 2020 while on a pace to well exceed 30. He is far and away the greatest home-grown power hitter in Mets history and I pray he stays on the team. He could end up with more than 500 homers, and become a lock for the Hall of Fame.
Yep – forgot about 2020.
Another “A” note to add to a good night on the scoreboard: The Cubs lost to the Athletics, 4-3. The Cubs are good enough to have been in thick of the wildcard scrum instead of banging on the outskirts. They closed to 2 games back of the Mets, which was close enough to keep an eye on. Since then they’ve slid, briefly closed to 4 back, but now they’re 6 back with 11 to play. Cardinals, 7 out. The Mets have the tie-breaker on both, so tack a practical game onto the lead. The Giants with their tie-breaker on the Mets are 10 out.
Like Jason said, make sure to stop a moment and appreciate nights like last night with its combination of everything-worked Mets win and scoreboard sweep. Roll it on the tongue and savor the flavors of an exquisite meal, instead of swallowing fast while looking ahead to the next thing.
…Because looking ahead, there are 5 games until the Mets go to Atlanta, including 4 against the Phillies who will be looking to wrap up the division and celebrate at Citifield. The Mets quickly closed the 4-game deficit to the Braves in large part because the Phillies beat the Braves 3-1 in their 4-game series. The 2-game lead is not safe. Every bit helps, so tonight remains must-win. In 2022, game 157, the Mets arrived in Atlanta with a 1-game lead. In 2024, game 157, if the Mets arrive in Atlanta with a 1-game lead again, I’ll take it. That would be some kind of symmetry to frame an opportunity for redemption. Of course, the Mets need to win 2 for the tie-breaker this time, and it’s the Brewers on the other side, not the Nationals.
yes, tonite and every game from here out will be must-win.
we’ll only know come game 126 whether we win more than the number needed to reach the post-season.
i’ll say it again: this team understands and are playing with a focus and fearlessness that’s up to the task.
we’ve seen some inspired defense, especially from the infielders. from vientos, from pete, from the olympian alvarez last night.
great, great baseball.
was it jason who imagined OMG ringing out through the canyon of heroes?
if the mets get to october, are there any teams that will stop them??
staying tuned.
LGOMG.
stoked for gametime!
That was me, yesterday.
And I think you mean Game 162. 126 is the street that is now Seaver Way.
apolgies greg, all credit to you for painting that wonderful picture (as my focus has been on each game and getting *to* october). an all-important visualization!
busy at work today so missed that typo.
yes *162*
The important thing is you remembered you read it right here on Always Amazin’ dot fan.