In 1972, the Mets acquired “Rusty Staub”:http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/staubru01.shtml from the Montreal Expos for Tim Foli, Mike Jorgensen and Ken Singleton.
Staub turned out to be a special player for the Mets. Any Rusty memories floating around out there?
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OK, I’m about to show my age here, but when I think about Rusty Staub, the first thing that comes to mind is his playing with an injured shoulder – so badly hurt that he had to throw the ball back to the infield underhanded – through the ‘73 postseason.
Second, I think about the idiocy of trading him for Micky Lolitch (ugh.)
Finally, I remember his return to the Mets, in the twilight of his career, and becoming the best pinch-hitter in baseball.
To AJSmith (RE: Rusty memory)
No problem on the age thing. That’s what I remember also about him. Pretty courageous performance if you ask me.
You know, I bet if he didn’t have to run the bases, Rusty could still come up and rip one into center.
I remember a game in 1985 (I think) that went 18 innings. Dave Johnson had used all his other non pitchers and was forced to play Staub, by now used exclusively as a pinch hitter, in the field. Rusty swiched positions depending on the batter (playing right field against righties and left field against lefties) so as to avoid actually having to make a play. But as luck would have it a ball was hit down the right field line by a right handed batter and Rusty was forced to use whatever wheels he had left. He ended up making a nice running grab along the right field stands. The play would be much more routine for any other player that day but for me it was my Rusty highlight.
Three things popped into my mind when thinking of Rusty:
1.) The aforementioned underhanded throwing during 1973, especially during the post-season
2.) The way he would touch home plate with his bat at the beginning of each AB: something akin to a 40-pound bag of sand being dropped off his shoulder
3.) Whenever he played first base, he would catch the pick-off throw, take the ball out of his glove and pat the runner on the ass with it before returning it to the pitcher
My fondest memories are of Staub in 1973 and playing hurt. I even think he had to toss the ball to Don Hahn at some point to throw back in. Staub was probably the first pure and legitimate hitter to play for the Mets. He just understood how to hit. That’s what made him such a lethal pinch hitter at the end of his career. Hernandez was the sameway although better. Guys like that were just born to hit.
Just to follow up… IIRC, Staub injured the shoulder running into the ivy-covered brick wall at Wrigley in September ‘73 at the height of the pennant race. And I do believe that he made the catch. (-: