World Sequence champion and beloved SNY analyst Keith Hernandez can have his No. 17 retired by the Mets on July 9, turning into simply the fourth participant, plus managers Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges, within the historical past of the franchise to be bestowed that honor. That is the fifth of a 10-part day by day countdown of Hernandez’s best moments and accomplishments following his 1983 arrival in Flushing.
No. 6: The MVP candidate
Keith Hernandez’s change of coronary heart and determination to re-sign with the Mets within the offseason following his commerce to the perennial last-place membership in 1983 paid fast dividends individually and collectively the next yr.
Hernandez, the co-MVP within the Nationwide League in 1979 with the Cardinals, completed because the runner-up to Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg for the award in his first full season with the Mets, main a younger group that includes back-to-back Rookie of the Yr winners Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden to a 90-72 report in his first full yr with the membership in 1984.
“Sandberg received it, however I've to consider I might have gotten it had we received the division,” Hernandez advised The Publish. “We went from 68 wins the yr earlier than to 90, and with all issues thought-about, I consider that was my greatest yr with the Mets.”
Sandberg batted .314 with 19 homers, 84 RBIs and an OPS of .887 for the Cubs, who completed 96-65 to take the NL East by 6 ½ video games over the upstart Mets.
Hernandez had tied Pittsburgh slugger Willie Stargell for MVP honors in 1979, main the league in hitting (.344), runs (116) and doubles (48) with a career-high 105 RBIs. They completed with the identical quantity of factors within the balloting, though Stargell — with 32 house runs and 82 RBIs for the eventual World Sequence champions — obtained 10 first-place votes, six greater than Hernandez. Third-place finisher Dave Winfield of the Padres additionally obtained 4 first-place votes.
The Mets’ 22-game enchancment in ’84 below first-year supervisor Davey Johnson — with three rookie beginning pitchers in Gooden, Ron Darling and Sid Fernandez — had a terrific deal to do with Hernandez’s presence and management. He batted .311 with a .409 on-base proportion, 15 homers and a team-best 94 RBIs, whereas successful his seventh of 11 consecutive Gold Glove awards at first base.
Hernandez additionally completed within the prime 10 in MVP voting with the Mets in 1985 (eighth) and 1986 (fourth), albeit behind teammates Gooden (fourth) and Gary Carter (sixth) in ’85 and behind Carter (third) throughout the group’s most up-to-date World Sequence championship marketing campaign.
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