Former Met 1B Tells me his Opinion
The man with the mustache (I know you are thinking of Jose Valentin), Keith Hernandez, stopped for a few minutes to talk with me about various topics, such as the Mets team right now and when he was a younger player.
Hernandez made his major-league debut in 1974 with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he played for nine and a half seasons. He ha
d some problems getting along with the manager and some others in the organization, leading to his trade to the Mets. But before he was traded to the Mets, he said that one person who gave him the best advice was Lou Brock, who held the career stolen base record until Rickey Henderson broke it.
“He helped me as far as handling the game on a day out, day in basis basis, not getting too high, too low, not taking it on an even keel.”
Following the trade to the Mets, Hernandez patched up his reputation and worked hard each day. He won a World Series with the Mets in 1986, while eventually becoming captain of the team in 1987.
Keith: Mets are Best Team in NL East
As many people know, Keith Hernandez has been working in the SNY booth with Gary Cohen and Ron Darling for the past few years, so he has a great idea of how the team that he follows each and every day looks like. Keith likes the Mets’ chances this year much better than he did at the beginning of last year, but he explains their weaknesses.
“They’re better with Santana, but they’re still an old team, so injuries are going to be critical. They’ve already got their share of injuries, but I feel that they’re better this year. If they are able to stay healthy, they are better than they were last year.”
He even told me that the Mets are the best team in the NL East. Speaking of the NL East, I asked him about his opinion on the comments made earlier in Spring Training by Mets Outfielder Carlos Beltran.
“I don’t know if it was smart, but I don’t mind it. I liked it,” said Hernandez. “I like the fact that he said that, especially coming from him.”
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hernandez looks like packard