Keith Hernandez had worn out his welcome with the St. Louis Cardinal’s Manager, Whitey Herzog, and the 1979 National League MVP and 1982 World Series Champion started new with the New York Mets. Luckily for New York, there was a lot left in his tank when he got there.
Hernandez, who was labeled a cancer by Herzog, became the clubhouse leader and captain of the Mets, a team he would help take to the World Series and win in 1986. While he would not win an MVP with the Mets (as he did in St. Louis), he finished 2nd in ’84 and had two other seasons where he finished in the top ten in voting. He remained a skilled hitter, finishing over .300 in batting with the Mets four times and had an On Base Percentage over .400 three times with New York. He also continued his reputation for being a tenacious defender at First Base and he earned five Gold Gloves while playing in New York.
Oh, and he was in a Seinfeld episode. Basically, we are saying that this a New York City icon here. The Mets selected Hernandez for their Hall of Fame in 1997.
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