Honorary 1962 New York Mets – Ray Lankford

Ladies and Gentlemen, say hello to Ray Lankford, a center fielder who played fourteen major-league seasons, almost all of them with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a force who could steal a base, hit for a high average, hit for power, take a walk, and both ignite or prolong a rally. He was very good with the leather, using his outstanding speed to cover a lot of ground. He was the starting center fielder on the National League’s 1997 All Star team, which indicates how admired he was by baseball fans, who vote for each league’s starting players. And as a bonus, he was handsome, whether he was in “smile” or “brooding” mode.

Ray Lankford was a winning, championship-caliber player during the 1990’s, which was an up and down decade for the Redbirds. When he was on his game, which was often, he was one tough hombre, a dynamic combination of power and speed. We won’t hold his considerable ability against him, however, and are thrilled to have a player of Lankford’s caliber qualify for membership on the hallowed “Honorary 1962 New York Mets” squad.

So how does a player this good make the team? By striking out. That’s not the end of the world because a lot of players have success despite striking out frequently. Ray Lankford, however, is the champion of striking out five times per game. His best season was 1998, when he did it on three separate occasions. In all fairness, however, all of these games were extra-inning affairs, so he had more chances to whiff than usual. Even with this qualification, however, our man showed consistency and dedication to craft. Lankford accommodated all comers, too, striking out against lefties and righties, power pitchers, finesse guys, journeymen and stars. Here’s how he did it:

Strike One: On Sunday, May 24th, he struck out twice against San Francisco Giants starter Shawn Estes, twice against reliever Rob Nenn and once against closer Steve Reed.

Strike Two: On Saturday, June 6th, Lankford succumbed to Giants pitching again. Starter Kirk Rueter got him twice, then relievers Jim Poole, Steve Reed and Rob Nenn each came in to retire him on strikes.

Strike Three: On Saturday, August 8th, Chicago Cubs starter Matt Clark struck Lankford out three straight times. Relievers Felix Heredia and Terry Mulholland then struck him out one time each.

So there you have it. If the lovable losers ever needs a player to strike out, Lankford’s our choice. Of course, with his talent, he’s just as likely to smack a home run, but here at Grubby Glove, we’re willing to take that chance. Everybody, please give an enthusiastic round of applause to the newest member of this hallowed fraternity, where futility is not only tolerated, but embraced. Ray Lankford, please stand up and take a bow. You’re the next member of the Honorary 1962 New York Mets!

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Grubby Glove wishes to thank Daniel Shoptaw, Founder & President of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, Cardinals fan and the man behind the superb Redbirds blog, C0 At The Bat, for his assistance with this post. Thanks, Champ!

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This is an ongoing series dedicated to my beloved 1962 New York Mets, an inept bunch whom many historians consider the worst baseball team ever. They taught me more ways to lose baseball games than I ever dared to imagine. During that inaugural season, they won 40 and lost 120 games, finishing 60 and a half games out of first place. In order to be recognized, a current or retired player, or team, has to do something reminiscent of the 1962 Mets. Trust me, this isn’t easy.