This Date In Mets History: April 18 - Happy Birthday Rico Brogna

Yankee Stadium I opened on April 18, 1923, seventeen years to the day after the San Francisco earthquake. Sixty years later, on April 18, 1983, the Yankees traded nothingman infielder Tucker Ashford to the Mets. Ashford would hit .179/.270/.214 in 63 plate appearances.

Birthdays

• Larry Foss (1962) turns 76. Foss made one start and four relief appearances for the '62 Mets, striking out three and walking seven in eleven innings of work.
• Chuck Taylor (1972) turns 70. Taylor, the pitcher not the shoe, had a 5.52 ERA in twenty appearances out of the bullpen.
• Brady Clark (2002, 2008) turns 39. Clark had a few hits in a minuscule stint with the Mets in 2002 and returned in 2008 on the back end of his career, collecting just 24 plate appearances combined in those two seasons.
• Doug Flynn (1977-1981) turns 61. Flynn is best known as one-fourth of the quantity-for-quality deal that sent Tom Seaver to Cincinnati in 1977. He was a pretty standard good-glove, no-bat middle infielder for some lousy Mets teams.
• Rico Brogna (1994-1996) turns 42. Brogna hit .291/.342/.495 with the Mets, flashing some leather at first base to boot.

Game Of Note

On April 18, 1970, Nolan Ryan pitched a one-hitter against the Phillies, striking out fifteen (and walking six) in a game the Mets won, 7-0. The Phillies' only hit came from second baseman Denny Doyle, who led off the game with a single to left field.