This Date in Mets History: January 6 - Alomar Disappoints Mets Fans, HOF Voters

The BBWAA announced the results of their annual Hall of Fame voting on this date three years ago and the only man to get the call for the class of 2010 was Andre Dawson. Five former Mets were on the ballot, though all but one fell well short of the 5% threshold needed to remain on it. Of the one-and-done players, Robin Ventura polled the best, picking up seven assents from America's beat writers. Kevin Appier and David Segui were both Cooperstown-worthy according to some lonely scribe, as they each got one aye. Less lucky was Todd Zeile, who disappeared from the rolls after garnering 0.0% of the vote.

As for the fifth ex-Amazin to merit consideration for the Hall, that distinction belongs to Roberto Alomar, who came within eight yes ballots of getting a plaque in his first year of eligibility. The anemic .262/.331/.367 line he posted in his career's final three years, one and half of which came with the Mets, certainly might have cost him the votes he needed.

Birthdays

• Marlon Anderson is 39. One of Willie Randolph's favorite pinch hitters, Anderson connected for three homer as a substitute batter in his four seasons as a Met. None were quite as memorable as the ninth inning, game-tying, inside-the-park poke he hit off of Francisco Rodriguez on June 11, 2005. Not only did it spark the most satisfying come from behind victory of that year, it gave Mets fans a sneak preview of what the experience a K-Rod blown save was like.
• Turning 78 today is Ed Bauta, a Cuban-born reliever who appeared in 17 games for New York in the early '60s. Acquired from the Cardinals during the 1963 season, Bauta pitched lights out against the Mets (9 IP, 9 Ks, 1.00 ERA), but then again who didn't back then? His luck changed upon joining the team, of course. Without a patsy to fatten up his stat line, Bauta's numbers cratered and he was out of baseball after '64.
• Lefty Casey Fossum, 35, hasn't pitched in the big leagues since tossing four innings for the Mets in early 2009. He last saw action soaking up innings in relief of Oliver Perez after a typical LOLlie start (4.1 IP, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 HR) on April 26 against the Nationals.
• Roy Staiger is 63. The Mets' made Staiger their first round selection of the 1970 January Secondary draft, in which they picked last by dint of winning the World Series three months earlier. Nonetheless, the infielder from Oklahoma's Bacone College wound up being the fourth most productive player to have his name called according to WAR, amassing 2.1 wins above replacement in four seasons due mainly to his defense. He even narrowly edged out the #1 overall pick, Bill Fahey of the Washington Senators (1.6 WAR).

Amazin'-ly Tenuous Connection
The state of New Mexico joined the union 101 years ago today. A decade later, in the small copper mining community of Santa Rita, a baby by the name of Ralph Kiner was born. While Santa Rita is a ghost town these days, Ralph is still going strong. He's been a presence in the Mets broadcast booth for over half his life now, having called at least one game every season since the team's inception in 1962.