The young fireballer said that the Mets failed to help him develop, partially because manager Gil Hodges and pitching coach Rube Walker were uncommunicative.
December 10, 1971 was a fateful day for the New York Mets. It was the day that they traded 24 year old Nolan Ryan to the Angels for shortstop Jim Fregosi. Ryan was considered to have a chance to become one of the all time great fastball pitchers of all time, but the Mets needed a third baseman, and decided that Fregosi could move over from shortstop to solve their problem. Not everyone in Mets Nation was happy.
Hodges Justified Trading Nolan for Jim Fregosi
Ryan was 8-4 in July but then lost control as well as 10 of his last 12 decisions. While he struck out a lot of hitters, he also walked a lot of hitters in his stay with New York. Mets' manager Gil Hodges, who was a teammate of Brooklyn Dodgers' hard throwing, control-challenged Rex Barney in the late 1940s, justified the Ryan trade. "You always hate to give up an arm like Ryan'. He could put things together overnight, but he hasn't done it for us and the Angels wanted him. I would not hesitate making a trade for somebody who might help us right now, and Fregosi is such a guy."
The Angels Had a Different View
Angels' general manager Harry Dalton saw thing differently. "We picked up one of baseball's best arms in Ryan. We know of his control problems but he had the best arm in the National League and at 24, he is just coming into his own." Mets' general manager Bob Scheffing didn't disagree, but asked, "How long can you wait? I can't rate him in the same category with Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, or Gary Gentry."
Fregosi Had Health Issues
Fregosi had an injury plagued 1971, suffering from the flu, a sore arm, a strained muscle in his side, and a tumor on his foot that required surgery. He hit .233 with 5 home runs compared to 1970, when he batted .278 with 22 home runs.
The Mets' Golden Arm
Ryan was good friends with Tom Seaver. In a February interview with Joe Durso of the New York Times, when Durso asked Seaver, "How is the golden arm of the New York Mets, Seaver responded, "You mean Nolan Ryan?" Seaver went on to say that Wayne Garrett, the player Fregosi was going to replace, was "...just about the best in the league," and that Ryan might find himself in California and win 23 games for the Angels.
The Mets Failed to Help Ryan Develop
Ryan sounded off to reporters in California about the Mets and specifically, manager Gil Hodges and pitching coach Rube Walker. Ryan said that the Mets failed to help him develop, partially because Hodges and Walker were uncommunicative. "There just wasn't much communication from Hodges and Walker and it's my feeling that one of the reasons I never acheived anything with the Mets was because I never received any instruction. I've been here only three or four days and Tom Morgan (Angels pitching coach) has talked with me almost as much as Hodges and Walker did all last year."
Fregosi Didn't Tear Up the League
Just before the Mets second exhibition game on March 6, Jim Fregosi broke his thumb and missed spring training. In 1972, Jim Fregosi appeared in 101 games, hitting .232 with 5 home runs and 32 RBIs in 340 at bats. On July 11, 1973, Fregosi was sold to the Texas Rangers.
- References:
- Durso, Joseph. "Mets Give Up Ryan for Fregosi." New York Times. 11 December 1971, p. 37.
- Durso, Joseph. "Q and A: Seaaver Gives His Opinions." New York Times. 30 January 1972, p. S7.
- Durso, Joseph. "Ryan Complains Hodges Too Mum; Ex-Met Pitcher Says Pilot Failed to Communicate and Help Him Improve." New York Times. 29 February 1972, p. 43.
- Durso, Joseph. "Injury Puts Fregosi Out a Month." New York Times. 7 March 1972, p. 47.
- Baseball-Reference
