Mets History Today: November 21st - Darryl Strawberry wins the Rookie Of The Year Award

NY Daily News, 11/22/1983

 

Happy Birthday Tom McCraw, Bill Almon, and Dick Schofield. 

November 21, 1970 - Tommie Agee is the first Met ever to win a Gold Glove.  Agee leads the league with 374 Center Field Putouts.  For Agee, it his second Gold Glove.  He won it in 1966 during his Rookie Of the Year Season with the Chicago White Sox.  

November 21, 1983 - Darryl Strawberry wins the National League Rookie of the Year award.  Strawberry received 18 of 24 first place votes to secure the honor.  After a slow start where he had only 3 hits in his first 24 at-bats, he went on to hit 26 homers, 74 RBIs, with 19 stolen bases, .257 Batting Average, .336 On-Base, .517, slugging.  Darryl gave a lot of credit to Mets Hitting Coach Jim Frey who threw extra batting practice before each game to help him get adjusted to the Majors.

Per Joe Donnelley Newsday, 11/22/1983: "He had 4 two-homer games, and set club seasonal records for the most home runs by a lefthanded hitter, 26 - surpassing John Milner's 1973 mark of 23 - and most homers by a rookie - breaking Ron Swoboda's 1965 mark of 19."  

Straw's Mets rookie homer record stood until 2019 when Pete Alonso hit 53. 

Born on this date:

• Tom McCraw (1941)
• Bill Almon (1952)
• Dick Schofield (1962)
• Dan Murray (1973)
• Robert Stock (1989)

Transactions:

New York Mets signed free agent Tom Hausman of the Milwaukee Brewers on November 21, 1977.

Pittsburgh Pirates signed Andy Hassler of the New York Mets as a free agent on November 21, 1979.

Oakland Athletics signed Dave Telgheder of the New York Mets as a free agent on November 21, 1995.

New York Mets signed free agent Steve Bieser of the Montreal Expos on November 21, 1996.

National Pastime.com:

1970	Mets' center fielder Tommie Agee becomes the first non-pitcher to win a Gold Glove in each league. The New York flycatcher, who joins the selection of flycatchers Pete Rose and Roberto Clemente for NL honors, also won the prestigious award for fielding with the White Sox during his 1966 Rookie of the Year season.
1972	The BBWAA selects Mets southpaw Jon Matlack (15-10, 2.32) as the National League Rookie of the Year. The 22 year-old West Chester, PA native becomes the second player in team history to win the award, joining teammate Tom Seaver, who copped the honor in 1967.

1983

Mets' outfielder Darryl Strawberry breaks Los Angeles' four-year stronghold on the Rookie of the Year Award when he becomes the first non-Dodger to win the honor since 1978. Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Howe, Fernando Valenzuela, and Steve Sax had been the previous winners.

2009

Responding to the fans' ire that little was done to commemorate the team's past at Citi Field, the Mets announce the entrances now will be named for the persons who have had their number retired by the franchise, Gil Hodges, Tom Seaver, and Casey Stengel as well as naming the outfield bridge in honor of William Shea. Additionally, the venue will feature a team Hall of Fame and Museum, a display of full-color banners of Mets players in front of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, and the light poles in the parking lots will feature team logos.

11/21/1970 Tommie Agee becomes the first player in franchise history to receive a Gold Glove Award. He is also the first position player to win the award in both leagues. pic.twitter.com/0SzCtU8Y8i

— This Day in Mets History (@NYMhistory) November 21, 2023

11/21/1983 Darryl Strawberry is named the National League Rookie of the Year. Strawberry, who led all NL rookies with 26 homers and 74 RBI, becomes the third Met to win the award. pic.twitter.com/S0Mjkd8fDi

— This Day in Mets History (@NYMhistory) November 21, 2022