In an exclusive series to How Bout Them Mets we will look back at some of the transactions made by the New York Mets in their 47 year history. I would like to focus on those acquisitions which on the surface sent Mets fans into a frenzy.
What could be a better starter then the man (actually one of the men) who was traded for “The Franchise”, Tom Seaver. When this trade became known to the public it was known in New York as the “Midnight Massacre.”
Steve Henderson came from a poor neighborhood in Houston, Texas where baseball was a third sport behind basketball and football. He played high school baseball was received a scholarship to Praire View College, a school definitely not known for it’s baseball team or any sports team for that matter.
He did get the attention of the Cincinnati Reds in 1973 when he batted .488 which was the second highest batting average in the country that year in collegiate baseball.
Once in the Reds' minor league system, he flew through it like a supersonic jet. In 1977 while at Triple A Indianapolis, he was crushing the ball at a .376 clip, but according to his own thoughts at that time it would still have taken him a few years to break into the “Big Red Machine.”
He could not have been happier. Playing in the majors in New York was no comparison to being in the minors in Indianapolis. Steve was quoted as saying at the time of the trade that “I can hardly believe I’m here. It’s a dream come true.”
Met fans saw it quite differently. Only smart baseball fans could see the upside of having Steve Henderson on the Mets. They also got Doug Flynn a steady second baseman, Pat Zachry a fair starting pitcher, and Dan Norman a not well known outfielder.
Up to 1977, Tom Seaver had saved the Mets franchise from total mediocrity. He won 189 games, 161 complete games, 2406 SO’s, and I could go on for hours.
If Mets fans could get to the throat of M. Donald Grant it wouldn’t be soon enough. Mets actually picketed Shea Stadium like there was a strike. .
Trying to remain my positive self, I was hoping that Henderson would become the key to this trade and lead the Mets back to the World Series where they were just four short years ago.
Steve Henderson lived up to his billing initially. In the first 47 games as a Met, Steve hit .295 had a slugging percentage of .526 and 32 RBI’s. Joe Torre, the Mets manager at the time, said that rookie season of Steve Henderson turned the team around from losers to being competitive.
Torre has been given the credit to help Steve in his adjustment to the major leagues in such a difficult situation. So much has been said that Torre was only a winner with the Yankees because of all the talent they had.
With his handling of Henderson, it was clear then to see that he had an extraordinary career ahead of him as a manager. It’s shame the Met ownership and GM’s were so uninformed and mediocre then. A little patience with Torre could have gone a long way at that time.
His first year with the Mets was clearly his best. In the four seasons he played in new York he hit .286 with 35 HR’s and 227 RBI’s. He never became the superstar the Mets had hoped for.
In 1981 the Mets re-acquired Dave Kingman from the Cubs for Steve Henderson and it’s ironic since Kingman was traded to the Mets on the same day Henderson was acquired from the reds.
He later went on to play for the Cubs, Mariners, A’s, and Astros. He left the game in 1987.
Currently, Steve is the hitting coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and it was nice to see him out there in Citi-Field.
If baseball, as it is said is, a game about inches it’s also a game about timing. The deal that brought Henderson to the Mets will never be forgiven by the Mets fans but as a tribute to his contribution to the team that he hustled every day for, this lifelong Mets fan thanks him for his service.
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