Future Hall of Famer Gary Carter, would need a good replacement behind the plate
and Todd Hundley would be their man. Hundley started out slowly as a backup catcher
for 3 years hitting between .209 and .237 before getting the chance to become
a full timer and exploding in 1996 for the all time Shea Stadium record for
Homers slamming 32 2B, 41 HR, 112 RBI's and a .259. Hundley came back the following
season and hit another 30 HR with a .273 making the All-Star team for the
second season in a row. The Tides meanwhile put through legislation to make their
long term goals come to reality. It looked as if Met Park... the place that
had raised most of the Mets greats from 1970 til today was coming to an end. In
1992, it was officially announced that it would be the last season for Metropolitan
Memorial Park. A brand new location had been found right on the harbor with
incredible views of boats and shipbuilding and navy activities and it would
bring this franchise into the 21st century. The team would change its name to
reflect its new location... the "Norfolk Tides" beginning in 1993 and the new ballpark
would be named (appropriately) "Harbor Park". Before leaving us forever... Met Park would give the Mets two more future stars
in Fernando Vina and Jeromy Burnitz... the #20 and #21 future All-Stars to be
promoted from this ballpark. Vina was quiet here, just batting .200 in 30 At Bats.
He wasn't ready for the Majors quite yet. He would spend more time at the
new stadium in Norfolk before being taken by Seattle in the Rule V only to be returned
and then traded to Milwaukee as the player to be named later for Doug Henry.
Amazingly the .200 hitting Vina would become a .311 hitting star with the
Brewers stealing 22 bases and hitting 39 2B, 7 3B and 7 HR while posting a fantastic
.386 OBP to become the best leadoff man in the National League for a few
years also winning 2 Golden Gloves for St. Louis while batting .300 and .303 with
them in 2000 and 2001 with OBPs between .357 and .380. |