New Yorks Mets Player Riddle

[Teach]

O.K. You New York Mets fan(s), let's see what ya got. Ssswing Batter, Batter, Batter!

HE‘D HAIL FROM THE CORNER OF THE VOLUNTEER STATE;
A BIG LEAGUE BALLPLAYER WAS TO BE HIS FATE.

HIS LAST NAME SOUNDS LIKE AN AUSSIE BOOK;
NOT MUCH POWER FROM THIS PINSTRIPE ROOK.

YET WITH THE BEARS HE’D DO SOME HITTING;
HIS PRODUCTIVE PROWESS WAS MOST BEFITTING.

HE WOULD LATER BE ASKED TO HIT THE ROAD;
HIS PROPENSITY FOR VOWELS, IT DEFINITELY SHOWED.

HE'D BE TRADED TO GOTHAM FOR A PLAYER TO BE NAMED LATER;
YET HE’D FIELD THE BALL LIKE IT WERE A HOT PO-TATER.

IN THE SERIES HE'D GET BUT ONE AT-BAT;
BUT AFTER THE “K“; WELL, HE JUST SAT.

EVEN HIS INITIALS WOULD SPELL OUT HIS TEAM;
BUT IN BASEBALL ANNALS HE’D GAIN LITTLE ESTEEM.

[Robert Goren]

He was marvelous!

[AgainstAllOdds]

The only player I can think of is Bubba Trammel to be honest. Some of the riddle I just don't get, but he was definitely a troubled and talented guy.

[HandyKapper]

Bubba went to Detroit to start his career.

[illinoisbred]

Marv Throneberry? if correct, it was R. Goren's clue of "marvelous"that tipped me off.

[HandyKapper]

I don't see how the entire puzzle fits Marv. The name does spell (middle name Eugene) Met but some of the other items don't seem to match.

[falconridge]

It couldn't be other than Marv Throneberry. Volunteer State? Check: a native of Collierville, TN. Pinstripe rook? Check: the marvelous one's ML debut came with the Yanks. "Productive prowess" with the Bears? Check: with the Denver Bears of the American Association, the young first-sacker averaged nearly forty homers per season from 1955-57. Traded for a player to be named later? Check: In 1962, the Baltimore Orioles dealt Marvin Eugene Throneberry to the Mets for cash and what turned out to be catcher Hobie Landreth, the "player to be named later" (though Hobie's friends and family insisted that that had been his name all along). But one at-bat in the series? Check: that came in '58, versus the Milwaukee Braves.

By the way, I caught Marv's act once--in a 4th of July (1962) doubleheader against the Giants at Candlestick Park. In the first game, MET went hitless in four at-bats against Bobby Bolin. In the nightcap, pinch-hitting for Vinegar Bend Mizell in the ninth, Marv reached first on an error by Orlando Cepeda. The Mets lost both ends of that twin bill (11-4 and 10-3) to fall a mere 31 1/2 games behind the pace-setting Los Angeles Dodgers.

[AgainstAllOdds]

I think you have it with Thornberry. I was off base, but it's all I could think of. I said some parts didn't fit for me, and knowing he started with Detroit was one of them. What can I say...I'm a Yankees fan.

[AgainstAllOdds]

The book fits with Thornberry...The Thornbirds was an Aussie book. Riddle solved. Good job guys.

[bigmack]

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