Better Know a Metstache: Kevin McReynolds
by Teufel Stubble | April 7th, 2009
Kevin McReynolds was actually a 12-year-old boy trapped in a man's body.
We’re pleased to feature one of the unsung heroes of the 1988 National League East Champion New York Mets today. While all eyes were on Doc, Straw, Keith and the rest of the big names, us real fans in the upper deck of Shea knew that our secret weapon was waiting patiently in left field. Waiting for a chance to shine. Waiting…for his mustache to get wispier. Today, we profile Kevin McReynolds.
After the 1986 championship season, the Mets traded Kevin Mitchell (along with Stan Jefferson and Shawn Abner) to the San Diego Padres in exchange for McReynolds and some dead weight. McReynolds was viewed as significantly less batshit crazy than Mitchell, who many considered to be a bad influence on Doc and Straw. McReynolds was a country boy from Arkansas who was never accused of killing his girlfriend’s cat. So, in that respect, he was an upgrade in left field.
In his first stint with the Amazins, McReynolds played for five years and achieved a fair amount of success. In fact, in 1988, he came in third in the MVP voting and led the Mets in hits (159), doubles (30) and batting average (.287). That season, he also set a Major League record for most stolen bases without being caught (21).
After the 1991 off season, McReynolds, Gregg Jefferies (fun fact: he once cursed me out at Shea) and Keith Miller were sentenced to purgatory in Kansas City in exchange for Bret Saberhagen, Bill Pecota and a gallon of bleach to be named later.
McReynolds returned to the Mets for the 1994 season in exchange for Vince Coleman, continuing a tradition of the Mets sending under-performing douchebags to Kansas City (see Jefferies, Gregg). McReynolds struggled with injuries in 1994 and played in only 51 clean-shaven games.
We’ll forever remember Kevin McReynolds as the lumbering, hard-hitting left fielder who didn’t offer Doc and Straw coke. And for that, he’s a Metstache worth applauding.
And now you better know a Metstache.
Tags: Better Know a Metstache, coke, Gergg Jefferies, Kevin McReynolds, Kevin Mitchell
Better Know a Metstache | Teufel Stubble | 
April 7, 2009
By I Love Nerd York City, April 7, 2009 @ 3:57 pm
Kevin McReynolds was possibly my favorite Met when I was 9 years old. I had his Starting Lineup action figure, which, if I remember correctly, made the Mets uniform look like it belonged on a car wash attendant, and his ’stache look like it belonged on a pirate.
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