Better Know a Metstache: John Pacella

Nobody beats John's stache!

I was fortunate enough to exchange emails with Greg Prince of Faith and Fear in Flushing yesterday and Greg had some thoughts on classic Metstaches.  He noted that we had focused thus far on Metstaches of the 1980s and had neglected those scrappy 70s staches.  Well, I had no response.  He was right.  So, today we profile John Pacella and his Metstache.

John who?  Yeah, he’s not exactly having his number retired anytime soon (he wore #20, btw).  John and his whiskers played for the Mets in 1977 and 1979-1980.  He was a RHP who was a part-time starter.  And he had one hell of a stache.

In his three seasons with the Mets, John went 3-6 with a 4.83 ERA in 39 appearances.  His career, unlike his stache, was not particularly prolific.  So why profile him at all?  Because John’s contributions weren’t about on-field performance.  He was there to bring the whimsy.

You see, John’s throwing motion was so awkward that his cap would often fall off after his delivery.  Imagine the joy on the faces of teammates and fans as John and his whiskers retrieved his hat after allowing yet another batter to reach base (he had a 1.64 WHIP in his three seasons with the Mets).  Every team needs a John Pacella to lighten the mood on a hot August Day.

Thanks for the smiles, John.  And thanks, Greg, for inspiring this post.

And now you better know a Metstache.

Be sure to check out Greg’s book, Faith and Fear in Flushing: An Intense Personal History of the New York Mets when it comes out on Monday, March 23.