ESPN: Neyer: The Mets from Throneberry to Wright

1977-1982: The Lee Mazzilli Era

The Seaver-Mets relationship grew ugly in 1977, and on June 15 he was traded to Cincinnati for four (lesser) players. The Mets would lose 98 games that season under manager Joe Torre, and wouldn’t top .500 again until 1984. During those lost seasons, the face of the franchise was outfielder Lee Mazzilli, a handsome Brooklyn native who enjoyed some nice seasons and hit a key home run in the 1979 All-Star Game.

1991-1997: The Vince Coleman Era

In Coleman’s six seasons with the Cardinals, he 94 runs and 92 steals per season. In his three seasons (1991-1993) with the Mets, Coleman averaged 49 runs and 33 steals. Oh, and he was making good money while doing it, too. In 1993, the Mets had the highest payroll in the majors and the worst record, 59-103. They were “The Worst Team Money Could Buy,” and Vince Coleman was right in the middle of it. Coleman was gone after that season, but the Mets didn’t really seem relevant again until ...

2005-2010: The David Wright Era

In Wright’s first full season, the Mets topped .500 for the first time in four years. In his second full season, the Mets came just one pitch away from reaching the World Series. When he struggled (by his standards) in 2009, the Mets struggled. This year he’s back in form, and the Mets are again challenging for a postseason berth. Handsome and affable and brilliantly talented, Wright figures to be the face of the franchise for some years to come.

Thanks to Awreckhi