A Memorable ‘Player To Be Named Later’
On this day (Feb. 7) 41 years ago, we traded one former World Series champion for a future World Series champ.
On Feb. 7, 1979, Jesse Orosco became the ‘player to be named later’ in the trade of Jerry Koosman to the Minnesota Twins. Orosco would go on to be key player on the Mets’ 1986 World Championship Team, while Koosman, of course, won two World Series Games against the Orioles in 1969.
Jesse would go on to pitch a major league record 1,252 games over 24 years.
Orosco won three playoff games against Houston and saved two World Series games vs. the Red Sox.
Two of Orosco’s postseason appearances really stand out for me.
In the deciding Game 6 in the playoffs, the Astros had the winning run on base and the Mets held a tenuous 7–6 lead in the bottom of the 16th inning. Kevin Bass came to bat, and Keith Hernandez and ‘The Kid’ Gary Carter came to the mound for perhaps the most important mound meeting in Mets history.
Keith would later say later that he told Jesse, “If you throw him another fastball I will personally kill you.” Jesse threw Bass a curveball for the final out and sent the Mets to the World Series.
Flash ahead to Game 7 of the World Series when New York held an 8–5 lead with two outs in the ninth inning. Jesse struck out Marty Barrett for the final out and Orosco flung his arms to the air in triumph and jumped into the arms of Gary Carter. That was a sight Mets fans never will forget.
