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NEW YORK — The fabric of Mets history is sewn into the baseball lives of Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine, and those paths will forever be interwined.
When Mazzilli broke into the major leagues as a first-round pick of the Mets in the late 1970s, Valentine, then in the tail end of his career, was his roommate.
The switch-hitting outfielder and veteran infielder and manager eventually played key roles in some of the biggest moments in Mets history. On Saturday afternoon at Citi Field, the connection continued as Mazzilli and Valentine were inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame.
"When we were rooming together, we couldn't imagine us sitting the room at nighttime and saying, '50 years from now, we're going to be in the Mets Hall of Fame,'" Mazzilli said. "It just doesn't make sense. That's why it's very, very special to me."
After Mazzilli, a Brooklyn native, was drafted, he was charged with trying to help the Mets find success in the wake of the departures of Tom Seaver.
Mazzilli earned an All-Star selection in 1979 where he hit the first home run by a Met in the Midsummer Classic and drove in the winning run. Mazzilli ranks sixth in Mets franchise history with 152 stolen bases across two stints with the team. He spent 10 seasons in Flushing, slashing .264/.357/.396 and twice finishing in the top 10 in the NL in on-base percentage and walks.
Eventually, he returned as a member of the 1986 World Series champions, where he scored two runs to help a feverish comeback in the series in Game 6 and 7 against the Red Sox.
"Was it miracle? Who knows? But it was special. It was very, very special," Mazzilli said. "I felt when I came back to the Mets, in the ninth inning (of Game 6), I felt it was going to evaporate that I'm not going to live my dream of a world champion. I thought I was losing it. Somehow, some way, we came back.
"If anyone believed that we would I'm going to have to disagree with them."
After his playing career was over, Valentine returned to manage the Mets in 1996, ultimately helping them snap an 10-year playoff drought and make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in franchise history in 1999 and 2000, including the Subway Series against Mazzilli who was serving as the Yankees' first-base coach.
He ranks third all-time in managerial wins for the Mets with 536, but was also proud of how the team pulled together for the city in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
"I want to be remembered as the guy who shared. The guy who tried to understand his players and give everything I have to them," Valentine said. "Then, I wanted to have the people who were paying for tickets to come to the show (to) kind of appreciate the product."
Mazzilli and Valentine both understand the trials, tribulations and pressure that comes with playing and coaching in New York.
So while the Mets are off to a miserable 24-33 start, they understand that there is still plenty of time left.
"All of a sudden something happens and people start focusing on playing again instead of focusing on the losses and the next win again," Valentine said. "Here, it's always about the loss and the next win. That has to be controlled. If it is with a constant message, I think that there's plenty of excitement left here at Citi Field."
Mazzilli is a frequent visitor to Carlos Mendoza's office, whether it's to offer advice, share stories or check in on him. Mendoza counts him as a friend.
In Valentine, Mendoza has a mentor who knows what it's like to go through the trials and tribulations in New York.
During his Hall of Fame speech, Mazzilli dealt a simple message to Mendoza during his address to the fans at Citi Field.
"You got this," Mazzilli said.
In addition to Mazzilli and Valentine being inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame, longtime Mets photographer Marc Levine was posthumously award the Mets Hall of Fame Achievement Award.
Levine served as the Mets' team photographer for 35 years before he died suddenly in 2024. He was behind the lens for some of the best moments in franchise history and photographed more than 2,000 players over the course of his career.
Levine's widow, Steph, and daughter Samantha received the award in his honor. They received a mosaic of Levin created from 35 years of his own photographs to honor his legacy.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine enter Mets Hall of Fame
Continue reading...
When Mazzilli broke into the major leagues as a first-round pick of the Mets in the late 1970s, Valentine, then in the tail end of his career, was his roommate.
The switch-hitting outfielder and veteran infielder and manager eventually played key roles in some of the biggest moments in Mets history. On Saturday afternoon at Citi Field, the connection continued as Mazzilli and Valentine were inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame.
"When we were rooming together, we couldn't imagine us sitting the room at nighttime and saying, '50 years from now, we're going to be in the Mets Hall of Fame,'" Mazzilli said. "It just doesn't make sense. That's why it's very, very special to me."
Honoring the legacies of Lee Mazzilli, Bobby Valentine
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After Mazzilli, a Brooklyn native, was drafted, he was charged with trying to help the Mets find success in the wake of the departures of Tom Seaver.
Mazzilli earned an All-Star selection in 1979 where he hit the first home run by a Met in the Midsummer Classic and drove in the winning run. Mazzilli ranks sixth in Mets franchise history with 152 stolen bases across two stints with the team. He spent 10 seasons in Flushing, slashing .264/.357/.396 and twice finishing in the top 10 in the NL in on-base percentage and walks.
Eventually, he returned as a member of the 1986 World Series champions, where he scored two runs to help a feverish comeback in the series in Game 6 and 7 against the Red Sox.
"Was it miracle? Who knows? But it was special. It was very, very special," Mazzilli said. "I felt when I came back to the Mets, in the ninth inning (of Game 6), I felt it was going to evaporate that I'm not going to live my dream of a world champion. I thought I was losing it. Somehow, some way, we came back.
"If anyone believed that we would I'm going to have to disagree with them."
After his playing career was over, Valentine returned to manage the Mets in 1996, ultimately helping them snap an 10-year playoff drought and make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in franchise history in 1999 and 2000, including the Subway Series against Mazzilli who was serving as the Yankees' first-base coach.
He ranks third all-time in managerial wins for the Mets with 536, but was also proud of how the team pulled together for the city in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
"I want to be remembered as the guy who shared. The guy who tried to understand his players and give everything I have to them," Valentine said. "Then, I wanted to have the people who were paying for tickets to come to the show (to) kind of appreciate the product."
Bobby Valentine, Lee Mazzilli's thoughts on the state of the Mets
You must be registered for see images attach
Mazzilli and Valentine both understand the trials, tribulations and pressure that comes with playing and coaching in New York.
So while the Mets are off to a miserable 24-33 start, they understand that there is still plenty of time left.
"All of a sudden something happens and people start focusing on playing again instead of focusing on the losses and the next win again," Valentine said. "Here, it's always about the loss and the next win. That has to be controlled. If it is with a constant message, I think that there's plenty of excitement left here at Citi Field."
Mazzilli is a frequent visitor to Carlos Mendoza's office, whether it's to offer advice, share stories or check in on him. Mendoza counts him as a friend.
In Valentine, Mendoza has a mentor who knows what it's like to go through the trials and tribulations in New York.
During his Hall of Fame speech, Mazzilli dealt a simple message to Mendoza during his address to the fans at Citi Field.
"You got this," Mazzilli said.
A special tribute to Marc Levine
In addition to Mazzilli and Valentine being inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame, longtime Mets photographer Marc Levine was posthumously award the Mets Hall of Fame Achievement Award.
Levine served as the Mets' team photographer for 35 years before he died suddenly in 2024. He was behind the lens for some of the best moments in franchise history and photographed more than 2,000 players over the course of his career.
Levine's widow, Steph, and daughter Samantha received the award in his honor. They received a mosaic of Levin created from 35 years of his own photographs to honor his legacy.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine enter Mets Hall of Fame
Continue reading...
