Ray Knight is known to have wanted a two year deal after the 1986 season, and the Mets were only offering one. One of the most beloved players to wear the orange and blue, and the 1986 World Series MVP never wanted to leave New York, but 11th hour negotiations never worked out – and who know what could have been.
Knight would only play two more years in the major leagues, and though his numbers did not reflect his contributions while playing for the Mets, different environments create different results.
It’s crazy to hear Knight talk with Howie Rose about how he wanted to be part of the Mets again, most likely ending his career in Queens, yet in the 11th hour nothing could be done. He told his agent to accept the Mets offer and let’s get back to baseball, but the call never came and Ray would end up playing ball in Baltimore come 1987.
Knight was the World Series MVP, hit .298 and had a with a .351 OBP – which was an increase from the previous two seasons on the Mets – and yet he still wasn’t brought back.
It really burns me at times to think about the bad decisions made by my favorite ball club. Bobby Bonilla’s ludicrous deal, trading Tom Seaver, and signing Jason Bay come to mind pretty quickly, yet they decided to play hard ball with a player that proved he could play in New York and let him walk.
Though you can’t say for certain that Ray Knight’s presence on the team would have changed the course of history, you still have to agree that it could have – maybe even would have.
I’m very happy to know that Ray will take part in tonight’s festivities in Citi Field and I hope Mets fans let him know how important he was to them and to the city back in 1986. Please make sure you listen to the whole interview with Howie Rose and Ray Knight. The stories are priceless and it makes you love Knight just a little more than you did already.