Rusty Staub: Met Great
In honor of his bobblehead day on May 26th, the Mets Media Relations department was kind enough to hold a conference call between the great Rusty Staub and several Mets bloggers. Rusty was very nice and accomodating. A range of subjects was covered, from his career, to today’s players, to grilling tips.
Here’s a sampling:
On Pinch Hitting
Rusty kept an eye on the game, and prepared for his late-inning turn at bat. He liked to keep his body temperature up. He’d run up and down the runway – anything to keep from coming in cold.
He described his approach at the plate in pinch-hit situations as “controlled agression.” ”When I went up, the game was on the line,” he said.
On Being Gary Carter’s Teammate with the Expos and Mets
“Gary never lost that enthusiasm and drive,” Rusty said of Carter. From his early days with the Expos to his latter days with the Mets, Rusty said Carter kept that enthusiasm throughout his career. Rusty recalled what a huge piece of the puzzle Carter was when he came to the Mets in a trade prior to the 1985 season.
On His Popularity in Montreal and New York
Rusty was asked why he thought he was so popular in Montreal and New York. ”First of all, you have to play well,” Rusty said. If you don’t play well, you’re not going to be popular. He said he never thought of himself as being above the fans. And in Montreal, his attempts to learn French didn’t hurt! While he said he was never fluent, the fans appreciated his effort.
On Similarities Between Today’s Mets and His Early ’80s Team
Rusty said comparisons between eras are very difficult.
He did say that the “belittlement” of the Mets before the season was “beyond belief,” and that Mets fans should be proud of the start their team has had so far.
On Playing for Davey Johnson
He recalled that those teams had a total lack of discipline, and could have won more championships than they did, but “he [Johnson] was very very good” on the field. He was his own guy, and had his own style. Rusty said he is happy that Johnson has another shot in the big leagues, and sounded impressed with how the Nationals were playing under Davey’s guidance.
On Making His MLB Debut at Age 19
Rusty said he wasn’t overmatched at the plate, but he was overmatched by day-to-day life in the majors. He said he made some mistakes, but those made him stronger.
He added some advice for today’s players: Don’t listen to the media, and “work your ass off.” Rusty said some guys get complacent when they start making major league money.
On the Toughest LHP and RHP He Ever Faced
“I always said, if I started a team,” Rusty said, “it would be with Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson.”
On Ike Davis
“Ike is messed up in his head,” Rusty said, “it’s beyond comprehension.” Rusty suggested that Ike slow it down, be quieter at the plate – cut down on his hand movements.
“He’s gonna get out of this thing,” he said, even if it means taking a couple of weeks in the minors, something Rusty said he did himself, and it wasn’t easy. He also suggested studying himself when he is going well, so he can see what he is doing well and why.
On the 1973 Season
“It was a tough season,” he said. A bunch of guys got hurt, and he himself said his hands were in terrible pain every day. So much so, that the team gave him 3 days off in August. ”A well placed cortisone shot can be effective,” he said. And during his time off, he got 4 shots in his left hand, and 3 in his right. When he came back, he was “astounded by the pop in his hands.”
Rusty went on to say that with pitchers like Seaver, Koosman, “and George Stone was pitching terrific,” he felt they were still in it in late August.
On Grilling
“Concentrate,” Rusty said. You don’t have to stand over the grill all the time, but don’t burn anything. As far as cooking burgers is concerned, Rusty advocates high heat.
Atta boy.
8 comments
gategem
5/24/2012-8:14am at 8:14 am (UTC -4)
Welcome back Rusty. I know how it is with beloved pets. It was a sad day when we had to put Old Shep down.
gategem
5/24/2012-8:15am at 8:15 am (UTC -4)
Wrong Thread! I’m not senile it’s just to damn early in the morning.
Mr North Jersey
5/24/2012-11:44am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
Stick
5/24/2012-9:07am at 9:07 am (UTC -4)
interesting about Davey. Guess some of us fans aren’t the only ones to think that the mid-late 80′s teams, even with the miracle WS win, were pretty much underacheivers. And of course out of control dopers.
Just think of how much 1 game/play/inning can change the entire perception. If the Red Sox hadn’t gagged away game 6, and took that WS, then the mets had the same years through the rest of the 80s, is there any question that the era would have been considered the biggest waste of talent in the history of the team?
and yes, ’88 still pisses me off.
gategem
5/24/2012-10:55am at 10:55 am (UTC -4)
Most people talk about Sciocia’s home run against Doc Gooden as the turning point but I still recall the Mets loading the bases in the bottom of the 12th with one out with Orosco on the mound for the Dodgers facing Strawberry. Orosco fell behind in the count I believe it was 3-0 when Lasorda went to the mound and gave Orosco a tongue lashing. Strawberry proceeded to pop-out.
Howie Rose did the pre and post game shows on Radio for the Mets and after game 7 he was as depressed as the rest of us Mets fans.
Rusty’s remarks about Davey Johnson agreed with most other descriptions of his managing style that I’ve read. Johnson was one of the original stat heads and his on-field managing was brilliant. However, he was famous for preparing his teams for the upcoming season by spending ST on the golf course.
Paul Festa
5/24/2012-11:14am at 11:14 am (UTC -4)
Rusty was very open and honest about his opinions – he didn’t just deliver stock answers.
srt
5/24/2012-9:07am at 9:07 am (UTC -4)
Very cool, Paul.
Interesting comment there on Ike.
I think a lot of folks forget just how young he is. He doesn’t even have a full season in the majors from start to finish. When he came back this year, most fans just expected him to be this established star. The rough start he’s had has got to be playing with his head some.
If he goes down to the minors, if he doesn’t…..I hope he gets back on track soon.
Mr North Jersey
5/24/2012-11:46am at 11:46 am (UTC -4)
Nice. Thanks for covering this Paul.