Marlon Byrd had a pair of RBI singles and fellow Mets newcomer John Buck was in the middle of three rallies as New York improved baseball’s best opening day record to 34-18 (.654) despite dropping its first eight openers.

The Mets have won 20 of their last 22 season openers at home.

The 26-year-old Cowgill, batting leadoff after winning the center field job this spring, hit his first career slam off Brad Bach in the seventh to make it 11-2. The only other opening day slam in Mets history was hit by Todd Hundley on April 26, 1995, at Colorado.

Star of the Game: Jonathon Niese
Wished I stayed in bed: Ike Davis went 0 for 5 with four strikeouts.
Attendance: 41,053, the Mets claim the game was sold out. There were plenty of choice seats available.

Wheeler who often refuses to sign for fans and personalizes autographs when he does – reason is that you will be taking money away from him. The clown has not won one major league game is already like a spoiled major leaguer.

He should have taken a class lesson from R.A. Dickey.

In the first of many incidents to come with Wheeler hit minor league teammate Aderlin Rodriguez on the hand with a pitch during a recent intrasquad game, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson confirmed to WFAN radio on Friday.

Rodriguez was incensed, and the home plate ump had to put himself between the two players, according to the Daily News.

So those of you who want Wheeler, you may rethink this later. I say trade his ass to Miami for Giancarlo Stanton. We need a power hitting outfielder who is a god guy. Not another redneck hot head.

Johan Santana’s left shoulder has failed him again. Now he must decide if he has the stomach for another grueling comeback.

After all that arduous rehab work, all those long hours in the training room and on back fields in lonely Florida, Santana probably will have to endure it all again if he wants to resume his major league career.

Even then, a successful return is no sure thing.

Either way, he may have thrown his final pitch for the New York Mets.

The team said Thursday that the two-time Cy Young Award winner probably has re-torn the anterior capsule in his left shoulder and likely will need a second operation that would sideline him for the entire season. Santana missed 2011 following his first shoulder surgery.

“I am not a doctor, nor am I a medical historian, but these injuries are very difficult to recover from after one surgery, and I’m not sure what the history is of recovery from a second more or less identical surgery,” general manager Sandy Alderson said on a conference call.

New York owes the 34-year-old left-hander $31 million more as part of the $137.5 million, six-year deal he signed before the 2008 season, and Alderson said the remainder of the contract is not covered by insurance.

Santana had surgery on Sept. 14, 2010, and did not make it back to the majors until last April 5. He went 6-9 with a 4.85 ERA in 21 starts last year and threw the first no-hitter in franchise history on June 1 against St. Louis.

Santana threw a career-high 134 pitches that night in his second consecutive shutout, but was 3-7 with an 8.27 ERA after that, including 0-5 with a 15.63 ERA after throwing eight scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 30.

He went on the disabled list for three weeks because of a sprained ankle and didn’t pitch after Aug. 17 because of lower back inflammation.

Santana hasn’t pitched in any exhibition games during spring training because of arm weakness, and he threw his last bullpen session in early March without the team’s permission.

“We don’t know when it happened, how it happened,” Alderson said. “But what we do know is that at some point symptoms appeared and they worsened rather than improved.”

Peter Greenberg, the pitcher’s agent, said Santana didn’t have any comment yet.

Alderson said an MRI in New York on Wednesday with Dr. David Altchek showed the probable re-tear, and that noted orthopedists Dr. James Andrews and Dr. Lewis Yocum concurred with the diagnosis on Thursday after reviewing the MRI.

“Johan will remain in New York over the Easter weekend to decide on next steps,” Alderson said. “A second surgery is a strong possibility. If this diagnosis proves to be correct, I think in all likelihood Johan will be lost to the Mets for the season.”

Santana is 45-34 with a 3.18 ERA for the Mets after going 93-44 with a 3.22 ERA in eight years with the Minnesota Twins. He won the AL Cy Young Award in 2004 and 2006.

He is owed $25.5 million this year in the final guaranteed season of his $137.5 million, six-year contract, and $5.5 million of this year’s salary is deferred at 1.25 percent compounded interest until June 30, 2020. The Mets hold a $25 million option for 2014 with a $5.5 million buyout, and the buyout also is deferred.

Alderson said the Mets may have insured earlier years of the contract and that it is not unusual to choose not to insure the final season.

Coming off four consecutive losing seasons and four straight years of declining attendance, the Mets traded reigning NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey to Toronto for a package of prospects during the offseason. New York’s remaining rotation includes left-hander Jonathon Niese and righties Matt Harvey, Dillon Gee, Jeremy Hefner and Shaun Marcum, who has been sidelined since March 16 because of a shoulder impingement and neck discomfort.

Niese will start the season opener Monday against San Diego, an assignment that almost surely would have gone to Santana if healthy. Hefner will take Santana’s place in the rotation, and Marcum is scheduled to start the sixth game of the season against Miami.

Alderson claimed Santana’s injury will not lead the Mets to rush 22-year-old right-hander Zack Wheeler, their top pitching prospect, to the majors.

“We will bring him up when he is ready,” Alderson said. “No immediate need will impact that.”
In addition to the money owed Santana, the Mets reached an offseason settlement with free-agent bust Jason Bay and released the pricey outfielder after three unproductive seasons. Bay and Santana account for roughly $42 million of New York’s 2013 payroll, which will be about $90 million on opening day.

There are 53 players who have been selected to the All-Star Game as members of the New York Mets. Many didn’t really deserve to be there, but were because one player from every team needed to be represented.

Was Lee Mazzilli a player of All-Star caliber, or Joel Youngblood? Willie Mays was on the team as a Met because of his name, not because of his eroding skills.

Bobby Bonilla and Pat Zachary? Armando Benitez was an All-Star in 2003 and then dumped a week later.

The Mets do not have a long history of household names as All-Stars.

One problem with this year’s tickets is some of the photographs were used over and over again on different ticket dates. Were the Mets being charged for every photo they use? Some of the photos looked stretched out and not properly color-corrected.

Game 23 is the worst offense in terms of a stretched out photo. Jerry Grote deserved better. Where did they find that picture of Jon Matlack for Game 9? He was an All-Star MVP — the only Met to win that honor.

Ron Hunt, the first Met to be a starting All-Star representative, is on Game 33. What a poor image choice: A nice headshot would have been better.

If the Mets wanted to honor the All-Stars of the past, they should have made these images pop more. The orange star with black outline feels too retro to me.

I don’t like the background image on the ticket. The Queens street map looks terrible. It looks like a bad background tile for a web site. A plain white background would have looked fine.

I guess the design team is in love with Rokkitt font. I am OK with it, but it does not spell out baseball for me. The Mets always used Block font — moving away from that could be good. Helvetica always works — just ask the MTA.

The Citi Field Dominoes Pizza logo is awful. Why don’t they design a new one? Where is the All-Star logo for Citi Field unveiled last season shortly after MLB announced that the Mets would host the game?

Security guards who checked tickets for early entrance for season ticket holders last season will dig the medicine bottle label type on the tickets again. I had to look real hard for the tickets prices.

I like the ribbons for the use of the player’s name and ticket date on both sides of the dotted lines. The use of the buildings with windows light from the Mets logo on the bottom of the ticket is a nice touch.

On December 10, 2003, the New York Mets signed Japanese infielder Kaz Matsui to a three-year, $20.1 million deal. The Mets meant the move to be their answer to the Yanks’ signing the previous year of Hideki Matsui.

In Japan, Matsui had displayed speed, power and durability, and was a seven-time Japanese League All-Star and the 1998 Pacific League Most Valuable player.

Known as Little Matsui, he is a switch-hitter and is known as a stronger, more powerful version of Ichiro Suzuki, the Japanese leadoff hitter now starring for the Seattle Mariners.

Matsui hit .305 with 33 home runs and 84 runs batted in last season.

In 2004, Matsui homered on the first pitch from Russ Ortiz of the Atlanta Braves leading off the first inning on Opening Day.

Matsui played 114 games in 2004 (the most games he has played so far in his MLB career), hitting .272 with 125 hits, 32 doubles, 2 triples, 7 home runs, 44 RBI, 65 runs, 14 stolen bases, 5 sacrifice hits, 40 walks and 182 total bases. His hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, walks, and total bases remain career highs.

On Opening Day in 2005, on the sixth pitch from former Met pitcher Paul Wilson of the Cincinnati Reds with one out in the first inning, Matsui homered. That was to be the highlight of his season.

Matsui was brutal on defense at shortstop to the point where he had to be moved to second base and his offense – never very good – declined each season. Plus, belying his Iron Man rep, Matsui could not stay healthy as a Met.

When on the field, Matsui was platooned with Marlon Anderson and Miguel Cairo at 2B. Matsui finished the 2005 season batting .255 with three home runs and 24 RBI.

On Opening Day in 2006, on the fourth pitch from pitcher Jake Peavy of the San Diego Padres with no outs in the top of the third, Matsui homered in his first at-bat for the third consecutive year. Ken Griffey, Jr. is the only other player to hit a home run in his first at-bat of three consecutive seasons.

The third round-tripper was notable for being an inside-the-parker. Matsui slid into home as his former Met teammate, Mike Piazza, blocked the plate. The trio of first at-bat homers was the highlight of Matsui’s time as a Met.

The 30-year-old was hitting .200 with one home run and seven RBI in 38 games in 2006.

His stint in New York was punctuated by pronounced booing from Mets fans in response to his failure to validate the high expectations gleaned from his prodigious Japanese numbers.

It should also be noted that some of the booing might have been a result of Matsui supplanting future Mets star José Reyes at shortstop.

By June 2006, accepting that Matsui was a failed and costly experiment, the Mets traded the second baseman to the Rockies for utility man Eli Marrero.

The 32-year-old Marrero batted .217 with four homers and 10 RBIs in 30 games for Colorado. He has started in right field, left field, first base and at catcher that season.

Marrero had hit .244 with 64 homers, 256 RBIs and 54 stolen bases while playing for St. Louis, Atlanta, Kansas City, Baltimore and Colorado. On August 8 2006, the Mets designated him for assignment.

Matsui’s performance improved during the 2007 season with the rockies, as he hit .288, which was higher than his career average. He had career highs in runs (84), triples (6), stolen bases (32) and sacrifice hits (8) in 2007.

Matsui hit his first career grand slam during the second game of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies. It came with the Rockies down 3-2 with two outs in the top of the 4th inning.

The grand slam gave the Rockies a lead they would never relinquish. Colorado won the game, 10-5. Matsui became only the third player in MLB history to have his first career grand slam occur in the postseason rather than the regular season.

He also became the first Japanese player to hit a grand slam in the postseason. Along with the grand slam, Matsui hit a triple and double during game two of the NLDS, falling a single short of becoming the only player in history to hit for the cycle during the postseason.

However, Matsui did become only the second player ever to hit a double, triple and home run in a postseason game.

On December 1, 2007, Matsui signed a three-year, $16.5-million deal with the Houston Astros. Matsui was released by the Astros in May of 2010 after batting just .141 with one RBI and stolen base in 71 at-bats.

Matsui was picked up by the Rockies and signed to a minor-league deal. He never returned to the big leagues.

Matsui is currently back in Japan, playing with the Rakuten Eagles.

Kazuo Matsui’s Kamikaze Career as a New York Met

In 1999, New York Mets outfielder Roger Cedeno hit .313, with an on base percentage of .396, and a slugging percentage of .408. They would all turn out to be career bests.

Following the season, on December 11, the Mets traded Cedeno to the Houston Astros. After two seasons, the Mets reacquired him — as a free agent — with a 4-year, $18 million contract.

Cedeno was supposed to provide speed at the top of lineup and be a table-setter for big bats like Mike Piazza and Mo Vaughn, and play centerfield.

But soon as the 2002 season began, Cedeno was a target of the Shea Stadium boo-birds — failing in bunt situations, striking out in big situations, and with mental lapses on the field and on the base paths.

A corner outfielder his whole career, Cedeno misplayed balls in centerfield and reminded older Met fans of Marv Throneberry’s dismal play at first base back in 1962.

In November of 2002, Cedeno was arrested in Florida for driving under the influence of alcohol, and eventually pleaded no contest to a lesser charge.

Things grew worse on the field in 2003, as boos were heard every time Cedeno came to the plate or a ball came in his direction. In April, he was batting .177 and replaced briefly in the outfield by Japanese bust Tsuyoshi Shinjo.

Cedeno misplayed so many balls that veteran pitcher Tom Glavine demanded that Cedeno be benched when he pitched.

The Shea Stadium crowds chanted “Timo, Timo,” calling for Cedeno’s replacement to be OF Timo Perez. Indeed, his inconsistency landed him on the bench in favor of Perez. Cedeno stole only 39 bases and scored 135 runs in two seasons.

After giving up on Cedeno for a second time, the Mets couldn’t seem to find a new home for him, and he didn’t make it any easier on them when, for the second time in 13 months, he was arrested for a driving-related offense.

On Merengue Night in July of 2003 at Shea, the starting lineups were announced before the game in both English and Spanish. Cedeno received a smattering of boos in both languages.

Mets fans derisively chanted “MVP!” each time Cedeno batted.

Home plate umpire Greg Gibson ejected Cedeno after he struck out in the first inning of a game against the Marlins on September 8th, with boos ringing out in an empty Shea Stadium.

Cedeno finished the season the season batting .267 with only 14 stolen bases.

He was arrested on Dec. 4, 2003 in Broward County, Fla., and charged with “reckless driving.” He was clocked at 111 mph on Route 75, the stretch of highway known as Alligator Alley linking the east and west coasts of South Florida.

Cedeno’s agent, Peter Greenberg, said the latest incident was nothing more than a speeding ticket.

In spring training of 2004, Cedeno was booed constantly and even vilified when the Mets played at Tradition Field.

Mets General Manager Jim Duquette had spent the better part of the last six months trying to accommodate Cedeno’s trade request, but the $10 million he was owed over the next two years combined with his defensive liabilities made such a move seemingly impossible.

That was, until the Cardinals stepped in on April 3rd. St. Louis sent catcher Chris Widger and infielder Wilson Delgado to the Mets in exchange for Cedeno and cash.

New York picked up a considerable part of Cedeno’s salary after he, along with Mets ownership, agreed to restructure his contract.

The Mets were so desperate to dump Cedeno that they agreed to pay almost $9 million of the $10 million left on the four-year, $18 million deal he signed in 2001.

Cedeno played for two seasons and was released by the Cardinals following the 2005 season.

After a year off, Cedeno agreed to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles in 2007.

The Orioles were expecting Cedeno, not Mo Vaughn. It was reported that Cedeno showed up to spring training weighing 274 pounds.

He was released on March 23, 2007.

Now Batting…Number 19…Roger Cedeno. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

The New York Mets decided to test the free-agent waters before the 1992 season. The Mets whose five-year $29 million contract made Bobby Bonilla, eventually won the highest-paid player in baseball history a hectic bidding war.

The deal seemed like a match made in heaven. The rebuilding Mets had added an offensive centerpiece to replace Darryl Strawberry and Bonilla was thrilled to return to his native New York, where his father could watch him play.

At his official Mets introduction, Bonilla told the press, “I know you all are gonna try, but you’re not gonna be able to wipe the smile off my face. I grew up in New York. I know what it’s all about.”

Unfortunately, the marriage of Bonilla and New York wouldn’t survive past the honeymoon — a tenth-inning home run (his second of the game) to defeat the rival Cardinals on Opening Day.

Bonilla never warmed to the role of team leader that the Mets wanted him to play. “I just want to be one of the guys,” the new arrival said, but his huge contract made him a marked man.

Compounding the problem, Bonilla considered himself to be a line-drive hitter, not the slugger the Mets had expected to fill the power void created by the departure of Strawberry.

Although the switch-hitter owned tremendous power from either side of the plate (in July of 1987 he hit just the seventh upper deck home-run in the history of Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium), he would often maintain, “home runs are overrated.”

As the Mets stumbled early in the season, New York fans wasted little time loudly registering their disapproval at Shea Stadium. Mired in an awful batting slump, Bonilla bore the brunt of their anger.

In late May he caused a flap by wearing earplugs at the plate to drown out the chorus of boos which greeted him each at bat.

His season hit a low on June 25th when TV cameras caught him calling the press box between innings to complain about an error charged against him.

Red Foley, who was scoring that game, refused to take his call, and now, on the rules posted in each big-league clubhouse, it says the official scorer will not take calls from uniformed personnel during a game.

Bonilla dug himself a deeper hole and aggravated already tense media relations by shamelessly denying that he was protesting the official scorer’s decision. Instead, he told reporters, he had been calling to inquire after the health of Mets’ PR man Jay Horwitz.

Although Bonilla’s next two years in the Big Apple proved more productive than his disappointing initial season (.249, 19 HR, 70 RBI) he never won the support of Mets’ fans and his trademark smile soon settled into a frown.

On April 10, 1993, when he expressed his displeasure with reporter Bob Klapisch and his book about the Mets, The Worst Team Money Could Buy. Bonilla threatened and taunted Klapisch in a frightening exchange: “Make your move, ’cause I’ll hurt you . . . I’ll show you the Bronx.” Then he swatted away the microphone of a television crew that recorded the scene. Klapisch called the scene “the most uncomfortable 10 minutes of my professional life.”

In 1993 Bonilla crushed 34 home runs with 87 RBI while batting .265 as the Mets finished in dead last in N.L. East with 59 wins.

Bonilla raised his average to .290 in 1994, during the strike shortened season as the Mets cleared out the free agent mess from 1992, The Worst Team Money Could Buy.

In late July 1995, Bonilla was batting .325 and enjoying his best season in New York when the Mets traded him to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for prospects Damon Buford and Alex Ochoa.

In 1999, the New York Mets reacquired Bonilla from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for stiff reliever Mel Rojas.

In Game 6 of the 1999 National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves, Bonilla and Rickey Henderson were found in the clubhouse playing cards during the final innings of that game.

The Mets lost in extra innings as the two players showed up and defied manager Bobby Valentine rules.

The New York Mets finally conceded Bobby Bonilla had no future with the team.

The unhappy outfielder, owed $5.9 million in the final season of his contract, was placed on unconditional-release waivers on January 04, 2000, after agreeing to defer his salary for 12 years.

It will compound at an 8 percent annual rate. Bonilla will receive an annual paycheck of $1.19 million starting in 2011 and will last until 2035.

Bobby Bo’s “I Show You a Bronx Card Trick” while playing in Queens.

St. Louis Cardinals speedster Vince Coleman signed with the Mets after the 1990 season via free agency, signing a four-year, $11.95 million contract.

However, his career took a quick downward spiral. Coleman missed 215 games (out of a possible 486) due to numerous injuries and suspensions. Apparently the Cardinals knew something not resigned Coleman.

Coleman was one of three Met players named in a complaint filed by a 31-year-old woman in Florida, although prosecutors did not pursue charges in the case. His base-stealing strategy became increasingly suspect; he often ignored or misinterpreted his coaches’ signs on the basepaths.

He was also very difficult to get along with. He got into an ugly argument with coach Mike Cubbage at the tail end of his first season which was a factor in manager Bud Harrelson’s ouster.

Coleman who lead the National League in stolen bases the previous six seasons finished the 1991 season with only 37 steals, while batting .255 in 72 games.

In September 1992, he got into a fight with Harrelson’s successor, Jeff Torborg, and was suspended without pay for the rest of the season. Coleman was the poster child of “The Worst Team Money Could Buy”.

The Mets seemingly had enough of Coleman and tried to trade him during 1992-93 off-season, but there were no takers.

In April 1993, Coleman injured Dwight Gooden’s arm by recklessly swinging a golf club in the clubhouse.

In July Coleman was charged with endangerment when he threw a lit firecracker into a crowd of baseball fans waiting for autographs in the Dodger Stadium parking lot.

The explosion injured three children, including a two-year-old, Amanda Santos. He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service for the incident.

The Mets placed him on paid administrative leave—in effect, a suspension with pay.

On August 26, the Mets announced that as part of a general housecleaning of the clubhouse, Coleman would not return in 1994.

Manager Dallas Green said that while Coleman had played well (when he suited up), he didn’t think Coleman had the “head and heart and belly” he wanted to see on the team.

On January 5, 1994, the Mets traded Coleman with cash to the Kansas City Royals for Kevin McReynolds.

Vince Coleman’s immature and semiskilled career as a Met.

Although pitcher Oliver Perez was acquired in a trade back in July of 2006 with reliever Roberto Hernandez for outfielder Xavier Nady. The resigning of Perez back 2009 truly stands out in his Met career.

Perez was included in the deal after the injury of reliever Duaner Sanchez. Sanchez suffered a separated shoulder was injured in a taxicab accident and required season-ending surgery.

Perez was brought up in August and after two subpar starts, Perez threw a complete game shutout against the Atlanta Braves in the second game of a doubleheader on September 6, 2006.

After the Mets lost two starting pitchers to injury in the final week before the playoffs started, they were forced to use Perez in the playoff rotation.

His first playoff start came in Game 4 of the NLCS, in which he picked up his first career postseason win.

His second playoff start came in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS vs. the Cardinals, he went 6 strong innings allowing 1 ER, with assistance of Endy Chavez. The Mets would eventually go on to lose the game 3–1.

Entering the 2007 season, there were concerns about the Mets’ pitching staff and whether Perez could live up to his potential? However, Pérez emerged as one of the Mets’ most consistent pitchers. Perez finished the 2007 season 15–10 with a 3.56 ERA, striking out 174 in 177 innings pitched, while walking only 79.

On February 3, 2009, the Mets re-signed Perez to a three-year, $36 million deal to return to the Mets. The organization passed over Derek Lowe for Ollie because Lowe wanted a 4th year in his deal. After going 25-17 the previous two seasons, Ollie did not receive any offers from other teams. Perhaps one of the worst free agent signings by a general manager in the history of baseball.

On May 6, Perez was put on the disabled list due to patellar tendinitis in his right leg.

He returned to the rotation on July 8, 2009. His final start of the season on August 23; Bad Ollie did make out of the first inning against the Phillies. Ollie faced eight batters and was pulled with the Mets behind 6-0.

On August 26, 2009, Perez was diagnosed with patellar tendinitis in his right knee and underwent undergo season-ending surgery. He finished the season 3–4 with a 6.82 ERA.

Perez has had a very unsuccessful start to the 2010 season. On opening day at Citi Field, he was loudly booed by the Flushing faithful during team introductions. On May 14 in Florida, Perez made his final start against the Marlins. Bad Ollie surrendered nine hits, seven runs, and four home runs while walking three in three and a third innings.

In his first seven starts Ollie was 0-3 with a 5.94 ERA. He game up 24 runs and walked 28 batters in 33.1 innings.

On May 15, manager Jerry Manuel placed the struggling lefty in the bullpen after a string of poor outings in the rotation. Perez refused a minor league assignment to work on his pitching despite repeated attempts by the Mets’ front office.

On June 5, 2010, the Mets placed Perez on the 15-day DL due to a patella tendinitis of right knee. As Perez was placed on the DL soon after refusing an assignment to the minor leagues a second time, the league investigated the timing of the DL stint, clearing it.

Perez returned to the active roster on July 21. He then refused yet another assignment to the minor leagues to work out his control problems. Ollie was hidden in the Mets bullpen, part of the baseball witness protection program. He was used occasionally for mop up duties in blowouts and true to his form, Bad Ollie adds his blend of wildness to the blowout.

Pérez finished the 2010 season with 0 wins, 5 losses, and a 6.80 ERA in just 46.1 innings pitched.

On March 21st, 2011, the Mets released Perez two days after the left-hander allowed consecutive home runs to minor leaguers.

The Mets chose to absorb the $12 million remaining on Perez’s $36 million, three-year contract rather than keep a pitcher who has been ineffective in trying to make the team as a reliever.

Perez had a spring training ERA of 8.38 in 9 2/3 innings.

Bad Ollie’s career numbers with the Mets.

New York Mets outfielder Jason Bay comes off the field with trainer Ray Ramirez after crashing into the left field wall and suffering a concussion against the Cincinnati Reds on June 15, 2012.

On December 29, 2009, Jason Bay agreed to a four-year, $66 million contract with the New York Mets, which also included a vesting option for a fifth year. Bay won the 2004 National League Rookie of the Year award with the Pirates and was a three-time All-Star.

In 2009 with Boston, Bay batted .267 with a career-high 36 home runs, 119 RBIs and 103 runs scored – his second consecutive season of at least 30 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 runs.

General manager Omar Minaya, who engineered the deal, originally traded Bay to the Mets in 2002 when he was GM for the Montreal Expos.

On January 5, 2010, Minaya and Jeff Wilpon held a press conference at Citi Field in which Jason Bay was presented with his uniform, number 44 for the Mets.

That was the highlight of Bay’s Mets career.

In 2010, his first season with the Mets, Bay played in only 95 games. He suffered a concussion in a game against the Dodgers, when he ran into a fenced wall and his head jerked back. He finished his season with a .259 batting average, only six home runs (he hit 36 the year before), 47 RBIs, and scored 48 runs.

Then in 2011 Bay began the season on the disabled list with a rib injury he suffered in spring training. He was diagnosed with an intercostal strain in his left rib cage. Bay appeared in 123 games in 2011 and hit .245 with 12 home runs and 57 RBI. His finest season in Queens.

In April of 2012, Bay on the 15-day disabled list, a day after he broke a rib while trying to make a diving catch. An MRI exam showed a non-displaced fracture on Bay’s left side.

Bay ran back on a long fly by the Giants Gregor Blanco. The ball bounced out of Bay’s glove for a two-run double and he landed face-first near the warning track. Bay left the game a few innings later and was hitting .240 with three home runs.

When Bay returned from the DL on June 8, he went 0-for-3 with one strikeout. He continued to go 0-for-16 in his return from the DL through June 12, before hitting a single on June 13 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

In a home game against the Cincinnati Reds on June 15, Bay left the game in the second inning after crashing into the left field wall and suffering a concussion while attempting to catch a fly ball by Jay Bruce that became an inside-the-park home run. He was subsequently placed on the DL again.

Bay finished the 2012 season with a .165 batting average, 8 home runs and 20 RBI.

On November 7, 2012, the Mets and Bay have agreed to terminate their contract a year early and make the outfielder an unrestricted free agent. The Mets owed Bay a total of $21 million — $16 million for 2013, $3 million for a buyout of his 2014 option and the $2 million remaining on his $8.5 million signing bonus.

The 34-year-old had just 26 home runs with the Mets — 10 less than his 2009 total with the Boston Red Sox. He hit .234 average and 124 RBIs over three seasons with the club.

Jason Bay’s not so amazin’ career numbers as a Met.