New York Mets: Five best shortstops in franchise history
2. Bud Harrelson
The above picture is one of the most iconic moments in the career of our number two choice. In the 1973 NLCS, Bud Harrelson got into a fight with Pete Rose because he didn’t like how Rose slid into him at the bag. This was just one of the moments that were an example of the type of player Harrelson was. He was a feisty, spirited player that did what he had to do to help his team win. Apparently, even try to beat up the guy who became the hits king.
He is also the only man to win a World Series ring with the team as both a player and a coach. He won it as a player in 1969 and won it as a coach in 1986. Remember Ray Knight running down the line to win game six? That was Harrelson coaching third base running down the line behind him. He was clearly someone who brought a lot of wonderful winning around the team. If only they had figured out a way to have him around in 2015 for the World Series. He was actually over .500 in two seasons as Mets manager, but they missed the playoffs both years and that was the end of his tenure.
Overall he was a solid player. Harrelson posted a fielding percentage of .969 at shortstop. He was never a Gold Glove winner but never a liability either. As a hitter, he hit .234 for the Mets, with six home runs and 242 RBI. Like Ordonez, Harrelson was never a major player with the bat in his hands. Another reason for his standing on the list is his time at shortstop. He holds the club record with 1,280 games played at short. Any guy trusted for that long deserves a spot on this list.