New York Mets: Five best center fielders in franchise history
4. Lee Mazzilli
Our younger readers will likely associate this man with the New York Yankees. He did coach the team on two separate occasions, from 2000-2003 as first base coach and 2006 as bench coach. He even played with the team for one year. But the team Lee Mazzilli became associated with for his playing career was the Mets, playing two separate stints with the team.
Mazzilli joined the team during a very lean era for the Mets. He debuted in 1976 and was with the team initially through 1981. His best season of his first time with the team came in 1979 when he posted 181 hits and a .303 batting average. 162 hits came in 1980 before an off-year in 1981 sent him to the American League.
“Maz” was re-signed by the Mets in 1986 and he played a backup role for the eventual World Series champions. He hit .400 in the 1986 playoff run. In 1987 he posted a career high batting average of .306 though in a smaller role (only playing 88 games). The stats came back down to Earth and he was eventually sent to Toronto.
Known best with the fans for his looks, Mazzilli was also a very talented player and well deserving of being on this list.