George Theodore was drafted by New York Mets in the 31st round of the 1969 free agent draft. Two years later, in 1971, Theodore batted .333 with 28 home runs and was named the Most Valuable Player of the California League. The following season, Theodore batted .296 at Triple A Tidewater.
Despite hitting just .182 during Spring Training in 1973, Theodore made the Mets 25-man roster and traveled north with the team. He made his major league debut on April 14 against the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium. Phils ace Steve Carlton struck out Theodore.
Here are some other notable moments in Theodore’s career:
- June 3, 1973: While playing in San Diego, Theodore was hit in the eye by a pitch from Gary Ross. Theodore missed a handful of days and was back in the team’s lineup.
- July 4, 1973: Theodore hit his first career home run against Balor Moore of the Montreal Expos.
- July 7, 1973: Theodore collides with Don Hahn at Shea Stadium. Theodore was taken off the field on a stretcher with a fractured hip. He missed two months of the season.
Theodore joins us on the Mets Rewind podcast to talk about his two-year career in New York, the origins of his nickname, Joe Frazier, Willie Mays, Tom Seaver and some of the not-so-true “facts” reported about him.
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