An Ode to HoJo
This is a poem written in freestyle dedicated to the New York Mets career of #20, Howard Johnson. A man strong in his faith and a dedicated baseball man, I decided to write a piece in honor of him.
To listen to the audio version of the poem, listen to Episode 199 of the Hardway Podcast here.
AN ODE TO HOJO – Jon Harder 12/17/16
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The year was 1985
And you were traded to the Mets
For Walt Terrell
Your first full season
The year before
You won a World Series
For those Alan Trammel led Detroit Tigers
However now
You left behind the navy blue and orange
For an orange and a blue of a different shade
Your first two years
You struggled mightily
Low batting average in ‘85
Hairline fracture in forearm in ‘86
Yet somehow you won
Another World Series
Despite your struggles
A did-you-know fact
When Mookie was at the dish
And the ball went through Buckner’s legs
You were on deck
My prediction
Will always be
Game winning hit
If Mookie got on base
Regardless
Ray Knight was not re-signed
And you got the everyday spot at 3rd
Well, let’s just say
You blew everyone away
You were the 10th guy
In Major League Baseball history
To join the 30/30 Club
36 home runs
32 steals
And, alongside DARRYL
Were the first teammates to do it in the same season
Also made the All-Star Team
And shoved it in people’s faces
Coincidentally
Everyone thought you corked your bat
In ‘87
However x-rays proved negative
And there was ZERO PROOF
Thankfully
You refrained by telling everyone
To go cork themselves
1988 was a step back
You still had over 20 home runs
But the playoffs were a moment
That I had to forget
Seeing tape years later
Your struggles were tough
But even I would have struggled mightily
Against that bulldog Hershiser
1989 brought you back into the fold
In a MAJOR way
In spite of early defensive problems
You pulled through big
36 homers and 41 steals
And single-handedly carried
The Mets on your back
Davey was fired
But Bud stayed the course
And you came within an eyelash of the playoffs
1990 was average
But more all-around than power
You showcased your talents strong
However 1991
Showed you were the MAN
You won two-thirds of the Triple Crown
Another All-Star berth
And another 30/30
For someone with impressive stats
You’ve always been overlooked
38 homeruns
117 RBIs
30 steals
The second man since BOBBY BONDS
To have three 30/30 seasons
It makes no sense to me
To see your ’91 campaign
Highly overlooked
Sadly
Just like our current Captain
Your body started breaking down
And struggles set in
1993 you were gone
And by the time I discovered your greatness
You were in Colorado
And Chicago
And then out as an active player
Looking back at your career
You were immensely skilled
For the Mets
During your time in Queens
#4 in home runs
5th in doubles
#10 in hits
6th in games with 1154 in a Mets uni
4th in runs
4th in RBIs
3rd in stolen bases
HOW ARE YOU NOT IN THE METS HALL OF FAME?
It’s preposterous you are not
HoJo, you need to be recognized
For your tremendous contributions
As a player
As a coach
As a mentor
You are a New York Met
And deserve to be treated
Like the legend you are
Thank you for the memories
And thank you for your skill
HoJo is my favorite Met
And he always will.