Hello? Is this thing on?

Anyway, Whitehurst was one of that sort of pitcher that the Mets love to put on their roster...and keep on their roster...year after year after year, despite not being particularly good, thus wasting a spot that could be going to someone else who might be better.

There's always at least one of them around—the 2020s version, for example, is Tylor Megill.

Outwardly, his numbers weren't terrible—his Mets ERA was 3.83—but his 11-22 record with the club is telling. If you wanted to keep a lead, he couldn't hold it; if you wanted to not be put in a losing position, he'd put you there.

Intriguingly, he was once traded with Raul Casanova for Tony Fernandez (1992). Sixteen years later (2008) Casanova eventually found his way back to NY, thus undoing part of that deal, nearly two decades later.

Anywho, I've written Whitehurst three autograph requests in my day; he has yet to sign.

The Mets traded a decent prospect in Lindsay Gulin to get him. Gulin never reached the majors, but played 16 years professionally.

Also, I've written Wilkins two autograph requests in my day; he has yet to respond.

He was just a great ballplayer. With the Mets he had two 90+ run seasons, three 40+ steal campaigns, two 50+ steal campaigns and from 1985 to 1988, he rattled off an excellent 118 OPS+. In 1984, he had 28 doubles, 10 triples, 10 homers and 46 steals, making him part of a pretty elite group I'm sure—I can't imagine many people are part of the 20-10-10-40 club. He thrice paced the league in double plays turned as a center fielder. He led the league in ABs in 1983.

Of course I've seen the clip of him getting his hit a gazillion times, and that must be mentioned, too.

I also remember his time as the Mets first base coach in the late '90s and early '00s, which were my formative years as a Mets fan.

I've seen him in handful of Mets documentaries and he really does seem like a standup guy. I was especially impressed by his attitude in the documentary about Dwight Gooden, "The Good Doctor."

In the Mets Hall of Fame project I ran on another website, he was elected as a player on his first try, with 88.8% of the vote. He was elected as a coach on his third try, with 75% of the vote.

I've also sent him two autograph requests in my day, with no success.

But pound for pound, he was probably the most disappointing member of Generation K, from a Mets perspective.

He was a #1 overall pick and was once rated the #2 prospect in the game by Baseball America (Pulsipher was a 2nd round pick, Isringhausen a 44th round pick; peak ranks were 12 and 37, respectively).

Wilson pitched just a year with New York, while the other two got multi-season trials. He was perhaps the worst performer in NY (5.38 ERA, 75 ERA+) among them, as Isringhausen had a 4.59 ERA and 88 ERA+ and Pulsipher had a 4.63 ERA and 88 ERA+.

He's also the only one the Mets didn't eventually bring back for a round two. Isringhausen returned in 2011 after not pitching for the club since 1999 and Pulsipher came back in 2000 after departing in 1998.

On the bright side, he did hit his only career homer as a Met.

Also, I've sent him three autograph requests in my day. He signed once, in 2019.

A here-then-gone hurler with a 0.00 Mets ERA.

What I mostly remember about Nitkowski is just how awful a pitcher he was overall. It's astounding he forged a 10-year big league career. He had one or two fleeting blips of success, but no matter how you slice it, he was bad: 18-32, 5.37 ERA, 86 ERA+ overall; 15-27, 5.42 ERA, 86 ERA+ over his first five years, 3-5, 5.20 ERA, 86 ERA+ over his last five.

It's amazing what being a top-ten draft pick can do for your big league fortunes.

Also, I've written him three autograph requests in my day; he has yet to respond.

Wilson was a great outfielder who could've provided solid pop for New York for years and years. He averaged 24 home runs, 84 RBI and 16 steals per season from 1999 to 2005.

But I like the guy they got in return for him, better.

One specific memory of him is when he was with the Marlins I think. He hit a game-winning home run against the Mets, and did some wayyyyy over-the=top celebration in and around the plate before rounding the bases.

At least, that's my memory. But nothing in his home run log actually backs it up. So, after a little research, it was more than likely the September 3, 2002 game in New York (Game 1 of a doubleheader), when he hit a game-TYING home run off of (who else) Armando Benitez in the 9th inning.

Also, I sent him two autograph requests in my day, but he hasn't responded.

Get it? Anyone?

Anyway, talk about selling high. He hits .407 with the Mets, gets traded with others for Gary Carter, then hits .237 over the rest of his career.

He was notable for thrice being a first round pick, albeit in those less heralded off-the-beaten path drafts like the "January draft" and the June Secondary draft."

The Mets took him ahead of Tom Henke in one of those drafts. Can you imagine a 1986 bullpen with Orosco, McDowell and Henke? It would've been something.

Also, I've sent him a couple autograph requests in my day. He signed the second time, in early 2024.

But one losing streak defined his entire legacy. It's a shame.

And talk about hard-luck. He gets cancer and dies at 51. Crazy.

I sent him an autograph in 2016 and he never responded. Since he was battling health issues, I think he had other priorities.