Ultimate Mets Database - Memories of Carlos Baerga

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Carlos Baerga
vs. the Mets

Carlos Baerga
vs. Other Teams

Memories of
Carlos Baerga

Carlos Baerga
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 129 of 1252 players

Carlos Obed Ortiz Baerga
Born: November 4, 1968 at Santurce, P.R.
Throws: Right Bats: Both
Height: 5.11 Weight: 200

Carlos Baerga was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on June 1, 2004, January 9, 2018, November 18, 2018, August 20, 2021, and November 8, 2022.

First Mets game: July 30, 1996
Last Mets game: September 27, 1998

Share your memories of Carlos Baerga

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Blade
You had to love him for his team spirit and decency as a ballplayer, but, the Indian's GM knew what he was doing when he moved Carlos to the Mets during the 96 Olympics. By the time the Mets got him, he'd had too many cheeseburgers. My favorite memory of Carlos was when he hit a game tying home run against the Braves at Shea in 1997. Would love to see him back here as a coach when his career is over.

murphy
What in the world happened to this guy? In the early '90s, every ball he touched with the bat was a rope. He used to pepper the gaps with laser shots. I know he started taking eating lessons from Bobby Bonilla, but he never got anywhere near the consistent pop on the ball he had in Cleveland. Seemed to pop up to second base 3 times a game. Had this really weird head movement when he ran. Looked like a "Bobbing Head Doll."

Mr. Sparkle
December 21, 2000
On the day they got him for Kent and Vizciano I thought it was a great trade. Boy was I wrong. Forget the fact that Kent turned out to be an MVP, Carlos just plain sucked. He was AWESOME with Cleveland, absolutely AWESOME. How could he then come here and be so bad??? He was only 28 at the time!!!!! I guess he partied too hard. Is he even in baseball anymore? Or is he slinging burritos at Taco Bell?

Coach HoJo 20
December 25, 2000
I was so happy when Carlos joined the team, but who knew when he came he wouldn't give us his usual awesome self, but a fatter, lazier, game loosing version. The Mets always get ripped off when it comes to Trades.

EG
March 18, 2001
Talk about a guy who lost his bat speed overnight. Went from being possibly the second most popular Puerto Rican ballplayer ever to a footnote in a nanosecond.
One of those players who had a big posse. Big time party player.
Cleveland got us good.

Kooz
May 18, 2001
What a bust! Lost his ability almost as fast as HoJo. Typical...a superstar elsewhere, a dog on the Metsies.

murphy
May 31, 2001
Currently playing for the Long Island Ducks of the Indedpendent League, which is a half step above slinging burritos at Taco Bell.

DB
November 12, 2001
Who cares about this guy. He sucks. When he got traded from Cleveland, I knew he was all washed up. He lasted 2.5 years in New York. That's to long. He got dealt to the Padres and continued to fade. He spent 2000 on waivers. In 2001 he got cut by the Mariners. Then he got re-acquired by the Mets and got assigned to one of their Class A teams. He got cut there. Now he's playing in Korea.

Maria
December 19, 2001
My favorite NY Met ... . He has the Spirit of a Warrior! The NY Mets need to make amends to Carlos and give him another shot. They know why.
Well, all the best to him and his beautiful family! Miss ya Carlos. Peace.

Rosy Mets
February 18, 2002
I will never figure out what happened. He was so good. When the trade for Baerga was made, it seems like the Mets got the better of the deal. With Kent being the player he is, obviously thats not the case.

Mr. Sparkle
April 12, 2002
He hasn't played in the majors since 1999 and now he's on the Red Sox. I wish him well although I wouldn't expect much. Not much of a chance of the Sox knocking off the Yankees with Carlos on the roster. They might as well sign Junior Naboa next.

Larry Burns
May 21, 2002
Talk about falling off a cliff. This guy looked, legitimately, like a lock for the Hall of Fame when he was killing every team while playing for the Indians. Boy, did the Indians know something or what? They dumped him on the Mets (I thought the trade was great, so this is not a criticism of management.) Then he began to suck--it was like he had a talent transplant. He either drank too much booze, ate too many tamales or partied way too hard, but again, another talented athlete who gave it away by a lack of discipline and an appetite for destruction. He actually ended up playing on the Long Island Ducks, a non-affiliated minor league team. If he does not turn something around soon, he will end up as Reese Witherspoon's pool boy in the Hollywood Hills.

murphy
June 3, 2002
He is now known as the heart and soul of the Red Sox clubhouse. With the Mets, he was the heart and soul of the buffet table.

Allison
July 1, 2002
Carlos Baerga is my favorite player of all time! I have a stand up cut out of Carlos in my room. I know he has been through some tough times, but I still love him. I'm so happy that he is playing mlb baseball after a few years out of it. I watch him every time he comes to the plate if I can.

Banger7
October 25, 2002
Carlos Baerga had the only bobble head doll that was proportionally correct.
When he first joined the team, he had to borrow Mr. Met's cap.
He has a big head!

Jonathan Stern
December 17, 2002
Carlos Baerga spent most of his Mets career crying in the dugout after every dramatic game. Why was he crying? Was he being an inspirational team leader? Was he unhappy that he was, as always, on the bench? Or was he thinking of the lucrative contract he could have signed after his current one expired - had he kept himself in shape? Best moment: Baerga weakly grounds out with a runner in scoring position in his final game as Met, causing Gary Cohen to declare, "Carlos Baerga has been a major disappointment!" With the Murph then throwing in his extra two cents immediately after that pronouncement. Baseball Like It Oughta Be.

Mr. Sparkle
April 18, 2003
I'm watching SportsCenter tonight and they are showing the Arizona game where Carlos had a huge game with 2 dingers and 7 RBIs. But I had to laugh when they showed him hitting the homers and he reminded me of Fred Flintstone when he started running. Fred would run in place for a few seconds before he took off and his feet would go around in a blurring circle at the same time. Well Carlos kinda looks like then when he starts to run. Bobby V's comments tonight about Carlos - " I love that kid."

Won Doney
April 1, 2004
Wasn't he the original Roberto Alomar? Both of them were really good before the Mets got them, both of them second basemen, and both of them ended up with the exact same sucky stats with the Mets.

KMT
February 7, 2005
This guy is nothing but an overweight INGRATE!! Years after his nomadic travels landed him in Arizona, he slams the Mets for his downward spiral!! Sorry Carlos, Cleveland was right to dump you on us! They knew you were too much into food, and not into conditioning! The fact that you use Shea Stadium as an excuse for your poor play is juvenile and immature! Good riddance to bad rubbish!

JLO
May 18, 2005
As a Met, Baerga didn't resemble the all-star 2nd baseman he was in Cleveland. But give him a lot of credit: he played hard and showed a lot of enthusiasm. He did his best to help the Mets win. One thing that stood out to me about his hitting was his unusual spot in the batter's box. Most hitters keep their back foot as far back as they can get. Baerga stood as close to the pitcher as possible.

Shorty Larson
November 15, 2005
Baerga was a complete bust for the Mets. Thing is, he gradually got worse. However, he has gotten better ever since his 2-year absence from the Major Leagues.

Kevin Bresnahan
January 17, 2006
On the evening of October 1, 1993, I attended the final night game played at old Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. I was disappointed that Carlos was not in the lineup due to an infected leg. He was not expected to play that weekend, which was the final series of the year. Carlos was sitting on 199 hits, incidentally, at a time when 200 hits just didn't happen to members of the Cleveland Indians.
Late in a tight game, however, the Tribe needed a hit to start a rally, and Baerga limped out of the dugout. With God and 75,000 other Clevelanders as my witnesses, the man laid down a bunt and legged it out on that infection! I have never since seen anything like it. He was helped off the field in pain in favor of a pinch runner, and received a standing ovation that continued well into the following batter's plate appearance. Cleveland Stadium shook. Literally, it shook!
The rally lasted for exactly one bunt single and the Indians were swept by the White Sox that weekend in true Cleveland style. But for seven or eight minutes, I heard that rickety old dump roar and felt it jump for the first and only time. Aside from the birth of my children, that is my favorite memory of any kind.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a Mets fan.

Chris
May 19, 2006
I was there the day after the Mets got Baerga, the Mets were for a double header and Bearga had a pinch hit single to win the first game, in the second recently aquired Espinoza also delivered in the clutch with a game winning single.

John L.
May 31, 2006
The difference between Baerga and Alomar is that it seemed that Carlos was giving it his all.

5280MetsFan
May 28, 2007
I think I hate him more then the Yankees and Braves combined. What a waste of a Mets uniform.

Jeff in Florida
November 4, 2007
Is it just me or does Carlos Baerga's fall off remind you of Roberto Alamor?

Dan Gurney
November 8, 2007
When this trade was made most people were crying "steal of a deal" or "we made another Neil Allen for Keith Hernandez trade". I said "why is Cleveland trading him in the middle of a pennant race?? Do they know something we don't?" It turns out they did. Baerga was a terrific hitter his first few years and people say he helped lead the team after the tragic deaths of two Indian pitchers (that also severely hurt Bobby Ojeda's career). But lots of second baseman have short careers and it doesn't help when you are not in shape. Meanwhile Jeff Kent who is older is still playing and has an MVP and "Most home runs by a second baseman" to his resume.

Bonbolito
October 1, 2008
I remember at the end of the 1998 season the team stayed out on the field, tossed their caps into the crowd then everyone watched a season recap on the diamondvision. I could see that he was crying as he watched. I was touched by that. He may not have played very well but at least he cared.

VIBaseball
November 15, 2010
I had no recollection until I looked just now that Baerga batted .343 in 207 at-bats for Arizona in 2003. You have to give him credit for making it back to the majors and sticking around for four more seasons after everyone thought he was done.

coachferrer
August 31, 2011
While statistically he underperformed as a Met, I always got the impression this guy cared about winning when he was on the field. I vividly remember him crying at the end of the season in 1998. I think that was when the Mets played the last day of the season. I was moved, gay as that may sound.

Dan the Man
September 4, 2011
I think it was the end of the 1997 season where he cried on the field, not 1998; just to correct the last couple of posters. But at any rate I certainly hear what you guys are saying. He underperformed during his time here but at least he cared as was evidenced when he cried during the tribute video. Sadly, how many athletes and especially Mets today can you see being moved to tears at the end of a season?