Western Carolinas League (1974)
Tombstone
Born: 1974
Folded: 1974
First Game: April 12, 1974 (L 1-0 @ Greenwood Braves)
Last Game: August 25, 1974 (W 3-1 @ Greenwood Braves)
Western Carolina League Championships: None
Stadium
Ownership & Affiliation
Owner: Community Sports, Inc.
Major League Affiliation: New York Mets
Attendance
Background
The Anderson Mets were a South Carolina-based farm team of the New York Mets that played for just one season during the summer of 1974.
Between 1970 and 1975, Anderson’s entry in the Class A Western Carolinas League was kicked back and forth by five different Major League parent clubs in six years. The Washington Senators (1970-1971) were the only parent club to stay more than one year. They were followed in rapid succession by the San Francisco Giants (1972), the Detroit Tigers (1973), the Mets (1974) and finally the Texas Rangers (1975). Each summer the Anderson club changed its name to match the identity of its Major League sponsor.
Prospects
Three members of the Anderson Mets eventually advanced to the Major Leagues: pitcher Randy Tate, outfielder Lee Mazzilli and catcher Luis Rosado. Tate was the first to make it, spending all of 1975 in the Mets’ starting rotation as a 22-year old rookie. He posted a 5-13 record in 23 starts but never returned to the Majors after 1975.
Mazzilli, the Mets’ 1st round draft choice in 1973, enjoyed the greatest success. He earned a National League All-Star nod with the Mets in 1979 and won a World Series ring in 1986 during his second stint with the Mets.
Anderson posted a 61-72 record during the 1974 season and finished in 5th place in the 6-team Western Carolinas circuit.
Mets to Rangers
Local operators Community Sports Inc. informed the New York Mets in September 1974 that they did not intend to operate again for the 1975 season.1NO BYLINE. “City Of Anderson To Get Ballpark”. The News (Greenville, SC). September 26, 1974 The Anderson franchise ceased operations.
It appeared that Anderson would be without pro baseball in 1975. But in January 1975, Gastonia Rangers owner Fred Nichols moved his club to Anderson’s Memorial Stadium. After Nichols’ Anderson Rangers relocated again to Asheville following the 1975 season, Anderson was without pro baseball for the rest of the 1970’s.
The Atlanta Braves brought baseball back in 1980 with the arrival of the Anderson Braves (1980-1984) of the South Atlantic League.
Anderson Mets Shop
In Memoriam
Anderson Mets field manager Owen Friend passed on October 14th, 2007 at age 80.
Pitcher Randy Tate died of complications from COVID-19 on March 25th, 2021. Tate was 68 years old.
Links
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