Unexpected Slugging Star


Kirk Nieuwenhuis made headlines and history on Sunday, becoming the first Met ever to hit three home runs in a home game. But, wait a second, wasn't this the same player both the Mets and Angels DFA'd this season? The guy batting around .100? Same guy. Different results. The best game of his still brief major league career -- and something no Mets player had ever done in the franchise's 54-season history.
(This image is from last September, before the Mets retired their pinstripe-less home uniforms.)
While the Mets have spent all but their first two seasons playing in "pitcher's parks," it is fascinating to note that the previous nine three-homer games were all on the road. Here's the list: Jim Hickman (1965), Dave Kingman (1976), Claudell Washington (1980), Darryl Strawberry (1985), Gary Carter (1985), Edgardo Alfonzo (1999), Jose Reyes (2006), Carlos Beltran (2011) and Ike Davis (2012).

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