| Scott Essman. 27th May, 2008 - 7:49 pm
 When Fernando Tatis, batting .400 for the struggling Mets, recently hit a back-to-back home run along with teammate Carlos Delgado, it conjured memories of a season long past for Tatis, now 33. In 1999, Dominican-born Tatis and legendary slugging teammate Mark McGwire, just off his record-breaking 1998 70-homer season, combined for 99 home-runs, and McGwire "only" hit 65 of them. But 1999 was a long, long time ago for Tatis.
That season nine summers ago saw Tatis, a formerly mid-level hitting third baseman with Texas with whom he debuted in 1997 at 22 and St. Louis whom he joined in 1998, tear up the National League. With 11 home runs combined for the Rangers and Cardinals the previous season, 1998 saw him hit 34, drive in 107, and hit .298, earning $270,000 as a third-year player. Who was this new young talent, who came from nowhere and gained a 40% on-base percentage that year?
Alas, as quickly as it came, it left for Tatis, who was plagued by injuries thereafter. He played only 96 mildly productive games for the Cardinals in 2000, and Tatis was traded to Montreal that winter after which he again played only 41 games in 2001. Granted, 2002 was something of a comeback as he played in 114 games, but he logged mediocre numbers, not even in the realm of his 1999 breakout year. In 2003, his last year with the Expos, he rarely played and barely produced at all.
In 2004, at the age of 29, Tatis disappeared from pro baseball for two years - completely. He rejoined the majors in 2006. But, by that time his production and playing time had all but vanished. This followed another idle year when it seemed Tatis might, at last, be retired.
However, injuries to Mets' leftfielder Moises Alou has created a dearth of production from the Mets' outfield. Thus, Tatis was signed two weeks ago and has, thus far, appeared in six games with four hits, including that aforementioned home run, in his first ten at-bats. Tatis even started the May 24 game since reserve outfielder Marlon Anderson went down mid-game with a hamstring injury.
Should Mets' outfielders keep dropping like flies, expect Tatis to see much more playing time. The days of 1999 may be in the distant past, but his former greatness might have one last turn to strut its stuff again this year. |
