Behind the Bag

Listeners have spoken...our previous upload of this episode cut off at 24 mins...not sure why. So we're uploading this bad boy again. Tune in and listen to our discussion on Mets memorabilia!

In this special episode, we look at some of JonnyIce's special Mets memorabilia, including line-up cards and name plates. We talk about the some of the memories associated with the players and games that come up. #Mets #MLB #Rays #LGM #Podcast

With the All-Star Game break upon us, the duo took the time to discuss memorable Mets All Star memories. Highlights include Jacob deGrom's 10-pitch debut, Matt Harvey's start, Ron Hunt's franchise milestone, and Doc Gooden pitching to future Met Gary Carter. During the episode we also recap Pete Alonso's Home Run Derby show, play trivia on Bobby Jones' All Star performance and as always, celebrate Amazin' birthdays. #Mets #MLB #ASG

It's Bobby Bonilla Day. So today the boys talk about Bobby's career and yes, the annual payout. In doing research, we learn that the Mets have their first two participants of Old Timers Day. We also talk current #Mets, including a real-time injury, and of course, Mets birthdays! #Podcast, #MLB

The birthday segment of our podcast tends to get the most feedback. In this episode we decide to focus exclusively on current and former Mets celebrating a birthday this week! Names such as Logan Verrett and Doug Mientkiewicz are discussed, along with our memories of these players. Happy Father's Day to all. Be sure to visit our webpage (www.behindthebagpodcast.com), Twitter (@BTBPodcast2) or subscribe to the 'cast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

In our second "Squeeze Play" episode, we discuss our return to CitiField after nearly two years. We discuss the sights, sounds and our individual experiences over the weekend series vs. the Padres. Listen to this episode to learn more about how you can win a Robinson Cano Obi-wan-Cano-bi bobblehead. Cue the trumpets!

With the Mets playing the Padres in San Diego this weekend, the duo decides to look back at memorable moments in Mets-Padres games through the years. Highlights discussed this week include David Wright's barehanded catch, the collision between Carlos Beltran and Mike Cameron, Opening Day 1997, the series in Mexico back in '96, memorable firsts in CitiField and more. The duo also discuss the current Mets road trip, the return of Seth Lugo, the sudden summer heat, first visits to CitiField coming up and everyone's favorite... Mets birthdays. Follow us on Twitter at @BTBPodcast2 or online at www.behindthebagpodcast.com.

In our first ever 'Squeeze Play' segment - a short-form episode - we look back at Johan Santana's no-hitter vs. the St. Louis Cardinals. Before we get to the game, Ray tells a story about how he just got cable ahead of the Friday evening game. And thanks to Facebook memories, JonnyIce is able to re-live his viewing of the no-no.

On May 28, 2016, the Mets celebrated the 30th anniversary of the '86 World Series team. Unfortunately, that night is better remembered for Noah Syndergaard getting tossed and Terry Collins infamous argument with umpire Tom Hallion. Ray and Jon were there that not and relive the evening from their perspective. Other topics covered include the current state of the team, a debate on Noah's future, Mets birthdays and more...

In this episode we go back 23 years and look at the day the Mets acquired Mike Piazza. We discuss the trade, recall where we were and share some notable Mets tidbits from '98. The duo also discusses Mets birthdays and the current state of the team. #LGM

After a 2.5 week hiatus, the boys return. In this episode, the duo share their thoughts on the Mets roster and season to date. Throughout the show, the team flashbacks to names of the past, including Omir Santos, Craig Brazell, and Carlos Beltran. We learn which intro song Ray's in love with this year, freestyle on the bullpen and pitching staff, and think outloud on future roster moves.

11 years have gone by since the Mets battled the Cardinals in an epic 20-inning game. Rumor has it the game just finished. Buckle up as we look at the rosters of the teams and discuss key moments in the game. There's even a Frank Catalanotto name that tune discussion. Added bonus, this episode was recorded in between Games 1 and 2 of the Mets-Rockies series, where Jacob was simply dominant again, and the Mets did something they rarely do for the ACE. Tune in for real-time reaction.

The boys replay the time that they were at Shea Stadium on Jackie Robinson Day in 2006. A sellout crowd was there to see Steve Trachsel start... he might still be pitching. We talk about the line-ups, the what ifs and the agony of seeing Jorge Julio pitch. During this episode we comment on the first week of the Mets season and pay tribute to DMX. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @BTBPodcast2 or wherever you listen to your podcasts!

The delay to the Mets season afforded us the opportunity to lookahead the '21 campaign. In this episode we make some bold predictions. Examples include identifying what the Mets record will be at the end of the year, how low will DeGrom's ERA be, and predicting which member(s) of the roster won't make it to the All-Star break.

In this episode, we discuss the career of Edgardo Alfonzo. Before getting into his career, we do look back at Mets who wore #13 and show our love for Lee Mazzilli. Other sidebar convos include players from Venezuela, the career of the "Iguana Man" Julio Machado, and thinking about the 1995 Mets locker room. As we dive into Edgardo's career, we flash back to some of his career highlights, lowlights and everything in between. As with every episode, we start with some commentary on the current day Mets, and wish a Happy Birthday to a few former Mets still kicking around. Follow us on Twitter @BTBPodcast2 or leave comments, wherever you listen to this podcast!

We look back at the career of #12 Willie Randolph. From his Brooklyn roots to his minor league stint in Quebec and NY Yankee stardom. We relive his late run with the Dodgers, realize a connection with Sandy Alderson and briefly touch on his Mets tenure in '92 (brief the key word), before jumping to his coaching career, and finally landing the big gig with the NY Mets. Ray and JonnyIce also make a bold 2025 prediction including Willie and point out Willie's lore in a pop culture classic. During this episode, we share memories of Willie's run at the helm, including leading a franchise turnaround, before captaining a sinking ship in '07. We debate what could have been had Willie been allowed to pick his own staff, showed more emotion in key times and relive key moments in his run with the team. Toward the end, we look back at the "Midnight Massacre - Part II," and analyze everything that went wrong with his firing. As always, we start with looking back at the week that was in Mets land, and make a few obscure references to Mets of the past. This week's "hot name" is Chico Walker. Don't ask. Leave feedback here or follow us on Twitter @BTBPodcast2.

Continuing with our tradition of seeing a Mets game in April, we look back at one of the coldest games we ever attended: Jackie Robinson Day 2018. In this game, Wilmer Flores hits his third walk-off HR and first since the dramatic walk-off vs. Washington in 2015. But that's not the full story in this episode... we talk about how Ray's red ski pants landed the duo on the SNY broadcast, share tips on how to manage the cold at CitiField, endorse the tacos at the stadium, and highlight the protocol for commemorative cups, Carvel helmets and gameday giveaways. Lastly, somehow in this convo we get on the topic of Terry Leach, Terry Collins and a few current day Mets topics. Tune in to learn more or follow us on Twitter @BTBPodcast2.

"You've gotta give us a shot!".... In honor of our 10th episode, we look back at the career of #10 Terry Collins. As we go through the history books, we're surprised by some of his minor league tidbits, get side tracked about Zane Smith and Moises Alou, relive TC's stints in Houston and Anaheim, including a notable brawl in Montreal, and his relationship with Paul DePodesta. As we find more "wow" facts about TC, we decide to do some fantasy booking, and wonder what would have happened if Terry Collins had managed the '06 Mets or '06 Dodgers. We look at the early days of TC's Mets run, the tough in-game choices he had to make, and end by debating whether he belongs in the Mets Hall of Fame before Bobby Valentine. Check out this episode, our archives or engage with us on Twitter @BTBPodcast2.

In this episode we talk about seeing the Mets on the road. Stories shared include our memorable visit to Montreal, a trip to Cleveland, Ray's heartbreak in Milwaukee and Boston, Jon witnessing an iconic catch in San Diego and a milestone moment for Johan in Wrigley. The episode also includes a shoutout to Doc Gooden for accomplishing a rare feat in Miami, while the duo go on to share other non-Mets related stadium visits across the MLB, including Arizona, Seattle and and even a few minor league parks in the Northeast. As they talk about the games and stadiums, Jon and Ray plan out future road trips on the fly. The episode starts with a look back at the week that was in Mets land. Follow us on Twitter @BTBPodcast2 or leave feedback here. Thanks for the listening!

John Franco, Braden Looper, Billy Wagner, Armando Benitez... all have closed games for the Mets, while also creating their fair share of heartburn for the Flushing Faithful. In this episode, we reminisce about these pitchers, sharing our own stomach turning moments, as well as a few laughs such as the time John Franco was tossed on John Franco Day. We also find time to discuss fill-in closers such as Don Aase, Luis Ayala and more! Along the way, we reference pop culture hits such as Friends and the Billy Chrystal classic Forget Paris. And give some sage advice to GMs and scouts thinking about signing former Mets closers. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @BTBPodcast2.

Coming on the heels of his 65th birthday, we look at the distinguished career of Mets legend Mookie Wilson. In this episode, we check out Mookie's pop culture cameos on Seinfeld and Sesame Street, explore his early days with the Mets, and analyze the infamy of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. We also share memories of the man he was traded for in 1989, his induction into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1996 and his run as first base coach for several Mets teams of the 90s and 2000s. Lastly, we debate his standing in Mets history and make a plea to Steve Cohen to honor #1 in some fashion at CitiField. As always, we start the podcast with reflecting on the week that was in Mets land. Follow us on Twitter @BTBPodcast2 for more Mets chatter.

Re-live the 2000 Mets postseason run in our first-ever watch-along. In this episode, we watch highlights from the run to the World Series (courtesy of YouTube!), including Agbayani's game winning HR in Game 3 of the NLDS, Bobby Jones' masterpiece to clinch the series and the Shea excitement of clinching the NL Pennant. As we watch, we remember members of the team no longer with us, such as Daryl Hamilton, and jam to the team's song of choice this offseason.Along the way, we drop tidbits and personal stories of where we were during these games, including JohnnyIce's lonely WS Game 5 evening at an NYC bar, why Ray received a death stare from John Stearns a few years later and the great debate on where the 2000 Mets rank in team history. Topics addressed at the start of the episode include the week that was in Mets land, including the great heel turn by Trevor Bauer, and Ray's bold prediction. Listen to this podcast, leave a comment or follow-us on Twitter @BTBPodcast2.

In this episode, we look at the early days of Omar Minaya's career, including becoming the first ever Hispanic General Manager in MLB history. For all his experiences, we dub him the Forrest Gump of baseball as we connect him to President George W. Bush, Bobby Valentine, Grady Sizemore and co-host Ray Hernandez (seriously!). We explore some of his notable signings, trades, and early challenges all the way through the end of the '08 season. Bonus commentary as the duo starts the podcast recapping the busy week that was in Mets Land, including the beef between Uncle Stevie and Barstool, Daniel Murphy's retirement and yes, the return of Omar Minaya to the NY Mets! #LGM

In this episode, the duo enters the 2015, 2000 and 1986 rosters into a randomizer and freestyles on the players that come up. Names like Keith Hernandez, Rickey Henderson, Bud Harrelson and Todd Zeile are discussed, while obscure Mets like Mark Johnson are also part of the chat. Along the way RH and JohnnyIce also share stories about how they first met, comment on the wild week that was MLB and Mets baseball, and give a shoutout to several Quinnipiac Bobcat alums.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the '95-'96 offseason. In this episode, the duo talks about key acquisitions that laid the foundation for the Mets late 90s/early 2000s playoff runs. Names like Rick Reed, Matt Franco, Turk Wendell and Bobby V are dropped. We discuss the record-setting year of Lance Johnson, Bernard Gilkey's resurgence and the time Joe McIlvaine stopped by Ray's house. JonnyIce relives some of Dallas Green's notable quotes and the duo ponder if a player like Rey Ordenez would succeed in today's game. Leave feedback here or hit us up on Twitter (RH1782 or JonnyIce) or on Instagram (RH1782 or JonnyHielo).

In this episode, the duo relives attending WWE Day at CitiField at the start of the '19 season. In addition to WWE pregame festivities and critiquing the Todd Frazier-WWE bobblehead giveaway, RH and JonnyIce re-count the excitement of this Mets-Nationals game. Highlights include Pete Alonso's first CitiField HR, Robinson Cano's no-doubter, Keyon Broxton's long Mets highlight, a rare 1-2-3 9th from Edwin Diaz and warning signs that bringing back J. Familia was a bad-bad-bad idea. Subscribe or provide feedback here or reach out to Ray @RH1782 on Twitter or @JonnyIce on Twitter + @JonnyHielo on Instagram.

In this pilot episode, the duo talk about a home game vs. the Washington Nationals on April 23, 2005. We learn about why JonnyIce and Victor Diaz will forever be linked, the legend of Jae Seo, Carlos Baegra's game-day cameo, and the weirdness of the '05 Mets roster.