Ellis Valentine, a former all-star and gold glove outfielder who had worn out his welcome with the Montreal Expos was acquired by the Mets on May 29, 1981 in exchange for Jeff Reardon and Dan Norman. The Mets were hoping the change of scenery would revitalize Valentine’s career but it did not work out as planned.
Valentine went 0-3 in his Met debut on June 7; it was a sign of things to come as he struggled for the remainder of the season. He hit just .207 with 5 home runs and 21 RBIs.
He rebounded in 1982 as a part-time player, he hit .288 with 8 home runs while driving in 48 runs. The highlight of his season came on May 31 when he went 4 for 5 with a home run and 2 RBIs.
Valentine left following the 82 season and signed as a free agent with the Californian Angels. In 159 games for the Mets over 2 seasons Valentine hit .261 with 13 home runs and 69 RBIs.
While with the Mets Valentine wore number 17.
Ellis Valentine also played for the following teams:
Montreal Expos – 1975-1981
California Angels – 1983
Texas Rangers – 1985
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