John Stearns, a former All-Star and Mets catcher, has passed away. He was 71. Stearns, who went by the moniker “Bad Dude,” spent almost all of his time with the Mets from 1975 to 1984, with the exception of one game against the Phillies. During his time with the Amazin’s, he amassed more than 300 RBI and over 700 hits.
In August, he attended Old Timers’ Day, where he and other legendary Mets players received recognition.
“John Stearns played the game with more zeal and grit than anyone else. Last month, he really forced himself to go to Old Timers’ Day so he could see old colleagues and coworkers “Sandy Alderson, the team president of the Mets, released a statement. “He even made it into the batting cage to take a few swings despite his illness. His moniker, “Bad Dude,” was entirely accurate. John was one of the Mets’ all-around catchers and a four-time All Star. His friends and family are in our prayers and thoughts.
Stearns was selected to the All-Star squad four times (1977, 1979, 1980, and 1982), but his best statistical year may have been 1978 when he hit 15 home runs and 73 RBI, both career highs, while slashing.264/.364/.413 overall.
His last couple of Mets seasons were marred by injury. Stearns’ 1980 season was cut short after 91 games due to a fractured finger. The following two seasons saw him spend time on the disabled list.
Due to elbow problems that finally led to the end of his career, Stearns played just 12 games in total throughout his final two seasons.
“I’m devastated, “Outfielder Lee Mazzilli, a former Met, wrote. “It was a pleasure to be around John. He was a huge fan of the game. When he visited the batting cage on Old Timers’ Day, I was astounded. That only served to highlight how fiercely competitive he was.
We had an opportunity to speak at Citi Field a few weeks ago, and I’m so glad we did “Joe Torre, a former Mets manager, tweeted. “John was the hardest player in the game. He never had a foul mood when he visited the park. He was only interested in winning. A four-time All-Star is a remarkable accomplishment.
Stearns worked with a number of teams, including the Brewers, Reds, and Blue Jays, as a scout and minor league teacher after he finished his playing career. In 2000, he rejoined the Mets as Bobby Valentine’s third base coach.
“John was a very important member of our workforce. He had a special talent for getting the guys fired up “In a statement, Valentine stated. “He kept telling me he was going to win this every time we spoke on the phone. That was exactly who John Stearns was.
John cherished the game. He always had your back as a coach. John Franco, a former Mets reliever, wrote: “I saw how sick he was at Old Timers’ Day and I think he was holding on simply to get back to the ballpark and see some of the guys one last time.
