Players who played for the Marlins and Mets | Immaculate Grid Answers Jul 26, 2023

Are you hooked on Immaculate Grid, the daily trivia game from Baseball Reference? We sure are! We’ll warn you right now—this blog post contains spoilers. But if you’re looking for a little help with today’s grid (or you already filled it out and want to know who else qualified) read on.

To fill out today’s grid, you need to choose a player who played for both the Marlins and Mets. There were 86 players who played with both Miami and New York. Here are some examples:

Armando Benítez

Armando Benítez threw a high-90s fastball and a slider. He won the National League Rolaids Relief Man Award in 2001.

Coming to the game at 14 years of age, Armando signed as an amateur free agent with the Baltimore Orioles in 1990. He reached the big leagues in 1994 spending his first three seasons as more of a middle relief weapon. It was Armando who surrendered the home run to Derek Jeter in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS that Jeffrey Maier reeled in. He broke out as Randy Myers primary set-up option in 1997, taking his first spin in the closer’s chair in 1998 with 22 saves in 71 appearances. Prior to the 1999 season, a three-team deal landed Armando in Queens to pitch for the New York Mets. He was expected to set up Mets closer John Franco but an injury opened the door for him, saving another 22 games with a minuscule 1.85 ERA. Armando ultimately took the job from Franco and saved 138 games in the next three and a half seasons, earning the Rolaids Relief Man hardware on the strength of 43 saves in 2001. But he struggled late in seasons and especially the postseason with putting on baserunners, fraying Mets fans’ nerves tight and late including and not limited to blowing a lead in Game 1 of the Subway Series to the arch-rival New York Yankees in 2000, a game and series the Mets would lose. As Armando’s ability to convert saves in 2003 eroded (despite this, he made his first All-Star appearance), he was acquired by the Yanks in a deadline deal to set up the great Mariano Rivera.

Ramón Castro

Ramón Castro was a wildly productive big league backup for thirteen seasons, belting 11 home runs en route to a .285/.331/.556 line in 144 bats with the New York Mets in 2007. Castro was unable to stay healthy to be entrusted with regular duties, playing with the Florida Marlins, the Mets and the Chicago White Sox between 1999 and 2011. His hot 2007 may have been his best chance at regular work, competing with weak-hitting Brian Schneider, but a hamstring injury in spring training dashed those hopes. Nicknamed “Bigote”, which means mustache, Castro also played in the Puerto Rican Winter Baseball League with the Caguas Creoles, Santurce Crabbers and Mayagüez Indians.

John Buck

John Buck was a big league catcher in parts of eleven seasons. He was a member of the American League All-Star team in 2010.

A seventh round selection of the Houston Astros in 1998, Buck made his debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2004, one day after being one of many components in a three-team trade that landed Carlos Beltrán in Houston. He showed some pop in K.C., with several seasons of double-digit bombs including an 18-home run season in 2007, but never once batted above .250 for the team. He landed with the Toronto Blue Jays on a one-year deal before the 2010 season and broke out. In 118 games, Buck slashed .281/.314/.489 with 20 bombs (13 at the All-Star break, tops in the bigs) and 66 RBI, making his lone All-Star appearance count with a double off St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright.

Luis Castillo

Luis Castillo was an All-Star second baseman, Gold Glove winner and good leadoff hitter but also one of the worst RBI producers ever. He averaged just 42 RBI per 162 games in his career. His most remarkable season was 2000: in 539 at bats, Castillo batted .334 yet had just 17 RBI, one of the worst RBI seasons in the history of baseball.

Luis is best known for his work with the Florida Marlins, winning a World Series ring in both 2003 and 1997, although he did not see action in the 1997 World Series. Castillo was the batter who hit the foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field that Cubs fan Steve Bartman prevented Chicago Cubs left fielder Moises Alou from catching with the Cubs leading 3-0 and five outs away from clinching the pennant. Castillo eventually walked and scored as part of the Marlins’ eight-run inning. He was a three-time National League All-Star who had five .300 seasons at the plate while twice (2000 and 2002 leading the NL in stolen bases. Luis broke the 100 runs scored threshold once, scoring 101 times in 2000, and had a 35-game hitting streak in 2002. Through the end of the 2003 season and into 2004, he played in 69 consecutive errorless games. After 2005, now making real money, Luis was flipped out of town to save some pennies, moving to the Minnesota Twins for Travis Bowyer and Scott Tyler, two men who never played for the Fish.

Cliff Floyd

Cliff Floyd to only four seasons of 145 or more games, but when healthy he was a dangerous left-handed slugger. In his career he had five seasons of 20 or more home runs and two seasons with 30 or more. In 2005 Floyd set a career high with 34 home runs for the New York Mets.

A first round choice of the Montreal Expos in the 1991 amateur draft, he hit 26 home runs in 1993 with the Harrisburg Senators of the AA Eastern League. He led the league with 101 RBI and tied for the lead in home runs with teammate Glenn Murray while finishing second with a .329 batting average (behind Manny Ramirez, who hit .340). He was promoted to the AAA Ottawa Lynx on August 1st and added 2 home runs and 18 RBI in 32 games to his season totals, on his way to earning the title of The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year. He was called up to the Expos later in September and hit his first MLB home run on September 26th, a tape-measure blast off Dave Telgheder of the Mets at Shea Stadium.

All 86 Players

You can see all 86 players who played with both Miami and New York on Baseball Reference. Good luck with your grid!

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