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Marvelous Marv Throneberry played 1st base on the '62 Mets, who set a record for most losses at 120.
Marvin Eugene Throneberry (September 2, 1933 – June 23, 1994) was an American Major League Baseball player. Affectionately known as "Marvelous Marv", he was the starting first baseman for the 1962 New York Mets, a team which set the modern record for most losses in a season with 120. Throneberry became a well known figure after appearing in numerous Miller Lite beer commercials in the 1970s and 1980s.
The 1962 Mets may not have won many games, but these "Lovable losers" won the hearts of sports fans, and no one exemplified that more than Throneberry. Many humorous stories surfaced about Throneberry, who facetiously came to be known as "Marvelous Marv." While it is likely that many of these stories are exaggerated or false, they helped turn Throneberry into almost legendary status among Mets fans. The fact of his initials spelling "MET" accentuated all anecdotes. Throneberry maintained a sense of humor about his play and became a favorite with fans and the media (after the season, he received the Ben Epstein Memorial "Good Guy" Award[15]). At one point he had a fan club which numbered around 5,000 members. They wore shirts with the word "VRAM" (Marv backwards) and took up chanting "Cranberry, Strawberry, we love Throneberry."[16]
In one famous story, on June 17, Throneberry hit a triple against the Cubs, but was called out after Ernie Banks took a relay throw and stepped on second base. "Didn't touch the bag, you know, Dusty," Banks told umpire Dusty Boggess. According to the legend, Throneberry was called out at second and Stengel came out to argue the call, but he was told by the umpire "Don't bother arguing, Casey, he missed first base, too." (In another version of the story, Stengel was told this by his first-base coach.) Stengel, after a pause, supposedly replied, "Well, I know he touched third base because he's standing on it!"[17] The next batter, Charlie Neal, hit a home run, prompting Stengel to come out of the dugout following him and pointing at all four bases. Throneberry's mistake proved costly, as the Cubs won the game 8–7.
In the second game of a June 22 doubleheader with fellow expansion club, the Houston Colt .45s, Throneberry committed three of six Mets errors.[18] On August 2, Throneberry had his second career two-home-run game in a 9–4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.[19]
His 16 home runs and 49 RBIs in 1962 were both career highs; however, he also committed 17 errors at first base. His fielding percentage of .981 would not be equaled by a major-league regular first baseman until César Cedeño fielded .981 in 1979 for the Houston Astros.
During the off-season, the Mets acquired Tim Harkness from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Harkness assumed the starting first base job, with Throneberry relegated to pinch hitting duty. After going just 2-for-15 through May 5, he was demoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. While clubbing 16 home runs for Buffalo, he batted just .176. He batted .083 in eight games in 1964 before being released.