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Kevin Mitchell
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 48 of 1233 players
Kevin Darnell Mitchell
Born: January 13, 1962 at San Diego, Cal.
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Height: 5.11 Weight: 210

Kevin Mitchell has been the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup 26 times, most recently on September 14, 2023.

First Mets game: September 4, 1984
Last Mets game: October 27, 1986

Share your memories of Kevin Mitchell HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY: Nick Nobody has anything to say about this monster from the rough streets of San Diego? Check out the latest issue (Nov 2000) of FHM magazine, for an article about the 86 Mets. The article is a hilarious one, revealing some of the drug/booze/sex filled adventures of the Mets of the 80's, and some of Kevin Mitchell's own activities. the article details the instance in which Mitch chopped off the head of his girlfriend's cat, and the time he beat up Strawberry... Mr. Sparkle January 5, 2001 Carter, Mitchell, Knight, Wilson. Kevin got the 2nd hit in the 10th inning of game 6 in the 86 series. He could kill the president and will always be remembered as a great Met for that single. Shorty January 17, 2001 Versatile, played almost every position for us and produced well. I used to look forward to the brawls in '86 cause I knew mitchell would beat the dogsh!? outta somebody. Kevin was the best met with gang affiliations ever. straw deserved a whoopin' anyway. Andy from Rego Park March 23, 2001 Based solely on his rookie campaign, I couldn't understand why the Mets dealt him for McReynolds, when Mitch could have been their starting leftfielder. Imagine, just for a moment, if they had still had him only 2 years later when he was the NL MVP for the Giants. Now Jeff Kent has won the MVP award as a Giant. The Mets are still waiting for their first (although McReynolds and Strawberry came as close as anyone in 1988.) Of course, Mitchell later became a major headache as he played his way to Japan and back while becoming personna non grata everywhere. murphy May 2, 2001 Mets scouts discovered him playing softball in San Diego. And the announcers loved telling us how Mitchell still had shotgun pellets in his back from a drive-by shooting. Was shipped out of town ASAP after being a horrendous influence on Gooden and Strawberry in '86. By the end of his career it looked like he had a major addiction...to Twinkies. Became the fattest non-pitcher in baseball with the Red Sox. Randy August 28, 2001 I was always a huge fan of Mitch's, and I followed him throughout his entire career, and say what you will about his weight or his ganster lifestyle of the field in his early days, but he was always a threat with a bat, and every body who played with him will tell you that. I never could understand how the Mets dealt such a rising star away for the players they got. I have been trying to find a picture of his barehanded catch, when he was playing for the Giants, does anybody know where to f Abe the Babe November 20, 2001 I think I know why Kevin Mitchell was traded away after the '86 WS win. I saw him spit champagne in the faces of Gary Carter & Fred Wilpon. They both gave him looks that could kill. I said to myself "He's gone!!! Jim Snedeker March 4, 2002 Yep, I will always remember him for the pinch-hit single in the 1986 Game 6 comeback, as well as his generally fun, unhearalded outstanding play that season. And I think that his bare-handed catch deserves its place in baseball lore. The announcer that day said "I've never seen anything like that in my life!" You'd think that someone blessed with such talents, skill and good fortune would be able to get his life together. But after hearing about him playing Edgar Allen Poe with his girlfriend's cat, ol' Kev ends up on my fecal roster. Sorry, dude! Won Doney April 24, 2002 He was traded, because Frank Cashen felt he was a bad influence on Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden. From what I know about him, he doesn't seem to be someone I'd like to hang around. I read the story about how he was drunk and went crazy one day when Gooden was at his house when his girlfriend's cat happened to be walking near him. He cut the cat's head off. I also read about how he beat Darryl Strawberry up while they were playing a basketball game in spring training once. Even though he would go on to win the MVP award with San Francisco the year they went to the World Series, the trade for McReynolds wasn't that bad. McReynolds had some productive years with the Mets, and he was a lot more toned down than Mitchell. Larry Burns May 15, 2002 Kevin was part of the great 86 comeback in Game 6! He will forever be remembered as an key part of that historic game, but everyone keeps trying to figure out why he was traded. It was not that he was a bad influence on Strawberry or Gooden, they proved to be pretty good dirtbags on their own merits. He was traded because he was a lowlife with less perceived talent than the others. The MVP season probably shocked all of baseball, not just the Mets. It is a proven in sport, you can be a pain in the ass, as long as you produce. Mitchell and his gang lifestyle were too great to threaten the success of a team. Unfortunately we fell prey to more talented guys having the ability to waste even greater talent. Mr. Sparkle May 28, 2002 He is currently the manager of the Sonoma County Crushers of the Western Baseball League. He was just suspended for 7 games for throwing a punch at the 3rd base coach of the Solano Steelheads for stealing signs and relaying them to the hitter. This is his 2nd suspension. The first came in 2000 after he punched the Steelheads owner. I guess Mitch is still a wild man. I can't wait to see what he does next. Larry Burns June 3, 2002 So let me get this straight. Doc Gooden has a substance abuse problem, run ins with the law, and was implicated in a gang rape. Darryl Strawberry has many of the same failings. Yet Kevin Mitchell was traded away because he was a bad influence on these two! Holy S**t, what did he do that he was the worst of the three? I know there were rumors of gang related friends from San Diego. I see where he has been a fiery, if not outright, violent manager. I read the article where it said he beat up Strawberry. He left the Mets and put together an MVP season with the Giants. This guy is a pistol, if nothing else. He should do guest appearances on "Oz." Hot Foot August 30, 2002 I still have issues about the Mitchell-McReynolds trade. I'm still fretting over it 16 years later, and thats a problem. Maybe this will help. Mitchell had hustle and heart and he was a winner. He also had a real flavor, an attitude, whereas McReynolds was as bland and boring as they could come. I could say more, but I don't want to be negative. Kevin Mitchell was a key factor in that 86 Mets dream team. We would have won at least another championship with him on the team after 86, but it wasn't meant to be. Yet, the memory of #7 lives on... Karl de Vries February 7, 2003 Question: How many other Mets have batted all eight hitting positions during the course of a season? Are there any other Mets? The things I think about when the name Kevin Mitchell comes to mind is the sad fate of his girlfriend's cat, and how he tried to kill people on the field during brawls. By the way, I'm not so sure that Mitch was traded away because of his "gang background." I know that was a possible motive for his trade conjured up by Klapisch and Harper in their book, but as for me, I think that there's a slight chance that the Mets brass may have been a little worried about Mitch leaving a dead body in the clubhouse. Concerned cat owner May 13, 2003 Kevin may have been a talented baseball player but as a human being I don't think he qualifies. Anyone who beheads a cat is a very very bad apple. Why don't we get PETA to file a lawsuit against Kevin for cruelty to animals? We have Doc and Kevin's ex- girlfriend as eyewitnesses. If they get millions from Kevin then they could use that money to give better homes to the many unwanted cats all across America. Hey Kevin, you'd better be nervous next time your phone rings!!! Shari May 16, 2003 If that's true about Mitchell, as an animal lover and owner of 2 german shepherds I think that is absolutely disgusting and disgraceful. That's typical behavior for a serial killer. Catherine in San Diego July 10, 2003 It's too bad that so many people pass judgement without personally knowing someone. I guess a few parents forgot to tell their children of the old cliche...if you live in a glass house, then you should not throw stones. Kevin was strongly against anyone that used drugs or drank alcohol...he did not allow it in his homes. So all of those without faults, stand up and raise your hand. Kevin, I hope that everything is going well for you. Eve's friend--San Diego, California. Frank Grimes July 15, 2003 He was so whacked out could you just imagine him on booze or drugs? Thank God he didn't use them. He just gets in fights because he's nuts. Way to go Kevin! Frankie January 5, 2004 Does anyone remember the time Kevin Mitchell beat up someone who was renting one of his apartments because they were late with the rent money. The person Mitch beat up....HIS FATHER! This guy is a low-life piece of crap and its a miracle he isn't doing 20 to life right now. Joe Figliola January 8, 2004 Everyone seems to be emphasizing the negatives of Kevin Mitchell. I don't condone any of the actions mentioned, but I would like to leave a couple of BASEBALL-related things. You think it was bad when Rickey Hendersona and Bobby Bonilla were playing cards in the clubhouse during the final game of the '99 LCS? Well, didn't Mitchell practically have his uniform off when they informed him that he had to pinch hit in Game 6 of the Series against Boston? Later, Mitchell claimed he forgot to put on his jockstrap in his haste to get to the plate. As far as I'm concerned, he could've gone up there in his Speedo so long as he kept that inning going. I also liked his versatility. Remember when he played shortstop a couple of times during '86? And back then, the only thing he was "decapitating" were the heads of hair of his fellow teammates... he was the team's player-barber! Bob R January 10, 2004 Kevin Mitchell was a major talent. He won the MVP with the Giants and had some monster years in San Francisco. And yes, he did get that huge hit in the 1986 World Series. But anyone who kills a helpless cat is total slime in my book! What sort of human being would do that? Big Fun June 2, 2004 Just to let you fellow Mets fans know... I saw Kevin Mitchell this past Memorial Day weekend. I had not met him before when people said that he was a terror and out of control but this past weekend he was in an extremely poor area of Mexico passing out new Nike shoes, socks and underwear to kids in an orphanage. I am sorry to say that I stayed at the same hotel that he stayed but I was there to play golf and hit the bars. Born in 1962 July 13, 2004 I was a big fan of Mitch but unaware of his wild antics. I guess that explains the trade but I thought he had great potential. Regardless, any aware Mets fan will not forget Game 6 and his contribution. Dude August 3, 2004 Baseball is a game. Beating people up and killing a cat are real life. Nothing done on the field can outweigh stuff like that. Hopefully he is a better person overall than some of these stories suggest. Kiwiwriter September 15, 2004 It was a mistake to trade "World" for the passionless Kevin McReynolds. Kevin could play a lot of positions. McReynolds bored at one. The new book "The Bad Guys Won" says that the cat decapitation incident is a fraud created by Doc Gooden's ghostwriter, which is possible. There are very few good, accurate, baseball autobiographies. These days they often turn self-serving and are designed purely to outrage. John October 18, 2004 Kevin was a problem, that was one of the reasons the Mets got rid of him. Kevin, Lenny, Doc, Darryl all had behavior / nightlife issues. Perhaps Mets management could have done a better job with educating these guys on professional conduct and how to handle the NYC life style. It is no secret the Mets were concerned about these guys. That is why they said goodbye. Herman Darvick December 21, 2004 I only have good memories about Kevin Mitchell. I was lucky enough to have tickets to all 7 postseason games at Shea in 1986. In Game 6 of the WS, Kevin was in the most pressure-packed situation any rookie was ever in in baseball history. If he made an out, the Mets lose the World Series. Boston (ahead 3 games to 2) was leading 5-3 in the bottom of the 10th and Gary Carter had just hit a two-out single to left. Kevin, the tying run in his first at-bat of the game, hit a single. More importantly, he went from first to third on a hit by Ray Knight to right center scoring Carter. Now at third, with Mookie Wilson at the plate, Kevin scored the tying run on a wild pitch. He would only have gotten to third had he stopped at 2nd. Then came Mookie's ground ball to Buckner. Great memories of Kevin Mitchell. I hope he's doing well. Tom Shannon March 4, 2005 Anyone who actually beleives that Kevin chopped off the head of a cat is an idiot. I hate cats anyway... Let us remember Mitch for his wonderful contributions to the 86 Mets. "He can play center, right, left, third, short. Boy, this kid is something, he's just everywhere..." (Vin Scully, July 1986, NBC Game of the Week) Jonathan Stern March 6, 2005 I'm a cat freak. You don't hurt or put down cats around me. But until I know for sure that Mitch committed that crime, I won't condemn him for it. Doc was not such a reliable source, to put it kindly. And the recent book on the 1986 Mets concludes with the whole episode reexamined, with no verdict offered. I'll never forget how cool Mitch looked against Schiraldi in THE GAME. It never occured to him that he wouldn't get on base. And he was partially undressed and on the phone when called to the plate! Not meaning any offense, but Carter, Knight, and Mookie looked like they had the weight of the whole baseball world on their shoulders (which they did). This man had ice water in his veins! Born in Flushing May 4, 2005 I was 8 years old in '86 and was baseball crazy. My uncle had season tix and he brought me to about 30 games that year, including the fabled Game 6. Mitch was my favorite player - wore a cool number, played everywhere, and didn't seem to give a sh#t who was on the mound when he was at the plate. Only later did it register that he had faced a lot scarier stuff in his life than a guy with a baseball in his hand. He had a torrid first half that year, but even after his numbers cooled he had put up respectable rookie numbers. I remember him mashing a Fernando Valenzuela screwball for a home run one of the first times I watched cable TV. Also remember him pretty much single-handedly beating the Cardinals in a come-from-behind win in August. And I was watching a big-screen in Sears waiting for my mom to finish shopping when he was wreaking havoc on the field during that July brawl against the Reds, the game Orosco and McDowell played the outfield. Thought it was funny when someone realized in 1989 that he needed contact lenses, and then he went off and got himself an MVP. Good thing he was able to pick up the rotation on a certain 0-1 Schiraldi curveball without them a couple years earlier. As far as off-field antics go, I think context is key. And I don't think Davey Johnson was a mentor or guiding hand who could properly harness the energy of the Mets' troubled youth. But obviously you can't pin all of his players' personal failings on Davey, even if I do think he sucked as a major league manager. A good minor league manager from what I understand, but of course Tidewater is a long way from NYC. "It's okay to walk -- if you're a mailman." --Kevin Mitchell, free- swinging ex-gangsta Ricky Brecheen October 13, 2005 When I was young I got to go to a Cincinnati Reds game and watch my favorite player Kevin Mitchell. It was bottom of the ninth, score was tied, and Kevin Mitchell hit in the winning RBI. By far my best childhood memory. Metfanforlife November 6, 2005 I thought Kevin Mitchell added tons of talent and chemistry to the 86 Mets and should never have been traded. That cat story is a bunch of bs. I have read much more favorable accounts of Kevin in interviews with other people. Not surprised to hear he was handing out clothes to poor folks in Mexico. Yes he grew up in a bad neighborhood, but he was not a gangster. He was a guy who worked hard and parlayed his talent into a major league baseball career. New York was the perfect stage for him. The Mets management were idiots for trading him and letting Ray Knight leave after 86. The team was just not the same. Don't mess with good chemistry. Good luck to you Kevin wherever you are, and thanks for helping us win the WS in 1986. I was at Game 6 and will never forget it! Frank Grimes April 19, 2006 I love Mitch and all, he was a maniac who could play any position, but for a one year Met to be the 16th most popular look up of all time, I just find that somewhat out of whack. David Simons November 3, 2006 Don't hate the player. Hate the management that sold him off to the West Coast Rappers in exchange for that doughy white guy that always bolted from the clubhouse five minutes into the ninth inning. And this nonsense about him slicing off the head of a cat -- "Clean!" -- get yourself a grain of salt and think for a spell. The only reason Gooden "wrote" his best-selling novel was to take the HEAT off his own self. "I only did drugs twice, uh, I mean, thirty times, and only when I was drunk, uh, only 'cuz, 'cuz, 'cuz, I mean the pressure was, uh, hey lemme talk about the World Series, no wait, uh, uh, well at least I'm not as bad as Darryl and Mitchell!" Doc himself backed off the cat story. Can't we all get along? Did I mention that I saw Mitch crack five hits in five ABs against the Jints in '94 without breaking a sweat? Or that his career slugging percentage is higher than that of Jim Rice, Ernie Banks, Willie McCovey, Harmon Killebrew, etc. etc.? Phenomenal numbers from a guy who played in brutally pitcher-friendly parks, without steroids. And my man ROCKED on 'Get Metsmerized' too. Kevin Mitchell is the man, QED. Diamond Dave January 3, 2007 Just watched a replay of GAME 6 on SNY while home for Christmas in Poughkeepsie, NY and you know which Game 6! Mitch had to get re-dressed in time to come up to bat and stroke that key single. Still gives me chills. I check in to the Ultimate Database often and am also perplexed how Mitch is the #17 most popular search? pea tear griffin April 17, 2008 Somewhere toward the end of the book "The Bad Guys Won" by Jeff Pearlman they have Mitch confronting Doc at a card show and asking about the cat thing. Doc said that he didn't say it and a writer made it up. j Nall October 17, 2008 I meet Mitch when I was 16 after he was traded back home to San Diego. My older brother and I were hitting at a cage when we spotted Mitch in a Giants uni. I said there's Kevin Mitchell and my brother walked right up to him and they started sharing stories of playing softball and when they were scouted at a cage in SD. They both tried for the Mets, Mitch with success. They laughed and I'll never forget Mitch gave me a bat that I still cherish. He was kind at heart and built like a brick sh//house. He hit that 90 cage like it was 60, line drive after line drive. What a talent. Good luck, Mitch. Bobby G December 11, 2008 Kevin is one of the most admired ball players over the forty years of my baseball experience. His most memorial statement: "This is not pressure. Pressure is walking down a dark alley with big mean guys coming your way." I hope he is doing well. He deserves it! Sal February 5, 2009 He was my fave '86 Met and one of my fave Mets of all time. He played several positions equally well and had a real nice bat. Mitch had his best years with the Giants and the Mets should have kept him. He was a lot more exciting to watch than Kevin McReynolds! Hot Foot August 29, 2012 He wore my favorite number, he was the best rookie on the 86 Mets, he was versatile in the field, and he looked like a badass with a bat in his hands. He was one of my favorites among a team of superstars, and it all ended on December 11, 1986. The trade came out of the blue. I saw it in a small listing the transactions section of the newspaper- traded with Shawn Abner and Stan Jefferson for Kevin McReynolds and Gene Walter. I didn't know anything about those other guys but I knew a huge part of the Mets was gone. Along with Ray Knight, Mitch provided a winner's heart- one of the intangibles that was missing from the 87 team and the clubs that followed. I really didn't follow his career after he left the Mets. It was just too painful to watch how good he was with other teams. What could have been. The cat story was made up by Dwight Gooden (or his ghostwriter) to sell some books. Mitchell wasn't perfect, but his departure was a huge reason why the Mets didn't win another World Series in the 80s. Still, his great rookie year and performance in the 10th inning of Game 6 qualifies him as one of the all-time great Mets in my book. JayMac August 2, 2023 Of all the stories told on Game Six of the 1986 World Series, the one about Kevin is my favorite. He figured (like most of us) that the Mets were defeated after the Red Sox took a two-run lead in the top of the tenth inning. Mitchell got on the telephone at that point and started to make plane reservations for his trip back home. He was still trying to secure his flight seat when someone informed him that Davey Johnson needed him as a pinch-hitter immediately. Kevin then cut the call short and contributed to the great rally with a single and a run scored to tie the game. There's probably no recording of Kevin's conversation with the travel agent, but I would've liked to have heard it just to find out how it ended.

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