“Barry Lyons still gets Christmas cards from me” – Former Mets star David Cone still thanks his catcher for stopping Pedro Guerrero during near brawl
David Cone is one of the most successful pitchers of the 80s and 90s, winning five World Series titles. The 17-year professional enjoyed an impressive run with the New York Mets and New York Yankees, earning a Cy Young Award and five All-Star selections.
It was in the early days of his career with the New York Mets that David Cone proved himself as someone who would not stand down to anyone. During the 1988 season with the Mets, Cone had to do just that against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"David Cone on his "Brawl" with a MUCH larger Pedro Guerrero. Full interview is on this week's Baseball Dojo (sponsored by@FanDuel)...available wherever you get your podcasts. It's a great interview, don't miss it." - @PitchingNinja
The incident occurred when Cone struck Dodgers star Pedro Guerrero with a pitch, something that angered the much larger batter.
After nearly hitting him earlier in the at-bat, when Cone eventually hit Guerrero with a curveball, the Dodgers slugger threw his bat towards Cone and rushed the mound.
"Uh oh, this is the test," Cone said of the incident when Guerrero charged toward him before being held back by the New York Mets catcher. “Barry Lyons still gets Christmas cards from me," Cone said of his former catcher in a recent interview with Baseball Dojo.
Lyons was able to get to Pedro Guerrero before the slugger could make it to Cone.
David Cone and the New York Mets were no strangers to on-field brawls during their heyday
During the discussion, Cone said that the incident with Pedro Guerrero and the Los Angeles Dodgers was an opportunity for him to prove himself to the rest of his team.
The New York Mets teams of the 80s were a hard-nosed squad that was never a team to back down from their opponents.
"Another Phillies vs Mets brawl : Ex Met Roger McDowell heckles Greg Jefferies after he grounds out to end Mets season (1989) Darryl Strawberry always the first one looking for smoke.. Straw is that one dude you want with you if something pops off" - @incarceratedbob
Thanks to the likes of Keith Hernandez, Darryl Strawberry, Ray Knight and Dwight Gooden, the New York Mets found themselves in their fair share of on-field battles. The incident with Pedro Guerrero was something that Cone said helped him establish himself as a member of the squad.