Samuel Finally Shines for Mets

Juan Samuel said he always wanted to be in a pennant race.

He got all that he wished for and, unfortunately, a bit more the second he was traded to the New York Mets.

If the Mets are, at times, a picture of frustration, Samuel is a major figure on that canvas. Dealt here in what the organization freely labels its biggest deal for an impact player since Kevin McReynolds was acquired in 1987, Samuel has struggled mightily.

He was embraced as a much-needed impact player the moment he arrived June 18 by an almost gleeful Manager Davey Johnson. Samuel was to jump-start the Mets with his talent and enthusiasm. He would reintroduce the Mets to that hungry feeling that perhaps one too many division titles had satiated.

It has not happened for the Mets or for Samuel. You can count on one hand the truly big impact hits he has produced since he arrived. And that includes his game-winning, two-out, ninth-inning single against Mitch Williams that gave the Mets a 3-2 victory over the first-place Chicago Cubs Tuesday night.

Samuel’s relief was palpable after that most important contribution as a Met. “It couldn’t have come at a better time,” the soft-spoken Samuel said.

Samuel’s hit, off a belt-high Williams’ fastball, plunked down just out of reach of charging right fielder Andre Dawson. It allowed pinch-runner Lou Thornton to score easily from second. It allowed the Mets to split a two-game series and pull to 3 1/2 games of first-place Chicago and two games of second-place St. Louis, which comes to Shea Wednesday night.

Samuel’s hit also took some pressure, at least for one night, off one of the Mets who definitely will be called to account should New York not win the East Division. Samuel arrived not only with a great buildup, but also at a high price. The Mets acquired him from the Phillies for the popular Len Dykstra and Roger McDowell.

“It’s the same type of trade as those deals (for McReynolds and Gary Carter), a major trade,” Mets Vice President Joe McIlvaine said. “In fact, we probably gave up more when it comes to immediacy because the guys we sent away were proven major leaguers playing a big role with us.”

But the expected has not happened. And Samuel’s failures bring hostile fan responses that rival those greeting Darryl Strawberry and Carter. And that’s as bad as it gets around here.

Samuel doesn’t alibi or blame the trade for his .242 average or 20 RBI since he joined the Mets. Pressing? Yes, he says, since opening day. “Swing the bat good for a couple days, then it comes right back,” he said.

Things had deteriorated so badly that Samuel lashed out. Last week, confused by his struggles on the field, disoriented by an environment completely foreign to him, he let it be known he might demand a trade at the end of the season.

The Mets would have to comply; it’s a right held by all players who are traded in the middle of long-term contracts, as Samuel was by the Phillies.

“I’m sure he was speaking out of frustration,” McIlvaine said. “At the end of the year, I’m sure he’ll evaluate the situation.”

All Samuel would say Tuesday was, “We don’t really have time to think about ourselves because we’re trying to put together something as a team. You have to eliminate personal things right now.”

The Mets are not ready to give up on Samuel. Yes, he has struggled, so much so that McIlvaine admits to being surprised. “Guys who get traded do sometimes,” he said. “But you’ve also got to look at the track record,” McIlvaine said. “He’s a two-time All-Star.”

That shows through at times, glimpses that must leave the Mets wondering where the tap is and how to turn it on permanently. In the top of the ninth, Samuel stunned Davey Johnson with his speed. He ran down a hit by Mark Grace in left-center and caught it. A great feat, considering Johnson “didn’t think he’d get close to the ball.”

Only the ending of the play disappointed. When Samuel hit the ground at the end of his dive, the ball jarred lose. Grace eventually scored the tying run.

But for one day, Samuel’s wasn’t a night of complete near-misses. He did not miss Williams’ fastball. He did not miss a golden oportunity to start salvaging this season.

Certainly, until the time he must decide to stay or go, Samuel can control some of the frustration by delivering big hits. They can take care of a lot of aches.

Samuel also must fight back against the culture shock. A native of the Dominican Republic, Samuel has only seen the rotten in the Big Apple. He’s living out a real-life version of “The Out of Towners,” only with a mean twist. He has witnessed brawls at traffic jams and even a shootout during an attempted robbery that left a New York street littered with bodies.

It’s certainly enough to make the strongest weep. Or, at least, want to flee. And the shame of it all is that real life is dumping all over Samuel’s dream. He wanted to escape to New York, or at least to the Mets, because he had never played for a winner. He wanted the pennant races and good times.

He got the race and a whole lot more.

Some days, though, the good peeks through. Tuesday’s heroics put a smile on Samuel’s face. Enough to make him hint he might find better times here.

“We all want to win, to be with a team that has a possibility of winning,” he said. “We all want to do that and I’m glad that I’m here right now.”