Tank Gets Tanked

On this date in Mets history, July 23, 2001, fan favorite Todd "Tank" Pratt was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Gary Bennett . In hindsight, the trade worked out a little better for the Cheesesteaks.

Tank was a character. He the one with the game ending 1999 NLDS HR against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the one who changed Robin Ventura's grand slam into a Grand Slam single, will be well remembered by Mets fans.

He was a nuts-n-bolts type of player. Was a manager of a Dominoes Pizza place before accepting a contract from the Mets, where his career turned around.

I remember a story about Pratt when the Mets were slumping, and returning by bus to their home, Shea Stadium, was silent. Todd Zeile yelled (sic) "Hey Tank, we can't come home without your cry..." to which Pratt responded (sic) "This might be a toilet, but this is our home..." his teammates on the bus went nuts. Apparently this was Tanks rallying cry when returning from the road.

Todd Pratt's career with the Mets lasted from 1997 - 2001, and like many back-up Mets catchers, he was an important cog behind the starting catcher, who frequently provided big hits and huge defensive plays.

Tank was a character who was loved by the fans. He was that bolt of energy that is so obviously missing from today's team. So on this day, eight years later, metsfan73 raises his glass to Tank Pratt for the enjoyment he gave me as a fan to watch someone who truly loved to play, and it showed in every aspect of his game.

Source: Ultimate Mets Database