Ed Bouchee looks forlorn.
It’s easy to imagine that the 1962 Mets would do that to a man. Sure, you’re in the big leagues, technically. But the road to 40-120 must be a hard one.
Chances are, though, that there’s something more behind Ed’s sad eyes.
He was runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year in 1957, and his professional future looked bright.
However, following that banner season, Ed was arrested for indecent exposure. He spent a few months in a mental institution before being allowed to return to the majors in the summer of 1958.
He is the reason that there is no card #145 in the 1958 Topps set. Ed is listed as #145 on the team checklist, but in the set he is just an unexplained gap.
1962 would turn out to be his last year in the bigs, and he went out with the honor of being one of only two players to model a full Mets uniform in that year’s Topps set.
But still in those eyes all I see is the unexplained gap…
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