Happy Recap
October 18, 2000
For much of the 2000 postseason, I've been pacing around in front of my television like a panther in a cage. But, thankfully, this game wasn't very stressful at all. After Zeile's three-run double made the score 6-0, with Hampton in complete control, I was able to sit back on the couch and relax. But after the second out of the 9th inning, I stood up, raised my arms in the air, and let the goosebumps flow all over me.

It's not a common thing to see the Mets clinch a spot in the World Series, and these moments are all the more special because of their scarcity. And the fans at Shea clearly felt the same way. I don't know if I've ever seen the fans there more joyous. It was a fun night. And hopefully it won't be another 14 years before it happens again!

BRIAN
October 25, 2000
Let's Go Mets! Have your metro cards ready, buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks and you are now ready for the first ever Subway Series between the New York Mets and New York Yankees (Booooooo!!!). I can't believe that I got to go to this game. Boy did the cops look foolish in their riot gear. Nothing happened but I guess the city had to be prepared for the worst. Hampton was incredible (please resign him). I hope I get tix to the World Series but if I don't, I can be grateful that the last game I went to this season was a clincher. I am too young to clearly remember the 86 team so I really hope the Amazins pull it off this year. Let's Go Mets!!!

Alex
March 29, 2001
Wow, I sat in the Mezz box for this one. I had classes the next day and I was hesitant to go but was I sure glad that I did. Right from the start you could feel the electricity running through Shea. It was a muggy, cold, rainy night but that didn't stop us. After the 7th inning stretch and with a comfortable lead, you could see fans starting to make their own confetti. Then after Timo took a leap, then made the final out, it was almost surreal. We made it to the Fall Classic. Walking down Roosevelt Ave. to our car was fun in itself as fans drove by honking horns and shouting Let's Go Mets.

Jose Otero
May 22, 2001
My mother mannaged to score tickets right 3 hours before the game. We had box seats right down the 1st base line. Boy I was never so exitcted in my life. Mike Hampton mannaged to contain the much hyped Dead- Bird line up. As soon as the ball landed in Timo Perez's glove. I never went so crazy in my life.

Brian
March 9, 2003
This was possibly the best moment of my life! Rick Wilkins flying out to Timo Perez (who I thought should have been the NLCS MVP). I went to this game -- it was awesome. My first playoff game at Shea!

Derek Pope
April 9, 2003
I was fortunate enough to be at this game. The one thing I remember and always will remember is after Todd Zeile's three-run double made the score 6-0 how with the fans cheering wildly actually had Shea Stadium rocking, I mean really rocking. You could feel the stadium swaying, and sitting in the upper deck as I was it was a scary feeling.

Lee
August 13, 2004
I was at this game and I watched as the Mets beat up on Pat Hentgen and Hampton went the distance to pitch a shutout and the Mets were going to the World Series.

But there were two other things that happened this game, one that was hilarious, and one that was scary. Let me tell you about Rick Ankiel. He was incredible in the 2000 regular season, almost winning Rookie of the Year, but during the playoffs he was so nervous that he threw too many wild pitches to count and, in this game, he did it again, throwing one onto the screen at Shea.

The other moment was when Jay Payton took a pitch to the head, with blood coming out of it and the scary thing is, they let you take cameras into the stadium then because it was before 9/11 and I caught this scary moment on film. I also saw Mark McGwire pinch hit and he popped out and then a flyball was caught by Timo and the Mets won and I can still picture John Franco waving his NL Pennant shirt in the air. It was an incredible feeling, the Mets were going to the World Series.

Joe P.
October 4, 2004
We were sitting pretty high up, but it didn't matter at all. I will never forget watching Timo catch the last out, and the place going nuts. We were hugging and high-fiving strangers all around us. Watching Johnny Franco run around waving the white shirt as "Who Let The Mets Out" was blaring from the speakers - one of the best moments in my life!

Professor G
June 17, 2005
Of hundreds of Mets games I've attended in person, this one ranks as my number two all-time favorite (Favorite is still 1986 NLCS Game 3, Lenny Dykstra's walk-off two-run homer). What a moment to see the Mets all bolt from the dugout and the bullpen after that magic moment when Timo caught Rick Wilkins's fly ball. Even thought we were all euphoric at Shea, we wanted to choke that punk Dave Veres for hitting Jay Payton in the head. Nevertheless, I flew in from San Diego to join my dad for this series. We heard horns blaring all the way back into his Manhattan apartment, in celebration. I stayed up all night, watching TV clips of the clinching. The next morning, I didn't need the American Airlines 757 to fly home to San Diego - I happily floated there!

Joe Lanzisera
March 3, 2009
I was in Arizona on business and had a hotel suite filled with about 20 people watching this one. The game wasn't overly dramatic (Zeile's double about sealed it) and getting back to the Series after such a long drought was very sweet.

Michael
June 30, 2009
Fianlly our first pennant since 1986! And the first half of the Subway Series as we had to wait until the Yankees won the next day to make this a reality. Beating the Cardinals in this series was a nice way of payback from the heartbreaks they gave the Mets in 1985 and 1987. This is what the Mets could have done against the Cardinals in those years had there been wild cards. This also would be the last time the Mets clinched a postseason series in Shea Stadium. 2006 NLDS was won in Dodger Stadium. Lost 2000 WS and 2006 NLCS in Shea. Now Shea is gone.

Jon
January 9, 2011
Bought a single Upper Deck ticket and experienced this by myself, one of the best things I ever did for myself. The whole building shook when Zeile doubled the bases clear and it became clear we'd put them away.