A day after the Mets get their first win, they draw eleven walks in this game, and still lose. Reds rookie Sammy Ellis goes six innings and allows just one hit with all the walks, and the Reds win, 7-3.

The 21-year-old Ellis will walk 29 batters in 28 innings for the Reds before heading back to the minors for more seasoning. Ellis wound up with a 10-3 record (mainly in relief) in 1964; then he won 22 games as a starter in 1965, and made the '65 all-star team.

In their 12th game, Richie Ashburn finally gets the Mets first SB.

The last game in which Sheman Roadblock Jones pitched for the Mets, and his last major league appearance.

I have to correct my prior post. Sherman pitched one more game three days later for the Mets before being sent down to AAA. And he was recalled in September to pitch one more major league game for the Mets.

With a pair of home runs for the 3rd straight game, the Mets Frank Thomas becomes the 2nd player in National League history with six home runs in three consecutive games. Cincy ace Joey Jay tees up the two solos for Thomas today, as the Reds win, 8–6.

This was my 2nd and last visit to the Polo Grounds. Our little league took about 50 of us. We sat in the lower left field stands probably close to Thompson's homer. I remember in warmups Gene Freese of the Reds trying to throw balls into the stands, but somehow he always would come up a little short and hit the wall. I believe Mets scored 6 in the first, including a Choo Choo home run. Roger Craig got the win. That combo probably never happened again. I remember we were all upset because the game was part of a day-night doubleheader and we couldn't stay for the night game.

The Mets may have only won 40 games in 1962, but they won 2 of them on this date, the day I was born.

My first Mets game. I was 9. Mets gave out free "clinic seats" passes to right field upper grandstands. Great promotional move. Made me a fan for life. Mets won both games of the double-header with Roger Craig winning the first game and the Frank Thomas homer in the bottom of the 14th to win the second game against the Reds. By the way, Roger Clemens was born on this day. How cool was that?

With high school friends I attended this double header. We sat in the box of Harry M Stevens right behind the dugout. I recall at least one long rain delay, and by the 14th inning we had eaten several dozen hot dogs, all on Harry the Hat. We had just about given up since it would be after midnight when we would get home. I distinctly recall Thomas’ hit, and everyone knew it was gone the instant it was hit. Left field I think. Great day.

This was the second MLB game I ever saw and my first win as the Mets completed their biggest winning streak of the year (3 games). The Mets lost all 9 games to the contending Reds at Crosley Field in 1962 but won 6 of 9 at the Polo Grounds. Poor Cincy Manager Fred Hutchinson looked like he was going to have a heart attack and die right there in the dugout.

I remember this doubleheader at the Polo Grounds very well for two reasons:

My dad and I (I was 8 years old) had great box seats in the lower level, between home plate and the Mets dugout. In game one, Jim Hickman was batting against Reds lefty Jim O’Toole. Hickman popped one foul over our heads, and it hit the front of the press box and came down right on the seat or lap of the woman sitting behind my father. She reacted as if something disgusting had fallen in her lap and screamed, brushing the ball away from her and onto the ground under my father’s seat. He calmly reached down, picked up the ball, and handed it to me!

My dad was already a god in my eyes, but this cemented it! By the way, I have gone to hundreds of games with my dad, my friends, my wife, my kids....at the Polo Grounds, Shea, and yes, even in the Bronx (I grew up there), but this was the only game I’ve ever gone to where I got a ball.

And the second reason: we were driving home to the Bronx after the games on the Harlem River Drive (I’m not sure why we drove that day, we usually took the D train from Kingsbridge Road to the 155th Street Polo Grounds stop) and the lead story on the radio was that Marilyn Monroe had been found dead in her bed.

One more note: the victory for the Mets was their third straight win, their longest winning streak of the season, and brought their record to 29-79. They went on to lose the second game of the doubleheader, then lost their next two, won a game, then lost 13 in a row.

I was 8 years old when my father took me to see this Sunday doubleheader against the Reds. Commenting about game 1, I distinctly remember Manager Freddy Hutchinson ready to pop a blood vessel in his head watching his Reds lose game 1.

In game 2 I remember Frank Robinson hitting a home run into the upper deck in left and shattering the wooden seat where his vicious line drive ended up.

I also remember game 1 a line drive off the shoulder of Jim O'Toole caught by the shortstop who then had no idea what to do with the ball, so he threw it into the stands over first base trying to double or triple up someone off first.

But most of all I remember my first view of the Polo Grounds like it was yesterday. The grass was the greenest grass I have ever seen! Of course we arrived two hours before the game for batting practice. Left after game 2 having consumed more ham sandwiches than any 8 year old should have eaten.

As the 2006 Mets close in on the division title my son Kenny asked me if I knew on what date the 1962 Mets were eliminated from the pennant race. Thanks to the daily standings provided by the Ultimate Mets Database, I was able to research this, and according to my calculations, they were eliminated after they lost this game to the Reds in Cincinnati on August 10.

After the Mets lost on August 10, their record was 30-84. That meant that if they won all the rest of their games, the best they could end up would be 78-84.

The Dodgers (who were in 1st place at that time, although they ended up losing the pennant to the Giants) were 79-38, meaning that even if they lost the rest of their games, the worst they could end up was 79-83, which would still be 1 game better than the best that the Mets could do. Therefore, as of that date, it became mathematically impossible for the Mets to win the pennant. I don't know if that's the earliest elimination in history, but it's hard to imagine being eliminated any earlier.

Actually, they probably were really eliminated earlier - since there was no interleague play back then, it would have been impossible for a team to win the pennant with a record under .500. So they probably were really eliminated at least a few days earlier, since even if they had been able to win a few more than 78 games, it would have been impossible for at least one other team in the N.L. not to have had a better record.

Choo-Choo hit the 6th and last Mets walk-off homer of the 1962 season in this game.

It was my 13th birthday and my parents took me to see the Mets at the Polo Grounds. I can remember riding in the back seat of my Dad's car across the bridge from the Deegan over to the Polo Grounds and thinking how "small" the stadium looked. I was amazed that it could seat 55,000 fans because it didn't look very large. The pitching matchup was Jay Hook vs. Bob Purkey. Purkey was on his way to 23 wins and Hook was on his way to 19 losses. The both pitched that way that day! Mavelous Marv went deep, but the day belonged Fred Hutchinson's Reds. Robinson,Pinson,Coleman,Blastingame,Kasko,Cardenas Post were too much for Thomas, Throneberry, Drake, Coleman, Chachon, Mantilla! To this day I can't drive by Yankee stadium without looking across the river with fond memories of the Polo Grounds.

I believe this is the first Met game I attended, and second game overall. I was 7 years old and already an avid fan. As I recall, the Mets were facing one of the Reds aces, either Joey Jay or Jim Maloney. The Reds scored twice in the top of the first and the guy behind us said "Well, that's the ball game". My first thought was "Can't be, it just started!", but my second thought, and even at age 7 I understood how bad the Mets were, was "He's probably right". But the Mets proved us both wrong. If memory serves me right, they scored 2 in the bottom of the first to tie it, 2 more in the 2nd, 1 in the 3rd, and 3 in the 4th to comprise all the scoring. I was thrilled. Can anyone dig up a box score of this one so I can see what really happened? Thanks a lot.

Much like the comment above, I believe this is the first game I ever attended. I was 8 years old and just becoming a baseball fan. I had remembered the score being 6-2 but I definitely remember it was against the Reds in 1962 with Marv Throneberry hitting a home run. My Dad took me and he worked 6 days a week so the game must have been on a Sunday, which this game was. He was a Dodger fan who had given up on baseball when they moved...the Mets were the perfect answer for both of us. They only won 40 all year, so we were pretty lucky to see one.

The Polo Grounds was pretty dilapidated by this time but all I remember is how bright the colors were in person (only black and white TV in our house then). The green of the grass, the blue and orange against the home whites, the clubhouse off in centerfield. Amazin'!!

50 years later and I'm still a Mets fan. My Dad died young and we didn't have too many days like this together. I commemorated the game and the day on a brick at Citi Field, right in front of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which would have meant a lot to my Dad.

Thanks, Ultimate Mets Database for the chance to remember.

The Mets come away with a split on this Sunday at the Polo Grounds with a 13-12 win.

The Mets took an early 5-0 lead, but Jay Hook couldn't hold it. The game is tied 6-6 in the fifth inning, then the Mets score five in the bottom of the fifth to go up 11-6. But the Reds come back with six in the sixth to take a 12-11 lead. The Mets score twice in the bottom of the eighth and hang on for the win.

Just landed a very nice copy of a signed and partially scored program from this game. Looks like the scorekeeper got disgusted after the 3rd-inning 5-run spanking and quit keeping score (or left!). Signed by Chico Fernandez, Larry Bearnarth, Tracy Stallard and Carl Willey.

Duke Snider hit his 400th career home run in this game. According to a Trivial Pursuit set of questions I once owned, Lindsey Nelson announced on the air that Duke became the first player ever to reach that mark on color television. I'd like to see a video clip - preferably in color - of this homer just to find out if Nelson actually made such a statement.

The Mets won this game at Crosley Field, then proceeded to lose their next TWENTY-TWO road games! Their next win away from the Polo Grounds was July 30th at Dodger Stadium. In between they lost 2 in Cincinnati, 3 in St. Louis, 3 in Pittsburgh, 4 in Chicago, 4 in Philly, 3 in San Francisco, and 3 in Houston.

They were shut out 4 times and were outscored 131- 42 in that stretch.

First game of a doubleheader, and the Mets come away with a 5-3 win. Jim Hickman led off the bottm of the first with a home run off Bob Purkey. The Reds tied it in the third on an RBI single by Pete Rose.

Ron Hunt's sac fly gave the Mets a 2-1 lead in the third, and in the fourth Joe Hicks drove in Duke Carmel who had doubled. The Mets added two more in the fifth off Joe Jay to take a 5-1 lead on a walk by Tim Harkness, a single by Ron Hunt, and a two-run triple by Duke Carmel.

Al Jackson gave up an RBI single to Gene Freese in the sixth and a pinch homer to Eddie Kasko in the top of the ninth and finished with a complete game win.

The Mets won the first game and it was too much to expect that they'd win a doubleheader. So after Pete Rose hit the first pitch of the second game for a home run, my friends and I moseyed down the left field line to stand above the Reds bullpen. The bullpen was, I believe, in the outfield, in fair territory, in the Polo Grounds. We leaned over the rail and begged for one of the Reds to throw us a baseball. They were in a bad mood and Joey Jay who had pitched that first game came out from under the overhang and started cursing us out. We began to tell him how badly he had pitched and before long it got kind of ugly. He had a pretty foul mouth and we 13 year olds weren't too nice either. Before long, one of the Reds came out from under the overhang to grab Joey and pull him back under. We persisted for a while but after a while we realized we weren't getting a free baseball or a reaction from Joey so we left and went back to watch the Mets split the doubleheader.

My parents took me to this game, part of a Labor Day doubleheader at the Polo Grounds. We were seated in the right-field stands which were only 257 feet away from home plate. Pete Rose hit a home run into the second deck right over our heads for the only run of the game. Jay Hook pitched a great game but fell 1 run short.

As usual I went to the game with my Dad and I believe we sat in the bleachers. It was a great pitchers battle: Jim Maloney vs Hook. Maloney gave up only 2 hits both to Tim Harkness - a 1st inning single and a 6th inning double while Hook gave up only 4 but alas one was the Rose leadoff homer which if I remember correctly was hit on Hook's 1st pitch of the game. As usual for the suffering Mets fans no one knew it would be the game winner for another 2 hrs.

To confirm Joe R.'s memory from April 2003, Pete Rose hit Jay Hook's first pitch of the game for a home run as the Reds won, 1-0. Jim Maloney struck out 13 and pitched the shutout.

I'm so glad that others remember this game. I've been watching baseball for a long time, but I never remember another game that was settled with the first pitch and then ended 1-0. Pete Rose hit that first pitch for a home run and that was it. This was the second game of a doubleheader and my friends and I snuck down to seats right behind homeplate. We saw Jim Maloney warm up-- these were the days when pitchers warmed up right behind home plate. We had never seen anyone throw the ball harder than Jim Maloney. I can still remember the sound of the catcher's glove popping. With the September twilight and that fastball of his, it's no wonder that he only needed one run. It's too bad because Jay Hook, obviously, pitched great too. This game is another reason for Mets fans to hate Pete Rose!

I just discovered this website! Better late than never. It was the end of summer and I was about to start high school. The Pete Rose HR that won, 1-0, came right at me in the upper RF deck, where the stands first curved out, but I had just stood up to buy a coke--the first pitch of the game---and the ball struck the metal backing and caromed back onto the field. Pete's 4th career HR! What a souvenir! What I could have done with it on e-Bay. I kept all my ticket stubs and scorecards.

This was the last game I attended at the Polo Grounds. It was the day after Labor Day, a week before school opened. There was a small crowd and we were able to purchase box seat tickets not more ten rows behind the Reds dugout. My friend, a Red fanatic, actually was given a bat used in batting practice by Vada Pinson.

My only recollections of the game, besides the final score, was: 1) Joe Nuxall started for the Reds and was thrown out trying to steal second (probably the only highlight of the game for the Mets) and 2) no matter what the score was, the crowd loudly cheering on Casey's Amazin's with "Let's Go Mets."

On a play at second base, Ron Hunt steps on Frank Robinson's left arm, and Robinson winds up with thirty stitches.

Just finished listening to this game. First night game ever at Shea. The key play in the game was typical of the early Mets.

4th inning with the Reds leading 4-2, starter Bill Wakefield gets knocked out of the box. Casey brings in Ron Locke, who has only been in a handful of games up til then. Tommy Harper is on first base and Locke walks Vada Pinson on 4 pitches. So with Harper & Pinson, two of the fastest players in the league are on base. Then, as Bob Murphy points out on the broadcast, Locke forgets that he has two guys on base and instead of pitching from the stretch, he goes full wind up and Harper practically walks to third base. Pinson is so surprised he doesn't take advantage.

That's enough for Casey. He takes Locke out without letting him throw another pitch, LOL. He brings in Larry Bearnarth and his first throw is a wild pitch and Harper scores, Pinson goes to second base. Makes it 5-2. Then Deron Johnson, the batter up at the time, hits a double, Pinson scores and it's 6-2. Then Frank Robinson singles, scoring Johnson, 7-2. Robinson steals second base. Johnny Edwards moves him to 3rd on a ground out, and he scores on a Leo Cardenas single, 8-2. When Bearnarth finally got the side out, the Shea Faithful gave a loud, sarcastic round of applause.

So night time baseball at Shea got to see right away the same type of baseball the Mets were playing in the Polo Grounds the two years before. And Casey was probably thinking to himself, "it never was like this with the Yankees."

My parents took me and my brother to a July doubleheader versus Cincinnati on July 12, 1964. My dad got the tickets through his work and I think they were in the loge or mezzanine section. I do remember walking through the Diamond Club and thinking how great it is to see my first big league game, a doubleheader no less. In those days a win was a rarity and the Mets took both games that day. I remember everyone yelling loudly, so much that my mom lost her voice the next day. If my memory is correct, Vada Pinson of the Reds hit a homer that day in one of the games. I think it might have hit the foul pole. Great seats, a doubleheader win, what more could a 9 year old Mets fan ask for?

This was the opening game of the first doubleheader sweep ever by the Mets at Shea. In the six previous doubleheaders at Shea, the Mets had split twice and been swept four times.

For some reason, the Mets had the Reds number in the early years and played better against them than just about any other team except the awful Cubs. The Mets had also swept the Reds at the Polo Grounds in a 1962 doubleheader and nearly did it a second day in a row before settling for a split. And there was also the game the Mets beat the Reds after being no-hit by Jim Maloney for ten innings.

My first of many, many visits to Shea. A memorable one at that for a 10 (going on 11 in two weeks) year old, also my first doubleheader. My father took me, we had great field level seats in the Rheingold box, up close and personal at the visiting team on-deck circle.

Dad helped me keep score. I was first introduced to the reasoning behind the pitcher batting ninth in the order.

Field level seats were yellow back then and the scorecard had a Worlds Fair logo on the front cover like the patch on the players sleeves. I saw Casey Stengel close up and remembered my Dad tipping the usher after he wiped our seats upon arrival.

Mets won both games and played like a first division club. Pete Rose was the first ever batter I saw at Shea. How ironic that I sat in those same seats almost to the day 44 years later in 2008, the last year of Shea Stadium's existence!

Jim Maloney fires a one-hitter in the Reds, 3–0, win over the Mets. Joe Christopher's 2nd-inning single is the only hit.

It was fan appreciation day at “Big Shea”. Actually it was a twilight-night twin bill. I don’t remember much except that they gave away a lot of junk you didn’t need. In between the games the Mets and Reds had some sort of competition on the field. I remember a relay toss from the outfield to home was one of the events.

One interesting aspect of this game is that the Reds’ victory put them into first place in the National League ahead of the Phillies (who were in the midst of their “Phamous Phold”.) They went on to sweep the Mets in the second half of the doubleheader for a lead of one full game over Philadelphia. The Cincinnati team then lost four of five games (all at home) to close out the season. Overshadowed by the Phils’ collapse, the Reds had a failure of their own in a quest for a pennant. The St. Louis Cardinals wound up in first place and went to the World Series.

Big scoreboard in right in the bottom of the ninth proclaimed, "WE THANK YOU FOR HELPING IN EVERY WAY TO MAKE THIS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SEASON IN THE YOUNG HISTORY OF THE METS. GOOD LUCK AND GOOD HEALTH...SEE YOU IN '65"

From retrosheet.org:

Ron Swoboda lost a grand slam at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. In the first inning, after a single, double and intentional walk, Swoboda hit a long drive to center field off John Tsitouris. At that time, there was a double fence; the main wall was concrete and it was topped with a plywood extension to protect the road construction crew outside. The concrete was in play while the plywood was a homer; Swoboda’s ball hit the plywood and bounced back. Vada Pinson threw the ball back to the infield; second base umpire Frank Secory ruled that the ball was in play. The slam turned into a 1 RBI single. Coach Yogi Berra was ejected for arguing the call for the first time in his National League career. After the game he uttered one of his classic lines: "Anyone who can’t hear the difference between wood and concrete must be blind."

Yes, this was it, almost exactly. However, in my memory the double fence was one in front of the other, with the plywood fence 3-6 feet behind the concrete fence.

The reason it was only a single was that Swoboda hit it so hard the runners barely moved, and everyone was confused, first thinking that Pinson (a great center fielder; probably only Flood and Mays better then) would catch it, and then certain that it was a homer.

Two more notable things to remember: Crosley Field had the incline, and the Mets announcer (I don't remember which one) went as crazy as Yogi did.

Exceptionally well-played. The Mets knocked out Reds' ace Joey Jay, as Charlie Smith and Johnny Lewis homered. Complete game by Al Jackson. Ron Swoboda, recently called up from the minors, was replaced by Casey in the outfield by Jim Hickman, who saved the game with a great running catch. Neither Ron Hunt nor Pete Rose played, but Vada Pinson and Frank Robinson did. The Mets were but a few games under .500 after this win, but couldn't sustain the pace. A visitor from Massachusetts, I've kept my score card in the attic. Friendly crowd of more than 37,000. Modern crowds should be so good natured.

My first major league game with my dad. I was 8. The game ended and it was quite exciting to be in a big league stadium and have all the peanuts and crackerjacks my 8 yr. old stomach could handle!

After the game, I took my scorecard and yearbook (I still have the yearbook) and was ready to leave when my dad informed me that there was another game!

My reaction was "I WANT TO GO HOME"! He begged and bribed me to stay for a couple of innings so that he could see an "all-time" great pitcher pitching for the Mets. I relented after about 5 minutes and a promise of ice cream!

That pitcher was the great Warren Spahn! Who knew??

Reds' Jim Maloney had no-hit the Mets for 9 innings at Crosley field. Johnny Lewis homered in the 10th to win the game.

Maloney no hit Mets for 10 innings.Lewis hit HR in 11th.

Little known fact: this game was the first combined shutout by Met pitchers. Casey liked to let pitchers who were pitching a shutout go for the complete game. This was the only combined shutout during his Met managerial career. Wes Westrum had a different view and after he took over as manager the following month after this, the Mets had several more combined shutouts the rest of 1965.

I remember listening to this game on my transistor radio...I was 13.

I was impressed. This is my only major league game I was in a stadium. I remember Pete running to first after a walk. Johnny Stephenson missed a play at home plate that allowed a run. In the last inning he hit one ball to the center field that looked like Vada Pinson couldn't catch though he felt backwards, but Pinson ruined Josephson's night catchin' that ball even though he was crawling backwards. I still got that in my mind.

Reds ace Jim Maloney allows two hits in shutting out the Mets, 4–0, at Shea

All in all it was a pretty good day. The Mets shut out the Reds, the Beatles released "Paperback Writer," and I was born. Cool!

I remember this game very well! It was Rusteck's ML debut, and he threw a shutout against the heavy-hitting Reds. Being a fan of the Mets throughout their short existence, I thought: At last! A quality pitcher who is not at the end of his career! Alas, Rusteck hurt his arm a few starts later and was gone from MLB forever. Trivial note: I believe that Rusteck was a graduate of Notre Dame.

Sitting in front of the b&w tv watching the pre-game show brought to you by Benjamin Moore Paints. Interview with Gordy Coleman, calls Selma the toughest slider that he has seen all year. Rusteck throws a 6-hit gem besting Jimbo Maloney and the future looks great until he throws his arm out!

This was the first and only win, complete game, and shutout of Dick Rusteck's short major league career.

It was Rusteck's major league debut, and he allowed just four singles and one walk. The Reds never had more than one baserunner on at a time, and they never got a runner as far as second base.

Ed Bressoud had a three-run homer in the second inning and a solo homer in the eighth. John Stephenson drove in the other Mets run with a third inning single.

Rusteck pitched three more games, then was on the DL for two months. After coming back he pitched four more games in September and October, making a total of eight appearances for the year...and then his major league career was over.

These were my first major league games a doubleheader 2 days before my 14th birthday. I was with my dad. I'm from Louisville but was a Mets fan from day 1 of their existence. When the Mets swept my dad made the shhh sign but I walked out with a 10 foot smile.

Sitting behind third base watching Chuck Hiller struggle in LF. Asked my dad what his problem was and he said, IRONHANDS! Chuck did hit .280 that year and I think Milt Pappas started one of the games in this, a Labor Day doubleheader!

It was Milt Pappas vs Jack Fisher in game one, and Jim O'Toole vs Dick Selma in game two.

This doubleheader was actually fan appreciation day. Between games the Mets and Reds competed in some friendly feats of throwing skills. They gave some stuff away too.

In his second-to-last appearance as a Met, Dennis Ribant faces Jim Maloney and comes out on the short end. Maloney strikes out thirteen as the Reds shellack the Mets. 7-0.

Ribant finished the 1966 season with an 11-9 record for a team that went 66-95. His ERA was 3.20, almost half a run better than the league average that year.

In December 1966 he was traded to the Pirates along with Gary Kolb in exchange for Don Bosch and Don Cardwell. Ribant won only eleven more games in his career after the trade and pitched his final major league game a week after his 28th birthday in September 1969.

This is the game in which the Mets clinched NOT finishing in last place for the first time. They had finished in last place every year during 1962-65. Completing the 1966 season in 9th place ahead of the Cubs may not sound like much but it was a step up in the world.

Twi nighter at Shea during a school night. I remember Kevin Collins getting a shot at 3b, or was it Joe Moock, or Joe Christopher, hell, in those days it could have been Joey Heatherton..

John Bench catches one of the games for the Reds after a call up from Buffalo and I think my man Vada Pinson, *28, hit a home run in one of the games.... Actually, the thirdbaseman might have been Sid Rosenberg!

Camera Day! Got some great pictures. Tommy Davis taking his sweet stroke. The Glider Ed Charles. (He had the greatest smile in baseball.) A very young Billy Connors. Larry Stahl, Cal Koonce, Harvey Haddix, Wes Westrum, Hal Reniff, etc. Most notably, Ron Swoboda clowning around by posing with a very small kid's Met cap on. Unfortunately, when the game started, they couldn't touch Gary Nolan.

Brutally cold, windy, and gray Sunday afternoon, with an unusually small crowd on hand to brave the elements. Mets took an early 2-0 lead, and McGraw retired the first nine. My cousin and I were screaming for a perfect game! (I think we started with one out in the first!)

Oh well, it was all down hill after that, as McGraw ran out of gas early, and the Mets couldn't muster a comeback. The vendors ran out of hot chocolate early, too, on a day more suited to a Jets game.

To Ken S. great story about your time on that brutally cold, windy and gray afternoon at Shea. September weather in New York can be topsy-turvy: One day it can be like a summer day in June and then it can turn into November-December without the snow. According to retrosheet, the attendance was 12,339.

A Met fan was born this day....literally, just a few miles away in Jamaica as my hero Tom Seaver was pitching a complete game in Flushing, I was making my debut.

I was at this game. My older brother and his wife took me to see the Mets and the Reds because my sister-in-law was a Ron Swoboda fan. During the middle innings Jerry Buchek made a nice backhand catch on a hard hit line drive. A few innings later Buchek was replaced by Al Weis. My brother who wasn't much of a baseball fan asked me why they made this move and I said it was made for defensive purposes. Some wise ass know-it-all sitting in front of us must have overheard my remark, turned to his friend and said "the guy makes a great defensive play and they take him out." He said this with the dreary smug arrogance of the typical no nothing "expert" fan. It still amazes me forty years later how little fans know about how this game is played and won.

The Mets get three runs but only one hit in this game.

Cleon Jones doubles in the first off Jim Maloney to drive in a run. In the sixth inning, Maloney walks the bases full with nobody out. Clay Carroll comes in to relive Maloney and gives up two infield outs, scoring two runs.

Don Cardwell had a game to remember on this night. He pitched a six-hitter for the win to end a streak of seven losing decisions that started the previous year. Cardwell also hit the last of the Mets' four home runs with a three-run job in the eighth inning. This was the only homer by a Mets pitcher in the team's world championship season.

This was a wild game featuring a bench clearing brawl with Eddie Kranepool wrestling Reds first base coach Jimmy Bragan.

As I remember, Kranepool fielded a throw from one of the infielders and thought it was the third out. It was only the second out and Krane thoughtlessly flipped the ball to Bragan, as was the custom.

Bragan threw the ball behind him and the runner on base kept running. Kranepool realized his mistake and proceeded to pummel Bragan, who easily had to be 30 years older. Bedlam errupted. I can never forget Lindsey Nelson screaming as though he had swallowed the microphone: "There's a fight on the field...it's Eddie Kranepool and Jimmy Bragan!" At that point it looked like Big Ed had engulfed the dimunitive Bragan.

The Reds manager, Dave Bristol, got pitched from the game. He was red hot that an opposing player fought one of his coaches.

When Eddie came to the plate the fans at Crosley Field really gave it to him, but he had a good game with 3 hits. I'm sure it's a game he'll never forget.

There are a few things you can count on in life: death, taxes, women on Spanish TV wearing sexy outfits or bikinis and the Mets vs Reds in a donnybrook. Kranepool's fight with Bragan was sure a sign of things to come between two legendary National League franchises!

I'll never forget this game, not so much for what went on during the game, but for my experience before it. Three buddies and I drove down from Dayton to catch the game. I brought along my most prized possession - an autographed Ron Hunt card. Hunt was my all-time favorite Met and I thought it would be cool to have Pete Rose autograph the same card, Rose being the one to beat out Hunt for Rookie of the Year. Got there very early, sat through BP, waited patiently then move down to the rail as Rose came over to sign. There were maybe 30 others all clamoring for his attention but my Mets hat caught his eye first. "What the (bleep) do you want, Mr. Met?" "Could you please, Mr. Rose?", as I offered him the card and a pen. Upon seeing what it was he flew into a rage screaming expletives that would shock a sailor, tore it in half threw it down and proceeded to stomp all over it. He then stormed off toward the dugout. Half way there he noticed a piece of it stuck to his cleat. He ripped it off and attempted to punt it into the upper deck before leaving. The remaining autograph seekers wound up screaming at me, my friends were laughing their butts off, and I just stood there my mouth agape. To this day Ron Hunt remains my favorite Met, while Rose remains a First Class Jerk!

This one has particular relevance for me since it was the first Major League game that I ever attended. My Dad, myself and three of our friends sat in the press-box and I vividly remember being astounded by the beauty of the Stadium and the electricity of the game itself. Gary Gentry started against Reds southpaw Jim Merrit and I believe Merrit actually homered in the game. The Reds had Johnny Bench behind the plate, Pete Rose in left and Tony Perez at third not to mention the likes of Lee May, Vada Pinson and Bobby Tolan to boot. I was eleven years old and became totally addicted to the sport since that balmy July evening. We stayed from batting practice through the entire twelve innings and I recall thinking that if there was a Heaven on Earth that it was located in Flushing Meadow at the Willets Point stop on the 7 Train.

Sorry to be the fact police, but Vada Pinson was played for the Cardinals in 1969, contrary to the previous post.

This was a comeback win for the Mets that typified their 1969 season. The team was down by two runs in the eighth inning when Art Shamsky got a double that went off center fielder Bobby Tolan's glove and advanced Cleon Jones to third base. Wayne Garrett grounded out to drive home Jones and, with two outs, J. C. Martin hit a line drive that bounced off the top of the fence and into the bullpen for a two-run homer to put them ahead. With a runner at second in the top of the ninth, Bud Harrelson made a diving catch of Jimmy Stewart's liner for the game's last out. Three things that went in the Mets' favor to produce a victory.

This was one of those late afternoon 4:00 games. My aunt and uncle took me for my birthday and I saw a gem by Tom Seaver. The most memorable play was a successful pickoff play at second base between Seaver and Bud Harrelson. The other memorable aspect of the game was the song "Ma Cherie Amour" by Stevie Wonder. As we were going through the parking ticket booth the girl had on the radio and that song was playing. I have not gone through that booth since without thinking of that song!

My very first game. I was 10 years old and my dad and I sat in the RF box seats (I think $4.50 per ticket, still have the stub packed away somewhere) and I saw my idol pitch a great game and win. Like any kid at his first game, I was star-struck. Like the other commenter, I remember it was one of those 4 pm starts, the Mets used to promote those as days you could spend time at the beach and then come to Shea to see the game, although we didn't go down the shore first. I also remember it being a long-since discontinued promotional day, Player Family Day, in which the Mets' kids (and remember this was a young team, so the kids were mostly pre-schoolers) "played" against their dads, and it was fun. But I also remember that the next day was Batting Helmet Day and my dad was somewhat perturbed when he learned that if we had gone that day instead of to this game, we could've gotten the same helmet he bought me (for probably about $2) for free.

I was 12 years old and I remember the game like it was only yesterday. It was my first Met game ever, and it was also batting helmet day. I remember seeing all the hot dog wrappers and the plastic from the batting helmets blowing around in right field where Pete Rose was playing. I remember Nolan Ryan striking out 4 or 5 batters in 2 innings pitched. Also I remember Tony Perez hitting a home run, I think off of Tug McGraw. Mets lose the first game I ever went to, but who cares it was the year of the miracle Mets. I spent many future summers going to Shea Stadium. I used to call Shea Stadium my second home.

Like Richard this was also my first game. My mother had Diamond Club passes and seats on Press Level that belonged to the Queens Borough president. I remember riding the 7 train and seeing the orange, sky blue, and teal(?) art deco metal hanging from cables on the outside of the stadium and then seeing the green grass and huge scoreboard. I remember the PA announcer and the Reds players names I heard in the starting lineup: Pat Corrales, Chico Ruiz. I saw 3 Hall-of-Famers that day: Ryan, Rose, Bench and that started a love affair that continues to this day. I was 6 and 1/2. This site has enabled me to pin this game and countless others down. I knew it was a Sunday and Cardwell started and the two Reds I mentioned were in the starting lineup and that the Mets lost 5-3 I think.

It was my first game, as well, at the age of 7. Batting Helmet Day made Shea look like a sea of blue. I'd love to know what the attendance figures were for this game. I'm pretty sure it was sold out. All through the game, I kept asking my father, "Why don't I hear Bob Murphy, Lindsey Nelson, and Ralph Kiner?" Their voices were so ingrained in my mind that I took for granted that it was a live game I was watching. I remember that Don Cardwell started, and that Cleon, Tommie, and Buddy were in the starting lineup. I also remember Tony Perez hitting a home run, with Bench and Rose in the Reds lineup. Finally, some fans ran into the outfield late in the game, and everyone was having a good time watching the police try to catch them. It was the first of many games I've enjoyed at Shea, and the beginning of a love affair with live baseball games.

Here is your answer Mr. Shawn Davis for your attendance question. According to retrosheet.org: 55,391.

My first game, too. My most vivid memories are the batting helmets all over the place, and Don Cardwell getting hammered. Pete Rose led off the game with a double (I believe) off the left center field wall. I remember being crushed that Bud Harrelson was not in the lineup that day.

I miss Shea.

This was my first game as well. Don Cardwell vs. Gerry Arigo. Rose hit the first pitch off the wall in left center for a double. Rose confirmed this at an event in Bethlehem Pa. in 2016. Bobby Tolan hit a three run homer in the first and the game was pretty much over. I recall a full house and also the fan who ran on the field in, I believe the 7th inning. Twenty years later at Shea, I mentioned to a friend of this important anniversary and three nearby fans bought me beers and would not accept my attempts to return the favor. Magical times!

Second Met game for me. Went with Cub Scout 144 from Central NJ. Had tix down right field line in the press level mezzanine. Flew banner. Heckled Pete Rose below us all game. Great Memory.

This was the first Major League game I ever attended. I was 10 years old. I lived in southern Indiana about 2 hours from Cincinnati. I became a huge Reds fan in '69 but quickly became caught up in the excitement of the "Miracle Mets" in the playoff and World Series that season.

In 1970, I remember that Riverfront Stadium was new and opened in June. (Would something like that happen today with a stadium opening during a season? Doubt it.) They completed construction so the All-Star game could be held there.

Regarding that August 11 game, I distinctly remembered, all these years, that the big three sticks for the Reds (Lee May, Tony Perez, and Johnny Bench) each hit a home run. Perez' was a grand slam and the Reds site tells me that the slam was the first upper-deck home run in Riverfront Stadium. I also remember that Pete Rose doubled and slid head-first into second base safely on the play.

Other than that, most of my memories are of my awe at the (what I perceived as) the big city of Cincinnati, the stadium, and just being there with my parents and sister.

And, oh yes, I remember feeling that the Mets were like gods since they had won the prior World Series. It would take some frustrating years in the early 70's rooting for the Reds to win one; they finally did it '75, and for good measure, another in '76.

Aug. 11 1970 is one of the most memorable days of my life. Glad to share it with you.

This was my very first major league game. Will never forget riding the escalator up and catching my first glimpse of that beautiful green grass. Koosman shuts down the Big Red Machine. What a thrill for an 11 year old. Thank you Uncle Barney!

One of my first Met games. I was 12. My dad decided to drive to the game (from NJ). We got lost somehow in Brooklyn, then somehow wound up in the Bronx and finally got to Shea in the 4th inning just in time to see Jim McAndrew give up 2 runs to the Reds. It was Camera Day at Shea and I bought my "Insta-matic" with lots of extra film but since we arrived late, Camera Day festivities were finished so I used up all the film on pictures of the game. Since we were sitting way up in the General Admission seats (nose-bleed country!, the players looked about the size of ants. It was shameful to hear Tug getting booed for giving up the winning run to the Reds but it was a beautiful cool, breezy sunny day at a young Shea Stadium in the greatest city in the world so all was not lost. We got home without a problem!

My first major league game - I was 10. We sat in the Press Box. We took Camera Day photos, but for some reason they weren't developed for a over a decade. Somehow they actually came out. It was interesting looking back at what Shea looked like back then.

I remember this game. Joe Foy made a error in the 9th inning on a I think it was a double play ball. If the Mets would have turned the double play they would have won the game.

In a doubleheader opener that was delayed by rain, the Mets scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to pull one out over a Reds team that had the best record in the major leagues. With the game tied and the bases loaded in the ninth, Ron Swoboda (who had four previous walk-off walks in his career) came up to bat. Swoboda went down on strikes, but Joe Foy followed with his third consecutive walk to force home the winning run. A great comeback victory!

They said nearly 2 inches of rain fell prior to the doubleheader, which made for some interesting sights. First, both starting pitchers for Game 1 warmed up side-by-side in the Mets bullpen because the visitors' bullpen was flooded, which must have been so strange to see. Also, the outfield was practically made into a pond, as the broadcasters relayed how some parts seemed to be at least ankle-deep in standing water. All game, balls hit into the outfield came almost to a sudden stop because of how wet it was. But with this game being so late into the season, and a doubleheader scheduled, they were desperate to get the games in and play no matter what the circumstances.

Tommy Agee had apparently suffered a knee injury the previous day, but aside from a limp one could hardly tell. He went 4-for-4 at the plate with 2 homers, including a lead-off shot in the 1st. He also made a leaping catch at the wall to potentially rob Bobby Tolan of a home run in the 4th while uncharacteristically playing RF, as Gil Hodges had realigned his OF to remove Agee from the tougher assignment in CF, which was his natural position. Thus, Cleon Jones played CF and Ron Swoboda was in LF, which would be his only time appearing in LF during the 1970 season. Agee almost hit a 3rd homer in the 9th but it went foul by about 10 feet down the RF line. Agee's outburst came almost out of nowhere, as he hadn't hit a HR since July 11.

Gary Gentry tied his season high by issuing 5 walks, but none of those runners scored. He only allowed 4 hits over 7 innings, which has to be considered a success against such a tough Reds lineup. Gary Nolan started for Cincinnati and continued his tradition of pitching well against the Mets, but was let down by his bullpen when the Mets scored 3 in the 9th to win it.

Art Shamsky had one of the big hits in the inning, as his RBI single tied the score. It was his first RBI in over a month, which is not something you want to hear from your usual cleanup hitter. Thankfully, Joe Foy worked a 4-pitch walk to bring in the winning run, picking up where Swoboda faltered.

This was the second game of a doubleheader that I never thought would take place. I attended Shea that day and remember that the first game was delayed by rain for almost two and a half hours. The Mets won the first game on a bases loaded walk. There also was a rain delay between the first and second games. In the second game, I believe that Don Gullett made his major league debut. He was outstanding, striking out batter after batter.

It was so late that I could not stay for the end of the second game. I remember taking the subway and arriving home after 11PM. It was a long but memorable day.

Richard, you have a great memory! The first game of this doubleheader did end on a bases loaded walk by Joe Foy, and it capped off a three run rally in the ninth inning. The Mets were down, 4- 2 but got a run on two singles and an error, and then tied it up on an RBI single by Art Shamsky. After Wayne Gaarrett was intentioanlly walked Ron Swoboda struck out, but Foy came through with the "walk-off walk" to win the game.

In game two, the Mets had an early 5-2 lead with Seaver on the mound. The Reds came back to make it 5-4, and then took the lead on a two out pinch- homer by utilityman Jimmy Stewart in the seventh. It was Stewart's only home run of the 1970 season and the eighth and final home run of his career.

Meanwhile, in the bottom of the sixth, rookie Don Gullett had come on in relief for the Reds (by the way, Gullet had been with the team all season, so this was not his first game). Gullett wound up pitching the last four innings and retired all twelve batters he faced. This is how it went:

Sixth inning: struck out the side. Seventh inning: struck out the side. Eighth inning: Two foulouts.

I was 7 years old and made my mother wait for several hours until they called the game. They started playing around 3:30 and my mother loved Seaver and we watched about 5 or 6 innings of the second game after moving to field level seats. That was the only time they let you sit anywhere without a ticket. I guess because of all the rain and sparse crowd by that time. This site is enabling me to piece memories together and sure is great. All I remembered was august 1970, Reds, and rain.

Someone posted home video footage of this doubleheader on YouTube. I followed along with the scorecards and it is the actual game. I can't post the link here but search YouTube for 1969 Mets or email me.

i remember watcthing that game on TV and it was easter sunday and it had gone so long with out any score until jerry grote hit a home run in the bottom of the 11th to win it for the Mets what a game and a W.

This was the first baseball game my brother took me to. I was 8 years old. I remember Jerry Grote hitting the game winning home run. It just cleared the orange line they had on the wall in left field corner. It seems like it was yesterday.

This game will always be special for me, because it was the first baseball game ever for both my brother and myself. I was eleven and he was five. Not only was it Easter Sunday but it was Helmet Day as well. We sat in the Loge by First base. My favorite player Tom Seaver was pitching. At the end of nine, there was no score. Much to our disappointment, our father wanted to leave in order to beat traffic. Before we got to our car, we heard a huge roar from the stadium. My father turned on the car radio and we found out that Jerry Grote had hit a "walk- off" home run in the bottom of the eleventh. Some 36 years later, I can still remember it like it was yesterday.

This was the first major league game I ever saw. My dad took me to it. I remember Seaver's brilliant pitching - nine scoreless - and all the great players from both the Mets and the Reds. I had to convince my dad to stay as the game went into extra innings, and I still remember clearly Jerry Grote hitting his walk off home run in the bottom of the 11th. I was 8-years old, and I got to see Seaver pitch once more many years later in Boston when I was a grad student at MIT: it was the last year of his career and he was pitching for the Red Sox. Tom Seaver passed away yesterday - God bless him and his family.

Looking at the box score of this game reminded me that I watched it on television. t was the first time I ever saw a pitcher hit a home run. The Reds' Wayne Granger knocked one out of the park in the eighth inning and it got my attention. I had never seen a homer by a pitcher before.

I checked Granger's batting statistics on Retrosheet and found that this was not just his only home run, but also the only RBI and run scored of his major league career. It was also Granger's only hit of the '71 season.

What's most notable about this game was a film clip of Pete Rose scoring all the way from first base on a 5th Inning double by Red teammate Lee May and his signature diving belly-flop head-first slide of home plate as the Reds defeated the Mets in that Mid-season game, 4- 2.

The Mets got swept in this pre-all-star-break doubleheader for their seventh loss in a row and they fell ten games out of first place.

Tony Perez drove in all five runs in game two, with the crusher being a three run eighth inning homer off Tom Seaver, who came in to relieve starter Jon Matlack. Jim McGlothlin had twelve strkieouts for the Reds.

Was that Seaver's first loss in relief? Why was he in relief?

Seaver appeared in relief in this game because it was the final game before the All Star break. Back in the day, managers treated that game like Game 7 of the World Series, running out anyone and everyone on the pitching staff.

I recall that Gil Hodges coached 3rd base during game 2. Doctor Worm is right, Tom Seaver came on in relief in the 8th, something that I had not ever seen (of course I was only 11!). Very memorable game!

I believe this was the second game I ever went to. It was a twi-night doubleheader; my dad took my sister and me. We sat down the left field line and I remember Lee May hitting a home run in to the left field loge seats. We tried waiting out a long rain delay in the second game but it was getting late and we were leaving for vacation early the next morning so we decided to leave. Just as we hit the parking lot the rain had stopped and we heard the crowd cheer as they apparently came out to take the tarp off. We listened on the radio as the Mets came back and won.

In my 1st-ever sports event, my retrospective is bittersweet. I was to witness 2 young RH pitchers whom I would never again see in blue and orange due to a pair of trades, one arguably the worst ever. Nolie pitched well, though in defeat, in Game One, but it’s Game Two that leaves a stronger impression. Local product Charlie Williams, amid the rain-delay, threw his only CG as a Met, and enabled me to finally enjoy the Mets beating the Bad Red Machine. The name is familiar for one reason: Willie Mays. A trade that also shouldn’t have been. Years after Willie retired, Charlie was a competent presence for Frisco - years that would’ve been better spent at Shea. Maybe not CGs, but close. Thanx to my late parents for a 10yr old’s seminal experience.

I remember going to this game with my dad. It was pouring rain and they were determined to squeeze in a double-header. With Ryan pitching game 1 and the rain delays it was a long day. By the end few people were left. I am left with great memories of a 13 year old and his dad, trying to stay dry and rooting for Charlie Williams. Thanks for ending the day on an up note.

I too, remember sitting thru the rain of this long twi-night doubleheader. Ryan lost the first game, and they threw out Charlie Williams against the Big Red Machine in the second. Well, Williams did OK, and the Mets exploded for 9 runs to split the night.

One particular memory I have was of another fan's comment during the game. Duffy Dyer was coming up to bat, and someone shouted "Come on Duffy, show Bench how it's done!" Dyer promptly got a hit. As a 10 year old, I got a big kick out of that.

I attended this double header with my Dad and my two bros. Not my best memory of attending a Mets game. It was pouring rain and they were trying hard to get it in. We were soaked and crabby and had a long ride back to Syracuse. But...at least we were being a family My Dad is long gone now and I wish I could sit thru a rainy double header with him today.

This was the first game I ever attended at Shea. I was eight years old and really wanted to see Tom Seaver pitch. I had to settle for Gary Gentry, though. Gentry did a good job, nearly shutting out the Big Red Machine. My clearest memories of the game are seeing the 14 on Gil Hodges' back as he walked out to the mound (it was the only time I would ever see him in person) and a birthday greeting to Cleon Jones that flashed on the scoreboard.

I remember my father took me to the game, I was 12 years old. My only memory of the game was Pete Rose leading off the game with a triple and eventually scoring, it was the only run of the game. The next day we were at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and I remember seeing outside on a large board the previous days scores, and there it was: Cincinnati 1, Mets 0.

This was my first game I ever went to. I was 4 years old. We sat in the Mezz in left field. I don't remember much from this game, but I do remember how great it was to see a game in person. I only hope my son feels the same way when I take him to his first game this season.

The Mets were coming off a miserable July (9-20) and after this game they fell to 1-4 in August. On June 30 the Mets were 45-29 and in second place, just two games behind Pittsburgh. After this loss they were 55-53 and in fourth place, twelve games out of first.

Pete Rose drove in the only run of this game with an eighth inning double, and was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple. Gary Gentry pitched a fine game, allowing just seven hits while walking two and striking out eleven. But Gary Nolan allowed just five hits over 8.2 innings and Clay Carroll came on to get the last out for the save. The Mets got only three runners as far as second base in the game.

Something I saw in this game had me fooled for a long, long time. In the fifth inning, Joe Morgan sent a line drive to left field that hit John Milner’s foot and caromed far away from him. Morgan circled the bases for what looked like an inside-the-park home run, but that doesn’t seem to be what happened. Websites that cover play-by-play accounts of past games state that the play was an error on Milner all the way and not even a hit was credited to Morgan. For more than forty years, I thought of this moment as the first ITP homer I ever saw. It was apparently scored as a four-base error instead. Funny how some of your experiences as a youth can turn out to be illusions later in life!

Tom Seaver was the big star on this day. He pitched a complete game in a 2-1 win over the eventual National League Champions. Tom allowed only five hits, all of them singles.

It was Seaver himself who provided the margin of victory. In the seventh inning, he broke a 1-1 tie by hitting a home run over the left field wall. Pete Rose just looked up helplessly as the ball sailed out. Tom Terrific had won his own ball game!

This game was played on Father's Day. I don't know if this is true, but it might have been Tom's first one since becoming a father for the first time. Whether it was or not, he had a great day in more ways than one.

This was the game that Rusty Staub hurt his hand.

Yes, this was the game Rusty hurt his hand. He was out for exactly a month, came back for one game on 7/18, then was out for exactly two more months until 9/18 and played the end of the season.

Meanwhile, the Mets who were 36-20 and in 1st Place by a half game after this win, played under .500 the rest of the way to finish 83-73 and way off the pace. In short, 1972 turned out to be a disappointing season that had started with much promise despite the loss of Gil Hodges and the short-lived players strike. But it was followed by the miracle of 1973.

I remember Menke getting 4 hits, and of course, May's HR pulled to left. More of a line drive than a Strawberry shot.

The first major league I ever saw. The Mets were playing the Big Red Machine. Dave Marshall was playing right field and allowed a ball to go through his legs. Staub was out for the season with a broken hand, Cleon, Harrelson and Boswell were out of the lineup as well. It was Brent Strom's major league debut. The lineup was Kranepool, 1b, Lute Barnes, 2b, Teddy Martinez, ss, Garrett, 3b, Agee, lf, and Grote, C. I can't remember who was in left that day. The Mets lost 5-0. Bench hit a home run and a double. Joe Morgan made a spectacular play at second.

Mike, if you are still reading these boards, it was John Milner in LF and Dave Marshall in RF for this game. It was actually Brent Strom's second appearance, he had broken in three weeks earlier against the Expos. Johnny Bench homered leading off the second inning and later singled to help build another run.

Jack Billingham pitched a three-hitter (all singles) for the Reds.

I was a Long Island kid, lifelong Yankee fan. May ‘73 spent the weekend with my Grandparents in Queens, 1st ever subway ride on the # 7, 1st baseball, game! Yogi Berra managing ,Tom Seaver pitching, Willie Mays in center field, Johnny Bench, Pete Rose! Bench hit a home run that seemed to be 10 feet high the whole way out. Mets lost, but won the NL Championship against the Reds. So many great players. Although the Yanks have given me great memories, it’s a Met memory that stands above all. Thanks Grandpa

My first MLB game ever to see. I'll never forget the Big Red Machine and the Mets. Only so sad Willie Mays never got in on this Double header. Got an autograph from Jerry Koosman from the Mets, it has since been lost.

Would like to know how to get ahold of Jerry to ask for another. I'll never forget how kind Mr Koosman was, in getting his signature. WOW. Something I'll never forget!

This was my first MLB game. I was 9 years old at the time, so details are a little fuzzy. But I remember Willie Mays' double went to the LF corner. Still pretty good wheels for an old man. And there was a rain delay. Also, I remember waiting for players to come out after the game so I could ask for autographs (my parents found the parking lot somehow) and Reds OF Bobby Tolan blew past all the kids and sped away, squealing his tires. We have a photograph of me looking up at him and he stormed by. The Reds and Mets seemed to be bitter rivals that year, as the Rose-Harrelson brawl in the playoffs would probably prove. I had all of my Mets and Reds baseball cards with me, so I recognized the players very well for a young kid.

This was the only game my father took me to. We lived in western KY and made the 4 hour drive to Cincinnati with my best friend accompanying us. I was, and always have been, a Braves fan, but this was the only game my father ever offered to take me to, so I jumped at the chance. Being a Braves fan, I of course rooted against the division rival Reds.

Grimsley pitched well that day for the Reds. Matlack also had a good game. The Reds took a 2-0 lead into the top of the 7th and Willie Mays homered to lead off the inning. I believe that was #658 for him.

The Reds scored another run to make the score 3-1, which would be the final score of the game. But there was one more highlight for me. In the bottom of the 8th, Joe Morgan hit a flyball to deep centerfield. Mays raced back to the wall, but the ball bounced off his glove. But he managed to catch the ball with his right hand to secure the out. It was an exciting play for me.

On the way home my friend and I discussed the good fortune of seeing Mays hit the home run since his best years had definitely been before we came to know about baseball.

When the Mets won the division that year and played the Reds, I thought back to my game. I remember telling my father that the teams we saw at the game were playing for a chance to go to the WS. Not being that big of a baseball fan, too busy earning a living, he said that was nice and that was it. But I’ve never forgotten the HR or the catch.

The only run the Mets scored in this game came on a fourth inning home run by Willie Mays off LHP Don Gullett. The homer turned out to be the last one of Willie's career...number 660.

I was seven. My dad and I sat in the Mezzaine in right. Johnny Bench was playing right that night and I felt honored to get to see him up close. Also got a great view of Willie Mays' last home run in the Majors -- a liner to right center. George Stone pitched great for the Mets. Remember Johnny Bench running over Mays who was playing first that night. It was a close play and Mays had leaned into the basepath and Bench rolled him over. Mays was down for a couple of minutes. The Mets never got back up. Reds tied it, and won it on an extra-inning Hal King homer.

I am from Cleveland. My Godfather who lives in New York took me to Shea that night. It was the first time I have been to another ballpark other than Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. I was 12 years old and remember seeing Mays' home run to right center field early in the game. I also remember Bobby Tolan's great catch in center field that night in the ninth inning that pushed the game into extra innings. We left after the ninth inning. Little did I know that this was Mays' last home run of his career. It is this game and Len Barker's perfect game in 1981 that I can say "I was there".

I was 11 years old, It was my birthday and my Dad took me to the game. We lived in Ronkonkoma so it was always a bit of a journey to get to Shea but my grandparents lived in Richmond Hill so we would go every so often. I kept telling my dad that Milner was going yard but much to my father's delight it was Mays. I remember thinking how strong he was. He just kinda flicked the bat at it and drove it out the other way. I didn't realize until just now that was his last dinger. Somehow it seems fitting; he was my Dad's favorite player and we were both there to see it. Pretty cool.

A tough loss for the Mets. George Stone was only one out away from a two-hit shutout when the Reds got three straight singles to tie the game. Hal King then homered in the top of the tenth inning to win it for Cincinnati.

The Mets' lone run came on Willie Mays' 660th and final homer of his career. The pitcher off whom it came was Don Gullett, who was born the same year (1951) that Willie played his rookie season with the Giants.

I remember Johnny Bench climbing the wall in right center trying to catch a HR by John Milner.

I saw this game on television and I recall it being a cloudy day. It was a thrill to watch the Mets whip the Big Red Machine. Don Hahn slugged a three-run homer and John Milner added a grand slam off a left-handed reliever just brought in to face him.

Johnny Bench, who was playing right field for Cincinnati on this day, climbed onto the bullpen fence in pursuit of the ball Milner hit. I also remember Ted Martinez beating out a throw to second base on a bunt by Jon Matlack. The Reds argued the call, but Martinez was safe.

Matlack pitched eight shutout innings before the Reds scored in the ninth. Jon also had a single to center field to drive in the final Mets run. A nice game to see on an overcast Saturday afternoon.

This is the first Mets game I ever attended. My dad knew some of the ushers, so he got us in box seats on the 3rd base line. I was five years old, and until I found this site remembered little about the game other than the final score (8-3 in 16 innings) and that Seaver and Billingham started. Good memories.

I remember this game very well. It was one of my favorite childhood memories.

I was 8 years old and day camp had ended for the summer. My brother, who was 11, and I were sitting around the house watching TV when my mom decided that we needed to get out of the house. She called my friend's mom and we all hopped onto the Q44 bus line to Roosevelt Avenue to go to Shea to catch this afternoon game.

I remember that we didn't arrive until the 3rd inning and I was upset that we had already missed some of the game. My mother and her friend were chatting while the game went into extra innings. At 5:30 p.m or so, my mother noticed that the game was still going on (day games started at 2:00 p.m. in those days) and started to bug us about leaving, since she needed to get home to make dinner for my dad. We whined and complained and ended up staying for the whole games. We got home about 7:30 p.m. Even though they lost, what a great day.

I was this game as a 18-year-old Met and Tom Seaver fan. He mowed down the Big Red Machine, but his weak-hitting team couldn't get him that one run he needed. I'm 55 now and still consider Seaver one of the best of my lifetime.

Oh, did this game break my heart. I can still see Seaver walking off the mound. He was awesome, but two later homers and no run support did him in.

Bench and Rose with 8th and 9th inning homers. I forget which order. Both solo shots, one to the opposite field...ugghh. Good thing we went on to win the series!

I remember Seaver pitched one of the best games of his career and he drove in the only run the Mets got ! I watched the game with my Uncle Tommy (now deceased) and his friend John McNamara. Thanks, Tom Seaver, for the memories.

I remember watching this game well.This was one of the best games Tom Seaver ever pitched. People need to note how great the Reds hitters were to really appreciate Seaver's performance. Bench, Rose, Morgan,and Perez were all future Hall Of Famers. And Dan Drieson batted over 300 in 1973. I watched the game with my Uncle Tommy, now deceased. Thanks, Tom Seaver, for the memories.

Wow...surprised that I'm the first to post on this fantastic game.

As I mentioned in the Jon Matlack memories section, this was hands down the best game ever pitched by a NY Met. Ranks up there with best post-season performances in MLB history.

Mets were down 1 game to 0 in a best of 5, on the road against the Big Red Machine. Matlack pitched a two-hit shuthout. Just amazing, and clutch as can be.

The two Cincy hits were by Andy Kosko, of all people. I assume JM went the whole nine. Will look that up in a minute. Does anyone else miss those days, when a manager let a pitcher go the whole way?

I can't stand this Tony LaRussa crap that is now the standard operating procedure: go to your eight innning guy and then go to your ninth inning guy. That template would have made this '73 gem just another bland victory by committee.

Just so you know Lendog you were right. John Matlack did go all 9 innings. And Andy Kasco did get both hits. Also even if this was current day baseball, any manager would let John Matlack go all 9.

Jon Matlack stifled the Big Red Machine with a two-hit shutout. Matlack struck out nine batters and the NLCS was even at one win each. Rusty Staub slugged a solo homer and the Mets collected five singles in the ninth inning for four more runs. Great game.

Andy Kosco singled for both Cincinnati hits. I remember Kosco also hitting a drive down the left field line that was over the wall, but foul by inches. Kosco, Sparky Anderson and a few coaches argued the call to no avail.

LenDog, I couldn't agree with you more. Baseball was so much better back then with pitchers going all the way. Could you imagine Ray Sadecki or Harry Parker coming in, in the eighth? They would have pitched to 2 pinch hitters, then Rose...who knows what could have happened.

As a young (11 years old) Mets fan in 1973, I got the thrill of my life when my father told me that I was going to attend that day's playoff game against the Cincinnati Reds. At the time, a friend of my father, Stanley Binger, worked as a host in the Diamond Club restaurant at Shea Stadium, so the plan was that he would be taking me into the game and I would be sitting by myself in the lodge section just outside the Diamond Club area (imagine a mother allowing THAT to happen today!). I was being supervised to some degree by one of the ushers, who Mr. Binger obviously trusted with my well being. Even though I was a rather shy eleven year old, I certainly couldn't pass up the chance to see my heros play The Big Red Machine in a playoff game, so if I had to sit in a big stadium amongst thousands of complete strangers, then so be it!

It was a wonderful game as the Mets jumped out to an early 9-2 lead. All of a sudden, in the fifth inning, everyone around me jumped to their feet and roared. Since I was so small I was unable to see what was happening with all the adults standing up around me. I asked the man next to me what was going on, and he told me that Pete Rose was beating up Bud Harrelson. I remember saying, "He can't do THAT!" I also remember vividly, Willie Mays and Yogi going out and pleading with the fans in the left field stands to stop throwing things at Rose, or the Mets would have to forfeit the game. I couldn't imagine what a riot that might have caused.

The fans calmed down, however, and the Mets won the game, and I was probably the happiest baseball fan on the planet that day. I have no souveniers from the game (I don't think I was even concerned about souveniers that day), but I will always have that memory of my greatest day as a Mets fan.

I was a beer vendor covering the left field side of the upper deck. After the fight between Pete Rose and Bud Harrelson, people were grabbing the cans of beer off my tray to throw onto Rose's head in left field. Because of that incident, 1973 was the last year vendors sold beer out of cans at Shea.

I was in the mezzanine down the LF line with a couple of friends. The whole incident with Rose played out right in front of us. What people may forget is that Rusty Staub hit two home runs that day despite a wrist injury that forced him to essentially swing the bat with one hand, sort of like a tennis player.

I was sitting in the upper left field stands. After the Rose incident I remember Rusty Staub coming out to left field to plead with the fans to stop throwing objects. He had his bat with him and was pointing to the scoreboard to stress that the Mets were way ahead and we were in danger of forfeiting. If I'm not mistaken Willie Mays and Seaver were with him. I remember being scared because the upper stands started to sway with all of the fans jumping around. Props to Wayne Garrett for being the first one to literally jump in to save Buddy.

Game 3 of the 1973 LCS is the earliest memory I have of an actual Mets baseball game. Of course, what I remember most was that my dad actually took me (at 9 years old), my younger brother and two cousins to a playoff game! The series was tied at one game each with the Cincinnati Reds coming to Shea. The Mets jumped out to a huge lead as Le Grande Orange hit two homers and drove in four runs.

My clearest memory of the game occurred at the end of the fifth inning. With the Mets ahead 9- 2, future Hall-of-Famer Joe Morgan hit a ground ball to John Milner at first. The runner on first, known as Charlie Hustle, slid hard into second base in an unsuccessful attempt to break up a 3-6-3 double-play that ended the inning.

From our seats in the upper deck behind home plate I told my dad that something was happening at second base. He told me that the inning was over, completed the entry in his scorebook, and then looked up to see Pete Rose beating up Bud Harrelson. The crowd went wild. We went wild.

Rose got the best of little Bud, but the Mets got the best of the Big Red Machine in the game and in the series. The Mets secured the pennant and I secured my dad's scorebook.

I was 13 at the time and planning my day around watching the game on NBC. It was Columbus Day and we were off from school and my friends and I played touch football late morning to early afternoon then we watched the game at my friend's house in Cambria Heights, Queens. I remember Koosman was sharp striking out Tony Perez to end the top of the 1st. Then the Mets started hitting. Rusty Staub had a huge day. Then the famous fight between Rose and Harrelson. NBC's camera had the back of the Reds 3rd base coach and I remember yelling at the TV for him to move. Jim Simpson and Maury Wills did the game for NBC. Then the Mets had to tell the fans too stop throwing stuff at Pete Rose in left field. It was a great game. Looking to acquire the tape of that game and series. Does anyone know where I can purchase a copy of that game and or series?

I thought this game was played on a Saturday afternoon, because I was outside playing with my friends (mom didn't believe in her kids staying in on a nice sunny afternoon, so she kicked me out) when my mother called over to me and told me about the Rose/Harrelson fight. Hearing her tell it was just as exciting as watching it.

Anyway, I have to agree with Stan. I would LOVE to see A/E put out the complete 1973 NLCS on DVD. The games do exist, and the series was one of the most exciting ever.

When someone mentions Columbus Day, I don't think about Queen Isabella, the 3 Ships or any parade (although I am 1/2 Italian); I think about game 3 of the 1973 NLCS and the now famous Buddy Harrelson-Pete Rose brawl. I still get chills listening to Bob Murphy's blow by blow account and to this day my friend Kathy (who's all time fave Met is Buddy) cannot stand Peter Edward Rose and the Mets got sweet revenge when the Amazin's won in 5 (the NLCS was best of 5 until 1984).

Two things that stick out: If you look up the website retrosheet.org and go to the boxscore, it doesn't even mention the fight. Also, go on youtube.com and type in Our World Fall 1973. It was a ABC News show that would air a period of time in the world's history and that particular episode mentions the 1973 NLCS as well as more serious matters like Watergate and the troubles of the Middle East.

How about during the brawl...Pedro Borbon picked up a Met hat and put it on. When he realized it he threw it to the ground and stomped on it! There was a lot of emotion out there.

Pedro Borbon did pick up a Mets cap and put it on. But actually he put the bill in his mouth and ripped it off with his teeth, when he realized it was a Mets cap.

I was a freshman in high school on the cross-country team, and on this day had brought my transistor radio to practice so I could listen to the game. We were out in the middle of nowhere running a several-mile loop when I heard Bob Murphy describing the Rose/Harrelson fight. This marked the beginning of a prickly relationship between Rose and the fans at Shea. For years afterward, fans would hoot and holler whenever Pete came to bat--and I imagine some of the Met fans doing so were too young to even have any knowledge of the fight. (I also think it was done more out of a quirky "tradition" as opposed to any genuine hostility.) This was briefly put on hold in 1978 when he was in the middle of his 44-game hitting streak; when he came to bat, everybody cheered! Then after the drama of the streak was over, the fans were less animated but you could still sense some restlessness when Pete was in town. I remember Ralph Kiner wryly observing, "Only in New York."

I was at the game with my dad and brother. I remember watching Buddy throw to first as Pete barreled into him, but then looking at Milner complete the DP and begin to move to the Met dugout, but stopping suddenly, looking at 2nd base, and running toward 2nd where Wayne Garret had already arrived to help Harrelson. And then, Rose getting pelted with stuff from the stands, Sparky Anderson then pulling the Reds off the field, until three great Mets, including future Hall if Famers Mays and Seaver, along with Rusty Staub, going out to plead with the fans to stopping throwing stuff at Rose. For good measure of how intense fans were, my brother, who I called today to confirm my memories, also recalls some Reds fan with a banner and a Met fan taking a lighter to it. Crazy day, big win for my '73 Mets.

Was at this because of Columbus Day holiday. I remember Kooz coming in high and tight on Rose a little earlier then Rose smacking one up the middle. I'm glad he's being kept out of the Hall lol...I remember Borbon sucker punching Capra then Dyer hitting Borbon.I also remember the brute strength of Bench pulling Rose from under the pile. Strong dude.

Isn't this the game where Pete Rose won it for the Reds with an extra-inning home run? I think it was the day after the Rose-Harrelson fight. I will never forget how happy Pete Rose looked when he hit that home run; he was easy to hate in those days.

This was the game when Rusty Staub made that great catch in right field, where he slammed into the wall and robbed Dan Dressien of an extra base hit. Unfortunately he separated his shoulder in the process. If he was 100% in the World Series, who knows what might have been. Rusty Staub was truly the M.V.P. of the series.

Milner grounded out to Pedro Borbon to end the game, not Joe Morgan. Retrosheet is wrong.

Raced home from school at 3 to watch last few innings and Rose running around with his fist in the air. The noise coming from the Reds dugout was really apparent on Channel 9.

I was a Shea beer vendor for Harry M Stevens, but on this day I wasn't too interested in selling beer. My vendors badge allowed me to get into the ballpark. My father took my sister out of school--- told the principal there was a family emergency--- and got tickets in the upper level. I couldn't wait to run onto the field since I saw it done in 1969. In the eighth inning we crouched in the aisles in the field level, perched to run onto the field. As soon as the final out was made, all the temporary plywood stands along the field crunched over in unison. It sounded like hundreds of fireworks going off together. I danced onto the field and took some sod samples to plant in my parents Levittown lawn. One sad note, though. At the final out, Mets centerfielder Willie Mays was attempting to run off the field through the right field bullpen. I suppose a fan tried to nab Willie's hat or glove, because I saw Number 24 wrestle the fan to the ground inside the bullpen and beat him up.

I was a senior in college and my friend and our two girlfriends cut class and drove to Shea. I remember walking up to the ticket both and getting 4 tickets. Wow! It was an exciting game and everybody booed Pete Rose the whole game. Seaver pitched a great game and it was a nice touch when Yogi took him out to a standing ovation in the ninth. By then we all moved down and stood in the lower box section. When Tug got the last two out everyone piled onto the field and a great dust cloud covered it. Grass chunks were missing from hundreds of spots. I stayed in the stands and saw the last NL Chamionship banner right in front of me. I asked the cop next to me if I could have it and he said 'sure'. The Mets had derailed the Big Red Machine and were '73 NL Champions headed to the World Series.

I was 12 yrs old, already a die-hard fan. I had missed school to watch games 3 & 4 on TV. So on that morning, I resigned to the fact that I couldn’t miss school again, and I would miss the start of the game. But as luck would have it, my older brother came up with a wild idea – he informed me not only was I going to miss school again to watch Game 5, but that we were going to the Big Shea and try to but tickets to the game!

We bought general admission tix at the window for $3.00 each, up from the usual $1.50. I still have the colorful stub.

We all know what happened in Game 5 - plus I remember the 'Spiro Agnew resigns' flash on the scoreboard. During the 8th inning, my brother and I made it from the last row in the upper deck to about the 4th row behind 3rd base as the Reds threatened in the ninth.

We were among the first to make it onto the field, and I remember my jubilation quickly turned to horror as none other than Pete Rose was running right at me. He was like a blocking fullback, knocking over anyone in his path. Rose headed right at me, who was weighing in at about 80 lbs at the time. Luckily, I saw him in time and dodged him, then I had to duck a couple of other Reds as well.

I remember seeing many injured fans laid out, hurt in the stampede. I then went to home plate, but others were already cutting it up with an army knife. Ditto for the pitching rubber. So after grabbing a piece of the infield grass, we headed to the right field pen, where we cut up a piece of the bullpen tarp. We took the grass home, rolled up in the tarp. I then planted the grass in my parents back yard, and the grass still lives today!

My employer gave me a box seat ticket for this game. The box was #257E, seat 8, field level. I was very happy to attend this game but the end of the game proved to be more interesting. I recall people jumping over the rails, pulling out huge chunks of sod and throwing them into the stands. I caught one of the chunks and brought it to a co-worker who was a REAL Mets fan. He treated it like gold, took it home and planted it in his backyard, and surrounded it with a tiny fence. He was thrilled to have that bit of the Mets right in his own backyard forever. I still have the ticket showing "Mr. Met" running with his cap falling off.

The legal notes kept by Supreme Court justice Harry Blackmun were released to the public on March 4, 2004. Among the papers was a small memo that was handed to Blackmun from fellow justice Potter Stewart while the two were on the Supreme Court bench hearing arguments in a court case. The undated memo reads, "V.P. Agnew Just Resigned!!" Below, it says, "Mets 2, Reds 0." The note must have been passed after the first or second innings, or early in the third. The date could only have been Oct. 10, 1973. I am pleased to see that some of the most powerful men in the United States, hearing a legal case that was important enough to merit the high court's attention, still took a few moments to keep abreast of the NL championship -- as well as other matters of national importance.

I was 11 and my father pulled me out of school to go to the game. Our seats were great. Box seats on the first base side. I was in awe of the Big Red Machine. Who wouldn't be? Rose, Perez, Morgan etc. This was only a few days after the celebrated Rose Harrelson Fight and passions were inflamed. Tom Seaver was my favorite and he was on the mound. I think I remember the sign man being on the other side of the field. It was a noisy crowd. I remember Seaver pitching great, and Willie Mays' crummy little infield squibler (third base side?) which we thought might be his last hit.

I remember watching the wild celebration on the field and my father hanging on to me so that I wouldn't be knocked over as what seemed like thousands of people swarmed past us onto the field. My dad was not a huge baseball fan, but he definitely was excited when he learned that Agnew resigned. I remember him telling me Agnew was a crook, who never should have been Vice President. I'd been to games before, 100's of games after, but that one game made me a fan for life. That's why my email address is Metsfan@compuserve.com.

I was 15 in 1973 and a rabid Mets fan. Played hooky and went to the game (day game, do they still exist?). Got to Shea early, bought a three dollar ticket and wandered around the old World's Fair site before the game. My friend and I snuck down to the box seats and amazingly weren't thrown out. A lady actually gave us 2 tickets.

Bear with me here. 1st inning a great omen as Willie Mays "legs out" (remember he was 90 at the time) an infield semi-chopper. Crowd is insane all game after recent mugging of 112 Lb. Harrelson by arch-vilain Rose (historical footnote-scoreboard shows Agnew being forced out of White House at gunpoint, or at least being asked to leave). End of game.

It seems that all 58,000 people are in the aisles or on the baseline's temporary barriers (set up for cameramen), most of them on my back. As the final out is made 58,000 souvenir hunters storm the field. I'm looking for something to grab. Unbelievably Darrel Chaney is still in front of the Reds dugout (was he on deck?). Chaney was filling in at shortstop for the injured Dave Conception. I run over to him at about 90 miles an hour, jump on his back and grab his hat. It seemed right at the time. I ran off and he actually swung the bat he was holding and caught me in the arm. I didn't blame him then and I don't blame him now.

If fans tried this stuff today they'd be trampled by 1,000 horses brought up from Philadelphia.

I return to school the next day (Brooklyn's Xaverian) with the hat to show off. Unfortunately Chaney sports a 6-7/8 hat size, too small to even fit most high schoolers so of course everyone figures I'm full of crap (as some of you may now). I'm crushed.

Cut class in 5th grade- was a half day anyway and took Q44 from Bronx to Flushing. My dad had this hang up about taking the train one stop from Main St to Willets Pt. but as we walked there were hundreds of us walking in unison. After we went on the field we walked back to Main Street and everyone was yelling We're No 1 and Let's go Mets. Even at age 11 it choked me up. There is a video on YouTube PCS BEAT that shows the last out and Rose tearing ass to the dugout without even reaching 2nd. What chaos !

This was the first major league game I ever attended. My recollection is that the Reds only run came on a homer by Johnny Bench that went into the parking lot.

This is the second game I ever went to, and the first one I recall.

Two memories stand out:

1. Bob Apodaca started and won. 2. Pete Rose was booed like crazy.

And I got the autograph of The Sign Man, who sat me in his box seat when Rose batted, in order to hold up, I suppose, an anti-Rose sign.

This was the first game I ever attended. I was 7 years old. I went with my Father, brother and Uncle.

My Uncle passed away several years ago. My Father has ALS and may not be around much longer.

I sat between home and the Mets dugout. I clearly remember Bench's HR. I also remember Hahn's. I began following Hahn's career because I thought it was so cool that he hit a dinger while I was there. I didn't (couldn't) follow it very long.

I also remember a kid with his father (I suppose) who seats were near ours not only catching a foul ball...but catching two!

I thought it was just a given that I would get a few. Still waiting for my first foul ball. 30 years and counting...

Great web site fellas.

None of the previous entries of this game mention its most noteworthy thing - Bob Apodaca's run-scoring double that put the Mets ahead for good. Apodaca's hit came with two outs in the fourth inning and got a sign card displayed by Karl Ehrhardt in the stands that said "Apodacado" (a take off on Fred Flintstone's 'Yabba Dabba Doo'.)

This was my first ever baseball game at Shea. I was only 7 years old and could not appreciate that I was seeing one of the best pitchers ever in his prime. What I do remember was that it was Camera Day and the Mets would walk around the field and you could get photos while the Reds had batting practice. We had seats in the upper deck (and in fair territory). The closest we could get was underneath the auxiliary scoreboard. I still have those photos. George Theodore walked around with a red beret. We even got one of the bullpen cars that used to bring relievers into the game: those baseballs with the team cap on top. As for the game, I can only remember a few things, the Reds winning, Seaver getting a first pitch strike on Pete Rose, my mother and grandmother bringing a lot of food, the subway ride to and from the game, leaving the game early (my parents were Communists!) and trying to watch it from the subway platform.

This was my first game too. I was also 7 years old.

This was my first baseball game attended in person. It was on my birthday and it was a complete surprise. I remember being very excited to see the game and still recall a foul ball hit by Joe Morgan striking my mother's wrist breaking her watch. The ball rolled away and was grabbed by the guy sitting next to me. I have been to many games since and that is still the closest I came to getting a foul ball.

This was my first Mets game. I was a 9 year old kid at the time. I still have the ticket stub and Mr. Met button my parents bought me.

After 30 years, I still have fond memories of this game.

Thanks Mom & Dad for making my dreams come true.

Let's Go Mets!

I attended this game with my college roommate. This was a day game and we decided on the spur of the moment to drive to Shea and and take the game in. BIG MISTAKE! Not only did the Reds kick ass that day but my old Volkswagen nearly broke down on the ride home. Every light on the dashboard lit up at one point during the drive including a few lights I didn't know I had. George Foster hit a home run for the Reds, a line shot into the upper deck above the Reds bullpen in left. Rusty Staub hit a homer into the right field bullpen, a high looping pop fly kind of homer. Foster's homer seemed to leave in about two seconds, while Staub's homer seemed to take about five minutes to clear the fence.

I attended this game as an 11-year-old with my best friend and his family. Sat press level behind the plate. I vividly remember the following details: Rose, with the rampant Shea booing since the Harrelson fight, led off game with a homer off Seaver that bounced off the rim of the CF fence. He hustled around the bases to continued booing. Griffey then doubled and scored. And that was it for the Big Red Machine's scoring as Seaver cruised the distance. John Milner hit a monster homer over the RF fence. Then in bottom of 8th, the Mets squeaked out the win as I especially remember a slow ground single to right by light-hitting Mike Phillips, and later driven in on a single by Staub, and the place went nuts. Seaver then finished the Reds off. For a low-scoring game, I remember that this was actually an exciting game with a great finish and a happy ending against a powerful team.

This was the first baseball game I ever attended. I was 9 years old and it was Mother's Day and I went to the game with my father, mother, brother and grandmother (who was a huge Mets fan). I remember they gave out Mets hats (like fishing hats you'd wear on a beach) to everyone.

It was a beautiful day and we were sitting about mid-level between third base and the left field foul pole. Pete Rose did lead off the game with a home run and it did hit the top of the wall and bounce over (the only time I've ever seen that) but I remember that Rose pulled it and the ball hit the top of the fence in right (not center) and it landed in the bullpen.

The Reds scored 2 in the first and that was it and Seaver pitched a gem (how many times did Seaver give up 2 runs in the first then shut out the opponent for the next eight innings--lots & lots) and the Mets wound up winning 3 - 2.

I remember telling my father that even though the Mets won we had seen a "bad game" because not many runs were scored and in his infinite wisdom he told me "no son, we saw a great game because even though the game was low scoring it was close which makes the game exciting." So I left the game very happy not only because the Mets won but also because I saw a "great game." And it was also one of my first lessons in baseball lore.

The Reds came into this game with a record of 20- 20 and quickly fell behind Tom Seaver and the Mets, 3-0. After allowing one walk and no hits through the first three innings, Tom gave up a total of seven runs and seven hits in the fourth and fifth innings and the Reds went on to an 11-4 win. Tony Perez drove in four runs and Dave Concepcion and Doug Flynn drove in three each.

The Reds went on a tear, winning 41 of the next 50 games, and won the NL West by 20 games over the second place Dodgers.

In the third inning of that game Jerry Koosman stole the only base of his career, advanced to third when the catcher's throw went into centerfield, and scored a key run on a sacrifice fly by Wayne Garrett.

Wow, I remember this one - the night Jerry Koosman got a stolen base! Kooz was on first with none out when he (shockingly) ran on the pitch. Reds' catcher Bill Plummer hesitated before throwing to second, where no one was covering. The ball went into center field as Kooz slid into second. He then got up and ran to third, again sliding in safely.

After scoring on Garrett's sacrifice fly, Jerry was shown on TV in the dugout laughing his head off while being teased by his teammates. Later in the game, the big message board jokingly stated that he was only 117 stolen bases behind Lou Brock's record, set the previous year.

Why did Jerry run? To my understanding, he looked toward Eddie Yost (the third base coach) and saw what he thought was the hit-and-run sign. As a result, he caught the Reds (and everyone else) off guard by taking off. This "mistake" helped his own cause in a complete game win.

I remember the Koosman steal rather well. I thought this was a pretty hilarious moment against what was a rather solid team in the Big Red Machine.

By the way, wasn't Koosman later presented with an honorary 2nd base in a mock ceremony?

The answer is yes, the very next night before the game at Shea Stadium there was a mock ceremony at homeplate with Tom Seaver at the microphone and Koosman standing next to him. Seaver presented Koosman with the "Lou Brock Award" for what Seaver termed Koosman's "first, and probably his last stolen base at Shea Stadium." Seaver then placed a paper bag over Koosman's head. The "ceremony" actually took place before the game went to air, so it was shown to the TV audience about a half hour after it took place.

I was at this game. I had a good time. I remember Jerry Koosman stealing second base.

I watched this game on TV. The Reds were not only a strong team offensively, they also had a solid defense. However, in this game, they made several uncharacteristic errors. I seem to recall Joe Morgan booting a ball that was instrumental in that 3-run third inning. There was another error in that inning, but I don't recall who made it (Griffey???).

I remember that before the game Seaver gave Koosman 2nd base from the night before for his stolen base and he got a standing ovation.

I was at this game. I was 12 at the time and it was another one of those games where Seaver was outstanding but the Mets did not score runs for him. Frustrating. I think he got his 2,500th career strikeout in this game also.

A sunny and hot weekday afternoon at Shea. I went to celebrate my birthday and got to see The Franchise (with absolutely no apologies to the late M. Donald Grant) get his 2000th strikeout against his future team. I had no idea he was close to 2000 but it was neat to be there for it. But it was even better being at Seaver's 300th win, upstaging The Scooter on his day in the Bronx ten years later.

That's right; it was his 2,000 K. I had 2,500.

Seaver is still the best pitcher I ever saw. I did not see Koufax and I saw Gibson after his prime.

Great game for a 10-year-old to be at the stadium. I remember the deafening boos every time Pete Rose came to the plate - the fans still raw over his fight with Buddy two years earlier. I also didn't know Seaver got his 2,000 K when he whiffed Driessen until the scoreboard flashed it.

I remember the long chorus of boos when Jerry Dale called John Stearns out at third. Photos in the paper the next day make it look like he got his foot in.. I remember Seaver being thrown out at the plate later that inning - the Mets just couldn't get a run... And despite pitching brilliantly I remember Seaver being pulled for a pinch hitter once again because the Mets couldn't muster any offense. I wonder how many no decisions and losses Seaver took because he was pulled for a pinch hitter in a 0-0, 1-0, or 1-1 games.

When we got tickets for the game I was bummed because I didn't think they could beat the Reds, but when they won the first two games of the series I had hope. I remember the night before Koosman blew a sign and actually took off from first trying to steal second and caught the Reds so off guard Bench threw the ball into CF and eventually win the game. But despite coming so close to breaking it open the Mets lose on my day 2-1. I was sure in the 9th they would pull it out, especially with two on and Kingman up - after all Kong couldn't strike out 4 times in that game - what did I know - I was 10. Still have the scorecard and the ticket stubs..

Almost forgot.. The same inning Stearns was thrown out at third and Seaver was thrown out at the plate the Mets pulled off quite a feat. In an era where the Mets offense struggled, and in a game where they lost to the Big Red Machine 2- 1, they managed to get 4 hits in this inning without scoring a run. Mathmatically I believe the most number of hits you can get without scoring is 5.

Tom Seaver gave up just five hits to the Big Red Machine in seven innings and struck out nine, but Reds rookie Santo Alcala pitched a complete game four-hit shutout for the win.

Alcala finished 11-4 for the Reds that year, but his ERA was near 5.00. He was traded to the Expos in 1977 and was out of the majors by the end of the '77 season.

This was the first Mets game I ever attended. My family lived in Winston-Salem, NC, at the time and Kahn's hotdog packages had order forms for the World Champion Reds games. My Dad and I ordered tickts and went to the game. I was a little disappointed that my favorite player, Dave Kingman, was injured and could not play. But I was delighted when the Mets scored two in the first. Pete Rose led off the bottom of the first with a home run, but Jerry Koosman settled down and pitched a masterpiece. I had a Mets pennant and cap. I was very shy as a child and as we got on the bus after the game a Reds fan said, "You're on the wrong bus", and, much to my Dad's delight, I said loudly, "He's right. This is the losers' bus."

This was the first and only game that my father ever took me and my brother to. (My father was European-born and could never figure out why we found baseball so fascinating.) We were hoping to get ourselves some autographs - I would cover the Reds' dugout and my brother would hang by the Mets. I remember how crowded it was by the dugout as I searched for Reds players. I saw Rose and Morgan and thought how big their heads looked, like those Mardi Gras figures that parade in the streets in New Orleans. I did get Johnny Bench and Pedro Borbon to sign my Reds yearbook.

As for the game, I could not believe that Concepcion could hit two homers in a single game, but I did get a chance to boo Mickey Lolich. (How could the Mets trade Staub anyway?) One observation that my father made after seeing how big the field was and how small the players look: how could a batted ball not find a space to land in such a vast outfield? I think about that every time that I go to a game - whether it is a major league game or a Little League game.

My 2nd major league game! Pat Zachry started for the Reds and walked the first 3 batters he faced. I remember Torre coming to the plate and my Dad saying, "He's going to hit the first pitch". He did and lined one deep into the RCF gap that Geronimo tracked down and made a great play. The Mets went on to win 2-1. I remember Foster hit a low line drive for an out that was traveling about 180 mph that Harrelson caught at SS. I don't think Johnny Bench played.

I remember going to this game. Even though the Mets won the game I was disappointed that Sparky Anderson chose this day to rest most of the Big Red Machine regulars. Instead of Morgan, Bench, and Perez I got to see Flynn, Plummer, and Driessen. Oh well, such is life.

This was my first trip to Shea and my first baseball game ever. I remember that it was unbelievably hot and sticky. I remember that Ed Kranepool knocked in the winning run - it may have been a homer. It's been a non-stop love affair ever since.

The only run in this game came in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Bruce Boisclair.

Jerry Koosman pitched a five-hit shutout and struck out eleven. The Reds, who had a 13.5 game lead over the Dodgers coming into the game, rested Pete Rose and Joe Morgan this Sunday afternoon. Future Mets George Foster and Doug Flynn had two hits each for Cincinnati.

This was my first game. I remember being so excited I couldn't sleep the night before, I was ten years old and have been to many games since. I was a little disappointed that Rose and Morgan were not playing but seeing my Mets in real life for the first time was something I'll never forget.

An interesting footnote: Bud Harrelson scored the winning run and a few hours after the game got married!

I was ten years old when I was at this game. What was the time of the game? If my memory serves me correctly it was around two hours.

I distinctly remember my disgust at the end of this game, as John Milner hit for Joe Torre with the tying run at second base and one out in the ninth inning, then after he grounded out PITCHER SKIP LOCKWOOD was left to try to drive in the tying run with two out in the ninth.

I don't believe they were out of players, which would have been unforgivable in its own right unless Torre was injured, but looking back at the boxscore it seems they used 13 position players, and in those days I'm sure it was a 10-man pitching staff, if not 9. Anyone have any insight as to why Joe Frazier let the game end this way? The Mets went on to win the next day, then lost the next six before Frazier was replaced by Torre as player/manager.

I went to this game along with 17,000 other hardy souls. Seaver's last game as a Met at Shea before the disaster. He was brilliant. 10 strikeouts. Struck out Pete Rose 3 times, including to end the game. Only two Reds players got hits (though they managed to total 5 between them). The Mets beat up Cincy starter Pat Zachary for 4 runs, and reliever Mike Caldwell for 4 more. A few days later, Zachary was in pinstripes; Caldwell became a 22-game winner in Milwaukee. Seaver passed Sandy Koufax on the career K list that night; Buddy Harrelson was clapping in his glove out at shortstop when it was announced.

I attended this game. I had been to plenty of games prior to this one. The circumstances surrounding this game were unlike any other game I had ever attended. The rumor mill had been swirling about the impending trade of Tom Seaver. The company my brother worked for had a box on the railing to the right of the backstop screen. I occupied the the first seat unprotected by the screen. To this day, I have never sat in seats that are close to comparable. Seaver passed Koufax that night on the all time strikeout list and his fastball was popping. Sitting so close, you could feel it exploding into Stearns' mitt.

As an added side note, Lenny Randle who was rehabbing his reputation after punching out his manager in spring training (Frank Luchesi) was quite friendly and signed an autograph prior to the game.

Little did I know that Seaver was going to be packing for Cincinnati a week after this game. It was the night he passed Koufax in Ks, and it's still hard to believe the junk the Mutts got in return for him. The beginning of the dark ages at Shea.

What I remember about this game is George Foster hit a tremendous shot, I think that ball is still traveling.

I remember this game as being the first start Seaver had against the Mets ; (at least at Shea), since he was "given" away to the Reds. My dad and I had field box seats behind 3rd base. What a sad day for Met fans. It was so strange to see "The Franchise" pitching against the Mets. It just did not seem right. It was as if I had a nightmare, but unfortunately it was all too real.

Seaver vs. Koosman. They both pitched very well, but of course Seaver faced the weak Mets lineup while Koosman had to deal with the "Big Red Machine." The Mets pulled Jerry in the 8th to a standing ovation by the big crowd. He deserved it. He got even with Seaver in a rematch the next summer. They both pitched well in that game too.

How strange it was to actually root HARD for the other team that day. I remember that Koosman volunteered to start so the other pitchers would not have to deal with the pressure.

If I'm not mistaken, both Seaver and Koosman were on Kiner's Korner after the game, possibly the only time a player from both the winning and losing team were on the Korner. Seaver doubled off of Koosman and that was all he wanted to talk about.

After the game, their two respective families were to get together for a BBQ. I remember thinking how cool and gracious Koosman seemed.

I don't remember much about this game except that this was Tom Seaver's first game against the Mets at Shea. I had asked my dad to take me because Seaver was my favorite Met (still is) and I was very upset by the trade (I cried), I remember cheering him but of course once the game started rooting for the Mets of course!!

This was my big sister's wedding day, and I kept coming back to her dressing room to check on the score! I seem to remember that in one of the innings Seaver walked off the mound and accidentally headed towards the 1B side, instead of the visitors' dugout on the 3B side.

I don't remember much as I was 7, except that it was my first time to see a game and really remember my grandfather really hating Pete Rose. I only remember walking towards the stadium and trying to keep score with my mom. I still have the score book with what I had written, which is how I found the game. I remember they lost... I am now researching it and realize that it was Seaver's first game back in Shea. I know we had these tickets long before the game so this must have been quite an exciting coincidence for my grandfather and the other adults.

I remember how sad it was. Koosman went on short rest because he really wanted to go against his old friend. Seaver beat him at the plate with a hit, but Koos took Tom to the warning track with a long fly ball. I remember thinking how cool it would have been if it went out.

What I recall best is how it ended: a perfect pitch, fastball low and away to Ron Hodges for a called 3rd strike. Nowadays, only relievers, since renamed closers, are playing that role. It was actually a normal Seaver effort, but made a bit easier facing for the first time the anemic lineup he never had the pleasure of pitching against hitherto, instead having been one of its prime victims. Bitterness and revenge are not Seaver characteristics, but it was Justice Day at Shea.

Very, very memorable game in my childhood. We arrived very early for the game and watched the Reds take batting practice. Although our seats were on the first base side, I wandered all the way down the leftfield line to see if I could get some autographs. After elbowing my way to the field, I watch as Dan Driessen hit a foul ball down the left field line. A Reds rookie 3B at the time, Ray Knight, reached down to retrieve the ball and flipped to right to me. I ran back to my seats holding the ball with both hands. The only sour note of an otherwise perfect day was that the Redlegs beat the Mets and the Reds' starting 3B, Pete Rose, hit three HRs. Great day to be at the Big Shea nevertheless, and Ray Knight would eventually return and make more than one Mets fan happy.

Mets were winning 6-1 early, Reds came back to kill us, 14-7. Pete Rose hit 3 home runs in the game, only time in his career.

Very memorable game from my childhood. I didn't see it in person, but instead watched the whole thing on NBC's Saturday Game of the Week. For whatever reason, I was a big Pete Rose fan. Yes, indeed he hit 3 home runs, but in addition he had 2 singles, going 5 for 6 on the game. I believe Cesar Geronimo also had a pair of dingers for the Reds.

To follow up on Tom N's note above, I went back and looked at my scoresheet from this game and Geronimo only had one homer, leading off the 4th inning, and that cut the Mets lead to 6-2. But his next time up, in the 5th, he doubled to drive in 2 and tie the score at 6-6 and the Reds were on their way to a one-sided win. Driessen and Griffey also homered for the Reds.

I remember that Rose's outstanding game this day brought the first cheers for Pete at Shea since the '73 brawl. New Yorkers always appreciate an outstanding performance. And that set the stage for Pete's return to Shea in July when he had tied Tommy Holmes' NL hitting streak mark and was in hot pursuit of DiMaggio. Rose got big cheers at those Shea games, which drew the biggest crowds of another dismal year in Flushing.

I was 11 years old when I went to this game. I was also a Cincinnati Reds fan living in New Jersey - pretty rare at that time - so I was thrilled that we got seats right next to the third base bag, about 20 rows up from the field. I brought with me a banner I had made that read "No One Knows Who's Better Than Rose." After Pete struck out in the first inning, my brother was taunting me because he liked the Mets. But after Pete hit his third home run of the game, as he rounded third base he tipped his batting helmet to me because I was jumping up and down holding my banner. When we got home that night, my mother (who stayed at home) said she saw me on TV twice that day (after Rose's second and third home runs). I was in heaven! Years later, I became a sportswriter and had the opportunity to interview Pete when he came to NJ to see his son play with an independent league team. When I said to him "The first time I ever saw you play in person, you hit three home runs," Pete smiled and said "April 29, 1978." He put his arm around me and then asked "But do you remember what I did in my first at bat?" - to which I answered "Struck out" - he retorted - "Against who?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Nino Espinosa" Man... the guy is a walking baseball museum of memories. I hope that someday he gets into the Hall of Fame!

I was 13 years old at Shea with my Dad who was a big Pete Rose fan because of his hustle. We were sitting on the first base side Lodge or Mezz - I remember the third homer was a line drive that went over the right field fence like a rope! Dad always rooted for my Mets, but we both appreciated Pete's performance that day. I remember the crowd gave him a great ovation. We both wound up at Shea the night he tied Tommy Holmes hitting streak - what an amazing ovation he got that night! Memories of Dad and the Mets - it doesn't get any better for me now as a 45 year old father of four little ones!

The only game out of hundredsI have been to that I remember going to with my Mom. Rose was a machine that day!

What I remember before Rose's performance was Nino Espinosa. It summed up the frustration Mets fans had with him: so good and so bad. He was amassing so many strikeouts as to make Joe Garagiola exclaim "some piece of pitching by Espinosa" -only to watch him get knocked out in the 4th. The Mets gave him a 5-run lead, exemplifying why losing pitchers are not always the victims of poor teams, but variably a reflection of poor pitching.

One of the most memorable games I ever attended. My brother and I just happened to decide to go to the game that day (no mean feat coming from the Bronx by way of mass transit).

Pete Rose hit 3 HRs! I could not believe it.

When he came up later in the game, my brother and I (no Rose fans at all) stood up to applaud even though the Shea faithful still hated his guts for the Harrelson fight in '73. Hey, I had to give it to him. It was a tremendous performance.

I was going to college at Ohio University and gathered a group of friends to see my beloved Mets at Riverfront that night. We had good field box seats midway into right field. The locals laughed at me in my Mets jacket, but Mike Bruhert pitched really well and I had the last laugh. Unfortunately, I got lost driving the sleeping group of students back to OU in Athens. It took me forever, but is was worth the trouble. I was really tired in the early morning classes the next day.

On this day, Kooz exacted his revenge on Seaver. They both pitched well...as usual.

This was Seaver's second game aginst his old teammates. In 1977, He bested Kooz at Shea, but in this game, Kooz won although Seaver was victimized by two unearned runs. It was his only 1978 appearance against the Mets. He was 5-3 against the Mets during his six years with the Reds.

The Mets recorded their first victory ever over Tom Seaver in this game. It was also Jerry Koosman's 140th and final win as a Mets pitcher.

I was 6 years old and at this game as a Reds fan and a huge Johnny Bench fan. In the 6th inning, my dad caught a foul ball off the bat of Bench and handed it directly to me. In November 2019, over 41 years later Bench came to my home area as part of a local baseball fundraiser. During a Q & A session, I told the story in front of 1000 people and he signed the ball! It all started in section 204 in Cincy on 7/16/78.

I went to this game with a few friends on a Monday night at Shea as Pete Rose was trying to tie the modern-day NL record by getting a hit in his 37th consecutive game.

Rose was 0-for-3 when he came up against his former teammate Pat Zachry with one out in the seventh. Rose singled to left and then after a walk to Joe Morgan, George Foster singled Rose home to give the Reds a 3-2 lead. Zachry was taken out of the game and kicked the dugout steps, breaking his toe and ending his season.

The Mets tied the game in the seventh, but Skip Lockwood gave up another single to Rose in the ninth and Mike Lum followed with a two-run homer for the win.

When I got home, I couldn't find a parking space outside my Bronx apartment despite circling the neighborhood for about ten minutes, then I got a ticket for running a red light because I was so frustrated looking for a space that I didn't feel like waiting for the light to turn green. At least I didn't break my toe.

One of my first Mets games. Great one because not only did the Mets win, but I got to see Pete Rose get a hit in his 38th consecutive game, breaking the then- NL record.

One of the highlights of the '78 season was rooting for Pete Rose the only time of my life when he got the big hit. Then booing the hell out of him in his other at bats! I still got the pennant I bought that day, "Do It, Pete, Do It!" Was there the night before too, with my free Dairylea tickets!

This was the game in which Pete Rose extended his hitting streak to 38 for a new modern National League record. The previous mark was set in 1945 by the Braves' Tommy Holmes, who just happened to be working in one of the Mets' offices at the time. Holmes was on the field to congratulate Rose and pictures were taken of them together right at first base just after it happened.

Charlie Hustle came through, continuing his incredible Hitting Streak. Never thought he would be cheered at Shea Stadium, though.

Johnny Bench hit his 300th career home run off Nino Espinoza in the fourth inning, but the Mets coasted to a rare easy win.

Pete Rose got a hit in his 39th straight game with a fifth inning double.

Seaver hit a solo homer at Riverfront Stadium but the Mets former ace lost to their current one in this game.

The Mets scored a club record 10 runs in a single inning, including an inside-the-park three-run homer by Doug Flynn when Cesar Geronimo misplayed his fly to deep center. Possibly the highlight of the season.

I was at this game and remember Flynn's inside- the-parker and the 10-run inning.

Although the game was in June, it was fireworks night and after Flynn hit the homer they lit up big 'LETS GO METS!' sign made behind the left center field fence.

The crowd went nutty.

The first time the Mets ever scored ten or more runs in an inning. They would not do so again until 6-30-2000 in the celebrated come-from-behind victory against the Braves.

Attended game while on a biz trip to NYC on my birthday. Approached a 'scalper' who was negotiating with another who was going overboard low-balling. The scalper was exceedingly frustrated, turned to me for a different offer. As I mentioned it was my birthday, he gave me the ticket for free and said "Happy Birthday". The ticket was behind home plate, up a bit, but a great game view. After the 5th inning was completed, a total of 15 runs scored, 10 by the home team, I took a picture knowing that this was a rare feat. Probably the first time ever to a Mets game. Maybe have seen them once or twice since.

This is the game Andy from Rego Park referred to in the "Gil Flores" memory section.

Dock Ellis started this game for the Mets, who jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Richie Hebner. George Foster singled to tie it in the bottom of the first. It was still 1- 1 in the fifth when with one out, Flores hit an inside the park home run, his only homer as a Met and the second and final homer of his major league career. Of course, the Mets couldn't hold the lead as the Reds came right back and batted around in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs.

The Mets actually came back to tie the game, scoring one in the sixth, then two in the seventh on a pinch homer by Dan Norman. But the Reds won the game in the bottom of the eighth when Dave Collins drove in Ray Knight with an infield out. Tom Hume came in to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth for the Reds and they swept the three game series at Riverfront, winning all three games by one run in their final at bat.

This game was in the middle of a dreadful stretch and season for the Mets and I remember that it was a rare appearance for them on the NBC Saturday afternoon Game of the Week. They were playing the playoff-bound, high-profile Reds. I was 14 and really excited my team was on national TV for a change. But Jeff Reardon, who was a rookie, blew the game.

Tom Seaver shuts out the Mets and I remember see the Goldberg's at the game

Tom Seaver won his eleventh straight decision for the Reds, retiring 18 batters in a row between the second and eighth innings. Tom also had a single and a double and drove in two runs.

Ed Kranepool had two singles off his long-time teammate.

This was my first Mets game ever attended. My older brother took me, and I was amazed how big Shea Stadium looked (especially with all the empty seats). I still have 4 pictures I took with a 110 camera. It is great to see the old green walls. I have a picture of John Stearns throwing a ball in from left field (which was one of the positions he played a few times that season), and of of the Reds congratulating Tom Seaver following the complete game shutout.

For years, I was trying to find out the exact date of this game. I knew it was in '78 or '79. I finally found it by looking on this web site.

This was Pat Zachry's first game back after missing most of the previous season with an injury. He received a nice round of applause from the fans when he came in from the bullpen.

The Reds were up, 7-0 in the third inning, creaming Pete Falcone. The Mets chipped away but could not get any closer than two runs until the bottom of the eighth, when they got a two-run homer from Joel Youngblood and a passed ball to make the score 10-10.

Neither team threatened again until the top of the 14th inning, when Harry Spilman doubled with two outs and runners at the corners to give the Reds a 12-10 victory. The teams combined for 40 hits in the game.

Future World Champion Met Ray Knight homered twice in the fifth inning of this game. His first homer broke an 0-for-15 streak and came leading off the bottom of the fifth against Mark Bomback. Later, with Ed Glynn on the mound and the bases loaded with two outs and four runs in, Ray hit a grand slam to give the Reds a 14-4 lead. Ken Griffey also had a three run homer in that inning for the Reds.

In the long history of the Cincinnati baseball franchise, Knight was the first player ever to hit two homers in one inning for the Reds.

Big Reds fan (because of Tom Seaver) living in Brooklyn at the time. I was in 4th grade and played sick to see this afternoon game broadcast on WOR. The Mets led 6-2 going into the bottom of the 9th when the Reds rallied for 4 runs, including a 3-run pinch-hit home run by Harry Spilman. The Mets pushed across a run in the 10th for the win. Incidentally, I remember Denis Potvin scoring an overtime goal against the Flyers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals the night before. Big Islanders fan as well.

This game will long be remembered (by me) for my call of the home run by Hector "Heidi" Cruz. Cruz was a light hitter who had zero home runs to that point in the season -- the type of hitter that often turned into Babe Ruth when facing Pete Falcone. So with the Mets up 3-2 in the sixth, Falcone lets a couple of runners on, and Cruz steps to the plate. I turn to my brother and say, "This guy's gonna hit one out." As predicted, Cruz smacks a three-run homer, making me look like a prophet. It was Cruz's lone homer of the season.

This was the only game of a four game series that the Mets won in Cincinnati, and they banged out 20 hits off four Reds pitchers.

Roy Lee Jackson, making his first start of the 1980 season, and only the seventh start of his major league career, struck out twelve and retired the last nineteen batters he faced. Jackson allowed three runs and three hits in his first 2.2 innings, then was unhittable the rest of the game. He struck out at least one batter in every inning, and got Dave Concepcion, Dan Driessen, Ken Griffey, and Ron Oester twice each.

Exactly 5 weeks after the Saturday Night Miracle at Shea, probably the most memorable Mets pitching performance of 1980, by a perennial late 1970’s late season callup. In retrospect,it was the precursor to Mike Scott and Dwight Gooden (unfortunately,Scott with the Astros). Roy Lee and Mike were teammates for years. Whatever Roy Lee was throwing in Cincinnati on this early evening was similar to whatever Scott adopted with Houston. It is forever agonizing that for Roy Lee Jackson, this was his last Mets win, and for Mike Scott this level of performance with a strikeout pitch that was oblivious to him (I assume he was there that night) became routine years after the Mets gave up on him. RLJ should’ve shared that pitch (“forkball”?) with any other Mets pitcher who could throw it. Nonetheless, another slice of Mets history we won’t forget!

After digging into it a bit with some research, this was the first game at Shea with the blue walls and National League team logos in the newly painted outfield fence. Before this, Shea obviously had green walls since its opening in 1964.

As for the game, Pat Zachry threw a shutout and the Mets were still staying on the outskirts of the playoff race before fading away in August.

I remember this was a really hot day. The guy sitting next to me was not only keeping track of his boxscore in his program but was also keeping track of the number of times John Pacella's hat would fall off after he delivered his pitch. We had great seats down near the field but I think I suffered heatstroke as I really felt sick all the way home.

This was the last game played before the 2 month long players' strike. I remember that on "Kiner's Korner" after this game, Tom Seaver was Ralph Kiner's guest, having just gotten a complete game win vs. the Mets. At one point, Ralph waved for Tom's wife, Nancy Seaver, who was off-camera, to come onto the set and have a seat next to Tom, which she did. Ralph told Nancy that she looked pretty, to which Nancy replied, awkwardly trying to make a return compliment, "so do you Ralph". Ralph didn't know what to say and Tom Seaver laughed his head off with that high-pitched laugh of his. Very funny Kiner's Korner moment.

I believe that this is the game in which Gary Rajsich made a circus catch off the bat of Alex Trevino in the top of the fifth then came up with two outs and runners at the corners in the bottom of the fifth to crush a three-run homer. Gary Rajsich's finest game in the MLB!

Mario Soto pitches a complete game for the Reds, striking out 15 and walking none. Soto finishes the year with 274 strikeouts, second to Steve Carlton.

Cesar Cedeno steals his 500th base, making him the tenth player in history with 500 steals.

I remember this game because of Brad "The Animal" Lesley who came into the game full of fire and vinegar and after each out he acted like a raging lunatic and after the game, he was going around screaming like John Belushi in "Animal House". If his career had lasted longer, he woulda been on my Mets enemies list along with Rose, Rocker, Charlie Kerfeld (NOT the sharpest knife in the kitchen) and Rotten Roger Clemens. It was a pure lowlight in a 2nd half of a season that showed much promise until late June when the Phillies swept us out of the Vet in a 5-game disaster.

This is the first-ever Major League Baseball game that I attended. I was 9 years old. There is not much that I remember about the game itself -- other than I almost caught a foul ball except for the fact that the man behind me was taller and reached over me to catch it. What I do remember is the day-long excitement I felt in anticipation of going to the game. The hours couldn't pass by quick enough until my Dad and I left for the game. I vividly remember the smell of the pretzels on the grills (they warmed them slightly when they sold them to you) outside of Shea Stadium. I also remember what to this day is one of the most awesome feelings I've ever felt in my life. Walking up the ramp from the corridor and getting my first glimpse of the field. All that grass! It was awesome and I still get goosebumps when I walk up a ramp and see a big-league baseball field. I have been regularly attending Major League Baseball games for 25 years now -- and it all started with this one. Living in Florida now, I will be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of my first game with my family at Tropicana Field on September 4, 2007. I am both a Mets and Devil Rays fan now and I will always remember the game of September 4, 1982 very fondly.

I remember this game well. It was a beautiful bright sunny day, and I wanted to see the great Johnny Bench one last time. He would retire after the the 1983 season. I also wanted to see my beloved Mets. My seat was behind the Cincinnati Reds dugout, about four rows back. Johnny bench hit a home run in his first at bat, and the Mets fans at Shea stadium gave him a standing ovation. It was beautiful to see, knowing this great player would soon retire. I also wanted to see one of my favorite Mets players of all-time, Dave kingman. He didn't disappoint, as he hit a towering home run to left field. I took out my Kodak camera and took a picture of Dave as he rounded third base heading for home. It was a fun time to be a Mets fan when the seats were easy to get and the Mets would give you an occasional win. My day was perfect when the two players I wanted to see both hit home runs.

Who could forget this one? Strawberry makes his major league debut on a Friday night at Shea against Mario Soto. That would be today's equivalent of calling up a highly touted prospect like Escobar on a night Randy Johnson is pitching. Who knew Strawberry would blame the Mets for applying this kind of pressure on him a million times over the next 15 years.

I watched this game at home on TV while I was supposed to be doing last-minute studying for my SATs, which were the next morning (got into college anyway, kids). What a game. Dramatic homers by Brooks and Foster (I think) to tie it up late and win it from behind in extra frames. Straw Man goes 0-4 or 0-5 with a buncha whiffs, but his foul ball into the right field seats titillates.

I remember this one well. Straw's first game. He struck out 4 times,and in the 11th inning, he hit a foul ball into the mezzanine. Bob Murphy remarked that Mets fans should get used to seeing that immense power.

Kingman hit a blast to tie the game at 4 in the ninth, and Foster won it in the 13th against his old team. What a night.

An amazing game. I was there, watching the Mets match up against one of the top pitchers, Soto. They made a great comeback, scoring 1 in the eighth on a 2 out pinch hr by Heep, and 2 in the ninth on a 2 out hr by Kingman, then tying it in the tenth on a 2 out pinch hr by Brooks.

Finally, in the thirteenth, Foster won it on a 3 run shot, with Straw scoring the winning run after getting on via a bb and getting to 2nd on his first career steal.

If this had been a post-season game, it would be remembered as one of the great Met wins ever.

Just watched this one again

WOW. Reguardless of Straw's debut or not, this was one of the more memorable wins in Shea's history. The previous fan was right; if this was a postseason game, it would have been one of the best ever.

Mets were down to their last STRIKE in two different innings (9th and 10th), and both times hit homers to tie to game. Then Foster wins it in the 13th inning.

I was in the Upper Deck. I enjoyed this one so much, I still have my ticket stub. I wonder how many teams homered twice when down to their last strike to tie games and then win it later. Straw did hit that foul home run. The best foul home run Straw hit was in Game 6 in 1986 vs. Astros.

A great comeback for the Mets! Four home runs led to victory in extra innings at Shea Stadium. The game was Darryl Strawberry’s first in the major leagues, but that fact seemed to have gotten lost in the late slugging show that produced an amazing win.

Danny Heep, Dave Kingman, Hubie Brooks and George Foster provided the dramatic slugging. It was Foster’s blast that won it, but I remember Kingman’s and Brooks’ homers in the 9th and 10th innings a little more because they both tied the game as I was ready to head off to bed with the Mets down to their last out. Dave and Hubie kept me awake a little longer that I expected. Thankfully, it was a Friday night!

There’s an interesting fact I discovered about Kingman’s home run. It was the 2,000th in Mets history.

I'll never forget that bitterly cold night. I was 12 years old and my dad wanted to leave early because it was just to cold for him to be out. But we stood long enoughto see Darryl Strawberry got his first basehit, a single up the middle off of Mario Soto. I think that was after Darryl got off to a 0 for 25 start. It was also seat cushion night sponsored by some sangria company...I still have the cushions.

A few corrections to an earlier post: I don't know what the weather was like, but it was an afternoon game on Mother's Day, not a night game.

Strawberry's first single was not off Mario Soto; Soto was thje starter two nights earlier in Straw's major league debut. And Darryl was not 0- for-25, he was 0-for 11 with eight strikeouts before his first hit, which came off RHP Ben Hayes.

Scott Holman started this game for the Mets and gave up five runs in the top of the first. But the Mets got two back in the second and then took the lead with a six-run seventh inning. The key hits were a three-run homer by George Foster and a two-run double by Mookie Wilson.

Four Mets relievers held the Reds to three hits over the last 8.2 innings.

I remember this as the first Mets' game to which I drove after getting my license. The Mets beat the Reds, 10-5. After Scott Holman got knocked out in the first inning, the bullpen shut down Cincinnati. The comeback was highlighted by Foster's 3-run homer that put them ahead to stay. He made a "curtain call" after returning to the dugout.

One of the relievers that did so well this day was Neil Allen. A few weeks earlier, Allen had stated publicly that he had a drinking problem. I recall a loudmouth fan sitting behind me in the field level seats along the left field line constantly screaming "Put in the alcoholic!" After Neil pitched four shutout innings, that guy, thankfully, disappeared!

Foster's homer, Darryl Strawberry's first major league hit and Neil Allen's silencing that guy behind me made it a great day after it started out poorly.

I went to this game, sat in the mezzanine behind home plate with my mother and my girlfriend (now wife). I was 19 years old. I remember that the starting pitcher Holman was only able to get one out before being pulled after allowing five runs. George Foster hitting a 3-run homer and taking a curtain call. Neil Allen pitching very well in relief. Darryl Strawberry collecting his first major league hit, an opposite field single to left center field. I remember reading in the paper that morning the manager telling him to relax, you're my everyday right fielder no matter how many oh-fers you take. I found the game program today, which brought me to this web page. I wrote down both starting lineups in it that day, but stopped keeping score out of frustration after Oester's homer made in 5-0. Great outcome in the end.

Torrez set a Met club record in this game by giving up ten walks.

I was at the game and walked to the outfield concession stand on the left field foul line when Cesar Cedeno hit a long fly ball that just went foul at the last minute and landed right in my hands on a fly. After going to ball games my whole life, it is still the only foul ball I ever got at a game.

My college girlfriend at the time -- a Reds fan -- and I had great seats behind home plate. Both teams were terrible that year and somewhere about the middle innings, someone threw a rubber chicken -- you read that right, folks, a rubber chicken -- from somewhere in the blue field level seats along the third base line.

It flew end-over-end and bopped some unsuspecting fan upside the head. The crowd was shocked, dumbfounded at this vaudevillian assault on our national pastime. Until the fan grabbed the rubber chicken around its scrawny rubber neck and flung the chicken to another part of the blue seats. The crowd crowed with approval. For an inning or so, fans tossed the rubber chicken around and ignored the game.

Until some strong-armed chicken flinger flung it far out high into the night air until it landed -- gasp -- on the field of play, right in front of the Mets dugout. The fowl ran afoul. One of the Mets tossed it into the dugout and soon fans started chanting. "We want the chicken. We want the chicken." What were the Mets to do?

The Mets gave the fans what they wanted: the chicken. Only in pieces. Someone (probably gour-Met cook Rusty Staub) had tried to fricasse the chicken by cutting its rubber extremities off.

Now in several pieces, the chicken lost its excitment. Fans went back to watching the game. Sensing it was safe, an usher grabbed the body part of the chicken away from a little boy sitting near me. The scoreboard then got into the act, announcing that a limited number of chicken sandwiches were "now available at concession stands". And the Cincinnati Chicken never appeared again as far as I know. The boring game was pretty forgettable. But I think the Cincinnati Chicken deserves a mention at the Hall of Fame. What better place to remember the Cincinnati Chicken but at Coop-erstown?

Mets-Reds ... Opening Day ... Riverfront — and I had gotten tickets way back in early January expecting to see my boyhood hero, Tom Seaver, on the mound starting his second Opening Day Game in his second go-round with the Mets.

Ha! Little did I know Mets General Manager Frank Cashen, who left Seaver's name off the free-agent compensation pool protection list, and the evil Chicago White Sox were conspiring against me, Seaver and Mets fans everywhere!! Just days after I got my Opening Day tickets, the White Sox shanghaied Seaver from the Mets in one of the most notorious, unjust and absurd heists in baseball history!!

My college girlfriend (a Reds fan) and I (trying to forget the Seaver fiasco) skipped classes at Indiana University in Bloomington that day and drove over to Cincinnati in my Chevy Vega for what should have been a glorious day of baseball. And it was if you were a Reds fan. But, for me, instead of Seaver, I saw Mike Torrez. MIKE TORREZ for goodness sakes!! Torrez and the Mets were hammered. The only highlight was Darryl Strawberry's towering solo home run to right. Torrez didn't even last out the season with the Mets.

The only consolation to the whole messy affair was the Mets incredible start (after the opening day loss) and exciting 1984 season (in which they finally shed the cellar and contended against the Cubs most all the way through September) which was followed by four more wonderful seasons!

But not getting a chance to Seaver start, (and finish his career with the Mets) ... fifteen years later, and I'm still ticked!!

Oops, make that 17 years and I'm still ticked.

i remember this game my freshman year of highschool,on the bus going to msgr scanlan in the bronx we sat on the Q44 ugly old bus and we were depressed but we said well they allways win every year and finish with 100 losses now maybe a first game loss will make them a contender boy where we right!!!

I remember watching this game and Darling drove me nuts with his comand. Sisk was good in relief.

Darling pitched a two-hittter through six, but he walked six batters and threw a wild pitch.

Doug Sisk came in to pitch the last three innings and retired nine of the eleven men he faced.

This was a well played game, but not that eventful. The thing I remember most was the sudden torrential downpour that ended the game after 8 1/3 innings. I was halfway to my car in the parking lot when the skies opened up.

Second game of a Twi-night double header. Darling pitched a Gem in the 1st game, and we are looking for the sweep. Thru a friend of a friend, I was sitting behind the Cincy dugout. Maybe 10 or 15 rows back. I NEVER get seats like that. Well, it's a long night, Friday I think, the friend of the friend had left, but the game is tied and I'm staying.

The Mets get a rally going in the last of the 9th, and a fight breaks out several rows behind me. I'm trying to watch the game, but everyone in front of me is standing to watch the fight. The Mets are about to sweep the Reds, I have great seats, and I can't see, because some a- holes can't hold their beer.

I ended up running down the aisle, and stood right behind the dugout just in time to see Kelvin Chapman getting the game winning hit.

As the Mets ran out to greet Chapman and the Reds walked off the field, people started asking me what happened. They didn't see it; they were watching the fight.

Idiots.

This victory vaulted the Mets into first place in the NL East. The crowd walking out of Shea chanted in unison, "We Want Detroit!! We Want Detroit!!" (Detroit had started 35-5 that year.)

I was at this game. I wasn't able to recall exact date, but found it on this great website because I remember we swept the Reds. We were winning!! We were for real!! It was so exciting at the time.

I remember being in the upper deck and some guy walking around with a broom yelling "Sweep!".

Great days.

It was my first date with my girlfriend (who now is my wife). It was bat day,and Bruce Berenyi struck out 10 Reds.The Mets swept the series. It was the most fun I've ever had at a game. The crowd was really into it.

I watched this game in my wife's hospital room while she was in labor. The Mets won in extra innings and my son was born 2 hours later. A good night on all fronts

I was living in Columbus, OH that year. Mets were starting to win. Took in this game and the one the night before. Gooden, a rookie, struck out 11. Mets score one run in top of 11th, in the bottom of 11th, some Reds fans assured me "that we will pull this out." I told them, "we already did." Redus stole 2nd in bottom of 11th, as he took his lead, I said to my friend "It's a wonder Orosco doesn't pick him off." Boom! Pick off. Cincy was a nice town.

Peter, it was in the tenth inning and not the eleventh that Jesse Orosco picked off Gary Redus. With one out and the score tied at 2-2, Orosco threw to Wally Backman to get Redus at second base in the bottom of the 10th. Backman led off the top of the 11th with a double and later scored on Keith Hernandez's sacrifice fly to put the Mets ahead by a run. Orosco then pitched a scoreless bottom half for the win.

The victory for the Mets was their seventh over the Reds in 1984. It assured themselves of winning a season series against the Cincinnati team for the first time in club history.

A little info from this night, the highlight of one of Gooden's windups from this game was used in the credits for the famous show, "This Week in Baseball" for many years.

The Mets were also in the middle of one of their best and most fun months in team history, as it was finally clear this team was for real and an actual contender for the first time in many years

I was 9 years old and this was my first ever trip to Shea Stadium. The give away itme was a Mets calendar featuring Mets on Sports Illustrated Covers. My dad brought me a pennant and a yearbook. I remember fans chanting Pete Rose sucks everytime he came up and Gary Carter's HR being the only run of the game. I remember being thrilled by the HR apple, and a throw Mookie Wilson made from the OF. It was a fun night and I still have the ticket stub. I also got a scorecard and it was here where I made my first attempt to keep score. All in all it was a fun night and I could not wait for my next trip to big Shea, it was from this game that I became a Mets fan for life. Prior to this game I was a Yankees fan, and even though my father was a Yankee fan he felt the Bronx was unsafe taking me here made me a Mets fan and led to me breaking from my family's Yankee tradition.

I went to this game in college. It was a freezing cold night game, and I sat in the upper deck behind home plate. With Bruce Berenyi pitching, I expected lots of runs, but the Mets somehow shut out the Reds 1-0. I remember that Rose got a hit in the 9th, but the Reds couldn't score.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the game in which one of the more memorable photos from the eighties was taken? The photo can be found in George Kalinsky's Photographic Met book, and you've probably seen the photo: Darryl Strawberry, "celebrating an early-season homer" has just won the game for the Mets with a homer off of John Franco. He's flanked by Gary Carter on his left, Mookie Wilson on his right, and a helmetless, grinning Keith Hernandez in the foreground, leading the 4-5 man entourage. I know it's been included on several scorecards, and the highlight itself is at the tail end of the 25th Anniversary tape.

Karl, the picture you described was, indeed, from this game. It is also featured on the cover of the video documentary '1986 Mets: A Year to Remember.' Although it was a picture from the previous year, it was still put on the front of the video case. Great photo!

I remember the homer Darryl hit. Leading off the inning, he hit the ball to right field and just as it went over the wall, right fielder Dave Parker appeared to bang his foot on the wall base. Everyone in my house cheered as we saw Darryl circle the bases and arrive at the plate to his joyous teammates.

Later, a funny thing happened during the post game show on SportsChannel. Darryl was interviewed by Fran Healy and, at the end, Fran said "My guest has been Gary Carter." Realizing his mistake, Fran told Darryl that Gary (new to the Mets at the time) had been his guest so much lately that saying his name became a habit. Gave us a laugh.

This was the first Mets game I ever attended. I was a thumb-sucking five-year-old who told his dad he wanted to go to a Mets game to see Darryl Strawberry (my favorite player). My dad said I had to stop sucking my thumb in order to go because Darryl Strawberry won't play if he looks into the stands and sees me sucking my thumb. I bought it and quit cold turkey. Strawberry's ninth-inning, game-winning homer made me a Straw fan and a Mets fan for life.

I also remember this was Calendar Day. What I would give to still have that calendar!

The other comments are spot on....the picture of Darryl celebrating his homer after this game has been featured on many Mets publications over the years.......it's a shame the game has probably been lost to time though, never to be seen again unless SNY randomly has it in their vault.

Dwight Gooden struck out 14 Reds this overcast Sunday afternoon. The start of an awesome year for him.

I went to this game...."K" Day...They gave out "K" cards to all he fans for Doc..I still have it...Also, If you ever watch Bruce Springsten's "Glory Days" video, you see a highlight from this game on the TV screen...I remember it because it was Gooden pitching to Pete Rose on a cloudy day at Shea

I was at this game. I was at NYU at the time and they bought a block of seats in the picnic area in left field. It was too cold to do anything but sit there and shiver and wave those K-cards whenever Gooden struck out someone.

This was a landmark game in New York Mets and MLB history. It was the debut of one of the toughest and more likable players to ever play CF...my childhood idol Lenny Dykstra. Facing Mario Soto in his second MLB at-bat, while sporting his back foot leaning low crouching stance and his fingers wiggling around the bat, Lenny parked a line drive over the RF wall. I recall how excited he was rounding the bases and in the dugout afterwards, high-fiving everyone and with a look of astonishment on his face. Witnessing the amount of spark he provided the Mets in only his first game, you can see how this was just a mere glimpse of what was to come. Thanks Lenny for your example and for the memories.

As often happened against hard-throwing righties, Davey Johnson gave George Foster the night off and started Danny Heep in LF this Friday night against Mario Soto. Heep responded with a career- high 5 RBIs as the Mets beat the Reds.

After striking out his first time up, Heep hit a sac fly in the fourth, drove in two with a single in the fifth, and doubled in two more off reliever Joe Price in the sixth.

Ed Lynch pitched a complete game ten-hitter for the Mets and picked up his first win of the year. Dave Parker had four of those hits, including two home runs.

As mentioned in an earlier post, this was also Len Dykstra's first major league game, and after striking out to lead off the game, Lenny homered in his second at bat to make the score 3-0.

This is one game I'll never forget. It was my 25th brithday and I thought I'd celebrate by watching the Mets. Unfortunately, Doug Sisk gave up a double, triple, grand slam and walked the opposing pitcher all in the same inning. No wonder us fans wanted him to walk the plank.

There is not much I remember about this game as the Mets were smoked 14-2.

Also I was busy on this day as it was my Bar Mitzvah day and the all afternoon reception that took place for my special honor.

I do know that Lenny Dykstra had just been called up from Tidewater and began his MLB career and became real popular from the start.

After one of the worst slumps of his career, Keith was finally as hot as could be during this stretch. He homered for the 2nd straight day, Gooden was his usual self and the Mets won and continued a red hot July. That would continue for the rest of the month.

This game was memorable for me because it was the first and only time I've ever caught a foul ball. Howard Johnson fouled off a pitch from Mario Soto, I was sitting in Section 1 Row A in the Loge. This game was a typical Sid Fernandez game...he had a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts through 6 innings but then got tired (as El Sid tended to do). Soto pitched a great game that night too and so it was a 0-0 game going into the seventh. Sid fell behind the leadoff hitter in the 7th and then imploded (as El Sid tended to do).

Still, for me it was one of the most exciting games just because I caught a foul ball. (The ball is in a case somewhere in my attic right now.)

I remember taking off from summer school at Queens College to see this weekday afternoon game. It was one of Aguilera's first games and it was hot...really hot!

One of Roger McDowell's worst appearances as a Met, but you know you're going good when your top reliever gets crushed for 5 runs and still win anyway. Davey just needed to bring in Orosco to get out of the 8th inning jam and then finish it off in the 9th for the Mets 13th win in 14 games.

If my memory serves me correctly, this was the game in which Reds' pitcher John Denny threw a bat at a television camera next to the dugout. He had just given up a home run to Keith Hernandez and wasn't too thrilled about being shown to the public at that time. The viewing audience got a close-up look of a Denny's angry face and a bat coming right at their own heads.

A few years earlier, Strawberry made his major league debut against Reds pitcher Mario Soto and K's multiple times, generally being overpowered. But Darryl learned quickly and by 1986, completely owned Soto, hitting 2 homers off of him in this game and also having other fantastic games against him as well.

In the 8th inning of this game, Lenny Dysktra made a game saving catch off the bat of Dave Parker. Lenny ran back to right-center field and robbed him of a homer (the catch has been included in numerous Mets highlight montages over the years). Dave Parker just laughed as he rounded 1st base, knowing that the Mets were simply too good and too hot to beat at that time. One of the more classic moments during that championship season.

This was Mother's Day and the Mets were already rolling. The Doctor was still the Doctor and we expected an awesome time. Unfortunately, Pete Rose had other ideas. He came up with two outs and bases loaded in the second and hit a liner off of Teufel's glove at second (Wally would have caught it). The ball slowly rolled into the outfield and the speedy Eddie Milner scored all the way from first for a 3-RBI single! The count was 3-2, so Milner had a headstart but it was still quite remarkable. A small blemish on my memory of '86.

Yup - the ball hit off Teufel's glove and dribbled into short right field - right where you would place it to be equally far from the 2B man and the rightfielder.

The Mets were 12 - 3 in games I saw in '86, and this was one of the losses...

I went to this game. At this point I felt that Doc was the greatest pitcher ever, and that a win was a sure thing. It came as a shock when he gave up THREE runs and took the loss. It seems amazing now that the fans at Shea seemed surprised that he could give up that many runs!

I am not sure if the stats back up my impression, but it seemed that from this game forward Gooden was not the total dominating pitcher he had been. I think that this was the last time I saw Rose play, Thanks, Joe L. for the description of the hit. I remember expecting only two runs to score and then I looked at the scoreboard.

I agree Stu! I always felt that a Gooden loss was a fluke. But after this game he went from being the best pitcher on the planet to just a very, very good one. And that drop was colossal. From August of '84 till this game Doc was 37-5 with an ERA of 1.39. I'm not sure we will ever see anything like that again. It was "Must see TV". And even better in person.

Please accept and post these comments because I was at this game in person and even though this is a game that the Mets lost but because I forgot to tape it off of TV.

I'd love it if there is someone/anyone that has a copy of the TV broadcast of this game that they can share with me because I am a big 1986 Mets fan and a Dwight Gooden fan and I have been able to find only one man so far that has a copy of this game on DVD but he is being a creep about sharing it with me and there has to be another person that has a copy of this game.

My cousin was visiting from California and he wanted to see what all the buzz about Gooden was about first hand. Gooden gets torched and my cousin said he is not that good.

I lived in the Midwest at the time and was at this game. The Mets trailed 3-1 in the ninth when John Franco came into save the game for the Reds. The Mets got two guys on with two outs and Keith Hernandez hit a lazy fly to right that was dropped by Dave Parker. Both runs scored and the game went into extra innings. The Mets eventually won 6-3 on a three-run homer by HoJo, but not before a bench-clearing brawl that started when Eric Davis and Ray Knight got into it. Several players were ejected and Davey Johnson ended up using Jesse Orosco and Roger McDowell as outfielders. When a lefty was up, Orosco would pitch and McDowell played right field. When a righty came up, McDowell would jog in to pitch and Orosco would play right field. Orosco ended up catching a ball hit by Tony Perez. This game also featured an awesome double play initiated by Keith Hernandez that involved Gary Carter, who was playing third base.

This game epitomized the 1986 Mets season. It showed such decision making on the part of Davey Johnson in flip-flopping Orosco and McDowell between pitcher's mound and outfield. It was a also a year where teams simply hated the Mets because of their power and the Mets fought back as Ray Knight did when Eric Davis slid into him. This one ranks up there in Met history as well. I remember Parker dropping the routine fly and reacting. But I will never forget Hernandez charging in on the bunt, throwing to Carter playing third and Carter rifling it over to first to get two, followed by Hernandez pumping his fist. That play alone defined Hernandez, "awesome glove, enthusiasm, leader"! It's a shame he wasn't the same off the field.

Don't forget Johnny Franco's reaction when Dave Parker dropped the fly in the 9th that would have ended the game. Franco's a guy who you love on your team but hate on another team. Well, he pouted on the mound, glaring at Parker for dropping that ball and taking away his save.

Great game! I actually forgot about the great double play. So much happened in this game. Too bad players and managers don't show the same effort today that the Mets showed that night.

I don't have much to add to this one that hasn't already been mentioned. I remember Parker dropping the fly ball, the Knight/Davis brawl, Carter playing third, Orosco/McDowell There were so many unforgettable games for the '84-'88 Mets. This one reminded me of the extra-inning home game agaisnt the Pirates in '85 where Staub kept going from right to left field. How come I can remember all this so well and I can't remember what I had for dinner some nights?

What I remember about the game has as much to do with what I was doing and where I was going as the game went on, as the game itself! We had gone to a concert that evening in Manhatten at the Pier. We were able to get updates from different people and venders and the like as the concert went on and finished. We ran to the car and listened as we got to the Midtown Tunnel.

We lived in Flushing and I was dying because, believe it or not, we entered the tunnel and lost the signal before Parker had made the play. It took us almost twenty minutes of assuming the game was over before we heard he had dropped the ball. If I remember correctly, Parker had this signature one handed, exaggerated sweep he would make as he caught the ball. We were going crazy when we heard the game still on and how he must have looked like a fool.

Now it was a race to get to my girlfriend's house to see if we would get to see any of it. We actually were within a few blocks of the house as the fight broke out at third. We managed to make it into the house in time for the replay of the fight!

We watched the rest of one of the best games of all times. I would give anything to get a copy of that game. I was at Shea for games 6 and 7 and this one ranks right up there with those two and the 16 inning game against the Astros.

The previous comments about this game are pretty complete. Franco was growling at Dave Parker after Parker missed the ball. It was pretty funny.

One special thing about this game though was Pete Rose got what was the last pinch-hit of his career. He came up to bat for Franco and got a hit. He looked back into the dugout before a pinch runner came out with a "look how easy it is to get a hit" face. An old man like him could get a hit, why not everyone else.

The other highlight is Jesse Orosco looking astonished when he caught the ball in the outfield. Look at the box score. Orosco and McDowell played the outfield and Gary Carter played third base. Carter was actually ok at third for that game. That game was fun to watch!

Man I wish SNY would show this game again. We've seen the other games a dozen times. Let's get some of these 86 classics in there.

Very surprised that this game was not mentioned the other night when Delgado dropped a pop up with two outs in the 9th, almost costing the Mets the game--especially with Hernandez in the booth for the Mets, since he hit the ball to Parker!

If Dave Parker would have caught the ball for the final out, the game would have been over and the brawl would have not happened.

The Mets were off on a 2-0 lead in this one but Eric Davis came up and absolutely clobbered one from Rick Aguilera. It was one of the most monstrous home runs I ever saw in person. The ball landed in the yellow seats at Riverfront Stadium, which is like hitting it high into the mezzanine at Shea stadium. And the Reds beat up on Randy Myers, too.

This was the only game that I attended at Riverfront that year. I can still remember Leach, with that wicked side arm delivery just mowing the Reds down. My buddy caught a foul ball off the bat of Paul O'Neill.

Don't ask me how I remember since I was 7 at the time but this was my first Met game. I remember Darling pitching because he pitched at the first few games I went to and I remember good ol' Timmy Teufel knocking one out into the right field bullpen. I remember it just being a great experience although the Mets lost.

Oh, this was a hot day to see a bad game. 95 degrees with a thousand per cent humidity. The most miserable day I ever had at Shea. The highlight of the day was the scoreboard announcement saying that Don Mattingly hit another home run to continue his every-game-hitting-a-home-run streak. A Yankee got more cheers than the Mets this day. It was that bad a Met day.

This was the infamous Dave Palone-Pete Rose Game. An exciting game to the end, things really heated up when Reds manager Pete Rose argued a call with Umpire Dave Palone. Palone accidentially poked Rose with his finger. Rose responded by shoving the umpire. Rose was tossed, the crowd tossed debris on the field for 15 minutes and the Reds faced a possible forfeit. It was the only time I'd ever attended a game in my Mets garb where I was physically threatened after the game by irate, drunken Reds fans.

Rose received a month-long suspension over the incident and Palone's career was ruined.

Besides Pete Rose shoving Dave Pallone, there was a benches clearing brawl in the 7th (the Mets and Reds had 3 skirmishes in the late 80's) in which Reds P Tom Browning hit Tim Teufel with a pitch. Darryl Strawberry, who had hit his 6th HR early in the game, and Browning were ejected!!! I remember watching this game at my cousin's house as we were going back between the Mets game and the New Jersey Devils playoff game. I'm just wondering if SNY, the Mets or MLB have a copy of this crazy game from Riverfront because SNY has JUMPED THE SHARK with Mets Classics. (They showed Cone's 19K masterpiece from Oct 6, 1991 YET AGAIN!!!!) If there is a copy of this game, FOR THE LOVE OF PUPPIES PLEASE SHOW IT ON SNY OR MLB NETWORK!!

The fans got so bad with the items being thrown after that Rose incident that when the Mets took the field in the bottom half of the 9th inning, Keith and HoJo both wore their batting helmets onto the field at 1st and 3rd base.

Also noteworthy: when the final out was recorded by the Mets, they didn't even stay on the field to shake hands; they ran off the field for fear of the fans throwing more stuff. Truly a GREATLY underrated crazy Mets game in our history.

The Mets hit 3 consecutive homers in the 5th inning in this game. Teufel, Keith and Strawberry (who hit a MOONSHOT). And the next batter, McReynolds, hit a ball to the warning track.

After attending the crazy game the night before with my girlfriend at the time as fans, I came back for the Sunday afternoon game with my sports editor (I was a newspaper photographer for a daily suburban Indianapolis newspaper) with press passes.

What a blow out for the Mets as Michael noted, the Mets hit three consecutive homers, including one by Strawberry that went into the upper deck of right field.

After the game, Pete Rose, then Reds manager, surrounded by reporters to talk about the game the night before when he shoved umpire Dave Pallone, said he'd never seen a ball hit there at Riverfront before. Then, tired of the questions about Pallone, he dropped his pants in front of us all ... ending the news conference.

I went into the Mets locker room after the Rose news conference, and Strawberry was walking out. We practically ran into each other. I just kind of said, "Nice shot, Darryl." To which he so kindly and respectfully said, "Yeah, right." (Despite being a lifelong Mets fan, I thought "What an a--hole!") As a baseball fan, I truly realized how distance lends enchantment/familiarity breeds contempt, at least when it comes to the players.

Shocked no one has commented on this one yet. Straw hit the game winning homer in the 10th off our future friend John Franco (the 2nd game ending homer Straw hit off him, the other was in 1985) as the Mets won yet another early season game in 88, starting off the season red hot.

I remember this game for a few reasons. First, it was a Friday night game. Second, it was my first time ever seeing Doc pitch live. Third, We had field level seats down the right field line..pretty much front row if I remember correctly. Sounds like the makings of a great night..right?

Well the first 3 reasons made for a pretty good night, but what makes this game FOREVER stick out in my mind was the fact that with the Mets trailing 3-2 going into the bottom of the 10th inning, my father decides, "Ok, time to go home." He wanted to beat the traffic. And despite me PLEADING with him, saying, "Dad, c'mon, ONE guy gets on, Straw has a chance to win it with one swing of the bat." My dad was like, "Tony, he's a BUM. He'll strike out at a pitch in the dirt, out of the strike zone," which as we all remember, Darryl was prone to do. "Besides," my Dad said, "We can listen to it when we get in the car."

Well, as we were walking through the Shea parking lot to the car all of the sudden we hear the crowd absolutely erupt. I looked at my dad, shook my head and we get in the car just in time to hear Gary Cohen screaming that, of course, Straw had hit the game winning walk off home run. To this day, I have never seen that home run, and I have never forgiven my dad for it!

This was a great night for Darryl Strawberry. He drove in all four Mets runs and capped things off with a walk-off homer against John Franco in the tenth inning. The winning pitcher for the Mets was Randy Myers, who would eventually be dealt to the Reds in exchange for Franco.

An interesting thing about this game is that it came on the fifth anniversary of Strawberry's major league debut. That game from '83 was also played on a Friday night at Shea Stadium against Cincinnati. George Foster homered in extra innings for a Mets win over the Reds that night, just like Darryl did here. A wild case of history repeating itself!

I was at this game. I went with my family to celebrate the Fourth of July. We had field level seats on the third base side. The best thing about this game weren't the seats or even the game; it was the fireworks show after the game. It was really cool to see a fireworks show inside Shea Stadium. Besides the fireworks show, the game was a snoozer.

I only thing I really remember about the game is that Jose Rijo absolutely shut down the Mets. It was a big disappointment because the Mets usually won when I went to Shea. I don't remember which specific games I went to in 1988 like I do re: 1986, but this was one and it was still a shock to see them lose in person. One of only three losses from David Cone's 1988 regular season.

I remember this game so vividly, because my friend and I had seats in the front row down the left field line and I got a ball handed to me by the Reds pitcher, Jose Rijo. He would later autograph it for me. Rijo was in a happy mood, because he had beaten us the night before. I remember actually talking to him about how great he had pitched the previous night and he was very nice.

Probably the low point of the 1988 season, as the Mets gave up 10 runs in the 1st inning. To top it off, the Pirates were hot and closed to within a game and a half for 1st place. Luckily, that's as close as they got.

I was ten years old and went to Shea with my dad. Must have been already the fifth game we went to that year. I only really remember it because Darryl Strawberry had an inside-the-park home run. The sheer power and speed he had was amazing to see especially as a kid. I was in awe. The memories will last forever.

I went with Eddie, a coworker of mine. He had lived in Beach Channel and we passed through his old neighborhood to pick up his friend Joey. We bought tickets at the box office. The seats were located down the left field line near the foul pole. Ed and Joey amused themselves by smoking some pot during the game. Ed thought it was cool when it was posted on the DiamondVision that Reds starting centerfielder Rolando Roomes had attended Beach Channel High School. Because of the location of our seats we could see into the Reds bullpen. Thought it was funny when we saw Rob Dibble flip the bird to Mets fans who were cursing him out when he was warming up late in the game. Left after the top of the 10th. Heard the roar of the crowd outside when Hojo hit a game winning home run off of Dibble in the bottom of the 10th. Ironic, because the last time I attended a Mets-Reds game in April 1985, Strawberry hit a game winning home run off of John Franco to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning.

Leading off the bottom of the ninth, Barry Larkin hit a grounder to Kevin Elster and Elster booted it. It was Kevin's first error in 88 games, a major league record for a shortstop.

By July of 1990, Elster was kicked out of the record by Cal Ripken, Jr, who went 95 games without an error.

Ron Darling hit a homer in this game, accomplishing the rare feat of homering in back to back starts (he had homered a week earlier).

Straw and Hojo homered as well and the Mets had a very rare road blowout in 1989 (The Mets were a terrible road team during the season, losing a bunch of close games).

Gooden left this game early with a shoulder injury. At the time, the thought was that Doc would most likely miss only a start or 2 (especially with the All-Star break coming up). But the injury was much worse than the Mets let on early, and Gooden ended up missing over 2 months of action. In fact, this Reds game was the last that he would start in 1989, as his only other appearances came in a few relief spots in late September.

I remember watching this game as it happened. There was a rain delay and also the very rare occurance of a reliever hitting a home run. The Mets survived that rarity though as Sid pitched great besides it.

Kevin Tapani's only Shea appearance as a Met. I'm pretty sure it was a day game.

To the above comment, this was actually a night game. The ABC Game of the Week (one of the last ones before ABC lost baseball coverage after 1989). The Pete Rose betting saga dominated the broadcast talk all game long as the game was essentially over early. David West got killed in one of his last Mets games before being traded for Frank Viola.

I was one of the 47,267 people who were at this game, and the only way I know this is because it was Kahn's Beef Baseball Card Night, and knowing me, I would have been all over that. Still, I had to google what the 1989 Mets Kahn's Beef Baseball Card set looked like because unlike the 1988 set, I don't remember it. So it googled it and yes, now I remember these cards. They were a huge disappointment, just like the 1989 Mets.

Unlike the '88 set, most of the cards from the 1989 Mets Kahn's Beef Baseball Card set had terrible lighting. For instance, Keith Hernandez looked black. I remember my dad looking at the cards during the game and commenting on the terrible photography.

Besides the baseball cards, I don't remember anything about this game. Thankfully it's on YouTube, which helped me recall the zeitgeist of the 'Batman' summer of 1989, namely the Pete Rose scandal.

After the introduction of the starting lineups, the ABC broadcast team of Michaels, McCarver, and Palmer commented on the weak Mets lineup, with McCarver calling it, "like a B-team" and Palmer saying "it looks like half of Tidewater". They weren't wrong. The toothless lineup would have made my younger self sad, but by 1989, I was learning not to tie my emotions to the Mets.

As Michael mentioned in a previous post about this game, the announcers spent an inordinate amount of time talking about Pete Rose. At one point they commented on the irony that Rose's scandal was overshadowing Johnny Bench going into the Hall of Fame, and after that one comment, they never mentioned Johnny Bench again.

As far as the game, David West did not acquit himself well on this night. In what was to be an 'audition' to be trade bait (on national TV no less), he left the game after 4 IP and 7 ER, increasing his ERA from 0.63 to 3.93, but he did get a base hit. Davey didn't do him any favors with that punchless lineup, but again, Frank Cashen gutted that team so it wasn't all Davey's fault.

Played at night (with a late 8:12 pm start time) in humid 78 degree temperatures under an intermittent drizzle, flashes of lighting could be seen and the rumble of thunder was heard in the distance. The weather was probably the most exciting thing about this game.

I can't believe no one has posted about this game! In an otherwise miserable year, which saw the trade of Lenny Dykstra, this was the game that Tim Teufel swung on Rob Dibble after getting drilled in the back with a pitch. One of the biggest brawls ever, which included Juan Samuel landing a karate kick to Reds' reliever, Norm Charlton.

Yes, I was at this game with my Dad and sister. I was only 10, but I still hate Rob Dibble to this day for that. Teufel was 4 for 4 and Dibble came in and drilled him. I loved Teufel's fake to the ump that he was calm and then sprinted around him to charge Dibble. Then, after we thought everything was calmed down Samuel with the jump kick.

I remember all these guys around us in the upper deck cheering on the fight and my sister crying and yelling at them, "Stop it, stop it!!"

I remember that when Tim Teufel was interviewed about this after the game, he pointed out that he was from SOUTHERN Connecticut, whilst headhunter Rob Dibble was from NORTHERN Connecticut. The big payoff was the next day, in which Juan Samuel took Dibble deep. Great series.

I also remember Strawberry calling the Reds clubhouse trying to continue the brawl and challenging anyone to a fight who would. I remember after hitting Teufel, Dibble came straight after him and taunted him. It was wild.

One of a handful of games I went to in that crazy '89 season!!!! It was the 3rd rumble in 4 years between the Reds and the Mets (if you include Rose's push and shove with Dave Pallone in '88). Just watched the fight on YouTube. Rob Dibble would've been a decent UFC fighter, same thing for Myers and Charlton as well. I still have my ticket stub (I have almost every stub or paper from Mets games at Shea/Citi from 1979 to the present) but some of them have faded.

I was at this game with my parents and sister, a very rare event since my Mom wasn't much of a sports fan. I was 9, but I remember very little other than that my Dad and I had gone to the bathroom, and when we came back the crowd was roaring and standing. We had missed most of the fight between Teufel and Dibble, which was a shame. But I do fondly remember to this day the back page of the paper the next day: "Teufel Scuffle" Genius!

This was the first and best baseball game I ever saw. I was hoping someone else who was there remembered some details as I was only 8 years old. My best memories are: Darryl Strawberry robbing a home run in right field; Eric Davis getting injured while trying to make a catch, with manager Pete Rose walking to the outfield to a chorus of boos; incredibly loud "Dibble" chanting during his brief appearance; and Juan Samuel's game-clinching homer. Other notes: Someone taped the game for me but it broke not long after. Robin Williams and Billy Crystal were guest announcers for this fantastic game. And the Mets welcomed my family and me on the Jumbotron thanks to friend of the family Glenn Close.

Garett, you are right!!! This was the game where Robin & Billy were in the booth and as I remember it, Robin even caught a foul ball much to the amazement to Billy (who is very funny, even though he's a fan of the Bronx Evil Empire) and this is a HISTORIC game as well. This would be the LAST SHEA STADIUM appearance for Charlie Hustle as he would be banned one month later from Major League Baseball by the late Bart Giamatti.

Diiiiiiihhhh-Bullllll! This was the day after Dibble threw at the Mets heads, and Samuel repaid him with a HR. Great theater, plus the Mets won.

Garett! Holy crap! Here I am looking up my fav baseball memory and whose post do I find but yours! To add to what you said (and I could be wrong being 10 and all): Strawberry was slumping and the fans were booing him his first couple ABs. Mid-way through the game he robs a HR and throws out the runner at 2nd in one motion. The boos turned into "I love you Darryl". When Dibble came in and fans started chanting Dibbbbbbble Dibbbbble, he walked the first batter on 4 pitches. Then Samuel hit the home run on the first pitch. I remember watching the tape and listening to the reg play-by-play guys laughing their heads off at Robin and Billy. Something about stealing bases in Russia, in a Russian accent.

Garett! Holy crap! Here I am looking up my fav baseball memory and whose post do I find but yours! To add to what you said (and I could be wrong being 10 and all): Strawberry was slumping and the fans were booing him his first couple ABs. Mid-way through the game he robs a HR and throws out the runner at 2nd in one motion. The boos turned into "I love you Darryl". When Dibble came in and fans started chanting Dibbbbbbble Dibbbbble, he walked the first batter on 4 pitches. Then Samuel hit the home run on the first pitch. I remember watching the tape and listening to the reg play-by-play guys laughing their heads off at Robin and Billy. Something about stealing bases in Russia, in a Russian accent.

This was Bud Harrelson's first game as Mets Manager. Davey Johnson was fired after a 20-22 start.

The Mets lost this game but then won 26 of their next 33 under Buddy. They were in first place as late as Labor Day weekend before fading down the stretch.

The Mets win their 11th game in a row, tying a team record. Strawberry homers again, and is joined by Mackey Sasser. The entire Mets lineup was red hot at this point in the season, as along with Strawberry....guys like Jefferies, Sasser, McReynolds, Boston and Magadan were all in the middle of hot streaks. The Mets averaged over 7 runs a game from about early June till mid July. Arguably the most dominant stretch of baseball in team history.

Those 11 straight wins Michael mentioned are still tied for the club record; it's been matched only once more since then, in 2015. It was a solid win all the way around, as they did it without Boston or McReynolds in the lineup, and Ojeda pretty much silenced a Cincinnati lineup that seemed to feature .300 hitters from top to bottom. His 8.1 innings pitched, 126 pitches and 8 strikeouts were all season highs. He wore down late in the game, though, allowing five of the last eight batters he faced to reach base. Harrelson seemed intent to get Ojeda the complete game but eventually had to pull the plug in the ninth.

With Franco unavailable due to pitching an inning and two thirds the previous game, Buddy went with Jeff Innis for the save instead, a daring move considering the Reds countered with the lefty-hitting Ken Griffey Sr. and Paul O'Neill as his first two batters. With one out and one on, Griffey one-handed a pitch to the wall in RF but Strawberry caught it with his back up against the fence. O'Neill then singled, and Keith Miller booted the ball to move the runners to 2nd and 3rd. With Billy Hatcher batting next, Innis uncorked a wild pitch that scored Mariano Duncan. Edging ever closer to disaster, Innis then induced Hatcher to hit a nubber in front of the plate that Sasser pounced on and threw to first for the final out. After a sigh of relief, Innis could celebrate notching his first big league save.

Strawberry's homer extended his hitting streak to a career-best 18 games, which would get snapped the next game. I was surprised to learn that Moises Alou actually holds the record for longest hitting streak in Mets history. He hit safely in 30 straight games in 2007. I can't believe he stayed healthy long enough to achieve such a feat.

I listened to this game on the radio, a sad loss that ended an 11 game winning streak. The 1990 Mets started 20-22, which ended the Davey Johnson era. Before the streak, the Mets with Harrelson as manager won 10 out of 17, improving to 30-29 overall. After the last win of the streak, they were 21-7 under Harrelson and 41-29 overall, tied for first.

Then came this game. Cone pitched 7 innings and left the game with a 4-3 lead, but bullpen aces Jeff Musselman and Wally Whitehurst quickly helped turned a 4-3 Mets lead into a 6-4 deficit. I still sadly remember Joe Oliver's double to break the 4-4 tie and put the Reds up for good.

It was especially sad because Randy Myers had been my favorite Mets pitcher in 1988 and 1989. In this one, he pitched two scoreless innings for the save as a member of the Reds.

Oh, the horror.

Popped this one in the player today. A fun game to watch. What started out as a gorgeous Sunday afternoon at Shea turned into a long rain delay. At this point in the season the Mets were playing simply incredible and were almost unbeatable. The future world champion Reds helped and committed 3 errors, including a throwing error in the 9th to allow the winning run to score.

Michael is right, this was a fun game to watch. Ron Darling was pitching a gem until an hour and a half rain delay struck in the bottom of the sixth. During the delay, WWOR showed a Kiner's Korner interview with home plate umpire Eric Gregg (RIP), which I thought was highly entertaining and unique. When play resumed, the Reds left in starting pitcher Danny Jackson, who induced a double-play ball from Darryl Strawberry but an error by Mariano Duncan loaded the bases with one out. Flame-thrower Rob Dibble relieved and Kevin McReynolds greeted him with an RBI sac fly, giving the Mets a 2-1 lead.

It didn't last though. John Franco, looking for a two-inning save, allowed a run in the ninth, largely thanks to the rain that fell earlier. Joe Oliver hit a liner to left that scored Duncan from first as the ball was kicked around by McReynolds because he kept losing his footing in the outfield. He looked like he was running through a pond with all the water splashing up from his feet. But the Mets responded in the bottom of the frame, as Mackey Sasser blooped a lead-off double down the left field line and Kevin Elster followed with a sac bunt attempt that Ken Griffey Sr., playing a rare game at 1B, threw away looking to get Sasser at third, giving the Mets a wild walk-off win.

The Mets open the 2nd half of the season just as they ended the first half, with a convincing win. They hit 4 homers and beat up the Reds pitching staff to keep pace with the 1st place Pirates, a positon that the teams would switch on and off until early-mid September.

This was the game Cone and Harrelson got into it in the dugout after Cone supposedly shook off a pitch-out sign from the dugout. After the inning was over, Buddy got in Cone's face and starting poking and shoving him in the chest and Hubie Brooks had to get in between the two to keep them from going to blows. It was an ugly scene in an otherwise nice game for the Mets -- never trailing in a win over the reigning world champion Reds on the road. Despite the dugout spat, Cone still went 8 innings without giving up an earned run and struck out 13, although Buddy may have been giving him the silent treatment as he left his pitcher on the mound for 147 pitches -- the second-highest count of Cone's career according to baseball reference.

If I remember correctly, this was a Monday, and it was my last day of second grade. Since I couldn't go out and get loaded like I usually did when I got done with classes later in life, I did the next best thing. I had my friends come over, we grabbed some Cokes out of the fridge, and played Nintendo until the Mets came on.

Darling was so-so on this night, but the Mets came to Cincy ready to hit. Howard Johnson had a monster shot into the upper decks of the old Riverfront.

Overall, a great day for a lad like me!

Kinda surprised I'm the first comment here, as this was a great game! Reds open with four straight singles off Whitehurst to score two runs, HoJo hit his last of five grand slams with the Mets in the third inning, the Reds battle back to tie it up at 5-5 in the 8th, and the Mets jump ahead again in the bottom of the frame thanks to a clutch pinch-hit RBI single by McReynolds off the flame-throwing Rob Dibble. Keith Miller adds an RBI sac fly and Alejandro Pena, spelling an injured (I think?) John Franco, gets the final five outs, including Barry Larkin on a strikeout to end the game. Very exciting.

Good seeing the Mets get a win without Coleman, McReynolds, Magadan or Jefferies in the lineup, plus without Franco available out of the pen. This was Garry Templeton's first ever start at first base and he looked like an absolute natural. I found it interesting he wore #11, the same number Tim Teufel -- who he was traded for -- wore. Johnson's grand slam was made even more special considering he was just 2-for-34 lifetime vs. Browning at the time of that at-bat. Browning was known for giving up longballs though -- he led the bigs with 32 HRs allowed in 1991, the third time in his career he led the bigs in that category.

Randy Myers took the loss, which was also special considering he had gone nine scoreless outings with seven saves vs. the Mets since being traded for Franco prior to the 1990 season. Meanwhile, I have no memory of Rich Sauveur with the Mets. He lasted all of six games with the team in '91 and spent most of the year with AAA Tidewater. He seemed like one of those guys who mastered the minors but could never cut it at the major league level. He held a career 2.91 ERA in the minors, but a 6.07 ERA in the majors.

A CBS game of the week and Wally Whitehurst had absolutely nothing on this day. It seemed like every hit the Reds had was a bullet somewhere. It ended at 7-0 on this day but it easily could have been much worse.

I don't remember anything about this game, except that I was seven years old and it was my first baseball game. The only reason I'm certain it was this game that was my first was I know it was in August of 1991, against the Reds, and that the Mets won.

I remember being really impressed and excited the next day when my mom showed me the box score of the game in Newsday. I was just shocked beyond words that something I was part of was important enough to end up in the newspaper! For the rest of the baseball season, I would cut out the box score section of Newsday and closely examine Mets box scores until I finally understood how they work.

David Cone struck out nine batters in six innings for the win on a Friday night at Riverfront Stadium. In the bottom of the sixth he struck out the side on nine pitches. According to baseball- almanac.com, this has only happened 37 times in the history of major league baseball. Cone was the second Met pitcher to do this, with Nolan Ryan being the first on April 19, 1968.

Cone's nine-pitch victims were Herm Winningham, Randy Myers, and Mariano Duncan.

This was the first major league game for Mets OF Terry McDaniel, who came into the game in an eighth inning double switch. McDaniel wound up the season 6-for-23 with eleven strikeouts, was waived in November and claimed by Pittsburgh, but never made it back to the majors.

Not an especially memorable game since the season was winding down. But Keith Miller turned around a blazing Rob Dibble fastball in the 10th inning to win the game for the Mets. A rare homer for Miller, and coming off a guy who threw the hardest in the league at that point was a nice footnote in the last weeks of the season.

Along with the rare Keith Miller homer, this game was the first Mets win on WWOR channel 9 in almost 6 weeks, since July 21. August of 1991 was truly a low point in franchise history, as the team just went off a cliff in every way.

The big highlight from this game was Magadan getting thrown out at 3B trying to tag up on a flyball to RF during the 5th inning. Magadan had just gotten the Mets within 2 with an RBI double, but was gunned down by O'Neill on Schofield's flyout. O'Neill, who had quite the underrated arm, ranked second among NL right fielders in 1992 with 12 OF assists. Magadan -- who was also batting leadoff, the only time in his career he started a game as the leadoff hitter -- gave Reds 3B Chris Sabo a nice shoulder block during the tag in an attempt to jar the ball loose to no avail.

There were Mets defensive blunders all over the place, too. Magadan, Murray and Gooden all committed errors, while Whitehurst and Gibson both uncorked wild pitches. The Mets did thwart a squeeze attempt in the 2nd inning, though. Despite all that, New York had a good shot at doing damage in the 7th when a HBP and two walks loaded the bases for Bonilla with 2 outs. Cincinnati countered by bringing in closer Rob Dibble, who -- unlike in August when Bonilla beat him with a walk-off 3-run homer -- struck out Bobby looking to end the threat. He then retired the remaining 6 in order -- 4 via punchout -- to record the save.

One final note: Highly touted prospect DJ Dozier made his first major league start in this game, playing LF and batting 6th. He walked, stole a base, and grounded out before getting pinch-hit for in the 6th. He did next to nothing while playing in 25 games for the Mets in 1992. On top of that, he struggled at AAA too, prompting the Mets to include him in the deal to acquire Tony Fernandez from San Diego after the season. He played half of the 1993 season with the Padres' AAA team and the other half with the Cardinals' AAA team, and by 1994 was out of baseball. According to an article in the Virginia Pilot in 2006 (https://www.pilotonline.com/news/article_7fb68a3b-4ebf-56a6-a2fc-08159e1e6f28.html), he went on to be a coach, work as a missionary, dabble in financial planning and investment banking, before settling on starting a business with former Phillies pitcher Tyler Green, helping athletes transition after their sports career is over.

1992 was the season where I started really becoming the diehard Mets fan I am today. Sounds ironic given how horrible they were that season. If I remember correctly, this was the game where I got my first ever autograph. It was from the Reds' Darnell Coles. I was in third grade. My older sister and I were waiting by the rail for autographs. My sister started calling for Coles and he came over & said something like if it were not for my sister's big mouth, he would not have come over. It was a nice moment.

It wasn't so much about the game that I remember, it's what happened on the off day the day before. The Mets traded my favorite player david cone to the blue jays. I was only 12 years old and living in miami, fl at the time. I listened to every Mets game on the radio. Miami was a big Mets town! I was shocked when I heard the news! Well I listened to the game anyway, and I kept score as I always did, but this time knowing that my favorite david cone would not play in a met uniform again. even though the Mets won, I was still unable to sleep that night!

Just watched this game on my old tape... Weird game, considering that Shea held a concert that week and the outfield still had the clear outlines for the stage and setup of that concert. So anytime a ball went into the outfield, you could clearly still see the strange outfield configuration on the tv broadcast. Good game too, as Darryl Boston hit the go-ahead homer in the 8th to win it for New York.

That concert (Elton John/Eric Clapton) would be the last at Shea until 2003 when a guy from my home state of New Jersey named Springsteen played there. The reason why Shea officials nixed rock concerts at the time was due to the toll they took on the field!

I attended this game with a friend of mine. Dwight Gooden was the winning pitcher and helped his own cause with an RBI double. But the thing I remember most about it was the terrible condition of the Shea Stadium outfield grass. It was all faded and discolored from the many rows of chairs that were set up there for a concert a few days earlier. I don't know who the performer was at that show, but allowing people to sit right at ground level for it created a horrible looking baseball field.

Replying to Posheco's post, the performers were Elton John and Eric Clapton. But you're right, the OF was in total shambles. Good thing the 1992 season didn't really matter much by this time of the year.

Gooden's days of dominance were far behind him at this point, but he still found ways to win. And he was also one of the Mets best hitters during the season, as he finished the year with a .264 average. His 19 hits tied Tom Glavine for most by a pitcher in 1992, and rank third all-time by a pitcher in team history behind his own tally of 21 in 1985, and Mike Hampton's 20 in 2000.

Speaking of pitchers, Noah Syndergaard was born on this day. Also, David Cone made his first start with Toronto since being traded a few days earlier. Things didn't go so well, as he was knocked around for 7 runs on 7 hits and 7 walks over 6.2 innings in a 7-2 loss to the Brewers. This came a day after Milwaukee beat the Jays 22-2, so he really ran into a buzzsaw. But he went 4-2 with a 1.55 ERA over his next 7 games to help Toronto capture the AL East crown.

I learned that Paul O'Neill's sister was a food critic for the New York Times while watching the broadcast on CBS. He'd be joining his sister in the Big Apple pretty soon, as he would be traded to the Yankees after the season for Roberto Kelly.

Anthony Young, filling in for the injured John Franco, notched his 11th save of the season. He did give up a harmless run, snapping a scoreless streak that stretched back to July 4 (a span of 23.2 innings over 20 games). However, he imploded in September, holding an ERA of 11.00 during the month and going 0-5 with 4 blown saves. Little did he know his troubles would be just beginning...

Replying to Posheco's post, the performers were Elton John and Eric Clapton. But you're right, the OF was in total shambles. Good thing the 1992 season didn't really matter much by this time of the year.

Gooden's days of dominance were far behind him at this point, but he still found ways to win. And he was also one of the Mets best hitters during the season, as he finished the year with a .264 average. His 19 hits tied Tom Glavine for most by a pitcher in 1992, and rank third all-time by a pitcher in team history behind his own tally of 21 in 1985, and Mike Hampton's 20 in 2000.

Speaking of pitchers, Noah Syndergaard was born on this day. Also, David Cone made his first start with Toronto since being traded a few days earlier. Things didn't go so well, as he was knocked around for 7 runs on 7 hits and 7 walks over 6.2 innings in a 7-2 loss to the Brewers. This came a day after Milwaukee beat the Jays 22-2, so he really ran into a buzzsaw. But he went 4-2 with a 1.55 ERA over his next 7 games to help Toronto capture the AL East crown.

I learned that Paul O'Neill's sister was a food critic for the New York Times while watching the broadcast on CBS. He'd be joining his sister in the Big Apple pretty soon, as we would be traded to the Yankees after the season for Roberto Kelly.

Anthony Young, filling in for the injured John Franco, notched his 11th save of the season. He did give up a harmless run, snapping a scoreless streak that stretched back to July 4 (a span of 23.2 innings over 20 games). However, he imploded in September, holding an ERA of 11.00 during the month and going 0-5 with 4 blown saves. Little did he know his troubles would be just beginning...

I'm pretty sure this was a Sunday night game broadcast nationwide on ESPN. It was "Turn Back the Clock Night" at Shea: the Mets unis weren't too different but the Reds were wearing the vests and black sleeves that they wore in the early 1960's and which are their regular uniforms today. Rob Dibble blew the save by giving up two runs in the ninth, the last on a hit by Bobby Bo. He stormed off the mound and tore off his uniform as he headed for the dugout. Priceless!

Bobby Bonilla hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to win this one for the Mets. After he hit the ball, Jon Miller (ESPN's play-by-play man) said the words "It's going to stay in the ballpark." One second later (no exaggeration) the ball landed on the Mets' bullpen. The next the the TV audience saw was Dibble tearing off his 1962 style uniform vest and leaving it on the field.

From time to time, ESPN has shown a replay of this home run, but only to show what Dibble did afterwards. The never show it with Miller's erroneous call. Tim McCarver once said in a commercial he made "Never say it's out of here before it's out of here." Miller made this mistake, only in reverse. He said it WASN'T out of here before it wasn't. But it was.

I recall this game as 'turn the clock back' night. After Bobby B hit a HR to win the game in the bottom of the 9th, I can still see Reds pitcher Dibble tearing his shirt off in disgust!

The National Anthem was sung by 1950's-60's singer, Julius LaRosa. I worked with his daughter at the time and gave her the tix for him to sign. He wrote: "We won!! Julius LaRosa". I still have the tix in my collection.

Epic outcome in a game the Mets had no business winning. Tim Belcher retired 23 in a row after allowing Murray's RBI single in the first inning, but was taken out in favor of Dibble in the 9th. And it was a justifiable switch, as Belcher was at 125 pitches and Dibble was one of the most dominant relievers of the era.

But, after fanning Boston to lead off the inning, Dibble got himself into trouble, walking the light-hitting Chris Donnels. Kent, in just his 4th game with the Mets, struck out for the third straight time (and got cascaded with boos), but then Murray walked on 4 pitches, bringing up Bonilla. Guessing (and guessing right) that Dibble would throw a first-pitch get-me-over fastball, Bobby swatted it over the right field wall for a line drive home run -- his first (of four) walk-off dingers in his career. I, like Hank, made note of John Miller's terrible call. His exact words: "This will stay in the ballpark...or is it? NO!"

The Reds looked like they had just lost the World Series after Bonilla's blast. Dibble, as mentioned by the previous commenters, infamously ripped off his jersey walking off the mound, while many players sat on the bench staring blankly onto the field for several minutes in utter disbelief. Not only did they lose a heartbreaker of a game, but they had just been swept in 4 games by the lowly Mets. For New York, this gave them their season-best 7th win in a row. The following day the streak ended when they were swept in a doubleheader by the Braves.

Also of note, the Mets lost two players in the first inning of this game, as Coleman was ejected for arguing balls and strikes (the moron took strike three right down the middle, then decided to jaw at the umpire for no reason from the dugout), and Chico Walker was forced from the game when he pulled up lame scoring on Murray's single. But he'd only miss a couple games, which was good considering HoJo, Magadan, Randolph and Elster were also hurt at the time. And hat tip to Barry Jones, who I don't remember being a Met at all but earned the win by retiring all 5 batters he faced, including two on strikeouts when he came in with 2 on and 1 out in the 8th. How fair is baseball that Jones went 2-0 with a 9.39 ERA for the Mets in 1992, but Anthony Young went 2-14 with a 4.17 ERA?

This game had the most disgusting ending! The Mets were ahead by a run in the ninth when Eddie Murray (among the all-time leaders in grand slams) came up with the bases loaded and one out. Eddie asked umpire Terry Tata to move over a few feet. The stubborn Tata refused. After an argument, Tata ejected Murray, depriving him of his chance to do some damage. Macker Sasser had to pinch hit and grounded into a double play. The Reds then scored two in the bottom of the ninth to win.

Even though they weren't in pennant contention, the Mets were very upset about losing this game. They had every right to be. They had their big chance to increase their lead taken away just because Terry Tata wouldn't move his big, fat butt!

Frank Tanana's 1st start in his one season as a Met. He pitched great on this afternoon nationally televised game and won his first ever National League game. After this win, the Mets were 6-4 and actually playing pretty decent baseball. Little did anyone know what the rest of the year had in store.

I can't speak to any other games in his career, but Doc Gooden batted left-handed in this game. He was always a natural lefty at the plate, but was never allowed to do it because it would expose his right arm. But I guess he convinced Dallas Green. Definitely weird to see.

In my view, easily the most frustrating loss of the 1994 season. The Mets led 6-4 in the 9th with 2 outs and the bases empty. Franco gave up a couple of hits and then future Met Lenny Harris hit a grounder to SS that he beat out, and Deion Sanders rounded 3rd with the tying run....David Segui made a perfect throw home (on the replay they even show Sanders stopped between 3rd and home because the throw beat him by so much)....And Hundley drops the ball, letting Deion run by him and score.

In the 10th, Jerome Walton hit the game winning 3-run homer to win it....but this loss was all on Todd Hundley.

The one-year-old MLB Network is a godsend. With the NFL playoffs going on and the weather outside was raw and rainy on January 17, 20and Rusty Staub as the game announcers on the late SportsChannel (now MSG Plus). Deion "Prime Time" Sanders playing CF for the Reds as well.

MLB Network is a godsend. With the NFL playoffs going on with the weather outside raw and rainy on January 17, 2010 they aired a replay of this game with Fran Healy and Rusty Staub as the game announcers on the late great SportsChannel (now MSG Plus) and playing CF for the Reds was Tim McCarver's "good buddy" Deion "PRIME TIME" Sanders.

The Mets can't extend their season-long 3-game winning streak as Pete Harnisch ties a career high by allowing 4 home runs. Despite winning only once over his first 12 starts as a Met, Harnisch wasn't pitching that badly, as he held a 4.13 ERA entering this game. However, in 5 starts in June his ERA stood at 5.34, and that decline clearly continued during his first start in July here. Whether he was pitching hurt or tiring out after an abbreviated 1994 campaign, Harnisch didn't look right, as he consistently fell behind hitters, causing him to throw some meaty get-me-over pitches to some very dangerous hitters. The result: Cincinnati clobbered 4 homers, although luckily they were all solo shots. It was the first time a Mets pitcher gave up 4 home runs at Shea since Nino Espinosa -- also against the Reds -- in 1978!

The Mets didn't really do much against Cincy starter Tim Pugh, managing just a Todd Hundley solo blast in the 2nd and an RBI groundout by Brett Butler in the 5th. They had better luck against reliever Hector Carrasco in the 7th, collecting 3 straight 1-out singles and a sac fly to trim the score to 5-4. But that was as close as they'd get, as Jeff Brantley navigated a rain delay between the 8th and 9th innings to secure a 2-inning save.

On the positive side, though Doug Henry and Jerry DiPoto had some ugly numbers entering this game, both looked really good during their outings -- an encouraging sign considering how poorly the Mets bullpen had performed up to this point in the season. Also, Jeff Barry collected a pinch-hit single in the 5th for his first Major League hit. That represented half of all the hits he'd ever record in a Mets uniform.

I attended this game with a friend of mine. We sat right behind home plate because at this point in the season the ticket holders would stand outside of Shea begging for people to take them.

This was an overcast day to begin with and I remember getting to the stadium early and watching Barry Larkin jogging around the stadium.

There was intense controversy in the sixth when it began raining. Tim Pugh comes in and gives up a single to Vizcaino and walks Carl Everett. With Jeff Kent up Pugh balks the runners over and then uncorks a wild pitch scoring Vizcaino and right then the umpires called the game.

Reds manager Davey Johnson and coach Ray Knight run out on the field and start yelling loud and I think both were thrown out of the game. I have nice pictures of the event too.

This was Izzy's ninth and final win of his rookie year.

After a terrible start to the season, Paul Wilson got his first major league win on this night. Pitching 8 great innings and showing the stuff that made him so well thought of with scouts. There wouldn't be too many more nights like these for Paul, but was a star for this one.

Chris Jones' 3rd game ending homer of 4 that he had for the Mets. This one may have been his furthest, as hit shot off Jeff Shaw left the park in an instant, ending this rainy night.

My dad caught a foul ball off the bat of Jose Vizcaino in this game. It was one of his and my step-mom's first dates. I've been searching for the footage, but have yet to find it. Any help would be appreciated!

The last game as Mets for both Jose Vizcaino and Jeff Kent,as the Mets felt that Carlos Baerga was just in the mist of a slump in Cleveland, and not, as it turned out, a complete shell of the All Star he used to be.

As for the game, McCarver remarked during the broadcast that Todd Hundley was in dire need of a rest, as he had been playing pretty much every single day as a catcher. Hundley did look tired, at least on tv, but he still hit a long homer, as he was still red hot at the time.

Rick Reed's coming out party. I ventured out to Shea on a bright April afternoon (I think I got sunburned) not expecting much. Got a field box from a scalper for $5 under face value. Reed was magnificent the whole way, despite some morons chanting "SCAB!" throughout the early innings. Boy, did he ever shut them up. Alfonzo blasted a 3-run triple in the 5th and that was all he needed, Reeder's first complete game and W as a Met. And when he batted in the 8th, he got a huge ovation, even from the idiots who had jeered him earlier. Great game.

One of Hundley's best games as a Met, hitting 2 homers with 5 RBI on a very overcast afternoon at Shea as the Mets were in the process of rebounding from their poor early season start.

This was Bobby Jones 8th consecutive winning start, tying a Mets record with Seaver (1969) and Cone (1988) for such a streak in a single year.

The Mets and Reds played in front of a very small crowd due to the rain on the previous day. Bobby Jones continued his fantastic start to the year with another win as the Mets continued to be one of the biggest surprises in baseball in 1997.

Great day at Shea. Todd Hundley had two home runs, one from each side of the plate, as the sun beamed down on a crowd of over 40,000. It was Sunglasses Day, and they were ugly, but they came in handy.

Along with a great Mets win on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, this broadcast had a classic back and forth with Howie Rose and Ralph Kiner in the early innings Howie, talking to Ralph, says "You know Ralph, there's been a lot of chatter around the league about how good of a young umpire that Angel Hernandez is so far this season" (Never mind how poorly that quote has aged!).....Ralph, completely deadpan with perfect comedic timing, replies.."Where the heck do you hang out that they're talking about umpires?"

A great broadcast moment from an otherwise easy victory.

I watched this game recently and caught even more hijinx between the announcers, as Kiner was in a particularly joking mood on this day. He brought up the term "duck soup" and wondered where it came from, and then started talking about other weird things he's tried, like clam chowder and turtle soup. Later he asked Fran Healy what he thought the most important stat in baseball is, but before answering Healy called the action, which was a swing and miss by Dave Mlicki. So Fran says "swung on and missed," and immediately Ralph asks, "swung on and missed is the most important stat?" That got an eyeroll out of me. In case anyone's wondering, they both agreed it's RBI.

They also came to the conclusion that middle relievers only end up in that spot because they can't make it as starters and are really nothing better than minor leaguers. Another classic example of two stuck-in-their-ways, old-school know-it-alls who refused to see the evolution of the game happening before their eyes. Yes, perhaps that philosophy applied to the 1960s, but gone were the days when starters went 8 or 9 innings every start. Baseball was, by this time, becoming far more analytical, with knowledge of matchups and splits giving far more weight to picking a solid relief corps. Even in 1997, calling situation relievers or setup pitchers nothing better than minor leaguers was terribly antiquated.

Healy kept up the stupid later on, remarking how MLB will have to create an expansion team in Japan, or else the Japanese League will go under like the Negro Leagues did. There are just so many things wrong with that statement. First, the logistics of a MLB team in Japan would be impossible. Second, think about how many players from Russia play in the NHL, or are from Europe and play in the NBA. Both those places still have their own leagues, so why would Japanese baseball be any different? Third, Fran not understanding there's a huge difference in the origins of the Negro Leagues and Japanese baseball is shockingly ignorant. Please, get these old farts out of the broadcast booth already!

As for Hundley, he broke Bobby Bonilla's team record by hitting a home run from both sides of the plate for the fifth time in this one. His first homer was actually caught barehanded by one of the Reds relievers in the bullpen. He still holds the record, though Carlos Beltran tied it in 2011. It was also Hundley's last of six times getting 4 hits in a game.

This was also Dave Mlicki's only time collecting 2 hits in a game. With the win, the Mets moved to 13 games over .500 for the first time since 1991.

The Mets scored three runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings to coast to a 14-0 win, the most lopsided shutout win in team history.

Bernard Gilkey had three hits, three RBI, and scored five runs.

This actually tied the record for most- lopsided shutout. Galen Cisco pitched a CG shutout on 7-29-65 that was also 14-0.

Don't even remind me about this game. I was there at Shea that day, and what promotion happened to be occurring? You guessed it---Rey Ordonez highlight VHS giveaway day.

David Weathers, of all people, pitched an absolute gem for the Reds. Then again, just take a look at the Mets' lineup for this game, and you can see why.

This was right before the Amazins made the deal for Iron Mike Piazza, and it is no wonder why they pulled the trigger. To call the attendance sparse would be an overstatement, and I attribute it to the lineup that left a lot to be desired.

Went to this game with my brother and caught my first foul ball ever -- went to my first Mets game in 1972 and have usually made at least one game every year. The ball was hit by Dmitri Young. We were sitting behind the third base dugout and the ball hit off of an empty seat and bounced right into my hands! It was all the more memorable for me as I had just finished law school and my daughter had been born that January and I plan on giving that ball to her when she's old enough to understand the joy of baseball!

Congrats Eric! We'd love to know if you ended up giving your daughter that ball after all.

The Mets began a doubleheader sweep of the Reds behind 8 strong innings from Bobby Jones and a key 5-run 5th inning, highlighted by a 3-run laser beam of a home run off the bat of Butch Huskey. Aside from that 5th inning, the Mets mustered just 3 other hits all game, but when you get them in bunches it all works out in the end. Jones himself only allowed 4 hits, although 2 of them were home runs. Jon Nunnally actually greeted him with a HR to lead off the game, which prompted more "here we go again" groans from me. It was the first of two times Nunnally led off a game with a homer, his other oddly enough coming as a member of the Mets in 2000. Before him, the last to lead off a game with a HR against the Mets was Deion Sanders back in 1995. This was the first time it happened to Jones, though he'd fall victim twice more during his career.

The sweep -- which gave the Mets 6 straight wins at home -- was badly needed as they had lost 5 of 7 on the West Coast beforehand, and didn't score more than 4 runs in any of those contests. With Edgardo Alfonzo seeing his first action since May 3 after a stint on the DL, this was the first time in quite a while the Mets sported what could be considered an "everyday lineup," even though they were still without Todd Hundley.

Speaking of Hundley, in between games they played an interview of Steve Phillips on FSNY during which he was asked if he had had any conversations with the Marlins regarding Mike Piazza, who had been traded to Florida 5 days prior. Though he admitted that he had, he said a trade for Piazza was unlikely because his addition would cause too many problems for the Mets. What do they do with Hundley when he comes back? Why give up valuable trade chips to get a player at a position they already have an All-Star at? Why weaken a strong defense by playing people out of position? So on and so on. Whether he truly felt this way and changed his mind, or if he was just playing coy for the cameras, the fact is Phillips brought Piazza on board just 3 days later in a trade that changed the course of the franchise and turned a so-so team into a legit contender for several years to come. But it sure was interesting listening to that interview knowing what we know now.

In 1999, Bobby Bonilla had become a member of the Mets organization. Every time he stepped up to the plate, he would get booed. At this game against the Reds (which I was at), Bobby Bonilla stepped up to a chorus of boos (which included myself) and then, with a smooth swing, he silenced the crowd by smashing one into the second deck in right. Most fans didn't know whether to cheer or boo so the Shea crowd was pretty much silent (I was one of the few who clapped). However, Greg Vaughn countered it with a monster blast of his own into the Shea bleachers and Al Leiter lost the game 5-3, giving him his 5th loss of the season. He would turn it around though.

Not mentioned by Lee was that this was Bonilla's first time back in the lineup after missing 18 games while on the DL. Also, Lee's memory might be a bit fuzzy, as Bonilla hit one into the second deck but foul on the pitch before he connected for his home run, which was a mammoth shot that sailed over the Mets bullpen. Brian McRae then went back-to-back with Bonilla, which gave the Mets a 3-1 lead that unfortunately didn't last very long.

That's because Leiter, who had his last start skipped to help him recover from a cranky knee, gave up 2 runs in the 3rd, and then allowed home runs to Vaughn in the 5th and Pokey Reese in the 7th. It was his 5th straight start giving up at least 5 runs as he ended the month of May with an ERA of 9.00. A far cry indeed from the pitcher we saw in 1998.

Meanwhile, after Mike Piazza doubled with 2 out in the 3rd, the Reds yanked starter Brett Tomko, and Ron Villone and Brian Williamson combined to hold the Mets hitless the rest of the game. Villone got the win by throwing 4 no-hit innings, his first in the majors since 1997. Robin Ventura had a particularly rough day, earning the golden sombrero by going 0-for-4 with 4 strikeouts. It was his only 4-strikeout game as a Met, and he was the only Mets position player to strikeout 4 times in a game in 1999 (pitcher Octavio Dotel also did it later on in August).

If my memory serves me right was at this game. Miserable night besides the score. Rained all night. I remember giving Rickey Henderson a Salvation Army bell to give to Derek Bell. Left in the 7th inning. Mets could not get any offense going whatsoever!

Definitely an offensive game for the Mets. Reed was great but, more importantly, the Mets hit 6 homers off Cincinatti pitching: 2 by Rickey Henderson (including one to start the game), one by Mike Piazza, one by John Olerud, one by Edgardo Alfonzo, and one by Matt Franco. The one home run for Cincinatti came off the bat of future- Met Mike Cameron.

Being a Mets fan living in Cincinnati, I might have been the only Met fan happy that the one game playoff was not at Shea.

Reds fans were is a riotous mood as the Mets built their lead, I was pretty nervous about my own safety, but most of them left after the seventh to hit the bars (or run onto the field as two or three fans did).

Fonzie and Rickey go deep and Al pitches a gem, a sweet night for a homesick Mets fan!

I'm 19 years old and have been a Mets fan since I saw my first game at Shea in 1992 and I've seen many games both on tv and at the ballpark from that time. This was the Mets most important game in 11 years and they came through beyond expectations.

The Mets dominated the whole contest from the first pitch to the last out. They allowed only 2 hits. Al Leiter probably had the game of his life aside from the no hitter, allowing only 2 hits in the shutout, 1 in the first and not another until 2 outs in the 9th.

The start and the end came in the top of the first inning with Edgardo Alfonzo's 2 run homer and from there the Mets never looked back. After the Reds got their second hit, a meaningless double by Pokey Reese in the bottom of the 9th, Barry Larkin smashed a liner to second base that went right into Edgardo Alfonzo's glove and with that the 11 year wait for another postseason was over.

After that Pirates series, I was a mess. My nails were all gone and all I could talk about or think about was the Mets and everyone around me was really pissed off about it and no one wanted to go near me but I could care less. One thing was for sure though. I wasn't gonna have watched the Mets come this far (two of the games I watched live) and see them miss the playoffs because of the Reds. And I didn't. After Fonzie's two- run shot in the first that sort of crept back and back and back until it dropped behind the center field wall, it was all Leiter. He threw a two-hitter and when Larkin hit a bullet up the middle and Fonzie reached out and grabbed it, the Mets were going to the playoffs for the first time in 11 years and I was as happy as ever.

After falling asleep late Sunday night listening to the Reds-Brewers game on WFAN (They got one of the teams feed) and then waking up knowing it would be a 1-game playoff at Cinci on ESPN/WB-11. Al Leiter was lights out that night and Edgardo Alfonso was simply the best with his early home run and when he caught the last out; my phone rang off the hook with family and friends. What a night. I had an interesting set up: I had 2 tv's on (My big TV had the Mets game and the little TV had on the Dolphins-Bills football game and my VCR was recording my fave soap opera: WWF Wrestling.) MOJO RISING Indeed!!

This game was just one stroke of luck after another for me. I was attending college at Ohio University, about 2 1/2 hours from Cincinnati. I skipped my morning class that Monday to buy tickets for the game, which, thanks to the good people of the Midwest, were the same prices as a Thursday game in July ($7 each for my upper deck seats off 3rd base)!

Now, there was a question over whether the game would even be played, because it was rainy in Ohio that day. In fact, my baseball practice was cancelled, which allowed me to make the drive to Cincy (I was going anyway, but at least I didn't have to risk getting in trouble with coach for skipping fall ball). Luckily it was only misting a little out there, so I knew it was game-on!

I never heard 54,000 people shut up so quickly when Alfonzo hit that homer to dead-center, it was like a vacuum, with only the sound of me yelling "Yes!" and a few other Mets fans scattered throughout Cinergy Field cheering along. Once they jumped in front, I had a pretty good feeling about it. Leiter pitched great, worked out of the few jams he was in, Rickey added that blast off the left-field foul pole, and my first Mets' "playoff" game in-person was a success.

On the way back to campus, my buddy and I stopped at Skyline Chili in suburban Cincy to eat, and it never tasted better, even if I received multiple death stares as I happily munched down chili-cheese coneys in my grey Mets' jersey and black-and-blue hat.

The next day my pitching coach pulls me aside at practice and goes, "So how was the game?," knowing I'm crazy enough to make that trip. All I could do for my answer was smile.

On Friday Dec 22nd, SNY showed this Mets Classic where Fonzie hit one of his greatest dingers as a Met and Al Leiter SHUTDOWN the Reds as the now-departed Cinergy Field (aka Riverfront) stood in awed silence and at least one fan was taken to the local slammer for an unauthorized visit to the field. Hopefully before Spring Training, SNY shows us other great 1999 post-season games like Todd Pratt's walk-off HR vs the D-Backs and of course, Robin Ventura's grand slam "Single" in the pouring rain vs the Braves.

I remember this game real well. It's not too often that a wild card berth came down to a one-game playoff. I was at the Dolphins-Bills Monday night game in Miami and I ran every 20 minutes from my seat to the bar to see what was happening in the game. I went crazy when the final out was made and was finally going to get to see the Mets play some postseason baseball since the time I was a junior in high school in 1988.

This game was supposed to be a 2 PM start, but since the Reds rain-delayed win didn't end until almost 1 am that morning, it was moved back to 7.

After so many nail biters, I remember this game being anti-climactic and over after the 5th inning. I'd take it after the previous two weeks.

The Mets' played the first tie-breaker playoff in team history right on the 30th anniversary of their first post-season game. Al Leiter pitched a two-hit shutout over the Reds for the Wild Card title in the National League. The Mets then moved on to their first ever Divison Series, where they beat the Diamondbacks three-games-to-one.

I remember watching this game in my college dorm room with my 2 roommates, one who was a Yankee fan and one who wanted to keep switching the TV to Monday Night Raw. But they were good sports and let me watch from start to finish, and I was certainly riding on cloud nine when this one was all over.

That Alfonzo homer looked like a can of corn off the bat, but it just kept going and going and when it disappeared over the wall, I was in shocked disbelief. What a way to start the game, 6 pitches in and already up 2-0. And let's not lie, Leiter definitely struggled early on, as he walked the first batter he faced, then gave up two long flyball outs to Larkin and Casey, before striking out Greg Vaughn to escape a 23-pitch first inning. Kenny Rogers was actually warming up during the early portion of the game in case the wheels fell off for Leiter, but by the 4th he had completely settled in. He retired 13 in a row at one point, and didn't allow a runner to reach scoring position until the 9th.

There seems to be some confusion in earlier posts about that 9th inning, however. Reese actually led off with a double, and Larkin followed with a grounder to short that moved Reese to 3rd. Leiter then got Casey to strike out swinging, walked Vaughn, and it was Dmitri Young who hit a screaming liner at Alfonzo to end the game, not Larkin as previously mentioned.

The Mets also could have blown this game open much more than what the final score indicated, as they stranded the bases loaded in both the 3rd and 5th but only scored 1 run in each of those innings. Good thing Leiter brought his A game.

On a sidenote, this was Ordonez's 100th consecutive game without committing an error, which set a record. Also, the Reds are the last MLB team to win at least 96 games and not advance to the postseason.

I remember after the game thinking the Mets had no chance the next night at Arizona. The emotional rollercoaster they've been on the last few weeks must have them completely spent, and now they're being asked to go from New York on Sunday, to Cincinnati on Monday, to Arizona on Tuesday, where Randy Johnson awaits then in Game 1 of the NLDS. How long can they keep the magic going?

This was the first game in which Ken Griffey Jr. faced the Mets, following his off-season trade from Seattle to Cincinnati, and before all of the injuries that sidelined him for much of the following 3 seasons. The kids wanted to see Jr., so we got hold of mezzanine boxes down the 1st base line. In a tension-filled at-bat, Armando Benitez managed to strike out Griffey to end the game, helping to set the tone for what turned out to be one of the more memorable seasons in Mets history.

Early in the game Griffey Jr robbed Derek Bell of a HR. Bell would come up later and this time put one right over Jr and into the bullpen. I’m sure he probably said ‘Try and get that one’ it proved to be the game winner!

Ah man, not such a great game to be at for your first ever visit to Shea. It was the tail end of my junior year of high school, and my good buddy and I had a bit of Spring Fever and decided to cut that day and go to this series-ending day game.

It was ridiculously cold that day for a late April afternoon. Glendon Rusch pitched a great game, only to have Mr. Clutch (Armando Benitez) give up the go-ahead run in the 12th to some scrub named Gookie Dawkins. The Mets offense was its usual anemic self that day.

The only other memories of this game I have was Rickey Henderson dogging it down to second in a lame attempt to steal, the crowd calling for Scott Williamson's death when he kept tossing the ball to Sean Casey at 1st 58 times every time a runner got on base during a 12-inning game on a 40 degree day, and letting Griffey have it for not signing with us. (We all saw what a big loss that was!)

I was reading about how Mickey Mantle would overcome his hangovers by walking from his apartment at Central Park South to Yankee Stadium and became oddly inspired. I took the day off from work and hiked from my apt in Hell's Kitchen to Shea, going through what then was unknown outer-borough territory. Within months I'd be living in Queens and walking to and from Shea often, but then it was a complete mystery to me.

The whole thing was a bit of a disappointment. I left way too early and arrived way too early, then waited around to see the Mets lose an uninspired 6-0 game to a lousy Reds team. Oh well. Queens is a wonderful boro.

UGH! What a miserable game. After a hot August, the Mets suddenly couldn't win at all in September. It looked like they would win this one, though. Bobby J. Jones didn't make it out of the third inning, but Bobby M. Jones relieved him, and pitched four strong innings. The bullpen was handed an 8-5 lead, but it all came apart in the 8th. Turk Wendell and John Franco gave up two runs, and, with the bases loaded, Armando Benitez came into the game and on the first pitch gave up a demoralizing grand slam to Benito Santiago. The Mets had "September swoons" in 1998 and 1999, and it looks like they're doing it again.

This game was horrible. I remember the Mets were up 8-5 after the 7th or 8th inning and they blew it.

I was at this game and Leiter pitched a gem. Sadly, the bats never woke up. As a result the Mets lost. The Mets are 1-6 whenever I'm at Shea. The last time they won when I was there was on August 13, 1989.

It was the day before Easter, a 1-0 nailbiter. The bats went cold. I rememeber actress Lesley Boone from "Ed" singing the national anthem; she was friends with Todd Ziele so she got to sing it and the first pitch was thrown out by Kerry Collins and Micheal Strahan because they had played in the Super Bowl a few months earlier.

Beautiful Easter Sunday at Big Shea, but some Schmo (Jim Brower) throws a great game and Alex Ochoa reaches into his toolbox for a game-winning RBI triple.

Last ever Mets vs Reds game at Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field where a lot of great and very infamous moments were made including: The 1986 Knight-Davis brawl, Pete Rose's shoving Dave Pallone in 1988 and the 1999 Wild Card playoff where Al Leiter delivered an all time classic.

Most people thought this game was over at 5-2 in the 7th, but I had faith. It wasn't a huge deficit and the Reds suck. Wiggy was great tying it up with a double to left center and Tony Clark hit another clutch home run to win it. even Benitez didn't blow this one. It made me remember the other times the Mets went into Cinncinati and swept the Reds. I remember it happening an inordinate amount of times, although that could be just a fuzzy memory. Unfortunately, when the Mets did sweep there, it was usually followed by a Reds sweep at Shea. It's definitely happened more than once. I hope it doesn't happen this time around.

The last ballgame I watched with my father. We sat in his hospital room by ourselves watching the Mets fall behind 5-2, and reflected on thier sorry state of affairs. Somewhere in the middle innings he fell asleep and the Mets rallied. When he awoke, I informed him of the comeback and he murmured through his parched lips; "Oh splendid". There was something hopeful in his voice, maybe this was a sign. Despite being a grown man as well as a professional, in the recesses of my mind where that ten year old kid still rules, I somehow took this as a sign as well that my dad would somehow rally from what I knew to be a terminal condition. He died a few weeks later.

Rest in peace, Dad. Hit 'em straight.

What stands out on this game is that Bob Murphy announced it would be his final season as a broadcaster -- the end of an era.

Great Game! Had great seats to the game and in the 1st inning Richard Hidalgo made a great play to get the lead off man out at second. Casey was a monster hitting 2 home runs and getting 5 hits. Kaz was getting booed almost every at bat. Fun game to watch and the longest game I have attended so far.

Not a bad game until Cameron forgot how to catch. Stanton actually does what is needed of him and gets Junior to fly out to center, but not if Mike Cameron has anything to say about it. Was at this game with my friend. I've never seen so many people mad at one person.

It just seemed too good to be true. After giving up the bomb to Dunn in the 1st, Pedro was cruising, but when Looper came in to pitch the ninth for the save, I had a feeling that Dunn would do it again.

On a more positive note, the lineup looked impressive. If Reyes keeps this pace up, he'll have about 324 runs scored!

Be prepared to see this frequently: good hitting, decent defense, good starting pitching, atrocious bullpen = a close loss

I was excited watching this game. I knew the Reds sucked and they didn't belong on the same field with us. I fell asleep from the 8th to the bottom of the ninth so I missed Looper's meltdown, thank god. I was stunned shocked disappointed when I woke up and saw the final score but I knew when the Reds come into Shea again that we would sweep them.

The 2005 season started with so much promise. It was the beginning of the Willie Randolph era as well as the first full seasons for Jose Reyes and David Wright. It was also Carlos Beltran's first season as a Met, and in this game, big free agent sign Pedro Martinez was well on his way to a win in his first start as a Met. That is until Braden Looper blew it in a horrible way.

The Mets lost their first five games that year. In one game, the first game of the year, the Omar Minaya disaster waiting to happen became apparent. With Minaya as the GM, the pitching was always patchy at best. Besides Martinez and Glavine, that 2005 staff was borderline triple-A level.

This game was the second game I attended in five days and fourth overall for 2005. I went with my friend Billy and a couple of aquantiances of his. We sat in the lower part of the upperdeck for five bucks. Tom Glavine pitched in and out of trouble letting up nine hits and two runs in six innings. The Mets got home runs from Chris Woodward, Mike Cameron, and David Wright. Also, triples from both sides of the plate by Jose Reyes and plenty of help from the Reds' defense en route to an important sweep and an improvement to 3-1 in games I attended this season.

Reyes became the first Met switch-hitter to get a triple from each side of the plate in the same game.

Tough one to lose. Mets struggling to score runs at Shea since 9-1 road trip. Bronson Arroyo was very good but so was El Duque! But Bradford gives it up in the 8th. Can't ask any more out of Bradford; guy has been unbelievable, stranding 25 of 26 inherited runners. Can't be perfect all the time. Mets are now 1-3 on current homestand. Have lost 5 of last 7 at Shea. Maybe we need another 10-game road trip to fix the ship! Beltran continues to swing a hot bat driving in Mets only 2 runs, also hitting his 19th HR.

I guess we got the power back! Nady in his second game back hits 2, and believe it or not Trachsel goes yard! Delgado hits one that looked like it would be around his ankles. Just awesome! Hopefully now we got rid of the homestand jitters or should I call it cockiness! No I don't believe that. Maybe a little complacent. If this team doesnt win the World Series this year against the Yankees it will be a shock because, let's face it Mets fans that's who we want!Just 2 more weekends and we are gonna sweep them this time!

A productive night for the Mets with four home runs in a victory over the Reds. One of the homers was hit by winning pitcher Steve Trachsel while Xavier Nady socked out a pair and Carlos Delgado also had one. The win increased the Mets' N. L. East Division lead to nine-and-one-half games over the Phillies.

Just before Nady's second homer, Jose Valentin hit a leadoff triple in the bottom of the eighth inning. In trying to score for an inside-the-parker, Jose was out at home on a throw from Ken Griffey, Jr. The Cincinnati catcher who applied the tag on Jose at the plate was his own brother, Javier.

Jose Reyes hit for THE CYCLE. My brother was going to be at this game but couldn't make it.

I'm a lifetime Met fanatic, but moved with my family to Florida in 1971 at the age of 8. My wife, 2 sons and I took a vacation to NY in 2007. The whole family are Met fans (although all born in Florida). My older son is a complete Mets fanatic. We went to this game with my uncle and cousin. It was my first time at Shea since the 1986 home opener. It was great. There was a t-shirt give-away, and a stadium official asked us before the game if my kids could pose for a pic with the t-shirts. We said sure, and during the game, their pic appeared on the jumbo-tron! Reyes and Gotay led the game off with HRs, the Mets won, and a splendid time was had by all. We even got to play catch in the Shea parking lot in view of the construction of Citi Field! A great day!

Sorry Mets fans but this is only getting worse! This team when they fall behind does not have that killer comeback mentality this year, and it really puzzles me why not! They fell behind 4-0 on a grand slam by Brandon Phillips and they just seemed like they were dead in the water. If the two Carloses continue their slumps this team will not make the postseason!

Man, I went to this game for my 11th birthday which was in three days. (Which was believe it or not my first of 2007.) And this was the first time I saw a game in which the Mets lost.

What a great game! Finally the Mets showed some sign of a pulse!! Lastings Milledge has come up big in the Mets last 2 victories. A great slide at home in the opener, and a clutch 2 out hit in the 8th inning to give Tom Glavine his 298th Victory.

Lastings, Lastings, Lastings! 3 times now he has contributed to beat the Reds. Talk about a shot in the arm when the Mets needed it most. Oliver Perez was his usual steady self and the Mets take 3 out of 4 from the lowly Reds. Now we head west young man for the 2nd West Coast trip to face the very good pitching staff of the San Diego Padres and some redemption against the Dodgers.

This was the game where Kevin James & Adam Sandler showed up in the broadcast booth to promote their movie "I Now Pronouce You Chuck & Larry." Sandler was very funny saying that Kevin still has a Felix Millan poster up on his wall and Good Old Adam even wore a Mets cap and jersey (GOOD CALL) considering he grew up in New Hampshire as a Yankees fan. (I'm surpised he's STILL alive!!!)

Pedro is back! I thought he was pretty good in his first start. Obviously he was not going to set the world on fire, but 5 innings and 2 earned runs is exactly what the Mets had hoped for. He looks like he is going to get better over time and if he can stay healthy he will be a huge addition for this team. Props to the offense for giving him the support they need. Wright, Alou, and Delgado all homering is a great sign, especially with Delgado. Also their lead is now back up to 5 games in the NL East, so that Phillies series last week is starting to become a distant memory.

My best friend Aaron invited me to this game. This was my first game of '08. It was cool that in every inning (except the 1st and 9th inning) either the Mets or the Reds scored a run.

This game featured a Mets win with the Reds batting out of order. Although no harm was done Willie Randolph played it wrong, unlike Wes Westrum, who on June 27, 1967 played it correctly. On that day the manager in 1967 Westrum waited until the miscreant batting out of turn got a hit, and it was taken away from him. In the Randolph botch, Willie ran out to the umpire as soon as the first guy batted out of turn, instead of waiting for the second guy to complete his turn at bat. If he had gotten a hit it would have been taken away. Instead what happened here was the guy who batted out of turn got to hit again, since he was batting one turn early and got a single on his second try in the same inning. No damage to for Met fans, but this one is unhappy that the manager doesn't know the rules.

My first game at the new CitiField.

My son Frank and I took in our first game at the new stadium. Big waste of money. We miss Shea.

Beautiful day at Citi Field as the Mets won and the highlight of the game was when the Mets hit back to back home runs and after the 2nd HR, the Home Run Apple didn't come up and the fans chanted "Apple, Apple, We Want the Apple" and after the inning ended, the apple popped up to the delight of the crowd. It seems it takes a few minutes for the Apple to re-set after going down. One of a few HIGH POINTS in a horrible 2009 season.

Just got one thing to say about Santana:

THAT WAS GANGSTA!!

I exchanged tickets from an August 3rd rainout for the home (and season) finale on a cool, gray afternoon. Before the game they honored groundskeeper Pete Flynn as he was retiring after 50 years with the Mets. Then Reyes takes himself out of the game and many in the crowd booed big time (we were hoping for at least until the 5th inning) but he did win the NL batting title (the first for the Mets) then Miguel Batista at age 40 pitches a 2-hitter (still waiting for the no-hitter) as the Amazin's end another non-playoff year (yet again) on a high note. Mike "Whitestone, Queens" Baxter even hit his first MLB HR to the cheers of the remaining fans. Then the game ended as me and my pal Billy said a sad goodbye to Citi Field until April 2012 when we celebrate the Mets 50th Golden Anniversary and hopefully a return to serious October (post-season) baseball as Steve Somers of WFAN would say!

With the Mets winning 1-0, I witnessed 3 WINS on the road without a loss. Dice K was excellent and the relief core was just as good. Prior to the game, I obtained Vic Black's autograph.

My first Mets game of 2014, and they won. It was cold, rainy and very chilly that night.

FIRST EVER METS INSTANT REPLAY CHALLENGE IS A SUCCESS! Hopefully Ike can take his 9th inning home run, and make it a postive.

My first visit to Citi in 2014 and it was a PUT IT IN THE BOOKS AND THEN SOME!!!! Partly sunny and 52 degrees but windy (I don't know why Citi Field didn't get a retractable roof, it would make it more comfortable on those cold April days but it is what it is). If life were fair, the Coupons would've ordered a RR but then again ILWF, I would be soaking in a jacuzzi with Kaitlyn Monte. Thank you Ike Davis for the walkoff Grand Slam in the 9th!!!

I listened to the radio broadcast. Gee pitched a good game; went into the 8th. Besides Curtis Granderson's first home run for the Mets in the 6th, the Mets bats were quiet for most of the game, spoiling a good pitching performance.

Down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Lagares walked, bringing up my man Recker. I was like, all right buddy, show everyone how clutch you are. But Terry Collins had him bunting, which makes sense I guess. His bunt led to a close play at second base, and an out call. For a second, things looked bad, but then Terry ran out of the dugout and challenged the call. The Mets won the challenge, and Tejada walked. Then-

Ike came up and hit the slam. Man, that was awesome. I loved Josh Lewin's call- it was something like- "the forgotten man! Ike Davis! We remember you buddy!"

Classic.

Here's the call, courtesy of Josh Lewin.

The 0-1, curve, socked in the air to right field- that's up- that's to the track, that's to the wall- A SLAM! BALLGAME! DAVIS WINS IT! ... (noise of crowd cheering) ...THEY'RE GONNA MOB HIM- THEY'RE GONNA MOB HIM AT HOME PLATE! THE METS WIN IT ON A WALK-OFF SLAM, FROM THE FORGOTTEN MAN! IKE DAVIS! WE REMEMBER YA KID! THEY'RE JUMPIN' ON HIM AT HOME PLATE! THE METS WIN! ... HOME RUN, RIGHT FIELD, IKE DAVIS, AND YOUR FINAL IS 6 TO 3!

Ike was traded yesterday. We'll remember ya, kid. Thanks for the memories.

Ike's final HR as a Met and it was literally in grand fashion.

This was Steven Matz’s first appearance in a major league game. His inaugural was delayed several hours since the game from the previous day was suspended and had to be completed – in 13 innings! It was well worth the wait for Matz. He got the win and helped his own cause big time with a double, two singles and four RBIs! It was one of the best debuts in baseball history.

What a way to begin a major-league pitching career--with three hits and four RBI's!

This was the game that clinched the National League East Division title for the Mets. Lucas Duda got things started off big with a grand slam in the first inning and the team never looked back. Curtis Granderson and David Wright also homered and Michael Cuddyer chipped in with a two-run double. One oddity about the game is the Reds outhit the Mets, thirteen to ten. But only one of the Cincinnati hits produced any runs.

Jay Bruce struck out to end it and the celebration was on. When he became a Met the next year, Bruce joined Joe Torre (1969) and Chico Walker (1986) as players who made the final out of a Mets division clincher and played for them later in their careers.

I remember several Mets home runs in this division-clinching game, and I recall that the Mets were in control and cruising from early in the game, but my lasting memory is that I purchased my ticket for this game in mid-August (I live two hours from Cincy) in the hopes that they would clinch on this date. Only a true Mets fan could believe in that type of Mets Magic, right?!? I loved seeing all the players in blue and orange jumping up and down around the mound at the end - what an indelible moment! Thanks for this great website - it is much appreciated!

Just like He did with the 40-day rainstorm that flooded the earth, the Good Lord put Noah in command for this game. Big Thor recorded ten strikeouts and held the Reds to four singles in pitching a complete game shutout. Syndergaard was also the hitting star with a solo home run that provided all the support he needed. It was the first time in 36 years that a pitcher homered in his own 1-0 shutout win. A special thing like this cannot happen with a designated hitter in the way!

When I circled the calendar on this game last year, I didn't think I'd see one of the wildest Mets games in recent memory. But that's what happened in Cincinnati Monday night, and I was there to witness it. (Hall of Famer Johnny Bench was as well.)

The Mets, running on empty for pitching due to Taijuan Walker's dud in Pittsburgh the day before, started Jerad Eickhoff, who the Mets backed in the first with homers from Alonso and McNeil. Eickhoff proceeded to give the lead right to the Reds, helped by three (3!) uncharacteristic errors from Guillorme at short. And with no Lindor on the bench, the Mets couldn't really take him out.

Conforto continues his sudden hot streak by going deep for 3 in the 4th. Smith ties it with a Dom Bomb in the 5th. The Mets have as many home runs as errors. But this game wasn't even close to being over. Noted enemy Jesse Winker gives the Reds the lead in the 7th. McCann homers to get it back in the 8th. In the 9th, "elite" closer Diaz walks the 8 hitter on 4 pitches, and with 2 outs Winker doubles him in. It's an absolute mess of a baseball game.

The Mets score. Anthony Banda, in his first Mets appearance, lets the Reds tie it. Votto, the winning run, is stranded at 3rd base. The Mets then put up 5 in the 11th with homers from Pillar and Conforto. And yet, the Reds made it close. Nick Castellanos, coming off the IL to a huge ovation in the midst of an All-Star season, hit a ball that was feet away from a three-run homer off Trevor May. Somehow, after all that, the Mets won. And they didn't even have their manager!

We sat in section 123. Happy to see Pete Alonzo hit a home run. Unhappy to see the Braves hit 3.

Got to see Francisco make history, and saw a beautiful full moon over the stadium. lfgm.