Tag: Mariano Rivera

OTD 1999: Franco’s Hit Ends Wild Subway Series Game

It had been 124 straight games in which the New York Yankees won after taking a lead into the eighth inning. But that wasn’t going to stop the Mets, nor were six home runs. Even if it took facing Mariano Rivera at the end. Matt Franco defied the odds and defeated the defending champions with a single to right field that brought in Rickey Henderson and Edgardo Alfonso to put an exclamation...

OTD 2006: David Wright’s Subway Series Walk-Off

It’s one of the enduring memories of David Wright. Hitting a drive to deep center field, leaping several times as it drifted toward the warning track, and celebrating after it went beyond the reach of Johnny Damon. As the ball landed near the wall, it brought in Paul Lo Duca and ensured a thrilling victory in one of the best games in the history of the Subway Series—a series that carried...

OTD 1992: Tom Seaver Elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame

On January 7, 1992, Tom Seaver was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame along with Rollie Fingers. Seaver was elected with 98.8%  of the vote in his first year of eligibility, which was the highest percentage for any player at the time (Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, and Ken Griffey Jr. have since been elected with higher percentages). So much has been written about Seaver, especially...

OTD 2000: Piazza vs. Clemens Takes Center Stage in World Series

It would’ve been difficult for anything to exceed the hype of the first World Series pitting two New York teams in 44 years, but the personal clash between the Mets power-hitting catcher and the Yankees’ most renowned starting pitcher did just that. Few hitters gave Roger Clemens as much trouble as Mike Piazza. The two faced off 25 times. Against a pitcher who would strike out more...

Top 10 Mets Offensive Highlights of Decade

The Mets finished the 2010s in the middle road of most offensive categories with the highlights few and far between outside of their magical run in 2015. Their 1661 home runs ranked 9th out of 15 National League teams for the decade and their 6828 runs scored came in 10th. As the Mets enter a new decade with a strong offensive core of Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo,...

Carlos Beltran: Deserved Hall of Famer

There are sports writers who did not cast votes for Babe Ruth.  Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Mets great Tom Seaver were all first ballot Hall of Famers who voters found a reason not to vote for.  Yogi Berra was not elected to the hall of Fame until the third ballot. While only Mariano Rivera has been a unanimous Hall of Fame electee in the 80 year history of the Hall of Fame, one of the more...

MMO Fan Shot: Mariano Rivera Was Truly in His Own Class

An MMO Fan Shot by Harris (Lindro88) If you love baseball, you have felt that sick feeling when you know your teams closer is about to blow a game. It usually starts with a lead-off walk. As a Mets fan, I’ve been in the ballpark, when ball one was all it took for the low murmur to start. Some combination of anxiety, anger, and fear. Sometimes the walk would be followed by an out. Okay, maybe we...

How the Amazins’ Fared Against Mr. Unanimous

New York Yankee pitching legend Mariano Rivera made history on Tuesday, January 22, 2018. He became the only baseball player in history to be voted unanimously into the Hall of Fame being named on all 425 ballots submitted. In the 75 year history of the Hall of Fame, no player has been perfect in the Baseball Writer’s voting (although many will argue that several others should have).  The...

Rivera, Martinez, Halladay, Mussina Elected to Hall of Fame

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America elected four new members to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday evening, Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez, and Mike Mussina. Those four will join Harold Baines and Lee Smith, both voted in by the Hall of Fame’s Era Committee in December, in Cooperstown, New York this July for their inductions. Mariano Rivera became...

MMO Exclusive: Former Mets Closer, Billy Wagner

Over the last thirty-plus years, baseball has witnessed some of the most dominating back-end relievers to ever play the game. With closers taking a more predominant role during that span, the number of relievers to be considered for enshrinement into Cooperstown will continue to be discussed and considered among the BBWAA for years to come. Two such relievers appear on the ballot this winter,...

MMO Exclusive: Mike Stanton, Former Big League Reliever

While the Houston Astros were embarking on their first World Series title and only their second appearance in the Fall Classic in their 56-year history in 2017, an Astros broadcaster was all too familiar with the circumstances. After all, Mike Stanton did appear in every postseason from 1991 to 2002 (except for the strike-shortened year in 1994), and owns the fourth-most appearances in...

Book Review: “The Closer” by Mariano Rivera

I’m not sure if it occurs in the first, second or third trimester. But some time while we’re in the womb, all Mets fans—actually all New Yorkers who are fans of NL Baseball—receive the gene that makes us hate the Yankees. However, maybe once every generation, a player dons the pinstripes who we hate…but who we also kinda love. My grandfather grew up in The Bronx but bled Dodger blue. He hated...

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