Looking to fill the Mets void in your life? After perusing through the YouTube library, we’ve discovered a vast selection from the Amazin’s archive that we’ll present over the coming weeks that will hopefully help pass the time, including full-game broadcasts you won’t find among SNY’s “Mets Classics” and team highlight videos.
We’ll begin with Opening Day 1983, which featured a very familiar face making his grand return to Flushing. Tom Seaver, some six years removed from the infamous trade that sent “The Franchise” to Cincinnati, was back in his rightful state — wearing a Mets uniform.
A packed house at Shea Stadium took in this glorious afternoon filled with anticipation and nostalgia as Seaver faced off against Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Steve Carlton.
Here are a few notable highlights, especially for those who want to skip to the best parts:
- Right away, check out the WOR-9 intro with remnants of the disco era.
- This game was the first regular-season Mets broadcast of Tim McCarver (for better or worse, depending on who you ask).
- Neither Darryl Strawberry nor Keith Hernandez had arrived to the Mets, so the New York lineup is far different than it would be by mid-season — with Dave Kingman occupying first base and Mike Howard in right field.
- The Phillies batting order is stacked with veterans (many of whom are from famed Reds teams of the 1970s). The eventual NL champs feature Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Gary Matthews, Mike Schmidt, and Tony Perez backing up Carlton.
- At the 8:50 mark, Seaver fans leadoff hitter Rose to the uproarious delight of the partisan crowd and would proceed to shut down Philadelphia over six innings.
- At 1:16:05 comes Seaver’s last pitch of the day, a Morgan hit that turned into the final out in the top of the sixth — as Morgan tried unsuccessfully to stretch it into a double.
Doug Sisk got the win by virtue of three scoreless frames and being on the mound when the Mets broke through for two seventh-inning runs, but it was Tom Seaver who justifiably garnered the headlines.
