The Mets came into Nationals Park having lost a series in Miami facing a Washington team that had won five straight narrowed the New York division lead. The team emerging as the NL East favorites was trying to withstand a challenge from the presumed favorites at the start of the season. They came in seemingly vulnerable and four games ahead. They left stronger and seven up. In between was a set...
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No Mets pitcher—not Tom Seaver, not Jacob deGrom, and not Matt Harvey—began his career with a better blend of fanfare and success than Dwight Gooden. He debuted on April 7, 1984 at all of 19 years old and embarked on one of the greatest rookie seasons ever. With his blazing fastball, “Dr. K” set down opposing hitters at an astonishing pace. His 276 strikeouts in ’84 set a major...
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Two months earlier, Gary Carter tore the cartilage in his right knee. It forced him to skip the All-Star Game and nearly derailed his season as he contemplated surgery. Instead, Carter postponed any operation in favor of vying for the postseason, wore a brace, and opened up his stance to prevent further pain. By September, he was the Mets’ best power hitter while calling pitches for an...
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Edgardo Alfonzo is beloved by Mets fans and under-appreciated outside of Mets circles. It’s hard to go relatively unnoticed in New York, but Alfonzo did that among many other feats. No accomplishment was better than his night at the Astrodome in Houston on August 30, 1999. In fact, it might be the best performance any Met has ever had. Twelve Mets in history have blasted three home runs in...
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For the first time since 1994, the Mets are hosting an Old Timers’ Day. What once had been a staple of the organization ever since the team originated has now been revived under the Steve Cohen regime, helped by crowdsourcing on Twitter shortly after taking ownership. The early years of the festivities celebrated New York’s brilliant baseball past, especially in 1977 when they...
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