For the first part of September, the Mets were given an opportunity to cruise into the playoffs with a seemingly easy schedule. But New York played down to its competition and thus played below .500 over a two-week stretch. The schedule was less forgiving come September 18. They went to Atlanta with a tremendous challenge, but also a tremendous opportunity — a chance to catch the Braves...
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They had been here before. In fact, twice before. For each of the previous two seasons, the Mets entered September in position to reach the playoffs, only to find tremendous difficulty getting there. In 1998, Bobby Valentine’s team was entrenched in a three-team battle for the Wild Card, a nose ahead of the Cubs and Giants with five games remaining. The Mets lost those final five and were...
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It was deja vu all over again…again. The modified famous words of the former Mets manager and player Yogi Berra echoed during the team’s series with NL Central-leading St. Louis. The Cardinals walked off not once, not twice, but three times during a three-game set at Busch Stadium, which dispatched New York from its temporary stay in first place and back into a familiar setting...
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In continued remembrance of Tom Seaver, here is an updated version of the chapter on him from my book “The New York Mets All-Time All-Stars,” released this February. The argument for the greatest Met ever isn’t an argument at all. Seaver rewrote the Mets history book with his golden right arm, leaving an indelible mark on this team that will be almost impossible to erase. It would be...
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It isn’t much of a surprise Mike Piazza regularly dealt with the occupational hazards that come with the territory of being a major league catcher. As the 1999 postseason ratcheted up, Piazza’s strong but weary body broke down. He was only able to produce one extra-base hit, albeit a dramatic homer in Game 6 of the NLCS. As the Mets embarked on a second consecutive postseason berth,...
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