Thirteen years ago today, Endy Chavez made an unbelievable catch that will always be remembered as one of the best in not only New York Mets history, but in Major League Baseball postseason history as well.
Endy jumped as high as he could over the fence in left field to rob Scott Rolen of a go-ahead home run, and then had the presence of mind to throw into the infield to double off Jim Edmonds at first base to end the inning.
(By the way, Gary Cohen really nailed this call.)
Unfortunately, Game Seven of the 2006 National League Championship Series will be remembered for the Mets failed scoring opportunities in the sixth and ninth innings.
Yadier Molina’s two-run homer off Aaron Heilman in the top of the ninth that gave the Cardinals a 3-1 win to secure a spot in the World Series also will forever remain in Mets fans’ memories.
It was the culmination of a great season for Chavez, who had a career year at the plate with his .306/.348/.431 slash line during the 2006 regular season. He would go on to play two more seasons for the Mets as an outfield reserve before being traded to the Seattle Mariners.
After a season in the minors in 2010, Chavez returned to the big leagues with the Texas Rangers in 2011 to hit .301/.323/.426 in 274 plate appearances.
He struggled for the Baltimore Orioles in 2012 before playing his final two seasons in the majors with the Mariners.
In 2018, Endy at age 40, hit .287/.317/.330 for the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League.
This past season, Chavez became a coach for the Brooklyn Cyclones who won the New York Penn League Finals. It remains to be seen whether the firing of manager Edgardo Alfonzo will have a domino effect on the rest of the coaching staff.
Despite the game ending in excruciating fashion, the Endy Chavez catch will always have a special place in the hearts and memories of Mets fans.
