Better Days Are Coming… Keep Believing!
So here we are again, and as John Lennon sings, “another year older, and a new one’s just begun.” I hope you all had a wonderful time ringing in the new year last night, that was some party they had in New York City’s Times Square.
Before we completely close the book on last year, me and a few of my senior staff decided to put together a little something in which we all look back at the Best and Worst Moments of the Mets’ 2017 Season. We hope you enjoy it and let us know what moments you’ll remember from last year.
John Jackson
Mets’ Best Moment Of 2017:
The Mets’ 2017 campaign was tough to watch after witnessing back-to-back seasons of competitive baseball. However, amidst a bleak season, Wilmer Flores hit a walk-off home run against the Oakland Athletics on July 22 to brighten things up. What made this walk-off special was that it came after the Mets were down 5-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth and it was also the Mets’ fourth win in a row at the time.
Mets’ Worst Moment of 2017:
The Mets’ worst moment of 2017 unfortunately occurred early on in the season and had a large impact on the rest of the season. On April 30, Noah Syndergaard pitched in his first start after refusing an MRI for bicep and shoulder soreness. Four outs into the start he ended up partially tearing his lat muscle. While many Mets sustained injuries in 2017, this one was the worst because of the context. Not only was Syndergaard one of the most important players on the team, but the way the whole injury was handled made things look worse.
Josh Finkelstein
Mets’ Best Moment Of 2017:
The best day of the season was a June 10th doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves. The Mets were welcoming back a trio of players including Seth Lugo, Steven Matz, and Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes made a statement in his first game back and hit a grand-slam that would give the Mets a 6-1 victory. In the nightcap, Steven Matz would start and delivered a masterful performance in which he only surrendered one run in seven innings and secured the sweep of the double-header. It is the day I still see as a reason to have some hope that 2018 could be a good year for this team.
Mets’ Worst Moment of 2017:
The worst day of the season to me seems to be an April 27th day game against the Atlanta Braves. It was revealed before the game that Noah Syndergaard had an injury and Matt Harvey would have to start the game as a result. Harvey was actually pitching pretty well coming into the game, but struggled mightily in this contest. On top of it, Yoenis Cespedes hurt his quad in this game and missed the next six weeks as a result. Harvey never looked quite right the rest of the season and Syndergaard would tear his lat three days later to just take the wind out of the Mets.
Rob Piersall
Mets’ Best Moment Of 2017:
My favorite moment of the season came early on April 13 against the Marlins in Miami. It was a hotly contested battle with six lead changes that included a bases loaded triple by Travis d’Arnaud. However, it was d’Arnaud’s tie-breaking home run in the top of the 16th inning that would ultimately seal the win for the Mets. D’Arnaud had a career game, going 4-for-6 with a walk, three runs scored, a triple, a homer and 4 RBI. At that point in the season, I still had high hopes for the Mets and this game was especially reminiscent of the prior two seasons in terms of that playoff feel. While what followed for New York was far from amazing, this game was easily the most exciting for me in 2017.
Mets’ Worst Moment of 2017:
My least favorite moment, or moments, were the plethora of injuries that derailed the team. While this is a cliche answer, having World Series aspirations be foiled by all of the team’s key components going down one by one was a tough pill to swallow. Then having all the veterans be traded and having the team look like a shell of their former self was uninspiring as the season ended with a whimper – a theme that could best describe the entire season.
Joe D.
Mets’ Best Moment Of 2017:
Let’s face it, last season was truly one to forget overall, but it still had several vivid highlights. For me, the one game that was memorable and exciting came on August 11 when we were playing the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets won the game 7-6 thanks to a tie-breaking home run in the ninth by Amed Rosario who went 3-for-4 that day with three runs scored. What also made that game special were home runs by Yoenis Cespedes and a mammoth shot by Michael Conforto, his 25th of the season. Dominic Smith also made his MLB debut that day and singled in three at-bats. The Mets were already out of the playoff hunt and were trying to avoid last place, but in that game we got a glimpse of what our new hitting core could do and it gave me hope that our future could still be bright and fulfilling.
Mets’ Worst Moment of 2017:
There were plenty of worst moments to choose from ranging from all the injuries and some of the dysfunctional sideshows that came with them. But it was just ugly at times from a sex toy being planted in a player’s locker during an interview, the miscommunication between the front office and the manager, selling off all our trade chips for just salary relief, and even a photo of Mr. Met giving one arrogant fan the finger. However, I look at all of that and it always takes me back to that black cloud that constantly hovers over our great franchise – The Wilpons. They’ll always be my worst moment until we are finally rid of them someday, and I do believe that day is getting closer and closer.
A Happy New Year to all of you!
