The Mets, whose top prospects have battled an injury plagued 2024 season, look to get another one of their top prospects back on the field this season. The club got one of the big returns from the Justin Verlander trade in 2023, Drew Gilbert, back from a hamstring strain recently. Now, they look to see their top infield prospect Jett Williams back on the field to finish off the 2024 season.

Williams was hoping to originally avoid surgery, but eventually had to undergo right wrist surgery in early June, which gave him a return date of 8-10 weeks. About nine weeks later, he’s reportedly going to start a rehab assignment with Low-A St. Lucie this coming Wednesday, planning to play this weekend and return to Double-A Binghamton the following Tuesday, per @NickTheMetFan1 on Twitter/X. Williams is also planning to play in the Arizona Fall League to make up for his missed time this season.

The big league club clinched a series win against the Miami Marlins on Saturday behind a masterful performance from Luis Severino. The Mets started their day with a Francisco Lindor leadoff home run and followed that up by scoring a run in each of the first four innings. However, the story of the day was Severino, who threw the first Mets complete game since Jacob DeGrom in April of 2021. Severino completely blanked the Fish and gave the Mets’ bullpen a much needed break en route to a 4-0 win. Click here for the full in-depth breakdown of Saturday’s game.

Paul Blackburn (5-3, 4.43 ERA) will try to complete the sweep, as he goes against Valente Bellozo (2-1, 2.28 ERA) of the Marlins at 12:05 p.m. The Mets gained no ground on the third Wild card spot Saturdy night as the Braves took care of business against the Angels. The Amazins remain one game out of the final spot.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Latest Mets News

Mets OF prospect Nick Morabito has reached 50 stolen bases on the season. He had 11 SB in 24 games with Low-A St. Lucie and 39 SB in 78 games with High-A Brooklyn.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that there is a “good chance” Starling Marte is in the lineup on Sunday, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post.

Latest MLB News

MLB Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is officially cancer-free!

Ryno rings the bell: Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg announces he is cancer-free! pic.twitter.com/nGDKI61EEh

— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) August 17, 2024

The Cincinnati Reds placed their flame-throwing ace Hunter Greene on the 15-day IL with right elbow soreness, retroactive to August 14. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed DH/OF Andrew McCutchen on the 10-day IL with left knee inflammation. 

The Tampa Bay Rays have placed RHP Zack Littell on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder fatigue, retroactive to August 15. The Rays recalled LHP Tyler Alexander from Triple-A Durham to take Littell’s spot.

The Detroit Tigers recalled the first overall pick from the 2022 draft, Spencer Torkelson, from Triple-A Toldeo. In Torkelson’s first at-bat since being recalled, he ripped a double into the right-center gap.

Forty-four-year-old LHP Rich Hill signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox, per Ian Browne of MLB.com.

RHP José Soriano was placed on the 15-day IL with right arm fatigue by the Los Angeles Angels. Along with that, they reinstated RHP José Cisnero from the IL and outrighted OF Willie Calhoun to Triple-A Salt Lake.

The Houston Astros placed RHP Ryan Pressly on the 15-day IL with a low back strain, retroactive to August 14. Houston’s former closer has been the set-up man for Josh Hader this season, posting a 3.86 ERA in his 46 2/3 innings.

Latest On MMO

Jeff McNeil’s second half power surge continues. 

The Mets stay a game back in the NL wild card race. 

Luis Severino went the distance as he shut out the Marlins offense.

On This Date in Mets History

2019: Pete Alonso breaks the NL rookie home run record by bashing his 40th home run of the season. Alonso becomes the fourth Met to hit 40 home runs in a season, a list that includes Todd Hundley, Carlos Beltrán, and Mike Piazza.

2002: 1969 World Series champion Tommie Agee is posthumously inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame.

Birthdays: Justin Wilson (37), Pat Misch (43),  Terry Blocker (65)

The post Morning Briefing: Jett Williams to Start Rehab Assignment appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets of the late 90s are remembered for the acquisition of Mike Piazza in May 1998, Robin Ventura‘s “Grand Slam Single,” and the postseason run of 1999. But the foundation for a winning culture began during a season in which they had low expectations and little experience with success.

Bobby Valentine‘s first full year as Mets manager may have been his most impressive job. Promoted after leading the Triple-A Norfolk Tides and the firing of Dallas Green in August 1996, the Mets were a club that was worse than the sum of its parts. Three members of the lineup—Todd Hundley, Bernard Gilkey, and Lance Johnson—set franchise hitting records. And yet those individual efforts didn’t lead to positive outcomes in the standings.

New York wound up 20 games under .500, with Valentine riding out the sinking ship to a 12-19 record. To shore up the lineup, the most significant offseason upgrade came in a trade that sent pitcher Robert Person to the Blue Jays in exchange for veteran first baseman John Olerud.

He’d spent eight productive seasons in Toronto, winning two World Series titles, three Gold Gloves, and a batting title. His disposition was better suited for Canada than Queens, it seemed. But he quickly found the National League to his liking. Better utilizing his fluid swing so that he could spray balls to all fields, Olerud batted 20 points higher than in ’96 with the Blue Jays, maintained terrific fielding at first base, and established team records in just three seasons. His 102 RBIs, 22 homers, and 34 doubles were the most since his stellar 1993. And on September 11, he became the seventh Met to hit for the cycle.

Edgardo Alfonzo truly began to enter Mets lore in ’97, establishing himself as one of the greatest and most beloved players ever. Playing the bulk of his games at third base, Fonzie accumulated the highest bWAR (6.2), slashed .315/.391/.432, and began a string of eight straight years with at least 20 doubles.

Hundley, meanwhile, followed up on his historic ’96 in which his 41 homers set a franchise mark and were the most in one year by a catcher. His 30 blasts led the club, as did 86 RBIs—and he was one of five Mets to drive in at least 70 (joining Alfonzo, Olerud, Gilkey, and Butch Huskey).

The Mets had just one All-Star named to the NL team. It wasn’t Olerud, nor Alfonzo, and not Hundley. The lone blue-and-orange representative? Starting pitcher Bobby Jones, who went seven innings or more in 13 of his 18 first-half starts to post a 3.08 ERA.

Jones’ rotation-mate, Rick Reed, a fellow right-hander without a flame-throwing pitch in his arsenal, was only a big-leaguer in 1995 because of the strike that ruined the ’94 season and bled into the following spring training. It was a devastating blow for the sport. Yet it was the best thing to happen for Reed. MLB threatened to use replacement players, of which Reed was one. It never came to pass in the regular season, but Reed hung on. And in his first year with New York, he led all starters with a 2.89 ERA and a 1.042 WHIP.

Reed posted 11 quality starts over the final three months of the season, as Valentine’s group—who went 18-9 in May to jump beyond respectability—enjoyed winning records in June and July to emerge as one of the surprise stories in baseball.

After a tough 15-inning loss to the Montreal Expos at home on September 12, their hopes for the lone NL Wild Card spot appeared faint. More so when they were down 6-0 in the ninth less than 24 hours later. A single scored two, and another hit loaded the bases for left-handed swinging Carl Everett. On a 3-2 pitch from Ugueth Urbina, Everett connected on a changeup and blasted it below the right-center field scoreboard.

The improbabilities continued in the bottom of the 11th with two on. Bernard Gilkey, out of the starting lineup because of a sprained ankle, summoned up the power

The last-gasp effort against Montreal had Mets fans thinking about playoffs. It had been seven years since they could even entertain the idea of a postseason this late. With 15 games left, they were five back of the Marlins.

However, a five-game skid that followed truly ended New York’s hopes. The Mets took two of three in the final series to finish with 88 victories, the most by the franchise since the start of the decade. The Marlins not only took that playoff berth but took it all the way to a World Series title.

The 1997 season gets largely forgotten. By wildly exceeding expectations and maintaining more than relevance into September, it was the year in which the Mets were finally fun again.

The post A Look Back at the 1997 Mets appeared first on Metsmerized.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Alonso‘s power had become a common sight five months into a remarkable rookie year. But this swing and a drive to the opposite field in the fourth inning against Chicago Cubs starter Yu Darvish had special meaning. The 407-foot blast was his 42nd, breaking the Mets’ single-season home run mark once shared by Carlos Beltrán and Todd Hundley.

It’s hard to believe there was uncertainty on whether he’d make the Opening Day roster.

“As soon as ball came off bat, I knew right away,’’ Alonso said according to the New York Post. “I made such good contact. It was such an amazing feeling. It’s been a dream come true so far this year.”

As the ball cleared the right-center field wall and Alonso rounded the bases, music from “The Natural” played over the Citi Field speakers. Alonso recognized the loud ovation and came out of the dugout for a curtain call.

Hundley set the record in 1996 (while also establishing a new high for catchers) and Beltran matched him 10 years later. Alonso surpassed both in only 131 games and 473 at-bats. He also became the first rookie to set a team’s franchise home run record since Johnny Rizzo did it for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1938.

As the Mets broke spring training, there was a possibility for him to start the season at Triple-A in an effort to preserve a year of service time. But the team decided otherwise. And Alonso made the most of it.

He then embarked on re-writing Mets history. Alonso had nine home runs through the end of April, 10 more in May, and nine for June. He overtook Darryl Strawberry for most home runs by a rookie, among the numerous other team records and accomplishments.

The Home Run Derby champ had more standards to set in 2019. He went on to break Aaron Judge‘s rookie record for home runs in a single season and to nobody’s surprise, was the runaway winner for 2019 NL Rookie of the Year.

The post OTD 2019: Alonso Breaks Mets’ Single-Season Home Run Record appeared first on Metsmerized.

Dave Mlicki‘s major league career lasted ten seasons. By comparison, it was a rather modest decade: 66-80, a 4.72 ERA, and a 1.47 WHIP. He spent four years with the Mets registering a 24-30 record and an ERA+ of 98.

Of the 66 victories in the majors and 24 as a Met, his night at Yankee Stadium clearly stands out. It wasn’t any ordinary game, contrary to what some players may have said. It was the first-ever regular-season meeting between the two New York clubs

The advent of interleague play gave great anticipation to several regional match-ups that had not yet been seen. And because of New York’s storied history, the Mets and Yankees had the most build-up.

It was the 29-year-old Mlicki who got the start on the historic occasion. All he did was become, still to this day, the only Met to throw a shutout at Yankee Stadium—current or previous.

“It was one of those days where everything was working,” Mlicki said to the New York Post last year. “I had confidence in my stuff. The fans were into it. It was such a big deal.”

Although he gave up nine hits and allowed two walks over 119 pitches and managed just a single 1-2-3 frame, the Yankees were unable to get on the scoreboard. Much of the credit goes to Mlicki of course for striking out eight and preventing any trouble. But he also got assistance from his defense—including sharp glove plays from Matt Franco at third base and Bernard Gilkey in left field.

Gilkey scored three times on the night. He crossed the plate on a John Olerud double off Andy Pettitte in the first as the Mets jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. The Mets added two more on an Olerud seventh-inning single and another on Gilkey’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly.

The Yankees added more traffic on the bases in the ninth. But despite three singles, Mlicki stayed in and preserved his scoreless effort—striking out Derek Jeter to finish off the 5-0 win and earn bragging rights over the defending world champions.

Mlicki finished ’97 at 8-12 with an ERA of 4.00. But his season, his Mets career, and his big-league career is forever remembered by his stellar night at the Bronx. As Mlicki told the Post last year, many haven’t forgotten.

“I’ll be at a golf tournament and some Mets fan will come to me and say, ‘Oh my God, I was at that game! I still have the ticket stub!’ All New York fans are so passionate about their sports. It’s what makes it so great. It’s nice to still be relevant sometimes.”

The post OTD in 1997: Mlicki Dominant in Subway Series Opener appeared first on Metsmerized.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The rate at which Pete Alonso is hitting home runs has already put him in elite company for both Mets and major league history. When he recorded his 100th last September, he was the second-fastest to reach that milestone. His two-home run day in Philadelphia brought his total to 113 in 400 games–good for 13th-most by a Met. For the sake of comparison, it took franchise leader Darryl Strawberry 524 games to get to that number. (Strawberry has 252 home runs with the Mets, for context.)

It’s dangerous to get ahead of ourselves, especially when it comes to team records, but let’s look at his potential progression in the Mets’ power hierarchy near-term with players Alonso is eyeing to surpass this season alone.

Ed Kranepool (118 homers): A career-long Amazin’ for 18 seasons, Ed Kranepool‘s statistics are more a reflection of longevity. His highest home run total was 16, accomplished in 1966. He hit 14 in 1971, 11 in the miracle year of 1969, and posted 10 homers on five separate occasions. Serving primarily as a pinch-hit specialist in the late 1970s prevented him from adding to his totals, but it was a role he performed very well.

Edgardo Alfonzo (120): Of all the great qualities Edgardo Alfonzo provided during his time with the Mets, power hitter would not immediately come to mind. But he was remarkably consistent—especially from 1997 through 2002. “Fonzie” eclipsed 150 hits five times, had an on-base percentage of .380, and never had more than 85 strikeouts. With such great plate discipline, occasionally some would leave the yard. In that six-season span, he averaged 19 homers—including 27 in 1999, still the most ever by a Mets second baseman.

Kevin McReynolds (122): The laconic Arkansas outfielder had a 24-homer clip in his initial five-year stint in New York. He never was a fan favorite and never commanded attention like many of his teammates despite being reliable and consistent. Kevin McReynolds was the key piece in the trade that sent Kevin Mitchell to San Diego. Although he didn’t fill the attitude quotient of Mitchell, he was an anchor for the lineup starting in 1987 when achieved a career-best 29 homers. He followed that with 27 in 1988, arguably his best season overall. After being dealt away in 1991, McReynolds returned in ’94 to less stellar results. Over 201 plate appearances, he managed to go deep only four times.

Todd Hundley (124): He may be ninth on the Mets’ all-time home run list, but no one had more homers for the Mets during the 1990s than Todd Hundley. He also posted a two-year power stretch as impressive as anyone. His 41 home runs in 1996 eclipsed the single-season high for catchers (previously held by Brooklyn Dodgers legend Roy Campanella) while also setting a Mets club record at the time. Both marks have since been topped, but he followed that year with 30 homers for 1997. A career-threatening elbow injury and the acquisition of Mike Piazza effectively brought his production to a halt.

Lucas Duda (125): He left the Mets in 2017 as Citi Field’s home run leader, and is still first in that category. Lucas Duda hit 30 homers in 2012 and 2013 combined, then had 30 in 2014 alone. During New York’s road to the 2015 National League pennant, he delivered two home runs which signaled an imminent celebration. The first came in Cincinnati—a first-inning grand slam in what would be the division clincher. The other, which doesn’t count towards his total but is otherwise significant, came in Chicago—a three-run blast (also in the first inning) in Game 4 of the NLCS. Duda had serious power surges, especially so with a nine-homer tear over eight games from July 25 through August 2 when the Mets took over first place.

Michael Conforto (132): It’s difficult right now to put his Mets career into context, but he was better than many realize. By the time the 2019 season was over, a year marked by a personal-high 33 home runs, Michael Conforto had accumulated 109, which moved him into 12th on the all-time list. He also became one of five Mets to tally hit at least 25 homers in four consecutive seasons as well as the fifth to record at least 30 homers, 80 walks, and 90 RBIs (joining David Wright, Darryl Strawberry, Carlos Beltrán, and Howard Johnson). Conforto still looked the part of a major offensive contributor during the shortened 2020 season, but unfortunately it’s gone all downhill since.

Carlos Beltrán (149): This will take a little bit more work, but a great power year could get Pete to 150. Carlos Beltrán is another polarizing figure in Mets history for several reasons. But as far as on-field performance is concerned, there’s no doubt he’s one of the best free agent acquisitions ever—if not the best. Beltrán shook off a rough first year in New York to put up MVP-like numbers in 2006 as the Mets cruised to a division title. Beltrán averaged 22 homers in six full seasons (two were cut short because of injuries) to compliment his outstanding center field play. Alonso already overtook Beltrán in one respect, the single-season home run marked shared by him and Hundley at 41. It might be only a matter of time before Pete is on top again, even if he doesn’t get there this year.

The post Pete Alonso’s Pursuit Up Mets’ Home Run List appeared first on Metsmerized.

The 1998 season was an interesting, though ultimately disappointing, one for the New York Mets. They acquired future Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza and were in the National League’s Wild Card race until the last day of the season. On September 16, 1998, the Mets and Astros engaged in an exciting extra-inning game at the Astrodome, with Mets coming out on top.

Bobby Jones made the start against future Met Mike Hampton, who took the mound for Houston. Former Met Carl Everett opened the scoring with the two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. The score remained 2-0 until the ninth, when Piazza stepped into the batter’s box against Astros closer (and future Met) Billy Wagner.

Todd Pratt opened the inning for New York with a single and advanced to second base on a single by John Olerud. However, when Olerud singled, there were two outs, and the Mets, 85-68 coming into the game, now had their fate in the hands of their midseason addition in Piazza.

Wagner and Piazza battled to a 2-2 count, when Piazza got a belt-high fastball over the outside corner that he could handle. The Norristown, PA native did what he did so well throughout his career. He drove it over the right-center field fence to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. You can see the home run, and hear Howie Rose’s enthusiastic call, in the video below.

The game was not over, though, which is something we know very well from the 2021 season. The Mets brought Dennis Cook in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Cook got the first out, but then Astros catcher Brad Ausmus drilled a home run to tie the score. The game moved to extra innings.

Neither team scored in the 10th. Mets pitcher Greg McMichael danced through the raindrops in the bottom of the frame, getting out of a bases-loaded jam. Sean Bergman came on to pitch for the Astros in the 11th inning. He got the first two outs before pinch-hitter Todd Hundley took a turn at bat. Hundley, who two years prior had set New York’s franchise record for most home runs in a single season, blasted a home run to give the Mets a 4-3 lead.

Turk Wendell got the save opportunity and struck out the side in the bottom of the 11th to lock down the win. The Mets ended up winning three of four games in Houston against an Astros team that won its division with a 102-60 record.

The 1998 season would not end well for the Mets. They were tied for the sole wild-card slot in the playoffs with the Giants and Cubs at 88-72 with two games to play. The Mets lost both of their final two games in Atlanta, while the Giants and Cubs both finished at 89-73. They played a one-game playoff to break the tie, and the Cubs won that game to advance to the postseason.

After the 1998 campaign, Piazza, who initially seemed uncomfortable in New York after arriving in May,  signed a seven-year deal to remain in Flushing through the 2005 season. He would hit many memorable home runs in orange and blue, and provide Mets fans with many thrills, culminating in his induction to National Baseball Hall of Fame in a Mets cap.

The post OTD 1998: Piazza Homers, Mets Win Thriller In Houston appeared first on Metsmerized.

 Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

At times it’s hard to believe that Pete Alonso is in just his third season with the Mets. He has become a leader on the team and is one of the more quotable players on the 2021 squad, often front-and-center in the post-game Zoom press conferences. It was on August 18, 2019, that Alonso, in his rookie season, set the first of three home run records in a six-week period.

Alonso was sitting on 39 home runs when he settled into the batter’s box leading off the ninth in Kansas City against Jacob Barnes of the Royals. The Mets were in the midst of a hot streak and had a comfortable 10-5 lead in the game. Alonso ripped an 0-2 pitch deep beyond the left field fence for his 40th home run of the season, breaking the National League rookie record of 39 set in 2017 by Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers.

After the game, Alonso said the following as quoted by Robert Falkoff of MLB.com.

“It’s crazy,” Alonso said. “Coming into camp, I didn’t even know if I was going to make the team or not. To break this record and have a good season, it has been unbelievable.”

“There have been so many Mets greats, it’s hard to believe I am one away from tying that (the club record of 41 home runs in a season). That’s even more mind-boggling. I’m just really grateful and thankful that I’ve had this opportunity.”

The post OTD 2019: Pete Alonso Breaks NL Rookie Home Run Record appeared first on Metsmerized.

June 16, 1997 was a historic day in the chronicles of the New York Mets. On that date, they played their first regular season game against the cross-town rival New York Yankees, defeating the Bombers in the Bronx by a 6-0 score.

On June 13, 1997 the Mets played their first regular season Interleague game in franchise history, losing 8-4 to the Boston Red Sox at Shea Stadium. The Red Sox would take two of three in that series, before the Mets boarded the buses northward on Monday, June 16.

Entering the inaugural Subway Series, the Mets were off to a surprising start with a 36-30 record, after finishing the disappointing 1996 season at 71-91. The Yankees, 37-29 going into the game, were the reigning World Series champions and on their way to a 96-66 finish in 1997.

The Mets sent 29-year old Dave Mlicki, who was in his fifth major league season, to the mound against the Yankees’ Andy Pettitte, who had gone 2-1 in the 1996 postseason. This night, in front of over 56,000 fans, Yankee Stadium belonged to Mlicki.

The right-hander from Cleveland tossed a complete game shutout, allowing nine hits, walking two, striking out eight, and ending the game with a called third strike on Derek Jeter.

The Mets handed Mlicki a three-run lead before he took the mound. In the top of the first inning, John Olerud doubled in Bernard Gilkey for one run, then Carl Everett drove in Olerud. The Mets got their third run on a steal of home by Todd Hundley.

Olerud, who hit .294 in 1997 with an .889 OPS, struck again in the seventh inning when he singled in Matt Franco and Luis Lopez to give the Mets a 5-0 lead. The Mets scored their final run in the top of the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Gilkey.

The Mets would lose the next two games of the series, which was their only one against the Yankees in 1997. Since Interleague play began, the Yankees have had the upper-hand against their rivals from Queens. winning 74 of 128 games played.

June 16, 1997 was Mlicki’s pinnacle moment as a Met. He finished the 1997 season with an 8-12 record. Over four years in Flushing, he posted 24 wins against 30 losses.

Mlicki pitched a total of ten seasons in the major leagues, going 66-80 with a 4.72 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. In addition to the Mets, he pitched for the Indians, Dodgers, Tigers, and Astros.

While Mlicki had a modest career, he came up big on a night that made New York baseball history. If you’re a Mets fan, that night felt extremely special.

The post OTD 1997: Dave Mlicki Hurls Shutout to Open Inaugural Subway Series appeared first on Metsmerized.

The sights and sounds of baseball are back, though what usually happens in March is happening in July.

The 2020 baseball season is set to begin on July 23rd, almost four months to the day after it was originally was planned to start. It’s not unprecedented for a baseball season to experience a late opening, though nothing of this magnitude has happened in history.  Let’s take a look at past seasons that have not gone off as planned, and where applicable, see how the Mets fared in them.

In 1919, the season began late (April 23rd-25th) and was shortened to 140 games. This was due to the ending of World War I, and many players who had been in the military needed time to return home and settle back into their normal lives. The Mets, of course were not a thing then. The Cincinnati Reds won the World Series in 1919, defeating the Chicago White Sox five games to three.

The next delayed opening was in 1972, when the start of the season was pushed back two weeks due to the first ever players’ strike. MLB attempted to play as many of the affected games as possible, but the season ended with teams having played slightly different numbers of games.

For the Mets, 1972 was especially difficult. Not only was there a strike, but manager Gil Hodges died suddenly during spring training on April 2nd, and coach Yogi Berra assumed the managerial duties. The Mets finished a respectable 83-73, in third place behind the division-winning Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 1990 season saw a lockout during spring training, which postponed Opening Day for a week. All of the impacted games were made up during the season. The 1990 season was a decent one for the Mets, who finished 91-71, in second place behind the Pirates. That year, the Mets changed managers after 42 games, replacing Davey Johnson with Bud Harrelson.

The most recent incidence of a delayed opening to the season was 1995. You remember that one, right?

The 1994 season was halted in August due to a players’ strike, and the remainder of the season and the post season were cancelled. The strike was so filled with acrimony that it spilled into spring training of 1995. A settlement was reached in early April, and the season began on April 25th.

The Mets began that season in Colorado, on a frigid night (the game time temperature was 42 degrees, and when the game ended almost five hours later, the temperature was in the 20s). The Mets and Rockies battled for 14 innings, with a Todd Hundley grand slam being the key hit for the Mets. The Mets took the lead in the top of the 14th, and it seemed all would end well. But then Dante Bichette happened, and if you’re not faint of heart, you can watch his game-ending demolition of a Mike Remlinger pitch at the 6:55 mark of the video below.

The Mets went on to finish the 1995 season with a 69-75 record, in second place in the NL East. The second half of the season created much excitement for Mets fans, as the team played solid baseball, and saw the emergence of Jason Isringhausen, Bill Pulsipher. With a well-hyped Paul Wilson waiting in the wings, there was reason for optimism. That optimism faded quickly in 1996, as “Generation K” did not live up to expectations.

COVID-19 permitting, we are less than three weeks away from a significantly abbreviated 2020 season. The Mets have never qualified for the post season in seasons with delayed openings. In 2020, where everything is going to be significantly different, the Mets will strive for a welcomed, and different outcome.

The post Mets Performance in Delayed Seasons appeared first on Metsmerized.

“I didn’t like this [the rescheduled date],” lamented Dodgers manager Davey Johnson to the Los Angeles Times, displeased with the second Big Apple visit in three weeks.

But if the Dodgers sought any sympathizers, the Mets — who had already logged many miles in a short span and soon would embark on another circuitous road trip — were not among them.

Once their current 10-game homestand wrapped up, the New Yorkers would fly to Denver, then San Francisco, then Miami before coming back to the Big Apple. Not exactly an efficient travel plan.

The week-and-a-half long stay at Shea Stadium had allowed the Mets to find their footing and appear more like a team ready to return to the World Series for the first time since 1986 — when Johnson manned the home dugout, not the opposing one.

Davey wasn’t the only familiar face reappearing in Flushing. There was fellow ’86 champ Kevin Elster as well as recent record-setting Met, Todd Hundley, who laid claim to the franchise single-season home run mark since 1996.

Each played a role on an afternoon far warmer, drier, and sunnier than it was 22 days earlier. Hundley accounted for the entirety of the Dodgers’ three hits against starter Pat Mahomes and a trio from the Mets bullpen. New York’s attack was muzzled too, and a scoreless tie carried into the bottom of the ninth.

With none out and runners on first and second, Jay Payton grounded to Elster at shortstop. Hoping to get the lead runner, Elster threw to third baseman Adrian Beltre. But Beltre had trouble locating the bag with his foot as he backpedaled, and instead tried to tag Melvin Mora.

Third base umpire Gerry Davis said no. Johnson raced out of the dugout in protest, chucking his chewing tobacco to the ground and getting tossed from the game. Davey’s irritations would only get worse.

Mora would soon be cut down at home on a forceout, but Matt Franco‘s bases-loaded grounder off the glove of reliever Terry Adams brought in pinch-runner Jon Nunnally for the game’s lone run.

“When I hit it, I thought it was a double play,” Franco said. “I was relieved to see it tip off his glove.”

The victory marked the eighth straight for the Mets, a streak that would continue a night later when the Reds came to town.

But the game itself was almost a subplot to the real storyline — one that interested Mets fans more than players. The Reds’ most prolific new acquisition was nearly New York’s. The Seattle Mariners had a trade in place the previous winter to send the superstar center fielder to Queens. Except Junior nixed the deal.

When Griffey made his Shea debut, Shea let him have it — booing him before each plate appearance and cheering loudly when he struck out looking to finish off the Mets’ 6-5 victory on April 25.

Satisfaction gave way to frustration for the remainder of the series, as Mets bats went silent in losses of 12-1 and 2-1, respectively. Fortunately, the team’s first stop on its serpentine road trip was the thin, cool air of Denver and Coors Field — a park renowned for offensive indulgence. Pitchers and purists just call it offensive.

Baseball? More like pinball.

The three games against the Rockies lived up to the stadium’s reputation. The Mets scored 32 runs on 50 hits over three games over the weekend series while winning twice.

The most egregious display of Colorado baseball’s worst qualities occurred in the Sunday finale. New York took a touchdown-sized lead into the bottom of the seventh and then an 11-3 advantage an inning later. Al Leiter, already at a disadvantage thanks to the atmosphere, was put in further harm by the Mets defense. An error by Rey Ordonez (his sixth on the year already) and a miscue by Nunnally helped to forge a six-run Rockies eighth.

Leiter had departed before the inning was over. He was credited with six runs allowed, a borderline Cy Young performance by Coors’ standards. The bullpen’s efforts to protect an 11-5 lead nearly evaporated. Turk Wendell loaded the bases. Then Dennis Cook surrendered a grand slam to Tom Goodwin — just this 14th homer in 10 big-league seasons.

Five more runs would be tacked on — including Alfonzo’s tenth hit in 13 at-bats — as the Mets survived, 14-11.

As the team left the Rockies’ five-year-old home and headed further west to check out the newest digs of the San Francisco Giants, Pac Bell Park, its manager acknowledged the beauty of the city but the unsightly nature about how games are played there.

“I’m glad we’re not coming back here,” Bobby Valentine said.

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