When I started writing for Metsmerized Online back in November of 2014, I had no idea that by next November the New York Mets would still be playing as one of the two best teams in all of Major League Baseball. The season certainly didn’t end like we all hoped, but that shouldn’t stop us from celebrating what a great season the Mets had.
As someone that is generally considered an optimistic person I felt the Mets could win 85-88 games before last season started, but I’m sure that was on the top end of the scale when it came to fans. The Mets headed to Spring Training with Michael Cuddyer being their biggest move of the offseason leaving some to question how much better would the team be after going 79-83 in 2014?
On March 6th, I flew from Portland, Maine to West Palm Beach arriving at the airport in Florida around 11:00 AM with what I estimated as just enough time to get to Tradition Field before the first pitch. After hustling to get the rental car and turning on the GPS (not that my dad thought he needed it) we arrived in Port St. Lucie around 12:30 PM to backed-up traffic. The parking lot was overfilled and we could see a plethora of fans walking from spots outside of Tradition Field.
I bumped into Joe Torre as I impatiently awaited my first MLB credentials for the game, and then went as fast as I could to the press box so I could get a seat. I sat down just in time to see the reason why there was a packed Tradition Field with a record crowd of 8,205 fans. Right-hander Matt Harvey was throwing off the mound in the Mets bullpen.
Harvey was electric that day against the Yankees in his fourth spring start as he continued his remarkable comeback from Tommy John surgery. He tossed 5.2 scoreless innings and was hitting 97 MPH on the radar gun with surprising consistency.
The excitement in the crowd that day was unlike like a typical spring game, they got to see flashes of the pitcher Harvey was before the injury. It wasn’t just the realization that the Mets had gotten back one of the best pitchers in baseball, there was a different feeling around this 2015 club already. There was an unmistakable confidence and a real sense among all the players that they could and should win this year.
It was April 6th and Opening Day was finally here with the Mets going up against the Washington Nationals, who were predicted by most to not only win the National League East but be a World Series contender. The Mets’ elder statesman in the rotation Bartolo Colon got the nod against the Nationals’ prized offseason acquisition Max Scherzer. The Mets were victorious as the former Nat Jerry Blevins got the save in the season opening 3-1 victory.
The Mets won two of three against the Nats in Washington, equaling half the total wins they had against them the entire 2014 season. Then came the unbelievable 11-game winning streak that put the Mets in the national spotlight for the first time in years (in a positive manner). And their new closer Jeurys Familia earned the save in eight of those victories.
The fans started believing then that the Mets were better than most thought, it was still early but indeed there could be something different about this 2015 season.
During the winning streak on April 19th, my father, brother, and I drove down for the the game to watch Harvey pitch and you couldn’t tell that it was an April game at Citi Field. The atmosphere was unlike any early season game that Citi had ever seen. Once again the Dark Knight was bringing excitement back to the fan base. Despite the win, the crowd was left with a sense of nervousness after both Travis d’Arnaud and Blevins left the game with what turned out to be very costly injuries.
These two injuries came just five days after David Wright was injured on a slide leaving a gaping whole at third base that the Mets wouldn’t fill until July. Then came the Daniel Murphy injury in June further depleting the infield depth and delivering another blow to an already struggling offense.
Between the injuries and the anemic offense the Mets had gone 25-30 in May and June pushing away any fuzzy feelings fans had from the winning streak. The bats continued their struggles to start July and the calls for Michael Conforto intensified as fans were growing sick of watching 2-1 and 3-2 losses.
Luckily for the Mets by this time Noah Syndergaard had settled into his groove and Steven Matz had made his big league debut. What a debut it was for the local kid picking up the win and providing the offense while going 3 for 3 with four RBI. I don’t care how many times I watch the video of his debut and the reaction from his family (starring Grandpa Bert) I still get goosebumps.
Mets fans went through a three day emotional roller coaster starting on that July 29th evening when we all went from elation that Carlos Gomez was coming back, to feeling the raw emotion of Wilmer Flores who thought he was leaving the only organization that he knew. Then came the anger of the trade falling through, the realization that the Mets still had a gaping hole in center field and still needing an offensive boost.
As fans were still seething about not being able to finish the trade for Gomez the Mets went out and had their most heartbreaking loss of the season against the Padres. Familia, who had been great all year gave up a game-winning homerun to Justin Upton and panic city was now in full force.
What would Sandy Alderson do on the deadline? Would he do anything? Mets twitter became more diabolical every minute that the clock got closer to the 4:00 PM deadline and still no trade for the Mets. Then Sandy did it, he made a trade that not only helped the Mets on the field but that also brought a fan base from gloom to jubilation in minutes.
That wasn’t the only baseball miracle that happened on July 31st in Mets land though. Two days after shedding tears of disappointment, Flores brought tears and cheers of excitement to fans as he crushed a walkoff homerun to beat the then first place Nationals.
Yoenis Cespedes was exactly what the Mets fans wanted and what the team needed. The night in Colorado when he went 5 for 5 with three homeruns and seven RBI, the nine homeruns in a 13 game span, the ridiculous throw he made to nab Sean Rodriguez at third base. He was a juggernaut.
When the Captain hit that homerun in his first at-bat back against the Phillies in CBP, I literally jumped out of my chair and scared the crap out of my dog. He battled back just to be healthy enough to play for this team and the baseball gods rewarded us all that night. It still brings a smile to my face every time I think about.
The series in September where the Mets came from behind in three straight games against the Nationals to build an insurmountable lead in the East. Clutch hit after clutch hit helping send Matt Williams and the Nats to their demise. That series is when the Mets took the division for good.
Now it was no longer whether the Mets were going to make the playoffs, it was how far could they do with Jacob deGrom, Harvey, and Thor leading the way?
Love or hate Terry Collins you were happy for him on September 26th when the Mets clinched their first division title and playoff spot since 2006. As fans it marked the end of a long drought and signaled the end of the suffering we had endured during a long rebuild. Again it was a time of excitement and jubilation, and something we were finally starting to get used to.
Then came the sweating, the chest pains, the nervous excitement, the pacing around the house, and the superstitious wearing of our lucky shirts. The Los Angeles Dodgers had two of the best pitchers in all of baseball on their team and the Mets had to try to beat them in a short series.
Collins his ace in Game One and Daniel Murphy started his historic postseason with a homerun off Clayton Kershaw to take the series lead. The next night brought out emotions I hadn’t felt all season or possibly ever during a baseball game when Chase Utley tackled Ruben Tejada. I couldn’t sleep that night, I was angry beyond words and just couldn’t fathom what happened and how poorly it was handled.
Citi Field was raucous in Game Three with pissed off fans and a Mets team that played ticked off as they crushed the loudmouth Brett Anderson. After losing Game Four to even the series I decided it was time to switch the wardrobe up and try my NoHan shirt. It worked as deGrom, Syndergaard, and Familia sent the Mets to the National League Championship Series.
Murphy continued to be the dragon slayer against the Cubs as he set a record by homering in six straight games leading the Mets to a sweep. The New York Mets were headed to the World Series for the first time since I was 13 years old and the pain we have felt as fans throughout the bad years had dissipated.
It was time to retire the NoHan shirt after Alex Gordon broke our hearts with a 9th inning homerun. Another lead in Game Two and another loss. Thor got the blood pumping again as he brushed back the Royals to take Game Three and get the Mets right back in the series.
The Mets looked like they were going to tie up the series when Murphy went from hero to zero with one play that changed the World Series. I was still in shock after game, still numb, it felt like a golden opportunity had slipped right through the fingers.
It was down to a must win game and ticket prices plummeted, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I bought two tickets, left Maine around noon and hoped we wouldn’t hit traffic. We were lucky as we pulled into the marina parking lot 7 pm giving us plenty of time to get into the park and find a place to stand.
Although the Mets were down 3-1 in the series and could be eliminated that night you couldn’t tell by the crowd at the game. It was electric, waiting for a reason to erupt and the Mets MVP Curtis Granderson did just that with a go-ahead home run. The Dark Knight was dominating the Royals lineup and when he came put for the 9th inning I thought the stands above me where going to fall down. Citi Field was shaking with excitement the way Shea used to and I will never forget how good that made me feel for that one moment.
When Flores struck out and the Royals rushed the field I just stood there for a while, I didn’t know what else to do. I was hurt, this amazing team won us over yet there I stand heart broken. This was the finale of a story book season that none of us wanted to end without a World Series trophy.
We all cried, cheered, swore, and celebrated this year together as fans of the amazing 2015 New York Mets in a season we shall never forget.
