Tug McGraw fanned pinch-hitter Billy Conigliaro to cement the 2-0 victory. Afterwards, the Mets bound a plane for the west coast. The date was October 18, 1973. All they needed to do was split the next two in Oakland and the World Series was ours. It was not meant to be.
In the 9th inning of Game 7 we managed to get the tying run to the plate in the form of Wayne Garrett. Garrett, who was second on the team in home runs, popped out. Disappointing? Yes. Heartbreaking? Definitely. But overall, it was hard to feel dissatisfied. We’d been in last place on August 30, 10 games below .500. We eeked out the division with 82 meager wins, shocked the powerhouse Big Red Machine in five games, and pushed the defending World Champion A’s to the last at-bat in the last game on the last day of Baseball. Not bad at all.
By contrast, 15 years later, the 1988 Mets, only two years removed from winning it all, were poised to do it again. We reached 100 wins for only the 3rd time in team history (a benchmark we haven’t reached since) and captured the division by 15 games. The shocking upset at the hands of the Dodgers still sticks in the craw for all of us who witnessed the inconceivable HR by Mike Scioscia off Doc Gooden that turned everything around. Disappointed? Yes. Heartbreaking? Definitely.
The Mets honored the 86 club twenty years later as history appeared to be repeating itself. Like 1986, the 2006 Mets dominated all year. 97 victories (5th most in history), winning the division by 12 games and having 3 players with more than 25 HR’s and 100 RBI’s. However, it was a repeat of 1988, not 1986. A 9th inning HR by another light-hitting catcher, this one named Yadier Molina, stunned Shea into a tomblike stillness and ended the Mets season earlier than anyone anticipated. Disappointed? Yes. Heartbreaking? You bet your ass…
The question is ‘why’?
In hindsight, 1973 should feel more tragic than 88 or 06. Coming within one hit of winning the World Series is undoubtedly more gut-wrenching than coming within one hit of even getting to the World Series.
I think the difference was that in 73 expectations were low. No one anticipated much of the Mets that year whereas in 88 and 06, we viewed the season as a mere formality, a coronation of what we deserved, what we were entitled to. My Goodness, we turned into…the Yankees.
Spring Training has just begun and the Mets are setting the bar high. Granted, all 30 teams are optimistic since right now the Giants and Royals are no better than the Astros and Twins. However, when it’s those ‘big mouth big city obnoxious New Yorkers’ talking crap, be it the Mets or the Yankees, other teams take notice. It only makes it that much sweeter to knock those big city folk down a notch.
I’ve said for years the Mets should display more swagger. It’s refreshing to now see it. What confuses me is where the newfound confidence is coming from?
This winter the Padres ratcheted up their team adding Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, James Shields and Wil Myers. The Red Sox acquired the most sought after bat by signing Pablo Sandoval in addition to Hanley Ramirez and Cuban sensation Yoan Moncada. Washington had the best record in the NL last season but didn’t stand pat and handed over $210 million to perennial All-Star Max Scherzer. Even the Cubs who last won a World Series when Teddy Roosevelt was President were active, acquiring Jon Lester and hiring Joe Maddon.
Meanwhile, the Mets added 36 year-old Michael Cuddyer who’s averaged 93 games the last 3 seasons. While I do think Cuddyer can help, can he make that much of a difference? Is this the so-called difference maker we were looking to add this offseason?
I know, I know. I can hear it now: We have Harvey back. No doubt the Mets are better with Harvey than without him. But before we order our 2015 Mets World Champion T-shirts, let’s keep a few things in mind. Harvey is coming off surgery and hasn’t pitched in a real game in eighteen months. And despite having him through August of 2013, the Mets were just 58-69 and 18 GB with him in the rotation. By comparison, Clayton Kershaw who is just one year older, has 98 career wins, 1,445 K’s, 3 Cy Young’s and an MVP. Matt Harvey has 12 wins.
So, again, why the confidence? The Mets haven’t been to the post-season in almost a decade, haven’t played an important game or been in a pennant race in 6 years, haven’t even played .500 since our final season at Shea.
For conversational purposes, let’s assume 2015 gives us the same 3 division winners as 2014: Nationals, Cardinals, Dodgers. That leaves the defending champion Giants, the much-improved Padres, the solid Pirates, the always tough Brewers, the pesky Reds, the upgraded Cubs and the consistent Braves competing for two wild-card spots. Can the Mets win more games than all these teams—or at least all but one—to earn a wildcard?
Confidence, swagger and arrogance are a good thing. But a team has to be able to back it up. In the mid-80s, the Mets had that swagger. But we could—and did–back it up. Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter were proven winners, we had the youthful hunger of phenoms Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden and we had a manager who spent much of his career playing for the great Earl Weaver.
In the 70’s, we exuded quiet confidence. With the Big Three of Seaver, Koosman and Matlack along with the likes of clutch Cleon Jones, reliable Rusty Staub, the fire-in-the-belly of Buddy Harrelson and gritty Jerry Grote–many of whom already had a ring from 1969–along with a manager in Yogi Berra who was quite familiar with October Baseball, we had reason to be confident. And we had the arms to back it up.
What about now? The Mets issued t-shirts (supposedly now pulled back) claiming ‘Take the Damn Thing.’ Jacob deGrom recently stated “We want to make the playoffs, we want to win the World Series.” Zack Wheeler compared the Mets to the team that traded him away, the Giants, winners of 3 championships in 5 years. Curtis Granderson said, “We are primed and ready.” Terry Collins insisted “It’s time.”
A few weeks back I posted a question on a fan-based Mets page on Facebook. The question I asked was simple: How many of you would be satisfied if the Mets improve this year but do NOT make the post-season? 81% responded they’d be disappointed if the Mets fail to make the playoffs.
What do you think? Is this newborn confidence good or bad? Are we setting ourselves up for another depressing season? Several springs ago, Carlos Beltran proclaimed “The Mets are the team to beat.” And then the Phillies did exactly that. Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself. Let’s hope these Mets are as good as they say they are. Let’s Go Mets. Do it.
