Yes here it is….another favorite Mets moments list. This has been done to death…..but I feel it’s mandatory to read at least one every month to remind all of us why we love our NY Metropolitans. Also, I will make this one just a tiny bit different. This will consist of some very personal experiences at actual games I attended. Here we go:
July 25, 1987 – My first game at Shea, ever. My dad surprised me on my birthday with tickets to the game. My dad, being an immigrant, had never been to a game either at this point (although he got me into the Mets). We arrived at Shea to find out Straw was not in the starting lineup. We didn’t care because the sights and sounds of the ballpark where spectacular. El Sid started and the Mets lost 7-5, but we did get to see Straw come in as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning and blast a solo HR. Shea was rockin’ even though we lost.
May 1992, Mets vs Cardinals – My friend and I cut school to take the 7 train to watch Brett Saberhagen throw a nine inning two hitter. The problem was that the score was tied 1-1. The game went 14 innings and at the top of the 14th, the Cards loaded the bases with no outs, Terry Leach on the mound. I turned to my friend and said, “game over, no one gets out of this jam”. Terry got out of the inning unscathed and the Mets won it in the bottom of the 14th. What a game!
1999 NLDS Game 4 – Yes I was there, Hung Over beyond belief, because I was at the game the night before. This was payback to my father, because now I was taking him to his first playoff game. And what a game! Hangover went bye bye half way through the game. When Todd Pratt hit that ball off Mantei, the stadium shuddered and went dead quiet for about 1.5 seconds….all eyes where on Steve Finley, and I could swear everyone in the park thought he caught the ball, when he looked into his empty glove, I almost went deaf with the roar of the crowd. The stadium shook for a solid 15 minutes. I have never heard Shea Stadium this loud….until….
2006 Game 6 – Ouch, I was there too. The stadium was as loud for the entire game as it was at the end of Game 4 in 1999. When Endy made that catch, I could swear Shea was going to collapse. I had tears in my eyes because I was yelling so loud. When Yadier’s ball went out…dead silence. Complete dead silence… So much so that I could hear the dirty birds congratulating Molina as he crossed home plate….from my seat! Not my favorite moment…..but certainly….a moment.
There are many more that I will write about in the future….that is….if I haven’t bored all of you to death by now.
