The 10 best games in Shea Stadium history

[Baseball Guru]

This is a pretty interesting article..

I've seen 7 of the 10 live, missing the 2 in "69" and one in "73"

They are listed in no particular order but think it would be fun to list our own or put these into an order..

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080327/SPORTS01/803270341

[Baseball Guru]

My order based on the ones I have actually seen:

1. Oct. 26, 1986: Mets 6, Boston 5 (10 innings): Down by two and with two out in the 10th, singles by Gary Carter, Kevin Mitchell and Ray Knight keep the game alive. Bob Stanley wild-pitches the tying run home, and Mookie Wilson follows with the dribbler to Bill Buckner that prompts Vin Scully's famous call: "A little roller up along first ... behind the bag ... it gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight! And, the Mets win it."

2. Oct. 17, 1999: Mets 4, Atlanta 3 (15 innings): The Mets rally to tie Game 5 of the NLCS in the 15th on a bases-loaded walk to Pratt. Robin Ventura then hits what appears to be a game-winning grand slam, but he is credited with a single when he is mobbed by teammates between first and second.

3. Oct. 11, 1986: Mets 6, Houston 5: The Astros are poised to take a 2—1 lead in the NLCS, but Wally Backman beats out a bunt to lead off the ninth, and Lenny Dykstra promptly homers.

4. Sept. 21, 2001: Mets 3, Atlanta 2: Ten days after the terrorist attacks, the Mets host Atlanta in New York City's first game after play resumes. Prior to the game, the teams meet in the infield in an embrace of unity. Mike Piazza hits a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth off Steve Karsay.

5. Oct. 9, 1999: Mets 4, Arizona 3 (10 innings): Todd Pratt, who is 0 for 7 in the NL Division Series, lines the ball to the deepest part of the park, and it deflects off center fielder Steve Finley's glove for a game-winning homer.

6. Oct. 19, 2006: St. Louis 3, Mets 1: The Mets and Cardinals are tied 1-1 in the sixth inning of Game 7 of the NLCS. Scott Rolen drives a ball to deep left, but Endy Chavez leaps at the wall to rob him of a homer. St. Louis goes on to win on Yadier Molina's homer in the ninth off Aaron Heilman.

7. Oct. 9, 1988: Dodgers 5, Mets 4 (12 innings): Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia, who hit only three homers all season, hits a game-tying, two-run homer in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLCS off Dwight Gooden. The Dodgers go on to win the series.

[metfan13]

I don't know how you put the Endy game in there since they lost.

I'm assuming they just wanted to spread some out and have a recent one. But you can easily top that game with game 3 of the 69 series with Agee making two great catches, plus they won.

[Baseball Guru]

They also lost the Dodgers game in "88"

Obviously thats why those are my 2 last games listed

[soberdennis]

Were they listing them from top to bottom or in chronological order?
If they were in C.O., I have not problem with the list. But Game 5 in 1969 has to be the number 1, just for the electricity in the New York area around it.
I wasn't at Shea that day. I am sure I probably attended games at Shea that year, though. I was 30 miles away glued to my tv feeling the electricity.

[VIBaseball]

I'm assuming they just wanted to spread some out and have a recent one. But you can easily top that game with game 3 of the 69 series with Agee making two great catches, plus they won.

I was thinking the same about the spread over time. FSNY was re-running Game 4 of the '69 Series over the weekend, which was also a marvelous game featuring Swoboda's catch and J.C. Martin's bunt.

[parlo]

The 73 NLCS upset of the Reds has some great games. The Mets also won 2 of 3 against the A's at Shea in the World Series.
Games 3,4,and 5 in 1969 are hard to beat though.
Except for games 6 and 7 in 1986.

[metfan13]

Yep, playoff games are easy targets.

Let's come up with a list of top ten regular season games.

Seaver's near perfect game.

Piazza's post 9/11 homer

The 10 run comeback against the Braves.

The ball hitting the top of the wall and bouncing back to Cleon, against the Pirates in Sept. 73

Carlton K's 19 Mets, but Mets win on two Swoboda 2 run homers.

[jints15]

Yep, playoff games are easy targets.

Let's come up with a list of top ten regular season games.

Seaver's near perfect game.

Piazza's post 9/11 homer

The 10 run comeback against the Braves.

The ball hitting the top of the wall and bouncing back to Cleon, against the Pirates in Sept. 73

Carlton K's 19 Mets, but Mets win on two Swoboda 2 run homers.

Carlton's 19 strikouts was played @ St.Louis on 9-15-69

[jints15]

Being a SF Giants fan from NY, the one game I most remember at Shea was a game I went to with my dad between the Giants and Mets played on August 19,1969. This game Juan Marichal went the distance going 13.1 innings losing 1-0 on a Tommie Agee HR in the bottom of the 14th inn. Also in this game Gil Hodges used 4 outfielders when Willie McCovey came up in extra innings. Result- flied out to deep left center. The performance by Marichal will never be seen again in this day of pitch counts, an a amasing feat by a hall of famer!!

[metfan13]

Carlton's 19 strikouts was played @ St.Louis on 9-15-69

Getting old sucks.

Thanks for the correction.

[Olliemets]

9/20/73

Surprised this one didn't make the list. The ball off the wall to Cleon, Garrett, Hodges relay vs the Pirates at Shea. Long Forgotten by many but this win a magical 1 the contributed to one of the 4 Met NL Pennants.

I reached back to a post from last fall on the 73 Pennant thread and am placing here. This game will never be forgotten by anyone who saw it. Enjoy.

------------------------

Here is a description of the Pirates game on sept 20, 1973. It was a special game indeed. Duffy Dyer hero. I pulled this off the link in post #3

Frank
August 26, 2003
I am absolutely astounded that only one person has written about this game. This was the most remarkable regular season game in Mets history, taking place in the most remarkable regular season series the Mets have ever been involved in. It was also the most meaningful regular season game in Mets history. Taking place at the peak of the 1973 pennant drive, it was a game the Mets absolutely had to have. The details of the game – and the series – were pure magic. I remember it all as if it were yesterday.

Actually, it could have been considered a 5-game series. The Mets played the first-place Pirates on five consecutive nights, the first 2 in Pittsburgh, followed by the next 3 at Shea. The Mets entered Pittsburgh 2 and a half games out and Seaver was bombed the first game, knocking the Mets 3 and a half out. The next night, the Mets were down by 3 runs entering the ninth. They rallied for 5 runs and held on, moving back to 2 ½ out. The next night at Shea, they won easily, closing to a game and a half of the Pirates.

That brings us to this game. Words cannot describe the magic that was in the air. The Mets were desperate. Down by a run in the bottom of the sixth, they tied it. Down by a run in the bottom the eighth, they tied it again. And yet again, down by a run going to the bottom of the ninth, they had a man on second with two outs. Because Yogi Berra had pulled out all the stops, he had only back-up catcher Duffy Dyer to pinch- hit against tough closer Ramon Hernandez. Dyer doubled up the gap in left-center, tying the game. I’ll never forget Dyer immediately being replaced by a pinch-runner (a pitcher), jogging off the field to a standing ovation. It was then that Lindsey Nelson remarked about the “spirit of 1969” being in the air.

The game went to the top of the 13th and what has become known as the “Dave Augustine” play. With two outs and Richie Zisk on first base, Augustine hit a drive that appeared to be going for a home run. Instead, it hit the point at the very top of the wall, going directly on a fly into Cleon Jones’ hands. What was incredible was that an inch higher would have been a home run, and an inch lower would have caused the ball to bounce in a normal fashion, causing the Mets to lose precious seconds, and the run would have scored. Instead, Jones whirled and threw to Wayne Garrett, who had been moved to shortstop, who then threw to Ron Hodges at the plate for the out. Unbelievable.

Cleon Jones remarked later, "I knew we had won the game immediately after that play." Even the Pirates' great Willie Stargell said, "I knew after that play, we could have played 50 more innings and not beaten the Mets." Stargell also said, "I don’t think the National League All- Stars could have beaten the Mets in that series."

In the bottom of the 13th, it was the rookie Ron Hodges who hit a bloop single to left field with runners on first and second. I’ll never forget Stargell bobbling the ball as the winning run raced home.

Needless to say, the Mets won the next night with Seaver. It was the only time in baseball history that a team in September reached .500 and entered first place on the same night. The Mets never relinquished first place in the final two weeks of the season.

Steve

[whoisonit]

Getting old sucks.

That's what El Duque said.

[metfan13]

Surprised this one didn't make the list. The ball off the wall to Cleon, Garrett, Hodges relay vs the Pirates at Shea. Long Forgotten by many but this win a magical 1 the contributed to one of the 4 Met NL Pennants.

I reached back to a post from last fall on the 73 Pennant thread and am placing here. This game will never be forgotten by anyone who saw it. Enjoy.

------------------------

Here is a description of the Pirates game on sept 20, 1973. It was a special game indeed. Duffy Dyer hero. I pulled this off the link in post #3

Frank
August 26, 2003
I am absolutely astounded that only one person has written about this game. This was the most remarkable regular season game in Mets history, taking place in the most remarkable regular season series the Mets have ever been involved in. It was also the most meaningful regular season game in Mets history. Taking place at the peak of the 1973 pennant drive, it was a game the Mets absolutely had to have. The details of the game – and the series – were pure magic. I remember it all as if it were yesterday.

Actually, it could have been considered a 5-game series. The Mets played the first-place Pirates on five consecutive nights, the first 2 in Pittsburgh, followed by the next 3 at Shea. The Mets entered Pittsburgh 2 and a half games out and Seaver was bombed the first game, knocking the Mets 3 and a half out. The next night, the Mets were down by 3 runs entering the ninth. They rallied for 5 runs and held on, moving back to 2 ½ out. The next night at Shea, they won easily, closing to a game and a half of the Pirates.

That brings us to this game. Words cannot describe the magic that was in the air. The Mets were desperate. Down by a run in the bottom of the sixth, they tied it. Down by a run in the bottom the eighth, they tied it again. And yet again, down by a run going to the bottom of the ninth, they had a man on second with two outs. Because Yogi Berra had pulled out all the stops, he had only back-up catcher Duffy Dyer to pinch- hit against tough closer Ramon Hernandez. Dyer doubled up the gap in left-center, tying the game. I’ll never forget Dyer immediately being replaced by a pinch-runner (a pitcher), jogging off the field to a standing ovation. It was then that Lindsey Nelson remarked about the “spirit of 1969” being in the air.

The game went to the top of the 13th and what has become known as the “Dave Augustine” play. With two outs and Richie Zisk on first base, Augustine hit a drive that appeared to be going for a home run. Instead, it hit the point at the very top of the wall, going directly on a fly into Cleon Jones’ hands. What was incredible was that an inch higher would have been a home run, and an inch lower would have caused the ball to bounce in a normal fashion, causing the Mets to lose precious seconds, and the run would have scored. Instead, Jones whirled and threw to Wayne Garrett, who had been moved to shortstop, who then threw to Ron Hodges at the plate for the out. Unbelievable.

Cleon Jones remarked later, "I knew we had won the game immediately after that play." Even the Pirates' great Willie Stargell said, "I knew after that play, we could have played 50 more innings and not beaten the Mets." Stargell also said, "I don’t think the National League All- Stars could have beaten the Mets in that series."

In the bottom of the 13th, it was the rookie Ron Hodges who hit a bloop single to left field with runners on first and second. I’ll never forget Stargell bobbling the ball as the winning run raced home.

Needless to say, the Mets won the next night with Seaver. It was the only time in baseball history that a team in September reached .500 and entered first place on the same night. The Mets never relinquished first place in the final two weeks of the season.

Steve

Made my list. See a few posts before yours

[m8644]

disreguarding playoff games......off the top off my head (and in no order)

---Seaver's "perfect" game, july 9, 1969

---ball off the wall game, September 20 1973

---Last game of season against pittsburgh in 1999 to clinch a tie for the wildcard, october 3, 1999

---the steve henderson game, june 14 1980 ( i hope mets fans remember this one)

---the 10 run inning against atlanta, june 30, 2000

---seaver strikes out 19 padres, april 22, 1970

---gooden's one hitter, september 7, 1984

---first game in ny after attacks, september 21, 2001

---matt franco's game winning hit against the yanks, july 1999

---gary carter's game winning homer in first game, april 9, 1985

---