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METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF GAMES FROM THE 1999 SEASON

April 5, 1999 Dolphin Stadium
Florida Marlins 6, Mets 2

Michael
May 6, 2020
A dubious opening day for one of the most memorable teams in Mets history. Al Leiter was spotty on this day (and would continue to be bad until June) and the offense had a rare off game. The 99 Mets would largely dominate the Marlins, but not today.

April 9, 1999 Olympic Stadium
Mets 10, Montreal Expos 3

Putbeds 1986
March 3, 2006
This was a historical game in Mets history. After 37 seasons on WOR/WWOR-TV Channel 9; this was the 1st Mets produced broadcast on WPIX-TV Channel 11. This was a shock to me and millions of Mets fans because Ch. 11 had been the home of the Bronx Evil Empire forever.

April 10, 1999 Olympic Stadium
Mets 4, Montreal Expos 3

Uncle Peanut
January 11, 2002
I went to Montreal for this game (I was living in Watertown at the time). Montreal is a great place to go see the Mutts on the road because you can get killer seats for $30 CANADIAN (about 21 bucks American dough). Won in extra innings on hits by Todd Pratt and Matt Franco, very exciting.

In Montreal they serve mixed drinks, I was loaded on Amaretto and Coke (they were out of rum).


Lee
May 20, 2005

The city of New York was buzzing on this day because Roger Clemens was making his Yankee Stadium debut after the offseason trade that sent David Wells to the Blue Jays and him to the Yanks. Me, I could care less. It was April and I wanted to see if the Mets could actually play now. The game was played in Montreal and it was tied going into the eleventh, Matt Franco got the hit that won it (something I would see many times in 1999) and the other Franco, John, actually didn't blow the save and got the win, something he couldn't do all of last year. This game gave me a ray of hope that, finally, the Mets had beaten the problems they had encountered last year and had finally become contenders in the National League.

April 12, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 8, Florida Marlins 1

Bob P
October 3, 2003
Bobby Jones homered in this game. The next time a Mets pitcher homered was more than three years later--June 15, 2002--the infamous Shawn Estes off the infamous Roger Clemens.


Dave Jost
April 20, 2008

My friend Tom and I got tickets for this game that morning. He was in the bathroom when Jones hit the home run. He did not believe me when he got back. I was sitting just one level above where the home run landed in left field. You can get a good look at me on the video of that shot.


Johnny Volume
May 30, 2014

My brother bought me a bootleg Home Opening Day t-shirt in the parking lot after the game. I still wear it.

April 14, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 4, Florida Marlins 1

Lee
September 15, 2004
Robin Ventura homered in this game but the player who played the important role was John Franco, who became the second man to record 400 saves when he closed out the ninth against the Florida Marlins, finishing the game with a strike out (I think it was Todd Dunwoody).

April 17, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 3, Montreal Expos 2

Lee
May 19, 2005
Went to this game against the Expos for my brothers b-day and had to sit through the Canadian anthem. I don't know why I just don't like it. John Franco (coming off his 400th save a few days earlier) got his 4th save of the season in the Mets 3-2 win and, suddenly, all those horrible memories of him in 1998 had been erased.

April 18, 1999 Shea Stadium
Montreal Expos 4, Mets 2

Shickhaus Franks
January 9, 2011
My cousin had the Sunday plan so he had an extra ticket making it a Mets weekend. (I had went to the game the previous day with my pal Kathy.) Also, my cousin had wished that he had brought his portable TV because over at MSG it would be #99 Wayne Gretzky's farewell game.

April 28, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 4, San Diego Padres 3

Lee
June 23, 2004
I went to this game but it's been a while so there's only one thing I can remember about it. It was a close game but the Padres had the lead (3-2, I believe) in the bottom of the ninth and things were looking bleak for the Mets but Mike Piazza stepped up against Trevor Hoffman and blasted one in to right and he jumped up and down and was mobbed at home plate by his teammates. It was incredible game!


Bob P
July 13, 2004

The two-run homer by Piazza brought the Mets back to win after Armando Benitez had blown a 2-1 lead by giving up two runs in the top of the eighth.

This game marked the first loss for the Padres in a game they led after eight innings since July of 1996!! The Padres had won 181 straight games where they had taken the lead into the ninth inning.


P Gola
April 26, 2010

It seemed like the Mets were sleepwalking through this one, stranding 12 runners and Benitez blowing a 2-1 lead. Then all of the sudden Piazza *POW* in the bottom of the 9th sends a blast over the right field fence and electrifies the stadium. I remember walking down the ramps at Shea listening to chants of "Let's Go Mets" from the departing crowd. An amazing finish and a testament to Piazza's ability to change momentum with one swing of the bat.


Stu Baron
January 12, 2011

I remember watching this game on TV, and it was the first thing that came to mind when I heard about Trevor Hoffman's retirement last night.

April 29, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 8, San Diego Padres 5

Dan
August 3, 2000
Mets overcame a 5-1 deficit and shaky starting pitching by Bobby Jones to beat the Pods. It was a beautiful day, weather-wise. 'Bout all I remember from this one.

April 30, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 7, San Francisco Giants 2

Lee
May 9, 2005
I was at this game against the Giants and the story was Robin Ventura, who went insane on future Met Shawn Estes, needing a triple for the cycle. The Mets won 7-2.

May 1, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 9, San Francisco Giants 4

Shickhaus Franks
August 14, 2011
I was at this game; they had a pre-game ceremony for John Franco for his 400th save, Tug McGraw showed up and the Mets even gave John a motorcycle as I recalled and the Mets won on a warm and sunny spring afternoon.

May 2, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 2, San Francisco Giants 0

Michael
June 8, 2022
After a hiatus of a few years, the Mets had an "Old Timers Day" of sorts on this afternoon (the last one before this was in 1994).

This day, the Mets honored the 30th anniversary of the 1969 Mets. And they also brought back some old Cubs as well and the old Mets and them played a couple of innings. Unfortunately, this Old Timers Day was not shown on tv as ones from years past generally were, so unless you were there, you were out of luck.

As for the real game, the Mets completed the sweep of the Giants, scoring 2 in the 8th as Yoshii started to turn his season around.

May 5, 1999 Shea Stadium
Houston Astros 5, Mets 4

Won Doney
September 8, 2000
This was my first Mets game. I went to it on a class trip to the city. My seat were so high up, I could see anything going on. I remember guys sitting behind my class throwing chicken bones at us. The Mets lost, unfortunately, due to the home run Benitez gave up (a rare thing). Anyways, I'm glad I went.


Won Doney
December 2, 2000

Correction: I COULDN'T see anything that was going on.

May 11, 1999 Coors Field
Colorado Rockies 8, Mets 5

Ken Akerman
April 16, 2003
That Bobby Jones was incredible - he started for both teams in the same game!

Seriously, I remember this game because I was living in Denver at the time and listening to the game while driving in my SUV, and I recall one of the Rockies announcers saying that this was the first time in major league history that two pitchers with the same first and last names started opposing one another in the same game.

May 15, 1999 Veterans Stadium
Mets 9, Philadelphia Phillies 7

metsfanmo
September 26, 2000
When I was at this game Al Leiter was getting shelled but I told my friend don't worry they'll come back and they did. I think Pat Mahomes had a triple in this game.


Michael Leviton
March 25, 2001

The Phillies got out to an early lead; 6-0, I believe. The Mets kept clawing back and really would have blown the game wide open had not Mike Piazza lined into a hit-and-run triple play. I had to explain to my kids what had happened. First triple play I had ever seen in the flesh. Maybe in another 40 years I'll get to see a no-hitter. Ah, probably not if I watch the Mets. Anyway, Mahomes shut down the Phillies for about 4 innings in relief. And since the Phillies were so terrible, about half the fans in Veterans Stadium were Mets fans.


Bob P
August 6, 2004

As mentioned in March 2001 by Michael Leviton, Mike Piazza hit into a triple play in this game.

It was the 30th triple play in the history of the Phillies, and ten of them have come against teams from New York City! It was just the second triple play in the history of Veterans Stadium.


Ed K
August 18, 2005

Alfonso and Olerud were the baserunners in the triple play. They and Ed Kranepool and Roy McMillan are the only four Mets to serve as baserunners and as fielders in triple plays involving the Mets.


RSB
July 12, 2006

I drove down to Philly with a friend on a whim to see this game - got there just as the first inning ended. For some reason, I don't remember the triple play, only that it was up to that time the longest 9 inning game played by the Mets.


NYB Buff
October 16, 2017

After falling behind by six runs in the first three innings, the Mets scored five in the top of the fourth to start a comeback that led to a victory. In the sixth, Mike Piazza hit into a triple play on which he lined out to shortstop with the runners moving on the pitch. The Phillies reliever who got Piazza on the TP was Ken Ryan - who never threw another pitch in the major leagues!

May 20, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 11, Milwaukee Brewers 10

Mets2Moon
July 7, 2005
The Mets' heroics in this game--Ventura's first of two Grand Slams in the DH off Jim Abbott in the 1st, and Benny Agbayani's 4 hits and 2 HRs, were long forgotten as this game came to a harrowing ending. And what an ending it was.

The Mets had, at one point, led 11-6, in what had been a real seesaw of a game. The Brewers trimmed it to 11-9 with Franco on, 2 outs, Grissom on 2nd and Ochoa on 1st. Sean Berry was up.

Berry hit a lazy popup to shallow right. The runners were motoring around as Alfonzo ranged back and looked in position to make an easy catch to end the game.

Except that Fonzie dropped it. Grissom scored and Ochoa continued to steam around the bases with the tying run.

Fortunately, Roger Cedeno (when he was awake) was alert enough to pick up the ball and fire it home, well in time to nail a surprised Ochoa, who didn't bother to slide, to save Fonzie and the game altogether.

The second game did not quite hold that same drama.


NYB Buff
May 12, 2019

This game is generally known as the doubleheader opener in which Robin Ventura hit a grand slam and then made history by slamming again in the nightcap. What gets overlooked is the Mets' additional slugging that resulted in their second Home Run Cycle in team history. After Ventura's slam in the first inning, Benny Agbayani provided a three-run clout in the fifth. Mike Piazza followed with a two-run homer in the sixth and Agbayani then stroked a solo shot in the 7th. All four kinds of home runs were hit by the Mets and in the reverse order of slam, three-run, two-run, solo. Amazing!

May 20, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 10, Milwaukee Brewers 1

Mets2Moon
July 4, 2001
Was at this game, and thought it odd that Ventura was coming up in the last of the 4th with the bases loaded. After all, in the first game of this DH, he had slammed a grand slam in the first game, which keyed the Mets to a win. I remember thinking "Wouldn't it be neat if he did that again?" Robin worked the count to 3-2 against Brewers P Horacio Estrada, and then, with one mighty swing, he matched his feat of the first game, and smacked his second grand slam of the DH. Little do I know at the time how historic this grand slam actually was. Later that night, as I watched Sportscenter, I found out that Robin was the first player to do such a thing. Again, I thought, "Neat! I saw history." Robin's bat is now in Cooperstown, a flukish event that ended up being a part of Baseball lore.


Lee
October 27, 2004

More history for the Mets- Robin Ventura, in the first game of this doubleheader, hit a grand slam, but what are the chances of him coming up again (this time in the second game) with the bases loaded? Well, of course, it was Mike Piazza's day off so someone had to steal the spotlight and, in the fourth inning, Ventura stepped up and hit one into the corner that made it over for a grand slam, becoming the first player to slug a grand slam in both games of a doubleheader. It was especially interesting because Robin Ventura was among the leaders of all-time for grand slams and had already had two grand slams in a game before. These were his 13th and 14th slams of his career and it was absolutely incredible to watch him do that live on TV.

May 21, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 7, Philadelphia Phillies 5

Lee
May 9, 2005
One day after Ventura hit his famous grand slams in both games of a doubleheader, the Mets played the Phillies and, as I watched from my field level seats, though he didn't pick up where he left off, Piazza and Olerud each blasted homers and the Mets won 7 -5.

May 23, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 5, Philadelphia Phillies 4

Dan
August 3, 2000
Such a huge win during this season! My girl and I sat through a drizzly, boring eight innings in which the Mets only had one hit off of Curt Schilling. We were prepared to accept the inevitable: a lackluster loss. We were not prepared to see the boys raise from the dead and put a five-spot up in the bottom of the 9th. There were inplausible, goofy events in that half-inning, such as TWO hit batsmen. Then, Johnny O. laced a single to left-center and Roger Cedeno raced home and scored just under the tag. I stood there, mouth agape, trying to comprehend what we just witnessed. It was, in a word, amazing!


Lee
July 4, 2004

What a game! I was sitting behind home plate, a little bit on the third base side. I watched Curt Schilling totally befuddle the Mets lineup through 8 innings and it was 4-0 Phillies so I walked out and got in the car and we put it on on the radio and then I heard what was happening. The Mets were coming back! First, Robin Ventura hits a two-run shot to make it 4-2. The Mets get a few more base hits, score a run, and John Olerud steps up with the game at 4-3 and two outs and lines a base hit into left field, the tying run scores, and Cedeno slides in safe!


Paul R
May 24, 2006

It's because I left early from this game (we wanted to catch the bus home) that I never leave games early anymore. We figured that Schilling pitched so well that a 4-0 deficit would be hard to overcome. We were wrong, and while we waited outside Shea for the bus that never came, happy fans went out of Shea proclaiming the miraculous win. I remember feeling bad for having left but that win was the first of many great things for that season. Also watching the last regular season home game against the Pirates made up for having missed this classic.


Sully
December 13, 2020

As an eternal optimist when it comes to the Mets this is one of the games I always point to when telling my friends it ain't over till it's over.

May 28, 1999 Shea Stadium
Arizona Diamondbacks 2, Mets 1

Anthony
October 3, 2003
I remember this game well. My sophomore year of high school was coming near its end. It was a humid night. It was me, my cousin Dan, my uncle Dave, and my dad. Who would have known that a tight game like this would be the start of an eight-game skid? Rick Reed pitched a good seven innings. Too bad it went to waste.

The two keys in this game were Mike Piazza tumbling and not scoring in the ninth, and then the debated 3-2 pitch to Luis Lopez that was called a strike to end the game with the bases loaded.

On the way home, we were talking away about the sudden change in atmosphere among the fans when that 3-2 pitch was called strike three on Luis Lopez. It went from major excitment to major frustration with a few obscenities. Benny Agabyani hit one of what were many home runs at the time. Mets lost 2-1, the first of an eight-game losing streak.


D.C.
May 30, 2014

Got seats from a co-worker of my father's: a mezzanine season ticket which was the only time I didn't sit in the upper deck at Shea.

Omar Daal outdueled Rick Reed and Benny Agbayani continued his seemingly unfettered march to Cooperstown (at least to my eight-year old self) with another home run.

I actually left the game early with my father, but I do remember the two keys Anthony described listening to the game on WFAN on the way home.

May 30, 1999 Shea Stadium
Arizona Diamondbacks 10, Mets 1

Hank M
May 22, 2005
I shut this game off in the first inning. The reason for this was not because the Mets fell behind so early, but because I couldn't tell which team was the Mets. On this day, both the Mets and Diamondbacks wore black shirts and black hats. They looked exactly alike! I couldn't watch a game in which I couldn't tell my team from the other. Seeing the result of the game later, I was glad I did.

This has been a problem in the major leagues ever since owners decided to add alternate jerseys to their teams' wardrobes. There have been many games that have had both teams wearing dark shirts, quite often the same color. It's important to distinguish one team from the other, especially if one of those teams is your own. What ever happened to basic home and away uniforms?

May 31, 1999 Shea Stadium
Cincinnati Reds 5, Mets 3

Lee
May 22, 2005
In 1999, Bobby Bonilla had become a member of the Mets organization. Every time he stepped up to the plate, he would get booed. At this game against the Reds (which I was at), Bobby Bonilla stepped up to a chorus of boos (which included myself) and then, with a smooth swing, he silenced the crowd by smashing one into the second deck in right. Most fans didn't know whether to cheer or boo so the Shea crowd was pretty much silent (I was one of the few who clapped). However, Greg Vaughn countered it with a monster blast of his own into the Shea bleachers and Al Leiter lost the game 5-3, giving him his 5th loss of the season. He would turn it around though.

June 1, 1999 Shea Stadium
Cincinnati Reds 4, Mets 0

john t greenpoint
November 11, 2006
If my memory serves me right was at this game. Miserable night besides the score. Rained all night. I remember giving Rickey Henderson a Salvation Army bell to give to Derek Bell. Left in the 7th inning. Mets could not get any offense going whatsoever!

June 5, 1999 Yankee Stadium II
New York Yankees 6, Mets 3

straightjacketk
August 19, 2002
The absolute, hands down, no contest low point of the 1999 season. After my man Franco blew the game against the Reds to make it six straight, I kept thinking how they were going to pull it together and avoid a sweep (school being the day after the final game of the series, I was bearing for the worst type of punishment from my Yankee fan friends). They were in absolute free-fall, but in some ways, this losing streak made the season that much more memorable, because they had to overcome the worst to stun the Diamondbacks and battle the Braves.

June 6, 1999 Yankee Stadium II
Mets 7, New York Yankees 2

Lee
July 4, 2004
The Mets had to win one game at Yankee Stadium to earn any respect from the fans in New York and Roger Clemens was pitching against Al Leiter. The Mets managed to absolutely murder Clemens, including Piazza hitting his 10th home run of the year off Clemens to start a rivalry that would end in more than home runs. The Mets would end up winning that game 7-2, with Clemens only pitching 2.2 innings.


Omid
April 28, 2011

This was the most important game of the 1999 season. Going into this game the Mets were enduring a tough losing streak that put them at 27-28 55 games into the season. To add to that, the night before Steve Phillips had fired 3 of the Mets coaches.

However, Bobby Valentine shouldered the load for the team and put his own job on the line; he promised that if the Mets did not play at least .600 ball over their next 55 games, he would resign as Mets manager. With their ace on the mound, the Mets not only won this game against the Yankees, but 40 of their next 55 games, good for a .720 winning percentage. The Mets would continue to battle the rest of the way, eventually taking the wildcard after a 1 game playoff vs the Reds, making their first post season appearance since 1988.

And this was the game that started that miraculous turnaround. LETS GO METS!


D.C.
September 26, 2013

Al Leiter saves the '99 season. Luminous times would follow this game, as would another Piazza home run off Clemens when the Subway Series came to Shea.

June 8, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 11, Toronto Blue Jays 3

Michael
May 6, 2020
Jason Isringhausen's only win for the 99 Mets. It's probably almost forgotten that he actually pitched almost 40 innings that season as we all associate him with the mid 90's teams.

He worked in and out of trouble all game, walking 5 but never breaking. The offense was fantastic as Roger Cedeno hit a rare homer and they scored 11 runs in all.

June 9, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 4, Toronto Blue Jays 3

Mets2Moon
April 16, 2001
A great game, Ventura had a key AB in the 9th vs Wells where he fouled off about 8 pitches before drilling a 2-run single to cut the Jays lead to 3-2. McRae tied it by smoking a 2B into the LF corner. And then the game just kept going...and going...and going. By the 13th inning, cheers erupted! The Knicks had won! but this game continued. Finally, at 12:16 AM, Rey-O lofted a deep fly to left with Lopez on 3d, and the Mets had won a marathon.


Lee
July 4, 2004

A great game at Shea. The Mets were beating the Jays 3-0 in the ninth but they made a comeback, capped by a game-tying double by Brian McRae. Then the game seemed to never end until, in the 13th, Rey Ordonez stepped up with Lopez on 3rd and hit a long fly ball into left field and Lopez came home with the winning run! What a game!


Mets2Moon
October 18, 2004

In retrospect, I should have added a few things in my previous post. It has only taken me 3 and a half years to rectify this.

I was at this game, which Wells started, and Ordonez ended, and among the more notable happenings this night was this was the infamous Bobby Valentine "Moustache" ballgame, where he was ejected, although for the life of me I can't remember when or why he was tossed, I want to say it was in the 10th inning, and of course I didn't know it at the time, since I was in the upper deck and couldn't see into the dugout, that Valentine had indeed donned a fake moustache, Groucho Marx glasses and eyebrows and snuck back into the dugout to see the finish, around the 12th or 13th inning. I only saw a clip of this on Sportscenter or the game replay, so I don't know if he was around for the finish in the 14th.

Also, as I mentioned, the Knicks were cheered loudly around the end of the 13th inning, as this was, I believe, the night they beat the Pacers in Indiana in game 5 of that series, which they won two nights later. Don't recall the score, but fans were a good minute ahead of the Shea announcement.


Mets2Moon
May 23, 2005

It seems I never have enough to say about this game...

This game was featured on an ESPN 25th Anniversary "Top 25" show, although I forget what it was the Top 25 of. But it was about Bobby Valentine in the Moustache, and they happened to show him getting ejected from the game, and jogged my memory, so I checked my scorecard from the game, and sure enough, there it was.

Top of the 12th. 1 out. Mahomes was pitching, Shannon Stewart had singled and was on 1st when he attempted to steal second with Craig Grebeck at bat. Piazza threw Stewart out (!), but the home plate ump, Randy Marsh, ruled that Grebeck had hit Piazza's glove with his swing, which is Catcher's interference. Grebeck was awarded first and Stewart was awarded second.

Bobby V came out to argue the call and ended up going fairly ballistic on Marsh. He was thrown out of the game. Mahomes went on to get Willie Greene to pop out and he struck out Delgado. Shortly thereafter, Bobby would re-emerge in the Mets dugout in Groucho glasses and Moustache, and the legend was born.

I miss those days...

June 11, 1999 Shea Stadium
Boston Red Sox 3, Mets 2

Mets2Moon
October 18, 2004
Tough loss, considering what was involved.

Brian Rose, who would come back to pitch horrendously for the Mets in 01, started for the Sox this night and stifled the Mets. Gave up 3 or 4 hits over 7 shutout innings, and then got lifted. Sox led 2-0 in the 9th when they brought in Tom Gordon, who immediately walked Olerud and then gave up an absolute BOMB to Piazza, who stood and watched it for a few seconds to tie the game.

The game went to the 12h Inning, where the Mets turned a nifty rundown play to nail Damon Buford at the plate on a slow grounder by Jose Offerman, but during the Rundown, Offerman went to 2nd, and sure enough, next batter John Valentin poked a single to left to score Offerman. Mets threatened with 2 walks in the bottom of the inning, but Ventura grounded out to end it...And oddly enough at that exact same moment the Knicks defeated the Pacers at MSG, a win that put them in the NBA Finals, and instead of a sullen murmur to end the game, there are raucous cheers and LET'S GO KNICKS chants as the stadium emptied out.

June 13, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 5, Boston Red Sox 4

jesse juristo
January 19, 2005
Of all the Met games I have been to, this was my favorite. I had the worst seats I have ever had, upper deck $10.00 seats. My brother and I didn't have a car so we had to take the LIRR and subway to get there. But this was my favorite. I'll never forget it. Benny Agbayani and Brian McRae with back-to-back homers. What a game. So why was it my favorite? It was the last game that I saw with my brother that summer, before he died. People ask me how I can love baseball. "It's so boring," they say. It's a game of moments. It's a game of memories, because I can remember every event of that day. If I could live a day in my life one more time, it would be that day.


Phil B.
June 11, 2007

This game sticks out in my mind because Bret Saberhagen was slated to start for Boston--and I was extremely happy to finally see Orel Hershiser pitching for the Mets...though he was clearly heading toward the end of his career.

Of course, Saberhagen didn't hold up his end of the bargain, having cut his hand at his Long Island home the night before.

The other funny part about this game was that I sat with my Aunt in the top row of the upper deck. It was about 95 degrees on the ground that day, but in the Upper Deck the wind was so bad-- and felt so cold--that she needed a bona fide winter jacket to make it through the game!

June 15, 1999 Riverfront Stadium
Mets 11, Cincinnati Reds 3

Lee
August 8, 2004
Definitely an offensive game for the Mets. Reed was great but, more importantly, the Mets hit 6 homers off Cincinatti pitching: 2 by Rickey Henderson (including one to start the game), one by Mike Piazza, one by John Olerud, one by Edgardo Alfonzo, and one by Matt Franco. The one home run for Cincinatti came off the bat of future- Met Mike Cameron.

June 22, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 8, Florida Marlins 2

Lee
May 9, 2005
Ricky Henderson made a huge error in this game which I thought would cost them the game but then they had a 4-run seventh where Roger Cedeno hit a two-run triple to give the Mets the lead. Shea was rocking that night and it didn't stop there- in the eighth, Mike Piazza hit a bomb and the crowd went so crazy that he took a curtain call then Rey got another RBI, Ventura doubled, and the Mets won 8-2.


Michael
April 24, 2020

Even after all these years, I can still picture Piazza's homer in the 8th inning. An absolute bomb to left field. I believe it continued his hitting streak at the time, though that ended on the next night.

July 2, 1999 Shea Stadium
Atlanta Braves 16, Mets 0

Doug
August 17, 2002
Watching Matt Franco strike out Andruw Jones in a blowout Mets loss! It doesn't get any better than that. Gotta love it!


Lee
June 23, 2004

When the Mets get blown out 11-3, I'm upset. But when the Mets get blown out 16-0, I just laugh it up. That was the case in this game, where the Braves killed the Mets 16-0 and the highlight of the game was when Matt Franco came in and Gerald Williams, future-Met, would hit a homer off him before HE STRUCK OUT ANDRUW JONES! Just that was like the Mets winning to me.


Bigblu89
September 6, 2006

I remember this game well...

I convinced my future Father-In-Law to come to the game with me, and the main draw was that it was fireworks night.

Having to sit through that debacle just to see some fireworks was excrutiating.

The lone brightspot was that Maddux was throwing a no-no going into the 5th.


Mike
July 19, 2006

I couldn't leave because it was firework night. The Mets got their butts kicked bad and Matt Franco pitched the ninth and not John Franco so you know what kind of night that was. I snuck down to field level and the guy asked to see my tickets. I said have you seen the scoreboard? He said go ahead.


D.C.
September 26, 2013

A Franco pitched the ninth inning! Just not the one you expected.

Ugh, at least Matty was a better mop-up arm than Derek Bell.

July 3, 1999 Shea Stadium
Atlanta Braves 3, Mets 0

Lee
July 4, 2004
I went to this game hoping the Mets could rebound from a 16-0 loss to the Braves the night before but they couldn't, as the Braves, the Mets most hated rival at this time, scored 3 runs and Millwood was incredible, yielding 2 hits over 8 innings and the Braves won 3-0 and had scored 19 runs in the last two games while the Mets had scored none.


Gordon
January 23, 2013

My cousin from Nebraska was visiting the NY-NJ area and wanted to attend a Mets game with me. I obtained box seats and watched one of the most boring games I've ever attended. The Mets had only 3 hits off Millwood. My guest was not impressed with the Mets on that day!

July 4, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 7, Atlanta Braves 6

Lee Devereaux
March 5, 2006
I was at this game. It was an ungodly hot day. Before the game it was photo day and fans could walk on the field and take pictures of the players. I had waited my entire life to get on the field. I was dehydrated and probably was borderline heat stroke...I got sick on the line (I was able to get away from the crowd, much to their delight). I got back in the line and stepped onto the field. I got to take 1 picture and nearly got sick in centerfield.

The game was really great. It was a night game, but it was still so hot, 1st aid staff was passing out ice packs to fans. The Mets were losing to the Braves but came back against John Smoltz (I hate this man since the brawl w/ John Cangelosi in '94). Mets won. Ha Ha. I had horrible sunburn for weeks and couldn't eat for 3 days. But it was worth it.


Michael
May 6, 2020

With the Mets down 6-4 in the 7th, Edgardo Alfonzo hit a homer to dead center over the wall. A 3 run shot to give them the lead, which held up for the win. At the time, I felt it was the biggest hit of the season thus far. A much needed win after a lackluster weekend the previous 2 games.

July 5, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 2, Montreal Expos 1

Anthony
July 27, 2003
Summer of 1999 just might be my favorite summer. Definitely my favorite summer in terms of Mets baseball. I was going into junior year of high school. I was at this game. I remember we had our usual four tickets for the box seats, and we were having trouble finding a fourth person to go with us. I worked at this mini waterpark called Splash Down during the summers from 1998 through 2001, and was starting to become good friends with this kid Jim from work. He is also a crazy, big Mets fan like me. I remember it was a hot and very humid day, and we both had worked for over six hours. Remember, a waterpark job is very much an outdoor job. I figured it would be good to help build the friendship, so I suggested to my folks that I ask Jim. I did, and the four of us went. That night was also hot and very humid, but it was still awesome. Rick Reed started for the Mets, and pitched seven innings of one run ball. It was tied 1-1 in the eighth, and the Mets got the winning run when Melvin Mora scored on a ground out. He had pinch ran for John Olerud. I remember on WFAN they were questioning why the Expos did not try to nail Melvin Mora at home. Too bad Rick Reed did not get the win, but oh well. Armando Benitez closed it out for a nice 2-1 win on this hot and very humid night. Jim was glad I invited him.


Anthony
August 14, 2003

Oh, I also forgot to mention that before the game I got Vladmir Guerrero to sign the baseball I had brought. I had to reach through people to get it. That ball is now in a hard plastic cube.


anesti
October 13, 2005

Man, I remember going to this game. It was a blazing hot day and the temp was near 100 at the start of game time. Well-played game. Mets came back to win 2-1 when Brian McRae grounded out to score Melvin Mora with the bases loaded.

July 6, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 10, Montreal Expos 0

Ed K
August 14, 2011
Izzy's first major league save.

July 9, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 5, New York Yankees 2

MetMan
May 28, 2003
Mets win 5-2, Olerud hit a HR, than later in the game Mike Piazza took Clemens deep for the second time that year for a 3 run line drive HR into the LF bleachers and gave the Mets a 5-2 lead, than Armando Benitez Ked Chilli Davis on a 3-2 pitch in the 9th the end the game.


Lee
August 12, 2004

The Mets won another game against the Yankees. Olerud knocked a homer but, more importantly, in a 2-2 game, Piazza took Clemens deep AGAIN, this time a 3-run homer and I loved that homer. Clemens pitched the ball and Piazza smacked it into left-center and made this kind of growl and leaned back because he knew it was gone. Then the then-reliable Armando Benitez came in and got Chili Davis swinging to end it.


Joe From Jersey
December 28, 2005

This is the only time I've ever seen Mets vs Yankees in person at Shea. I will NEVER go to that hellhole in the Bronx to see Mets vs Yankees. What I remember about the game was three things: Leiter's dependable pitching, Piazza's HR off of Rotten Roger Clemens and the pre-game happenings with ex-Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy throwing out the 1st pitch and Fugees member Wyclef Jean playing the National Anthem with some lady (can't remember her name) singing. When those two started singing the many Yankee fans in the stands at Shea were NOT happy at all. In fact, many of those "great" Yankee fans made their opinions felt in hateful racial slurs that would make Rosa Parks spin in her grave. For that moment, I felt I was in 1933 Germany, 1955 Mississippi or 1993 Ruby Ridge, Idaho. (Take your pick.) I was surprised that I didn't see the Yankee fans get together in unison and start doing Heil Hitler salutes. I said to my friend that night that thank God I'm a Mets fan and after wishing that horrible display of Mark Furhman like bigotry I wish the Mets had gotten hold of Glenn Close.

July 10, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 9, New York Yankees 8

MetMan
July 1, 2003
By far the best Met-Yankee game in the history of these teams playing each other. Yanks bombed away with 6 HR's: 2 by Posada, 2 by O'Neill. Knoblauch hit one and someone else for them. The big blow of the game came to Mike Piazza, with the Mets down 6-4 Mike Piazza hit a 3-run, 482-foot HR off Ramiro Mendoza to give the Mets the lead, but Posada hit his 2nd of the game to make it 8-7 Yanks. Then Matt Franco, "Now Rivera brings the hands together, the 0-2 to Franco, and a line drive base hit into right field, Henderson scores, here comes Alfonzo... here comes O'Neill's throw to the plate... he slides, the Mets win the ball game."


Lee
June 23, 2004

The greatest Met-Yankee game up to this point (Game 1 of the World Series may have been ever better). I had to go shopping for stuff on this day and I taped it so, that night, I popped in the tape. The Yankees hit 6 home runs 2 by Posada, 2 by O'Neill, one by Ledee, and one by someone else. However, the Mets were down 6-4 when Mike Piazza stepped up and it hit one of the longest home runs I've ever seen hit at Shea, a 3- run, 482 foot bomb off Ramiro Mendoza that gave the Mets a 7-6 lead. That was a great homer to watch because, when Piazza hit the ball, he just flung the bat forward and trotted towards first because he knew it was gone and it landed in the picnic area and then Matt Franco steps up while the Yankees have an 8-7 lead and lines one into right, Henderson scores, a great throw by Paul O'Neill to try to nail Alfonzo but Alfonzo makes an incredible slide and is safe and the Mets win!


Jim from Connecticut
October 6, 2006

I went to this game with my brother in law who is a die hard Yankee fan. The thing I remember most about this game aside from Alfonzo's 2B in the 9th, Franco's game winning hit, Alfonzo sliding home with the winning run, Piazza's mammoth bomb, was the tension in the stands as both teams were fighting this one out back and forth. I can't ever recall being so tense in the stands hearing all the Yankee BS and hoping the Mets could hang on and win. I recall that Matt Franco took a really, really close pitch with 2 strikes right before his game winning hit in the 9th. Man this was one hell of a game. After the game I dragged my brother in law to JFK airport to watch the British Airways Concorde land on runway 22L.


D.C.
May 30, 2014

My favorite Subway Series game to date for so many reasons.

I still think that ball Piazza hit off Mendoza is in orbit.


Vinson Massif
May 10, 2023

What a great moment of triumph! Matt Franco singled with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning to drive home the tying and winning runs against the hated Yankees. It was one of the biggest thrills I've ever had in my life.

The joy of this game was far greater than the result of another from later in the day. In one of the top sports stories of the year, the United States defeated China in the Women's World Cup soccer final. That boring match was scoreless and had to be decided by a bunch of penalty kicks. The shootout is not the right way to determine the outcome of any game (the NHL should get rid of its own.) Franco's clutch hit gave the Mets an exciting victory with real baseball being played.

July 17, 1999 Tropicana Field
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 3, Mets 2

Shickhaus Franks
May 29, 2011
In the May 20, 2011 edition of USA Today, they had an article on interleague play and according to Major League Baseball it says the matchup of the Mets at Tampa Bay hasn't happened. LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE; MLB!!!!! Maybe USA Today should've looked up ultimateMets.com. Things that make you go HMMMM... Also on this day, there was the news that a plane carrying John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife and sister-in-law was reported missing. (The plane was found and they were all dead.)

July 24, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 2, Chicago Cubs 1

Tom
July 13, 2008
I went to this game, we had nice mezzanine seats in the right field corner. My uncle said going into the game, it would be a great day if Sosa got a home run and the Mets win; he even called the 2-1 score. I couldn't believe, what a great game.

July 27, 1999 Shea Stadium
Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Mets 1

Dan
June 9, 2004
This was the infamous "Turn-Ahead-the-Clock" night at Shea, when the "Mercury" Mets were forced to wear black and silver pajamas instead of their regular uniforms and the player pictures were altered to give a more "alien" appearance (Rickey Henderson had three eyes). The evening was an embarrassment all around. The silver lining here is that whoever dreamt up this promotions fiasco must have been fired because the Mercury Mets were never heard from again!


flushing flash
June 14, 2004

Rickey Henderson stepped into the batters box and as he got set he heard Jason Kendall and the home plate umpire laughing. He asked them what was so funny and Kendall replied, "Look at the scoreboard, Rickey".


Mets2Moon
June 17, 2005

I had the misfortune of being at this debacle of a promotion as well. 3-eyed Rickey and the rest of the Mercury Magnificents didn't stand a chance.

This was, if I am not mistaken, Kris Benson's first Major League complete game.


D.C.
April 28, 2014

MLB has the bright idea to have every team (I believe the Braves and Yankees were the only two to refuse to partake) have a "Turn Ahead the Clock Night" and wear gaudy uniforms either with goofy sleeves or a large superimposed logo in the front. The Mets had the former, the Pirates the latter.

Good grief, were those uniforms all kinds of hideous. Jason Isringhausen's jersey just said "Izzy" on the back a la Pistol Pete in the 70s. Just an awful night all around, and yes, I still have the promotional Mercury Mets hat (sponsored by Century 21) from this game.

The first of two gems Kris Benson would throw at Shea this season.

July 28, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 9, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

Javier Reyes
August 18, 2009
This was my first Mets game that I ever went to and me, my cousins, and my brother were sitting next to "SIGN MAN".

July 30, 1999 Wrigley Field
Mets 10, Chicago Cubs 9

DannyBoy
January 24, 2002
This was a a classic. Being a relocated Mets fan here in Chicago with my parents in town visiting, we had to take the opportunity to see the Amazin's. My dad was reliving his childhood as his first visit to Wrigley reminded him of Ebbets Field growing up a Brooklyn Dodger fan. It was about 100 degrees that day and we were stuck in the upperdeck in Left Field. Sosa hit a shot that nearly nailed the CF scoredboard and I swore it was the furthest HR I've ever seen. Until the next inning when Piazza hit a power alley blast that cleared Waveland and landed on the steps of that famous apartment building sporting the Budweiser advertisement on the roof. How they did not measure that shot at 500+ feet I'll never understand. Nailbiter at the end as Benitez kick saved a shot up the middle and recorded the final out with the tying and winning runs on base.

July 31, 1999 Wrigley Field
Chicago Cubs 17, Mets 10

Bob P
October 3, 2003
I guess the wind was blowing out. An oddity: both starting pitchers in this game (Octavio Dotel and Jon Lieber) gave up nine runs.

August 1, 1999 Wrigley Field
Mets 5, Chicago Cubs 4

DannyBoy
January 24, 2002
Great story. I was in the bleachers with my girlfriend rooting for the Mets and really getting a verbal beating from the ignorant Cubs fans. There is a tradition at Wrigley where some clown in the bleachers yells out to Sammy Sosa, "Hey Sammy, how many outs are there?" Sammy would turn around and answer by pounding on his chest and putting his hands to his lips denoting the number of outs. Cool thing to see once, but annoying when it happens every inning as in this case. Late in this extra inning affair the Cubs had the winning run on with 2 outs and Sammy at the plate. With the crowd on their feet going crazy and chanting "Sammy, Sammy, Sammy", he whiffs to end the rally. As the bleacher bums surrounding me all begin to sit down in disgust, brilliant me happily ascends from my seat and shouts out "Hey Sammy, how many outs are there?!!!" Nearly got my ass kicked. Lieter notched over 10 K's in a no decision and Mahomes got the win, ironically driving in the winning run in the 13th with a shot to left. This and the Friday game earlier were a treat to witness. Oh yeah, my girlfirend and I broke up soon afterwards largely due to my so called "attitude" displayed at this game.


Michael
May 7, 2020

One of the truly memorable games from the 99 season. Pat Mahomes gets the game winning hit in the 13th inning after the Mets blew leads in the 9th and 10th. Al Leiter also had his career high in strikeouts, with 15 in 7 innings.


Rich Lyga
January 15, 2021

My brother and I visited Wrigley on that day on a road trip from New York (Saw a game at Tiger Stadium the next day). We sat in the left field bleachers decked out in Mets gear. We got to our seats about two hours early and by the time the game ended 6 hours later in the 13th, we had crazy sunburns on our legs (probably should not have worn shorts).

Despite all our Mets gear, the "friendly confines" were mostly friendly to us, except when Henry Rodriguez tied that game with a home run that landed about 5 feet from us. Immediately after that homer we were mercilessly ribbed, given a few shoves from drunk fans, and had "we're going to kick your ass!" shouted at us by at least one person. That said, we never really felt threatened, and had the last laugh when Mahomes got the game-winning hit in the 13th. I also remember that Leiter had filthy stuff that day (at least it seemed so from hundreds of feet away). He wound up striking out 15 in 7 innings.

August 3, 1999 County Stadium
Mets 10, Milwaukee Brewers 3

MikeA137
October 20, 2004
My favorite memory of this game was when Hershiser attempted to "fake out" the runner on second when out of nowhere he throws the ball in between second and third. Ordonez was shocked because he didn't expect it. The runner moved up. Thankfully our lead was enough to where it really didn't hurt, but it was soooo funny to see professional veteran like Hershiser do something so out of the norm. It looked like it would become a classic blooper. It is hard to explain it and give it justice unless you saw it yourself, but it was just a small example of just how lovable the '99 Mets were. They were a winning team, but they still made their share of mistakes, but had fun about it too. It didn't get to them and they still won the game handilly. Great memory from 1999 as there were many more from that awesome season.

August 6, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 2, Los Angeles Dodgers 1

straightjacketk
August 18, 2002
Memorable for Todd Hundley's return to Shea in an opposition uniform. Didn't do much, I remember Cedeno singled, stole second and third, and then scored on a sacrifice fly.


Rober
January 22, 2006

This was my first Mets game, I can never forget it. I sat in Mezzanine Box, Section 12, Row 560C, Seat 5. When Hundley came to the plate everybody was cheering for him. At the time my favorite player was Robin Ventura. It seems like yesterday.


Antonio
August 9, 2010

My first Mets game, from Milano, ITALY, unforgettable!! GO METS!! I remember Cedeno singled and then scored on a SF by Agbayani.


Johnny Garfield
March 19, 2016

I was at this game, as a young 12 year old visiting from Seattle; was a great game, and I wanted the Mets to win, and they did. It was a fun time for me. :D

August 7, 1999 Shea Stadium
Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Mets 6

Jay Coan
July 9, 2001
Everyone here knows about Paul LoDuca now right? Well in this Game he smacked his First ever HR

August 8, 1999 Shea Stadium
Los Angeles Dodgers 14, Mets 3

Mets2Moon
July 4, 2001
A disgusting game. Reed hurt himself in the 3d, and had to come out of the game. Yoshii came in to relieve him, and his first pitch to opposing pitcher Darren Dreifort was promptly smacked over the center field wall for a 3-run HR. And the rout was on. Matt Franco pitched and Chuck McElroy played LF before this game was through. I didn't see it, though, as I departed midway through the 7th inning. I simply couldn't bear it anymore.

August 9, 1999 Shea Stadium
Los Angeles Dodgers 9, Mets 2

Bob Robertson
June 16, 2009
Dan Murray was such a talented young pitcher. The Mets really should have stuck with him. His upper 70s fastball was a great pitch in conjunction with his 12-6 curve. Go Dan Murray.

August 14, 1999 Candlestick Park
Mets 6, San Francisco Giants 1

Scoey
November 21, 2023
I was watching this game happily on a Saturday afternoon as the Mets built up five-run lead against the Giants. In the eighth inning, the Fox Network switched to their main studio for a Game Break. They reported that Pee Wee Reese had just died. A solid victory for the Mets, but with sad moment to endure.

August 15, 1999 Candlestick Park
Mets 12, San Francisco Giants 5

Michael
April 22, 2020
The Mets first complete game of the year by a starter, and it's newly traded for Kenny Rogers.

They take 2 of 3 from the Giants as Ventura hits a grand slam into the upper deck of old Candlestick....the last time the Mets would ever play there.

August 16, 1999 Jack Murphy Stadium
Mets 4, San Diego Padres 3

Lee
September 17, 2004
A great game in San Diego- Octavio Dotel was phenomenal. He had a no-hitter going into the seventh and a 2-0 lead but then he got ripped and lost the no-hitter and the lead when Phil Nevin blasted a 3-run homer into the seats at Qualcomm Stadium. However, the Mets tied in the eighth and, in the tenth, Edgardo Alfonzo stepped up and hit a dramatic shot that just cleared the wall in left and the Padres never recovered.

August 22, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 8, St. Louis Cardinals 7

Lee
September 8, 2004
The Mets were down 6-1 in the eighth and it was seemingly over but then the Mets rallied and loaded the bases for John Olerud who, with that smooth swing of his, hit one over the fence for a grand slam and it was 6-5! Then Mike Piazza steps up and, one pitch after Oleruds homer, powers one into center and J.D. Drew leaps over the fence but he can't get it and the game is tied. Then the Cards score a run in the ninth, making it 7-6 but the Mets come back again in the bottom of the ninth and then Alfonzo steps up and grounds one through the hole between shortstop and third to drive in the winning run and the Mets won 8-7!


Lee
September 15, 2004

An incredible game! Mark McGwire hit a blast off the scoreboard and, in the bottom of the eighth, it was 6-1 Cardinals but the Mets loaded up the bases for John Olerud, who blasted one out of the park for a grand slam to make it 6-5 and the next batter was Mike Piazza, who got a pitch over his head and still managed to overpower it and let it fly over J.D. Drew and the centerfield fence to tie the game at 6. The Cards retook the lead 7-6 in the top of the ninth but then, in the bottom of the ninth, Rickey Henderson stepped up and drove one into right for a double, scoring Ordonez and tying the game at 7. Then, Fonzie stepped up against Ricky Botallico, a future Met, and drove right in between Renteria and Tatis and into the outfield for a base hit to score Matt Franco and end the game.


Mark Freedman
December 28, 2005

One of the most exciting games (especially lately) that I've ever been to. This was the first time in 15 years my whole family went to a Mets game together. We didn't stay for game 2 (thankfully). But Olerud's slam was one of the highlights of all time, followed by Piazza. And to come back in the bottom of the 9th after falling behind again was the topper. Magic.


DP30
October 4, 2006

Such a fun day. First of all, 2 games for the price of one, since I already had tickets for the original Saturday game. Even though I'd been attending games for 13 years at this point, it was my 1st MLB doubleheader.

Second, Mark McGwire. My best friend and I drove up to Shea, getting there at around 10 AM, to watch batting practice (1st game started at 12:10). McGwire was putting balls in the parking lot. Then in the game itself, Big Mac hits an oppo bomb, getting stuck in Ray Lankford's #16 on the vertical lineup display of the scoreboard (he was the cleanup hitter!). Even we couldn't help but clap for the man as he circled the bases, our jaws completely dropped. I think it measured out at 501-feet. McGwire hit another one during the twin-bill just for good measure, a fence-scraper that gave him 50 homers for the season.

Then the comeback...it's already documented here, but Olerud's grand slam and Piazza's homer to dead-center (which almost took out the people assembling behind the fence for the between-game entertainment) tying the game. Then after Benitez decided to make the top of the 9th inning interesting, Alfonzo comes up clutch in the bottom half and drives in the winning run after the Mets tie it back up.

Game 2 was a loss, but it involved one of my favorite pitchers of all-time, Orel Hershiser, so I still couldn't complain too much.

All in all, it was about 10 hours at the ballpark, and it still went by too fast.

August 23, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 3, Houston Astros 2

Uncle Peanut
January 11, 2002
This was a good game. I remember that Carl Everett hit a HR for the 'stros (BOO!), Benitez coming in to get the last out of the top of the 9th, and Matt Franco getting a pinch hit to bring in somebody (Hamilton maybe?). Little blooper up the 3rd base line out of reach of the SS and 3B.

Weather was perfect. Late August, clear sky, temp. in the 60s, little bit of a breeze. Sat on the 1st base side near the Mets bullpen. My wife's first trip to Mecca (Shea). Good times.


Lee
October 21, 2004

Great game. A day after Fonzie got the walk-off hit for the Mets, it was Matt Franco's turn with Darryl Hamilton on third (yes it was Darryl Hamilton). He blooped it into shallow left field and Tim Bogar and I think Ken Caminiti went chasing after it and Bogar dove and he couldn't get and Hamilton trotted home with the winning run. As I watched this happen, I jumped off my couch and the bowl of popcorn that I had been eating fell over.


Mets2Moon
July 4, 2005

I remember walking into Shea on the evening of this game and stopping for a minute as I came to my seat. The air of excitement, something that had been missing for so many years was back. The crowd was abuzz all evening. I had to pause and let it all sink in. After so many years, it finally felt like the Mets would do something special in 1999, and the fans were feeling it as well. I remember the crowd really going crazy when Franco's parachute fell in with the winning run.

I'll always remember this one. There was a real playoff atmosphere all night.

August 24, 1999 Shea Stadium
Houston Astros 5, Mets 1

Anthony
October 25, 2004
Ahh, the summer of '99. A very special summer for me. A good part of that was because of the Mets. I was going into junior year of high school. I attended this game with my then good friend Tim, and my parents. We were treated to a pitcher's duel. Masato Yoshii threw what was one of many good games during that stretch run. Mike Hampton, who was a real Met-killer then, pitched just as well. Mike Piazza tied it at 1-1 off Hampton late in the game. It went into extra innings. We could not stay that long. As we were in the car, Dennis Cook came in and got bombed. I believe it was Jeff Bagwell who hit a bomb. Mets lose, 5-1. Otherwise, a very awesome night for all of us.


J-Rod
October 13, 2005

As a life long Mets fan from Connecticut, this was my first Met game, at the age of 19. Took a bus trip with my then girlfriend's mother's work. I remember Piazza tying the game with the home run and then almost hitting a game winner in the 9th inning that made it to the warning track in center. Then in the 10th (I think) Bagwell hit a home run just inside the right field foul pole.


Dan the Man
March 4, 2011

I was at this game with some family members and we sat in the Pepsi Picnic Area in left field at the old Shea. Everyone joked that night we would be getting a lot of baseballs headed our way with Yoshii pitching but he was very effective that night. The game was 1-1 going to extra innings when, if memory serves me right, Tony Eusabio of all people hit a double and knocked in the go-ahead run then Bagwell hit a 3-run shot right after.

The thing that I remember most about this game though was there was a little kid sitting next to me who would scream at the top of his lungs between innings "Hi Rickey Henderson" loud enough for the whole stadium to hear. Rickey was playing left field that night by the way. And Rickey being the warm guy he was didn't even acknowledge or look at the youngster once the whole time!

August 25, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 4, Houston Astros 0

Dan
July 29, 2002
Perhaps Kenny Rogers' lone bright spot in his brief Mets career. I was at this game and it was at this point in the season I noticed the stadium was finally filling up and the fans were coming back to Shea, believing the Mets were seriously putting something together. The "MVP!" chants for Robin Ventura started on this night. Rogers pitched brilliantly. The future held great promise. It was a good time to be a Mets fan.

August 30, 1999 Astrodome
Mets 17, Houston Astros 1

DJ Johnny M.
August 30, 2002
Fonzie goes 6 for 6 with 3 HRs and a double. Becomes the first Met in history to have 6 hits in a game. What else can you say!


Lee
June 23, 2004

No one has had a game like this since Ty Cobb. The Mets were playing the Astros at the Astrodome and Alfonzo just went insane! 6 for 6, 3 hrs, 16 total bases, 6 rbis. The Mets win 17-1. Victory is so sweet.


Bob P
October 14, 2004

Edgardo Alfonzo had six hits and the Houston Astros had five hits.


JFK
August 5, 2005

Alfonzo had the greatest game ever as a Met hitter.

September 3, 1999 Shea Stadium
Colorado Rockies 5, Mets 2

Lee
June 23, 2004
I went to this game and it was tied at 2 going into extra innings and then 3 of these 4 hitters got hits in the tenth (i'm not quite sure who): Larry Walker, Dante Bichette, Todd Helton, Vinny Castilla, and then Barry steps up and gets a bases clearing double and the Mets lost 5-2.

September 5, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 6, Colorado Rockies 2

Anthony
August 8, 2003
This game was the same day of my oldest sister's wedding. She married my now brother-in-law Dennis. Daryl Hamilton hit one of his few homers on the perfect day. A grand slam nonetheless. 1999 was such an awesome Mets season, and summer all together for myself. When Daryl Kile faced the Mets, I always was nervous because of his career numbers against them. He shut them down for the first four innings, and then the Mets finally got to him, highlighted by Daryl Hamilton's grand slam. Also, it was one of many good outings for Masato Yoshii that year. I went into the wedding a happy guy. That night was soooo awesome, I drank so much. I remember my grandma from my dad's side blamed my other sister and her friends for giving me the drinks! I was only a 17-year old high school junior. Dennis, the guy my sister married, is also a big Mets fan. So, he fits perfectly with my family.


MetsTV
August 5, 2020

This game was played on actor Bob Newhart's 70th birthday. A fitting coincidence in that two brothers named Darryl appeared midway through many episodes of his 'Newhart' television series. In the fifth inning, it was a pair of Darryls that were at the center of the game's biggest moment. Colorado's Kile threw a pitch that New York's Hamilton slugged for a grand slam to provide the margin of victory for the home team. A Mets win that had a special celebratory touch to it. Happy birthday, Mr. Newhart!


NYB Buff
July 10, 2023

Anthony, I'm glad you had a good time at the wedding and that your sister married a Mets fan. MetsTV, I love the way you connected this game to Bob Newhart. He was always one of my favorite celebrities. However, neither one of you mentioned the most significant fact about Darryl Hamilton's grand slam. It was the 100th in Mets history.

September 6, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 3, San Francisco Giants 0

Lee
May 9, 2005
I was at this game and new Met Kenny Rogers pitched an incredible game against the Giants, a complete game that gave Rogers his 4th win and made the Mets look even better in the playoff race. Huge win for the Mets, though I didn't know what would happen with Kenny Rogers a month later in Atlanta.


Ed K
September 26, 2013

This was the first complete game a Met pitcher had thrown during the entire 1999 season.

September 8, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 7, San Francisco Giants 5

Jim from Connecticut
September 6, 2006
This was a beautiful late summer weekday afternoon game that I attended with my Dad and brother. There is nothing quite like the September late afternoon sun at Shea Stadium. I can still see Dotel pitching in my mind to the Giants. He pitched so well that game. Whenever I hear Dotel's name I'm instantly transported back to this game watching him firing fastballs for strikes and making guys like Jeff Kent look ridiculous. This was one of the best regular season games I attended.

September 11, 1999 Dodger Stadium
Mets 6, Los Angeles Dodgers 2

John
August 26, 2002
Ismael Valdes basically gave the game away. I think he loaded the bases with three walks in the first inning. Hundley hit his first home run against his former team and Grudzielanek added a triple but the Mets seemed to be in control from the beginning. Yoshii was ok, definately not great, but good enough against LA's over anxious lineup. Just to many righties on that team. Thank God for Shawn Green!

September 12, 1999 Dodger Stadium
Mets 10, Los Angeles Dodgers 3

Michael
February 15, 2022
Someone can correct me if i'm wrong but to my knowledge, this is the last Mets game not to be televised anywhere in the NY area. This was an 8PM EST start at Dodger Stadium, but since ESPN was not carrying this game, it simply wasn't shown on tv anywhere, as no local NY stations carried it either (due to the late Sunday start, local stations were not allowed to air it). I cannot remember if ESPN was airing another game or they just skipped this week since football had already started. But I do remember vividly that the game was not available anywhere. I was pissed because I don't think I missed a game on TV all year in 1999. A shame it wasn't, as it was a big win.The Mets took 3 of 4 in LA.

September 17, 1999 Shea Stadium
Philadelphia Phillies 8, Mets 5

Lee
May 12, 2005
This was one of those September losses when the Mets were in the playoff race that made you sick to your stomach. It was the night before Rey Ordonez's big night with his grand slam and the Mets 8-5 loss to the Phillies made me think the Mets would just miss making the playoffs, just like the year before. And I thought I was made sick to my stomach by that game: I brought my friend to the game and he ate helmet fries (that's what they used to have at Shea where they'd put fries in a plastic Mets batting helmet and give them to you) and then he threw up.

September 18, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 11, Philadelphia Phillies 1

Lee
July 13, 2004
I watched this game on TV and I remember it because the Mets killed the Phils 11-1 and because, in this game, Rey Ordonez stepped up and hit what seemed to be the only homer of his career and it was a grand slam!


Bob P
August 20, 2004

And it was RHP Carlton Loewer who will go down in history as the only pitcher to give up a grand slam to Rey Ordonez!


Michael
April 16, 2020

I still vividly can remember watching in disbelief as Rey Ordonez hit his grand slam right down the left field line. I was in such delight and shock that I instantly called my best friend and we had a good laugh and cheer. A great memory in a fun season.


DC
July 17, 2020

Rey Ordonez did two things as a Met: play marvelous defense at shortstop and hit one home run a year.

I remember this particular annual home run vividly.

September 19, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 8, Philadelphia Phillies 6

Lee
June 23, 2004
I was at this game against the Phillies and both starters, Kenny Rogers and Paul Byrd, were horrible, but Cedeno, Olerud, and Piazza homered and the Mets won 8-6.


Michael
August 9, 2010

Dont have much memory of this game...except I do remember VIVIDLY the crowd chanting "BEAT ATLANTA" with 2 outs in the 9th inning, as the Mets were off to Atlanta after this game for a showdown for first place. Sadly that didn't turn out well.

But a nice memory.

September 22, 1999 Turner Field
Atlanta Braves 5, Mets 2

Francisco
June 21, 2021
Classic game between the Mets and Braves came down to the 8th inning and Bobby Valentine tried to out chest Bobby Cox and came up short.

September 24, 1999 Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Phillies 3, Mets 2

Lynne Grahe
December 19, 2003
This was the game that I thought my son, Joe Grahe, would be on his way to really making it back to the big leagues after shoulder surgery twice and numerous other obstacles. But, lo and behold, this was not the case. Having his shoulder feeling great, the old elbow started really hurting. So as not to have to have the Tommy John surgery, Joe elected to finally retire from baseball. He had fought his way back to the major leagues after having to start with the the lowest of the leagues, Bangor, Maine and the Nashua Pride in New Hampshire.

So this game is really special to me and I thank you for being able to still go into the site and read about it.


Jared K
September 11, 2005

Well Lynne, your son pitched a damn good game against us that night. I got tickets from my rabid Phillies fan uncle for my birthday, and I made the trip to the Vet to meet him there. This was one of those games where Bobby Valentine tried to get too cute with things, tried to fix things when they weren't broke, so to speak. He yanked Masato Yoshii after the 7th inning, when he was pitching great. In rare poor performances, Wendell and Cook both struggled. Then Mr. Agita (Armando Benitez) blew the game for us. My uncle let me hear it all the way out of the stadium. I was never so pissed after a game. I remember both Cincinnati and Atlanta won that night, and as I was walking back to my car, I thought it'd be another collapse like the year before. Luckily, that wasn't the case and the Mets got that Wild Card in the end!


M Greentree
June 16, 2010

Phillies fan here. Even though I'm the enemy, I do enjoy reading about Phils-Mets memories from the opposing point of view so to speak

I went to this game with my then-girlfriend. I was 19 at the time. I usually like to get to the ballpark at least an hour before the game starts, but on this night we got stuck in a massive traffic jam (Bruce Springsteen was playing across the street at the Spectrum that same night) and didn't arrive until the fourth inning. I thought that was a bit ironic because my girlfriend was always running late, but this time she was early and we end up sitting in traffic three hours for what was normally about a 30-45 minute drive

Anyhow, it was a well-pitched game by both Joe Grahe and Masato Yoshii. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Bobby Abreu hit a game-tying double off Armando Benitez, then Mike Lieberthal hit a bloop single to score Abreu with the decisive run. Grahe got his only win as a Phillie, Scott Aldred worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his only save as a Phillie.

The Phillies went on to sweep that series, one of the rare highlights from the end of what for a while was a promising 1999 season. The Phils had been within striking distance of the Mets and Braves into early August, but then Scott Rolen and Curt Schilling got hurt, Paul Byrd came crashing back to earth after an incredible first half, and that was the end of that. From August 7 on, the Phillies went 16-37. That three-game sweep was the only time during that span the Phils won more than two games in a row.

September 26, 1999 Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Phillies 3, Mets 2

Lee
July 13, 2004
I remember this game very well because it was the only time that I went to another city to see the Mets play. This game was in Philadelphia and the Mets, in my mind, had to win this game if they were to have any shot at winning the wild card. It was a pretty good game and it was 3-2 in the ninth and then the Mets rallied and I thought they might win and it was bases loaded, 1 out, and Rickey Henderson was coming up and all the Met fans in the park were cheering and then they brought someone up to pinch hit (I forgot who) and they all booed but then Henderson came back out of the dugout and they all cheered again but then Rickey grounded into a double play to end the game. So much for that.

September 28, 1999 Shea Stadium
Atlanta Braves 9, Mets 3

Donald Siudmak
May 7, 2009
I caught my only foul ball in 36 years of Mets games. It was hit by Melvin Mora I believe and want to confirm through a scorecard of the game if I can see one?

September 29, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 9, Atlanta Braves 2

Dan
July 29, 2002
This was a fantastic night at Shea! The Mets took their collective frustration out on Greg Maddux, of all pitchers. After being handled by the Braves the previous week, they batted around in the 4th and put a 7-spot on the scoreboard. Johnny O. laced a grand-slam to chase Maddux. The stands were ROCKING!!! If nothing else, we exacted a small measure of payback this night.


Ed K
April 1, 2006

Everybody remembers that Al Leiter won Game 163 against the Reds five days later but his win in his previous start on this night was probably as significant. Mets had lost 7 in a row and if they had not ended the tailspin in this game the season would have been lost.

September 30, 1999 Shea Stadium
Atlanta Braves 4, Mets 3

anesti
February 12, 2006
I was at this game after a emotional win the night before and the Daily News back page read something like the Mets live on. It was drizzling rainy damp night the game was back and forth. Alfonzo comes through in the 8th with a homer and unfortunately in the 11th Shawon Dunston boots a ball and the next batter singles home the run. I remember getting on the 7 train; it was like a ghost town. No one looked at each other. It was like our season was over but thank God we had one more push to pull out the wild card.

October 1, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

Lee
April 30, 2005
Tough game to watch cause I knew the Mets destiny wasn't even fully in their hands and they needed to sweep. It was a nail biter all the way into the 11th. Finally, Robin Ventura steps up, gets a base hit, and the Mets live to see another day!


Mike
November 1, 2006

I watch about every game I can every season on TV. I can't remember the stadium sounding louder than when Ventura got the game winning hit in this game. Ventura's grand single, Chavez's catch this year, none of them sounded louder than that hit. I'm sure those moments were louder, but just from what I remember, it was one of most exciting moments in my life as a 24 year old Mets fan.


Michael
August 9, 2010

Remember this one well. In the 8th inning with the bases loaded for Pittsburgh and the game already tied, Franco is about to walk Adrian Brown to force in the go-ahead run, but the umpire gives him a complete GIFT strike call. (I Love Franco but I remember well how bad a call it was.) Johnny gets outta the jam and we win on Ventura's extra-inning single. Truthfully, without that call, the Pirates probably win the game, and we don't make the playoffs. Funny how things work out.


DC
July 17, 2020

So many things had to go right this final series with the Mets two out of a Wild Card spot with three to play. Wouldn't you know it, they did.

Franco gets the gift from God strike three call in the 8th and the Mets win in 11, the Reds blow a 3-1 8th inning lead in Milwaukee and lose in extras, and you started to think maybe that could actually do this.

October 2, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 7, Pittsburgh Pirates 0

Lee
August 8, 2004
This was a huge game because it was the second- to-last game of the season. It was the second game of a three game series against Pittsburgh and, at the beginning of the series, there was this whole thing about how either Cincinatti or another team (I forgot who)had to lose 2 of 3 and the Mets had to sweep. The Mets had won the first game of the series the night before and now Rick Reed was going to have to beat Pittsburgh. I was at this game and the whole game was Rick Reed. But before the game, we were all watching the scoreboard and we saw that Milwaukee had managed to beat Cincinnatti for the second loss in the series and a cheer rippled through the crowd as we all knew that we had control of our own destiny. Reed pitched the game of his life-- an incredible shutout and the Mets needed to win just one more game!


Joe Lanzisera
February 23, 2009

I was a groomsman at my friend's wedding that day and kept ducking inside his new mother-in-law's house to watch this one. The final score hides the fact that it was scoreless pretty late and the Mets scored 5, I think in the 8th, to put it away. It was a very tense night and I caught a lot of heat for hiding in the house watching.


DC
July 17, 2020

Rick Reed throws the best game of any Mets starter all season, facing just two batters above the minimum. The Mets tie the Reds, who get lit up by the Brewers.

Now it felt very real.

October 3, 1999 Shea Stadium
Mets 2, Pittsburgh Pirates 1

Mets2Moon
January 25, 2002
I toyed with the idea of getting my roommate to drive down from Binghamton to see this game, but we ended up staying at school and watching on TV. Mets had been given up for dead a few days earlier, and had miraculously worked their way back into a tie for the wildcard. Hershiser started, went 5 and gave way to the bullpen, which was stellar. Meanwhile, Kris Benson stifled the Mets, allowing only a run-scoring 2B to Hamilton in the 5th. Finally, the Mets broke through in the 9th on singles by Mora and Alfonzo. And Piazza came up with 1 out and the winning run on 3rd, and I knew he'd get the job done. Little did I know he wouldn't have to, as Brad Clontz threw his first pitch onto the screen, and Mora trotted home with the run that, as Howie Rose put it, "Got the Mets into some semblance of postseason play for the first time in 11 years!!!" And I jumped up and let out a whoop, grabbed my roommate (who yelled at me to put him down), ran into my room and blasted the Mets theme from 99, LA Woman. One more to go, but they had come this far. Quite a game indeed.


Chris
February 19, 2004

Classic. We were out in the mezzanine boxes in left field, and that was the first time I'd ever felt the ballpark SHAKE. I really thought that was the year it was all going to come together.


John K
April 12, 2004

Bought the tickets to the game in May. Never thought it would be such an important game. My aunt attends her first game at Shea. What a classic. Pirates play well, until Brad Clontz gives it away.


Lee
August 8, 2004

I woke up on this October 3rd morning thinking about the game I had just seen the night before (see my October 2nd entry) and hoping the Mets could pull another one off and then, all of a sudden, I get a call from my friend and he has tickets to the last game of the season for this day! So I went to the game and Hershiser pitched a pretty good game and it was close and then, in the ninth, it was bases loaded for Piazza, and, even though they hadn't been able to pull it off a few days before in Phillies with the bases loaded and one out when Henderson hit into a double play, I knew they could this time and Brad Clontz bounced the first pitch onto the screen and Melvin Mora scored to almost send the Mets to the playoffs but little did I know that Cincinatti would pull off a victory after a 6- hour long rain delay and the Mets would still have to go through them.


JFK
October 13, 2005

I cannot recall and never heard of another game that ended on a dead ball wild pitch.


Paul R.
May 24, 2006

Me and my mom had bought tickets to this because it was fan appreciation day, but as the day grew close it would become an important game. I can't forget that wild pitch finish in which Melvin Mora scampered on home for the winning run. All of Shea Stadium erupted and there was a wild celebration for a good five minutes (to hear "LA Woman, of course). The NYPD horse patrol were parked all along the warning track next to the field level seats is probably the most vivid memory. The bus ride home was filled with conversation about the Brewers/Reds game, which was in progress at the time. A great game to be at.


AC
January 23, 2012

I was 13 when I went to this game. I remember it was fan appreciation day. They gave us this little wooden bats which eventually got taken away by a teacher at 189. I still remember Piazza coming up to bat with bases loaded. Next thing I know, the ball bounced behind the plate and the METS clinched the wild card after taking on the Reds. I've been to a lot of Mets games but I've never felt the stadium shake like it did that afternoon. I was behind third base in the mezzanine level and for like 5 minutes the entire stadium bounced.


Stephanie C.
February 24, 2014

My future husband at the time (we've been very happily married since 2000) surprised me for my birthday by getting us two tickets, a fantastic gift since I'm the baseball fan, and he's not so much. We drove the four hours to Shea and watched a nail-biter with an ending we couldn't have scripted better! We had our friends tape the game for us and we were so excited to discover we were shown on TV during the game. We're the ones holding our homemade sign that says "Thanks for a great season" written over the Mets logo. It was shown and commented on some time around the fourth inning.


DC
July 17, 2020

Brad Clontz bounces a slider, Shea goes nuts, and I waited and waited to see what was going to happen in a rain soaked Milwaukee. There was going to be another game for the Mets but no one knew where it would be.

October 4, 1999 Riverfront Stadium
Mets 5, Cincinnati Reds 0

Maurice
August 16, 2002
Being a Mets fan living in Cincinnati, I might have been the only Met fan happy that the one game playoff was not at Shea.

Reds fans were is a riotous mood as the Mets built their lead, I was pretty nervous about my own safety, but most of them left after the seventh to hit the bars (or run onto the field as two or three fans did).

Fonzie and Rickey go deep and Al pitches a gem, a sweet night for a homesick Mets fan!


David
November 18, 2004

I'm 19 years old and have been a Mets fan since I saw my first game at Shea in 1992 and I've seen many games both on tv and at the ballpark from that time. This was the Mets most important game in 11 years and they came through beyond expectations.

The Mets dominated the whole contest from the first pitch to the last out. They allowed only 2 hits. Al Leiter probably had the game of his life aside from the no hitter, allowing only 2 hits in the shutout, 1 in the first and not another until 2 outs in the 9th.

The start and the end came in the top of the first inning with Edgardo Alfonzo's 2 run homer and from there the Mets never looked back. After the Reds got their second hit, a meaningless double by Pokey Reese in the bottom of the 9th, Barry Larkin smashed a liner to second base that went right into Edgardo Alfonzo's glove and with that the 11 year wait for another postseason was over.


Lee
April 29, 2005

After that Pirates series, I was a mess. My nails were all gone and all I could talk about or think about was the Mets and everyone around me was really pissed off about it and no one wanted to go near me but I could care less. One thing was for sure though. I wasn't gonna have watched the Mets come this far (two of the games I watched live) and see them miss the playoffs because of the Reds. And I didn't. After Fonzie's two- run shot in the first that sort of crept back and back and back until it dropped behind the center field wall, it was all Leiter. He threw a two-hitter and when Larkin hit a bullet up the middle and Fonzie reached out and grabbed it, the Mets were going to the playoffs for the first time in 11 years and I was as happy as ever.


Putbeds 1986
March 5, 2006

After falling asleep late Sunday night listening to the Reds-Brewers game on WFAN (They got one of the teams feed) and then waking up knowing it would be a 1-game playoff at Cinci on ESPN/WB-11. Al Leiter was lights out that night and Edgardo Alfonso was simply the best with his early home run and when he caught the last out; my phone rang off the hook with family and friends. What a night. I had an interesting set up: I had 2 tv's on (My big TV had the Mets game and the little TV had on the Dolphins-Bills football game and my VCR was recording my fave soap opera: WWF Wrestling.) MOJO RISING Indeed!!


DP30
October 4, 2006

This game was just one stroke of luck after another for me. I was attending college at Ohio University, about 2 1/2 hours from Cincinnati. I skipped my morning class that Monday to buy tickets for the game, which, thanks to the good people of the Midwest, were the same prices as a Thursday game in July ($7 each for my upper deck seats off 3rd base)!

Now, there was a question over whether the game would even be played, because it was rainy in Ohio that day. In fact, my baseball practice was cancelled, which allowed me to make the drive to Cincy (I was going anyway, but at least I didn't have to risk getting in trouble with coach for skipping fall ball). Luckily it was only misting a little out there, so I knew it was game-on!

I never heard 54,000 people shut up so quickly when Alfonzo hit that homer to dead-center, it was like a vacuum, with only the sound of me yelling "Yes!" and a few other Mets fans scattered throughout Cinergy Field cheering along. Once they jumped in front, I had a pretty good feeling about it. Leiter pitched great, worked out of the few jams he was in, Rickey added that blast off the left-field foul pole, and my first Mets' "playoff" game in-person was a success.

On the way back to campus, my buddy and I stopped at Skyline Chili in suburban Cincy to eat, and it never tasted better, even if I received multiple death stares as I happily munched down chili-cheese coneys in my grey Mets' jersey and black-and-blue hat.

The next day my pitching coach pulls me aside at practice and goes, "So how was the game?," knowing I'm crazy enough to make that trip. All I could do for my answer was smile.


Shickhaus Franks
December 30, 2006

On Friday Dec 22nd, SNY showed this Mets Classic where Fonzie hit one of his greatest dingers as a Met and Al Leiter SHUTDOWN the Reds as the now-departed Cinergy Field (aka Riverfront) stood in awed silence and at least one fan was taken to the local slammer for an unauthorized visit to the field. Hopefully before Spring Training, SNY shows us other great 1999 post-season games like Todd Pratt's walk-off HR vs the D-Backs and of course, Robin Ventura's grand slam "Single" in the pouring rain vs the Braves.


Michael
June 18, 2009

I remember this game real well. It's not too often that a wild card berth came down to a one-game playoff. I was at the Dolphins-Bills Monday night game in Miami and I ran every 20 minutes from my seat to the bar to see what was happening in the game. I went crazy when the final out was made and was finally going to get to see the Mets play some postseason baseball since the time I was a junior in high school in 1988.


DC
July 17, 2020

This game was supposed to be a 2 PM start, but since the Reds rain-delayed win didn't end until almost 1 am that morning, it was moved back to 7.

After so many nail biters, I remember this game being anti-climactic and over after the 5th inning. I'd take it after the previous two weeks.


NYB Buff
March 6, 2023

The Mets' played the first tie-breaker playoff in team history right on the 30th anniversary of their first post-season game. Al Leiter pitched a two-hit shutout over the Reds for the Wild Card title in the National League. The Mets then moved on to their first ever Divison Series, where they beat the Diamondbacks three-games-to-one.

October 5, 1999 Bank One Ballpark
1999 National League Division Series Game 1
Mets 8, Arizona Diamondbacks 4

Mets2Moon
January 25, 2002
Damned if I was going to let the fact that this game started at 11PM cost me the chance to miss the Mets first playoff game since 88. And they made staying up until 2AM worth it by whipping Johnson and the DBacks. As I had done a few short days ago, I gasped and then cheered and danced as Alfonzo blasted a grand slam just inside the foul pole in the 9th. And the Mets miracle run continued...


Ken Akerman
April 2, 2003

As a Diamondbacks fan, I attended this game at Bank One Ballpark. I was sitting behind the left- field foul pole when Edgardo Alfonzo's grand slam in the ninth inning fell into the stands just below me. I was disappointed by this result and by the fact that Randy Johnson did not pitch a good game.

However, the Diamondbacks finally got their revenge against New York (if not against the Mets - against the bad boys from the Bronx) when they won World Series two years later, coming from behind in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the seventh game on Luis Gonzalez' bases- loaded bloop single.


Lee
September 8, 2004

A lesson is learned from every baseball game. In game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Bob McNamara pulled Roger Clemens after 7 incredible innings for the Red Sox and, as you all know and have seen highlight reels of a million times, the Mets managed to come back and win. YOU DON'T PULL A GOOD PITCHER LIKE ROGER CLEMENS IN A CLOSE, HUGE GAME! The same thing happened on this night in Arizona, Game 1 of the 1999 NLDS. Randy Johnson did not pitch a great game, this is true. But the game was tied at 4 and Buck Showalter decided to hand the game over to his bullpen instead of letting Randy Johnson, the great pitcher that he is, finish what he started. Instead, he gave Bobby Chouinard the ball and, with the bases loaded, Edgardo Alfonzo skied one into the seats in left and put a dagger in the hearts of every Diamondbacks fan (which I'm okay with because, of course, I'm a Met fan). After this game, I had a feeling the Mets had this series.


Joe Lanzisera
February 23, 2009

Obviously this was our first playoff game in a decade (if you don't count the tiebreaker vs. the Reds) and Fonzie put the team on his back. I remember how late it was on the East Coast when this one ended. One general comment about this game, which was true for a lot of 98 and 99 especially was how well Cook and Wendell kept us in it after the Diamondbacks got on a roll in the middle innings. Particularly Wendell - he got more key outs for us in those two seasons than most people seem to remember.

October 6, 1999 Bank One Ballpark
1999 National League Division Series Game 2
Arizona Diamondbacks 7, Mets 1

Ken Akerman
April 2, 2003
As a Diamondbacks fan, I attended this game at Bank One Ballpark. It was pleasing to me to see the D-Backs bounce back after a disappointing performance the night before. The D-Backs needed to win only one game at Shea Stadium to return the series to Phoenix. However, that was not to be, so we had to wait until the year after next year to earn our championship.

October 8, 1999 Shea Stadium
1999 National League Division Series Game 3
Mets 9, Arizona Diamondbacks 2

Tom Fehn
November 30, 2001
This was my first ever playoff game and this season I went to many many nailbitters and of course of the way to Shea we hear Ed Coleman say Mike Piazza wont play today because of a injured thumb, the 1st thing that came to my mind was I have the worst luck in the world, that at of all the playoffs games I go to Mike Piazza isn't gonna play, but finnally something went my way and that is the Mets beat the D-Backs 9-2 oh man after all the games I have ever went to and all the years of stressful games it felt so great to watch a playoff game and in the 7th inning just relax and not even worry about a rally or nothing, this was my favorite game ever and also I caught a foul ball hit by Tony Womack so it couldn't get better.


Dan
July 29, 2002

The first home postseason Mets game in 13 years. . .and I was there! This was the first (and so far only) playoff game I attended and my boys didn't disappoint. They played a dominant brand of baseball that night and took hold of this series against a team they struggled with all season long. The 6-run sixth when they batted around was a thing of precision, as they kept getting one well-placed hit after another. When you score nine runs without a home run, you know players brought their hitting shoes with 'em. Just a great night to be at Shea (although probably not as great as the following afternoon). For a lifelong Mets fan (we're talking since 1973), getting to see my boys in person in the playoffs was a great moment.


Anthony
January 15, 2003

This was the first playoff game I attended. My family has a share in season tickets for seats on the field level behind third base. It was my dad and I. I was in my junior year of high school. I remember I got called down to the office at school because my dad was on the phone to verify when we were heading off to Shea. The game was awesome. I would have been happy even if the Mets had gotten knocked out in the first round (I did not expect them to beat Arizona). This game the field level was litterly rockin' with all the fans jumpin'.


Steve
August 13, 2003

This was the first Met playoff game I ever attended after being a Met fan for 24 years and the electricity was incredible. We were sitting down the right field line and some people were standing up for most of the game. I remember Darryl Hamilton being a sparkplug this night.


Joe From Jersey
December 11, 2005

It was the 1st Mets playoff game I ever attended. My brother, cousin and his ex-brother-in-law was with me. We sat in the mezzanine (3rd base side). And before the game we tailgated with thousands of other fans in the parking lot. Many of the fans were blasting "LA Woman" from the Doors and many more were listening to the Braves-Astros game that was going on that afternoon. The Mets won in a rout and my best memory was of the 4 of us hopscotching to our seats to avoid the clumps of horse manure that the NYPD horsies had left as a reminder. I always wish to this day that my cousin (who had the tickets to all the playoffs, he had the Sunday games package) had invited me to Game 4 aka Todd Pratt's home run off Matt Mantei. Oh well.

October 9, 1999 Shea Stadium
1999 National League Division Series Game 4
Mets 4, Arizona Diamondbacks 3

Mike Dolitsky
July 5, 2001
My oldest son had a Little League game that afternoon, so before leaving, I popped in a videotape around the 7th inning and started taping. Turned out to be a great move - my youngest son's all-time favorite videotape moment (which gets rewound and replayed ad infinitum) is watching Steve Finley look in his glove and NOT see the baseball that had just come off of Todd Pratt's bat. The most priceless moment is watching Johnny Franco prance out of the dugout as Pratt rounded the bases and crossed the plate, ensuring that the Mets would meet the Braves in the LCS.


Chris Rosa
October 25, 2001

A very strange game. . .the Mets benefit from Tony Womack's late inning muff of an easy fly ball. . .Cookie Rojas is tossed for arguing a foul-ball call down the 3rd base line (it looked fair to me too Cookie!). . .defensive super-sub Melvin Mora cuts down a runner at the plate in the late innings to keep the Mets in it. . .and then. . .TODD PRATT! Tank manages to turn around Mantei's best fastball and drive it 411 feet to dead center! No one at Shea knows if its gone until the fireworks go off and Finley checks his gloves and slumps dejectedly. What a wierd, wonderful game!!!


Mets2Moon
January 25, 2002

I was at this game, scrambed down from Binghamton that morning, and risked academic ruin as I had a paper due Tuesday, but I had a chance to go and I took it. Not to nitpick with the last comment, but Mantei had thrown 2.2 innings by time Pratt hit his HR, and he's a short man, so I think his fastball was lagging. Pratt would later say he was sitting dead red, especially after Mantei bounced a splitter into the stands on the first pitch. And then it happened, Pratt smoked it out of the ballpark and somehow, I managed to stay composed enough to snap some pictures of the moment while everyone else went berserk. What a fabulous game!


Mr. T
February 19, 2002

Where do I begin...It was an odd game, satisfying but tense. When the game began many seats had remained empty(traffic problems it turns out)and the sky was kind of hazy. I don't think many of us there were very confident since Piazza had the bad hand and could not play. Lots of memories, from the blast down the line that got Rojas canned, to Hamilton's sliding catch in center, to Benny's blast to right center and finally to Pratt's picture perfect punch to center. But what I will never ever forget was how the upper deck vibrated with the jubilent rhythmic stomping of feet. I feared that Shea would fall apart, I really did. Long Live Todd Pratt! Lets Go Mets!


MetMan
June 5, 2003

Sitting behind the plate in Section 1 or 3 of the upper deck, this was the best game I have ever seen in my lifetime. Back and forth battle until the bottom of the 10th. "Mantei sets, the pitch swing and a high fly ball deep CF hit pretty well Finley goes back at the track jumping... and its OUTTA HERE, Pratt hit it over the fence, Finley jumped and he missed it the Mets win the ballgame!" by Cohen, or Berman's call "(crack) hit pretty well, Finley goes back back back...it's over, it's over, Todd Pratt, one of the most unlikely heroes wins it in the 10th."


Lee
October 20, 2004

I was at this game and what a classic it was! It was Game 4 of the NLDS, where the Mets had the chance to clinch with a 2-1 series lead. I had my regular seats (behind home plate on the third base side). It stayed close but the D- Backs threatened in the eighth but a great throw by Agbayani and an even better job by Todd Pratt of blocking the plate saved the Mets from having Jay Bell, a future Met, score the go-ahead run.

In the bottom half of the inning, a Met (who I think was Darryl Hamilton) hit a ball down the line that would have brought home a run if it were fair. Everyone stood up and I couldn't see but it was called foul and the fans groaned but then Cookie Rojas started arguing the call and he got ejected, suspended, and fined.

I think in the same inning, Shawon Dunston had the most incredible at-bat I've ever seen, fouling off EVERY SINGLE PITCH before finally hitting one up the middle.

Then, in the tenth, Todd Pratt stepped up against Matt Mantei and hit a shot with that helicopter swing of his and it was back to the wall and I was scared because I knew Steve Finley was an incredible center fielder (which was where the ball was) and it was BACK BACK BACK! and Steve Finley jumped and came down and I thought he had the ball but he looked down at his glove and the ball wasn't there and that's when I knew the Mets were going to the NLCS and I watched John Franco (who had gotten the win) coming jumping and hopping out of the dugout and it was the greatest Mets moment I had ever experienced and then I was on eyewitness news screaming "Let's Go Mets!" so that was cool too.


Bob
April 8, 2005

I was sitting in the third to last row in the upper deck way down the right field line. Lousy seats but it gave me a perfect view of Todd Pratt's homer, which was hit to the right of the 410 sign. What most people at Shea and everyone on TV didn't see was that the ball actually GRAZED THE TOP OF STEVE FINLEY'S GLOVE as it went over the fence. The ball clearly changed trajectory (flattened out) as Finley leaped for it. Everyone remembers those few agonizing seconds when they didn't know whether to cheer or cry, but few people realize how close Finley actually came to pulling it back into the park. What a game!


Mets2Moon
September 6, 2006

As is becoming a habit of mine, I go back to posts I have made and feeling as though I was a bit too terse in leaving my memories of a particular game. This is no different. Looking back 7 years later, and having attended many games over time, this was by far the best game I have ever attended, and my memories of this game, aided by videotape and by pictures I took are far more vivid than most other games.

I remember...

...Driving down from Binghamton the previous night, a Friday, and listening to game 3 on the radio, knowing Piazza was out and then arriving home around the 6th inning and seeing the Mets slowly put the game out of reach and knowing that I would be there for game 4 and a potential clincher.

...Being so amped up for the game that I left my house around 9AM and arrived at the stadium around 10:30. The gates had just opened and I was outside waiting for my friend until 11:30. Noted the banners outside that read "ARE YOU READY FOR THE POST-SEASON."

...Finally going into the stadium and up to my seat in the Mezzanine, section 12. Watching the Dbacks take batting practice, snapping some pictures and watching as the crowds coming off the train got larger and larger as game time approached.

...Keith and Mookie throwing out the first pitches to more ovations and more anticipation. The stadium was electric. I noted that after so many years of bad Mets teams the stadium would look so large when it was empty and how it seemed so much smaller now that it was full.

...The Mets taking the field at 1:07 PM charging out to the field not to the intro to Pink Floyd’s "Time" as they had during the season but the outro to The Beatles "A Day In The Life." Everything seemed different about this game.

...Fonzie homering into the LF bleachers in the 4th and the crowd going bonkers.

...Leiter taking a no-hitter into the 5th before Colbrunn homered to break it up and tie the game.

...Henderson fouling off every deuce from Anderson before blooping a single to right. Agbayani doubled to right center to score Rickey and giving the Mets a 2-1 lead.

...Leiter making it through 7.2 innings before allowing a walk to Turner Ward and a questionable infield single to Womack which Fonzie booted before throwing to first just late. Leiter would then exit to one of the largest and loudest standing ovations I have ever bore witness to.

...Benitez giving up the double to Jay Bell scoring Ward and Womack and feeling like I was just suckerpunched. I felt like crying.

...Williams drilling a single to Left shortly after Bell rounding third to score but Melvin Mora throwing a perfect strike home and Pratt diving to tag out Bell to end the Dbacks threat.

...The bottom of the 8th being the longest inning I have ever sat through. Mind you, nobody in the stadium is sitting at this point, as Greg Olson walks Fonzie to lead off, then is removed for Greg Swindell to pitch to Olerud. And Olerud putting forth an incredible at bat, working the count to 2-2, fouling off pitch after pitch before finally lofting a fly ball to right, and seeing Womack drift back, thinking it’s going to be caught, but it keeps drifting and drifting...suddenly Womack is on the warning track...lines it up...and drops it. He dropped the ball and Fonzie scampers all the way to third, and Olerud to second. Cedeno then lofting a fly to center, Finley cutting in front of Womack to make the catch, Fonzie scoring easily to re-tie the game. Ventura then walked, and Showalter then made a peculiar move. He double switched Matt Williams, his best hitter and fielder out of the game, for Mantei. Mantei would get Pratt to hit a comebacker, and Olerud was tagged out at 3rd. 2 out. Darryl Hamilton, on 3-2, hit a slicing liner down the left field line which bounced on the chalk...And the crowd went nuts because to just about everyone it looked fair. Everyone except Charlie Williams, the LF Umpire. Cookie Rojas and Williams then engaged in a legendary argument. Bobby V. had to come out and restrain Rojas, Rojas then shoved Williams in the chest and finally had to be pulled away by Valentine, Mookie and Ventura. Bobby V. would end up coaching third after everything settled and spent the rest of the inning glaring directly at Mantei. Mantei walked Hamilton on the next pitch to load the bases. Then Ordonez struck out...I then had to take a deep breath and make sure I hadn’t died during the inning.

...Benitez getting through the 9th 1-2-3.

...Fonzie batting in the last of the 9th with Matt Franco on 2nd and being sure he would drive in the winning run...He didn’t.

...John Franco coming in for the 10th and making a great play on a Lenny Harris chopper.

...4:33PM...Pratt smoking a drive to deep center on the 1-0 pitch...and Finley going back...and I’m reaching for my camera...And Finley at the wall...And jumps...and comes down...and slumps down...And Pratt is jumping around the bases, and Ordonez and Luis Lopez come streaking across the infield, and everyone is going crazy...And the whole time I remember thinking to myself "Did I just see that? Did Pratt just do that? What in the world!?"...And fireworks are going off, and "LA Woman" is blasting.

...And the scoreboard reads in giant letters "CONGRATULATIONS NEW YORK METS ON ADVANCING TO THE NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES!!!"

...And nobody wanting to leave the stadium just yet...and walking down the ramps and hearing mock tomahawk chops and varied chants of "LARRY" and "ROCKER SUCKS" and knowing that the Blood feud was about to begin.

And you look back on a game like this and think about how many times the Mets had high hopes and tanked or never had hopes at all, and you wonder why you stick with a team. This is why. It’s all for games like this. But they’re fleeting, and time passes, you come to appreciate games like this more and more because they don’t happen very often.

October 13, 1999 Turner Field
1999 National League Championship Series Game 2
Atlanta Braves 4, Mets 3

Professor G
July 5, 2005
I can't believe how stupid I was. If I routinely tape games to watch later (I live on the West Coast) then how could I not have taped this one??? I was STUPID enough to do three things: 1) actually go to work, knowing this game was on at 1 pm our time; 2) actually go into yet another agonizingly boring staff meeting led by an even more agonzingly boring manager - a guy whose milquetoast personality makes even Art Howe look like The Rock - while the game was going on. I was more pissed at myself than Kenny Rogers - who Bobby V should've saved for a Game 3 home start - for allowing Eddie Perez to take him deep.

October 15, 1999 Shea Stadium
1999 National League Championship Series Game 3
Atlanta Braves 1, Mets 0

tvdude
February 6, 2002
this was a rough one. the Mets made like no errors the whole year, and their best offensive player's error cost the Mets a biggie. Leiter was superb, but had nothing to show for it.


jimmy "sweet" pea
October 22, 2003

The first playoff game at Shea stadium in many, many years. Friend of mine got tickets and four of us made the drive down from Albany. Met other friends at Shea, but the friend with the tickets hadn't shown yet. Jimmy Cadillac talked with a cop, expalined the situation and the cop let us into a pre-game party going on in the left field bullpen. Incredible. Ice sculptures, live music, open bars, sushi, BBQ. Wilpon was working the crowd, as was former Senator Al D'Amato, who was stuffing his face with the free food. Great seats and an incredible game with several plays at the plate. Braves scored only once -- in the first inning, but the Mets couldn't put a run across and lost. Tough ride home. Ventura's grand-slam single two games later would lift our spirits, but Kenny Rogers walking in the game and series winner was a killer.


Shickhaus Franks
April 11, 2011

I was at this game. A tight one to nothing loss with Leiter pitching his guts out but the highlight was me yelling to John Rocker "RUN, FORREST, RUN" as he entered the game in the 9th and that was 2 months before he almost ruined Christmas and Y2K with his ignorant comments about New Yorkers and the 7 train.

October 16, 1999 Shea Stadium
1999 National League Championship Series Game 4
Mets 3, Atlanta Braves 2

Perry
October 20, 2000
It was crazy. I went to this game certain the Mets were going to lose. I mean, the braves had 3 games and the Mets none. I went in with a negative attitude, and came out of the stadium with a feeling of triumph! I felt like the entire crowd, young and old, came together that night. The entire stadium echoed "ASSHOLE" periodically through the night and occational "LARRY"'s. everyone, old men and little girls were all screaming it at the top of their lungs. thats what I love about being a Mets fan. such a diverse crowd that comes together regardless of any diffrences. I had so much fun and the Mets rocked, but it was overshadowed by the fact that after the game, I had the luck of meeting Gary CArter in the parking lot. he was my alltime favorite met and my childhood idol. the whole night was one to remember, even though I dont remember the specific detail of the game.


tom g
May 27, 2002

This was the first Met playoff game I had ever been to, although I have been a fan for nearly 25 years. I was sitting right next to the Braves bullpen in the picnic area. I remember all the police who had been there to protect John Rocker, and you should have heard the abuse he took from all the Met fans. In the bottom of the eighth inning, he came in to pitch and John Olerud hit a 2-run single off Rocker to score the tying and eventual winning runs. Benitez got the save in the 9th, and the Mets were still alive. I will never forget how crazy the subway ride home from Shea was that night.


Anthony
January 15, 2003

This was my second playoff game I ever attended (and second of 1999 for that matter) and it was awesome. It was my cousin Dan, my uncle Dave, my sister Julie and myself. My cousin and I took the upper deck tickets and my sister and uncle took the field level tickets. The upper deck was awesome though. The game was quiet for the first six innings.

I remember when John Olerud came up, I pulled my Rosary out of my pocket and all of a sudden, BANG! Olerud hit a solo shot. It looked like Rick Reed was in control, then suddenly, Brian Jordan (this guy always seems to get big hits against them) and Ryan Klesko hit back-to-back homers to give the Braves a 2-1 lead. Rick Reed looked sooo down was he was pulled out. He still pitched an awesome game.

Then, Mets have runners on second and third (Roger Cedeno and Melvin Mora did a double steal) with Olerud coming up. In came John Rocker and along with him, the roaring "a**hole* chants. It was sooo intense, Olerud had two strikes and then lo and behold, he gets what I believe was his first hit off Rocker and at the perfect time. My cousin and I screamed at each other in excitment. Then, Armando Benitez came in and closed out an awesome game.


Lee
July 4, 2004

I was really upset because the Braves were up in the NLCS 3-0 and were one game away from making the World Series and I knew I had tickets to Game 5 so if the Mets could just win this game I could get to see them play one more time this year. In the eighth inning, it was 2-1 Braves and things didn't look good and John Rocker was on the mound and everyone was booing him but the Mets got Mevlin Mora and Roger Cedeno on second and third for John Olerud and John Olerud hit a bouncing ball up the middle that went off Ozzie Guillen's glove and both runs scored and the Mets took the lead! Then Armando Benitez came in to save it and I was going to see them tomorrow.

October 17, 1999 Shea Stadium
1999 National League Championship Series Game 5
Mets 4, Atlanta Braves 3

Tess
October 20, 2000
I have been a Mets fan since I was 6, but I have never been to or even seen a game as exciting as this one. It was game 5 of the NLCS and it was the 15th inning. I remember the roar of the fans screaming down at John Rocker and then it came: the forever to be remembered Grand slam single by Robin Ventura! The crowd went wild, we were all hugging each other and jumping around and kissing stangers and going crazy. there was no feeling at all like that one, and I will always remember how loud that crowd was when Ventura got that hit, and how we all came together with one common goal; to get to the World Series. It didnt matter that the next day the braves went on to clinch the pennet, it didnt matter that I lost my voice the day before a big presentation , and it didn't matter that I had broke my toe jumping up an down like crazy, the only thing that mattered was that we won! and that rocker sucked! I am so privledged to have been part of this game, this history in the making.


Lou C.
August 14, 2001

Sat in the upper boxes in right field with my 8 year old son. We got pretty wet. When it went extra innings, I told the people around us that to be a true Met miracle they would have to be losing before they won. My son wanted to move down, because people were leaving. We went down to the loge by first base. It was getting cold and late and I told my son, against my better Met fan judgement, that we would leave if noone scored in the next inning. The rest is history. I'll always remember the Dunston atbat. And the Ventura blast. When it was in the air, the game was over. When it cleared the fence, all hell broke loose. I was at Game 7 in 86, the divisional clincher in 88, and the pennant winner in 2000. This was the most fun. people in the parking lot were telling my son that he would never forget that night. LA Woman, cold rain, my son, and alive for another day. It doesnt get better than that.


Milz
February 22, 2002

I remember I had to go to a very, very important family "get together" on this evening, unfortunately at a restaurant with no tv. Being die hard Mets fans, me and my brother had to finish it. The game kept on going, and dammit, I was going to sit till the end of it. I listened to the play-by-play on 660. Got to the point that my uncle came out in the parking lot twice to tell us to come in -- I wasn't budging. It was raining pretty hard that evening.

Then, bases loaded. Ventura comes to the plate. And you know what happened then.

Seeing it on television that night when I got home was awesome too. Robin didn't even make it to second! Remember: Grand Slam Single!! What bs. Me and my brother almost lost our voices that night.


Mike94
October 7, 2004

I started watching this game at home. It was getting late in the game and I had an hour and a half ride back to school in the rain. I thought I was gonna miss the end of the game. I continued listening to the game in my car on 660 WFAN. I sped through the rain so I could watch the Mets beat those damn Braves. I parked my car and ran back to my dorm with my bags and threw the game on the TV. I watched the game for about another hour or so and then POW!! Ventura hit the "grand slam single." When the ball left the bat I jumped up and yelled "GET THE #&*@ OUTTA HERE" and then watched it land on the other side of the fence and giving high fives to other Met fans in the room. One of my favorite sports moments.


Lee
November 28, 2004

The matchup for tonight was Greg Maddux vs. Masato Yoshii. In the first inning, Olerud connected off Maddux for a two-run homer to pick up where he left off from the night before and, after that, the game was a low scoring game that featured Chipper Jones getting hits and no one else did and everyone was going "Laaaaaarry!!" and it was also John Rocker's birthday and everyone wanted to see him but I don't think he ever pitched.

Another factor in the game was the weather. It was raining all game and there were a couple of rain delays and the game went a long time into the night. It then went into extras in a 2-2 game and then in the 13th the Braves threatned again when Keith Lockhart, their little used second baseman, got a base hit and then Chipper Jones hit another shot into the right field corner and Lockhart came around third but Melvin Mora saved the game by making an incredible throw to the cutoff, Edgardo Alfonzo, and Fonzie threw it home to Piazza, who blocked the plate incredibly and Lockhart ran over him but Piazza held on to the ball but he was injured.

Then, in the fifteenth, Lockhart tripled and scored and it was 3-2 Braves. Then, the Mets rallied and loaded up the bases for Todd Pratt and he walked to tie it up and Ventura step up, Mr. Grand Slam himself, and, as I knew he would, he hit it out but before he could reach second base he was mobbed by his teammates and he never made it to second so he was only given one RBI and it will be forever known as the "grand single" It was the greatest game I ever went to.


Even Stephen
October 20, 2004

I was never more proud of the Mets than when I watched this game. 25 men pulling together as a team. Every player doing his part.

Shawon Dunston refusing to give up. Orel Hershiser acting on the phone acting like a pitching coach. Al Leiter and Rick Reed warming in the bullpen, ready to go.

This was one game that truly was a team effort.


Kiwiwriter
October 14, 2004

The greatest and most thrilling Mets game I ever saw.

In the pouring rain, the Mets and Braves poured it on through 15 soggy innings. I never saw such intensity at Shea, such crowd involvement, or such drama. Or a 14th-inning-stretch. I have seen many sea serpents (my name for extra-inning games) at Shea Stadium, including a 17-inning disaster in 1979, but never this.

My wife Kathy was blowing her nose from sinuses and hiding under the stands in the late innings, when they ran out of food.

Everybody played. My scorecard was utterly bedraggled.

My biggest memory is that Bobby Valentine brought on a relief pitcher to throw an intentional walk, then yank him. That was overmanaging defined.

After the game, Kats was furious about having to sit through such horrid weather and was reluctant to join me at the World Series. But she did, for Game 3. Logically, that game went into the 10th inning.


Mets97
October 18, 2004

"Well, I remember the last play because Robin Ventura played it out on one leg the whole game, and there was a point where I thought about taking him out, and he said 'No, leave me in,' and he comes up and gets the winning hit, it's gotta be poetic justice. Justice indeed. -Bobby Valentine

"Run around the bases? Nah. I'm too tired." -Robin Ventura

"I'll tell you, these Mets are Rasputin-like. You cannot put them away. They will not die." -Bob Costas

"They couldn't see beating the Braves 4-in a row, but they can see beating them 2-in a row. They've taken it one game at a time and now maybe they're seeing light at the end of the tunnel." -Joe Morgan


Jose
November 8, 2006

hey I been a Mets fan since I was 5 years, the night of October 17, 1999 was a night every Mets fan will cherish for the rest of their lives. I remember I was 17 at the time a junior in HS, I was suppose to go to a B-day party that night, I was getting ready for the party, while I took a shower I had the game on my small radio, after I showered I tuned in the TV again, I think it was the most nervous night I have ever witnessed. At the party they had the game on, in the living room there were some Yankees fans, and like 3 Mets fans including me, when the bot. 15th came all 3 of us Mets fans where doing the rally hat, and then came the Ventura's Grand SLam single, we screamed, we jumped, we cried, and hugged. "WE STILL BELIEVE GO METS!!!" I still believe YEEAAH!! What a game, it was amazin' playing under the rain, making sure that it was not our last game of 1999, we kept on fighting. Hey my fellow Mets fans let us the keep the faith and believe, we will have our town back real soon.


alleydally
September 6, 2006

My friend and I moved down a couple times from the upper deck, eventually moving to the front row of the loge boxes right near the foul pole in left field (by the Atlanta pen). We would have moved again but after the Braves scored in the 15th, we decided to stay put and watch the Mets' at-bat. And what an at-bat! I remember it like it was yesterday:

Dunston fouled off like eight pitches before singling up the middle and then stole second with Franco pinch-hitting. Franco walks and then Fonzie bunts the runners up. Olerud is walked intentionally to load bases, and Pratt walks on a 3-1 pitch, flings his bat and runs down to first as Mets tie it.

At this point, the place is ROCKING. Literally, and there were like 20,000 empty seats. I remember vividly the fans in the box seats jumping up and down in the rain (and the rain was falling hard); it was tremendous support...

and then Ventura launches the bomb to right. Before it went out I hugged my friend. I didn't even see the ball go out, I knew we had won it with a sac fly at least.

I remember getting on the subway afterward. I asked about the Jets game and somebody said they lost again. I didn't care, not after that Met win...it culminated a whirlwind weekend at Shea, starting with the Friday 1-0 loss, but the back- to-back nail-biting wins. It was crazy at Shea, it was so nice the Mets were in the postseason again. Throw in the Pratt HR vs. Arizona and it was a great run.


Ed K
January 30, 2013

I had drawn my company's tickets for Game 5 and watched Game 4 on Saturday night wondering if my tickets would be any good. But after the Mets won on Saturday night, my wife and I made the trek to Shea for an unforgettable game. Unfortunately, we may have been the only fans to leave the game before it ended. We had a babysitter on short notice watching our infant son for a fixed time and could not stay for extra innings. I did get home in time to see the Ventura walk-off on television. Almost the entire time that we were at the game, everyone was standing.


Shickhaus Franks
May 31, 2013

I was at a bar in Hoboken which no longer exists (I forgot the name) watching this classic game and when Ventura hit the "grand-slam single" a lot of people went crazy and then some and there was talk of a Subway Series but thanks to Kenny Rogers... (As you know, it did happen in 2000.)


D.C.
September 26, 2013

I can watch this whole game every day and never get bored. THIS was the epoch of the Mets-Braves rivalry in the 90s, and watching Bobby Cox and Bobby V try and out-manage one another makes me nostalgic.

Grand slam single in the rain, Robin Ventura being held aloft by Todd Pratt with "L.A. Woman" playing in the background; that's how I remember the 1999 Mets.


Charlie
November 18, 2021

Been to hundreds of Met games at Shea, and this one will sting me a little forever. A friend of a friend offered me a ticket, and we sat through the rain for a game that seemed like it would never end. Until the 15th inning...I don't remember how it came about, but the Marlins scored and we were both spent. For some inexplicable reason we decided to leave, and heard the rest of the game in the car on the way home. A decision that will haunt me forever.


sms516
March 6, 2023

One of my all-time favorite games as a Mets fan, not just because we won but because it truly was a complete team effort. Everyone played a role in the win.

October 19, 1999 Turner Field
1999 National League Championship Series Game 6
Atlanta Braves 10, Mets 9

Jay Coan
March 29, 2001
I remember after the First Five batters have a sick feeling in my gut and turned the TV off, I kept the Radio on and after the 5th inning I smelled COMEBACK! Too Bad We had Rogers in there, btw who else was in the Bull Pen?


Eric
April 3, 2001

Dotel was the other pitcher in the bullpen. I can't remember the exact phrase but the announcer said something like "They can bring in Rogers" and about a minute later "Now Dotel's warming up, so it'll be Rogers, a flutterbll pitcher or Dotel who throws heaters." I can't really say I blame Kenny. I blame Leiter, Franco, Benitez, and Valentine all before him.


leiterfluid22
October 29, 2001

Despite being perhaps the second most ugly postseason Met loss I have ever seen (I am only 16), this is one of the most exciting playoff games in history. I remember watching Al, my favorite Met, and that sparkling Met defense give up those five early runs. But when they eventually got to the 7th and trailed 7 to 3, I just said to myself (in bed and listening to the radio), "Mojo risin'." Then what became what I call today as three weddings and a funeral happened for the Mets.

First I saw them just club good ol' Smoltzy for 4 runs including that classic Piazza shot deep the other way. Next came the improbable base hit by Melly Mora to give them a 1-run lead. After that was blown, I watched big Benny beat Andruw Jones' throw home in the 10th, only to have the not immortal Armando give it right back.

Then came the funeral. Once Gerald Williams led off with the double I knew it was almost over, but I still had hope. What I still don't understand though, is if they started Leiter on three days to skip Rogers' turn, why bring Rogers into a tied extra-inning game on the road when there is zero margin for error? All in all, from opening day in Florida, all the way to ball four to Andruw Jones, this still remains as the greatest season in Mets history. Even better than 1986, and 2000.


SKAdoo420
November 7, 2001

This is one of my most hated game in Mets playoff history. I still have nightmares about Kenny Rogers and his pitch selection to Andruw Jones. When the bases were juiced and u needed to throw a strike why throw anything else but a fastball. As any met fan saw he was looking for the walk so make hi take a strike. Worse thing that could of happened is that he crushes it or a sac fly type ball. LET HIM HIT IT. He might grounded into the doubleplay if u let him take a swing. As a met fan im glad Kenny is gone as well as this game and I pray it never happens again.


Mets2Moon
January 25, 2002

The game 6 few thought would happen started, for me, not in front of a TV, but in a meeting featuring me screaming at people because I wanted to get the hell out of there and back to my house to watch the game. And when I got back, it was 5- 0! A fine How do you do indeed. Then, it happened. 3 in the 6th, but the Braves countered with 2. Then the Mets started whipping some long hits off of Smoltz in the 7th, capped by Piazza, looking as if he'd just been hit by a truck, blasted one out of the ballpark, and I damn near jumped through the ceiling. The Mets would take subsequent leads in this game, and each time the Braves tied it. And finally they prevailed on Kenny #$%#$^ Rogers' fluttering curve. Just before the pitch, I turned to my roommate and said, "Well, if it ends here, it's been one hell of a run, and nothing to be ashamed of...But wouldn't it be sweet if they got out of it?" The pitch is thrown..."Oh dear." Not to be, and all I was left with was this haunting chant over NBC's feed of "Mets suck!" A postscript: The next night, I actually put on NBC at 8, expecting to see Game 7, and instead getting Friends. And thanks to the $@$&*^%# braves, I refused to watch any of the World Series.


Eddie
December 14, 2003

I remember having to work that night. I popped a tape in the VCR, planning to watch the game when I got home. When I got home, I rewound the tape, watched all the pre-game stuff, then the game started. Bam!!!! 5-zip, Braves, my stomach felt queezy. I figured that I would just fast forward to the end of the game and watch the coffin being nailed shut. But a strange thing happened, as I was fast forwarding the tape (FF play), all of the sudden I saw the Mets running around the bases. I slowed the tape, oh my god! They were scoring some runs! Then when Bobby Boo Boo came off the bench and got a hit I thought for sure The Almighty was a Met fan. Then, top of the 8th, Piazza comes up (his hands were so messed up by this time, he could barely hold the bat), and jacks one in to the right field seats off of Smoltz to give the Mets the lead, I came out of my chair hollering. I probably woke my upstairs neighbor (remember, I had to work, so it was probably about 1:30 AM by this time). I can remember the camera panning the Braves dougout, they looked like a collective deer in the headlights, they were in shock! I'll say this till the day I die, and no one will convince me any different. If the Mets had held on and won that game, they would have won Game 7 too. And finally, I can remember watching ESPN the next day. They interviewed a few of the Yankees, they were disappointed, they really wanted to play the Mets.


Lee
July 13, 2004

The heartbreaker of a century. If the Mets won this, they would become the first team in playoff history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit to force a 7th game. But the Braves got 5 runs. But the Mets come back and then Piazza tied it in the 8th (and he wasn't just playing injured he was playing dead) with a home run and I was jumping up and down and the Mets, throughout the game, would score runs only to have it tied by the Braves and then, in the bottom of the 10th, the Mets had a one run lead and then they tied and, with the bases loaded, Andruw Jones stepped up against Kenny Rogers, and, the infamous pitch, where Kenny Rogers floats a horrible curve with brings Gerald Williams home from third to send the Braves to the World Series and send the Mets home. It totally killed me.


Even Stephen
October 4, 2004

Never Say Die. I have always said that when Bobby Valnetine managed the Mets his teams never gave up. Most teams would have mailed it in after the first. But the Mets battled back, refusing to die. They may have lost the game but that team gained a lot of respect.


Joe
April 19, 2006

When thinking about this game one thing comes to mind. Mike Piazza! The home run he hit off of Smoltz in the 7th was one of the most remarkable home runs I've seen. you could see the faces of the Braves players just dropped. I try not to think about the bases loaded walk so I sit back and think of that homer.


Kevin from Flushing
March 20, 2007

Everything that needs to be said about this game has been said. I'll just add the 3 things that stick out the most in my memory.

Beginning of the game: 4-0 Braves before the Mets could record an out. When it hit 5-0 moments later, my good friend Jim--who had watched every playoff game with me in our respective seats--got up to leave. I yelled to him, "sit the f*** down! We're gonna come back and win this game!"

Middle of the game: Piazza bomb makes it 7-7. Good thing Jim didn't leave.

End of the game: Bases loaded. Me and Jim are so dazed and confused from the entire series that we were perfectly content with the situation, knowing we were about to record an inning-ending double play. Then Rogers throws ball one--and we both knew. Jim and I look at each other immediately and Jim says, "you're thinking what I'm thinking aren't you?" I just nodded silently, solemnly. We kept repeating, PLEADING, "over the plate, over the plate, over the plate..."

Ball four.

Jim wasted no time. He got up, shook my hand, said "it's been a great season," and stormed out. I just stared at the screen, catatonic.


Joe Lanzisera
February 23, 2009

Not much to add on this one except that it may have been the hardest loss in Mets history for me to accept. I still think the 99 Mets were supposed to be the first team to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a seven-game series. We all know what the Red Sox did five years later, but this was hard to take. Piazza's blast is still an all-time highlight - right up there with Ventura's GS single the game before and all the big homers in '86.


Jeff
June 23, 2016

As it was said earlier in this section, the blame for this loss should ride heavily on the 2 "closers" this team had and how each one failed to hold the lead. A starter coming in relief is tough especially when some starters needs to get some pitches in to get loose.







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