Previous Game:
September 16, 1986
Mets 4, Cardinals 2
1986 Regular Season Game 145
September 17, 1986
Mets 4, Cubs 2
Next Game:
September 18, 1986
Mets 5, Cubs 0
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National League Standings, September 17, 1986

Box Score Game Memories Scorecard Mets Stats
Thru This Game

METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE SEPTEMBER 17, 1986 GAME:

flushing flash
July 12, 2000
The Murph's call:

"ground ball to second base...Backman to Hernandez..it's over!...Keith Hernandez took the throw...and ohhh, my goodness, the fans are storming the field!!"

Henri Devigne
June 21, 2001
WE CLINCH!!!.....I was in the Loge behind home plate....Gooden vs. Eckersley.....I had tickets for this game a month and a half in advance...Before they played the Cubs all they had to do was win one game in Philly to clinch, but they got swept leaving the clincher for this night.......Yes I was one of the crazies on the field, but everyone on the field was far from crazy....Perfect strangers were hugging each other inside and outside of Shea....It was the most fun I've ever had at a game...

bob mercier
November 24, 2001
It was pretty incredible how the grounds grew got the field back in shape for the game the next afternoon after the fans stormed the field when the Mets won the NL East. The effort that the Mets showed in this game was pretty good too. It seemed like the Cubs were mounting a little threat in the 9th and trying their hardest to delay the Mets celebration. But the Mets were able to retire the Cubs and the Mets won the division for the first time since 1973. I was not one of those fans that stormed the field because I was not at this game and even if I was at this game I wouldn't have bothered to go on the field. I am not being mean of course to you folks that did do going on the field, but I am just saying that was a little bit of a wild scene to watch on tv.

Mipper
June 8, 2003
I remember being disappointed that Keith Hernandez wasn't starting, but Dave Magadan was great in his first major league start. I even got him to autograph my homework before the game (I was only allowed to go if I promised to finish my homework during pre-game.)

Top of the ninth, fans were hanging off of the outfield wall, waiting for the final out. I was one of those who went on the field from my seats down the right field line. And, yeah, I still have a small piece of turf from the celebration.

Without a doubt, my most memorable game.

cookie
January 10, 2005
I was 22 and not much of a baseball fan, but had the opportunity to go to this game which seemed to sound like a great one to attend. I remember incredible excitement and being awestruck at the fans rushing the field and tearing up chunks of turf. I also remember being driven home to LI and watching people tossing pieces of turf out along the LIE. An unusual day but one to remember. I still have my ticket stub from that day. Mets vs Cubs, loge seat, Wed. Sept 17, 1986 7:35PM.

Putbeds 1986
March 24, 2006
Last Night (Thursday 3/23) on SNY (SportsNet NewYork) after the Mets-Marlins contest was rained out, they went to Mets Classics and they showed this game which aired on Ch. 9 (Thank God! My area didn't get cable until 1987). Gooden, showing some signs of the troubles ahead, goes the distance and Dave Magadan, filling in for a sick Keith, gets a couple of hits. Keith, however, went on the field for the last 2 innings; he wanted to be on the field for the final out. Dennis Eckersley was the losing pitcher for the Cubs and Rafael Palermo (pre-roids) hit a 2 run homer. I remember Rusty Staub saying "hoping that Shea Stadium survives" and the image of a fan hugging Gary Carter after the last out and the craziness and when Gary got into the dugout he looked like he wanted to bite someone's head off. Pete Flynn's comments of "They don't deserve a winner" rang somewhat true. It would be the last ransacking of a field after a clinching ever, considering we're living in perilous times these days.

John L.
July 28, 2006
I was at this game. I remember the anticipation of the clinching; I had been a Mets fan since '73 and was too young to put that championship into its perspective. I too was one of the "crazies" storming the field. It was such a surreal atmosphere and as one of the previous posters mentioned complete strangers were hugging each other. In particular I recall hugging some attractive young women (which for a guy that had just turned 18 was worth the price of admission alone). The scene must have looked like a mini V-J day. People were popping champagne in the parking lot and on the platform of the subway station.

Bob K.
October 8, 2006
The previous weekend, I had driven down to Philadelphia with some equally crazy friends to watch the Mets clinch there. Of course, they lost on Friday night and again on Saturday. My friends decided to stay for the Sunday game, but I had zero confidence in Sid Fernandez against the Phillies. So I drove home and watched the Mets lose on Sunday, too. That painful lost weekend made it all the sweeter to be in the stands and watch the Mets clinch against the Cubs. My most vivid memories of the game were the line drives that young Dave Magadan hit, filling in for Keith Hernandez. That was an auspicious debut for Magadan and a great night for Mets fans.

cookie
October 27, 2007
I was 22 and not much of a baseball fan, but had the opportunity to go to this game, which seemed to sound like a great one to attend. I remember incredible excitement and being awestruck at the fans rushing the field and tearing up chunks of turf. I also remember being driven home to LI and watching people tossing pieces of turf out along the LIE. An unusual day but one to remember. I still have my ticket stub. Mets vs Cubs, from that day: loge seat Wed. Sept 17,1986 7:35PM.

sportsfan8690
August 11, 2009
As I said I was at this game sitting in field level by first base. It was a night to celebrate. As the game moved into the 8th inning I saw throngs of fans making their way to the front row. I started to realize that many fans were going to rush the field. So I decided to follow suit and make my way to the front. I was right next to the photographers box. When Wally Backman threw the grounder to Hernandez me and everyone else stormed the field and it was a great experience. I almost got toppled and was getting bumped but having a great time. High fived everyone that passed me and chanting we're # 1 and we want Houston. Everyone was enjoying it all running all around and eventually all fans exited through the center field fence. (Same spot where Seaver and Piazza went through to close Shea 22 years later) Celebration continued on the 7 train all the way to Manhattan with all the cheering chants.

Shickhaus Franks
May 10, 2013
The only good thing about this time period in my life was the 1986 Mets. Was working a lousy job at a roadside restaurant (including weekends) and besides that I had to put up with 2 bosses from heck: one guy was a short, gruff-gruff jerk who probably had relatives in the Third Reich and the other was this "fugly" big boned "woman" who was a Yankees fan (In the words of Austin Powers: SHE'S A MAN, BABY). Anyway, I had one co-worker who was a supporter of the orange and blue and he quoted the Eagles (the rock group, not the NFL team) by saying "Mirrors on the ceiling, the champagne is on ice, the Mets will win tonight." I went, home watched the game on Ch. 9 (no cable then), the Mets won and the next morning, me and the co-worker celebrated with a little soda pop and high fives!



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The Mets suck! Smith made three errors in this game, and hit into a double play, and the Mets blew a 5-0 lead. They need to get rid of Smith and get somebody like Jones.
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Newspaper covers for this game
AT LAST!

AT LAST!

New York Daily News
September 18, 1986
CLINCH!

CLINCH!

New York Daily News
September 18, 1986
SHEA-ZAM!

SHEA-ZAM!

New York Post
September 18, 1986
NEVER IN DOUBT

NEVER IN DOUBT

New York Post
September 18, 1986




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