This Day in Mets History

[metirish]

Game 7 against the Cardinals,  Jeff Suppan V Oliver Perez 

 

Memories? Obviously Wainwright and Beltran, but I had forgotten that the Mets had loaded the bases in the 6th only for Jose Valentin to strike out and Endy Chavez to fly out,  a good look back with this article from Mark Simon from 10 years ago 

 

On this date: Cardinals top Mets in epic Game 7 of 2006 NLCS - ESPN - Stats & Info- ESPN https://share.google/6KexAZRPJPdlgysAn

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, that Valentin strikeout was a kneecapper.

This also the day that "Kalvin Koonce" and his teammates made their singing debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, also featuring the debut of Jack DiLauro's impressionist act. 

 

[Gwreck]

One of the three most consequential losses of the last 35 years of Mets baseball.  A win and not only do the Mets win the World Series, I’m also convinced that the 2007 and 2008 are also playoff appearances.

I was there and still remember the details.  Rained lightly for most of the second half of the game.  Two curtain calls for Endy, which I’ve never seen before or since for a defensive play.  Fully supported Heilman pitching the 9th since it seemed like the game was headed for extras and he had gotten past Pujols and the top of the Cardinals order in the 8th.

It’s true that Valentin’s strikeout in the 6th was bad but he also lead off the bottom of the 9th with a single when the Mets had taken a big punch.  When Chavez followed with his own single I was thinking it would be like 1986 Game 6 again.

Two on and none out, pitcher’s spot up.  Mets could have:

(1) used Chris Woodward, Julio Franco, or Ramon Castro as a “standard” pinch hitter.   Franco was a zillion years old and was 0-4 in the postseason with 3 Ks.  Woodward hadn’t played in the NLCS but had a leadoff double in his one and only PA in the Division series.  Castro hadn’t played at all in the postseason as the backup catcher.  

(2) used Glavine as a pinch hitter to bunt.  Would’ve been pretty obvious what he was going to be asked do if he was announced but was far and away the best bunter on the team.

(3) use Floyd as a pinch hitter to try to win it with a homer/tie it with an extra base hit.  Floyd had a good division series but got hurt in NLCS game 1.  Had one previous pinch hitting PA in game 5 against Wainwright (grounded out).

At the time I was in favor of Woodward but upon further review maybe Floyd was the right choice.  Would’ve been an all time Mets hero.

Reyes then flew out on a ball that just stayed up too long.  But when LoDuca then walked, I still felt confident in Beltran.

Alas, it turned out to be the last playoff game ever at Shea.  I’ve attended most of the playoff games at Citi but none have surpassed what it was like seeing the Mets at Shea in the playoffs.

2006 was the only season in the last 35 years in which I was absolutely certain the Mets were the better team in every single game they played that year.  

Obviously the two Game 1 losses in the 00/15 WS were worse…and objectively, the two Game 4 losses in the 00/15 WS were probably more consequential…but this one game in particular bothers me perhaps the most.