Sum Up the 2006 Mets...

[Guest Edgy DC]

...one memory at a time.

The Zambrano saga, his elbow blowing up, his heart breaking, Pedro picking a fight with the reporters over him, and even early hint of Trachsel being in Willie's doghouse when he insisted that Zambrano isn't his number-five starter, even though he was pitching like it.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I'll never forget Zambrano's last game with the Mets, at least for this season. A visit to the mound by Willie, and when the game resumes, Victor gets a swinging strikeout and charges off the mound and into the dugout immediately after releasing the pitch.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Going to the NLDS, knowing that twice within one week we lost our presumed starting pitcher. Tailgating, attending the game, and seeing John Maine pitch the game of his life (prior to this past week's game of his life) and the double play at home plate!

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

More on Victor Zambrano:

This is from the IGT from that May 6 game:

Yancy Street Gang May 06 2006 01:56 PM

martin wrote: maybe he has an upset stomach or something, he didnt look like anything was wrong otherwise physically. that could certainly make him run off the mound like that. I thought the same thing. But he wouldn't have been calmly discussing that on the mound a few pitches before, I wouldn't think. Telling Willie and the trainer, "I really have to poop badly." "Well, Victor, get this last batter out and then we'll let you go potty."

[HahnSolo]

I will remember that road trip in June. For a week and a half stretch they were unbeatable, and it was incredible to watch.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

John Maine, for 26 consecutive innings, stubbornly refused to allow an earned run.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

A mid-summer flurry of grand slams.

Julio Franco making Carlos Beltran take a curtain call in April.

Pedro winning 5 games in April. Who would've thought (other than Bret Sabermetric) that there would only be 4 more the rest of the way?

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

My wife howling in labor pain while Aaron Rowland smashes his face into the fence...

[Valadius]

July 16, 2006. Mets vs. Cubs.

Top 6th: NY Mets
- C. Woodward flied out to center
- C. Beltran safe at first on T. Walker's fielding error
- C. Delgado singled to center, C. Beltran to second
- D. Wright singled to right, C. Beltran to third, C. Delgado to second
- C. Floyd homered to deep left, C. Delgado, C. Beltran and D. Wright scored
- X. Nady walked
- R. Novoa relieved S. Marshall
- R. Castro reached on fielder's choice, X. Nady to second on T. Walker's fielding error
- E. Chavez hit for P. Feliciano
- E. Chavez singled to right, X. Nady scored, R. Castro to third
- E. Chavez stole second
- J. Valentin singled to shortstop
- C. Woodward grounded into fielder's choice, R. Castro out at home, E. Chavez to third, J. Valentin to second
- C. Beltran homered to deep left center, E. Chavez, J. Valentin and C. Woodward scored
- C. Delgado doubled to deep left
- D. Wright homered to deep right, C. Delgado scored
- W. Ohman relieved R. Novoa
- C. Floyd walked
- X. Nady walked, C. Floyd to second
- R. Castro flied out to deep center

11 runs, 8 hits, 2 errors

OE: Curiously, the Yahoo boxscore listed the Novoa to Ohman pitching change as "W. Ohman relieved W. Ohman".

[TransMonk]

May 23rd against Philly...Beltran hits the 16th inning walkoff HR off Ryan Madsen who had just pitched 7 shutout innings in relief. Mets win 9-8!

[Guest Edgy DC]

The dissolution of Paul Lo Duca's marriage improbably doimnating the tabloids for the better part of a week, and the Wifey Watch cup running over.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060808/060808_loDuca_vsmall_9a.vsmall.jpg

[Gwreck]

The August 22nd game against the Cardinals might've been my favorite from the whole year. You know the one: Mets down 7-1, Delgado's 400th as a Grand Slam, Beltran wins it with the walk-off.

Early taste of what the playoff atmosphere at Shea.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

How about the shutout that Alay Soler (remember him?) pitched in Phoenix? I enjoyed Gary and Ron commenting on the silly little chair that Soler was sitting on each inning while the Mets were batting.

[Willets Point]

Attending a Mets game in person, Tom Glavine starts, the Mets lose. This happened to me three times this season out of six games I attended so it's rather ingrained in my psyche.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

MK's 10th birthday coinciding with Mike Piazza's return to Shea.

[soupcan]

Wright making an amazing play on a smash down the line to save Wagner's ass (and the game) in Philly.

OE; one at a time soup, one at a time. Sorry.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Milledge homers off of Benitez in the 10th to tie the game.

Afterward, he high-fives some fans, and judging by the backlash, kicked a few puppies.

[G-Fafif]

Summer lasting as long as it did.

[metirish]

Beltran taking that curtain call at the urging of Franco..

[metirish]

The 1986 celebration in August....gives me goose bumps even thinking about it...

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Sweeping the Braves. Oooooh was that awesome.

[DocTee]

]OE: Curiously, the Yahoo boxscore listed the Novoa to Ohman pitching change as "W. Ohman relieved W. Ohman". Ohman was relieving himself on the mound? Gross.

[smg58]

It's a shame it didn't keep the Mets' season going, but I'll remember Endy's catch after I've forgotten everything else.

[MFS62]

A taste of what is yet to come.

Later

[Guest Iubitul]

I think Milledge's curtain call and high-fiving the fans was the type of exuberance that personified this team.

My dad listened to M&MD yesterday, and said that Mike said something that was spot on. He said, and I'm paraphrasing here, that the Met fans were disappionted because we really loved this team, and that Yankee fans were angry, because they really didn't love them...

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Beltran hitting the home run against the Marlins the first Friday night of the season, and not wanting to take the curtain call until Julio Franco talked him into it.

In a lot of ways, I identify that moment as the turning point of Beltran's season.

[Willets Point]

It's Lima time! Funny and painful at once.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

="Willets Point"]It's Lima time! Funny and painful at once.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Lima was the only player ever to make his Mets debut in a Harpo Marx wig.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Valentin pulled seven ribbies in his first two at-bats in game two of that double-header that should have been banner day but wasn't.