The Happiest Recap (Mets Win! They Win!)

[G-Fafif]

New seasonlong project commences today on FAFIF, entitled The Happiest Recap, saluting the spirit of Bob Murphy's signature phrase and the high points of fifty years of Mets baseball. Details explained here but essentially it compiles a "best" Mets season from every Mets season -- "best" Game 001 the Mets ever played; "best" Game 002 the Mets ever played; best Game 146 the Mets ever played...and like that until we have the "best" 163 games (a.k.a. wins) in Mets history. Not a "this date in..." exercise, but a dream schedule crafted from actual Met schedules. That is to say our 33rd game was some season's 33rd game. The fun (I hope) will come in the recalling and exploring 163 great games.

"Best" in quotes above since the whole thing is by nature subjective, but the parameters involve choosing games that are Momentous, Exciting, Tremendous, Superb...you know, Mets.

Anyway, we're posting them three at a time twice weekly, on Monday or Tuesday and again on Friday. The first three are up. They are, in case you're scoring at home (or even if you're alone)...

001: 1985 -- Gary Carter's Opening Day introduction
002: 1968 -- Jerry Koosman's first win as a second starter
003: 1969 -- Tommie Agee's blast to the stars

Alternate choices are offered with each entry, as there can never be too many Happy Recaps.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think I can guess which will be number 163!

[G-Fafif]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think I can guess which will be number 163!

No spoilers!

Part of this (as explained in the setup posted last night) came from a conviction that sure, we remember Opening Day and maybe Closing Day and a couple in between at the edges (or just after, as you imply), but who the hell says, "That was the best 74th game the Mets ever played?"

Nobody...'til now.

[Edgy MD]

There's something wonderfully timeless about how the Mets were born at the dawn of the 162-game era, so this project (which I salute) works in part because they never played 154-game ball. They were also integrated from day one, becoming, to my figuring, the first team to never have had a color line to break. They even reached the post-season in the first ever year of divison play/tiered playoffs.

It's like baseball became what it became for the Mets to serve as the apotheosis of the institution.

[G-Fafif]

Well put.

Suck on it, Angels, Senators and Colt .45s.

[Theoldmole]

They win the damn thing!

[Gwreck]

Question for G-Fafif:

Did you already assemble the list? Or are you working on it as the season goes on?
Aside from #1 and #163 (the two easiest choices), I wonder what other games were "obvious picks" and what ones were the toughest to figure out.

[batmagadanleadoff]

You are the King of all Metaholics.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Always wanted to make a disco remix of that Murphy call.

The Mets win! They win! They wuh-wuh-wuh-wuh-wuh-Win!
(kick it!)

[Edgy MD]

Gary Carter's homer: it was like 38 degrees that day, wasn't it?

[G-Fafif]

Question for G-Fafif: Did you already assemble the list? Or are you working on it as the season goes on? Aside from #1 and #163 (the two easiest choices), I wonder what other games were "obvious picks" and what ones were the toughest to figure out.

The list is a work in progress but it's well along, close to the two-thirds mark. I've been doing a little here, a little there for about a year.

It has been my habit to think of "obvious" choices and pencil them in ahead of time, covering roughly a third of the board, maybe a little more. When due diligence comes around, though, I occasionally discover some choices weren't so obvious after all. The fun/stress is in discovering two dynamite choices occurred in the same game number and then sorting them out. Still, I've been pretty lucky to find some of the more famous standout games that occurred in close calendar proximity did not directly clash. Right around midseason you'll get a sense of this.

Game 1 was, I suppose, fairly obvious, but I took a while to commit to it because, as noted in this thread, every Opening Day win lingers in the mind as absolutely wonderful. In my heart, I leaned toward what to me was the quintessential Mets Opening Day, but for historical purposes, the one that was chosen couldn't be beat. Nor should it have been.

[seawolf17]

Dammit, this is a great effing idea. I wish I had Greg's insight just for one day.

[soupcan]

Edgy DC wrote: Gary Carter's homer: it was like 38 degrees that day, wasn't it?

It sure fucking felt like it.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I was very very cold that day. Bought a few hot chocolates, but they did little good.

I remember thinking that the next day, somebody would show up at Shea and find 50,000 frozen corpses.

[HahnSolo]

I'll add to the chorus and chime in. This is a fantastic idea.

[Met Hunter]

Since this is the 50th season, and its a celebration of the best of 50 years, shouldn't games this year be able to unseat ones from the past? Think of how many times that happened in the 25th season.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Met Hunter wrote: Since this is the 50th season, and its a celebration of the best of 50 years, shouldn't games this year be able to unseat ones from the past? Think of how many times that happened in the 25th season.

Hmm.

HMM.

[G-Fafif]

Met Hunter wrote: Since this is the 50th season, and its a celebration of the best of 50 years, shouldn't games this year be able to unseat ones from the past? Think of how many times that happened in the 25th season.

We reserve the right to call audibles.

[stevejrogers]

Hmmm, maybe someone should check this book out as a running thing as well



162-0: Imagine a Mets Perfect Season

Seeing where Greg goes and where this book goes might be interesting to track.

[G-Fafif]

You can do what you want with that book, but that picks games by date, which isn't what I'm doing. I'm sure some games will make dual appearances.

[seawolf17]

I do NOTHING WITH THAT BOOK. I only do things with books by Greg and JCL. (Things you don't want to know.)

[G-Fafif]

The Happiest Recap gets some really fine pitching.

004: 1984 -- Dwight Gooden's antsy debut
005: 1964 -- Al Jackson puts a shine on Shea
006: 2005 -- Pedro Martinez outlasts John Smoltz

[G-Fafif]

The Happiest Recap offers more firsts.

007: 1967 -- Tom Seaver goes to 1-0
008: 2009 -- Citi Field goes to 1-1
009: 1986 -- World domination commences in earnest

[G-Fafif]

After the last five games, who couldn't use The Happiest Recap's latest installment?

010: 1962 -- The schneid is departed
011: 2010 -- The game won't end
012: 2006 -- The dynamic has changed

Enjoy, for crissake.

[G-Fafif]

Lots of K's, one for the PG and the joys of small sample size in today's The Happiest Recap

013: 1970 -- Seaver strikes out 19, the last 10 in a row
014: 1962 -- Mets win in front of the home folks at last
015: 1978 -- A lovely April stretch lands the team in first

[Centerfield]

Gwreck wrote: Question for G-Fafif: Did you already assemble the list? Or are you working on it as the season goes on? Aside from #1 and #163 (the two easiest choices), I wonder what other games were "obvious picks" and what ones were the toughest to figure out.

Matt Franco beating Mariano Rivera, rallying in the 9th against Curt Schilling, Gooden's 1 hitter against Chicago, July 4th game in Atlanta, and the game after the September 11 attacks would be my picks as locks.

[G-Fafif]

Centerfield wrote: Question for G-Fafif: Did you already assemble the list? Or are you working on it as the season goes on? Aside from #1 and #163 (the two easiest choices), I wonder what other games were "obvious picks" and what ones were the toughest to figure out. Matt Franco beating Mariano Rivera, rallying in the 9th against Curt Schilling, Gooden's 1 hitter against Chicago, July 4th game in Atlanta, and the game after the September 11 attacks would be my picks as locks.

Stay tuned...

[G-Fafif]

From three long days at Shea:

016: 1992 -- Daryl Boston's shirt
017: 1985 -- Rusty Staub's shift
018: 1969 -- Cleon Jones's swing

[batmagadanleadoff]

I'd buy this in book form, even though I'll surely have read most, if not all of it, online.

[G-Fafif]

Grudge matches, you might say:

019: 1987 -- Sid Fernandez (and Keith Hernandez) vs. Mike Scott
020: 1992 -- David Cone vs. History (and Benny DiStefano)
021: 1974 -- Bob L. Miller II vs. Bob L. Miller I (if not necessarily Bob G. Miller)

The undercard...

019: 2007 -- Endy's non-bummer of a drag bunt
020: 1962 -- Mets go long and successful for the first time
021: 1988 -- Cincy crowd inspired by Shea counterparts from 15 years earlier