The Happiest Recap (Mets Win! They Win!)

[G-Fafif]

Two Mikes and one clinch highlight the latest edition.

148: 2001 -- Piazza 9/21
149: 2006 -- Eighteen years of waiting
150: 1975 -- The Vail of potential

Plus...

148: 1996 -- When Todd Hundley was the hottest of stuff
149: 1968 -- Jim McAndrew seeks consistent support
150: 1976 -- Young Lee Mazzilli sinks the Pirates

[batmagadanleadoff]

149: 1968 -- Jim McAndrew seeks consistent support

McAndrew's first two Wins were, as you note, complete game shutout victories over opposing future Hall of Fame starting pitchers Steve Carlton and Ferguson Jenkins.

Carlton and Jenkins are the answers to another Met trivia question. What's the question?

[Edgy MD]

Which two pitchers have the most career victories over the Mets?

[G-Fafif]

Edgy DC wrote: Which two pitchers have the most career victories over the Mets?

That's not it.

[G-Fafif]

Probably not what you're looking for, but they won the Cy Youngs in the only 20-win seasons of Seaver that did not net Tom a trophy (Jenkins 1971, Carlton 1972, 1977).

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

149: 1968 -- Jim McAndrew seeks consistent support McAndrew's first two Wins were, as you note, complete game shutout victories over opposing future Hall of Fame starting pitchers Steve Carlton and Ferguson Jenkins. Carlton and Jenkins are the answers to another Met trivia question. What's the question?

Which pitchers have made the most career starts opposite the Mets?

[G-Fafif]

Carlton had the most career starts against the Mets. I'm second.

Am I that unmemorable?

[G-Fafif]

And in case anyone's wondering, I have the second-most losses to the Mets, behind Carlton.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Mark Fhyrie makes his Mets debut




Hundley is poised to make short-lived history


Who's at short?


It's gone.






No Win for you!


Joel Youngblood's two hits in one day against two different teams were struck against future hall of fame pitchers Fergie Jenkins and Steve Carlton

[G-Fafif]

Joel Youngblood's two hits in one day against two different teams were against future hall of fame pitchers Fergie Jenkins and Steve Carlton

Good one -- as is that card.

As are those images. Man, remember how bleeping significant Todd Hundley was in our lives pre-Piazza? And, as the Also Quite Happy Game 148 writeup indicates, what a great quote he was?

[G-Fafif]

You Gotta...well, you know.

151. 1988 -- Mets briefly re-create aura of invincibility
152. 1973 -- Tug saves, Cleon slugs
153. 1973 -- Jones to Garrett to Hodges to Eternity

Also...

151. 1973 -- Pirates get Buzzed
152. 1989 -- When Sid Fernandez was right, nothing was wrong
153. 1975 -- Rusty goes for three (digits) while Sky King tops the Big Donkey

[G-Fafif]

With ten games to go, The Happiest Recap's magic number is all of them. But in this case, it's these three.

Mets aren't in the playoffs. So read the stories, not just the teases.

154: 1998 -- Wild war of nerves in Houston (co-starring Piazza & Hundley)
155: 2004 -- Stemming the Cubbie invasion (co-starring Diaz & Brazell)
156. 2011 -- Temporarily grounding the Cardinals (a true team effort)

Also...

154. 2002 -- Esix Snead in 'One Night Only'
155. 1983 -- Tom Seaver's stealth goodbye
156. 1962 -- The Polo Grounds only thinks it's dead at the present time

[G-Fafif]

A singular sensation for this edition...

157: 1969 -- The Mets' Magic Number is 1

and Also Quite Happily...

157: 1985 -- 10:44 Central Daylight Time

Enjoy!

[G-Fafif]

For the Mets history lover, these...

158: 2000 -- Mets low-key their second consecutive clinching
159: 2008 -- Shea Stadium sees one final walkoff

Also...

158: 1999 -- Mets break ill-timed losing streak with exquisitely timed explosion
159: 1971 -- Tom Seaver, peaking (with a one-hitter, no less)

[G-Fafif]

Penultimately speaking...

160: 1982 -- Terry Leach and the longest one-hitter
161: 1973 -- You Gotta Believe the Mets wrap it up

Also...

160: 1999 -- Rogers good, Franco lucky, Robin clutch, Mets alive
161: 2008 -- Santana disregards knee in deference to being a MAN

[Edgy MD]

I remember the Terry Leach one-hitter vividly. I remember Tillman scoring the go-ahead run. I remember Giles catching the last out.

But the losing pitcher was Porfi Altamirano? Who?

[G-Fafif]

And here's how it ends:

162: 1999 -- Mora comes home on a wild pitch
163: 1999 -- Leiter goes further on a two-hitter

With...

162: 1986 -- Some closing numbers
163: 1979 -- Some closing acts

AND...

A few words on the one Game 164 and eight ties in Mets history!

Hope you've enjoyed checking the standings at the very least, and if you read any (or all) of this 56-part, 326-game series, thank you very much.

[Edgy MD]

Thank you, G-F. Great work.

[TransMonk]

[G-Fafif]

Thanks Edgy, Monk and clapping guy.

[G-Fafif]

All 163, presented medley-style, here.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I love leftovers.

In case I didn't say it earlier, thanks for this, G. T'was a sort of memory lifeline for those of us chained to this waterlogged, listing liner.