centerfield maz

Friday Night, May 6th, 1983: Shea Stadium filled just 15,916 seats, as two Mets stars from different generations careers crossed over. Tonight, was the much-anticipated debut of the young, talented, Mets rookie outfielder, Darryl Strawberry. Strawberry, the former number one draft pick was ushering in a new era in Mets history, while on the mound, "The Franchise" Tom Seaver represented the past, the Glory Days of a Mets Championship.  In December of 1982, Seaver had been brought to the Mets in a trade with the Reds for Charlie Puleo, Llyod McClendon & Jason Felice. Tonight George Bamberger's Mets (7-15) hosted Russ Nixon's Cincinnati Reds (13-14).  Tom Seaver (1-0) was coming off his first win of the year in his return to New York, a three hit shut out over the Pirates. Tonight he went up against Mario Soto (3-2). Soto would win 17 games for the last place Reds that year. Tom Seaver & Mario Soto held their opponents scoreless thru the first ...

Wednesday May 5th 2004 :   As Mike Piazza was entering the Twilight of his career, he was putting some finish touches on his Hall of Fame career. At age 34, injuries & 13 years of catching was taking its toll on Piazza.  Entering this game, Piazza had hit 351 HRs while playing in the catchers position tied with Carlton Fisk.  A Shea Stadium crowd of 19,974 came out on this night to see history be made. Tonight, Art Howe's fourth place Mets (12-15) hosted Felipe Alou's fifth place San Francisco Giants (12-16). The  starting pitchers were Jae Weong Seo for the Mets & Jerome Williams for the Giants.  It didn't take Mike Piazza long to make MLB history. In the bottom of the 1st inning, with two outs, Mike Piazza hit Jerome Williams' fastball, over the right center field wall.  All Time HRs for Catchers: The HR was Piazza's 352nd career HR while playing at the catcher's position, (363rd HR overall) putting him first on the MLB all-time list amo...

Wednesday May 4th,1966: A small crowd of 7,924 came to the newly opened Busch Stadium in St. Louis, to see Wes Westrum's New York Mets (6-8) take on Red Schoendienst Cardinals (8-11). In a year where the Mets went 62-99, this night was one of the team's highlights on that season. In 1966 the Mets playing in their fifth season, put up 62 wins which was the most to date at that time. This was three years before the Amazing's 100-win World Championship year of 1969. T he Mets starter was Jack Hamiliton who would have his best outing in his Mets career.   In Hamilton's last start he had earned his second win of the year, allowing three earned runs in 6.1 innings of a 14-11 Mets win at Wrigley Field.  In his first ten starts he gave up two earned two runs or less six times posting a 2.95 ERA but just a 4-4 record. Today Hamilton went up against the Cardinals Ray Sadecki, who had been a twenty-game winner two years earlier in the Cardinals 1964 Cham...

Thursday May 5th, 2022: Buck Showalter's first place Mets (18-9) went to Philadelphia to take on Joe Girardi's Phillies (11-14) who were on a three-game losing streak.  24,040 came to Citizens Bank Park on this warm evening as the Phillies wore their 1970's classic powder blue uniforms.   The Mets' Taijuan Walker (0-0) took on the Phillies Aaron Nola (1-3).  It was just the third start of the year for Taijuan Walker. He had started the fifth game of the season but only pitched two scoreless innings. He was then side lined for two & a half weeks with bursitis before returning on April 25th. In the bottom of the 1st, things did not go good for the Mets. The Phillies would score four runs & send ten men to the plate. Kyle Schwarber led off with a walk, then Alex Bohm reached on a fielder's choice. Bryce Harper doubled to left field bringing in the first run.  Nick Castellanos' grounded out but Bohm scored with the second run.  J.T. Realmuto ...

The powerful 2006 Mets had ended the first month of the season 16-8 in first place, with a six-game lead over the second place Phillies & Braves. Willie Randolph's team had two walk off wins in April. They began May collecting three more walk off wins in the first five days of the month. They would have nine wins in their final at bat in the month. Monday May 1st, 2006: On this night the Mets (16-8) hosted Frank Robinson's Washington Nationals (8-17) in front of 28,310 fans at Shea Stadium. Mets hurler, Victor Zambrano pitched one of his better games in a New York uniform, allowing just one run, an RBI single to catcher, Brian Schneider. In six innings of work, he scattered five hits, walked two & struck out four.  In the bottom of the 6th, Carlos Delgado led off the inning with a solo HR, the only run Ramon Ortiz would give up in his seven innings of work for Washington. After Zambrano was done, the Mets bullpen then held the Nat's hitless for the next three inn...