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Remembering Mets History (1990) "Sweet Music" Frank Viola Sets Franchise Record With Nine Straight Wins

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Things had slowly going sour for the Mets, since the '86 Championship Season. They had only made the post season one more time (1988) in the 1980's not living up to the expectations put on them.  They began 1990 looking to top the NL East once again. The pitching staff was led by Dwight Gooden, David Cone, Sid Fernandez, Ron Darling & Frank Viola. The Mets had acquired Frank Viola during the 1989 season. The Long Island native & St. John's alumni was certainly a local boy. At the time he was the AL's current reigning Cy Young Award winner. After starting out at 3-5 he won his last two starts of the 1989 season. On September 29th he pitched a 7-2 complete game win in Pittsburgh. April 11th 1990: In 1990 Viola started the third game of the season shutting out the Pirates for 7.2 innings at Shea Stadium, allowing five hits with eight strike outs earning his first win over Pittsburgh's John Smiley. Greg Jefferies & Kevin McReynolds both homered with Darryl ...

Remembering Mets History (1962) The First Two Walk Off HRs in Mets History Help Craig Anderson Collect Wins in Both Ends of a Double Header

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Saturday May 12th, 1962: The expansion New York Mets were in their infancy just into the second month of the teams start.  On this Saturday afternoon  a good crowd of 19,748 came out to  the Polo Grounds as Casey Stengel's New York Mets (6-17) hosted Manager Birdie Tibbets, Milwaukee Braves (13-15) in a double header.  It was the Mets second double header, on April 29th they split a twin bill with the Phillies in the Polo Grounds. In the first game of the twin bill, Roger Craig (1-3) got the start for the Mets going up against the Braves future Hall of Fame pitcher, Warren Spahn (3-3).  In the top of the 2nd, Milwaukee's Del Crandall homered to put the Braves on the board 1-0. In the top of the 5th, the Braves Frank Bolling led off with a base hit then stole second & advanced to third on a throwing error by Mets second baseman Charlie Neal. Braves pitcher Warren Spahn singled bringing in the Braves second run. In his 21-year career Spahn collected 189 RBIs ...

Yogi Berra: The Mets Years (1965-1975) Former Mets Player-Coach & Manager

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After the 1963 season & a sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, Yogi Berra retired from playing baseball. He had just one at bat in that Series as he ended his Hall of Fame career.  That October, Berra took over as manager of the A.L. New York team replacing Raph Houck. Berra was unsure if he could manage, so he turned down a two-year contract & insisted on a one-year deal. Although he got the team to the World Series, the last one they would play in for another twelve years, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Even after all his years with the organization, Berra was fired. Across the borough in Queens, former AL New York team GM George Weiss & manager Casey Stengel were now running the Mets, National League baseball team heading into the club's fourth season.  Casey a huge fan of Berra, once said he never played a big game without his man, that man was Berra. The Mets gave Berra a position as a player/coach. With his wife Carmen's...