centerfield maz

Saturday July 24th, 1993: In the dismal 1993 season, the Mets had fired manager Jeff Torborg & brought in Dallas Green. By late July the Mets were in last place 29 games out of first. On this Saturday afternoon the Mets (32-65) took a 5-4 loss to the third place Dodgers (51-46) in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. After the game, three troubled players hanging out together were involved in an ugly incident outside Dodger Stadium. Bobby Bonilla & Vince Coleman were exiting the player parking lot in Eric Dais' car when Vince Coleman decided to throw a lit M-80-firecracker out the window near a crowd of fans standing by the exit looking for autographs. The M-80, equal to a quarter stick of dynamite injured three people, according to the authorities at the time, a one-year-old girl was treated for a burn on her face near the eye, an 11-year-old boy was treated for leg trauma & a 33-year-old woman suffered a hearing problem as well as a vertigo reaction. When interviewed none...

Sunday July 24th, 1988: Tom Seaver Day- 46,056 fans came out to Shea Stadium as the Mets officially retired Tom Seaver's #41 & inducted him into the teams Hall of Fame. All the fans in attendance got a white cap with the circled #41 on it with the words "Tom Seaver Day1988" written around it.  They were also given a Tom Seaver painted poster artist by Don Mass. Some of Tom's old team mates were on hand for the celebration. His long time battery mate Jerry Grote, former  roommate/short stop Bud Harrelson, teammate Rusty Staub, as well as his the left hander who was usually next in the rotation behind him, Jerry Koosman.  The legendary pitching coach,  Rube Walker, along with  longtime Mets trainer Tom McKenna, were also in attendance.  Tom & his wife Nancy came out from center field waving to the crowd in a convertible car circling the field. They were met on the field by their daughters Sarah & Anne as well as other family me...

Tuesday July 24th , 1984 :   In 1984 t h ere was so much excitement around the Shea Stadium it was truly magical. Davey Johnson's Mets were twenty games over .500 (57-37) riding high in first place with a 2.5 game lead over the Chicago Cubs. The previous night, the Mets won the game on a 12th inning walk off base hit from Wally Backman off reliever, former Met Neil Allen.  On this night they took on Whitey Herzog's St. Louis Cardinals (47-52) as the rivalry between the two teams was just starting to heat up.  Tonight, that Keith Hernandez one of the Mets stars & most popular players would get some revenge on his old team. In 1983,  the former NL MVP  Hernandez had come over to New York in a trade with the Cardinals.  Manager Whitey Herzog clashed with Keith's personality. He felt Keith wasn't giving it 100% on the field & suspected he was using cocaine. Keith had won five straight Gold Gloves, the 1979 batting title & co NL MVP Award, as well ...

 July 24th, 1965:  After a 5-1 loss to the Jim Bunning & the Phillies that afternoon at Shea, Mets manager Casey Stengel had a night out at the legendary Toots Shor's Restaurant. This was the second location of Toots Shor's located on 52nd St off Sixth Avenue.  Casey was joined by old time baseball players from the New York Giants & the Brooklyn Dodgers, both teams in which Casey played on in his playing career. Casey was to have a mile stone birthday the following week turning 75. After leaving the event, he did not go home to his usual apartment at the Essex House on Central Park South, where he lived during the baseball season. Mostly due to the fact that his wife Edna was in California at their Glendale home suffering with an eye infection. Casey was driven to the home of a Mets executive, Joseph Gregorio where he was to spend the night, in the Malba section of Whitestone, Queens close to Shea Stadium. The home was located at 1-12 Malba drive near the Whitesto...

Sunday July 25th, 1965: The game was originally scheduled to be a birthday celebration for Mets manager Casey Stengel who was to turn 75 the following week while the Mets were on the road. But Casey had stumbled fracturing his hip getting out of a car the night before after a night out at Toots Shor's Restaurant.  The Mets organization was to present him with a remote control stereo, the players with a silver bowl.  The broadcasters (Bob Murphy, Ralph Kiner & Lindsey Nelson) were to present a color TV set & the Baseball writers a tie clasp with a diamond stud for each of his 53 years in baseball. Even the president of the United States, Lyndon Johnson sent a message. The city of St. Petersburg where the Mets held Spring Training & the future home of Stengel Field even sent Miss St. Petersburg, dolled up in an orange dress to represent the City along with a plaque in his honor. The 39,288 fans that came to see the Mets take on the Phillies that day in an afternoon ...

Tuesday July 22nd, 1986: Davey Johnson's eventual World Champion Mets were riding high 13 games up in first place of the NL East. The team was very confident & very cocky.  Controversy was still surrounding the club after an incident in Houston where four of the Mets had been arrested at a popular night spot.  On this road trip, tonight the Mets were about to conquer Cincinnati as another on the field brawl would just add to their rowdy legacy. The Mets (62-28) were at Riverfront Stadium taking on Pete Rose's fourth place Reds (44-47) in front of 23,707 fans as  the Mets Bobby Ojeda went up against the Reds Scott Terry. The game began quietly, in the top of the 2nd although the Mets loaded the vases they were unable to score.  In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Scott Terry singled & slugger Dave Parker hit his 21st HR of the season, a two-run shot giving the Reds a 2-0 lead.  In the top of the 5th, Rafael Santana drew a walk then was forced, as Bo...