centerfield maz

Saturday September 14th, 1996 : Bobby Valentine's New York Mets (67-81) hosted Bobby Cox's first place Atlanta Braves (86-61) in front of 22,857 fans at Shea Stadium.  The game was a nationally televised since it had playoff implications for the Braves. They would eventually go on to win the World Series that year. The Mets were not in any playoff contention, but the Mets fans were looking to see Todd Hundley hit a HR to set an MLB single season record for catchers. Todd Hundley Trivia:  A week earlier on Sunday, September 8th Hundley had tied Roy Campanella's mark of 40 HRs set in his 1953 MVP season, one of the years Campy won the MVP Award. That 40th HR also set a Mets franchise single season mark passing Darryl Strawberry's 39 (1987). Hundley became the first NL switch hitter to reach 40 HR with the only other switch hitter to reach that mark being Mickey Mantle. In 2006, Carlos Beltran tied Hundley's Mets single season mark with 41. In 2019 Pete Alonso would ...

Friday September 12th, 1969: If the first place Mets were not Amazing enough through the 1969 season, tonight they showed how Gil Hodges' team could pull a few more tricks out of their bag to win games. They brought the greatest show in baseball to Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, for a double header. The Mets fans also arrived, as a large contingent came fully equipped with banners & their loud voices, invading Pittsburgh's Forbes Field. "Lets Go Mets" was the battle cry heard everywhere in 1969. The Mets main strength in 1969 was no doubt great pitching. Not only did the Amazing's sweep the twin bill, but they also won both games on 1-0 shut outs & their pitchers drove in the winning runs in both games.  At this point the Mets were on an eight-game win streak & had taken over first place leading the second place Cubs by two games. 19,303 showed up in Pittsburgh with many Mets fans making the trip as Gil Hodges Mets (87-57) took on Larry Shepard...

September 12, 1963:   In a pregame ceremony before the Mets & San Francisco Giants, the team honored future Hall of Famer Duke Snider. This also marked the last time the Giants would play in their former home the Polo Grounds. Duke Snider was a legendary Brookyln (Los Angeles) Dodger who among his many accomplishments, had the most RBIs in the 1950's (1031) & was one of two players, along his teammate Gil Hodges to drive in over 1000 runs in the decade.  Snider was an eight-time All-Star, one-time HR champ (1955) one time RBI leader (1956) becoming the Dodgers all time HR (389) RBI (1271) & extra base hits leader (814). Duke won six NL Pennants with the Dodgers & two Championships; he is also the only player to hit four HRs in two different World Series. After the 1962 season, the 37-year-old veteran was sold to the expansion New Mets due to his popularity in New York. This was the case for the early Mets as they brought in as many old New York NL fan favorites...

Wednesday September 12th, 1984: On this night Dwight Gooden set the single season strike out record for Rookies, in what was one of his most dazzling performances of the year as well as his career.  centerfieldmaz was one of 12,876 at Shea Stadium that night to witness, in person Doctor K at his best. Davey Johnson's Mets (81-65) had had an exciting year, which was the first winning season for the franchise since 1976. Among the highlights was Rookie phenom, Dwight Gooden. Although the Mets would finish second to the Cubs that year, they were not mathematically out of the pennant race just yet. They were seven games out with sixteen left to play , hence the small crowd. Personally, after being on hand for so many of Gooden's games that season, I had to be at this one to see another record broken. Dwight Gooden went up against John Tudor for Chuck Tanner's sixth place Pittsburgh Pirates (63-83). Tudor would move on the St, Louis Cardinals the next year & b...