Remembering Mets History (1988): Mets Smack Six HRs On Opening Day

-
Monday April 4th 1988: After the 1986 Championship season, Mets fans expected lots more World Series with the powerful lineup & fine pitching the team possessed in the mid to late 1980's.

After failing to make the playoffs in 1987, there was lots of optimism for 1988. This squad did win the N,L, East but lost an upsetting NLCS to the eventual World Champion Dodgers.

 Opening Day began in Montreal where 55,413 fans came to Stade Olympique, to see their hone town Expos take on the New York Mets. Many Mets fans made the journey, but the Expo fans came out because they had lots of optimism as well.

The Expos were a fine team, finishing .500 in 1987 & would win 85 games in 1987. The opening day starters were the Mets Dwight Gooden taking on Montreal's, Dennis Martinez. Gooden would make eight Opening Day starts for the Mets winning six.

Starting Lineups


Montreal Expos
1Tim RainesLF
2Mitch WebsterCF
3Hubie BrooksRF
4Tim Wallach3B
5Andres Galarraga1B
6Tom Foley2B
7Luis RiveraSS
8Jeff ReedC
9Dennis MartinezP


The Mets put two on in the 1st inning but, Lenny Dykstra got picked off first & Keith Hernandez grounded into a double play. The Expos got a run in the home 1st, on former Met Hubie Brooks RBI single.

In the Mets 2nd, Darryl Strawberry began the Mets six HR day with a solo shot to start his season & the inning. In the 3rd Kevin McReynolds drove in his first run of the day with an RBI single, making it 2-1 Mets.

In the 4th inning, Mets short stop Kevin Elster hit a two run HR, scoring Howard Johnson who had singled. The Mets had a 4-1 lead, but Montreal came back to tie it beating up Gooden by the 5th inning. Gooden had allowed ten hits as well as the four runs & only struck out one. He was replaced by David Cone.

In the 6th, Gary Carter singled & pinch hitter Dave Magadan walked. Lenny Dykstra connected with a three run HR Putting the Mets ahead 7-4. By this time Dykstra was  trying to hit more HRs, after another off season where he said he had done push ups all winter while watching TV at home.

In the 7th inning, the Mets greeted new pitcher Randy St. Claire with back to back HRs by Darryl Strawberry (his second of the day) & Kevin McReynolds. 

 McReynolds would add another HR in the top of the 9th as well, giving him a two HR day along with Straw.

The Mets totaled six HR & 13 hits on their way to the 10-6 win. Gooden got the win, Cone the hold & Randy Meyers his first save of the season.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering Bobby Ojeda's Tragic Boating Accident (1993)

-
Image
Steve Olin, Tim Crews & Bob Ojeda March 22 nd 1993: was an off day from Spring Training, for three Cleveland Indians pitchers; Former Mets 1986 World Champion pitcher; Bobby Ojeda, Tim Crews & Steve Olin. The three friends, took out an 18-foot open-air bass boat & went out fishing & gator hunting in the darkness of the evening on Lake Nellie in Clermont, Florida. Tragedy struck, when the boat rammed into a private dock that jutted out some 250 feet into the still waters. Two other Cleveland Indians personnel had arrived to meet the fishing party just as the horror took place. They heard Bob Ojeda saying they needed help. The two men jumped into the water and called out for someone to call 911. 27 year old pitcher; Steve Olin was killed instantly. 31 year old pitcher; Tim Crews was alive but was struggling to breathe suffering from massive head wounds. Bobby Ojeda was in & out of shock, he was suffering from head lacerations but was coherent. The
Read more

Remembering Sal Bando: Former Italian / American All Star (1966 - 1981)

-
Image
Salvatore Leonard Bando was born February 13, 1944, in the Little Italy section of Warrensville Heights, 16 miles southeast of Cleveland, Ohio.  His father Ben was a self-employed carpenter & accomplished softball infielder. His mother Angela was a home maker who also enjoyed sports playing both softball & basketball. Ben & Angela had a daughter Victoria & sons Salvatore & Christopher. The six-foot third baseman played baseball at Arizona State University with his future Oakland teammate Rick Monday & seven others who made the major leagues.  There his manager was the legendary coach Bobby Winkles who would later go on to coach Bando in Oakland in 1974. Winkles would also manage the California Angels. In 1965 Bando batted .317 was All Conference & batted .480 (12-25) with 9 RBIs in the College World Series. Bando was selected in the sixth round of the 1965 draft after Rick Monday who was the first-round pick of the Kansas City Athletics. MLB Debut: He got
Read more

Remembering Vixen Founder / Guitarist; Jan Kuehnemund (1961-2013)

-
Image
centerfieldmaz was shocked to learn of the sudden passing of Jan Kuehnemund, the founding member of the all female metal band Vixen. Jan was a fantastic guitarist, song writer & women pioneer in Heavy Metal. I am a huge fan of hard rock all girl bands & Vixen were one my long time favorites. Janice Lynn Kuehnemund was born November 18th, 1961 in St. Paul Minnesota. The female guitarist formed one of the first all female Metal bands in Minnesota with singer Janet Gardner while in high school in 1980. By 1985 they moved the band to Los Angles California, to be part of the Heavy Metal scene. In 1987 the classic Vixen line up of Jan Kuehnemund (lead guitar) Janet Gardner (vocals/ guitar) Share Pederson (bass) & Roxy Petrucci (drums) formed & released their debut album the following year. Vixen 1988 In a world of all male Heavy Metal bands during its heyday, Vixen were groundbreaking in being an all female metal band. The Runaways, with Joan Jett & Lita Ford
Read more

The 1970's Oakland A's Ball Girls- (MLB's First)

-
Image
In the days of the early seventies the Oakland A's won three straight Championships & changed the face of baseball forever.  The team's controversial owner was known to be cheap in paying his star players & known to meddle in the teams on field affairs. He drove managers crazy & even had Dick Williams resign after winning his second straight World Series. But Finley also revolutionized baseball in many other ways. He was instrumental in getting the designated hitter in the American League & have the World Series played at night, so fans could attend after work. He gave his players fancy names like Catfish, Blue Moon & True Blue.  When his star Reggie Jackson refused to shave his beard, he encouraged the whole team to grow facial hair by paying them $200 each.  The A's team even grew their hair long, a sign of the times. But before that baseball players had not had facial or long hair since the 1800's.  He introduced bright colored yello
Read more

The Odd Couple TV Show's Beloved Supporting Cast

-
Image
On this the 45th Anniversary Season of when my favorite television show of all time The Odd Couple first debuted it's time to pay tribute to the great supporting  cast. Murray Greshler was a  big hit with fans as the simple minded bumbling NYPD Officer: Murray the Cop . Murray was a long time friend of Oscar Madison & usually becomes the subject of Oscar's jokes. Some great lines referenceing Murrays nose are "N ose' Feliciano" / "Tokyo Nose" & "Come inside Murray, your sucking up all the air in the hallway".  Even Felix chimed in asking him if the other army reserve soldiers made fun of him saying "when you look up it looks like a two car garage". Murray would become one of both Felix & Oscars best friends appearing 73 of the 114 Odd Couple episodes . Murray wouldn't think twice about double parking his patrol car double parked outside the Park Avenue or Central Park West building where Felix & Oscar
Read more