By the middle of "The Summer of '73" the Mets were below .500, in last place eleven games out.
By August, Mets reliever, Tug McGraw’s record had slipped to 0-6 with an ERA over five. At one point he said he felt like "he had no idea how to throw a baseball anymore". This was another reason for the Mets poor play since Tug had been one of the games top relievers.

McGraw met a gentleman named; Joe Badamano for lunch, an old friend of former Mets Manager Gil Hodges from the Brooklyn Dodger days. Badamano was an insurance salesman & motivational speaker.
In the days before the team had psychiatrist around to hear personal issues, Badamano & McGraw would just talk in the player's lounge after games. Badamano would bring up sales points & McGraw would combine it to baseball & the both had a motivational talk at best.
Badamano told Tug “you got to believe in yourself". He was told to stop worrying, think positive, if he didn't believe in himself, he would never do it.
"That’s it!" Tug said to himself, as quoted from his own book “You Gotta Believe”.
McGraw said " Sitting there that day, I knew I didn't have a hell of a lot of choice. I was out of tricks. Okay I believe, because You Gotta Believe!!". It was certainly was a catchy phrase & he kept repeating it to himself on the drive to the ballpark.

As he got into the clubhouse, he was all fired up shouting the phrase to his team mates over & over. Then in a famous closed door team meeting with chairman of the board; M. Donald Grant and his Board of Directors, the rally cry was born.

Since Berra was the most popular guy, he was voted the most to stay. Management took notice & decided to speak with the team.

Then it happened; McGraw couldn't contain himself anymore, he jumped up and shouted, “You gotta believe! You gotta believe!” right in the middle of the Grants speech.

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It took a couple of weeks, but things began to turn around for the best as the team got healthy. Whichever way Tug McGraw meant his “You gotta believe” outburst to be, it became legendary.
Every time another win was notched, the term "You Gotta Believe" was heard or written. The press, the fans, the players, even a group of Catholic Nuns jumped on board with the phrase, appearing on signs at the ball park too. During the World Series, New York Mayor John Lindsay himself, held up a sign made by the Mets "sign man" reading You Gotta Believe!
For Mets fans it will never be forgotten & always be associated with the team. It was also to be one of baseball’s greatest battle cries ever as well.
The Mets they went 20-8 in September, winning nine of their last eight games & won the N.L. Eastern Title on the last day of the regular season.
“You Gotta Believe” led the Mets from last place all the way to the NLCS, where they upset the mighty Bid Red Machine from Cincinnati.
Then it was onto California for the World Series, where they fell one game short of a Championship, losing to the Dynasty, three time champion; Oakland A's.
Personally, McGraw turned his season around by September, he had a spectacular pennant drive, winning five games (5-0) and earning ten saves in the final month of the regular season. He posted a 0.88 ERA striking out 38 batters in 41 innings, allowing just two earned runs all month long.
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