centerfield maz

Sunday September 22nd, 2024: With seven games to go, the Mets were clinging to a 1.5 game lead over the Braves for the third wild card spot.  Tonight, in the final game of the regular season, the Mets hosted the Phillies trying to take two of three in the big series.  This could very well be the last regular season home game for Pete Alonso whose contract is up this year. The Citi Fans would give him a big ovation in his first at bat, in which he acknowledged them with a tip of the helmet.  Quotes- Pete Alonso : "It was really special & I mean that's something that you can't, I mean it's right out of a storybook for me.  So, it's truly, remarkable to be able to see that, to see & feel that reaction & appreciation from a packed house like that. For the Phillies a win would clinch the NL Eastern title, their first divisional title since 2011. The Mets went at it again without Francisco Lindor who is still out with a bad back. It was a big game, on this...

Friday, September 20th, 2019:  Mickey Callaway's New  York Mets (80-73) were still in the wild card race 3.5 games back with ten games still left to play. But they were also chasing two other teams for that second wild card spot.  Tonight, the Mets were in Cincinnati to take on David Bell's Reds (72-81) in front of 20,576 fans, many of them Mets fans.  Tonight, everyone new that The Mets NL Rookie of the Year, Pete Alonso was setting a rookie HR mark & was looking to become the first Met to ever hit 50 HRs in a season. That year's Cy Young Award winner, Jacob deGrom (9-8) entered the game leading the league in ERA (2.61) strike outs (239) & WAR (6.3) for pitchers, as well as walks & hits per nine innings (1.005) he took on the Reds' Luis Castillo (15-6 / 3.22 ERA / 211 Ks / 239 Ks). The game started out all about the pitchers, both shutting the other team out into the 6th inning.  In the top of the 6th, Jeff McNeil, the number four ...

Wednesday September 19th, 1973:   On September 17th the Mets & Pirates started a five-game stretch that began in Pittsburgh for two games then moved to New York for the next three. The Mets were 2.5 games behind the Pirates in fourth place in a tight NL East race. The two teams split the series in Pittsburgh. Tonight, the matchup moved to Shea Stadium for a three-game series. The opener attracted 29.240 fans who were very quickly becoming interested in the Mets pulling off another Miracle. This was just four years after the Amazing Mets Championship of 1969. Tonight, the Mets sent George Stone (11-3) to the mound. Stone was on a personal five game win streak. From July 14th thru September 15th, he was 7-0 with a 2.15 ERA. Stone was a pleasant surprise for the 1973 NL Champs going 12-3 with a save & a 2.80 ERA.  The Pirates had veteran Nelson Briles (13-12) start the game. Trivia:  Briles an accomplished singer would sing the National Anthem at Game ...

Saturday September 19th, 1987: Davey Johnson's reigning World Champions had a rough start to the season, with injuries & star pitcher Dwight Gooden going off to rehab they found themselves at .500 in mid-June 7.5 games out. Tonight, the second place Mets (84-63) came into tonight's game just 1.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.  The Mets had lost the series opener to John Smiley but lost no ground in the standings as the Cardinals had lost to the Cubs. Time was running out for the reigning World Champs, as the Mets had just 14 games left play in the season. Tonight, they continued the series at Three Rivers Stadium as  Rick Aguilera went up against Vicente Palacios &  Jim Leyland's last place Pittsburgh Pirates (71-76).  In the next few years, Leyland would turn the club around winning the NL Eastern title by 1991.  In the bottom of the 1st, Rick Aguilera had a rough start, giving up a single to Jose Lind, Andy Van Slyke reached on force play at sec...

Michael William Hampton was born on September 9, 1972, in Brooksville, Florida. The five foot ten left-handed pitcher was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 6th round of the 1990 draft.  Hampton had a modest minor league career, winning a high of 13 games (13-8) with a 3.12 ERA at A ball San Bernardino in 1992. MLB Career: In 1993 he made the Seattle staff out of Spring Training. On April 17th, he debuted pitching in Detroit allowing four runs to the Tigers & taking a loss in four innings of work. That day the Mariners lost 20-3.  On April 23rd he earned his first big league win, it was a middle relief appearance against the A.L. New York team. On July 15th, he collected the only save of his career, coming in a win at Fenway Park He remained on the staff through July going 1-3 with a save & two holds with a 9.53 ERA.  Hampton was sent down to AA Jacksonville, where he went 6-4 the rest of the year. In the off season he was traded to the Houston Astr...