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2006 Mets Walk-Offs Year in Review

For a look at the offseason itinerary, go here
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/10/to-do-list.html

The Mets had 11 walk-off wins, tied for the 3rd most in team history and their most since netting 11 in 1995.

Most walk-off wins in season
Mets history

1971 14
1983 12
2006 11
1963 11
1969 11 *includes postseason*
1986 11 *includes postseason*
1995 11 *includes rain-shortened "asterisk" game
(5 seasons with 10)

The breakdown was as follows

4 walk-off singles
3 walk-off home runs
2 walk-off sacrifice flies
1 walk-off double
1 walk-off error by the opposing pitcher
6 extra-inning walk-offs

The grand tally is now at 341* documented walk-offs, a total that includes postseason, in Mets history. The * is in place for two reasons, one of which has been previously explained several times, and the other because I have no verification that the tally is 100% accurate. By my count, I have written about, in some form, approximately half of those 341 games, so we still have a long ways to go...

Let us review the 2006 season in walk-offs

April 9 vs Marlins

David Wright established himself as the early leader for Mr Walk-Off 2006 honors with a sacrifice fly to beat the Marlins in the last of the ninth. Perhaps more impressive was his game-tying seventh-inning triple that prevented Dontrelle Willis from beating the Mets, yet again.

A wise man once blogged: "The Mets last 3 walk-off wins have all come against the Marlins. That's the first time in their 331 walk-off wins (unofficial count, including postseason) that the Mets have had a string of walk-off wins go that long against the same foe."

Blog entry: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/04/are-you-going-to-finish-that.html
Game summary: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260409121

May 1 vs Nationals

It was a night for rarities. Victor Zambrano pitched well and the Mets, who had a season-long penchant for winning in unusual manners, triumphed in the last of the ninth on a throwing error by Nationals pitcher Gary Majewski.

A wise man once blogged: "Monday marked only the second time in team history that the Mets won a regular season (the distinction is important) game on a walk-off error by the opposing pitcher."

Blog entry: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/05/feeling-thrown-off-by-what-just.html
Game summary: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260501121

May 3 vs Pirates

Billy Wagner's early-season issues were an issue in this game, in which he gakked up a two-run lead in the ninth, but was bailed out by the always-charitable Carlos Delgado's home run off tough lefty Mike Gonzalez in the last of the 12th.

A wise man once blogged: "The last Met to hit a walk-off HR wearing uniform #21 was Kevin Elster, who did so to beat the Dodgers on May 31, 1988."

Blog entry: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/05/walk-off-trivial-pursuit.html

Game summary: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260503121

May 5 vs Braves

The Mets left 19 men on base in this baseball marathon, won by David Wright's first career walk-off hit in the last of the 14th. Perhaps more Metworthy- Willie Randolph likely recalled Cliff Floyd's dramatic game-tying home run off Chris Reitsma in the bottom of the 11th when he sent Floyd up to pinch-hit in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the NLCS.

A wise man once blogged: "Friday's 14-inning win over the Braves was only the second in which a Mets player had 5 hits and the team had a walk-off win. The only other such occurrence took place in an 11-inning win over the Phillies on September 20, 1975. Rusty Staub went 5-for-6 and the Mets won 9-7 on a 2-run home run by Ron Hodges."

Blog entry: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/05/fridays-leftovers.html

Game summary: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260505121

May 19 vs Yankees

The calm before the storm, or in this case, you could argue the best win of the regular season, followed the next day by the worst loss of the regular season (Billy Wagner blowing a 4-run ninth inning advantage). The Mets exorcised some baseball demons by beating the pitcher I like to refer to as "Satan" on David Wright's walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th.

A wise man once blogged: "It's a weird world when Alyssa Milano sticks around at a Mets-Yankees game longer than Tom Seaver..."

Blog entry: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/05/charmed.html

Game summary: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260519121

May 23 vs Phillies

It took 521 pitches and 5 hours and 22 minutes, but this win, a 16-inning classic decided by Carlos Beltran's walk-off home run was well worth it. Oft-forgotten in the scheme of things- Jose Reyes' only hit was a two-run game-tying home run in the eighth. Reyes torched the Phillies as much as any player pounded a team all season. In 19 games against them he hit .360 with seven home runs, 18 RBI, 22 runs, 31 hits, and five stolen bases.

A wise man once blogged: "The Phillies are the only opponent against whom the Mets have accomplished a walk-off cycle. They're the only team that the Mets have beaten on a walk-off single, double, triple and home run."

Blog entry: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/05/beltran-tolls-for-thee.html

Game summary: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260523121

May 29 vs Diamondbacks

"You have to want to be up there with the game on the line," David Wright said after this come-from-behind win over the Diamondbacks. Perhaps his desire to be at the plate that night was fueled by one to impress starlet Julia Stiles, who threw out the first pitch that night and confessed to being a lifelong Mets fan.

A wise man once blogged: "Many managers are making lists regarding David Wright. They call them Ten Things I Hate About You."

Blog entry: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/05/save-last-dance.html

Game summary: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260529121

May 31 vs Diamondbacks

Very few pitchers duels live up to billing, but this one between Pedro Martinez and Brandon Webb was fantastic for all 13 innings. Luckily, the Mets won on Endy Chavez's game-ending single. Little did we know that this would be the last game for one of the Mets opponents on that day, who was revealed to have ratted out the names of some steroid users to federal officials not long afterwards.

A wise man once blogged: "Jason Grimsley, who has been around long enough to have pitched against the Mets in 1989, is 1-5 for his career against the Mets, but this is his first walk-off loss. He's the first Grimsley to lose a walk-off against the Mets (Ross Grimsley never did)."

Blog entry: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/06/shea-ing-in-pain.html

Game summary: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260531121

June 3 vs Giants

I made the comment to one Mets fan after this game that Lastings Milledge had sone something to impress me in every game in which he played. In this case, it was scoring the winning run with a nifty slide on Chris Woodward's game-ending sacrifice fly. The shame of it is that after this, Milledge didn't have too many particularly impressive moments the rest of the year.

A wise man once blogged: "For the first time in team history, the Mets have had two walk-off sacrifice flies in the same season."

Blog entry: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/06/stuck-ever-lastings.html

Game summary: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260603321

July 26 vs Cubs

Someone once asked me if I'd take a Mets no-hitter in exchange for being guaranteed that they would lose the next day, to which I replied "Are you crazy???" I do know that I'll take being no-hit for six innings, as the Mets were on this day, if it means being guaranteed a walk-off win, every day without hesitiation.

A wise man once blogged: "That the Mets have had 1-0 walk-off wins utilizing every innings combination from 9 through 17 innings long, with 1 exception. They've never had a 1-0 walk-off win that lasted exactly 16 innings. "

Blog entry: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/07/valiant-valentin.html

Game summary: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260726121

August 22 vs Cardinals

I know I'm probably gonna take some flak for this, but boy I wish Carlos Beltran had swung the bat with two strikes in the last of the ninth of Game 7. Perhaps he would have done something to make that, instead of this game (in which his homer beat Jason Isringhausen, capping a comeback from six runs down), the most Metmorable game of the year.

A wise man once blogged: "Bill Clinton, in attendance on Tuesday (cameras caught him napping) would be happy to know that 2 Arkansas natives have had walk-off hits for the Mets: Jesse Gonder and Kevin McReynolds"

Blog entry: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/08/oy-vey-what-game.html
Game summary: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260822121

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