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Happy Holidays

I would like to wish all of my readers a happy Shawnukkah and a Met-ry Chris-miss.

Those familiar may recall the celebration of Shawnukkah, but you're probably wondering what a Met-ry Chris-miss is.


I offer up this simple definition:


A Metry Chris-miss is a Mets victory that ends with a player named Chris striking out to end the game. Ideally, the strikeout is of the swinging variety (a true "Chris-miss") but it does not have to be the case, because the presumption is that the hitter swung and whiffed at least once.


By my count, we've had a few such instances.

May 23, 2007- Chris Woodward (Mets 3, Braves 0)

The truly Metry know... Twas one of 4 Oliver Perez victories against the Braves that season.


September 19, 2006- Chris Aguila (Mets 3, Marlins 2)

The truly Metry know...Twas the night after clinching, and a two-run eighth-inning rally, capped by Michael Tucker's RBI single, gave the hosts the win.


September 2, 2006- Chris Burke (Mets 4, Astros 2)

The truly Metry know...The Mets scored four runs despite going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.


August 24, 2006- Chris Duncan (Mets 6, Cardinals 2)

The truly Metry know...Twas the game that completed a three-game sweep of the Cardinals and failed to foreshadow the angst that was to come.


June 7, 2005- Chris Burke (Mets 3, Astros 1)

The truly Metry know...Twas the game in which Burke scrooged Pedro Martinez for a no-hitter-breaking home run with one out in the 7th inning. Payback came in the 9th, when Martinez whiffed three straight hitters looking to end the game.


July 22, 1999- Chris Widger (Mets 7, Expos 4)

The truly Metry know...Twas a game in which the Mets had six doubles, and winning pitcher Orel Hershiser recorded the last of his 8 career stolen bases.

April 17, 1999- Chris Widger (Mets 3, Expos 2)

The truly Metry know...Twas the day that Bobby Jones improved to 3-0 with the win. He would not record another victory the rest of the season


August 26, 1993- Chris Jones (Mets 7, Rockies 1)

The truly Metry know...Twas Chris Jones who had more walk-off home runs for the Mets (4) than he had game-ending strikeouts for them (3).


May 31, 1989- Chris Speier (Mets 3, Giants 1)

The truly Metry know...Twas a double-whammy for Speier, whose 10th-inning error allowed two runs to score, giving the Mets the runs they needed to win.


May 8, 1988- Chris Sabo (Mets 5, Reds 1)

The truly Metry know...Twas a game in which Ron Darling took a one-hitter into the 9th inning before finishing with a complete game three-hitter.

August 17, 1975- Chris Speier (Mets 3, Giants 0)

The truly Metry know...Twas a rarity that day- a game in which Tom Seaver recorded the win, and Jerry Koosman earned the save.

June 10, 1975- Chris Speier (Mets 5, Giants 0)

The truly Metry know...Twas a Tom Seaver shutout, one he finished by striking out the side in the 9th inning.

May 11, 1974- Chris Ward (Mets 6, Cubs 3)

The truly Metry know...Twas one of 10 times in Mets history that a Mets pitcher (Craig Swan) went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, and one of 24 times that a Mets pitcher has had 3 hits in a game (the most by any Mets pitcher).

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