Mets Walk-Offs And Minutiae

Three fistbumps for Friday, and they go to Gary Sheffield, Omir (President) Santos and Mike Pelfrey. * Mets walk-off win #359 was their third walk-off win of the season and second this month. They are 3-3 in walk-off games this season. It is the third time in the last four seasons that the Mets won a May 29 game via walk-off. Those are the only three walk-off wins in Mets history that took place on May 29. * The Mets have had a walk-off on the 29th day of a month in each of the last four seasons. Last year, they had one on April 29 against the Pirates. * The Mets actually had a May 28 walk-off win against the Marlins last season, so this one nearly came a year to the day of that one. * Omir Santos gets his first career walk-off hit. It was the first walk-off hit by a Mets catcher since Ramon Castro (how about that?) beat the Marlins with one on April 16, 2005. Coincidentally, Castro homered in that game, as Santos did in this one. * The last three Mets catchers to win a game with a wal...

It has been mentioned that Jon Niese was born the day the Mets clinched the 1986 World Series, and it was said during the game the other day that Fernando Martinez was born during the 1988 NLCS (the day of Game 5, actually). That got me stirring with a new tool, recently obtained from the good folks at the Metstats website- the Mets birthday database- to see which current and former Mets were born during the championship season of 1969. Here's what I found for April and May, and we'll follow up with the rest of the season in a subsequent post. April 8, 1969 (Pete Walker) This was Opening Day 1969, the first game in the history of the Expos franchise, which happened to be an 11-10 win over the Mets at Shea. The Mets scored four runs in the bottom of the 9th in hopes of a walk-off win, but came up one tally short. Those celebrating a happy Mets birthday know... Walker's lone Mets win was the walk-off win of October 1, 1995, a 1-0 victory over the Braves in the season's ...

Warning to Johan Santana: Strike out 11 and walk 6 too many times and you'll wind up making history for someone else. Only one other pitcher has done what Santana did in Wednesday's win...strike out at least 11 and walk at least 6. That would be Nolan Ryan. Nolan Ryan didn't just do it once. He did it three times (without the benefit of replay)as a Met and than 34 more times after his Mets career ended. A quick summary of the three Mets instances, with mucho assistance from New York Times game stories. June 18, 1968 vs Astros, 3-2 loss (12 K, 7 BB) Jimmy Wynn's 7th-inning homer snapped a 2-2 tie in Game 1 of this doubleheader, the first in the managerial tenure of Astros skipper Harry Walker. Ryan pitched a complete game, one in which strikeouts were contagious. Astros starter Denny Lemaster whiffed 10 Mets. Ryan's 7 walks tied the Met record at the time. May 30, 1970 vs Astros, 4-3 win (11 K, 6 BB) The Mets treated the Helmet Day crowd to a walk-up win, scoring thr...

We don't do the fistbumps thing unless it's a walk-off, walk-up, or road win 9th inning or later, so Livan Hernandez will just have to settle on just getting a thank you for a job well-done. * Not only was it a complete game (yes, the first since Santana on the final Saturday at Shea), but it was a 127-pitch complete game. Baseball-Reference tells us that's the most pitches by a Met in a complete game since Al Leiter threw a 128-pitch CG in the second game of a doubleheader against the Braves on September 11, 2002. Leiter actually had the Mets last three complete games of 127 pitches or more. * The last Mets pitcher to throw a complete game, allowing 9 hits or more: Kenny Rogers in a 12-5 road win over the Giants on August 15, 1999 (12-hitter). The last one at Shea was thrown by Masato Yoshii in a 6-1 win over the Reds, May 21, 1998. * This was the 7th time that Livan struck a batter out to end a game, but the first time in 5 years. His last was Jeromy Burnitz in a 3-1 win ...

You may have noticed that I've added the "This Date in History" gadget to my sidebar. I hope you find it interesting, and worth the trouble to check in with it every day. An addendum to today's: May 26 marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most famous walk-off wins of all-time, though it's not remembered for that. On this date in 1959, Pirates pitcher Harvey Haddix took a perfect game into the 13th inning against the Milwaukee Braves. He lost the perfecto bid on an error, than lost the game on what was thought to be a Joe Adcock game-ending home run. However, Hank Aaron, on base at the time, thought the ball had bounced off the wall (no instant-replay then), and ran astray. Adcock passed Aaron on the basepaths and was thus called out. The home run became a single (somewhat akin to the "Grand Slam Single."), and Haddix lost, 1-0. Two future Mets played in this game...Joe Christopher made his MLB debut that day as a reserve outfielder. Felix Mantilla wa...

The answers to all of these can be found from a viewing of the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, or in the comments section of this blog. 1- What was the last name of the Red Sox pitching coach, Bill, who visited the mound to talk to Calvin Schiraldi in the middle of the Mets comeback? His last name is spelled differently from that of a chunky Mets pitcher of the early 1960s. This coach's claim to fame is that he once pitched 84 1/3 straight innings without issuing a walk. 2- The attendance for Game 6 of the World Series was 55-thousand and ____. You can fill in the blank with the last 2 digits being the same as a season that haunts Red Sox fans. 3- This former Met, who teamed with Calvin Schiraldi to pitch badly in the 26-7 loss to the Phillies in 1985, was standing with Bob Stanley in the bullpen during the inning, though Vin Scully noted he was not throwing at that moment. Name him. 4- How much money did each player get for winning the World Series in 1918? 5- Fill...

At the rate Omir (President) Santos is going, he's going to be our Fistbumps Player of the Year, hands down. Let's just say that the approval rating for the current catching administration is favorable. We'll give the fistbumps for Saturday (awarded after walk-off wins, walk-up wins, and road wins in the 9th inning or later) to Santos, Ramon Martinez, and Mike Pelfrey for their supporting the cause. Honorary fistbumps as well to the fellow who sat next to me at Fenway. When discussing why Martinez was in the on-deck circle (instead of Fernando Tatis) as Santos came to the plate, this gentleman said "He's there for when this guy (ie: Santos) puts them ahead." Nice prognostication . Nice victory. (I should also note that earlier in the afternoon, I said of Martinez: "Get him the (Glavine) off the field," using an inappropriate word in place of the pitcher's name.) * This was the 136th time that the Mets won a road game by scoring the go-ahead run(s...

Long Island Ducks manager Gary Carter recently wrote on his blog about how he's sure the Mets would have beaten Mike Scott in Game 7 of the 1986 NLCS , had the Astros beaten the Mets in Game 6. To a man, every member of the 1986 Mets says that. And I have no problem with that, other than that I've heard it a million times. But let me ask this: Would the Mets have won Game 4 of the 1986 World Series if Tom Seaver had been healthy and had started for the Red Sox? Carter had two home runs against Red Sox starter Al Nipper in that Game 4 win(he also hit his 300th homer off Nipper, noted in a subsequent blog entry ). But is there any guarantee he or his teammates would have had the same success against Seaver? Not at all. Take a look at this: Tom Seaver vs Key Members of the1986 Mets Gary Carter: .188 BA, 1 HR, 64 AB Keith Hernandez: .196 BA, 0 HR, 46 AB Mookie Wilson: .267 BA, 4 K, 15 AB Ray Knight: .300 BA, 10 AB Granted, the Tom Seaver of 1986 was on his last legs and wasn'...

Couple bits of fence-jarring minutiae from Friday's losing streak-snapping win in Boston * Johan Santana entered Friday with a 6.89 ERA at Fenway Park, his worst ERA in any ballpark. By allowing 2 earned runs in 7 innings, he dipped it to 5.56. His new worst ballpark: Rogers Centre in Toronto, 5.76. * This was the 71st time the Mets played a game in which their first baseman led off, the first since 2004 (Eric Valent, 9 times). Among those who have played first base and led off for the Mets in the same game: Lee Mazzilli, Joe McEwing, and Willie Mays. * David Wright's streak of reaching base at least three times ended in 7 consecutive games. HOWEVER: Wright has now reached base at least twice in 11 consecutive games, one shy of the Mets record of 12, set by John Stearns in 1977. Most Consecutive Games Reaching Base At Least Twice (Mets History) 12- John Stearns (1977) 11- David Wright (2009) 11- Derek Bell (2000) 11- Ron Hunt (1964) * As bad as the Mets have been with runners i...

99 players have played for both the Mets and Red Sox in their careers (thank you Baseball-Reference). Let's test your knowledge of some of them...Answers in the comments section. 1- Five pitchers have pitched for both the Mets and Red Sox and won a Cy Young Award. Tom Seaver and Pedro Martinez are two of them. Name the other three. 2- Five players who played in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series have played for both the Mets and Red Sox. Name them. 3- Name the 2 player who played for both the Mets and Red Sox who stole 20+ bases for each of them. Both had "problematic" baseball careers. 4- Name the pitcher who gave up a World Series-ending walk-off hit who pitched for both the Mets (before it) and the Red Sox (after it). 5- Name the pitcher who went 11-25 combined with the Mets and Red Sox. He pitched for them 12 years apart (Red Sox in the 1980s and Mets in the 1990s). His career record with teams other than those two: 229-211. 6- Five players who played for both the Mets a...

Taking a day to recover from the Mets. In the meantime, for an opposing viewpoint on the use of the phrase walk-off ... http://www.cbssports.com/cbssports/story/11761444

It is possible not to hit with runners in scoring position and win. It just doesn't happen very often. That's why the win of September 9, 1985, in the finale of an exhilerating three-game series in Los Angeles (first game: Gooden-Valenzuela showdown; second game: Dodgers walk-off win) is one to treasure. The Mets and Dodgers played 14 innings that day. It was a long enough game that the Mets got 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position. You know how many hits they got? One. The Mets failed on their first nine and last 10 opportunities with runners on second and/or third base. The hit was a Keith Hernandez single off Orel Hershiser with two outs in the eighth that scored Mookie Wilson, and put the Mets up 3-1. Mike Marshall tied the game with a two-run, 44o-foot (by newspaper accounts) home run off Jesse Orosco in the bottom of the eighth, depriving Sid Fernandez of a decision in a finely-tossed effort (7 IP, 1 R, 3 H). If the recent offensive output of the current squad is e...

If you were ever wondering why people mock the Mets ... I'm guessing that Church missed second too... * Walk-off loss #383 is the Mets 3rd walk-off loss of the season, the second of which didn't require a hit to end the game. * It's the Mets first walk-off loss against the Dodgers since August 12, 2005, when Dioner Navarro's 10th-inning HR off Braden Looper beat them. * The Mets have lost 3 games in their history that ended on an error by the first baseman. The first was against the Dodgers on September 13, 1964 (Ed Kranepool, 9th inning) The second was in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Phillies on July 2, 1983 (Keith Hernandez, 9th inning) * The Mets only other walk-off loss on May 18 was in 1970, when they got beat by a grand slam by Expos pinch-hitter Bob Bailey. * This wasn't the first time the Mets lost a game in Los Angeles because of a mistake by someone playing out of position. http://www.metswalkoffs.com/2007/02/catch-as-catch-can.html On that subject...

Much like Sunday night, the last (and only other) time a Mets pitcher committed three balks in a game, the story was the end of a winning streak due to missed opportunities. The 1963 Mets had won 4 straight, their longest win streak in franchise history heading into their game in Philadelphia on April 22, 1963. It would be, amazingly enough, the only game that Don Rowe would start in his major league career, and perhaps it was the jitters from that which resulted in his three-balk effort, part of a game in which Mets pitchers balked four times in all. The visitors built an early 3-0 lead, but left pairs of runners on base in each of the first two innings. That allowed the Phillies to play catch-up, and after a fifth inning in which Rowe balked twice before being removed, the score was even, 3-3. The New York Times does not speculate on the cause of Rowe's woes, though we did notice a rather odd trend from that 1963 season. There must have been some sort of issue regarding balks, be...

Randy Johnson is on the brink of history, in more ways than one... After losing Saturday, Johnson is now 6-7 career against the Mets, so we ask... Who are the 3 pitchers with 300 wins, who have losing records against the Mets for their careers? Answer in the comments section. True Methans know... Johan Santana allowed 6 runs, the most he's ever allowed in a win in his career. Santana is now 1-10 with 3 no-decisions when allowing 6+ runs in a game. He's the first Mets pitcher to win a game in which he allowed at least six runs and 11 hits since Rick Reed beat the Rockies, 8-7 on August 7, 1998.

It seems repetitive and too easy to give a fistbump to David Wright, so we'll give one to Omir "President" Santos, the first player in Mets history with a 3-strikeout, 2-sacrifice fly game, and only the second player with such a game in the last 55 years (the other was Giants first baseman J.T. Snow in 2001). For the record, fistbumps will be a regular thing here now for walk-offs, walk-ups, and road wins coming in the 9th inning or later. * Friday's win marked the 135th time in Mets history that they won a road game in which the winning run was scored in the 9th inning. It's the first such road win since Thursday :) * This is the 4th time in Mets history that they won a road game in the 9th inning by scoring the go-ahead run on a pitcher's error. Friday's miscue by Brian Wilson was the first 9th-inning pitcher error to bring in the deciding run in a Mets win since a Jose Santiago throwing error helped the Mets to a 10-7 win over the Phillies on September ...

Fistbumps aplenty for the Mets third baseman, who drove the Giants batty with not just his hitting, but by stealing more bases in a game than Mookie Wilson or Jose Reyes ever did for the Mets. You can bet it will be all over the New York papers Friday how David Wright seems to have found his stroke with runners in scoring position. Wright is 20-for-48 in May (.417 BA) with 12 RBI in 13 games. * For the record, that's the 134th time the Mets have won a road game by scoring the go-ahead run(s) in the ninth inning, the first time they've done so this season. * It's the second time in Mets history that they've won a road game in San Francisco on a David Wright ninth-inning hit. He also had a game-winner against Armando Benitez on May 9, 2007. * Wright tied the club record for steals with 4, and now shares the mark with Vince Coleman and Roger Cedeno. Since 1962, 17 players have stolen 5 bases in a game (Eric Young and Alex Cole did it twice) but none are Mets. * From 1962 t...

A few thoughts, as I ponder J.J. Putz's fastball issues, David Wright's baserunning struggles, and the Mets inevitable foibles in the opener of a San Francisco road trip before I share the nuggets from the walk-off win behind the punny headline. * Is it just me or did Wednesday's game remind you of April 7, 2002? That one was a little more low-scoring, a 5-2 14-inning final, but it ended in a similar manner, with a light-hitting Brave hitting a home run off a new Japanese Mets pitcher (Marcus Giles vs Satoru Komiayama). Gary Sheffield had an impact in each game (RBI single for the Braves, hit by pitch in 14th inning in 2002). * Mr. Wilpon, Tear Down That Wall! Jose Reyes' double off the left field wall is the third homer that the Mets have lost due to the height of the outfield fences recently (Msrs. Beltran and Delgado as well). The fence height also kills the chance of any Endy Chavez-style home run-robbing catches, which I think are about as cool as any walk-off home...

Fistbumps (sans t-shirt) for winning pitcher Francisco Rodriguez, whose yeomen effort (two-innings in a regular-season game for the first time since 2007) earned him his first walk-off win as a Met. The notes are brief, and maybe a few more to come in the morning. * Walk-off win #358 was the second of the season, the first since the 5-4 win against the Brewers on April 17. * It came on the 47th anniversary of the first Mets walk-off win, also against the Braves, in Game 1 of a doubleheader in which Hobie Landrith hit a walk-off home run against Warren Spahn (Landrith drew the first Mets walk-off walk on May 15, 1962). The Mets had a second walk-off win on May 12, 1962 (Gil Hodges HR) and also had walk-off wins on that date in 1972 and 1986. * It was the Mets first walk-off walk since Carlos Delgado drew one against the Cubs on May 14, 2007 and the first extra-inning walk-off walk since Mike Piazza drew one in the 11th inning against the Brewers in 2005 . * It was the 17th walk-off walk...

Since it seems like the only way the Mets are going to win for Johan Santana these days, it struck me as worthy to compile a "1-0 Wins Database." A few interesting discoveries from the early goings of my research. * The Mets Didn't Score For A Lot of People Mike Vaccaro has a nice piece today on the Mets lack of run support for Tom Seaver . You might be surprised to learn that Seaver isn't the Mets all-time leader in 1-0 wins. Most 1-0 Wins Mets History 8- Jerry Koosman 7- Jon Matlack 7- Tom Seaver 6- Bobby Jones * The Most Impressive 1-0 Feat You might figure I'd pick the 1969 1-0 doubleheader sweep of the Pirates in which the Mets pitchers drove in the winning run in each game. Instead, I'll choose to honor Jim McAndrew, who beat Hall of Famers Steve Carlton and Ferguson Jenkins, each 1-0 in a 17-day span in 1968. * Whoa Nellie Poor Pirates starter Nelson Briles pitched three games against the Mets in 1972. Briles allowed 3 runs in 27 1/3 innings. He lost al...