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One Man's Frustration is Another Man's Happiness

Frustration is leaving your Connecticut apartment at 3:20 pm and returning to your Connecticut apartment at 3:20am.
Walk-off number 350, aka "A long, ugly game that turned out pretty" (Willie Randolph's words) was the 2nd Mets walk-off win of the season and the 330th (including postseason) to take place at Shea Stadium.

Frustration is not bringing your sweatshirt to go with your light jacket because you're only gonna be at the ballpark for three hours, maximum, and the temp isn't gonna drop that much.
It was the 3rd walk-off win in Willie Randolph's tenure to last at least 14 innings, the first since May 23, 2006 when Carlos Beltran's walk-off HR beat the Phillies in the 16th inning.

Frustration is your fourth through seventh hitters striking out in succession, not once, but twice, against a pitcher who had never struck out more than four batters in any GAME.
It was the first time the Mets got a walk-off win in a game in which the opposing starter struck out at least 11 batters since May 21, 2000, when Randy Johnson struck out 13, but the Mets beat the Diamondbacks, 7-6 on Derek Bell's walk-off single.

Frustration is going 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position
It was the 11th* time the Mets won a game on a walk-off wild pitch, the first since October 3, 1999, when Brad Clontz wild pitched in the winning run in the Mets 162nd game of the regular season, giving the Mets a 2-1 victory over the Pirates, setting up a 1-game playoff the next day with the Reds. The asterisk represents inclusion of the game of September 25, 1995, called due to rain after the Mets took the lead in the home 6th on a Tim Pugh wild pitch.

Frustration is 7 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 7 K, no-decision
Nelson Figueroa has now made 3 starts at Shea Stadium. Two have ended in walk-off wins. He was on the Phillies for the other one, July 29, 2001, which Mike Piazza won with a walk-off home run. By the way: Figureroa's opponents batting average in games caught by Raul Casanova (8 of them, dating back to their Brewers days) shrunk to .182.

Frustration is lousy bunts, 6-4-3 double plays, bad umpiring at third base, watching 5 straight changeups for strikes, warning track power, and striking out with a runner on third base with one out.
This was the third Mets walk-off win against the Nationals since the franchise moved to Washington D.C., and the first since May 1, 2006 (won on a walk-off E1)

Frustration is how your countdown to close Shea Stadium takes place in left-center field, such that your honorees can barely make out the cheers, and the fans can barely see the honorees (any thoughts to having autograph sessions or meet-and-greets so the two can interact??)
Tim Harkness, aka the man who got the first Mets hit at Shea Stadium, was in the house, since it was the 44th anniversary of the first game at Shea. If he's there, expect your walk-offs to be long lasting. Harkness had two walk-off hits as a Met, both home runs. One came in the 14th inning (a grand slam), and the other came in the 16th inning.

Frustration is wasting 26 chances at a walk-off home run (the number of plate appearances for the Mets from the bottom of the 9th to game's end, not counting Brian Schneider's one-pitch AB)
David Wright has 101 career home runs and no walk-off home runs. The only player with more home runs as a Met, without a walk-off home run is Edgardo Alfonzo, 120.

Happiness is not a warm puppy (sorry, Charles Schulz), but instead, a walk-off win.
The truly Metstrated know...That the Mets tied a club record by striking out 17 times in a walk-off win. They share the mark with the Mets-Reds game of May 6, 1983 (Darryl Strawberry's MLB debut, Mets won on a George Foster walk-off HR) and the Mets-Pirates game of May 21, 1968 (won on Chuck Hiller's throwing error in the 17th inning).






Comments

Anonymous said…
I was pretty sure Willy Stargell got the first hit at Shea.
Anonymous said…
The blog should have said Harkness got the first hit for the Mets at Shea. Stargell played for the Pirates.
metswalkoffs said…
Yes, and now it will. Thanks for the catch
I.M. Forme said…
i am calling this type of win (on other teams error) a "stumble off." Have you or anyone else invented better terminology?
metswalkoffs said…
Nice.

Good thought. I think I'll put a walk-off "lexicon" on the to-do list...

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