Mets Walk-Offs And Minutiae

July 31 isn't just the trade deadline. It's the anniversary of one of the greatest pitching duels in "recent" Mets history. Go figure that a matchup of Paul Wilson and Denny Neagle would produce such a contest, but it did. This was 1996 and the Mets were quasi-buyers instead of the sellers they'd been the previous year, when they dealt Bret Saberhagen and Bobby Bonilla at the trade deadline. Many say that Wilson's best game as a Met was the one in which he lost on a Sammy Sosa walk-off home run. "But he was never the same after that," John Franco noted on WFAN the other day. He did have one or two nice moments though. Wilson allowed only one hit, a sixth-inning double by Al Martin, over eight innings, striking out seven and walking three. Wilson left a bit chagrined, trailing 1-0 into the bottom of the 9th. Neagle had struck out 12 through the first eight innings, but Bernard Gilkey (who whiffed three times) negated that work with a game-tying home r

Let's move on to something else that the Mets have screwed up royally, and I use that word for a reason. The Royals returned home after the All-Star Break and those who showed up got something extra for their dollar. The chance to go to the newly-opened Royals Hall of Fame . I went to Monday's game and figured there would be some sort of recognition regarding the plans to "Met-up" Citi Field, that I'd read about not too long ago. There were none. Forgive our impatience, but the lack of a Mets Hall of Fame in Citi Field is a joke. The Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a great tribute and its presence is appropriate. The Mets Hall of Fame should have been given priority on the same line. In fact, as we've documented before in this space, there are a lot of issues with the Mets Hall of Fame, or lack thereof. In regards to the comparison to the Royals, it's worth noting that this is a franchise that has been in existence for seven years fewer than the Mets. There a

When it comes to truth telling, I remember the commercials from a few years back. The one to choose is the Daily News ("New York's Hometown Paper!") When it comes to grand slams, the one to choose is Fernando Tatis, and I'll admit I had enough doubts to acknowledge skepticism when he batted for Cory Sullivan on Monday night. We'll give Tatis a fistbump for his efforts and we'll throw an honorary one Adam Rubin's way as well. * Walk-up win #170 (walk-up=bottom of 8th win) was the Mets 2nd of the season. Both have been by the final score of 7-3. The other came on May 8 against the Pirates. * In fact, the last 3 Mets walk-off wins have been by final scores of 7-3. * Fernando Tatis hit the 4th walk-up grand slam in Mets history Walk-Up Grand Slams Mets History (game-winning grand slam in bottom 8th) 2009- Fernando Tatis (Rockies) 1985- Gary Carter (Braves) 1978- Lee Mazzilli (Phillies) 1963- Jim Hickman (Braves) * This was, based on an initial check, the 8th

On the day when we salute the best of the best in baseball, I thought it a good idea to salute the best hitter ever associated with the New York Mets. So a cap-tip, kudos, and remembrance to Hall of Famer, and 1962 Mets hitting coach Rogers Hornsby. For those to young to remember, and that should be just about all of you, Rogers Hornsby was among the greatest players in Baseball History (A Sporting News poll from about 10 years ago ranks him 9th). Hornsby played regularly as a second baseman from 1916 to 1929, primarily with the Cardinals, but also for the Giants, Braves, and Cubs, then dabbled in occasional baseball for a bit to the point where his career spanned 23 years. Among the highlights: * A .358 batting average, with 301 HR * He hit .400 or better 3 times * He won the Triple Crown twice * He led the NL in OPS 11 times * He won a World Series in 1926 as a player/manager In 1922, Hornsby hit .401 with 42 home runs and 152 RBI. Yet for all his accolades, he was described in a Ro