25 Years Later…from an early ’90s Mets fan
On October 25, 1986, the greatest moment in Mets history happened. It also happened to be the worst moment in Red Sox history.
Yes, I’m talking about when Mookie Wilson hit the ground ball to Bill Buckner and it passed in between his legs. Finish the call yourself. Ray Knight scored and the Mets went on to win the World Series.
Say what you will about this moment…I wasn’t born yet. I was born into the wrong era of Mets fandom.
We all know that the Red Sox have won 2 World Series titles since then. The Mets? Zero. Since it’s been 25 years since this moment of Mets folklore happened, why not take a nostalgic ride on the 7 train and look at the last 25 years?
Since 1986, the Mets have made it to the postseason 4 times. They got to the World Series once, losing to the Yankees in 2000. Each of the other three times, they made it to the NLCS, losing to the Dodgers in 1988, the Braves in 1999, and the Cardinals in 2006. The Dodgers and the Cardinals went on to win the World Series.
From 1987 to 2011, the Mets have had 13 winning seasons and two NL East championships, in 1988 and 2006. The Mets finished in second place in nine of those 13 seasons and third place in two seasons. The Mets were the Wild Card champions in 1999 and 2000.
Over the last 25 years, the Mets have also had 12 seasons where they had a record below .500. The 1994 strike-shortened season may have been a blessing for the early ’90s Mets; they had a 55-58 record and managed to stay in 3rd place. In seven of the 12 losing seasons, the Mets have finished just outside the cellar 7 times, including in each of the last three seasons. I stopped looking at the standings from this season so long ago that I didn’t realize the Nationals had a better record than us.
The Mets have finished in dead last in 3 seasons: 1993, 2002, and 2003. Bobby Valentine and Art Howe managed the 2002 and 2003 teams, respectively. Jeff Torborg and Dallas Green combined to manage the dismal 1993 season, which statistically marks the team’s worst season in 25 years.
The 1995 Mets acheived something special: they had a 69-75 record and managed to finish in 2nd place. A miracle of some sorts.
So what does this history lesson mean for someone like me, who was born in November 1988? I was so totally born like 10 years too late. My first Mets memory is the Jason Isringhausen poster in my basement…from back when he was part of Generation K. My dad took me to my first Mets game when I was 8-years-old; I got to run around the bases afterwards.
However, the first game that stands in my memory was on September 14, 1997. The Mets were playing the (then) Expos. Luis Lopez hit a home run in the 7th and the Mets won 1-0. I was eight.
We can remember great moments like the Buckner play because of its spot in Mets history, or we can choose to remember the moments that stand out in our own memories. The memories are in what’s in your heart, not what somebody tells you is a memory. And today, I remember that I’ve only seen the Mets make the postseason 3 times and that they’ve finished dead last just as many times.
Gotta love being born a few years too late.
It's All Mets to Me 