How The Mets Have Fared In Long Homestands

Last Thursday, the Mets began an 11-game homestand at Citi Field.  From May 24 through June 4, the three National League divisions are being represented in Flushing, as the San Diego Padres (four games), Philadelphia Phillies (three games) and St. Louis Cardinals (four games) are all taking their turns against the New York Mets.

The 11 games at Citi Field represent the longest homestand of the season, with only one other double-digit-game homestand scheduled to take place in Flushing (10 games, from September 17-27).

Usually, a team looks forward to long homestands.  In addition to the players being able to sleep in their own beds, they also anticipate friendly home crowds cheering them on to victory.  But has victory followed the Mets whenever they've played a minimum of ten consecutive home games?  We've consulted with our research department (that would be me) to see how the Mets have fared in long homestands over the years.

1962: (40-120 overall; 22-58 at home)
June 15-23: 11 games (3-8)
July 6-19: 12 games (3-9)
August 14-26: 15 games (3-12)
September 10-23: 11 games (4-7)
Total long homestand record: (13-36)
All other home games: (9-22)

1963: (51-111 overall; 34-47 at home)
April 29-May 12: 13 games (8-5)
May 28-June 11: 15 games (6-9)
July 5-18: 13 games (3-10)
August 6-18: 13 games (5-8)
Total long homestand record: (22-32)
All other home games: (12-15)

1964: (53-109 overall; 33-48 at home)
May 29-June 11: 14 games (6-7-1)
July 24-August 5: 13 games (5-8)
August 14-23: 11 games (7-4)
September 1-10: 11 games (4-7)
Total long homestand record: (22-26-1)
All other home games: (11-22)

1965: (50-112 overall; 29-52 at home)
May 4-16: 11 games (7-4)
June 28-July 10: 13 games (6-7)
August 20-September 2: 16 games (8-8)
Total long homestand record: (21-19)
All other home games: (8-33)

1966: (66-95 overall; 32-49 at home)
May 6-18: 11 games (5-6)
May 30-June 14: 19 games (7-12)
July 29-August 7: 11 games (4-7)
August 29-September 11: 13 games (4-9)
Total long homestand record: (20-34)
All other home games: (12-15)

1967: (61-101 overall; 36-42 at home)
May 19-28: 10 games (4-6)
June 26-July 9: 14 games (8-6)
August 4-13: 10 games (6-4)
Total long homestand record: (18-16)
All other home games: (18-26)

1968: (73-89 overall; 32-49 at home)
June 14-23: 11 games (6-5)
August 28-September 3: 10 games (3-6-1)
Total long homestand record: (9-11-1)
All other home games: (23-38)

1969: (100-62 overall; 52-30 at home)
June 20-29: 11 games (6-5)
July 24-August 3: 10 games (5-5)
August 16-24: 10 games (9-1)
Total long homestand record: (20-11)
All other home games: (32-19)

1970: (83-79 overall; 44-38 at home)
May 22-31: 11 games (6-5)
July 24-August 4: 12 games (7-5)
Total long homestand record: (13-10)
All other home games (31-28)

1971: (83-79 overall; 44-37 at home)
June 8-20: 13 games (7-6)
July 23-August 4: 14 games (6-8)
Total long homestand record: (13-14)
All other home games: (31-23)

1972: (83-73 overall; 41-37 at home)
May 5-18: 13 games (10-3)
May 30-June 11: 11 games (5-6)
July 29-August 6: 10 games (5-5)
Total long homestand record: (20-14)
All other home games: (21-23)

1973: (82-79 overall; 43-38 at home)
July 28-August 7: 14 games (7-7)
August 17-29: 13 games (8-5)
Total long homestand record: (15-12)
All other home games: (28-26)

1974: (71-91 overall; 36-45 at home)
June 27-July 10: 14 games (7-7)
Total long homestand record: (7-7)
All other home games: (29-38)

1975: (82-80 overall; 42-39 at home)
May 2-14: 10 games (4-6)
May 26-June 8: 13 games (8-5)
June 20-July 3: 15 games (7-8)
August 4-17: 15 games (7-8)
Total long homestand record: (22-21)
All other home games: (20-18)

1976: (86-76 overall; 45-37 at home)
April 26-May 9: 13 games (10-3)
Total long homestand record: (10-3)
All other home games: (35-34)

1977: (64-98 overall; 35-44 at home)
July 8-17: 10 games (6-4)
July 29-August 10: 12 games (6-6)
Total long homestand record: (12-10)
All other home games: (23-34)

1978: (66-96 overall; 33-47 at home)
May 29-June 11: 13 games (5-8)
July 19-26: 10 games (7-3)
August 11-23: 12 games (2-10)
Total long homestand record: (14-21)
All other home games: (19-26)

1979: (63-99 overall; 28-53 at home)
July 6-15: 11 games (6-5)
Total long homestand record: (6-5)
All other home games: (22-48)

1980: (67-95 overall; 38-44 at home)
June 3-15: 13 games (8-5)
July 1-13: 12 games (7-5)
August 14-27: 13 games (2-11)
Total long homestand record: (17-21)
All other home games: (21-23)

1981: (41-62 overall; 24-27 at home)
April 28-May 10: 13 games (4-9)
Total long homestand record: (4-9)
All other home games: (20-18)

1982: (65-97 overall; 33-48 at home)
May 6-19: 13 games (9-4)
July 2-11: 11 games (3-8)
Total long homestand record: (12-12)
All other home games: (21-36)

1983: (68-94 overall; 41-41 at home)
June 20-26: 10 games (5-5)
July 25-August 4: 11 games (6-5)
August 26-September 7: 14 games (6-8)
Total long homestand record: (17-18)
All other home games: (24-23)

1984: (90-72 overall; 48-33 at home)
April 27-May 10: 11 games (6-5)
May 22-June 3: 10 games (3-7)
June 28-July 8: 12 games (9-3)
August 24-September 2: 12 games (8-4)
Total long homestand record: (26-19)
All other home games: (22-14)

1985: (98-64 overall; 51-30 at home)
July 18-31: 14 games (9-5)
Total long homestand record: (9-5)
All other home games: (42-25)

1986: (108-54 overall; 55-26 at home)
July 3-13: 11 games (7-4)
August 29-September 10: 12 games (8-4)
Total long homestand record: (15-8)
All other home games: (40-18)

1987: (92-70 overall; 49-32 at home)
April 24-May 6: 11 games (5-6)
July 16-26: 11 games (6-5)
August 3-12: 10 games (7-3)
Total long homestand record: (18-14)
All other home games: (31-18)

1988: (100-60 overall; 56-24 at home)
May 24-June 5: 13 games (7-6)
September 12-22: 10 games (9-1)
Total long homestand record: (16-7)
All other home games: (40-17)

1989: (87-75 overall; 51-30 at home)
July 17-27: 11 games (6-5)
August 10-23: 14 games (9-5)
Total long homestand record: (15-10)
All other home games: (36-20)

1990: (91-71 overall; 52-29 at home)
May 2-12: 10 games (7-3)
August 7-16: 10 games (5-5)
September 10-20: 10 games (5-5)
Total long homestand record: (17-13)
All other home games: (35-16)

1991: (77-84 overall; 40-42 at home)
April 26-May 8: 10 games (5-5)
July 11-21: 11 games (7-4)
September 17-29: 12 games (6-6)
Total long homestand record: (18-15)
All other home games: (22-27)

1992: (72-90 overall; 41-40 at home)
June 12-25: 14 games (6-8)
July 16-26: 10 games (6-4)
Total long homestand record: (12-12)
All other home games: (29-28)

1993: (59-103 overall; 28-53 at home)
July 2-11: 11 games (4-7)
August 23-September 1: 10 games (4-6)
Total long homestand record: (8-13)
All other home games: (20-40)

1994: (55-58 overall; 23-30 at home)
July 15-24: 10 games (5-5)
Total long homestand record: (5-5)
All other home games: (18-25)

1995: (69-75 overall; 40-32 at home)
June 13-22: 10 games (3-7)
August 15-27: 12 games (8-4)
Total long homestand record: (11-11)
All other home games: (29-21)

1996: (71-91 overall; 42-39 at home)
July 11-21: 11 games (6-5)
Total long homestand record: (6-5)
All other home games: (36-34)

1997: (88-74 overall; 50-31 at home)
April 13-23: 11 games (5-6)
Total long homestand record: (5-6)
All other home games: (45-25)

1998: (88-74 overall; 47-34 at home)
July 9-21: 12 games (5-7)
July 28-August 6: 10 games (6-4)
August 18-24: 10 games (6-4)
Total long homestand record: (17-15)
All other home games: (30-19)

1999: (97-66 overall; 49-32 at home)
July 2-11: 10 games (5-5)
Total long homestand record: (5-5)
All other home games: (44-27)

2000: (94-68 overall; 55-27 at home)
April 18-27: 10 games (8-2)
June 20-July 2: 13 games (9-4)
Total long homestand record: (17-6)
All other home games: (38-21)

2001: (82-80 overall; 44-37 at home)
June 15-24: 10 games (4-6)
August 21-September 2: 13 games (9-4)
Total long homestand record: (13-10)
All other home games: (31-27)

2002: (75-86 overall; 38-43 at home)
June 14-26: 12 games (7-5)
July 22-August 5: 13 games (5-8)
Total long homestand record: (12-13)
All other home games: (26-30)

2003: (66-95 overall; 34-46 at home)
July 25-August 3: 10 games (3-7)
Total long homestand record: (3-7)
All other home games: (31-39)

2004: (71-91 overall; 38-43 at home)
April 12-22: 10 games (4-6)
July 15-25: 10 games (3-7)
August 23-September 2: 11 games (1-10)
Total long homestand record: (8-23)
All other home games: (30-20)

2005: (83-79 overall; 48-33 at home)
May 31-June 12: 12 games (6-6)
July 14-24: 10 games (7-3)
Total long homestand record: (13-9)
All other home games: (35-24)

2006: (97-65 overall; 50-31 at home)
No homestand longer than nine games

2007: (88-74 overall; 41-40 at home)
May 11-20: 10 games (7-3)
Total long homestand record: (7-3)
All other home games: (34-37)

2008: (89-73 overall; 48-33 at home)
No homestand longer than nine games

2009: (70-92 overall; 41-40 at home)
June 19-28: 10 games (4-6)
July 27-August 5: 10 games (5-5)
August 14-24: 11 games (4-7)
Total long homestand record: (13-18)
All other home games: (28-22)

2010: (79-83 overall; 47-34 at home)
April 19-28: 10 games (9-1)
September 10-19: 10 games (5-5)
Total long homestand record: (14-6)
All other home games: (33-28)

2011: (77-85 overall; 34-47 at home)
May 27-June 5: 10 games (5-5)
Total long homestand record: (5-5)
All other home games: (29-42) 


Totals through 2011:
Homestands of at least ten games: 109
Long homestands with a winning record (above .500): 48
Long homestands with a losing record (below .500): 44
Long homestands with a split record (at .500): 17
Overall record during long homestands: (628-625-2)
Overall record in all other home games: (1,404-1,316)

Looking at the numbers, we see that the Mets have had four more winning long homestands than losing long homestands.  But that doesn't necessarily mean that the Mets do better in longer homestands than they do in shorter ones.

Going into the 2012 season, the Mets' cumulative record during homestands of ten or more games was just barely above .500, while their record in all other home games that were not part of a long homestand was well over .500.

As of this writing (May 31), the Mets have a 16-11 record at Citi Field in 2012.  They are 4-3 during their current 11-game homestand.  However, they are 12-8 in all other home games.

Are longer homestands better than shorter ones for the Mets?  The results appear to be inconclusive.  But one thing's for sure.  A team that's at home for an extended period of time should always take
advantage of their fortunate schedule.  A handful of games above .500 over a 50-year time period does not exactly qualify as "taking advantage".

The Mets must learn to feast when they're given some home cooking.  Otherwise, they'll just be put to bed without before the dessert tray comes out.