25 Years Ago: When Mark Grace Punched Me in the Face

Twenty-five years ago today, I decided to take in a Saturday matinee at Shea Stadium to see the Mets take on the Chicago Cubs.  Although the 1996 squad had three offensive forces in center fielder Lance Johnson, left fielder Bernard Gilkey and catcher Todd Hundley, my favorite player on the team was first baseman Rico Brogna.

Brogna was only a Met for parts of three seasons and never played for a winning Mets team, but in his short time with the club, he became a beloved figure with the fans.  One of Brogna's many big moments with the team came on that particular Saturday - May 11, 1996 - when he delivered a walk-off home run to defeat the Chicago Cubs, 7-6, at Shea Stadium.

But the story of the game wasn't the Brogna blast that erased a four-run Cubs rally.  It was the bench-clearing brawl in the fifth inning that started when Mets starting pitcher Pete Harnisch and Cubs catcher (and good friend) Scott Servais got into a heated argument at the plate.  And before the 15-minute donnybrook was done, Mark Grace had punched me in the face.  Here's the story - 25 years later - of how a great contact hitter made some unwanted contact with my left cheek.

Is this what Mark Grace looked like before his fist came in the direction of my face?

The Mets were celebrating John Franco Day at Shea Stadium on May 11, 1996, to commemorate the reliever's 300th career save.  But Franco was not around to notch a save in this game, thanks to the fisticuffs that took place in the fifth inning of the Mets' 7-6 victory.

The seeds to the battle royale were planted in the first inning, when Mets catcher Todd Hundley had to duck out the way of a errant pitch by Cubs starter Kevin Foster.  When Foster came to bat for the first time in the second inning, Harnisch drilled him with his first pitch.  No warnings were issued at the time by home plate umpire Greg Bonin.

Harnisch expected retaliation by Foster when he came to bat, but fortunately for him, the Mets had two runners on base when he came up to the plate in the second inning and the bases loaded for his next at-bat in the third.  Neither Foster nor relief pitcher Rodney Myers (who came in for Foster in the third) could hit Harnisch with a pitch because doing so would damage the Cubs' chances at a scoreless inning.  Harnisch batted again in the fifth inning, but this time there were two outs and no one on base.  Terry Adams was now on the mound for the Cubs.  It didn't take long for the fracas to begin.

Adams threw his first pitch low and behind Harnisch.  Cubs catcher Scott Servais then started jawing at Harnisch, which caused the Mets pitcher to throw a punch at Servais.  Both benches and bullpens emptied and a violent brawl ensued.  The fight then moved in the direction of the Cubs dugout.  Guess where my seat was that day?

Now, you should know that I have always enjoyed taking photos at Mets games.  And in 1996, the Mets had a promotion where they gave fans in attendance a disposable Kodak camera.  It was a camera that had no zoom and could only be used for 24 photos before it had to be discarded.  It was as primitive as you could get for a wannabe photographer.  The Mets didn't draw well in 1996, so I was able to get a ticket three rows behind and slightly to the home plate side of the Cubs dugout.  Because I was so close to the field, I figured I'd use the disposable camera since I wouldn't need a zoom feature from that distance.

Of course, as soon as I saw the mountains of men pushing, shoving and trying to decapitate each other near the Cubs dugout, I ran down to the front row and tried to take a super close-up photo of the action.  That's when Cubs first baseman Mark Grace stepped in.  And my face and my camera checked out.

May 11, 1996: The @Mets and @Cubs celebrated “John Franco Day” at Shea Stadium with an all-out bench-clearing brawl: https://t.co/9DWIw76X2V #LGM #MetsRewind pic.twitter.com/zfSnjgTQ4G

— @MetsRewind (@metsrewind) May 11, 2021

Video courtesy of MetsRewind

 

In his effort to try to separate Mets players from his teammates, Grace accidentally (or at least I think it was unintentional) took a swipe in my direction, landing his fist on my face between my left cheek and left eye.  I dropped the camera in shock, and of course, it broke upon impact with the field level concrete.  The area between my cheek and eye ended up slightly swollen, and it had the appearance of a piece of skin that had just been ripped off with a piece of tape.  Grace had as mean a left hook as he had a sweet lefty swing.  I just had a mean bruise on my face and a broken camera.

After the pugilists were sent back to their respective corners, nine players and coaches had been ejected, including the man who was celebrating his special day at Shea Stadium: John Franco.

The Mets, who at one point had a 6-2 lead in the game, saw their lead whittled down to two runs in the ninth.  With Franco stewing in the showers - he claimed he was unjustly ejected, saying "I'm too old to be doing that kind of stuff" - the Mets used three pitchers in a failed attempt to protect a 6-4 lead in the ninth.  A two-out, two-run single by Jose Hernandez off Doug Henry tied the game at six and put Rico Brogna in position to win it in the bottom of the ninth.

With one out and no one on, Brogna delivered a high fly ball deep down the right field line.  Right fielder Sammy Sosa climbed the fence right near the foul pole, but Brogna's blast just cleared the wall over Sosa's glove.  With Sosa still dangling on the wall, Brogna ran gingerly around the bases, having injured himself during the fifth-inning fracas.  It gave Brogna a four-hit, two-homer, four-RBI day and capped a thrilling 7-6 victory for the Mets.

Of course, I have no photographic evidence of this home run because my camera was in pieces thanks to Mark Grace, but I'll always have clear memories of that free-for-all, Rico Brogna's amazing day at the plate, and the shape of Grace's left fist - all of which happened 25 years ago today on a Saturday afternoon at Shea.

I guess I should be thankful Grace didn't sock me a few inches higher.  My memories might not have been so clear then.

************************

Big thanks to MetsRewind for the video of the fight.  I was standing near the dugout at the 0:49 mark of the video, but might have been bending over at the time picking up my damaged camera.  At least I had a ringside seat.

Please check out metsrewind.com for podcasts, blogs and much more amazin' Mets content.  You can also find MetsRewind on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@metsrewind, naturally).

 

 
 

20 Years Ago: When Mark Grace Punched Me in the Face

Twenty years ago today, I decided to take in a Saturday matinee at Shea Stadium to see the Mets take on the Chicago Cubs.  Although the 1996 squad had three offensive forces in center fielder Lance Johnson, left fielder Bernard Gilkey and catcher Todd Hundley, my favorite player on the team was first baseman Rico Brogna.

Brogna was only a Met for parts of three seasons and never played for a winning Mets team, but in his short time with the club, he became a beloved figure with the fans.  One of Brogna's many big moments with the team came on that particular Saturday - May 11, 1996 - when he delivered a walk-off home run to defeat the Chicago Cubs, 7-6, at Shea Stadium.

But the story of the game wasn't the Brogna blast that erased a four-run Cubs rally.  It was the bench-clearing brawl in the fifth inning that started when Mets starting pitcher Pete Harnisch and Cubs catcher (and good friend) Scott Servais got into a heated argument at the plate.  And before the 15-minute donnybrook was done, Mark Grace had punched me in the face.  Here's the story - 20 years later - of how a great contact hitter made some not-so-great contact with my left cheek.

Is this what Mark Grace looked like before his fist came in the direction of my face?

The Mets were celebrating John Franco Day at Shea Stadium on May 11, 1996, to commemorate the reliever's 300th career save.  But Franco was not around to notch a save in this game, thanks to the fisticuffs that took place in the fifth inning of the Mets' 7-6 victory.

The seeds to the battle royale were planted in the first inning, when Mets catcher Todd Hundley had to duck out the way of a errant pitch by Cubs starter Kevin Foster.  When Foster came to bat for the first time in the second inning, Harnisch drilled him with his first pitch.  No warnings were issued at the time by home plate umpire Greg Bonin.

Harnisch expected retaliation by Foster when he came to bat, but fortunately for him, the Mets had two runners on base when he came up to the plate in the second inning and the bases loaded for his next at-bat in the third.  Neither Foster nor relief pitcher Rodney Myers (who came in for Foster in the third) could hit Harnisch with a pitch because doing so would damage the Cubs' chances at a scoreless inning.  Harnisch batted again in the fifth inning, but this time there were two outs and no one on base.  Terry Adams was now on the mound for the Cubs.  It didn't take long for the fracas to begin.

Adams threw his first pitch low and behind Harnisch.  Cubs catcher Scott Servais then started jawing at Harnisch, which caused the Mets pitcher to throw a punch at Servais.  Both benches and bullpens emptied and a violent brawl ensued.  The fight then moved in the direction of the Cubs dugout.  Guess where my seat was that day?

I have always enjoyed taking photos at Mets games.  In 1996, the Mets had a promotion where they gave fans in attendance a disposable Kodak camera.  It was a camera that had no zoom and could only be used for 24 photos before it had to be discarded.  It was as primitive as you could get for a wannabe photographer.  Because the Mets didn't draw well in 1996, I was able to get a ticket three rows behind and slightly to the home plate side of the Cubs dugout.  Because I was so close to the field, I figured I'd use the disposable camera since I wouldn't need a zoom feature from that distance.

Of course, as soon as I saw the mountains of men pushing, shoving and trying to decapitate each other near the Cubs dugout, I ran down to the front row and tried to take a super close-up photo of the action.  That's when Cubs first baseman Mark Grace stepped in.  And my face and my camera checked out.

In his effort to try to separate Mets players from his teammates, Grace accidentally (or at least I think it was unintentional) took a swipe in my direction, landing his fist on my face between my left cheek and left eye.  I dropped the camera in shock, and of course, it broke upon impact with the field level concrete.  The area between my cheek and eye ended up slightly swollen, and it had the appearance of a piece of skin that had just been ripped off with a piece of tape.  Grace had as mean a left hook as he had a sweet lefty swing.  I just had a mean bruise on my face and a broken camera.

After the pugilists were sent back to their respective corners, nine players and coaches had been ejected, including the man who was celebrating his special day at Shea Stadium - John Franco.

The Mets, who at one point had a 6-2 lead in the game, saw their lead whittled down to two runs in the ninth.  With Franco stewing in the showers (he claimed he was unjustly ejected, saying "I'm too old to be doing that kind of stuff"), the Mets needed three pitchers in a failed attempt to protect a 6-4 lead in the ninth.  A two-out, two-run single by Jose Hernandez off Doug Henry tied the game at six, and put Rico Brogna in position to win it in the bottom of the ninth.

With one out and no one on, Brogna delivered a high fly ball deep down the right field line.  Right fielder Sammy Sosa climbed the fence right near the foul pole, but Brogna's blast just cleared the wall over Sosa's glove.  With Sosa still dangling on the wall, Brogna ran gingerly around the bases, having injured himself during the fifth-inning fracas.  It gave Brogna a four-hit, two-homer, four-RBI day and capped a thrilling 7-6 victory for the Mets.

Of course, I have no photographic evidence of this home run because my camera was in pieces thanks to Mark Grace, but I'll always have clear memories of that free-for-all, Rico Brogna's amazing day at the plate, and the shape of Grace's left fist - all of which happened 20 years ago today on a Saturday afternoon at Shea.

I guess I should be thankful Grace didn't sock me a few inches higher.  My memories might not have been so clear then.
 

Broken News: Being in the Right Place at the Right Time

Welcome to another edition of Broken News, where someone else breaks the news and then we break it again.  In today's installment, we're going to look back at Friday night's game between the Mets and Giants, otherwise known as the game in which the bottom of the third inning turned into a matchup between the Gas-House Gorillas and the Tea Totallers.  (Go watch classic Bugs Bunny clips if you don't know what I mean.)

In the third, the Mets sent 15 men to the plate and scored a dozen runs, breaking the franchise record for tallies in a single frame.  Yoenis Céspedes put the icing on the inning by giving his regards to Giants reliever Mike Broadway, lining a grand slam to score the Mets' ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth runs of the frame.  Earlier in the third, Céspedes had driven in two runs with another hit.  His six RBI set a club record for a player in one inning.

The Mets basically did a conga line around the bases in the third, scoring half a dozen runs off starter Jake Peavy and another half dozen against Broadway to set a team mark with 12 runs in one inning, breaking the old record of 11, which was accomplished in 2006 in an inning where the Mets clubbed two grand slams.

I attended Friday night's game and got to witness the third inning in person.  It was the 13th grand slam hit by a Mets player that I've had the pleasure of seeing at Shea Stadium and Citi Field.  I've also had the honor of being at Citi Field for eight of the 12 walk-off homers hit in the park's history, including all six game-ending blasts since 2013 and the only two walk-off grand slams ever hit there.  I've been in the right place at the right time for many of these exciting finishes, which reminds me of the first times I ever saw a grand slam and a walk-off homer.

If you're a long-time reader, then you know about the first walk-off homer I ever saw in person.  It happened in 1996, when Rico Brogna accomplished the feat against the Chicago Cubs in the same game where Mark Grace punched me in the face.  But there were also fisticuffs in the game where I witnessed my first-ever grand slam, and it involved a mighty mite and a future Hall of Famer.

On May 14, 1994, the Mets and Braves hooked up for a Saturday matinee at Shea Stadium.  I got to my seat a little late for first pitch, but realized that I had a celebrity sitting next to me in my field level seat.  It was none other than MTV personality Dan Cortese.  That's right, the bandana enthusiast from MTV Sports and Rock n' Jock fame was my next-seat neighbor for the festivities.  Because I like to rock with the cool kids.

My seat mate for the game in which I witnessed my first grand slam in person.  (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images)

The Mets took a 3-0 lead into the fifth inning and had two outs and no one on base.  It did not appear as if the Mets would be able to extend their lead against Braves starting pitcher John Smoltz in the frame.  But then Smoltz allowed singles to Bobby Bonilla and Jeff Kent and followed that up with a wild pitch that moved Kent into scoring position behind Bonilla, who was already at third.  Smoltz then intentionally walked David Segui to load the bases for Ryan Thompson.  On a 1-2 pitch, Thompson blasted a long home run off Smoltz to give the Mets a 7-0 lead and me my first in-person grand slam hit by a Met.  That brought up Brooklyn-born John Cangelosi to the plate and he made sure to let Smoltz know that he still had a lot of Brooklyn in him.

On the first pitch following Thompson's grand slam, Smoltz nailed Cangelosi in the back.  It was the second consecutive inning Smoltz had hit Cangelosi in the John-on-John crime, as he was plunked by the Braves starter in the fourth inning as well.  Bruised, but not battered, the diminutive Brooklynite then charged at Smoltz, who had seven inches and sixty pounds on the Mets left fielder, and a bench-clearing brawl ensued.  There is no truth to the rumor that I had to hold back Dan Cortese from joining the fracas, but he was throwing air punches in his seat as if he were mentally trying to show Mets players who were 200 feet away from us how to defend themselves against the big bad boys from Atlanta.

After the dust had settled and Smoltz and Cangelosi had been tossed, the game continued without incident and the Mets went on to record an 11-4 victory.  An interesting side note that was overshadowed by the boxing match was that Mauro Gozzo recorded the win for the Mets in the game, a win that was made possible by Thompson's grand slam.  Gozzo was originally drafted by the Mets in 1984, but was traded to Kansas City in 1987 in the deal that brought David Cone to New York.  Five years later, Cone was traded to Toronto for Jeff Kent and Ryan Thompson - the same Ryan Thompson who helped Gozzo defeat the Braves.  (Gozzo had returned to the Mets as a free agent following the 1992 campaign.)

Since Citi Field opened in 2009, I've had a better than 50-50 chance to be in attendance whenever a grand slam or walk-off home run has been hit by a Mets player, including the grand slam by Yoenis Céspedes on Friday night.  It's gotten to the point where I've kind of gotten used to seeing slams and walk-offs.  But prior to 1994, I had never seen either type of blast in person.  Then Ryan Thompson ended my grand slam drought in 1994, followed by Rico Brogna's walk-off blast two years later.  Both firsts were accompanied by fists.  (Only one was accompanied by Dan Cortese.)  At least both were also accompanied by Mets victories.

A "Best On The Worst" Side Story: When Mark Grace Punched Me In The Face

Earlier this week, I shared the story of Rico Brogna, who played with the Mets from 1994 to 1996.  Brogna never played for a winning Mets team, but in his short time with the club, he became a beloved figure with the fans.  One of his many big moments with the team came on Saturday, May 11, 1996, when Brogna delivered a walk-off home run to defeat the Chicago Cubs, 7-6, at Shea Stadium.

But the story of the game wasn't the Brogna blast that erased a four-run Cubs rally.  It was the bench-clearing brawl in the fifth inning that started when Mets starting pitcher Pete Harnisch and Cubs catcher (and good friend) Scott Servais got into a heated argument at the plate.  And before the 15-minute donnybrook was done, Mark Grace had punched me in the face.  Here's the story of how a great contact hitter made some not-so-great contact with my left cheek.

Is this what Mark Grace looked like before his fist came in the direction of my face?

The Mets were celebrating John Franco Day at Shea Stadium on May 11, 1996, to commemorate the reliever's 300th career save.  But Franco was not around to notch a save in this game, thanks to the fisticuffs that took place in the fifth inning of the Mets' 7-6 victory.

The seeds to the battle royale were planted in the first inning, when Mets catcher Todd Hundley had to duck out the way of a errant pitch by Cubs starter Kevin Foster.  When Foster came to bat for the first time in the second inning, Harnisch drilled him with his first pitch.  No warnings were issued at the time by home plate umpire Greg Bonin.

Harnisch expected retaliation by Foster when he came to bat, but fortunately for him, the Mets had two runners on base when he came up to the plate in the second inning and the bases loaded for his next at-bat in the third.  Neither Foster nor relief pitcher Rodney Myers (who came in for Foster in the third) could hit Harnisch with a pitch because doing so would damage the Cubs' chances at a scoreless inning.  Harnisch batted again in the fifth inning, but this time there were two outs and no one on base.  Terry Adams was now on the mound for the Cubs.  It didn't take long for the fracas to begin.

Adams threw his first pitch low and behind Harnisch.  Cubs catcher Scott Servais then started jawing at Harnisch, which caused the Mets pitcher to throw a punch at Servais.  Both benches and bullpens emptied and a violent brawl ensued.  The fight then moved in the direction of the Cubs dugout.  Guess where my seat was that day?

I have always enjoyed taking photos at Mets games.  In 1996, the Mets had a promotion where they gave fans in attendance a disposable Kodak camera.  It was a camera that had no zoom and could only be used for 24 photos before it had to be discarded.  It was as primitive as you could get for a wannabe photographer.  Because the Mets didn't draw well in 1996, I was able to get a ticket three rows behind and slightly to the home plate side of the Cubs dugout.  Because I was so close to the field, I figured I'd use the disposable camera since I wouldn't need a zoom feature from that distance.

Of course, as soon as I saw the mountains of men pushing, shoving and trying to decapitate each other near the Cubs dugout, I ran down to the front row and tried to take a super close-up photo of the action.  That's when Cubs first baseman Mark Grace stepped in.  And my face and my camera checked out.

In his effort to try to separate Mets players from his teammates, Grace accidentally (or at least I think it was unintentional) took a swipe in my direction, landing his fist on my face between my left cheek and left eye.  I dropped the camera in shock, and of course, it broke upon impact with the field level concrete.  The area between my cheek and eye ended up slightly swollen, and it had the appearance of a piece of skin that had just been ripped off with a piece of tape.  Grace had as mean a left hook as he had a sweet lefty swing.  I just had a mean bruise on my face and a broken camera.

After the pugilists were sent back to their respective corners, nine players and coaches had been ejected, including the man who was celebrating his special day at Shea Stadium - John Franco.

The Mets, who at one point had a 6-2 lead in the game, saw their lead whittled down to two runs in the ninth.  With Franco stewing in the showers (he claimed he was unjustly ejected, saying "I'm too old to be doing that kind of stuff"), the Mets needed three pitchers in a failed attempt to protect a 6-4 lead in the ninth.  A two-out, two-run single by Jose Hernandez off Doug Henry tied the game at six, and put Rico Brogna in position to win it in the bottom of the ninth.

With one out and no one on, Brogna delivered a high fly ball deep down the right field line.  Right fielder Sammy Sosa climbed the fence right near the foul pole, but Brogna's blast just cleared the wall over Sosa's glove.  With Sosa still dangling on the wall, Brogna ran gingerly around the bases, having injured himself during the fifth-inning fracas.  It gave Brogna a four-hit, two-homer, four-RBI day and capped a thrilling 7-6 victory for the Mets.

Of course, I have no photographic evidence of this home run because my camera was in pieces thanks to Mark Grace, but I'll always have clear memories of that free-for-all, Rico Brogna's amazing day at the plate, and the shape of Mark Grace's left fist.  It's a good thing he didn't sock me a few inches higher.  My memories might not have been so clear then.
 

Hi Diddle Dee Dee! A Questionnaire For Me!

With thanks to Shannon Shark at Mets Police, (and a shout-out to the one and only Coop for bringing this to the attention of Studious Metsimus), here are five questions that all Mets fans should take the time to answer. If Mets fan extraordinaire Julia Stiles answers this questionnaire, please be sure to include your e-mail address at the bottom of your comment so we can...ahem...discuss your answers privately.

First you will see Joey's answers, followed by his colleague's answers. Enjoy!


Question #1: When did I start following the Mets?

Answer: June 20, 2004. That was the day I was born. I was born at the Mets Team Store at Shea Stadium. I was named after Jose Reyes, but immediately changed my name to Joey because I didn't know Spanish at the time and I wanted to be able to pronounce my own name.

THISISTHEBLUEANDORANGEDIVIDERTHATNOONEEVERNOTICES

Question #2: Favorite Mets memory?

Answer: May 17, 2007. The Mets were down 5-1 in the ninth inning against the Cubs and rallied for five runs to win 6-5. I was in Section 2 of the Upper Deck and I lost my voice. My colleague almost fell into the row in the front of him twice while he was jumping up and down in front of his seat. I would have paid to see that. Another Mets moment I will never forget was sitting in field level seats for Game 1 of the 2006 NLCS.

My fav'rit Mets moment would have been September 18, 2006 (the night the Mets clinched the NL East Division title), but someone forgot me at home that night.

THISISTHEBLUEANDORANGEDIVIDERTHATNOONEEVERNOTICES

Question #3: Worst Mets memory?

Answer: The day the picture below was taken. I was so embarrassed that day. Poofball hats and me; not a good combination.


Another horrible memory occurred when I dropped my cannoli at Citi Field. My colleague didn't go for my "five second rule". It was still in one piece. Why couldn't I pick it up? I don't even remember if the Mets won or lost that game. It was all about the cannoli for me.

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Question #4: One off-field change I could make?

Answer: Two words - CAKE SHACK!

THISISTHEBLUEANDORANGEDIVIDERTHATNOONEEVERNOTICES

Question #5: First thing I would change if I owned the team?

Answer: Three words - MORE CAKE SHACK! (I'd also make sure that Omar Minaya would make himself available before each home game to sit in the Dunk Tank in the Fan Fest Area.)

THISISTHEBLUEANDORANGEDIVIDERTHATNOONEEVERNOTICES

Those are my answers and I'm sticking to them. Now here are the answers by my colleague. Let's see how wrong his answers will be.


Question #1: When did I start following the Mets?

Answer: It was during the 1981 season. I remember watching Mookie Wilson run the bases and fell in love with him (not that there's anything wrong with that) and the team. Then the strike happened. To this day, I wonder if major league baseball would have gone on strike had I not put a hex on Craig Swan that season.

THISISTHEBLUEANDORANGEDIVIDERTHATNOONEEVERNOTICES

Question #2: Favorite Mets memory?

Answer: For games I attended, we have October 3, 1999. That was the game Brad Clontz threw a wild pitch past Mike Piazza that allowed Melvin Mora to score the winning run and send the Mets "to some semblance of post-season play" (quote provided by Howie Rose). I also have fond memories of attending the division clincher in 2006 (sorry for leaving you home, Joey) and three post-season games that year, all of which were Mets victories.

Of course, Game 6 of the 1986 World Series is not only my fav'rit Mets moment of all-time, it's also the single greatest moment of my life. I remember every moment as if it took place yesterday. I can still see my mother toss aside her lucky ceramic elephant after her "pollo", Keith Hernandez, flied out to Dave Henderson for the second out of the tenth inning. I picked up the elephant and we all know what transpired on the field after that. I threw the elephant up in the air after Ray Knight scored the winning run and it didn't break when it hit the ceiling at full speed. You just knew the Mets were going to win the World Series after that comeback.

THISISTHEBLUEANDORANGEDIVIDERTHATNOONEEVERNOTICES

Question #3: Worst Mets memory?

Answer: September 28, 2008. It was the day I said goodbye to Shea Stadium. It did not end with a celebration, but with a loss. Even the ceremonies after the game seemed funereal to me.

Another bad Mets memory actually happened on a day when the Mets won on a walk-off home run by Rico Brogna. The day was May 11, 1996. The Mets had a four-run lead on the Cubs and Pete Harnisch was pitching well. Then Cubs' catcher Scott Servais started jawing at Harnisch when Pete came up to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning. Harnisch turned around, got in Servais' face and haymakers ensued. I was sitting behind the Cubs dugout and the fight spilled over near where I was sitting. Of course, since I knew I would be a Mets blogger 13 years later, I figured I should get closer to the action to take a picture of the fisticuffs. Then my left cheek was introduced to Mark Grace's fist...

I never did get any pictures that day, but I did get a swollen cheek. The Cubs eventually rallied to tie the game in the ninth inning, but with one out, Rico Brogna hit a long fly ball down the right field line that just went over the outstretched glove of Sammy Sosa at the wall for a game-winning home run. The Mets won the game 7-6, but I took home some of Mark Grace's DNA on my cheek.

THISISTHEBLUEANDORANGEDIVIDERTHATNOONEEVERNOTICES

Question #4: One off-field change I could make?

Answer: Do not allow the Phillies team bus to enter the Citi Field parking lot for any reason. With a couple of forfeits, the Mets might have some meaningful games in September next season.

THISISTHEBLUEANDORANGEDIVIDERTHATNOONEEVERNOTICES

Question #5: First thing I would change if I owned the team?

Answer: First, I'd bring back Mike Piazza and have Zakk Wylde provide the music while the opposing team is batting. If Zakk Wylde is unavailable, just have Piazza play guitar for Skid Row. However, make sure Sebastian Bach is the lead singer. Otherwise, kidnap Zakk Wylde and blame it on Shane Victorino. Say he's still bitter for making the last out of the World Series.



The main thing I would want the team to change is the direction they're going in. Instead of focusing on Brooklyn Dodger references, the direction each bullpen faces and hiring members of the '86 Mets for any possible job within the organization, how about putting together a team that can beat the Phillies?

Start with pitching and go from there. If the team on the field next year performs better than the one that embarrassed us this year, then I don't mind paying an extra few bucks for my promenade seats. I'd rather have more expensive tickets and a competitive team than a minor discount and craparoni on the field. I would also make it mandatory for the vendor who shouts "SODA" to go out on a date with me.

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That's it for this questionnaire, o beloved SMFs! Thanks for reading our answers and please leave comments with your own answers as well. Remember, there are no wrong answers, unless if you're a fan of the Yankees or the Phillies. Have fun!