Just Call The Mets "Tea Totallers"

If you were watching the first inning of tonight's Mets-Phillies tilt, you were reminded of many things.  Fans from my generation will recall the game between the Mets and Phillies on June 11, 1985, otherwise known as The Von Hayes Game.

In that debacle, the Mets set the franchise record for runs allowed in a game, losing to the Phillies 26-7.  Aided by two first-inning home runs by Von Hayes including a grand slam, the Phillies took a 16-0 lead after two innings en route to their lopsided win.  Three Mets pitchers (Tom Gorman, Calvin Schiraldi and Joe Sambito) combined to give up all 26 runs.  Amazingly, almost incomprehensibly, Doug Sisk pitched 2⅓ innings of scoreless relief, despite entering the game with a 7.68 ERA.

That's what I was reminded of.  But more mature fans (and by more mature, I mean fans who remember seeing Dave Schneck and Al Schmelz stinking it up in Mets uniforms) might think of tonight's first inning and be reminded of this:



The Mets weren't nearly as bad against the Phillies as the Tea Totallers were against the Gas-House Gorillas in that classic Bugs Bunny sketch.  But they were pretty close, allowing eight first inning runs to their division rivals.

Instead of batters doing a conga line to home plate, it was Mets fans making a beeline toward the exits.  That's just what happens when the team you root is playing like a cartoon.

This Year's Mets Have A 1984 Feel To Them

In 1984, the Mets were coming off one of the darkest eras in franchise history.  For seven straight seasons, the Mets finished at least 21 games under .500 and never finished higher than fifth place in the six-team NL East.  There were no expectations going into 1984 even though the team had a veteran leader in Keith Hernandez, a nice mix of homegrown talent (Darryl Strawberry, Hubie Brooks, Mookie Wilson, Wally Backman) and a new manager in Davey Johnson.

They also had a young pitcher named Dwight Gooden, who was given the ball despite having no experience in the major leagues.  Gooden went on to reward the Mets for showing their faith in him, making the All-Star team and becoming the fourth Met to win the Rookie of the Year Award.

After seven consecutive losing seasons, that combination of veteran leadership and youth, along with an intelligent manager, gave the Mets their first winning record since 1976 and only their second 90-win season in franchise history.

Fast forward nearly three decades to 2012.  The Mets have yet to record a winning season since moving to Citi Field in 2009.  In addition, although they did finish above .500 in each of their last three seasons at Shea Stadium, the 2006 to 2008 teams are most known for losing at the end of each campaign.  In essence, the team has "lost" for six straight seasons now.

But this year's Mets appear to be on the right track.  They have a young homegrown pitcher (Jonathon Niese) who was just given a vote of confidence by the Mets in the form of a five-year contract extension.  Just as Gooden rewarded the 1984 team when they had faith in him, Niese is doing the same for the 2012 club, winning his first two starts in dominant fashion (.156 batting average against, .178 slugging percentage against).

The 1984 Mets also had two veteran pitchers who performed very well for the team in Walt Terrell and Bruce Berenyi.  The two pitchers combined to go 20-18 with a 3.60 ERA.  Twenty-eight years later, the Mets have that same veteran presence in the rotation with Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey, who have both pitched exceptionally well during the first week and a half of the season.

Jesse Orosco (10-6, 31 saves, 2.59 ERA), Doug Sisk (15 saves, 2.05 ERA) and Tom Gorman (6-0, 2.97 ERA) were a formidable threesome in the bullpen in 1984, just as the trio of Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch and Bobby Parnell have been for the Mets in 2012 (the three have combined to post a 0.61 ERA and 0.68 WHIP).

As far as the offense goes, the 1984 Mets were fueled by a young power hitting rightfielder named Darryl Strawberry, who led the team with 26 home runs in his first full season in New York.  (The Straw Man was called up to the Mets in May 1983.)  The 2012 Mets also have a young power hitter in right field, Lucas Duda, who was called up for good during the 2011 season and is now leading the 2012 team in home runs.

Other young homegrown players who blossomed in 1984 were infielders Wally Backman and Hubie Brooks, as well as outfielder Mookie Wilson.  The 2012 team are succeeding with their own young homegrown players, such as infielders Ruben Tejada and Ike Davis, and outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

Hubie Brooks' breakout season in 1984 allowed the Mets to trade him for Gary Carter, who started the tenth inning rally in Game 6 that ended with Mookie Wilson's roller.  Ain't symmetry grand?

And of course, who could forget about Keith Hernandez?  The man who would eventually become the Mets' first team captain was entering his eighth full season in the major leagues at the age of 30 and was absolutely spectacular (.311, 31 doubles, 15 HR, 94 RBI, .409 OBP).  David Wright is now entering his eighth full season with the Mets.  Wright, who will turn 30 before year's end, is off to his best start, hitting an impressive .571 (12-for-21), while also reaching base at a .615 clip.  The unofficial team captain has also struck out only two times in 26 plate appearances, becoming one of team's best contact hitters nearly three decades after Hernandez was doing the same.

Finally, just as Davey Johnson had managed many of his players in the minor leagues before becoming the Mets' manager in 1984, Terry Collins also coached a number of players in the Mets' minor league system who he eventually managed in the major leagues.  This familiarity would lead to a comfort level between both managers and their players, leading to less friction and more production.

No one expected the 1984 Mets to be as good as they were.  But they won six of their first seven games en route to a surprise second-place finish in the National League East.  The same can be said for the Mets' expectations in 2012.  But after a 6-3 start, predictions of a last-place finish might have to be revised.

Big Brother was watching everyone in 1984.  Now the 1984 Mets might be serving as a big brother to the 2012 team, writing the script that the current team is following.  In the end, the 1984 team fell short of the playoffs, as might their 2012 counterparts.  But the 1984 Mets served as a springboard for what was to follow over the next few seasons.  Will the 2012 Mets do the same?  It wouldn't be surprising if they did.

Dickeypedia Word of The Week: Fortitude

R.A. Dickey has not been himself lately. His record for the season is 1-5 and he's leading the National League in hits allowed, giving up 64 safeties in 51.1 innings. Although his game has suffered a bit this year, his vocabulary has not.

After his latest loss yesterday, our fav'rit wordsmith did not have anything to hide in his post-game interview, saying:

“You try not to be too hard on yourself, but this game will really challenge your internal fortitude when you have outing after outing, and balls are finding holes, and you feel like you’re making pretty good pitches.”

Never mind that Dickey's balls are finding holes. That's something that can be corrected with a change in his grip. What we're more concerned with is his internal fortitude, as Dickey is admitting that he is feeling challenged in that department.

Anytime a man feels challenged, it's always best to let things out. One person who never backed away from a challenge was Victor Zambrano. He was the Mets' version of a Timex watch. He took a lickin' and kept on tickin'. Okay, so maybe he took more than just one lickin', but he did keep on tickin' until he tore a tendon in his right elbow, preventing him from tying Mets' legends Kevin Appier, Jerry DiPoto, Tom Gorman, Mike Torrez and Wally Whitehurst for 87th place on the franchise's all-time wins list.

Zambrano was challenged by the fans every time he stepped onto the mound at Shea Stadium. The Studious Metsimus staff felt that Zambrano would be a perfect subject to discuss fortitude with, so we tried to contact him via e-mail. When he responded that he was unsure what the word "fortitude" meant, we sent him another e-mail with the following definition:


fortitude:

• mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously.

Unfortunately, we received one of those annoying "not deliverable" e-mails as soon as we clicked the send button, making us think that Zambrano changed his e-mail address, so we decided to move on and find another former Met to discuss fortitude with.

However, the following day, we were surprised to find an e-mail from Zambrano in our inbox. He claimed he never received our last e-mail, but felt bad that he used the "I don't know what 'fortitude' means defense", so he tried his best to discuss the topic with us in his e-mail. Perhaps it would been better served if he had received our second e-mail before answering, as Zambrano responded:

"It was tough when I was a member of the Mets from 2004 to 2006. But once I got booed for the fortitude time at Shea Stadium, I knew there was nothing I could do to win the hearts of the fans."

R.A. Dickey won more games for the Mets last year in three-quarters of a season than Victor Zambrano won from 2004 to 2006. Dickey has also been a beloved player ever since he first put on a Mets uniform. Zambrano was booed so much at Shea Stadium, even Phillies fans felt sorry for him.

Dickey and Zambrano couldn't be more different as Mets. But they both know what it feels like to have their balls squeeze their way into open holes. At least Dickey can correct his problem. Zambrano's entire Mets career was a stinker. I guess his fortitude was more of the intestinal variety.

25 Years Later: The Nineteen Innings of Fireworks Night (A Song Parody)

Twenty-five years ago today (and tomorrow), the Mets and the Braves hooked up in a 19-inning marathon at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium that ended at 3:55 AM.

The game featured multiple rain delays, was started by Dwight Gooden (in one of his rare poor pitching performances from his incredible Cy Young Award-winning campaign) and was closed out by fellow starter and current SNY analyst Ron Darling.

It featured a cycle by Keith Hernandez on a day when he also made six outs (The 'Stache went 4-for-10), eleven plate appearances for Lenny Dykstra (groundout, flyout, single, groundout, single, single, strikeout, walk, groundout, sacrifice fly, flyout) and winning pitcher Tom Gorman giving up two extra-inning, two-out, game-tying home runs. One was a 13th inning two-run shot by Terry Harper and the other was an 18th inning solo home run by reliever and one-time slugger Rick Camp (who slugged the ball one time in his career, much to the delight of Chief Noc-A-Homa) to send the game into the 19th and final inning.

Whereas many other noted journalists and respected bloggers have their own memories of this game, Studious Metsimus would like to celebrate it as only we can, with a musical tribute to the game. Of course, it's an "a cappella" song, meaning there's no music, but you know what we mean.

In honor of Independence Day, we can't think of a better song to use in a song parody than "The Twelve Days of Christmas". For all those who watched and/or listened to the game, (I did both. I was only twelve at the time and my parents would have killed me if they knew I was listening to the last ten innings of the game on a Walkman I conveniently hid under my pillow. Even after the game ended at 3:55 AM, I couldn't go to sleep for another nine hours. My mother never questioned me when I decided to take a "nap" a little before 1 PM. You'll hear more about this "nap" within the song.) I hope this song brings back memories of one of most Amazin' games in franchise history. If you never heard of this game, then just think of the song as Christmas in July for Mets fans. If you don't remember the game and you don't celebrate Christmas, ummm, well...

Anyway, here is "The Nineteen Innings of Fireworks Night" for your reading and singing pleasure:


On my first thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
a memorable victory.

On my second thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
two rain delays.
And a memorable victory.

On my third thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
three poor Doc frames,
Two rain delays.
And a memorable victory.

On my fourth thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
four hits by Keith.
Three poor Doc frames.
Two rain delays.
And a memorable victory.

On my fifth thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
FIVE MILLION MOOD SWINGS!
Four hits by Keith.
Three poor Doc frames.
Two rain delays.
And a memorable victory.

On my sixth thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
six Gorman innings.
FIVE MILLION MOOD SWINGS!
Four hits by Keith.
Three poor Doc frames.
Two rain delays.
And a memorable victory.

On my seventh thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
seven Metsies pitching.
Six Gorman innings.
FIVE MILLION MOOD SWINGS!
Four hits by Keith.
Three poor Doc frames.
Two rain delays.
And a memorable victory.

On my eighth thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
eight hours of watching.
Seven Metsies pitching.
Six Gorman innings.
FIVE MILLION MOOD SWINGS!
Four hits by Keith.
Three poor Doc frames.
Two rain delays.
And a memorable victory.

On my ninth thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
nine hours not sleeping.
Eight hours of watching.
Seven Metsies pitching.
Six Gorman innings.
FIVE MILLION MOOD SWINGS!
Four hits by Keith.
Three poor Doc frames.
Two rain delays.
And a memorable victory.

On my tenth thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
ten extra innings.
Nine hours not sleeping.
Eight hours of watching.
Seven Metsies pitching.
Six Gorman innings.
FIVE MILLION MOOD SWINGS!
Four hits by Keith.
Three poor Doc frames.
Two rain delays.
And a memorable victory.

On my eleventh thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
eleven times up for Lenny.
Ten extra innings.
Nine hours not sleeping.
Eight hours of watching.
Seven Metsies pitching.
Six Gorman innings.
FIVE MILLION MOOD SWINGS!
Four hits by Keith.
Three poor Doc frames.
Two rain delays.
And a memorable victory.

On my twelfth thought of Fireworks Night, my Metsies gave to me,
twelve pitching changes
Eleven times up for Lenny.
Ten extra innings.
Nine hours not sleeping.
Eight hours of watching.
Seven Metsies pitching.
Six Gorman innings.
FIVE MILLION MOOD SWINGS!
Four hits by Keith.
Three poor Doc frames.
Two rain delays.
And a memorable victory!

Sure, this song was named "The Nineteen Innings of Fireworks Night" and I only went up to "twelve" instead of "nineteen" (as in the original "Twelve Days of Christmas" song), but honestly, if I had gone to nineteen instead of twelve, this song would be longer than the game the played 25 years ago today, on the night of July 4 (and the morning of July 5), 1985.



The 1985 Mets might not have won a championship, but they provided many memories that have lasted for a quarter century and will last for many more years.

As the 2010 Mets and Braves prepare for a second half that should provide more memories in this renewed rivalry, just remember one thing. Whenever you complain about a game seemingly lasting forever, it could always be worse. Just ask the players and the bloggers who still listen to Mets games on a Walkman (guilty...) who experienced the 1985 Fireworks Night game from Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta.

From the Studious Metsimus staff to our readers, we'd like to wish you all a Merry Independence Day and a Happy Second Half!

Shea Stadium/Fireworks photo taken by David Whitham (DGW Photography). Explosive photo, Dave!