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The Wind Was Blowing Out, Scattering Mets Everywhere

G-Fafif Mar 01 2010 12:32 PM

MLB Network showing Phillies @ Cubs, 5/17/79 as we speak. Just your typical 23-22 pitchers' duel. In the five or so minutes I sat down to watch it, the first three Cubs batters, top of the second, were Mike Vail, Bill Buckner and Dave Kingman, each a Met icon in his own way. The Met quotient was very high all day. In addition to Vail and Kingman, former/future Mets who saw action included Larry Bowa, Del Unser, Nino Espinosa and Tug McGraw of the Phillies and Jerry Martin and Ray Burris for the Cubs. Tangentially, beyond Buckner, Tim McCarver would announce Mets games, Barry Foote would coach Mets catchers, Pete Rose was already the Met villain and Mike Schmidt, of course an all-time rival, would find new legs as a Met nemesis in 2008 with his dopey note to the modern-day Phillies about how the Mets knew they weren't as good as them (which I still find a bizarre use of a legend's time). In admittedly very peripheral Mets terms, the game also included Bobby Murcer (an ex-MFY in part because he couldn't handle hitting at Shea in 1974) and Donnie Moore, who came very close to being the opposition closer in the 1986 World Series (which would have rendered Buckner's Met context immaterial). Others see 45 runs in one game and think that's plenty. But they're not watching through blue and orange-colored glasses.

Edgy DC Mar 01 2010 09:37 PM Re: The Wind Was Blowing Out, Scattering Mets Everywhere

Without clicking the link, I'm pretty sure the tally included three homers by Kong and four by Schmitty, including a game-winner. OE: Nope, only two for Schmidt.

G-Fafif Mar 01 2010 11:54 PM Re: The Wind Was Blowing Out, Scattering Mets Everywhere

I'm thinkin' you're thinkin' of this game wherein Schmitty went yard (or Field) four times. Final: Philadelphia 18 Chicago 16. On the same day a few hundred miles east, Dave Kingman's Mets beat the Pirates 17-1 in a game that saw Wayne Garrett called out at home when I swore he was safe. Yes, we won by 16 runs and I'm still pissed off about being jobbed. It was early in the game and seemed important enough to harbor a grudge over for the next 34 years.

Edgy DC Mar 02 2010 06:16 AM Re: The Wind Was Blowing Out, Scattering Mets Everywhere

Probably not htinking of the other game so much as conflating the two. Always conflating.

seawolf17 Mar 02 2010 07:05 AM Re: The Wind Was Blowing Out, Scattering Mets Everywhere

[quote="Edgy DC":z6omygiy]Probably not htinking of the other game so much as conflating the two. Always conflating.[/quote:z6omygiy] You should lay off the beans.