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1986/2006 Parallels

Edgy DC Sep 19 2006 02:09 PM

Both Mookie Wilson and Julio Franco have wives named Rosa, who each credits with turning his life around. Both teams had switch-hitting secondbaseman who struggled against lefthanded pitchers. Both had managers in their first assignment who played second base for combatative --- but respected and successful --- managers in their playiing days. Um, both years end in 6. That's all I got.

ScarletKnight41 Sep 19 2006 02:10 PM

With a magic number of 1, both teams were swept in series in Pennsylvania but then clinched on the first game of the ensuing homestand.

cooby Sep 19 2006 02:15 PM

Both had Vice Presidents named Johnson. No, wait, that was just Davy...

ScarletKnight41 Sep 19 2006 02:20 PM

Both years celebrated major anniversaries. The 1986 Mets celebrated the 25th anniversary of the franchise. The 2006 Mets celebrated the 20th anniversary of the 1986 Mets.

G-Fafif Sep 19 2006 02:33 PM

I was pretty tired the day after the '86 clinching. I'm pretty tired today.

ScarletKnight41 Sep 19 2006 02:36 PM

My parents had tickets to Game 6 and gave them to my brother. If that's repeated this year, there will be Hell to pay!

MFS62 Sep 19 2006 02:37 PM

Both teams had highly touted rookie left fielders with weird hair styles. Later

HahnSolo Sep 19 2006 02:51 PM

Both teams were running away with their divisions by July 1. Both teams had a starter whose last team was the Red Sox.(Ojeda/Pedro) Both teams had an opening day outfielder who was shipped out by the end of the season. (Foster/Nady) Both teams brought back one-time Mets for the stretch run (Maz/Bert). Both teams caused Jay Horwitz to fret.

Edgy DC Sep 19 2006 02:51 PM

Kevin Mitchell? I don't recall him being either highly touted or weirdly coiffed.

MFS62 Sep 19 2006 03:02 PM

Edgy DC wrote: Kevin Mitchell? I don't recall him being either highly touted or weirdly coiffed. By season's end, those 12 HR in limited playing time started the touting for "the future". But you're right. He wasn't that highly touted when he jopined the club. Wasn't he the one who gave Strawberry and others clubhouse haircuts that caused snickers from others? They said they wanted their hair to look like his. Hey, in a thread like this, you gotta' give folks some leeway. We're trying to think back 20 years. Later

Yancy Street Gang Sep 19 2006 03:02 PM

Both had Dominican shortstops. Both had thirdbasemen whose name rhymes with Bite.

RealityChuck Sep 19 2006 03:10 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Sep 19 2006 03:20 PM

Both had lefthanded closers. Played home games at Shea Stadium. Had 25 players on the roster (40 in September).

SteveJRogers Sep 19 2006 03:19 PM

ScarletKnight41 wrote: With a magic number of 1, both teams were swept in series in Pennsylvania but then clinched on the first game of the ensuing homestand. Magic number was 2 heading into Philly, Mets won a game in St Louis (two game series) that knocked it down to 1.

SteveJRogers Sep 19 2006 03:25 PM

Both teams spent the summer being "chased" by the Phillies as the defending East champs sputtered out of the gate and never were a real factor in the division race all year Both teams accquired their starting 1Bman and catcher who both provided good offensive and deffense as well as clubhouse leadership Both teams set Met records for most players sent to an All Star Game Both teams feature a crafty veteran lefty to augment the fireballing ace righty (Glavine/Ojeda)

metirish Sep 19 2006 03:27 PM

Who's the fireballing ace righty on the current staff?

Yancy Street Gang Sep 19 2006 03:31 PM

I assume he means Pedro Martinez.

SteveJRogers Sep 19 2006 03:31 PM

metirish wrote: Who's the fireballing ace righty on the current staff? Pedro

MFS62 Sep 19 2006 03:35 PM

That's a relief. Mr. Martinez will be happy to know that you have found his fastball. Seems he lost it about midway last year. Please pack it up immediately and send it to him at Shea Stadium. Later

SteveJRogers Sep 19 2006 03:45 PM

HA! True, true. Hey these aren't all EXACT 100% matches Both teams featured first year Cable Color guys who played on their last Divisional Championship teams Another stretch but Both teams had Howie Rose employed by the flagship radio station (Rose was Sports Director and Morning Show (Jim Kerr I THINK) anchor on WHN in 1986)

seawolf17 Sep 19 2006 03:57 PM

="SteveJRogers"]Both teams featured first year Cable Color guys who played on their last Divisional Championship teams Now that's impressive work, Steve.

Edgy DC Sep 19 2006 03:59 PM

Pedro Martinez and Lee Mazzilli, both married to chicks on the fringes of broadcast journalism.

Frayed Knot Sep 19 2006 04:02 PM

]Had 25 players on the roster (40 in September). Actually, 1986 was the year of the "voluntary" 24-man roster.

Edgy DC Sep 19 2006 04:11 PM

A rare year when a team didn't have that in common with other teams.

soupcan Sep 19 2006 04:24 PM

'86/'06 - first Mets postseason appearance since a World Series loss.

Yancy Street Gang Sep 19 2006 04:31 PM

There's only one parallel that will really matter, and we won't know whether that will happen until October.

Willets Point Sep 19 2006 04:46 PM

1986-Through means beyond his control, Willets Point is unable to watch the game where the Mets clinch the NL East. 2006-Through means beyond his control, Willets Point is unable to watch the game where the Mets clinch the NL East. Eerie.

Yancy Street Gang Sep 19 2006 04:48 PM

Wow! I just felt a chill!

SteveJRogers Sep 19 2006 10:46 PM

Both teams' GMs are famous for making small deals, stock-piling very good spare parts like relievers, middle infielders and the like

Edgy DC Sep 19 2006 11:00 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 06 2006 10:54 AM

I don't think of the Mets of 1986 and their stockpile of good middle infielders. I guess if you mean having Kevin Mitchell and Howard Johnson backing up. But that wasn't Frank Cashen being famous for stockpiling, but Davey Johnson being famous for trying hard-hitting thirdbasemen at shortstop.

Edgy DC Sep 25 2006 01:32 PM

Gary Carter played the last month of 1986, and then the post-season, with a torn ligament in his thumb. Paul Lo Duca --- while he won't get an MRI to confirm --- is believed to be playing out the 2006 season, and hopefully the post-season, with a torn lignament (or ligaments) in his thumb.

cooby Sep 25 2006 08:30 PM

I like a catcher who will play through pain

SteveJRogers Sep 25 2006 09:47 PM

cooby wrote: I like a catcher who will play through pain And we had ourselves quite a few through the years. Guys like Stearns, Hundley, and Grote. I'm sure "Camera" Carter and Piazza probably surprised alot of folks who only pay attention to Mets/Yanks with their respective toughness through the years as well.

metirish Oct 03 2006 09:11 AM

] Mark Herrmann: Can this year’s team usurp the ‘86 Mets? October 2, 2006 Things were looking up almost all season for the Mets, with the notable exception of Aug. 19, when everybody looked back. As an anniversary tribute, the 2006 Mets wore the 1986 Mets' uniforms, racing stripes and all. Now, though, you wonder if the current club will have any chance to fill the '86 Mets' shoes. Fate just didn't make the same kind of reprise as those old jerseys did. For a long while, it felt a lot like 1986. These Mets, like those Mets, got ahead early and kept pulling away. These Mets, like those Mets, drew large crowds and reinvigorated the franchise. These Mets, like those Mets, have a distinct personality, a clutch streak, a cluster of veterans, a nucleus of young stars and a blossoming manager who once was a good second baseman in the American League. Also, both the '86 and '06 Mets were firmly ensconced in the Julio Franco Era. But when it came to timing and fortune, the clubs were 20 light years apart. The '86 Mets had a knack for being healthy, good and lucky at the perfect time, right down to that ball dribbling through Bill Buckner's legs. For the '06 Mets, fate has become a four-letter word. Duaner Sanchez was injured in a taxi accident right before the trading deadline, prompting a panic deal that dispatched Xavier Nady, one of their rare solid righthanded hitters, and possibly costing them a shot at a big-time starter such as Roy Oswalt. They could really use that big-time starter now, what with Pedro Martinez being lost virtually on the eve of the postseason. If there is hope for these Mets, it comes from those Mets. They won the World Series in 1986 essentially without their ace. Dwight Gooden pitched, but wasn't really there (0-2, 8.00 ERA). Then again, those Mets had more up their sleeve mound-wise. "Young starting pitching versus old starting pitching," said Ron Darling, a member of the '86 team and broadcaster for the '06 team. "We had four guys with over 30 starts that year. They don't have one guy. [Actually, Tom Glavine has 32 and Steve Trachsel has 30.] We had four guys with over 200 innings. They won't have one. "I'm not saying the young ones are better. The older guys have had awesome careers. So I don't know, but that was the big difference." But you wonder if Darling, Gooden, Bob Ojeda and Sid Fernandez could have stifled this '06 Mets lineup. Or you wonder if the '86 Mets would seem more potent if they could tee off against Trachsel and John Maine. You wonder who would do what if they matched up in a computer game of Strat-O-Matic. "I think it would be a very close series. I'd probably favor the '86 team because of the starting pitching," said Steve Barkan, the statistics guru of the Glen Head-based game company, who is working on the 2006 ratings now. Some calls are easy. Jose Reyes is hands down over Rafael Santana. Darryl Strawberry is a shoo-in over Shawn Green. Lenny Dykstra was good, Carlos Beltran is better. The Kevin Mitchell/Mookie Wilson combo was more productive than Cliff Floyd has been this year. Other choices make you scratch your head. Jose Valentin had the home runs, but Wally Backman hit .320. Ray Knight and Howard Johnson together don't add up to one All-Star, do they? Keith Hernandez was likely the best-fielding first baseman of his era (a "1" in Strat-O-Matic, of which he is a devotee) and a born leader, but Carlos Delgado has 38 home runs. Paul Lo Duca hit better than .300 and handled a shaky rotation, but Gary Carter (despite his .255 average in '86) is a Hall of Famer. "Their bullpen is exponentially better than our bullpen was," Darling said. "Our bullpen was Roger and Jesse and that's it. If Willie were managing our team, who would he go to in case something happened early in the game?" The point is, baseball and the world have changed a lot since the day when Davey Johnson used a three-man rotation and had Fernandez as a stellar reliever. Comparisons are not only hard, they are premature. The lesson of 1986 is that the year really doesn't start until October. Let's face it, the 1988 Mets were outstanding too,. They had added David Cone, Kevin McReynolds and Gregg Jefferies. Yet nobody waxes nostalgic about that crew because it flopped against the Dodgers. If the best of this Mets season has happened already, we won't remember it very well 20 years from now. These Mets have to hope that fate makes a big comeback and helps them earn their stripes.

Yancy Street Gang Oct 03 2006 09:13 AM

]Can this year’s team usurp the ‘86 Mets? No. Not for me, anyway. No team will ever usurp the 1986 Mets.

cooby Oct 03 2006 09:19 AM

ANd even 1986 can't usurp 1973 for me (usurp? Who says that?)

Edgy DC Oct 03 2006 10:01 AM

I'm looking for them to usurp the 2005 White Sox.

G-Fafif Oct 03 2006 10:43 AM

In 1986, the Mets started the year by defeating the eventual last-place Pirates. They ended the regular season that way, too. In 2006, the Mets started the year by defeating the eventual last-place Nationals. They ended the regular season that way, too.

soupcan Oct 03 2006 10:44 AM

Here's a weak one - 1986 Mets ended the regular season on a multi-game win streak (5) 2006 Mets ended the regular season on a multi-game win streak (4)

HahnSolo Oct 04 2006 05:11 PM

Both teams fell behind 1-0 in the second inning of their first postseason game.

soupcan Oct 06 2006 10:49 AM

How about both of these offensive jauggernauts (bitch!) starting really slowly in their first postseason series.

Edgy DC Oct 06 2006 10:56 AM

Both are jury-rigging at a corner outfield spot.

MFS62 Oct 06 2006 12:26 PM

Edgy DC wrote: Both are jury-rigging at a corner outfield spot. I believe the term now in vogue is "situational substitution". Later

Edgy DC Oct 07 2006 06:19 PM

The 1986 Mets went through the Red Sox. The 2006 Mets are trying to go through the ex-Red Sox.

Valadius Oct 07 2006 06:26 PM

The 1986 Mets faced a bunch of ex-Mets. The 2006 Mets are also facing a bunch of ex-Mets.

SteveJRogers Oct 07 2006 08:43 PM

The 1986 Mets went further than the 1986 Yankees The 2006 Mets will go further than the 2006 Yankees!

SteveJRogers Oct 08 2006 01:03 AM

Tim McCarver called the 1986 NLCS Tim McCarver (most likely the "A" team will do the New York series) will call the 2006 NLCS! [url=http://www.ultimatemets.com/metannual.php?ThisYear=1996]1996 71-91 4th[/url]

SteveJRogers Oct 08 2006 02:54 PM

Not 100% sure, but IIRC all Met postseason radio broadcasts, on both local and national feeds could be heard on both 1050 (1986 Local, 2006 National and 660 (1986 National, 2006 Local) on your AM dial.

SteveJRogers Oct 08 2006 03:14 PM

Mets Extra made its debut on the Mets Radio Network as the Pre and Post game program that 1986 postseason Mets Extra, while undergoing a couple of format changes, still is the Pre and Post game program on the Mets Radio Network

SteveJRogers Oct 08 2006 06:40 PM

1986 After winning the first series in the postseaon the Mets had to wait to find out who they played next 2006 After winning the first series in the postseaon the Mets had to wait to find out who they played next!

Yancy Street Gang Oct 08 2006 06:48 PM

1986: Nine guys in starting lineup for every game of the season. 2006: Nine guys in starting lineup for every game of the season.

Edgy DC Oct 08 2006 06:56 PM

As irish would say, piss is being taken.

Gwreck Oct 08 2006 07:17 PM

Ehhh...those interleague games had 10 starters...

metirish Oct 11 2006 12:57 PM

[url=http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/F2CE04F17994694A86257204000E429E?OpenDocument]Rivalry is rich in memories[/url]

MFS62 Oct 11 2006 01:01 PM

That Pendleton home run is one of my worst memories. Later

Edgy DC Oct 11 2006 01:05 PM

It was 1986 when MLB first got around to doing the DH at the AL ballparks and letting the pitchers bat in the NL ballparks. In game three, the first real game ever with a Met DH, they used three, with Danny Heep starting, being pinch-hit for by Kevin Mitchell in the eighth, then Mitchell was replaced by Lee Mazzilli after the Red Sox replaced Bob Stanley with Joe Sambito.

soupcan Oct 11 2006 01:29 PM

Wait - I thought if you pinch hit for your DH then you lose the DH. Not true?

Edgy DC Oct 11 2006 01:31 PM

Nope. When you move the DH into a fielding position, you lose the DH.

soupcan Oct 11 2006 01:45 PM

Thanks. You learn something new everyday. Lotsa rules associated with that DH thang. 6.10 Any League may elect to use the Designated Hitter Rule. (a) In the event of inter-league competition between clubs of Leagues using the Designated Hitter Rule and clubs of Leagues not using the Designated Hitter Rule, the rule will be used as follows: 1. In World Series or exhibition games, the rule will be used or not used as is the practice of the home team. 2. In All-Star games, the rule will only be used if both teams and both Leagues so agree. (b) The Rule provides as follows: A hitter may be designated to bat for the starting pitcher and allsubsequent pitchers in any game without otherwise affecting the status of the pitcher(s) in the game. A Designated Hitter for the pitcher must be selected prior to the game and must be includedin the lineup cards presented to the Umpire in Chief. The designated hitter named in the starting lineup must come to bat at least one time, unless the opposing club changes pitchers. It is not mandatory that a club designate a hitter for the pitcher, but failure to do so prior to the game precludes the use of a Designated Hitter for that game. Pinch hitters for a Designated Hitter may be used. Any substitute hitter for a Designated Hitter becomes the Designated Hitter. A replaced Designated Hitter shall not re-enter the game in any capacity. The Designated Hitter may be used defensively, continuing to bat in the same position in the batting order, but the pitcher must then bat in the place of the substituted defensive player, unless more than one substitution is made, and the manager then must designate their spots in the batting order. A runner may be substituted for the Designated Hitter and the runner assumes the role of Designated Hitter. A Designated Hitter may not pinch run. A Designated Hitter is “locked” into the batting order. No multiple substitutions may be made that will alter the batting rotation of the Designated Hitter. Once the game pitcher is switched from the mound to a defensive position this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. Once a pinch hitter bats for any player in the batting order and then enters the game to pitch, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. Once the game pitcher bats for the Designated Hitter this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. (The game pitcher may only pinch-hit for the Designated Hitter.) Once a Designated Hitter assumes a defensive position this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. A substitute for the Designated Hitter need not be announced until it is the Designated Hitter’s turn to bat.

Valadius Oct 11 2006 04:22 PM

All four teams left last won the World Series in the 80's.

Yancy Street Gang Oct 11 2006 04:27 PM

Valadius wrote: All four teams left last won the World Series in the 80's. Yup, see Drought Watch II, probably already on page 4 by now.

MFS62 Oct 18 2006 11:40 AM

Wouldn't it be great if the Mets scored the winning run in Game 6 on an error by Pujols? Get the rally caps warmed up. Later

soupcan Oct 18 2006 11:48 AM

Well I'd rather not be down 2 runs at any point tonight but the fact that the last time the Mets were down 2-3 in a postseason 7 game series and coming home for the last 2 games was...1986.

Yancy Street Gang Oct 18 2006 12:16 PM

Ojeda and Darling then. Maine and TBD this time around. That's the key difference.

MFS62 Oct 18 2006 12:18 PM

That's why they need the rally caps. Later

Edgy DC Oct 18 2006 12:25 PM

That's not a similarity but a distinction. Carpenter and Suppan aren't exactly Clemens and Hurst either.

Yancy Street Gang Oct 18 2006 12:35 PM

Edgy DC wrote: That's not a similarity but a distinction. Didn't I say just that?

Edgy DC Oct 18 2006 12:39 PM

Yeah, but this is the parallels thread, ye buzzkill.

soupcan Oct 18 2006 12:42 PM

None of that matters - there's magic on that field. We all know that.

MFS62 Oct 18 2006 12:45 PM

="Edgy DC"]Yeah, but this is the parallels thread, ye buzzkill. For those of you following this thread: Buzzkill, a sudden undesired event that causes one's "high" or "buzz" to become of a lesser experience or depleted. Resume Later