METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE APRIL 12, 1981 GAME:
Jimmy D.
April 30, 2003
A cold, rainy day in Chicago. Tim Leary started, blew out his arm early in the game and was never the same again. Given that Leary turned out to be a decent pitcher later in his career with the Dodgers, he probably would have been one the great Met pitchers if they took better care of him in the cold weather that day.
flushing flash
May 2, 2003
Took better care of him? How? Should they have taken him out after ONE inning? Plenty of pitchers pitch in the cold (e.g. Tom Glavine this year) and don't blow their arms out. It was a freak thing that happened; don't blame the Mets or anyone on the coaching staff.
Feat Fan
March 28, 2004
Sat in a midtown bar watching as young fireballer Tim Leary threw 2 great innings before throwing his arm out in the 38* Wrigley cold.... My Brooklyn piazon Pete Falcone hurled 5 or 6 great innings in a 2-1 win... Leary made it back years later but never was the dominant flame thrower
Ed K
January 20, 2005
Leary had made the team at age 22 after a great Spring Training and the press was playing him up as the great phenom. This was his first MLB game. Supposedly, he felt something in his last Spring Training game. Whether it was his fault or Joe Torre's is hard to say but the injury was devastating at the time.
Shickhaus Franks
January 30, 2013
Remember watching this game on my cousin's color tv (my family had a b/w until '82) and Tim Leary leaves after 2 innings due to a bad elbow on a day in Wrigley more suited for Sam Huff and Mike Ditka than Pete Falcone and Bill Buckner. Yes, Bill played and went 1-4, so did Leon Durham (0- 4) and Steve Henderson who went to the North Siders in the off-season, he went 1-3. Besides the game, Palm Sunday April 12, 1981 saw the passing of boxing legend Joe Louis and the first Space Shuttle launching.
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