Dave VW
January 7, 2023
This game can be viewed as the first after the Mets decided to pull the plug on the 1993 season. The previous day, the team traded Tony Fernandez to Toronto for Darrin Jackson. In other moves, they released Paul Gibson (for the second time, this time for good) and called up Dave Telgheder, traded Wayne Housie for future setup man Josias Manzanillo, and placed Howard Johnson on the disabled list with “acute viral syndrome” (another way of saying, "he's so bad let's make something up to get him off the roster") and called up Doug Saunders. All these moves meant many on-the-field changes, which included Jeff Kent starting his first game at 3B for the Mets, Jeff McKnight taking over 2B, and Jackson getting the start in CF.

Trading Fernandez made plenty of sense, but I'm not sure what the Mets saw in Jackson. He had some decent but blemished seasons in San Diego, hitting for good power but doing little else. And he wasn't hitting at all for the Blue Jays. On top of that, the Mets already had Bonilla, Coleman, Orsulak and Gallagher having good years in the outfield, plus Ryan Thompson and Jeromy Burnitz waiting in the wings. What did they need another OF for? Even with Fernandez's struggles, I find it hard to believe the Mets couldn't have at least gotten a low-level prospect or two for him instead of this bum. Quite fittingly, Jackson made the last out in this game, while Fernandez went 2-for-4 with an RBI triple in his first game for Toronto, and hit safely in 13 of his first 14 games with his new team.

Despite going 0-for-2, Gooden finished the game with a .282 average, which was the highest in the lineup. Eddie Murray's .268 was the next highest. Pretty sad. Believe it or not, the Mets and Phillies were actually the last two teams in the NL not to get shutout in 1993. Obviously, the Mets' streak ended here, while the Phillies went all the way until their 4th-to-last game of the season until they were finally goose egged. Gooden also pitched well but was doomed by a couple of 2-out rallies: in the 3rd when Dykstra stole second and scored on a Mariano Duncan single, and in the 4th when he hit Milt Thompson on an 0-2 pitch and Kim Batiste and Mickey Morandini followed with RBI extra-base hits. Philly starting pitcher Danny Jackson continued his brilliance vs. NY, recording his first shutout since 1988 (though he did record the dreaded golden sombrero by striking out 4 times in the game). Jackson held an impressive 2.22 ERA in 18 career starts against the Mets, though somehow he only went 6-6.

Along with Darrin Jackson, the aforementioned Telgheder also made his Mets debut in this game pitching the 9th inning. He looked great, striking out his first two batters and then getting Dykstra to foul out on a play I have no idea how Coleman made. Pulling his head away as he neared the stands, Coleman just stuck his glove out and somehow made a backhanded, no-look catch that you have to see to believe. But he also dropped Batiste's RBI double earlier in the game, so you always get the good with the bad when it came to Vince Coleman.

Michael
February 20, 2023
Along with the regular game on this day, this was also Old Timers Day at Shea, as the '73 Mets and '73 A's were introduced and played a few innings, unfortunately to a crowd that you could count on only a couple of hands.

Sadly, by the time the 90's came around, this day had lost all its luster and was attended by only hundreds of fans.