METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE MARCH 31, 1998 GAME:
Bryan Hoch
July 16, 2001
What a remarkable Opening Day at Shea. I cut school for this one, the sun was beaming down... it was 88 degrees on March 31st in Flushing, and I was in a field box behind the third base dugout. Bobby Jones started against Curt Schilling, and the zeros piled up against each other on the scoreboard. Nine scoreless. Ten. Twelve. Fourteen. The Mets used six pitchers, including getting scoreless relief from Greg McMichael and Mel Rojas. Finally, in the bottom of the fourteenth inning, light-hitting backup catcher Alberto "Bambino" Castillo singles home Brian McRae with the game winner off Ricky Bottalico to send everyone home happy, 4:35 and 428 pitches later. Piazza wouldn't arrive until late May -- the Mets' Opening Day catcher was Tim Spehr, and Todd Pratt was in Norfolk. This one ranks as one of my favorites ever. I went in to school the next day with a big ol' red sunburn, and everyone knew I hadn't really been sick the day before.
SCOTT R
March 1, 2006
I was at this game too. Me and my dad went. It was about 80-something degrees, a great day for March 31. Great pitchers duel until bases-loaded single by last man on bench in 13th inning Alberto Castillo.
Tom M.
July 28, 2006
First and only Mets home opener in the month of March and it was an unbelievably warm (88 degrees) day. Was also my two year old son's first Met game. He really doesn't remember it, but he loves telling people that we stayed for the entire 14 innings.
Ed K
March 13, 2008
As it turns out, Turk goes down in history as the last Met reliever to win a Season Opening Day at Shea.
Joseph Tyson
January 14, 2011
Sat in the upper deck in fair territory. Sunburnt and tired, I could hase kissed Castillo when he finally ended it.
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