METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE OCTOBER 3, 1999 GAME:
Mets2Moon
January 25, 2002
I toyed with the idea of getting my roommate to drive down from Binghamton to see this game, but we ended up staying at school and watching on TV. Mets had been given up for dead a few days earlier, and had miraculously worked their way back into a tie for the wildcard. Hershiser started, went 5 and gave way to the bullpen, which was stellar. Meanwhile, Kris Benson stifled the Mets, allowing only a run-scoring 2B to Hamilton in the 5th. Finally, the Mets broke through in the 9th on singles by Mora and Alfonzo. And Piazza came up with 1 out and the winning run on 3rd, and I knew he'd get the job done. Little did I know he wouldn't have to, as Brad Clontz threw his first pitch onto the screen, and Mora trotted home with the run that, as Howie Rose put it, "Got the Mets into some semblance of postseason play for the first time in 11 years!!!" And I jumped up and let out a whoop, grabbed my roommate (who yelled at me to put him down), ran into my room and blasted the Mets theme from 99, LA Woman. One more to go, but they had come this far. Quite a game indeed.
Chris
February 19, 2004
Classic. We were out in the mezzanine boxes in left field, and that was the first time I'd ever felt the ballpark SHAKE. I really thought that was the year it was all going to come together.
John K
April 12, 2004
Bought the tickets to the game in May. Never thought it would be such an important game. My aunt attends her first game at Shea. What a classic. Pirates play well, until Brad Clontz gives it away.
Lee
August 8, 2004
I woke up on this October 3rd morning thinking about the game I had just seen the night before (see my October 2nd entry) and hoping the Mets could pull another one off and then, all of a sudden, I get a call from my friend and he has tickets to the last game of the season for this day! So I went to the game and Hershiser pitched a pretty good game and it was close and then, in the ninth, it was bases loaded for Piazza, and, even though they hadn't been able to pull it off a few days before in Phillies with the bases loaded and one out when Henderson hit into a double play, I knew they could this time and Brad Clontz bounced the first pitch onto the screen and Melvin Mora scored to almost send the Mets to the playoffs but little did I know that Cincinatti would pull off a victory after a 6- hour long rain delay and the Mets would still have to go through them.
JFK
October 13, 2005
I cannot recall and never heard of another game that ended on a dead ball wild pitch.
Paul R.
May 24, 2006
Me and my mom had bought tickets to this because it was fan appreciation day, but as the day grew close it would become an important game. I can't forget that wild pitch finish in which Melvin Mora scampered on home for the winning run. All of Shea Stadium erupted and there was a wild celebration for a good five minutes (to hear "LA Woman, of course). The NYPD horse patrol were parked all along the warning track next to the field level seats is probably the most vivid memory. The bus ride home was filled with conversation about the Brewers/Reds game, which was in progress at the time. A great game to be at.
AC
January 23, 2012
I was 13 when I went to this game. I remember it was fan appreciation day. They gave us this little wooden bats which eventually got taken away by a teacher at 189. I still remember Piazza coming up to bat with bases loaded. Next thing I know, the ball bounced behind the plate and the METS clinched the wild card after taking on the Reds. I've been to a lot of Mets games but I've never felt the stadium shake like it did that afternoon. I was behind third base in the mezzanine level and for like 5 minutes the entire stadium bounced.
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