National League Standings, April 29, 1977
METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE APRIL 29, 1977 GAME:
rht
June 11, 2007
Wasn't this the game where John Stearns batted out of order and hit a home run? The Padres didn't realize in time and the home run counted.
scott
March 11, 2012
It was Roy Staiger who did that in the Sunday game.
Hot Foot
February 17, 2025
rht, sorry it took 18 years to answer your query, but I am only listening to this game on YouTube now, and YES, the 1977 Mets channeled the 1962 Mets on this evening. John Stearns batted out of order in the top of the 4th, hit a homer, and he had skipped Roy Staiger in the order. It wasn’t caught at the time, not even by Bob Murphy, although when he introduces Stearns leading off the top of the inning (when it should be Staiger), he kind of stutters a bit, but then announces Stearns coming to the plate and then the Dude bangs the homer and the Padres didn’t notice when Staiger batted after him instead of before him.
But here’s the extremely 1962 Mets thing that the Mets did this night. THEY CONTINUED TO BAT OUT OF TURN THE NEXT TIME THROUGH THE ORDER. HELLO, McFly, anyone home???
This fiasco was finally uncovered in the top of the sixth inning when Staiger got a hit, but then was called out for batting out of turn.
On the broadcast, moments after it’s finally discovered, Ralph Kiner is on the call with Lindsay Nelson and one of them mentions the last time that happened, it was Harry Walker who was the manager against the Mets, and his GM was so mad that he fired him for it, and true to form Joe Frazier was not long for the manager’s office at Shea Stadium after this game (surprisingly he lasted another month). I guess letting your team bat out of turn of one sign you’re losing control as a manager.
Typically for the 1977 Mets, this incident overshadows Sky King Kong hitting two three-run bombs, his last multi-homer game as a Met until 1981. Ironically, his next 2-HR game came in August of that same year as a member of the Padres.
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