National League Standings, July 17, 1982
METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE JULY 17, 1982 GAME:
Keith Volanto
March 5, 2007
I was 15 years old at the time. My favorite Mets player was Dave Kingman; not because he was any good, but, as any Mets fan knows, when he stepped up to the plate and got lucky enough to make contact he could hit the ball farther than anyone else playing (the other times he would strike out, but there was an excitement every time he stepped into the box nevertheless....)
Anyway, in his first at bat, he cranked the longest HR I had ever seen up to that time -- a towering blast deep into the center field flag pole area at Dodger Stadium and the Mets had a 3- run first-inning lead. Later in the game I got another treat as Kong hit a 2nd one out --not as imposing as the first, but it was his 2nd of the night, so you never knew the remaining at bats if he would add to the tally.
Bottom line though was that the Mets stunk in 1982. In the end, Terry Leach couldn't nail the game down for the sub-par starter Brent Gaff, and the gasoline was poured on the fire in the form of Mets closer Neil Allen who proceeded to give the game away -- as the box score shows, the Mets gave up 4 in the 9th to lose 6-5.
I remember staying in the bleachers with my dad for a long time just disgusted by the display and staring into the Mets dugout with my pair of binoculars. Neil Allen was the last Met to leave -- he was flustered and teary-eyed. He should have been--I know I was...
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