Paul Esmond
April 17, 2002
I remember this game. I was 12 years old, and I stayed up late and Bobby Bonilla had two home runs. My family and I really thought that these guys were gonna do something. They didn't. This really was the worst Mets team I've ever seen. I can't even fathom now, looking back on it, how people could have thought they would have been great. In short, this was a deceiving win, in a horrid, ugly season.

Max Clauss
August 18, 2005
Ozzie Smith performed his last back flip routine as he came on the field, to the joy of the opening day crowd at Busch Stadium. Smith performed his last feat at the age of 37.

Dave VW
October 25, 2022
"I believe the story is just beginning." Direct quote from Bobby Bonilla after this game, one that did not age well at all. But who could blame him for riding high after this win? Two homers, including the go-ahead shot in the 10th. I dunno about Paul's comment, but I definitely saw potential in this club. New Yorker Bonilla and HOFer Murray joining 30/30 man Howard Johnson, with a healthy Coleman, and Randolph coming off a season he hit .325 with Milwaukee. Plus a solid rotation and bullpen that saw Franco, Innis and Burke all put up really good numbers the prior year, and youngsters like Whitehurst, Schourek and Young looking like big-time contributors. I saw what they were going for, but injuries and off-the-field problems just killed them.

Since 1985, the Mets are 6-0 against the Cardinals on Opening Day. This was Cone's first career Opening Day start, probably his reward for striking out 19 in the 1991 finale. He also beat St. Louis 11 times in his career, the most of any NL opponent. This also was the third time the Mets had played an extra-inning game on Opening Day, also doing so in 1970 and 1985. They won those games, too. As for Bonilla, he's one of 5 to homer twice in an Opening Day game for the Mets. The others are Cleon Jones (1973), Kevin McReynolds (1988), Darryl Strawberry (also 1988), and Robin Ventura (2001).

After Lee Smith led the majors with 47 saves in 1991, he blew the very first game of the season in '92. Mets were all over him, as he gave up 5 hits and only got 4 outs. Something else of note: Jeff Innis got a win in the first game of the year after going all of 1991 without one. He was actually the first pitcher in history to have failed to get a win or a save while pitching in at least 60 games in '91, which made his win here even more remarkable. He remains the only Mets pitcher to go an entire season pitching at least 60 games without a win or a save.

Poor Jose Oquendo, top of the second he dives for a Howard Johnson hit and appears to injure his shoulder, which costs him 2 months of action and his starting second baseman job, which Luis Alicea takes and runs with. Also, you can tell Kevin Elster wasn't right. He had no mustard behind his swings and it was only a few days later he'd go on the DL due to lingering shoulder problems. He'd undergo surgery and miss most of 4 seasons until reemerging with an out-of-nowhere 24 home runs with Texas in 1996 (can you say steroids?). But while he was on the outs, Todd Worrell was coming back. He missed all of 1990 and 1991 with elbow and rotator cuff surgeries, but looked strong as ever here, striking out two in a 1-2-3 8th inning. It really was quite the eventful Opening Day game...one that had plenty of promise and potential but unfortunately only served to raise our hopes up for nothing.