Mets2Moon
September 24, 2001
The 96 season was a waste, but anyone who remembers this game knows that, at least on this day, the Mets seemed invincible. In a steady rain, the Mets rallied from a 6-0 deficit to win 7-6. The Mets fell behind on HRs by immortals such as John Mabry and a 41-year-old Willie McGee off of Bobby Jones, and when he departed after 3.2 unmemorable innings, the score was 6-0. Then the bullpen took over. Hundley homered in the 4th, a 2-run shot, and the first of many. Gilkey homered in the 6th, in his Mets debut against the team that dealt him away. The Cards threatened in the 7th, but that rally was stifled when Rey Ordonez, in his Major League Debut, gunned out Royce Clayton from LF...ON HIS KNEES!!! Rey then promptly whacked his first ML hit in the bottom of the 7th, which keyed a 4-run rally which put the Mets ahead to stay. And anyone who sat through all 9 stormy and wet innings felt, at least that day, like champions.

rich
April 1, 2003
Me and my friends Marie and Danny went to this game. We sat over the Mets bullpen. It was a rainy day and we got soaked. I remember the Mets were losing the game when we had to leave early. Bernard Gilkey hit a homer to make it 6-3. I said on the way home I know the Mets will come back to win and they did.

Dan
April 1, 2003
I remember watching this one on TV, not envying the rain-soaked fans in the stadium, and watching an incredible relay throw by a rookie shortshop on his knees down the left-field line to nail a runner at the plate. "Wow, this kid gonna be something," I thought. *Sigh* Rey, if you could only learn how to hit.

Anthony
August 13, 2003
I remember this one well. I was 13, and in seventh grade. I got to skip a day of school (something I have done a lot for Mets baseball), as did my older sister, to go to this with my dad. This season started with a lot of high hopes. For the first 3 1/2 innings, it looked like it was going to be an awful game to go along with the miserable rainy & cold day as Bobby Jones fell behind 6-0. But, Todd Hundley started off the scoring by hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth. It was his first of 41 record breaking homers by a catcher in a single season. The Mets continued to come back later in the game, including a home run by then newcomer Benard Gilkey. They would go on to win 7-6. But, the famous from the knees play by then rookie Rey Ordonez is what stands out most in memories of this game. Royce Clayton tried to score, but was gunned down by a kneeling Rey Ordonez throw from left field. What an awesome play! I went to the first, and last game of this season. Too bad it merely ended to be the Mets' sixth straight season of finishing under the 500 mark.

Putbeds 1986
January 15, 2006
I remember being at work and had my trusty radio on that crappy day and while the Mets game was going on; they had announced that Umpire Big John McSherry had died on the field in Cincinnati. A sad day for baseball!

Matt
November 8, 2006
This is one of my first, and to this day favorite memories from any Met game I've ever attended. I was a 10-year-old youth, getting to skip school for my first opening day at Shea, and boy was I pumped. I remember the excitement I had for the '96 season, leading up to 4/1/96, and while '96 was a rough one, this one game was a great one.

The rain was coming down from the early morning and I was praying for it to hold off, and luckily it was dry enough to get this one in. Bobby Jones threw a disappointing 3.2 innings and we were down 6-0. It looked as though my dad and I, who were enduring the rain in the loge section, might not be around for all 9. But Todd Hundley came up and cut the lead by 33%, making it 6-2 with a blast into the right field bullpen.

New Met Bernard "Innocent until proven" Gilkey came up a few innings later and reduced the lead even more to 6-3.

Somewhere in there rookie Rey Ordonez made one of the best plays I've ever seen, an incredible throw from his knees to gun down a runner at the plate, from left field.

The Mets would go on top in the 7th in an inning sparked by hits from Ordonez and one of my favorite Met pinch hitters ever, Chris Jones. 7-6 after 7 an a brutal day turned to terrific, as this no name bullpen was able to hold the Cards for 4.1 innings, something they couldn't do much of after this game. However this one is gonna be locked in the memory bank for a while, friend.

Michael
May 12, 2020
Watched this one recently on the old tape and it's probably my favorite opening day ever. It's generally forgotten now, but people had real hope for the 1996 Mets. Even during the pregame show before this game, a lot of analysts and interviewed fans were truly expecting the team to compete for the wild card, especially after how they finished the 1995 season so hot with all those young players.

As for the game, the Mets came from a 6-0 deficit to win a truly memorable opener. Homers from Hundley and Gilkey, both about to have the best season of their careers. And oh yea, that guy Rey Ordonez certainly knows how to make an introduction to NY.

Dave VW
June 23, 2023
These comments were all thoroughly enjoyable to read. Though I didn't watch this game live -- as it was a day game on a Monday and I was still a sophomore in high school at the time -- I vividly remember watching all the highlights when I got home revolving around Ordonez's fantastic play from his knees to gun down Royce Clayton trying to score from first on a double down the LF line by Ray Lankford in the 7th inning. Clayton's reaction is iconic, leaning back with his arms in the air after getting punched out and then looking around as if to say, "how in the world did he make that throw?" And Howie Rose had such a great call on Sportschannel: "Ordonez -- throwing from his knees! AND THEY GOT HIM!" Truly one of the most memorable Opening Day moments in Mets history.

It wasn't Ordonez's only defensive gem of the day, either. In the 3rd, he threw out Clayton again when Clayton tried turning a double into a triple. He also made some other really nifty plays on grounders up the middle, and fittingly ended the game by throwing out Willie McGee on a groundout. His brilliant play in the 7th seemed to serve as the turning point too, as in the bottom of the inning the Mets collected 5 straight singles, including one by Ordonez himself for his first career hit.

While Bobby Jones was awful, recording the third-shortest Opening Day start in Mets history (behind Mike Torrez's 1.1 innings in 1984 and Roger Craig's 3 innings in 1962), the bullpen was fantastic, with Jerry DiPoto getting the win, Doug Henry a hold, and John Franco the save. Credit goes to the fans who stuck around for the whole game, and those who did made plenty of noise as the Mets celebrated their first win from 6 runs down since June 14, 1980 (according to the broadcast). It spoiled Tony LaRussa's managerial debut with the Cardinals and gave the Mets their 4th straight Opening Day win over St. Louis (a streak that now sits at 6).

Ozzie Smith was announced to start the game but was scratched because of the weather. That was significant as he'd retire after the season, meaning he ended his career with 17 Opening Day starts as a shortstop. That puts him 1 off from tying for the all-time record, held by Luis Aparicio and Omar Vizquel.

The broadcast also showed the replays of John McSherry collapsing from his heart attack during the Reds/Expos game. What a sad sight that was, but his passing I think served as the catalyst for umpires to start getting in better shape. Nowadays, it's pretty rare to find umpires as obese as they were 30 years ago.