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.

Stephanie C.
February 24, 2014
My future husband at the time (we've been very happily married since 2000) surprised me for my birthday by getting us two tickets, a fantastic gift since I'm the baseball fan, and he's not so much. We drove the four hours to Shea and watched a nail-biter with an ending we couldn't have scripted better! We had our friends tape the game for us and we were so excited to discover we were shown on TV during the game. We're the ones holding our homemade sign that says "Thanks for a great season" written over the Mets logo. It was shown and commented on some time around the fourth inning.

DC
July 17, 2020
Brad Clontz bounces a slider, Shea goes nuts, and I waited and waited to see what was going to happen in a rain soaked Milwaukee. There was going to be another game for the Mets but no one knew where it would be.

Dave VW
July 1, 2024
I love reading all these comments, especially from those lucky enough to have attended the game. I was already a month into my freshman year at college in south Jersey at the time, so I couldn't go, nor watch on TV. But I sure as heck followed the score online and made sure to catch the highlights on Baseball Tonight.

The Mets were on the brink of breaking through for the lead so many times in this game but just couldn't get the big hit. Ventura flied out to the warning track with 2 on to end the 1st, Olerud lined out to 2nd with 2 on to end the 5th, pinch-hitter Matt Franco popped out with the bases loaded to end the 6th. Despite all those chances, and the Pirates managing only 3 hits all afternoon, the score remained tied at 1-1 going into the 9th.

After Armando Benitez came in to strike out Aramis Ramirez with 2 on in the top of the 9th, Bobby Bonilla began the bottom of the frame getting cheered as the pinch hitter, only to be booed when he grounded out for the first out. But Mora and Alfonzo followed with back-to-back singles, and the Pirates elected to walk Olerud to bring up Piazza with the bases loaded, a groundball away from getting out of the inning with a double play. Ex-Met Brad Clontz came in for Greg Hansell (in his final MLB appearance), and uncorked a pitch 5 feet outside in the dirt that skipped past the catcher, scoring Mora from 3rd and giving the Mets at least one more game of life in 1999.

The Mets spilled out of the dugout in jubilation after that play, and I took particular notice of John Franco getting the most hugs, as this would be his first time ever reaching postseason play, whether as a member of the Reds or Mets.

There was a bit of cause for concern when Rickey Henderson came out of the game after singling in the 7th with what looked to be a leg injury, but he would be ok. Also of note, when Hershiser struck out Abraham Nunez in the 3rd inning, it was the 2,000th K of his career.

Al Martin stole his 20th base in the game to reach the 20/20 plateau. Kevin Young was also 20/20 in 1999, and they are only 1 of 2 Pittsburgh teammates to go 20/20 in the same season. The others are Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke in 1987. And in other Pirates news, along with Hansell, this was also Dale Sveum's final MLB appearance. Hansell took the loss and Sveum flew out as a pinch hitter.

Now, let's bring on the Reds!!