Mets-Reds ... Opening Day ... Riverfront — and I had gotten tickets way back in early January expecting to see my boyhood hero, Tom Seaver, on the mound starting his second Opening Day Game in his second go-round with the Mets.

Ha! Little did I know Mets General Manager Frank Cashen, who left Seaver's name off the free-agent compensation pool protection list, and the evil Chicago White Sox were conspiring against me, Seaver and Mets fans everywhere!! Just days after I got my Opening Day tickets, the White Sox shanghaied Seaver from the Mets in one of the most notorious, unjust and absurd heists in baseball history!!

My college girlfriend (a Reds fan) and I (trying to forget the Seaver fiasco) skipped classes at Indiana University in Bloomington that day and drove over to Cincinnati in my Chevy Vega for what should have been a glorious day of baseball. And it was if you were a Reds fan. But, for me, instead of Seaver, I saw Mike Torrez. MIKE TORREZ for goodness sakes!! Torrez and the Mets were hammered. The only highlight was Darryl Strawberry's towering solo home run to right. Torrez didn't even last out the season with the Mets.

The only consolation to the whole messy affair was the Mets incredible start (after the opening day loss) and exciting 1984 season (in which they finally shed the cellar and contended against the Cubs most all the way through September) which was followed by four more wonderful seasons!

But not getting a chance to Seaver start, (and finish his career with the Mets) ... fifteen years later, and I'm still ticked!!

Oops, make that 17 years and I'm still ticked.

i remember this game my freshman year of highschool,on the bus going to msgr scanlan in the bronx we sat on the Q44 ugly old bus and we were depressed but we said well they allways win every year and finish with 100 losses now maybe a first game loss will make them a contender boy where we right!!!

I remember watching this game and Darling drove me nuts with his comand. Sisk was good in relief.

Darling pitched a two-hittter through six, but he walked six batters and threw a wild pitch.

Doug Sisk came in to pitch the last three innings and retired nine of the eleven men he faced.

my god I had heard about a dwight gooooden I heard he was good my friend steve fratini told me gooden tonight gooden tonight I said great place to start astrodome I remember seeing gooden and I knew he would be a star I remember warner wolf saying the rookie gooooden tonight the idiot couldnt pronounce it right

I had to hide in the bedroom at an aunt's house to see this one during a family gathering. I couldn't miss Gooden's first start - not after all the hype. Still, I don't think anybody knew jsut how good he was going to get. To me anyway, this game was the start of fun ride in the mid '80s.

Instead of "Hit by Pitch: Thon" in the box score, it should read "Cold-Cocked by Mike Torrez: Thon". I can still hear the thud of the ball against Dickie's skull. The start of a very interesting year for the Metsies.

Mets opened the season with nine road games in 1984 as MLB tried starting the season primarily at warm weather sites. After splitting two games in Cincy, they completed a three game sweep at the Astrodome by pulling this game out in the final innings and people started to sit up and take notice that maybe the Mets finally had a good team again!

I'll never forget the sound of the ball hitting Dickie Thon's head. I sat there thinking to myself all these good young pitchers (Gooden, Darling, Terrell) and this guy screws something else up. On the bright side the sweep made me realize that this team was indeed a contender.

I remember watching the game on Ch. 9. It started at 7 pm New York time as the Astros at the time had Sunday night start times way before ESPN got involved with Major League Baseball. As for Dickie Thon's getting hit in the head by Mike Torrez, it was Torrez's second most infamous pitch that he threw in his career. (The first being the 1978 AL East playoff gopher ball he served up to Bucky Dent.)

This was the night that Dickie Thon's promising career was basically ruined. He got hit by a pitch and suffered an eye injury from which he never quite recovered. Thon was just coming off an All-Star season that resulted in a Silver Slugger award and a handful of MVP votes for himself. He still lasted another nine years in the major leagues, but the pitch in the eye likely reduced his production over that time.

An eerie thing about the pitch that struck Thon is that it came on the twentieth anniversary of another tragic event in Houston baseball. Colt .45s pitcher Jim Umbricht died of cancer on the same date in 1964.

This is the ONLY Mets home opener I ever went to, and what a rotten day it was! I sat in the upper deck and it was cold and windy and I had a headache. Oh, and the Expos kicked the daylights out of the Mets, 10-0. The only thing I remember about the game was that Gary Carter -- not yet a Met -- hit a grand slam HR for the Expos. It was that kind of a day.

It was a cold windy day at Shea. I was excited about the new era in Flushing. (This was the first home game that Davey Johnson would manage.) Long story short...we got our butts kicked by the Expos and Gary Carter hit a grand slam for the Expos and I kept saying out loud to my friends, "They should try to make a trade for him." Two years later, they did and the rest is history.

Some friends from high school and I attended this game. It was the day after the Mets opening day disasterous 10-0 loss and the game before Dwight Gooden's Shea debut. Backman won it, hitting right-handed, his much weaker side, with a double into the leftfield corner off Gary Lucas who in '86 hit Rich Gedman with a pitch before Donnie Moore gave up the homer to Dave Henderson. The win ended a four-game losing streak and thoughts of "here the Mets go again" as '84 turned into a 90 win season.

Backman, batting right handed, pulled a double into the corner. This was the game that always made me feel that the 84 Mets would be different, that the franchise was finally back.

Wally Backman, batting right-handed, hit the game winning double down the left field line in the 9th to win it in the afternoon game.

Noteworthy because Wally, for as valuable as he was batting from the left side, was one of the worst right-handed hitters of all time (as Ole Casey would say, you can look it up). It's still a wonder why he never gave up switch hitting. But he came through on this day and continued the Mets hot start and ascension into contention after so many down seasons.

It was "Strawberry Sunday" at Shea (sponsored by Carvel) in honor of Darryl's 1983 Rookie of the Year award.

Remember they always said that there was a guy in the minors with him named Ronald McDonald? We could have had Big Mac day too.

I don't remember the game (I was working for Kinney in the parking lot) but I ended up with a TON of half- melted ice cream.

I think Strawberry Sunday came 10 days later on April 29th since this game was played on a Thursday. It was the first game Doc Gooden pitched at Shea and he took a 5-0 lead into his 5th (and last) inning before giving up 4 unearned runs. Craig Swan could not hold the lead for Doc but the Mets rallied and Jesse Orosco won it in relief.

If memory serves me right, this was the night I was at Shea when Dick Tidrow received a standing ovation - for throwing a strike after two consecutive four-pitch walks.

A great walk-off victory for the Mets. The winning run was scored on Ross Jones' double in the bottom of the ninth inning that drove home Hubie Brooks. This was Jones' first hit of his major league career. It was also his only hit as a Met.

It was "Strawberry Sunday." I was at this game with my step-son. Darryl received his Rookie of the Year award and the Phillies made about 6 errors.

This game marked Jerry Koosman's return to the mound at Shea Stadium for the first time since 1978. The crowd went nuts at his introduction, but the Mets beat the 42-year old southpaw.

It was Strawberry Sunday and Darryl thanked 'my 25 teammates' which I thought was funny because he had just 24.

The New York Post compared Walt Terrell's stats to Tom Seaver's after this game thinking that Walt was an ace after his 3-1 start.

i was at this game. Dwight had his hook working...must have nailed 4 cubbies looking with a 2 strike curve. you could see the knees lock and the bat stop...then the ump would ring them up...

Rusty Staub had an rbi single to center in the 7 run sixth. there was a play at the plate...and Rusty to everyone's amazement broke for second... and made it! he left for a pinch runner to a standing o.

this was the first time i'd seen Gooden live and Shea was buzzing...the early signs of things to come.

I was a young trainee and the head of my department offered me tickets to see the Mets -- an orphan team that wasn't expected to do anything in 1984, and with a rookie pitching. Gooden was still sore about the way the Cubs mocked him two weeks earlier and he mowed them down this night. It was a very exciting night to be a Mets fan in my 20s, with no curfew!

On this night, there was a sign that Dwight Gooden had an immediate impact. This game was nearly left untelevised in the New York area. The fact that Dwight was pitching kept it on local TV.

The SportsChannel cable station was supposed to air the game. It couldn't because the Islanders had a hockey playoff game at home that it had to cover. Meanwhile, WOR-TV (which would have aired the Mets instead) had a New Jersey Nets basketball playoff game to show. The Mets' game, with Gooden starting, had no TV station to cover it!

A one-night agreement between SportsChannel and the Madison Square Garden cable station saved the game's televising. It was shown on MSG with SportsChannel's coverage. If Dr. K hadn't been on the mound, this compromise with the two stations probably would not have occurred and the game would not have been on metro-area TV.

This was an exciting win. The game was tied when Danny Heep, pinch-hitting for the pitcher, led off the ninth inning. Danny hit a high, shallow fly ball down the left field line. Henry Cotto made a diving attempt for the ball, but it got by him...and rolled all the way to the corner! With Cotto lying on the ground and the ball way behind him, I thought Heep was going to have a game-winning, inside-the-park home run. He wound up stopping at third base.

The leadoff triple turned out to be good enough. After two intentional walks to load the bases, Keith Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly to score Danny with the winning run. The Mets had a walk- off victory over the team that would become their chief rival that season.

When I look back at this game, I think of it as a great win during the Mets' return to contender status. Still, I can't help but think of how much more thrilling it would have been had Danny Heep been able to circle the bases on that ball he hit.

Hank M, thanks for sharing your experience of watching Danny Heep's leadoff triple in the ninth inning. But you're off on one fact. I saw a video broadcast of this game at it was Gary Matthews, not Henry Cotto, who was in left field chasing the ball hit by Danny. Matthews was replaced by Cotto as the left fielder after the two intentional walks that followed to load the bases. Cotto then caught Keith Hernandez's sacrifice fly that scored Heep to win it. The victory gave the Mets a two-game lead over the Cubs, Phillies, and Expos in the National League East.

Strawberry Sunday! Mets give out free sundays to celebrate 1983 Rookie of the Year Darryl Strawberry. Nolan Ryan gets a double on a sacrifice attempt that splits Doc and the second baseman and rolls into right field. Two runs score against Davey Johnson's famous "wheel play" defense.

Strawberry Sunday was the week before vs the Phils on 4/29 and the Mets won that game 6-2.

Wow, this is a memorable day in my life cuz well I was born on this day. So no wonder why I am a Mookie fan he goes 2-4 w/ a SB

On the day Jay was born, the Mets had a pretty remarkable game. On this day, after Hubie Brooks was called out at the plate on a controversial call, umpire Joe West ended up ejecting two cablevision cameramen positioned in the box next to the Mets dugout, for obligingly showing replays of the play to players in Met dugout.

The truth shall set you free, Doug.

I remember watching this game and feeling like it was a passing of the torch from the last great young gun to the next one. Specifically, there were back to back at bats where the Dodgers loaded the bases with none out and then Gooden struck out the next two and got a (foul?) fly out from Terry Whitfield to escape the jam; then the Mets proceeded to do the same, but Valenzuela couldn't wriggle free. Anyone else recall these almost symmetrical situations?

An unbelievable ending -- perfect relay to nail a Dodger at the plate to end the game! I've been to plenty of Mets games and I don't remember any others that ended with an out at home. Any other out at home endings come to mind?

I was at that game with a close friend of mine. I can't think of any other games that ended with an out at home. What is the news on Pedro Guerrero by the way? Is he dead or alive?

This was the first Met game I attended in five years. I remember I had a friend of mine from high school who was a big Met fan, so he organized a bunch of us to join him at this game. I remember this game as being a really big deal at the time because this was the first game that we went to without any parents. My friend borrowed his mother's station wagon and we drove in from New Jersey. Also, another big thing was my friend had just turned 19, so he was legal to buy beer in New York state. I had a really good time at this game, we drank beer and cheered a young Dwight Gooden as he struck out 14 batters. I remember everbody in the crowd shaking their head saying "this kid is awesome." This was also the first time I remember anybody doing the "Wave".

It was early in '84. I used to go to Shea by myself because my friends were mostly non-sports fans. I was newly married at the time and told my wife that I was going to Shea to see the new kid pitch. She said, "Mind if I tag along?". We paid our $3.20 to sit in our own section in the Upper Deck GA and it was quite an exciting game.

The wife, who previously knew zilch about baseball enjoyed herself. On the way to the lot across Roosevelt Ave., she said that she'd go again with me to a game and asked when the next one was. I looked at her and said, "uh ... tomorrow?". We went and by the end of the '84 season, she was keeping score and yelling at Sid Fernandez "Throw strikes fat boy !!!". Then she asked for and got season tix in '85 and attended almost every home game until the strike in '94. On this night, a great part of my life began.

I remember this game well--14 Ks for Gooden and my first memory of being at a game with the wave (when it was new and still fun) and the crowd rising with every 2-strike count; my thoughts were, hey the Mets are finally good again! And then to top it all off the play at the plate to end it.

I remember this game well, as it ended with a play at the plate, Mookie Wilson, to Kelvin Chapman, who threw a perfect relay home to catcher Mike Fitzgerald, to nail Dave Anderson at the plate. Shea was literally rocking when the umpire made the out call at home! Gooden was fantastic with 14 strikeouts.

Hubie Brooks either tied or broke the (at the time) record for longest hitting streak by a Met. I believe it was his 23rd or 24th straight game with a hit.

I remember in the ninth, they were mounting a rally. Had runners on first and third. Staub then struck out. Then Backman hit a grounder to second. The 2bman threw to the SS for one out, but Oquendo slid hard into the guy and Backman beat out the throw. Then the umpire called Backman out due to Oq's interference. The crowd was furious and the game ended.

At the time, it was my first Mets game in three years. My friend from HS and his dad brought me and the seats were on 3b-line about 14 rows up.

I remember the night my favorite Mets player Hubie Brooks' 24-game hitting streak against St Louis and Joaquin Andujar. What a year Hubie had in 1984, the same year I graduated from elementary school.

two trivial facts about this game: Hubie Brooks' Mets record hitting streak was snapped at 24 games and the promotional items given away that night were pairs of "flip-flops" many of which were thrown on the field at Shea as Hubie's streak died.

I was 12 years old then and was at this game with my Dad sitting in Mezz. Reserved between 3rd and LF. This was my last game at Shea until September before I went away to sleepaway camp in upstate NY. Yes, the two things I also remember of this game was the Hubie Brooks hitting streak ending and the flip-flops giveaway that were thrown onto the field. I was not one of those that threw them on the field as I took my flip-flops with me to summer camp. My Dad would have grounded me if I threw the flip-flops onto the field. My sister got his pair.

One of two occasions that Gooden pitched seven hitless innings as a Met before his attempt at a no-hitter was broken up. The other attempt was on 6-5-88 at Shea against the Cubs.

In this game, the Mets had apparently lost the game in the ninth on a SF, but an appeal play ruled Maz out for leaving 3B early.

Appeal play - I remember shutting off my radio after Mazzilli "scored" and going to bed thinking the Mets had lost. The next morning, I heard the score. I thought I was in the Twilight Zone.

The Mets begin a four-game weekend series in St. Louis with a 6-0 win over the Cardinals. Ron Darling improves to 6-3 and pitches his first major league shutout. He would throw a total of thirteen shutouts in his career.

All the scoring in this game came in the top of the sixth. Keith Hernandez, Hubie Brooks, and Jose Oquendo each had two-RBI doubles in the inning. Darling made the first and second outs of the inning. Eight consecutive Mets reached base in between Darling's two outs.

Truly an AMAZIN' night at Shea despite a Mets loss. The large walk-up crowd that night was fired-up because of Gooden and his team's new found prowess. 7 of us were heading for the Jersey shore that night after the game, but all were willing to take a 100 mile circle trip before time to catch this exciting Mets energy. The crowd was caught up that night with the onslaught of summer as well as the 11 K.O.s from Dwight. People were sliding down face first on the bannister in the upper deck as if the rails were greased. This may also have been the first night the "Wave" was preformed at Shea. I know it is now long ago passe, but then it was new, lively and the first time I had ever seen it! Man, did we have a blast with it that night!

Andre Dawson, hit an up and away fastball (out of the strike zone) over the right field fence with Rose on first as the game winner. Dawson thrived on those up and away pitches better than anyone I've ever seen.

Despite the loss, that night was pure neon at Shea and one of my best baseball mems ever.

This game was preceded by the USA Olympic team exhibition game, which I believe Mark McGwire and Will Clark were members of.

The game also was the first time the "wave" caught on. I'm not a fan of the wave, but at the time, it was awesome!! Being 18 at the time and a long suffering fan at games where there were only a couple of thousand die-hard fans, this was unbelievable to have 40 thousand plus going nuts throughout the game.

I remember Pete Rose hitting into a double play, believe it or not, Sisk was the pitcher. Rose argued at the end of the play and the fans let him have it. It was a great day, great atmosphere and a great game!!

This was special for me because it was the first Mets game at Shea I ever went to by myself. I rode the train from White Plains to Grand Central and then the 7 to Shea. It was Cap Day along with it being an Olympic team exhibition.

And yes, like the other poster said, the wave going through the stands was electrifying. The Mets won, too!

I was watching this game on the Braves' station. Referring to whoever was posting the out-of-town scores on the Shea Stadium scoreboard, Skip Caray said, "The scoreboard operator must be on drugs, because the Tigers have gone from a 5-5 tie to a 5-3 loss."

My wife and I had just moved into our house and we took this week off. To get away from the constant cleaning and straightening up we decided to go to the game that night. Fortunately, my father knew a guy in the Mets' ticket office back then and I called him and he put aside two "X- seats" for us, right behind the plate under the screen. And so I got my first up close look at Dwight Gooden, from about the eighth row!

Doc didn't disappoint us, he went 8.1 innings, striking out 12, and despite giving up a leadoff triple to Bill Doran in the first inning, Gooden was the winner in this 4-2 Mets victory. Wally Backman had two singles and drove in 3 of the Mets' 4 runs.

Jesse Orosco came in to get the last two outs and struck out Ray Knight, who represented the tying run, to end the game.

I went to this game with my sister. We took advantage of an offer by turning in a pair of Coca-Cola cans and getting field-level seats at a discount. This was a promotion being run that season for Tuesday night games.

It turned out to be a great deal. The Mets beat the Astros, 4-3, pinning the loss on Nolan Ryan. George Foster hit a home run OVER the left field bullpen. It just disappeared into the darkness;a monster blast! Keith Hernandez also hit one out, putting the Mets ahead to stay and making Bruce Berenyi the winning pitcher.

One other memory from this night was that the people in front of us were counting the number of airplanes that flew overhead. By game's end, their tally had reached 50! A noisy night, but still well worth the (reduced) price.

On July 4th 40 years ago today I attended my last game at Shea visiting NY with my Florida buddies Don and Gary. Astros started strong and ended strong with Mets losing 10-5.

Lots of fireworks with the bats during the game and much more fireworks after the game as crazy Met fans were shooting fireworks at each other in the parking lot after the game. Fireworks flew inches from my head. We still talk about that especially thinking back on the Mets casual Spring home games at Al Lang Stadium in St. Pete we used to sneak into around the same time.

It was a trip to witness Shea packed with fans as my prior Met games sadly always had very low attendance. Before we knew it we had the 1986 season! Let's Go Mets!

This was a well played game, but not that eventful. The thing I remember most was the sudden torrential downpour that ended the game after 8 1/3 innings. I was halfway to my car in the parking lot when the skies opened up.

Second game of a Twi-night double header. Darling pitched a Gem in the 1st game, and we are looking for the sweep. Thru a friend of a friend, I was sitting behind the Cincy dugout. Maybe 10 or 15 rows back. I NEVER get seats like that. Well, it's a long night, Friday I think, the friend of the friend had left, but the game is tied and I'm staying.

The Mets get a rally going in the last of the 9th, and a fight breaks out several rows behind me. I'm trying to watch the game, but everyone in front of me is standing to watch the fight. The Mets are about to sweep the Reds, I have great seats, and I can't see, because some a- holes can't hold their beer.

I ended up running down the aisle, and stood right behind the dugout just in time to see Kelvin Chapman getting the game winning hit.

As the Mets ran out to greet Chapman and the Reds walked off the field, people started asking me what happened. They didn't see it; they were watching the fight.

Idiots.

This victory vaulted the Mets into first place in the NL East. The crowd walking out of Shea chanted in unison, "We Want Detroit!! We Want Detroit!!" (Detroit had started 35-5 that year.)

I was at this game. I wasn't able to recall exact date, but found it on this great website because I remember we swept the Reds. We were winning!! We were for real!! It was so exciting at the time.

I remember being in the upper deck and some guy walking around with a broom yelling "Sweep!".

Great days.

It was my first date with my girlfriend (who now is my wife). It was bat day,and Bruce Berenyi struck out 10 Reds.The Mets swept the series. It was the most fun I've ever had at a game. The crowd was really into it.

I watched this game in my wife's hospital room while she was in labor. The Mets won in extra innings and my son was born 2 hours later. A good night on all fronts

I was living in Columbus, OH that year. Mets were starting to win. Took in this game and the one the night before. Gooden, a rookie, struck out 11. Mets score one run in top of 11th, in the bottom of 11th, some Reds fans assured me "that we will pull this out." I told them, "we already did." Redus stole 2nd in bottom of 11th, as he took his lead, I said to my friend "It's a wonder Orosco doesn't pick him off." Boom! Pick off. Cincy was a nice town.

Peter, it was in the tenth inning and not the eleventh that Jesse Orosco picked off Gary Redus. With one out and the score tied at 2-2, Orosco threw to Wally Backman to get Redus at second base in the bottom of the 10th. Backman led off the top of the 11th with a double and later scored on Keith Hernandez's sacrifice fly to put the Mets ahead by a run. Orosco then pitched a scoreless bottom half for the win.

The victory for the Mets was their seventh over the Reds in 1984. It assured themselves of winning a season series against the Cincinnati team for the first time in club history.

A little info from this night, the highlight of one of Gooden's windups from this game was used in the credits for the famous show, "This Week in Baseball" for many years.

The Mets were also in the middle of one of their best and most fun months in team history, as it was finally clear this team was for real and an actual contender for the first time in many years

This game was the first time I thought the Mets were for real in the 80's. Keith Hernandez hit the game-winning single off Neil Allen (who was traded for Keith) after a long long at bat. The fans streaming down the ramps at Shea were yelling "We're Number One" for the first time in a long time.

Sorry Ken, but Wally Backman hit the game-winning single in extra innings. It was my first game (the first one I remembered) at age 7. I was so tired, I kept asking my Dad when it was going to be over. He kept lying to me, saying they would call the game after 3 hours. Wally won it in the 12th! So exciting! The fans streaming down the ramps were yelling, but not "We're Number One". "Wally!! Wally!! Wally!" All the way to the parking lot! Amazing!!

I was there. Kepshire had the Mets in his back pocket and enjoying a three-run lead until Straw-man came up in the bottom of the fourth with two men on. A lazy swing stroked a fly ball that just made it over the fence to tie the game. Remember, this was when Darryl was synonymous with youth and anticipation, before he was the feared slugger (as well as for his darker side). It was almost the feeling that no matter what, he was going to tie the game; that the universe had willed it to be that way. Kepshire was quoted after the game as saying "the ball shouldn't have gone out."

Such was the excitement in the early days of Mookie, Wally, Hubie, Darryl and Keith.

This was the game that convinced me the Mets were for real. I was there in the 3rd base box seats, broiling in the sun. The Mets are behind 3-0 and I'm conditioned to feel that this is going to be another lost afternoon at Shea. Then Strawberry hit it out and they go on to win. I bought a Mets painter's hat that day that I continued to wear to every Mets game I went to and they won over 75% of the time. I even wore it to (bow your heads) Game 6 of the '86 Series.

The Mets stood 4 and 1/2 games in front of the cubs in the n.l. east after this win but would lose 13 of their next 16 games, including 7 losses to Chicago, a stretch which probably decided the division title. Another odd Mets giveaway night too, USA cap night, after all it was an Olympic year.

I listened to this game on WHN, and it was probably the first "big" game the franchise played in 11 years. Doc was brilliant for a rookie in a high-pressure start. I remember Mookie throwing out a Cubbie trying to score, and Murph had one of his best calls of his life. After he yelled the runner was out, he said nothing for about 5 seconds while Shea went nuts. Then he said "this place just exploded".

I was 18 and during batting practice my dad and I almost got beaned with a Leon Durham foul ball while we had a lapful of food.

Great game pitched by Doc and the entire crowd left the game yelling, We're # 1-"hoot".

Unfortunately, things went awry the next day with the Sisk fiasco and our lead vanished when we went to Chicago. That night there was definitely a fever in the air and it felt good for the first time in a long time as a Met fan with good things to come at the time.

After this game, I, along with many other Mets fans, thought the Mets were playoff bound. We're a silly breed, us Met fans!

The biggest Mets game since the mid 70's. I believe it was a nationally televised game (NBC?). I remember the excitement of a jam packed Shea and Gooden being sensational.

I was at this game with a group from my summer job and my college roommate. We sat in the left field nosebleed upper deck. It was the first time in maybe 11 years I left a Mets game being proud to be one of their fans. People were leaving the stadium yelling "We are number 1!!" However the Mets fell apart even after getting Ray Knight a month later. Regardless, it was great to be a fan on that night!!

After growing up a Buddy Harrelson fan from the age 5, but then as a Mets fan being like a bear in hibernation for years from the late 70s to early 80s, this was the biggest and most important ballgame I'd been to, ever... and probably my favorite ballgame of all time, to this day.

From Upstate NY, just west of Syracuse, at age 16, I researched and purchased the tickets for this Friday night, as well as the Saturday and Sunday double header.

For Friday night, it was to be Doc Gooden.... plus, during the era of Reagan and the Olympics, it was USA Cap Night, promoted for weeks by Kiner, and Murph (he seemed to be so looking forward to it, the ultimate patriot)..... so the Friday night tickets were tough to get by the time I convinced my parents to go to this critical Mets/Cubs series.... we were well under the overhang in the Mezzanine, maybe 4 rows from the back with a somewhat obstructed view of pop flies and that unusual wind tunnel swirling to our backs.... but at least we were directly behind home plate, DIRECTLY behind home plate, to see the Doctor's magic..

Unfortunately, the forecast, 2 days before the event, looked dismal. Heavy rain, unseasonably cold, chances of game occurring were minimal, but my dad said not to worry, all would work out. Indeed, though it rained all day and the temp felt like a November Jets game, Shea Stadium was packed, the rain ceased, the fans were intensely loud and rowdy, the K-Korner was ready, and Doc did not disappoint.

That game was the most loud and intense I have ever been to, ever. It was not just that Doc won, it was the rebirth of the Mets. 52,000 of us agreed, it was the rebirth of the magic. I still remember winding down the ramps after the ballgame, packed with Met fans, screaming as loud as they can "Let's Go Mets" to the point where the ramps felt like they were moving, bouncing.... amazing.... absolutely one of the best nights of my life.... plain and simple.

To John L.---The game was on SportsChannel and my part of New Jersey didn't have cable yet so I had to listen to it on the late great 1050 WHN. Plus it was a unusually cool, dreary July evening as I tend to recall but they got the game in anyway!

A critical Saturday afternoon game vs the Cubs. The Mets claw back to tie the game 3-3 vs Rick Sutcliffe thanks to Cub Centerfielder Bob Dernier misplaying a fly ball. Doug Sisk enters the game and promptly can't throw strikes (as was so often his problem). The Cubs score 8 runs and break the game open.

The next day the Cubs sweep a doubleheader, taking command of the NL East race which they would eventually win.

After so many down years, 1984 was one of my favorite Met seasons because of the rebirth of real excitement at Shea with Gooden, Strawberry and Hernandez leading the way.

The inning that cost the Mets the division, that horrible 8th with the dark lord, Doug Sisk pitching. Sisk was NEVER the same after that inning and neither were the Mets. In about a week, we went from a few games up to a few games out after the Cubs mauled us the next day in a doubleheader at Shea and then in Wrigley.

I was at this game, watching from the field level seats just past third base. I recall that someone a few rows in front of me was covered in a bedsheet that donned the words "Spirit of '69."

The ghost of the miracle year was not apparent on this day, though. Things didn't go very well for the Mets. Davey Johnson got ejected in the first inning and then the Cubs built a lead. The Mets came back to tie it up, but then came the Cubs' 8-run eighth. During that inning, I got so disgusted that I just got up and walked right out of the stadium.

I went back home and watched the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympic Games. The Mets, when this day started, had a 4 1/2 game lead over the Cubs. When the Games' Closing Ceremonies took place on August 12, they were 4 1/2 games BEHIND Chicago! I often refer to this 16-day period as the "Olympic Fallout."

This was the only time I ever sat in the top row of the upper reserved seats at Shea - so high you could almost read the airline labels on the planes as they flew over! It also was the first game in which I remember Sisk being really bad. It earned him a sadly clever nickname coined (I think) by somebody sitting near me - Doug Risk!

This was a dismal loss for the Mets in St. Louis that dropped them out of first place in the National League East Division. The Cubs (who beat the Phillies) took over the top spot and stayed there until the end. It was also Rusty Staub's last game in which he was in the starting lineup.

Found a ticket stub for this game within my dads old boxes. He always said he took me to a game when I was really young. Well I was 4 during this season and we were living outside Pittsburgh, wow, this was my first Mets game!

It was my wife's "rookie" year (see comments under 5/25/84). By this time of year, we were starting to believe that maybe they could actually win the division. Certainly, there were parallels to '69. So, we decided to spend our vacation seeing some road games and followed the team to Pittsburgh and Chicago.

By the time we got to Wrigley, we were real close. The ghost of Al Weis cropped up everywhere. Cub fans, too, were stoked and the place was partially rocking. I say partially because half the people there were true Cubs fans, wearing Mets-Busters T-shirts and other anti-Mets apparel. The other half were yuppies playing hookey from work and were more interested in getting the beer vendors' attention that what was going on in the field.

In any event, Gooden started and got his clock cleaned. The Mets got swept in 4 and it more or less showed that the team was not ready for prime time yet. By the time we got to the fourth game, we had had enough of Wrigley and have never had the chance to go back.

A friend and I called in sick to stay home and watch this doubleheader, and the Cubs whacked the Mets around in both games. Tough day.

I was living in Detroit the year this game was played. Being only 3 hours from Chicago I was going to this DH, but decided againast it. If I remember correctly there was a fight in the second game involving the Cubs' Keith Moreland. Being a die hard Mets fan, I am glad I decided not to go, having gotten swept in the DH.

Walt Terrell was pitching pretty well, until he hit Bob Dernier and got ejected from the game. The Mets led 5-3 at the time. Wes Gardner came into the game, and promptly blew the game. The Cubs got 4 runs, and swept the series.

I don't remember too much about this game as at this time of the year I was in sleepaway camp. There were no TV's allowed in the bunks at camp nor could we watch tv anywhere in camp, so I always had to go 7 weeks/49 days where I couldn't see the Mets on TV when I was attending camp. My bunk counselors sometimes would have the games on the radio until campers had to be in bed by 9:00pm, so I couldn't always know the result until the next morning.

The Mets did win this game to stay right with the Cubs in the NL East as they went into August for the first time since 1973 with being able to have thoughts of maybe making the playoffs after being nowhere close to the postseason for many years before this. And the Mets gave me a nice birthday present with the win as I celebrated my mitzvah of becoming a man on this day as it was my 13th birthday.

This is the first Mets game I ever attended by myself.

Kelvin Chapman was the hero on this day, hitting a grand slam off of a guy he owned, future Cy Young winner, Mark Davis. Gaff got the win as the boxscore shows with 5 great innings of relief, in the Mets only home victory against the Giants in '84. Bob Brenly was a one man wrecking crew vs. the Mets that season with 4 Shea homers. He of course went on to win the World Series as Diamondbacks skipper--Kelvin Chapman last time I heard was a UPS guy out west somewhere but he delivered that day.

One thing I remember about this game was that Mike Scioscia hit a home run off Gooden. I recalled this home run right before he hit that much bigger one in the 1988 playoffs off Gooden, and it occured to me that he would hit the big one then.

I was at this game - Keith Hernandez hit a double in the bottom of the 9th off former Met Pat Zachry to score Heep with the winning run.

Sat 3 rows from the first base line. Won the tickets from the inside of a bottle cap. Once the Mets started being competitive, such offers stopped appearing.

Oh, and some guy about 10 feet from me caught a foul ball. What a lucky dog.

Caught my first foul ball at this game. First game of a doubleheader. Leadoff batter of the game Alan Wiggins popped it up. I was just getting into the Stadium. Had program, ticket stub and buck for the usher in hand when somebody yelled "LOOK UP!!" There was the ball coming straight down to me, and I just caught it. Amazing.

This was an incredible DH sweep by the Mets. I attended the game with my brother and dad. We sat behind the Mets dugout and watched Darryl Strawberry have a field day. I believe Gooden set the all-time record as the youngest pitcher to have 200+ strikeouts in one season.

I also remember Kevin McReynolds, the big burly, then center fielder for the Padres, misplay a line shot to center by Strawberry. McReynolds stood like a statue as the ball just kept carrying and carrying...all in all, a great day.

When the games ended, we were walking the Shea ramps out, chanting "Lets go Mets!" and "We want the Cubs!"

Too bad the Mets didn't play with much consistency after their incredible run in June and July. Definitely the beginning of what would eventually end in 1990.

This was the third time in the last 2 months that the Mets overcame a 5-1 deficit in the bottom of the 4th inning. They also did on July 6 and August 26. That is an odd coincidence!

I caught a foul ball at this game. Goose Gossage was pitching to Ray Knight and it was down the right field line. I always wondered if I got on TV because it was a hell of a catch. Maybe someday you will be able to purchase any game from the past that you want. Until then, I will just have to wonder.

I remember sending my younger brother, Tony to get us some dogs and soda and he misses a great and rare play.

Carmelo Martinez hits a drive to the Left CF gap and Mookie jumps and just misses it off his glove. Then the relay comes home and they just miss tagging out Martinez and he has an inside- the-park HR. The crowd kept oohing and ahhing during the play, so my brother comes back and wonders what he missed. Felt bad but the dogs were good!!

Needless to say he always worries about going for food at the game to this day. At least we got to see the Goose get cooked in extra innings.

Unless I'm mistaken... this was the Dwight Gooden no hitter that wasn't. He spun a one-hit shut out where the only Cub to get a hit was Keith Moreland who hit a slow roller to third base that Ray Knight bobbled, then threw late. Moreland had no speed (didn't even run well for a catcher, Tim). If Knight fields this ball cleanly, he gets Moreland, and Doc has his first no-hitter. But, alas, it wasn't meant to be.

I was at this game, and I feel this should have been the Mets first and probably only no hitter, if I can remember correctly (Keith)Moreland hit a slow groundball to Knight at 3rd who bobbled it. I feel that Knight should have been charged with an error, and the Mets would have there first ever no hitter. Can we lobby somebody to overturn the official scorers scoring. Otherwise at this rate the Mets will never get a no hitter. Its amazing there in there 40th season and have never had a no-no!

I agree that this was the closest a Mets hurler has come to a no-hitter. I was at the game and if my memory is correct, Knight did not even make the throw. Everyone in the stands groaned because we all thought he could have got the runner even though he had trouble getting the ball out of his glove. Could have been scored E-5, but doubt this can be changed so many years after the fact (I think 100 out of 100 official scorers today would call a play like that a hit).

First game I ever went to, and the reason I became a Mets fan, a pitching fan, and especially a Doc fan. I did remember the Moreland hit being in the infield, but for some reason I thought it was the pitcher that hit it. Maybe it was the cheap nature of it that made me think that.

Anyway, forget about those games with the HR hitting contests. Give me Doc in the 80's mowing down the opposition.

This was a Friday night after the first week back to school. I remember that everybody was talking about the Mets and Doc. The Mets were actually in contention, just a few games back, which for those of us in High School had never happened before!!!

On the whole it was a great game. Lots of offense, dominant pitching from Doc. Just for the record, Moreland's "swinging bunt" was a fluke, but it was a hit - Knight was playing deep.

I was at this game.

It may be the best Mets game I ever saw. It obviously wasn't competitive, but after watching that 1977 - 1983 club with great frustration, having a studly team that hit HRs and dominated was a dream.

I agree with the poster above about Moreland's single. It was an error, particularly b/c Moreland was a lardass catcher. If some speed demon hit it, maybe it's a different scoring decision, but Knight had time.

Looked like an easy play to us in the upper deck with beers in our hands, anyway. Was probably a bit tougher on the field.

This is one of those "all-time greatest" memory games. I went with my Dad (who I lost in 95), and yes it was the no-hitter that should have been. It eas E-5 all the way. It would have been interesting if it had happened later in the game to see if it would have been scored a hit or errror. When the play happened, a no-no was not in anyone's mind. I remember Backman was all over the field, and my section was singing to the tune of "Batman", "da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na Back-Man!"

As a side note, does anyone remember that someone fell off the escalator of the upperdeck and died? I think that happened this night.

I saw this game on NBC, since I was living out of NY at the time. I remember Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola discussing the only hit that wasn't a hit.

I remember this game vividly. The only Cub hit was a little dribbler down the 3rd Base line by Kieth Moreland, a slow runner, that Ray Knight, who was playing back, fielded while on the run, came up clean with it in his glove, but never got a good grip on the ball and failed to make a throw. He did state during a post game interview that he didn't know it was going to be the only hit of the game for the Cubs, and if he knew it was, he would have at least attempted to make a throw. Knight also said that Gooden would have plenty of opportunities and will throw plenty of no hitters. Too bad not for the Mets.

I was at this game sitting in the top of section 16. I remember this play as vividely as any I have ever seen before. Keith Moreland, probably the slowest member of the Cubs that night, hit a dribbler down the third base line. Ray Knight at first bobbled the ball then could not get it out of his glove. Knight never attemted to make a throw. Red Foley wherever you are, called it a hit. Now that I am 43, I say poppycock. I know for a fact that was an error if I had ever seen one. That ladies and gentleman was the only no-hitter the Mets have ever had.

Yes, this was the no-hitter that wasn't. I too was at this game at that game and I think this was quite possibly the best game Gooden ever pitched. From my POV, it was E-5. I was very surprised he was not given a error.

The irony is he did pitch a no-hitter for the Yankees. Problem is, is also walked 6 or 7 batters that game. Some no-hitter.

Doc's first shutout at Shea. He had two on the West Coast before this game.

I saw this game when I was 6. First Mets game I ever went to.

Does someone - ANYONE- have a clip of the Moreland hit?

email me at drltoo@aol.com Would be willing to pay for the clip or the game (if you happen to have it on tape or DVD)

Thanks! dan

I was at this game. Definitely more of a no-no than Santana's...now that he threw one I felt compelled to post this here because Dr K was a homegrown Met, not a trade and sign. Does anyone else remember 84 and 85 Met homestands? Seemed like a sellout every 5th night and the stadium would shake whenever Gooden had 2 strikes on a hitter. Never saw him waste a pitch either. Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. Take a seat. Don't think we'll ever see that again. Such a shame what happened to him. Was also at the first game of the home/away day/night Yankee doubleheader in July 2000, his first game as an opposing pitcher if memory serves (Piazza got beaned by Clemens in the nightcap in the Bronx). Was surprised he didn't get more of an ovation when he took the hill. The game, and its fans...sure have changed.

Like many on this list, I too was fortunate enough to be at this game. With the Cubs in first and in town and the Mets in a pennant race for the first time in my memory, atmosphere at Shea was electric, like I'd never experienced before. Of course the Moreland "hit" stands out -- at the time, the way Gooden was throwing, I was sure that would be the only hit on the night, especially since every Met game I attended I always thought "tonight will be the night" for a no-hitter. But no way that could have been scored an error. Knight had trouble getting it out of his glove, and I joked after that he should have had the decency to make a bad throw to first to try to draw an error, but was clearly a hit, even if a very cheap one.

I was fortunate enough to be at this game and thought it was an ERROR by Knight.....should've been a no-no :-(

My first game.

I remember sitting in the mezzanine on the first base side and booing Mookie Wilson because I didn't realize that everyone else was "Mooo"ing.

about 12 of us sat in upperdeck box at Shea with some girls still in love with lee mazzilli who was on pirates watched dwight break rookie strike out record cant remember what inning he broke record but we stood and cheered too much to soon for doc what might have been

I remember going to this game with my father and high school friend Willie and watching Doc break the rookie strikeout record. At the time I remember me and my friends thought he'd be the next Bob Gibson.

Wow, I can't believe it's been 20 years! I gave one of the ticket agents an extra $10 and he put my dad and me 5 rows behind the Pirate dugout. Doc was throwing gas that night. This was before radar guns were showing fans just how fast, but Doc was on. I remember after he struck out Tony Pena for the third time, Pena started barking at the ump. The guy next to us stood up and yelled, "It sounded high, huh Tony!" Only in New York.

We thought we were going to see history this night. Gooden had 15k's thru 7 innings and was as dominant as any pitcher ever was. He finished with 16k's and no walks. This was a great experience for a high school kid even though I was and am a Yankees fan. Seeing my ticket stub last night made me think of this masterpiece pitched by Doc.

I was 16 and won these tickets on the back of a Coke cap. I sent in the Coke cap and they sent me two fairly nice seating tickets. I went with my dad and we watched Gooden make history by breaking the rookie K record. He was unhittable that night. I remember the last batter fouled off quite a few pitches before Gooden got him out to complete the shutout.

If my memory serves, this may have been the best game he has ever thrown. Didn't he have a no hitter going into the 8th??

Dwight Gooden broke Herb Score's record for strikeouts by a rookie pitcher on this night. Gooden fanned Marvell Wynne in the sixth inning for his 246th to pass Score's total from 1955. Dwight, who wore uniform number 16, ended up with 16 Ks and a shutout for his 16th win of the year. Also, the Mets' only two runs came on Hubie Brooks' 16th homer of the season.

A movie called "Sixteen Candles" was released during the summer of 1984. This would've been an appropriate title to describe this game.

A met debacle the afternoon after Gooden broke Herb Score's rookie strikeout record. A friend and I attended this one, bought tickets just before first pitch which turned out to be field level box x-3 or x-5 or something which as Shea fanatics will know were right in back of home plate! This game does have some trivial significance though--John Christensen and future A's GM Billy Beane both made their big league debuts. By the way, the price of those field level seats back then--eight bucks!

A cold, sunny, windy day at Wrigley. I came up from Indiana University in Bloomington alone for the sold out game. It was scarf day, and fans needed it.

It got even colder when the Mets lost for the second day in a row to the Cubs -- which pretty much sealed what was a great comeback season.

Dwight Gooden struck out 16 batters in this game giving him 32 strikeouts in his last two starts, tying a major league record. It was also his fifth consecutive start with ten or more strikeouts.

Unfortunately Doc lost this game when he gave up a single to Phillies pitcher Shane Rawley in the bottom of the eighth and then two batters later with Rawley at third, Gooden balked him home.

The Mets had just five hits and a walk in the game, and three Mets runners were caught stealing.

I remember my dad and I absolutely steaming after this game. Gooden was pitching one of the best games of his career and to lose a game as such.

I was a senior in H.S. that year living in the Philly 'burbs and "called in sick" for school that day. My incredible dad came home with two tickets for this game and lo and behold, I felt much better! We both donned Mets caps and settled in down the third base line, in between third and left field. Philly fans were giving LF Jerry Martin a hard time for his off field indiscretions and I had to yell at Jerry to not listen. I forget if it was the sixth or seventh inning when Darryl Strawberry stepped up to bat and I looked over to dad and said, "It'd be nice if he hit a homer right about now." Next pitch, as if on cue, Darryl hit one of the most titanic moon shots I've ever seen. One of the best memories of that year for me.

Actually, Zososcott, you memory left out one little detail: the home run by Straw came in the TOP OF THE NINTH WITH TWO OUTS...and it broke a 5- 5 tie to give the Mets an 8-5 win!

The Mets were down 5-2 in this game but scored three in the top of the seventh on a bases- clearing double by Mookie.

Then in the ninth, Rusty Staub singled to lead off. Wally Backman bunted pinch-runner Ron Gardenhire to second, and Mookie was intentionally walked. Lefty Al Holland came in and got Keith Hernandez to ground out as the runners moved up. Strawberry homered, his 23rd of the year, to give the Mets the win. The Cubs lost that night but the Mets were eight games out with just ten to play.

This was my first Met game ever, and all I could remember was they beat the Expos 4-2. If I could find the box score or any thing else from that game it would be awesome.

My friend Darren and I attended this game. I remember that we shouted at an Expo player and he responded. (Don't remember who.) A funny thing was this fan who kept on cheering for Gary Carter, a few months earlier than most of us would. "C'mon Gary you can do it" as he would accidentally keep spitting on the back of the person's shirt in front of him. (Nothing happened.)

Gooden's last start in his rookie season and he went out on a high note. Dominating the Expos with 8 innings of 1 run ball.

Also the last game that Gary Carter would play at Shea before joining the Mets in the offseason.

Rusty Staub became the only player besides Ty Cobb to have homered as a teenager and after the age of 40 this night when he connected for the game-ending pinch home run off Larry Anderson.

This game is the reason I became a Met fan. My father came home from work and said he got tickets to the Met game. We were about three rows from thrid base. I remember Rusty Staub coming to the plate as a pinch hitter and hitting this monster shot over the right field wall to win the game. It was my first Major Leauge Baseball game and I have been a Met fan ever since. I was 9 years old.

This was the game that clinched second place. I remember leaving Shea chanting "we're no. 2" which felt pretty cool given the previous 11 seasons. Staub and Kranepool remain my favorite Met position players.

After being eliminated from the divisional race one night earlier, the Mets clinched second place in the National League East with their win in this game. It was the first time the team ever finished a season in that position in the standings. Rusty Staub's pinch-hit homer capped off a four-run ninth inning for the victory.

The Mets' first run in the ninth came on Mookie Wilson's triple off Tug McGraw that drove home Hubie Brooks. This was the last pitch that Tug ever threw in his major league career.

I was there, it was something of an interesting game because the opposing pitcher was Jerry Koosman. But if anyone remembers, some of the players came on the field before the game holding signs. I could not see what was on them. Does anyone know?

I remember this game as John Stearns' last game as a Met. One of the heart and soul players in the "Bad Era". Always came to play. Will make a GREAT manager some day.

Although the Mets lost the last game of the season, it was certainly a great year with the 90 wins and the great rookie run of Gooden. We all knew we had exciting times ahead for this team on the heels of back to back NL rookie of the year players of Strawberry and Gooden.

Also if there were wild cards in 1984 the Mets would have easily been in. NLDS would have been Mets vs Padres and Cubs vs Cardinals. The way Gooden was pitching and dominating that year, the Mets very well could have won the NL pennant and played the Tigers in the World Series.