But starting from when I started watching (1985) here are the Top Ten WORST Moments and Mets history:
Coming off a disappointing World Series loss, I had high hopes my Mets would win it all the next year. We came close, Piazza played his best season on record, but it wasn't enough to topple the Braves and Mets fans around the world knew we were in for another disappointing decade all over again.
This was supposed to be our season. I felt it in my bones that the Mets were going to win back and back. And why wouldn't we? Most of our players were back, our rookies were strong and had ZERO weak spots in our ball club.
But I didn't account for injuries and cocaine, which took out all of our best players for most of the season. Dwight Gooden and Daryl Strawberry should have been Coopertown's names but the pissed their careers away on the stuff and were never the same.
I ached every time I heard news of another injury. It was the only reason we weren't able to compete that year.
I missed chance indeed.
9 games out from the end of the season the Mets were all but guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. Then we went 3 for 9 and on the last day (THE LAST DAY) all we had to do was win to be in...and we lost.
What made this one hurt even more was that it was our last game at Shea Stadium and the Mets went out just as they came in to Shea, losers.
We did something that had never been done in sports history, according to ESPN. We dominated a team that dominated us in the regular season, beating the Cubs 4 straight. No one saw that coming. (not even me) But we did it.
We proved we were a team to be reckoned with. A team everyone had underestimated and when we finally marched into our first World Series in 15 years...we played like a minor league team.
Embarrassing.
So here we go, counting off what losses hurt worse than this past World Series? I'd have to say first it would be the ose to the Dodgers in '88.
I hated the Dodgers back then (and I hate them now) but nothing would have made me happier than to beat those bums back in 88! I remember watching the series with Dad as a kid and seeing one of the Dodgers pitchers thrown out of the game for cheating. I was pissed.
I walked around my neighborhood telling every kid how dirty the Dodgers were and how they should be thrown out of baseball, much less the playoffs. (yep, that's how mad I was)
When we eventually ended up losing to them it was a gut punch that was hard to get over.
I still black out a little when I talk about this. But all the Mets had to do was win ONE GAME and we clinch the division. ONE GAME.
It looked easy enough, we were playing the last place Expos. This should be a slam dunk.
The Expos swept us and we were out the playoffs and headed to the off season before I realized what had happened.
Besides mass suicides, all the Met fans could do was cry.
I gave this away when I showed you the newspaper headline for 2008. Yep, we choked this year and we chocked bad. In fact, it's on record as the biggest collapse in MLB history. (leave it to the Mets to break all the wrong records)
I sat thru the final month of this season in horror as I watched (what seemed like) a different team take the mound for the last 3 weeks of the season. We couldn't do anything right. And on the last game of the season (where we incredibly STILL had a chance to clinch) Tom Glavine has the worst outing of his career and we lose by double digits.
Misery loves company and it's favorite visitor is the Mets.
This is where things start to get ugly.
Mets are losing to the Cardinals 3 games to 1. I walk into a Cardinals fan's office and make a $100 bet that the Mets are going to come back and win this thing.
I just had that gut feeling that I KNEW we wouldn't give up.
The Card fan didn't want to take me up on the offer because he thought it'd be taking my money. He was almost right.
The Mets fought back hard the last 3 games. So hard that we were on the cusp of winning with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th and Carlos Beltran (the best hitter in baseball at the time) at the plate.
There was no doubt in my mind we were going to win it either. We were destined for the World Series.
Then Beltran looked at 3 strikes go by and the game was over. LOOKED AT 3 STRIKES. Like he was unable to move or something.
I felt like a fan at Mudville, witnessing Casey at the bat. I was stunned, shocked. I sat there in my half cheering position on the couch just knowing we were going to win.
And it didn't happen.
Like someone changed the ending to Titanic and the boat didn't sink. I couldn't believe what I just saw. It's still one of the most shocking things in baseball I've ever seen.
But this next one takes the cake....
I hate Kenny Rogers. With the bases loaded and 1 out the Mets were in a tough spot against the Braves in the NLCS. We needed to get out of the inning and back at the bats. We had our top of the order up in the next inning so we had a chance to do some damage.
This was also the year we had the MLB record for least errors by a team. We were a defensive power machine, which meant a groundball would definitely end the inning. All F****** Kenny Rogers had to do was throw a strike.
He threw 4 straight balls and the Braves won the series with a walk.
I hate Kenny Rogers.
But the absolute darkest day for me as a Met fan was the 2000 World Series. We were the best team in baseball. Yet the Yankees, a team I hate more than Kenny Rogers....swept us in 4.
It was a complete embarrassment. After pissing away a win in Game 1 it didn't get any better and we continued to slide into despair.
Losing the World Series is one thing. It happened this year and it hurt. But nothing hurts worse, when it's the Yankees who win.
I go to a therapists weekly in hopes he can block this day from my mind forever.
I hate the Yankees.
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