Do you remember where you were on this date 24 years ago ? The date was October 14th 1986. Reagan was President, Genesis just topped the charts with the album ” Invisible Touch“ Metallica was regrouping after the tragic death of bassist Cliff Burton and the game that many people consider the second best NLCS game ever was played on the hallowed grass of Shea Stadium. That’s right today marks the 24th anniversary of game five of the 1986 NLCS !
I remember being a 14 year old kid visiting my mother in Brooklyn for the weekend when the events of this game unfolded. You might remember that the original game 5 was postponed due to rain, so the pitchers duel between Dwight Gooden and ex-Met Nolan Ryan – a match up that many heralded as one of the most anticpated match-up of fireballers in quite some time.
This was your classic pitchers duel. Gooden allowed only one run in ten innings of work while Ryan also allowed a single run in nine innings while striking out twelve !
The Astros took a 1–0 lead in the fifth when catcher Alan Ashby scored on second baseman, Bill Doran’s ground-out. But our Mets - a team that was known for their come from behind heroics came right back and tied it in the bottom half when Darryl Strawberry took Ryan deep for the Mets’ first hit of the game and his second homer of the series.
The game stayed tied until the twelfth when second baseman ( and future Mets manager?) Wally Backman reached on a infield single off reliever Charlie Kerfeld. Backman would advance to second on a errant throw took second on on a pick-off attempt, Houston manager Hal Lanier then intentionally walked Keith Hernandez to pitch to Gary Carter, who rifled a single to center-field, which gave the Mets the win and a one-game lead as the series shifted back to Houston. I remember hearing the crowd at Shea Stadium crown of 57,000 strong roar when Wally scored the winning run , and I though to myself ” Hell – this is a team of destiny !!”
Damn I wish it was ’86 all over again.
” A picture is worth a thousand Words!”
And with that said …. HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!
Celebrating Birthdays today are :
One of the folk heroes of the ’69 World Championship Mets , right-fielder,Art Shamsky is 69 (1941) .
Spot starter/ middle reliever from the ’72 team,Brent Strom is 62(1948) .
Ryan Church, the man who will always be remembered for missing third base against the Los Angeles Dodgers in ’09 is 32 (1978).
Our set-up man ( until he had the yen for ” Dominican food”), Duaner Sanchez is 31 (1979) .
New York Mets purchased the contract of pitcher, Jack Hamilton from the Detroit Tigers on October 14, 1965.
San Diego Padres drafted reliever, Dick Selma from the Mets on October 14, 1968.
San Diego Padres drafted outfielder, Jerry Morales from the Mets on October 14, 1968. A past his prime Morales would end his career with the Mets in 1980.
And Mo Vaughn has bought a desert island in the Caribbean. He intends on renaming it Movania !!!
15 comments
stickguy
10/14/2010-7:29pm at 7:29 pm (UTC -4)
I’m too old and addle brained at this point to remember the details of which game is which, but I do remember the panic in that series about having to win (game 6, right?) to avoid Mike scott in an elimination game, since for sure the fans, if not the team, had already conceded facing him!
Mr North Jersey
10/14/2010-8:01pm at 8:01 pm (UTC -4)
Hey Rusty lemme ask u do u kno how 2 schedule posts? i notice that i never see a post of yours scheduled. it is like u get up and write it up and post it round 5:00 am in the morn sometimes.
rustyjr
10/14/2010-8:06pm at 8:06 pm (UTC -4)
Tts because I do lol
Mr North Jersey
10/14/2010-8:44pm at 8:44 pm (UTC -4)
so u dont kno how 2 schedule a post?
rustyjr
10/14/2010-8:55pm at 8:55 pm (UTC -4)
Yes I do – but I’m more of a off the cuff kind of writer it just flows out of me ya know ? I wake up first thing in the morning and the idea for my column comes to mr
metsfan4decades
10/14/2010-9:04pm at 9:04 pm (UTC -4)
I remember watching this game – albeit a bit older than 14…..and elated when it was over. Thinking to myself, ‘well that’s one for the ages’. That sitting on the edge of your seat into extra innings was nerve racking.
Little did I know the very next game – game 6 with Houston – was going to be even more nerve racking. Stick is right – we absolutely had to win Game 6 because even the Met players knew they couldn’t touch Scott if it went to a game 7.
rustyjr
10/14/2010-9:13pm at 9:13 pm (UTC -4)
I hate Kevin Bass because of game 6 lol
GravediggerHebner
10/14/2010-11:09pm at 11:09 pm (UTC -4)
I’m going to uncharacteristically unleash a blazing strong opinion and say that “Invisible Touch” was not Genesis’ best work. There I said it. Deal with it Genesis fans.
My memories of the ’86 NLCS are pretty sketchy, maybe related to the fact that I had turned 21 about a month prior and was reveling in excessive alcohol and drug use, except of course for game 6 and that’s due in part to it’s epic-ness and in part to the fact that I have a DVD of it and have watched it since then. Pretty sure I haven’t seen game 5 since game 5 but I can guarantee I wasn’t sober during it.
metsfan4decades
10/15/2010-7:36am at 7:36 am (UTC -4)
You Sir, have a way with words.
I’d pay to read something by you if you’re ever published.
(or are you already and I just don’t know it?)
rustyjr
10/15/2010-8:15am at 8:15 am (UTC -4)
Are you asking me or that hack gravedigger ?
GravediggerHebner
10/15/2010-10:43am at 10:43 am (UTC -4)
When Rusty Jr. calls you a hack you know you’ve made it.
MF4D I have never been published, but some highlights include a high school term paper on Cyril & Methodius, the Saints of the Slavs, on the back cover of which I wrote fake book reviews including one I attributed to Rex Reed which said “Only the Good Book itself outshines this religious masterpiece.” The priest who taught the class gave me an A++.
Also the story of my prom which I told to a friend who then wrote it for a college exposition class and received an A.
rustyjr
10/15/2010-10:50am at 10:50 am (UTC -4)
I used to write for my college paper
You know i have much love for you grave lol
GravediggerHebner
10/15/2010-10:56am at 10:56 am (UTC -4)
Right back atcha bro. Ya wanna make out?
Prismo
10/15/2010-11:00am at 11:00 am (UTC -4)
Jeez. Get a room you two.
njstuckintx
10/15/2010-11:11am at 11:11 am (UTC -4)
You might have actually been on the Mets and not have known it, blending in like a someone who blends in well.