Reversal of Misfortune...A Mets Dynasty

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Mets go 12-17 in August, stamped by dropping 5 of their last 6, and find themselves in big trouble.



New York is now in third place in NL East, five back of Pittsburgh.



Any hopes of a miracle will hinge on how Amazins do against the Pirates in September. They will meet five times, inclding three this week in Iron City.

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Have to be honest, with about two weeks to go in the '82 season, I was preparing to pen a post sharing my disappointment. Instead, I'm here to report what an epic surge and simultaneous collapse has put the Mets on the threshold of the playoffs.

They will host the Cardinals in a one-game playoff for the NL East title and the opportunity to face the Cincinnati Reds for the pennant.

But, the story is how we got to this point.

Things looked bleak. On September 16th, the Mets dropped their second straight to Montreal to fall six games back of the first-place Pirates.


Yet, they seized an opportunity to grab a glimmer of hope. Hosting the second-place Cardinals in a weekend set, the Mets won the opener, 3-2, in 15 and, the next night, Kirk Gibson delivered a walkoff two-run homer in the 12th to stamp a 4-2 triumph. We dropped the finale but picked up a game in the standings.


We sweep a two-game set with Montreal to get back to .500 and creep within three games heading into Chicago to face the lowly Cubs. Tragedy! We lose both games at Wrigley and come back to Shea for three with the Phillies, who drop us in Game 1 on the 24th. The loss sinks us three games under and five back.


Over, right? Wrong.

New York runs off a string of nine straight wins, including a pair against the Pirates. The tear ends in the most dramatic fashion as the Mets win three straight in Philly to close out the regular season and all three victories are decided by a run, including two in extra innings.


On the final day of the regular season, the perfect storm hits. The Mets are a game back of the Pirates and Cards, who are deadlocked at 84-77.

The Mets score five in the seventh and hold off the Phillies, 8-7. We did our part. The Expos blank the Pirates, 3-0, completing the Bucs immense collapse and the Cubs, who finish at 54-108, deliver the necessary miracle, clipping St. Louis, 5-3.

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Noted in the final regular-season standings that there was no x next to Pittsburgh and that's because the Mets will host the Cardinals for the right to play the Pirates in the actual play-in game.

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We have won our share of World Series within this dynasty but this '82 team is starting to sneak it's way into the conversation of best installments of the club through the course of this journey.

Mets hosted St. Louis in the first play-in game, winner moving on to face the Pirates for the NL East crown. We are at Shea and over 50,000 cram in to create an electric atmosphere.

The only one not feeling the buzz was Dave Stewart. In fact, Stew was a buzzkill, tagged for two runs in the top of the first and four more in the third to bury the Mets in a 6-0 hole.

However, this crew's resiliency resurfaced once more. Dale Murphy drops a routine fly ball in center, two runs score. Robin Yount singles up the middle, Kirk Gibson dashes home and Mets score three in bottom of third to cut deficit in half.

The Bulldog, Orel Hershiser, comes out of the pen, keeps the Cards at bay with 3 1/3 shutout innings and buys our bats more time to counter. Yount ropes an RBI double, George Brett lifts a sac fly and another costly St. Louis errors opens the door for the tying run to score. Mets hang a three-spot in the fifth and we're all even at six.

In the seventh, our free-agent acquisition, Steve Garvey, delivers the knockout blow, launching a majestic three-run homer to left with two outs in the seventh and we grab a 9-6 lead.

Biggest key to unlocking the comeback? Maybe, going to catch-up mode at the plate. Down six, we took until we got a strike and it seemed to unnerve Bob Stoddard, who got clipped for the six runs (two earned) but was also the victim of shoddy defense.

Mike Scott worked out of a jam in the seventh and emerged unscathed and Lee Smith fired the final two frames impeccably to punctuate the dub.

The reward? We get the Pirates - at home - today.

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Winning 10 straight is coming at a cost. The fatigue has set in on our group as we prep to play for our playoff lives.

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The miracle march by the Mets ended in heartbreaking form, as the Pirates prevailed, 6-3, in 11 innings to win the NL East and move on to face the Reds for the '82 pennant.

Once again, the Mets clawed back from a hole but not before grabbing a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Pittsburgh responded with one in the second and two in the fourth on a great hunch by manager, who sent up pinch-hitter Orlando Gonzalez to replace SS Tim Foli, who had doubled in a run in his first at bat. Gonzalez did him one better, launching a two-run double over Kirk Gibson's head in center to give the Buccos a 3-1 advantage.

We got two back in the sixth on a RBI double from Jim Rice and Joe Carter's run-scoring single, evening the contest at 3-3.

In the 11th, Orel Hershiser simply ran out of gas. With two outs and the bases loaded, Tack Wilson - who the Pirates were shopping around hard at the trade deadline - proved his value with a bases-clearing double into the left field corner.

Game - and season - over. It was fun while it lasted.

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Texas swept the Yankees in the ALCS while the Reds wiped out the Pirates in 4.

Rangers win 5-4 over Reds in Game 7 to claim 1982 World Series.

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Perhaps in the spirit - and inspired - by last night's Juan Soto news, the 1982 Mets have begun their preparation for the '83 season by locking up a future Hall of Famer long term.

SS Robin Yount agreed to a nine-year deal worth $33.6 million. He's coming off his best season with the Mets and is steering into his prime seasons with an upward trajectory.

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Joe Carter was named NL Rookie of the Year.

Robin Yount and Jim Rice pick up Silver Sluggers.

Yount finishes second to Atlanta's Eddie Murray for NL MVP.

Final stats for 1982

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Mets go heavy on pitching in '82 MLB Draft, selecting RHP Doug Drabek in the first round, LHP Dan Plesac in Round 2 and RHP Lance McCullers in the third round.

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Mets re-sign free agents Gary Carter, Steve Garvey and Dennis Martinez.

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Wilbur Wood, an absolute lynchpin during our dynasty, received the ultimate homage, being selected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The dude was a horse for us and his numbers only cement that...

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Here are your 1983 New York Mets...

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Mets tread water in April and record cements that case...


Yount, Brett and Carter off to solid starts with the bat but, overall, team offense struggling...


Ryan pacing the staff...

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Mets close out May on a 12-2 tear to keep pace in a hotly-contested NL East.

George Brett putting together an MVP campaign to lead our bat work.

And, Nolan Ryan continues to pace our staff.


One notable stat not on here. Lee Smith has blown six saves before June.

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Mets were simply keeping their head above water in mid-August, failing to seize opportunities against the Expos in head to matchups and paying the consequences.

We were 3 1/2 back on Aug. 13


Then we go on a tear, including seven straight wins to end the month.


At the same point, Montreal goes 6-11 during same stretch and ends August dropping four straight.


Thus, we head into September with the standings looking like this.


We have six more games with the Expos; three in Montreal before ending the season with three at Shea.

Buckle up.

On a different note, George Brett is putting together an MVP season.


And, with that, Seasons Greetings to all!

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The 1983 New York Mets claimed their 12th NL East title, pulling away from the Montreal Expos en route to the post season.



While Mets deserve credit for winning the division, it came at the expense of an awful collapse by the Expos, who, as late as Aug. 16 were a robust 22 games over .500.



Quite the season for George Brett, who topped the NL in HRs and RBIs while finishing fourth in batting average.


Up next, the Mets head to Cincinnati to tangle with the Reds for the NLCS.

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Mets overcame a hand injury to starter Storm Davis that forced him to leave the contest with two outs in the bottom of the sixth by fashioning a three-run outburst in the seventh to score a 5-2 win over the Reds in Game 1 of the 1983 NLCS at Riverfront Stadium.

Davis was cruising, conceding a solo homer to Davey Lopes in the fifth that countered a solo blast from the Mets' Steve Garvey and evened the game at 1-1. However, a blister on his finger forced an early exit.

Mets overcame a 2-1 deficit by striking for three runs in the eighth to snap a 2-2 deadlock. George Brett broke the tie with a run-scoring double into the right-field corner. Following an intentional walk to Jim Rice that loaded the bases, Gary Carter and Garvey ensued with consecutive RBI singles.

The uprising was aided by a dropped flyball by Reds' right fielder Tim Raines.

Juan Samuel drew the Mets level at 2-2 with an RBI double off Reds' startrer Bob Welch in the seventh.

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Titanic blasts by Jim Rice and Gary Carter, coupled with a gritty effort by Nolan Ryan, paced the Mets to a 3-1 victory over Cincinnati and a 2-0 series lead in the NLCS heading back to Shea Stadium.

Rice delivered the early spark with a two-run homer to left in the top of the first and Carter tacked on a solo blast that landed in the same vicinity in fourth for a 3-1 cushion.

Ryan was erratic early but wiggled his way out of trouble on multiple occasions. Despite yielding three walks and a double in the bottom of the first, Ryan escaped unscathed. Carter lent some support throwing out Mookie Wilson attempting to steal second. Dan Driessen walked but Ryan picked him off first and after Rance Mulliniks drew a free pass on the heels of a double from Tim Raines, Ryan rallied to fan Disco Dan Ford to extinguish the fire.

Davey Lopes tagged Ryan for a leadoff single in the second only to get picked off first and erased in a rundown. He finished his outing by retiring the final seven batters he faced before exiting to begin the eighth.

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Jim Rice delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to stamp the Mets' dramatic 4-3 victory over the Reds which completed the three-game sweep en route to the National League pennant.

The win marks the Mets' 10th pennant and punched their ticket to the World Series, where they will seek their seventh crown against the California Angels, who scored seven times over final two innings to eliminate the Yankees, 11-10, in Game 3 of the ALCS.

Mets held a 3-0 lead before starter Mike Scott got tagged for three runs in the sixth as the Reds drew even. Big ups to Dennis Martinez, Tom Browning and winning pitcher Steve Crawford, who combined for 3 1/13 scoreless innings of relief to put the Amazins in position to win in the bottom of the ninth.

Pinch-hitter Hubie Brooks led off the frame with a walk in front of consecutive singles by Robin Yount and George Brett to load the bases for Rice, who launched a deep fly to right that plated the winning run.