October 10th: In 1973, the Mets were a surprise World Series contender when they faced off with the Cincinnati Reds. The Big Red Machine was looking to dominate the Mets, but the comeback kids from Queens had other ideas in mind.
On this date, Tom Seaver closed out the series with a 7-2 win. The Franchise gave up only one earned run through 8.1 Innings while striking out four en route to their second National League Championship in four years.
October 11th: The Washington Senators traded their manager, Gil Hodges, to the New York Mets in 1967. From 1968 to 1971, he guided the Mets to a .523 winning pct and a World Series championship in 1969. He was a beloved figure in the history of the organization.
Even after 50 years of history, Hodges ranks third in wins with 339 (behind Davey Johnson and Bobby Valentine). He is considered the greatest coach in Mets history and they acquired him for a player to be named later (Bill Denehy). The trade was completed on November 27th, 1967 but it started with the initial acquisition on this date.
October 11th: In addition to the Gil Hodges trade, the Mets also had a big hit to remember on this date. In 1986, Lenny Dykstra walked into the batter's box against the Houston Astros in the
bottom of the ninth inning.
With his team down 5-4 in an NLCS tied at one game each. The Mets took the lead in the series with one swing. Dykstra launched a two-run homer to right field for a walk-off win for the eventual champs.
October 15th: The Mets defeat the Houston Astros in 1986. This game lasted 16 innings for the longest post-season game in baseball history. The Mets clinched the NLCS and their ticket to the World Series on the strength of a 7-6 win that was capped off by a three run 16th inning.
In what many fans remember as the greatest playoff game ever, this marathon of wills lasted 4 hours and 42 minutes. This win lifted them to an inevitable meeting with the Boston Red Sox, but more on that next week.
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