Reese Kaplan -- When a Game Takes an Unforgettable Turn

One of the things that people relish about the game of baseball are particular plays or game performances or mishaps that burn themselves into your memory forever.

Who can ever forget, for example, the act of the volatile but original players Jimmy Piersall running around the bases backwards while a member of the New York Mets when he connected for his 100th home run off future Mets manager Dallas Green pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies?

Of course, while that one was purely a bit for the Bizarre Hall of Fame, how about when Tom Seaver fanned 19 San Diego Padres in a record tying effort for the 20th century. Not only did he have 9 strikeouts going into the 6th inning, but he accomplished something never repeated in baseball history when he whiffed the last ten San Diego hitters in a row who faced him to finish the game with 19 strikeouts done in a mind blowingly masterful way. Right after the ceremony of receiving his 1969 Cy Young Award, Seaver made this one game in 1970 even more unforgettable.

Going back the other way, how about the extra inning 1986 World Series Championship year there was a game in which manager Davey Johnson flip flopped pitchers as outfielders as he ran out of regular position players and needed the extra pitching arms available in the game while getting a rest from the wear and tear on their arms? Yes, indeed, Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco alternated between the pitching mound and the outfield depending on the hitting situation by the opposition while starting catcher Gary Carter wound up playing the infield. Yes, that was one of of a kind.

You can go on and on with various weirdnesses associated with the Mets. How about the Game 6 of that same year's 1986 World Series when it seemed as if the Mets' magical year was crashing to an end when they faced a two-out situation with Mookie Wilson at the plate who grounded what appeared to be a game and season ending ground ball to highly commendable fielder Bill Bucker at first base only to have it wind up going underneath his glove to the Bob Murphy incredulous, "It gets by Buckner" proclamation signifying the Mets' come-from-behind victory and necessitated a deciding Game 7 to follow.

Of course, no Mets history would be complete without the, ahem, temper of former minor league manager Wally Backman. Whole videos have been made profiling his less than family friendly explosions at umpires over their calls and decision making inabilities. Watch the attached video when the little ones are out of earshot.

Position switches are nothing new in baseball, but the Mets have done some that make you scratch your head to the point of bleeding. How about second baseman Juan Samuel as a center fielder? What about outfielder Todd Hundley? How about Kevin Mitchell as a shortstop? Then there were various position players in blowout games when wasting the bullpen was ill-advised that wound up taking over as relief pitchers (most recently the only positive contribution from Darin Ruf).

So think long and hard about the unexpected and unusual in your Mets fandom. What made you shake your head in disbelief? Yes, there were some great positives such as Johan Santana's first-ever Mets no-hitter, but I'm asking about the things that were even more stunning. Have at it.