Faith and Fear in Flushing: an Intense Personal History of the New York Mets by Greg W. Prince

Author:Greg W. Prince
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse
Published: 2011-01-24T00:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

DON’T BLAME SCIOSCIA

If I say “Terry Pendleton” to you, you know what to do. You throw something, quite possibly at me for even bringing his name up. When Terry Pendleton hit the home run that is universally identified as the death knell for the 1987 Mets, I threw a shoe. There is a wall in the house where I grew up that may very well still be Terry-fied.

I could bring up plenty of other discouraging episodes from the 1987 season, everything from Doc Gooden testing positive for cocaine on April Fool’s Day to Jesse Orosco surrendering an anvil of a homer to Luis Aguayo in Philadelphia almost exactly six months later. That was the least fun 92-win season I could imagine. I did so want 1987 to be the icing on ’86, to be the great comeback to top all great comebacks, to certify us as a dynasty. It wasn’t going to happen.

Didn’t make it any more pleasant to accept, but when there’s nothing left to believe, You Gotta Accept.

Likewise for 1988, the least loved playoff year in Mets history. The Mets, their 100 wins, their division title, and their return to something close to ’86 form have been swept under the carpet of Mike Scioscia’s imitation of Terry Pendleton. It was another top of the ninth inning, it was another 4-2 lead, it was another two-run bomb, it was another extra-inning loss, it was another prelude to ultimate defeat.

I accept that. What I don’t accept is Mike Scioscia’s assigned role in Mets history. Mike Scioscia (meaning Mike Scioscia’s home run, ’cause, quite frankly, who cares about the guy?) was a telling blow in the context of a 4-2 lead becoming a 4-4 tie, but he didn’t end it all for the Mets. Not in that game, not in that series, not in that era, not forever after.

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