11 Weeks until Opening Day.
I’ve been going to Mets Opening Day for as long as I can remember, but the earliest distinct memory of a particular game I have is 1993. This was a big deal at the time because it was the very first game the new expansion team the Colorado Rockies would ever play. They were selling shirts printed “I Was There” with the Mets and Rockies logos. (We didn’t buy one).
Dwight Gooden started that game, and pitched a complete game shutout, allowing four hits and a walk, striking out 4, in the 3-0 win over Colorado. Bobby Bonilla went 1-5 and hit a solo homerun.
Tickets in Section 29 of the Mezzanine, out in Right Field, cost my dad and me $12.00 a piece. Of course, that was in 1993 dollars. To put things into perspective, the Mets payroll in 1993 was $38Million, led by Bobby Bonilla ($6.2MM) and Dwight Gooden ($5.9MM). The Mets hadn’t made any moves of note between the 1992 season (The Worst Team Money Could Buy), but we headed into the 1993 season believing that this talented roster led by Jeff Torborg, even without David Cone, couldn’t possibly play as badly in 1993 as they had in 1992.
Torborg did not last the season, ushering in the Dallas Green era, and the 1993 Mets would go on to lose 103 games.
But for right now, check out these ticket stubs. A lot of things have changed since 1993, but you can still call 718-507-RAIN to find out about postponement information.
I was at that game. I was in the Upper Reserved, on the third base side. I took a photo of the first pitch and what intrigues me most about that photo is the number of people who were outside the ballpark, on their way to the game. I would think everybody who was going to the game would make it their business to be there by first pitch – how many chances do you get to be able to attend a new MLB club’s very first game?
Gary, send us that picture! mike[at]transplantedmetsfan.com