Being just a little too young for 1969, my favorite season of them all was 1984. 1984? Not 86? Yes 1984.
All I knew of the Mets was a team that would finish 5th or 6th (always fighting the Cubs for sole possession of last). Our “MVP” Lee Mazzilli hit a massive .273 with 16HRs. He even walked in the All Star Game! One time Topps let Craig Swan share a baseball card with Ron Guidry!
Along comes 1984 and this young pitcher (left) looks amazing, and the guy they got for Mazzilli is pretty good, and Strawberry will hit 500 HRs and I didn’t realize it last year but the guy from the Neil Allen trade is really good.
It’s May and we’re still in it. June. July? August??
I remember the Mets got hosed on “Midget Mets.” It was as a promotion where for like two bucks you got tickets to a game. So they pawned off Mets-Cubs because that would be the 1984 equivalent of a “value” game. There was a rain-out and Midget Mets day became a weekend doubleheader battle for first place with the entire upper deck filled with kids parked in underpriced seats. I bet the Mets would have liked the beer money for that day.
Unfortunately for the 1984 Mets the Cubs decided to be good that year, and the Mets finished six back.
Sweep those Cubbies boys!
