NEW YORK, NY – There is magic in Queens, and while it’s a bit too early to compare this year’s New York Mets to the legendary 1986 team, two members of that squad see a little bit of themselves when they watch the television.
Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry are the honorees for Wednesday night’s ceremonial first pitch, and their names are forever etched in Mets lore.
The organization cemented their legacies forever by retiring both of their numbers last year, as they were the two superstars who helped the Mets win their second title 38 years ago – it’s their most recent one. But not if this club has anything to say about it.
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Former New York Mets star Darryl Strawberry
Gooden was asked what he sees this year as compared to 1986, and he kept it simple.
“I think the lineup is very deep, our lineup was very deep, that anybody can hurt you. There’s no one guy you can pitch around or feel comfortable with,” he said.
But Strawberry sees one key similarity with how both squads are never out of it until the final out.
“I think these guys are really believing in themselves, which is good. They had a late run at the end of the season to get to this place, [Francisco] Lindor has come up with some big hits for them in crucial situations,” Strawberry said. “That’s what it takes.”
The Mets began the season 0-5, then were as bad as 22-33. But from that mark on, they owned the best record in baseball, and their come-from-behind wins over the last couple of weeks have been nothing short of miraculous.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor celebrates with teammates after hitting a grand slam against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning in Game 4 of the NLDS on Oct. 9. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
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Even Pete Alonso accomplished, quite literally, an MLB first. In Game 3 of the wild-card series, Alonso’s three-run home run while trailing 2-0 in the top of the ninth was the first in MLB history by a player when his team was trailing in the 9th inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game, according to OPTA Stats.
“Pete, with his big home run in Milwaukee, was a real turning point for them as a group. It takes all these guys to perform, they all did. That’s what it takes to be a good team to win a championship. These guys are good in these situations …” Strawberry added. “They just do the little things just like we did. You don’t have to really pound on one particular guy to do it all the time. We play today, we win today, whoever wants to do it, do it. That’s what baseball is all about. … They’ve done a great job taking advantage of those situations like we did.”
Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry attend the 1986 Mets 30th anniversary reunion celebration at Citi Field, May 28, 2016, in New York City. (Adrian Edwards/WireImage)
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Strawberry obviously knows that from experience: His 1986 Mets were down 3-0 in the bottom of the ninth in Game 6 of that World Series before their incredible rally. Even the next night, they trailed 3-0 again but fought back to win the Fall Classic.
The Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers meet up in Citi Field for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series later Wednesday with the series tied at one.
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