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{{Redirect|Mets|the medical term|Metastasis}}
The '''New York Mets''' are a [[Major League Baseball]] team based in [[Flushing, Queens|Flushing]] in the [[New York City]] [[Borough (New York City)|borough]] of [[Queens]].
The Mets play in the [[National League East|East Division]] of the [[National League]]. They are one of two major league franchises in the City of New York, the other being the [[New York Yankees]]. The Mets have won two World Series Championships in their 46-year history, the first in [[1969 World Series|1969]] and the second in [[1986 World Series|1986]]. oh no no no no no no!!!!!
== Franchise history ==
In 1957, the [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Brooklyn Dodgers]] and [[San Francisco Giants|New York Giants]] abandoned New York for [[California]], leaving the largest city in the [[United States]] without a National League franchise. Two years later, on [[July 27]], [[1959]], attorney [[William Shea]] announced the formation of a third major baseball league, the [[Continental League]]. He tried to get several existing clubs to move, but no National League club was interested.
One of the CL's five charter members was a team in New York City. [[Joan Whitney Payson]] and her husband [[Charles Shipman Payson]], former minority owners of the Giants, as the principal owners, along with [[George Herbert Walker, Jr.]] (uncle of President [[George H. W. Bush]]), who served as vice president and treasurer until 1977.<ref name="WashPostTV">{{cite web
|url=http://www.tarpley.net/bush1.htm
|author=[[Webster G. Tarpley]]
|coauthor=Anton Chaitkin
|title=George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography
|publisher=[[Progressive Press]]
|accessdate=2006-06-17
|date=2004 - reprint of 1992 book}}</ref>
Former Giants director [[M. Donald Grant]] became chairman of the board. Grant and Joan Payson had been the only members of the Giants board to oppose the team's move west.
The existing leagues, who had considerably more autonomy at the time, responded with plans to add four new teams, two in each league. One of the new National League teams was to be in New York. The NL offered this new franchise to the CL's New York group, provided that they commit to building a new park. Shea told [[Mayor of New York City|New York Mayor]] [[Robert Wagner, Jr.]] that he had to personally cable every National League owner and guarantee that the city would build a new facility.
The new team required a new name and many were suggested. Among the finalists were "Bees," "Burros," "Continentals," "Skyscrapers," "Jets," as well as the eventual runner-up, "Skyliners." Although Payson had admitted a preference for "Meadowlarks," the owners ultimately selected '''"Mets"''' because it was closely related to the club's already-existing corporate name "New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, Inc.", it hearkened back to [[New York Metropolitans|"Metropolitans"]], a historically significant name used by an earlier New York team in the [[American Association (19th century)|American Association]] from 1880 to 1887, and because its brevity would naturally fit in newspaper headlines. The name was received with broad approval among fans and press.
From the first, the Mets sought to appeal to the large contingent of former Giants and Dodgers fans. The Mets' team colors reflect this--orange for the Giants, blue for the Dodgers, although not precisely the same shade of those colors as used by the two former residents.
===
In October, 1961, the [[National League]] held an [[expansion draft]] to stock the rosters of the Mets and the [[Houston Astros|Houston Colt .45s]] with players from other clubs. 22 players were selected by the Mets, including some with notable previous success such as [[Roger Craig (baseball)|Roger Craig]], [[Al Jackson (baseball)|Al Jackson]], [[Frank Thomas (NL baseball player)|Frank Thomas]] and [[Richie Ashburn]]. But rather than select talented young players with future potential, Mets management preferred to sign faded stars of the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees to appeal to fans' nostalgia. Legendary Yankees manager [[Casey Stengel]] was hired out of retirement to lead the team, but his managerial acumen wasn't enough to overcome the severe deficiency of talent among the players.
The Mets began their on-field play in 1962, losing their first nine games en route to a 40-120 record. Their .250 winning percentage was the [[List of worst MLB season records|third worst by any major league team]] since the beginning of the 20th Century, and the fourth-worst in baseball history. Throughout major league history only the 1899 [[Cleveland Spiders]] (20-134) lost more games in a single season than the 1962 Mets. It wasn't until 2003 that the record would be threatened by the [[Detroit Tigers]], who finished the season at 43-119. The ineptness of the Mets during their first year is chronicled in colorful fashion in the 1963 book ''[[Can't Anybody Here Play This Game?]],'' written by New York columnist [[Jimmy Breslin]].
Beloved by New York fans despite their losing ways — or perhaps because of them — the Mets of the early 1960s became famous for their ineptitude. Journeyman players like the ironically nicknamed [[Marv Throneberry|"Marvelous Marv" Throneberry]] became icons of athletic incompetence. Ex-Dodger and Giant pitcher [[Billy Loes]], who was selected by the Mets in the 1961 expansion draft, was credited with this ungrammatical quotation: "The Mets is a good thing. They give everybody jobs. Just like the [[Works Progress Administration|WPA]]." Even the Mets proved to have standards, however. In 1962, [[Cleveland Indians]] [[catcher]] [[Harry Chiti]] was purchased by the Mets for a [[player to be named later]] in the season. That "player to be named later" ended up being Harry Chiti. Chiti was the first player ever to be sent back to his original team in a trade in Major League history.
The 1963 Mets featured a pitcher, Carlton Willey, who was having a great
year, pitching four shut-outs, when he incurred an injury and finished with a 9-14 won-loss record.
In 1964, the Mets, who played their first two seasons in the old [[Polo Grounds]], the former home of the Giants, moved to the newly constructed [[Shea Stadium]], a 55,300-seat multipurpose facility built in the [[Flushing, Queens|Flushing]] neighborhood of the [[Borough (New York City)|Borough]] of [[Queens]], adjacent to the site of the [[1939 New York World's Fair|1939]] and [[1964 New York World's Fair]]s. One high point of Shea Stadium's first season came on [[Father's Day]], when [[Philadelphia Phillies]] pitcher [[Jim Bunning]] threw a perfect game against the Mets, the first in the National League since 1880. For perhaps the only time in the stadium's history, the Shea faithful found themselves rooting for the visitors, caught up in the rare achievement, and roaring for Bunning on every pitch in the ninth inning. His strikeout of John Stephenson capped the performance. Another high point was Shea Stadium's hosting of the 1964 [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]]. Unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight in the final hectic weekend of the 1964 season, the Mets relished the role of spoiler, beating the Cardinals in St. Louis on Friday and Saturday (keeping alive the hopes of the Phillies, Giants, and Reds) before succumbing to the National League champions on Sunday.
The Mets' image as lovable losers was wearing a little thin as the decade progressed, but things began to change slowly in the late '60s. The Mets acquired top pitching prospect [[Tom Seaver]] in a lottery and he became the league's [[MLB Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] in 1967. Even though the Mets remained in last place, Tom Seaver was a sign of good fortune to come. He was originally signed by the Atlanta Braves in February 1966 out of the University of Southern California, but his contract was voided by Commissioner [[William D. Eckert]] on the basis that the USC season had already started when Seaver signed. In order to resolve this issue, the Mets, Indians, and Phillies were all placed in a hat since they were the only teams willing to match the Braves offer, and the Mets were fortunate enough to win the drawing. In addition to Seaver, two other young players were catcher [[Jerry Grote]] and shortstop [[Bud Harrelson]]. This trio of youth formed a new, determined clubhouse nucleus that had no interest in losing, lovably or otherwise. By the 1968 season, [[Wes Westrum]] would be replaced as manager by [[Gil Hodges]]. Pitcher [[Jerry Koosman]] joined the staff and had a spectacular rookie season in 1968, winning 19 games. Left fielder [[Cleon Jones]] developed as a batter and exciting center fielder [[Tommie Agee]] came over in a trade. But although much improved, the 1968 team still finished the season in 9th place.
=== 1969: The "Amazin' Mets"===
The Mets played a major role in the National League's move to divisional play for [[1969 in baseball|1969]]. Faced with the prospect of losing lucrative home dates with the Dodgers and Giants, they threatened to scuttle the whole plan unless they were compensated with more dates against the Cardinals, the reigning power in the league at the time. The Cubs then demanded to be placed in the newly formed National League East as well in order to continue their historic rivalry with the Cardinals. The result was that the Braves and Reds--in defiance of all geographic reality--were placed in the National League West.
The Mets began the 1969 season in a mediocre way; an opening day loss of 11-10 to the expansion Expos was followed by a record of 21-23 through the end of May. By mid-August, the favored [[Chicago Cubs]] seemed safely on their way to winning the first ever National League East Division title (and their first postseason appearance of any kind since [[1945 World Series|1945]]). The Mets sat in third place, ten games behind. But Chicago went 8-17 in September, while the Mets, with outstanding pitching from their young staff, piled up victory after victory, winning 38 of their last 49 games. They took first place for good on [[September 9]], and finished in first place with a 100-62 record for the season, their first winning year ever, a full eight games over the Cubs. The Mets finished with a team ERA of 2.99, and a league leading 28 shutouts thrown. Tom Seaver led the way with a 25-7 record, with lefty [[Jerry Koosman]] behind him at 17-9 record, while [[Cleon Jones]] finished with a .340 batting average. Seaver's best game occurred on July 9, at Shea Stadium, where he came within two outs of a perfect game, but gave up a one-out, ninth-inning single to the Cubs' [[Jimmy Qualls]] for the only hit in the Mets' 4-0 victory.
The "Amazin' Mets" or "Miracle Mets," as they became known by the press, went on to win a three-game sweep of the strong [[Atlanta Braves]], led by legend [[Hank Aaron|Henry "Hank" Aaron]], in the very first [[National League Championship Series]]. The Mets were still considered underdogs in this series despite the fact that they had a better record than the Braves.
The Mets were given very little chance in the [[1969 World Series]], facing a powerful [[Baltimore Orioles]] team that had gone 109-53 in the regular season and included future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Famers]] [[Frank Robinson]], [[Brooks Robinson]], and [[Jim Palmer]] as well as future Mets manager [[Davey Johnson]], who ironically would make the final out of the Series. Before the series began, pundits predicted Tom Seaver might win the opening game, but that the Mets would have trouble winning again in the World Series. As it turned out, just the opposite occurred; Seaver was roughed up, allowing four runs in the opener, which he lost -- but the Mets' pitching shut down the Orioles after that, holding them to just five runs over the next four games, to win the World Series 4 games to 1. Seaver got his revenge in game four, pitching all 10 innings of a 2-1 victory.
This rags-to-riches story is regarded as one of baseball history's great turnarounds, giving hope to underdogs, also-rans and lost causes everywhere. Soon after the season ended, Tom Seaver lent his name to a commercial saying "If the Mets can win the World Series, America can get out of Vietnam."<ref name="VillageBan">{{cite web
|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0316,jockbeat,43414,3.html
|last=deMause
|first=Neil
|title=Jock Beat - More People the Hall of Fame Should Ban
|publisher=[[The Village Voice]]
|accessdate=2006-06-17
|date=[[April 16]]-[[2003-04-22]]}}</ref>
===1970-1979: "You Gotta Believe!" and the Midnight Massacre===
The Miracle Mets magic wore off as the 1970s began. In subsequent years, Mets pitchers generally excelled but received lackluster support from the hitters with mediocre finishes the result. Efforts to improve the offense backfired with blunders such as trading [[Amos Otis]] for troubled infielder [[Joe Foy]] after the 1969 season as well as young pitcher [[Nolan Ryan]] for infielder [[Jim Fregosi]] after the 1971 season. Once out of the glaring New York spotlight, Ryan became one of the best pitchers in history, spending 22 more years in the majors and entering the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1999. Fregosi battled injuries and played just 146 games for the Mets over a season and a half. Meanwhile Otis became a star with the [[Kansas City Royals]] while Foy lasted only one season in New York.
The team was thrown into confusion and shock prior to the 1972 season, when Manager [[Gil Hodges]], who had led the team to the World Series victory in 1969, suffered a sudden heart attack at the end of spring training and died. Coach [[Yogi Berra]] succeeded Hodges.
Berra's Mets found themselves in last place with a 61-71 record at the end of August, 1973 but they recovered behind relief pitcher [[Tug McGraw]] and his '''"Ya gotta believe!"''' rallying cry (the team has since [[trademark]]ed the phrase), winning 21 of their last 29 games. Berra also coined his most famous [[Yogiism]] that year: '''"It ain't over till it's over!"''' In a peculiar circumstance, their final record of only 82-79 was good enough to win the division while five better teams in the Majors missed the postseason. Despite the worst winning percentage ever by a division winner (until the 2005 [[San Diego Padres]]), the Mets then shocked the heavily-favored [[Cincinnati Reds]] "[[The Big Red Machine|Big Red Machine]]" in the [[National League Championship Series|NLCS]]. Their record remains the worst of any pennant-winning team but they managed to push the A.L. champion [[Oakland Athletics]] to a seventh game. Their near-miracle season ended with a loss to [[Ken Holtzman]] in the final contest.
As the 1975 season ended, owner Joan Payson died. Her husband Charles delegated ownership authority to his daughters, who in turn left the baseball side to Grant. Payson had been the driving force behind the Mets, but her survivors did not share her enthusiasm for investing in the future of the team. Contract disputes with star pitcher [[Tom Seaver]] and slugger [[Dave Kingman]] erupted in 1977. Both players were traded on [[June 15]], the trading deadline, in what New York [[tabloid]]s dubbed "The Midnight Massacre". The Mets received six players in the two deals, but none had any lasting impact. Attendance fell, to the point where Shea Stadium was nicknamed "[[General Grant National Memorial|Grant's Tomb]]". Coincidentally, the Yankees began their resurgence at roughly the same time, further eroding the Mets' fan base.
The team finished in last place yet again in {{by|1978}}. By this time, it was obvious that Grant had mismanaged the team. Charles Payson himself fired Grant at the end of the season. The Mets continued to struggle, and did not become a competitive team again until the mid-1980s, marking the first time that both teams were competitive, both on the field and at the box office.
=== 1980-1985: Cashen rebuilds ===
In January, 1980 the Payson heirs sold the Mets franchise to the [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] publishing company for $21.1 million. [[Nelson Doubleday, Jr.]] was named chairman of the board while minority shareholder [[Fred Wilpon]] took the role of club president. Wilpon quickly hired longtime [[Baltimore Orioles]] executive [[Frank Cashen]] as general manager to begin the process of rebuilding the Mets.
Cashen's positive impact on the organization took some time to be felt at the major league level. He began by selecting slugging high school phenomenon [[Darryl Strawberry]] as the number one overall pick in the 1980 amateur draft. Two years later, hard-throwing hurler [[Dwight Gooden]] was taken as the fifth overall selection in the 1982 draft. The pair rose quickly through the minors, winning successive [[MLB Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] awards (Strawberry in 1983, Gooden in 1984). Cashen's mid-season 1983 trade for former [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] [[Keith Hernandez]] helped spark the Mets' return to competitive contention. In 1984, new manager [[Davey Johnson]] was promoted from the helm of the AAA [[Tidewater Tides]] and led the Mets to a 90-72 record, their first winning season since 1976. In 1985 the Mets acquired all-star catcher [[Gary Carter]] from the [[Montreal Expos]] and won 98 games, but lost the division title to the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] in the final days of the season in a memorable series. (The Mets began the series three games behind St. Louis and won the first two, but faltered in the third game, allowing St. Louis to remain in first place).
=== 1986-1991: World Series champions again===
{{main|1986 New York Mets season|1986 National League Championship Series|1986 World Series}}
Unlike the league champion Mets of 1969 or 1973, the 1986 Mets broke away from the rest of the division early and dominated throughout the year. They won 20 of their first 24 games, clinched the East Division title on September 17, and finished the year 108-54, which tied with the 1975 [[Cincinnati Reds]] for the third most wins in National League history, behind the 1906 [[Chicago Cubs]] (116) and the 1909 [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] (110). The relative lack of excitement during the regular season was more than compensated for by the spectacularly suspenseful and dramatic post-season series.
In the National League Championship Series, the Mets faced their fellow expansion team, the [[Houston Astros]]. Unlike the Mets, the Astros had yet to win the League Championship (which they finally accomplished in 2005).
The Mets took a two-games-to-one lead with a come-from-behind [[walk-off home run]] by [[Lenny Dykstra]]. In Game 6, the Mets turned a 3-0 ninth-inning deficit into a sixteen-inning marathon victory to clinch the National League pennant and earn their third [[World Series]] appearance.
In the World Series against the [[Boston Red Sox]], the Mets faced elimination leading into Game 6. The Red Sox scored two runs in the tenth inning and twice came within one strike of winning their first World Series since [[1918 World Series|1918]]. But the Mets rallied and would come back in typical Amazin' Mets fashion.
With two outs and down two runs, three consecutive singles brought the Mets within 90 feet of knotting the score. Hitter [[Mookie Wilson]] ran the count to 2-1, then fouled off 3 consecutive pitches. With the count 2-2,pitcher Bob Stanley threw a wild pitch that Mookie Wilson had to leap out of the way of. Boston catcher Rich Gedman made a wild stab for the ball but it went to the backstop. Pinch hitter Kevin Mitchell scored from third base, tying the game.
Now facing a full count, Wilson fouled off two more pitches. It was then that Wilson hit a weak ground ball down the first base line, through the legs of first baseman [[Bill Buckner]], and into the annals of baseball history as third baseman Ray Knight ran home all the way from second base to score the winning run.
The Mets went on to win their second World Series title by taking Game 7, also in dramatic fashion, overcoming a 3 run deficit while scoring a total of 8 runs during the final 3 innings. They remain the only team to come within one strike of losing a World Series before recovering to become World Champions.
While the team around the 1986 championship was strong, they also became infamous for off-the-field controversy. Both Strawberry and Gooden were youngsters who wound up burning out long before their time because of various substance abuse and personal problems. Both of their problems started before age 25, and have continued through the present (2006). Hernandez's cocaine abuse was the subject of persistent rumors even before he joined the Mets, but he publicly acknowledged his addiction in 1985 and made a successful recovery. [[Lenny Dykstra]]'s reputation was recently tainted by allegations of [[steroids|steroid]] use and [[gambling]] problems.<ref name="USATodaySteroids">{{cite web
|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2005-04-24-dykstra-steroids_x.htm
|title=Report: Lawsuit alleges Dykstra used steroids, gambled
|work=[[USA Today]]
|accessdate=2006-06-17
|date=[[2005-04-24]]}}</ref>
Instead of putting together a winning dynasty, the problems caused the Mets to soon fall apart.<ref name="SIFlashback">{{cite web
|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/2000/02/23/strawberry_flashback_95
|last=Verducci
|first=Tom
|title=High Price of Hard Living
|work=[[Sports Illustrated]]
|accessdate=2006-06-17
|date=[[1995-02-27]]}}</ref>
Despite Darryl Strawberry's numerous off-the-field mishaps, he remains the Mets' all-time leader in home runs and runs batted in.
After winning the World Series in 1986, World Series MVP [[Ray Knight]] signed with the Orioles. Also, they traded the flexible [[Kevin Mitchell]] to the Padres for long-ball threat [[Kevin McReynolds]]. But the biggest shock since the Midnight Massacre of 1977 was when Mets' ace Dwight Gooden was admitted to a drug clinic after testing positive for cocaine. But after struggling in the first few months of the season, "Dr. K" would come back, and so would the Mets. They would surge to battle St. Louis for the division title. But on September 11 in a game against St. Louis, 3rd baseman and future MVP [[Terry Pendleton]] hit a homer to give the Cardinals a lead, and eventually the NL East title. One highlight of the year was [[Darryl Strawberry]] and [[Howard Johnson (baseball player)|Howard Johnson]] becoming the first teammates ever to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season.
After missing the playoffs in 1987, the 1988 Mets again won the division. Thanks to some stellar pitching from Gooden, Darling, and [[David Cone]] as well as offense from McReynolds, Strawberry, and Howard Johnson, the Mets won 100 games for the 2nd time in 3 campaigns. However, the clubhouse was distracted by the presence of a young [[Gregg Jefferies]] who was just called up. The veteran players took a disliking to Jefferies, who had a habit of excessive bragging, prompting his teammates to saw his bats in half as a form of hazing.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.projo.com/cgi-bin/include.pl/redsox/crank/main.htm | title=Underappreciated Teams | last=McLaughlin | first=Dan | date=[[2003-02-28]] | work=[[The Providence Journal]]}}</ref> The Mets played the Los Angeles Dodgers in the [[1988 National League Championship Series]] in a season where they beat them 10 out of 11 times but the Dodgers continued their Cinderella story season by beating the Mets in seven games.
The Mets (as well as the [[Montreal Expos]]) would battle the Cubs for the division title in 1989, but Chicago would prevail, despite a career year by Howard Johnson and a deadline trade with [[Minnesota Twins|Minnesota]] for 1988 AL Cy Young winner [[Frank Viola]]. Those high points were tempered by injuries to Gooden, Hernandez and Carter as well as an ill-fated trade<ref>{{citeweb| url=http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/sports2000/players/162287.html | title=Backdraft: New York Mets | date=[[1999-05-30]] | work=[[The Sporting News]]}}</ref> that sent Dykstra and [[Roger McDowell]] to [[Philadelphia Phillies|Philadelphia]] in exchange for [[Juan Samuel]]. After the season, Samuel, who hit .235 that season, would be traded to the Dodgers for [[Mike Marshall (baseball outfielder)|Mike Marshall]], who would hit .239 in 53 games for the Mets before being traded to Boston. Dykstra, however, would become an All-Star in Philadelphia and help lead his team to a pennant in 1993.
That offseason, the Mets had a mix of triumph and tragedy. They would receive All-Star closer and native New Yorker [[John Franco]] in a trade with the [[Cincinnati Reds]], and Strawberry, in legal trouble as well, would check into an alcohol rehabilitation center and miss the start of the season. The next season, the Mets would surge again to battle the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]], but Pittsburgh's "B-B Guns" (which included National League MVP [[Barry Bonds]], future Mets [[Bobby Bonilla]] and [[Jay Bell]] and former Met Wally Backman) led the Pirates to their first NLCS since 1979. In that campaign, general manager [[Frank Cashen]] let Johnson go of his managerial duties and replaced him with former shortstop Harrelson. Although he led them to a good finish in 1990 (Strawberry's last with the Mets, as he went on to sign with the Dodgers in the offseason), the Mets fell to 5th place in 1991. Before the 1991 season the Mets signed [[Vince Coleman]] to a fat $2 million contract after failing to sign defending batting champion [[Willie McGee]]. This was the first of what would lead to many bad free agent signings and trades that would doom the Mets during the mid 1990s.
During the 1991 season, the Mets were actually in contention for most of the first half of the season, closing to within 2.5 games of the front-running Pirates at one point. However, during the second half, the bottom completely fell out and Harrelson was fired with a week left to go in the season, replaced by third base coach [[Mike Cubbage]] for the final games. The season ended on a high note, however, as [[David Cone]] pitched a one-hit shutout against the [[Philadelphia Phillies|Phillies]] at Veterans Stadium, in which he struck out 19 batters, tying the National League regulation game record (first set by former Met [[Tom Seaver]], and more recently broken).
=== 1992-1995: "Hardball Is Back" and ''The Worst Team Money Could Buy''===
With all of the personal problems swirling around the Mets after the 1986 championship, the Mets tried to rebuild using experienced superstars. They picked up the aging, future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Famer]] [[Eddie Murray]] for over $3 million, the younger but troubled [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] free agent slugger [[Bobby Bonilla]] for over $6 million. They also traded McReynolds and Jeffries for one-time World Series hero [[Bret Saberhagen]] and his $3 million contract, along with signing veteran free agent pitcher [[Frank Tanana]] for $1.5 million. The rebuilding was supported by the slogan, "Hardball Is Back".<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEEDF1230F935A15750C0A965958260 THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING -- ADDENDA; A New Approach For the Mets], ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[March 26]], [[1993]]</ref>
The experiment of building a team via free agency quickly flopped as Saberhagen and Coleman were soon injured and spent more time on the disabled list than on the field, and Bonilla exhibited unprofessional behavior towards members of the press, once threatening a reporter by saying, "I'll show you The Bronx" [http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/readers/signings.html]. At the beginning of the 1991 season, Coleman, Gooden and outfielder [[Daryl Boston]] were named in an alleged sexual abuse incident against a woman near the Mets' spring training facility; charges were later dropped. Meanwhile, popular pitcher [[David Cone]] was dealt to the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] during the 1992 season for [[Ryan Thompson]] and [[Jeff Kent]]. While the move was widely criticized by fans of both teams, the Jays went on to win the [[1992 World Series]].
The lowest point of the experiment was the 1993 season when the Mets lost 103 games. In April of that year, Gooden was injured when Coleman accidentally hit Gooden's shoulder with a golf club while practicing his swing. In July, Saberhagen threw a firecracker under a table near reporters. Their young pitching prospect [[Anthony Young (baseball player)|Anthony Young]] started the '93 season at 0-13 and his overall streak of 27 straight losses over two years set a new record. After Young's record-setting loss, Coleman threw a firecracker out of the team bus window and injured three people resulting in felony charges that effectively ended his Mets career. Only a few days later, Saberhagen was in trouble again, this time for spraying [[bleach]] at three reporters. The meltdown season resulted in the worst record for a Mets team since 1965. Their descent was chronicled by the book ''The Worst Team Money Could Buy: The Collapse Of The New York Mets'' (ISBN 0-8032-7822-5) by Mets beat writers Bob Klapisch and John Harper. In addition, two of the three remaining links to the '86 team, [[Howard Johnson (baseball player)|Howard Johnson]] and [[Sid Fernandez]], departed after the season via free agency.
The following season was filled with some bright spots, but there was still trouble for the franchise, and for the team's franchise player. Gooden, who had a 3-4 record with a 6.31 ERA in the final year of his contract with the team, shocked not only New York sports fans, but baseball fans around the country by testing positive for cocaine and was suspended by Major League Baseball for 60 days. Shortly after he began serving his suspension for the positive drug test, it was announced that he had again tested positive for cocaine and was now being suspended by Major League Baseball for one year, thus ending his Mets career and nearly his life. The day after receiving the second suspension, Gooden's then-wife, Monica, found him in his bedroom with a loaded gun to his head.
Still, the 1994 season saw some promise for the troubled Mets, as first baseman [[Rico Brogna]] and second baseman [[Jeff Kent]] became fan favorites with their solid glove work and potential 20-25 home run power, Bonilla started to become the player the Mets expected, and a healthy Saberhagen, along with promising young starter [[Bobby J. Jones|Bobby Jones]] and Franco, helped the Mets pitching staff along. In the strike-shortened 1994 season the Mets were in 3rd place behind first-place Montreal and defending Eastern Division and National League champion Philadelphia when the season ended on August 12. When the strike finally ended in 1995, the Mets finally showed some promise again, finishing in 2nd place behind eventual World Series champion Atlanta.
===1996-2004: Piazza, Bobby V, and the Subway Series===
The Mets did not play well in 1996, but the season was highlighted by the play of three young stars. [[switch hitter|Switch hitting]] [[catcher]] [[Todd Hundley]] broke the Major League Baseball single season record for home runs hit by catcher with 41. [[Center fielder]] [[Lance Johnson]] set single-season franchise records in [[Hit (baseball)|hits]] (227), [[Triple (baseball)|triples]] (21), [[at-bat]]s (682), [[Run (baseball)|runs scored]] (117), & [[total bases]] (327). And, [[Left fielder]] [[Bernard Gilkey]] set franchise single-season records in [[Double (baseball)|doubles]] (44), and [[Run batted in|RBI]] (117). But things started looking up in 1997, as they missed the playoffs by only four games, and improved by 17 games over 1996. One highlight happened June 16, when the Mets beat the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the first ever regular-season game played between the crosstown rivals. In 1997 Hundley was also having another great season, but he went down with a devastating elbow injury and needed [[Tommy John surgery]] midway through the season. For a time, it looked like the Los Angeles Dodgers were going to be shopping their superstar catcher, [[Mike Piazza]], in a trade rather than pay the exorbitant salary that 1997s [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] runner-up was going to demand at the end of the 1998 season. In a puzzling move, on May 14, 1998, the Dodgers sent Piazza to the [[Florida Marlins]], who were purging themselves of high salaries to alleviate their claimed financial problems. The Marlins' move made more sense when, just a week later, they re-traded Piazza to the Mets for [[Preston Wilson]] and two prospects. The Dodgers had no free agency problem, the Marlins had young players with small salaries and the Mets had their new lineup-anchoring catcher. When Hundley returned from his injury in the 1998 season the Mets experimented with Hundley in left field. The experiment was short lived however and Hundley was in a Dodgers uniform in the 1999 season.
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:mets1.jpg|right|thumb| [[Mr. Met]]]] -->
After the 1998 trade, the Mets played well, but missed the 1998 postseason by only one game. With only five games left in the 1998 season, the Mets could not win a single game against both the [[Montreal Expos]] at home and the [[Atlanta Braves]] on the road, the Mets could have forced a three-way wild card tie by winning their last game. Although it seemed like a terrible ending to a good season, Met fans felt confident that the team was moving in the right direction. After signing Mike Piazza to a seven-year, $91 million contract, the Mets acquired [[Armando Benítez]] from the [[Baltimore Orioles]], and signed [[Robin Ventura]], [[Rickey Henderson]], [[Bobby Bonilla]] again, and [[Roger Cedeño]] to fill out the needs for the start of the 1999 season. [[John Olerud]] anchored the heart of the Mets' order.
The Mets started the 1999 season well, going 17-9, but after an eight-game losing streak, including the last two to the [[New York Yankees]], on [[June 6]] the Mets fired their entire coaching staff except for manager [[Bobby Valentine]]. On that day, the Mets, in front of a national audience on [[ESPN]] [[Sunday Night Baseball]], beat the New York Yankees 7-2 and they never looked back. Both [[Mike Piazza]] and [[Robin Ventura]] started to have MVP-type seasons and [[Benny Agbayani]] began to have an important role on the team. Also this was the breakout year for Mets second baseman [[Edgardo Alfonzo]], as he had 108 RBI, and [[Roger Cedeño]], who broke the single season steals record for the Mets. After the regular season ended, the Mets played a one game playoff against the [[Cincinnati Reds]] to see which team would advance to the playoffs. In that game, Mets ace [[Al Leiter]] pitched the best game of his Met career as he hurled a two hit complete game shutout, a 5-0 victory to advance to the playoffs. In the [[1999 National League Division Series|NLDS]], the Mets defeated the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] 3 games to 1, their series-clinching victory coming on an unlikely home run hit by backup catcher [[Todd Pratt]], playing due to a thumb injury to Piazza. The Mets would advance to the [[1999 National League Championship Series]], their first NLCS since 1988, only to lose to their archrivals, the Atlanta Braves, in six exciting games which included the famous [[grand slam single]] by Robin Ventura to win game 5 for the Mets.
In the offseason, the Mets traded Roger Cedeño and [[Octavio Dotel]] to the [[Houston Astros]] for [[Derek Bell (baseball player)|Derek Bell]] and [[Mike Hampton]]. [[Todd Zeile]] was signed to play first base, replacing departing free agent Olerud. The Mets were heading to the 2000 season as a powerhouse in the [[National League]].
2000 began well for the Mets as Derek Bell became the best hitter on the team for the first month. The Mets enjoyed good play the whole year. The highlight of the season came on [[June 30]], when the Mets beat the rival Atlanta Braves in a memorable game at [[Shea Stadium]] on ''Fireworks Night''. With the Mets losing 8-1 to begin the bottom of the eighth, they rallied back with two outs to tie the game, capping the 10-run inning with Mike Piazza's three run home run to put the Mets up 11-8, giving them the lead and eventually the win. The Mets easily made the playoffs winning the [[National League]] wild card. In the playoffs, the Mets beat the [[San Francisco Giants]] in the first round and the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] in the [[2000 National League Championship Series]] to win their fourth NL pennant. Mike Hampton was named the NLCS [[MVP]] for his two scoreless starts in the series as the Mets headed to the [[2000 World Series]] to face their crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees. Unfortunately for the Mets, they were defeated in the much-hyped "[[Subway Series]]". Even though they lost 4 games to 1, each game was close, as they scored only three fewer total runs than the Yankees. This was the first all-New York World Series since [[1956 World Series|1956]], when the Yankees defeated the [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Brooklyn Dodgers]].
In the seasons following the 2000 World Series, the Mets struggled mightily as the result of several poor player acquisitions, including [[Mo Vaughn]], [[Roberto Alomar]], [[Roger Cedeño]] (again) and [[Jeromy Burnitz]]. These acquisitions were made by then-general manager [[Steve Phillips]], who was fired during the 2003 season. Phillips was credited with building the 2000 World Series team, but also blamed for the demise of the Mets' farm system and the poor play of the acquired players. The Mets did have a few bright spots in 2002. Al Leiter became the first major league pitcher to defeat all thirty major league teams with a victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. [[David Weathers]] had a career year with a 2.91 era coming out of the bullpen, making him one of the better middle relievers of that season in the league. The Mets though posted a 75-86 record, last in the [[National League East|NL East]], in 2002. The Mets' record in 2003 (66-95) was the fourth worst in baseball, and Piazza had missed two-thirds of the season with a torn groin muscle. His steady decline around that time mirrored the Mets' fortunes for the first half of the decade.
In 2004, the Mets made more player additions that turned out to be poor. They signed Japanese shortstop [[Kazuo Matsui]], who never lived up to his potential in two-and-a-half years with the Mets, and [[Mike Cameron]] to play Center Field (who played two years with the Mets, one in center and one in right field). General manager [[Jim Duquette]] acquired pitcher [[Kris Benson]] for third baseman [[Ty Wigginton]] at the trade deadline just before sending highly-touted pitching prospect [[Scott Kazmir]] to the [[Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] for the disappointing [[Victor Zambrano]], regarded by most as the worst recent trade by the Mets, possibly their worst ever.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} However, the Mets brought up two young infielders with bright futures, [[David Wright (baseball player)|David Wright]] and [[José Reyes]], and they have become the best products from the farm system since Strawberry and Gooden. The Mets finished 71-91 in 2004.
===2005-present: Wright and Reyes, and Minaya takes the reins===
After the 2004 season, Mets ownership made significant changes to their management strategy. With their television contract with the [[MSG Network]] expiring by the end of 2005, they announced plans to establish their own cable network to broadcast Mets games, rivaling the Yankee-owned [[YES Network]]. This investment in what became known as [[SportsNet New York]] was coupled with an aggressive plan to upgrade the performance of the team on the field. Jim Duquette was replaced as general manager by former Expos GM [[Omar Minaya]]. Minaya, an ex-Mets assistant GM, achieved notable success in Montreal by making bold player moves on a limited budget. With the Mets, Minaya was given substantial financial resources to develop a winning team by the time the new network launched in 2006.
Minaya began by hiring Yankee bench coach [[Willie Randolph]] as manager, then signed two of that year's most sought-after free agents — [[Pedro Martínez]] and [[Carlos Beltrán]] — to large multi-year deals. Though Beltrán underperformed, Martínez and a rejuvenated [[Tom Glavine]] led the pitching staff while [[Cliff Floyd]]'s power, [[José Reyes]]'s speed and [[David Wright (baseball player)|David Wright]]'s hitting sparked the offense. Despite an 0-5 start to the season, the team finished 83-79, finishing above the .500 mark for the first time since [[2001]].
After 2005, the departure of [[Mike Piazza]] gave Minaya enough financial flexibility to take full advantage of a payroll-reduction effort by the [[Florida Marlins]]. All-star first baseman [[Carlos Delgado]] and all-star catcher [[Paul Lo Duca]] were acquired from Florida in exchange for five prospects. Minaya also improved the bullpen by signing star free agent closer [[Billy Wagner]].
Minaya's offseason moves and his organization of the team during the season paid off in [[2006 in baseball|2006]], as the team, led by a franchise record six [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Stars]] (Beltran, Lo Duca, Reyes, Wright, Glavine, and Martínez), won the division title, their first in 18 years. In a runaway similar to 1986, the Mets led the division from [[April 6]] on, and only spent one day out of first the whole season. They built a lead as high as 16 1/2 games before clinching the division on [[September 18]], becoming the first team in the major leagues to clinch a 2006 playoff berth. The Mets finished the season 12 games ahead of the Phillies, and with the best record in the National League. The Mets achieved this success despite a slew of injuries which included losing Martínez for a month, and starting fifteen different pitchers in games. A 9-1 June road trip through [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Los Angeles]], [[Arizona Diamondbacks|Arizona]] and [[Philadelphia Phillies|Philadelphia]] was a turning point for the season.
The Mets 2006 division title ended the [[Atlanta Braves]]' streak of 14 straight division titles, and they became the first team besides Atlanta to win the National League East title since the 1994 division realignment. 2006 was also the first time ever that the Mets and Yankees each won their respective divisions in the same year. Both New York teams also had the best records in their respective leagues, 97 wins and 65 losses.
Despite losing [[Pedro Martínez]] and [[Orlando Hernández]] from their starting rotation due to injury just before the start of the post-season, the Mets swept the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] in the [[2006 National League Division Series]], relying on their [[bullpen]] (with the lowest regular season [[Earned run average|ERA]] in the National League) and potent offense. However, in the [[2006 National League Championship Series]], the Mets lost to the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], the eventual [[2006 World Series]] champions, in seven games, with the decisive blow coming on a ninth-inning home run by Cardinals catcher [[Yadier Molina]].
In the 2006 offseason, the Mets signed veteran outfielder [[Moises Alou]] to replace Cliff Floyd in left field and provide a right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup.
{{main|2007 New York Mets season}}
In [[2007 in baseball|2007]], the Mets came out with a new slogan: '''The 2007 Mets - Your Season Has Come.''' This marked their high expectations for the upcoming season. To start, they lived up to those expectations as they started their season with a three-game sweep over the St. Louis Cardinals, maintaining the best winning percentage on Opening Day in the entire league. The Mets had continued success from that point, as they compiled a 34-18 record through May 31. As the calendar turned to June however, the Mets began slumping, losing six straight series against teams with winning records, the last four series part of a stretch of 18 straight games against 2006 playoff teams, facing the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Twins, Athletics, and Cardinals,<ref name="Mets June Schedule">{{cite web
|url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=nym&m=6&y=2007
|last=
|first=
|title=New York Mets 2007 Schedule
|publisher=New York Mets
|accessdate=2007-01-26
|date=}}</ref> becoming the first team in MLB history to play six consecutive series against six different teams that made the playoffs the previous season.<ref>Stated by [[SportsNet New York]] announcer [[Gary Cohen]] during the [[June 8]] Mets/[[Detroit Tigers|Tigers]] game.</ref> This stretch started poorly for the Mets, as they lost 9 out of 12 to the Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, and Twins. However, they turned it around and won 5 out of 6 against the Athletics and Cardinals to finish this stretch. The Mets entered the All-Star break with 48 wins and 39 losses, with a slim lead over the second-place Atlanta Braves.
== Stadium plans ==
:''Main article: [[Citi Field]]''
On [[June 12]], [[2005]] a plan was announced for a new Mets ballpark to be built adjacent to [[Shea Stadium]] in [[Flushing, Queens]]. Construction of the new stadium, to be called Citi Field, is expected to be paid by the Mets, while "infrastructure improvement" costs at the site are to be paid by the city. The final mix of private and public funding has not been settled. As of 2005, Shea Stadium is the sixth oldest stadium among the 30 facilities in major league baseball, and will be the fifth oldest by the end of the 2008 season as the [[Washington Nationals]] are scheduled to move into their new park before 2009. Shea Stadium is nearly as old as [[Ebbets Field]] (which, as explained later, the new park's design is inspired by Ebbets Field) was when the Dodgers abandoned it. The current site of Shea Stadium is expected to be a parking lot for Citi Field.<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:nymbp01.jpg|thumb|right| Citi Field: Opening 2009.]] -->[[Image:Citi Field Promo.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Artwork for Citi Field.]]
Citi Field is to be a "retro" park, following current architectural trends in stadium design. It will follow the brick and steel-truss trend begun by the Orioles at [[Camden Yards]] in 1992. The exterior facade will resemble [[Ebbets Field]], former home of the [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Brooklyn Dodgers]]. The new stadium will be an open-air design, designed to give the fans a more personal experience. The stadium will only hold 45,000 fans, which is less than the current capacity of Shea Stadium. According to design notes the lesser capacity creates better sightlines and a more contoured seating configuration, allowing seating closer to the field.
Construction of the new stadium began in 2006. Most of the current parking lot was closed off to begin preparing for the installation of the main support columns during the 2006 season, but the official groundbreaking did not take place until [[November 13]], just beyond the left field bleachers of Shea Stadium. The naming rights of the stadium were sold to [[Citigroup]]. The name Citi Field was officially announced at the November groundbreaking.<ref name=citif>[http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061113&content_id=1739632&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Mets break ground on new ballpark]. [[MLB.com]]. Retrieved [[November 13]] [[2006]].</ref> Citigroup reportedly agreed to pay $20 million a year for the rights, which would be the most lucrative naming rights deal ever in terms of revenue per year.<ref>[http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061111&content_id=1739024&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym Report: Mets strike stadium naming deal]</ref> The stadium is scheduled to open for the 2009 season.
==Trivia==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
===Team Trivia===
*The Mets held the New York baseball attendance record for 29 years. They broke the Yankees' [[1948 in baseball|1948]] record by drawing nearly 2.7 million in 1970. The Mets broke their own record five times before the Yankees took it back in 1999.[http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYM/attend.shtml][http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYY/attend.shtml]
*When a Mets player hits a home run at Shea Stadium, a big red apple emerges from a giant top hat behind center right field sometimes accompanied by a small fireworks display.
*The Mets' first scheduled game was postponed due to rain on [[April 10]], [[1962]] at St. Louis.
*The 1969 Mets recorded an album featuring them singing a variety of songs, including "You Gotta Have Heart" from the musical ''[[Damn Yankees]]''. The 1969 Mets also performed "You Gotta Have Heart" on the "Ed Sullivan Show."
*No Met pitcher has ever thrown a [[no-hitter]], and the Mets have gone longer than any other major league franchise without pitching a no-hitter — more than seven thousand games. Ironically, a number of pitchers -- [[Nolan Ryan]], [[Tom Seaver]], [[Mike Scott (baseball)|Mike Scott]], [[Doc Gooden]], and [[David Cone]], just to name a few -- have thrown no-hitters either before joining the Mets or after leaving the team. David Cone pitched a [[perfect game]] for crosstown rivals [[New York Yankees]].
*The Mets have appeared in more World Series — four — than any other [[expansion team]] in Major League Baseball history. They have won two championships, tied with the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] and [[Florida Marlins]] for the most titles among expansion teams.
*The first major sporting event to take place in New York City after the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] was played at Shea Stadium on [[September 21]], 2001, when the Mets hosted the [[Atlanta Braves]]. The Mets came from behind to win, 3-2, on an eighth inning home run by [[Mike Piazza]]. Mayor [[Rudy Giuliani]], a lifelong fan of the rival Yankees, attended the game and was cheered by the crowd for his leadership in the preceding ten days.<ref name="9/11">{{cite web
|url=http://i.tsn.com/baseball/scoreboard/20010921/recap/345267-p.html
|title=Piazza's blast gives Mets emotional win over Braves
|publisher=[[The Associated Press]]
|accessdate=2006-08-01
|date=[[2001-09-21]]}}</ref>
* After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Mets, as well as other teams in the league, wore [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]], [[New York City Fire Department|FDNY]], and [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]] hats. Unlike the other teams, the Mets wore these for the rest of the year, despite threats of fines by [[Major League Baseball]].
* In 1998, the Independent Budget Office of the city of New York published a study on the economic impact of the city's two major league baseball teams. The study included an analysis of where fans of both the Mets and the Yankees resided. The study found that 39% of Mets fans lived in one of the five boroughs of New York, 49% in the tri-state area outside the city and 12% elsewhere. Mets fans were more likely to be found in [[Long Island]], [[Queens]], [[Brooklyn]], and [[Staten Island]], whereas [[Manhattan]], [[the Bronx]], [[New Jersey]], [[Connecticut]], and the counties of [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester]] and [[Rockland County, New York|Rockland]] leaned more towards the Yankees.<ref name="IBO">{{cite web
|url=http://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/iboreports/stadiumsurvey.html
|title=Home Base for Mets and Yankees Fans
|publisher=The City of New York Independent Budget Office
|accessdate=2006-06-17
|date=[[1998-09-28]]}}</ref>
*On [[April 5]], [[1993]], the Mets played the first game in the history of the [[Colorado Rockies]]. Then on [[April 19]], [[1995]], they played the first game in the history of Coors Field (the Rockies new home).
*On [[October 3]], [[2004]], the Mets played against the [[Montreal Expos]] in their last game before they became the [[Washington Nationals]]. Coincidentally, the Mets also played against the Expos in the franchise's inaugural game. Both games were contested at [[Shea Stadium]].
*The 2006 Mets were the first team in MLB history to win eight consecutive road games after scoring in the first inning of each game.
*On [[July 16]], [[2006]], the Mets set a franchise record by scoring 11 runs in one inning. It took place in the sixth inning against the [[Chicago Cubs]]. There were three home runs in the inning; a two-run homer by [[David Wright (baseball player)|David Wright]], and grand slams from both [[Cliff Floyd]] and [[Carlos Beltrán]]. The Mets sent 16 batters to the plate in the inning, which took 41 minutes to complete and started with a pop out by [[Chris Woodward]].<ref name="11runinning">{{cite web
|url=http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=260716116
|title=Mets 13, Cubs 7
|accessdate=2006-08-01
|last=Gano
|first=Rick
|date=[[2006-07-16]]
|publisher=[[The Associated Press]]}}</ref>
*In July 2006, the Mets became the third team to hit six [[Grand slam (baseball)|grand slams]] in a month, joining the [[Cleveland Indians]] of May 1999 and the Montreal Expos in April 1996. Carlos Beltrán tied the Major League record for slams in a month with three, José Valentín hit two and Cliff Floyd hit one.<ref name="6slams">{{cite web
|url=http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5828406?FSO1&ATT=HMA
|title=Beltran, Mets tie records in win over Braves
|accessdate=2006-08-01
|date=[[2006-07-31]]
|publisher=[[The Associated Press]]}}</ref>
===Individual
*[[Gil Hodges]] hit the first home run in New York Mets history on [[April 11]], [[1962]] at St. Louis.
*On [[April 10]], [[1969]] [[Tommie Agee]] became the only player ever to hit a home run to the small area of fair territory in the upper level of Shea Stadium. A painted sign on the stands nearby commemorates the spot.
*In 1966, the Mets chose catcher [[Steve Chilcott]] as the first overall selection in the amateur draft. He became the first number one draft pick to retire without reaching the major leagues. The second pick that year was [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Famer]] [[Reggie Jackson]].
*The two pitchers who recorded the final outs of the Mets' two World Series titles were traded for one another. [[Jerry Koosman]] of the 1969 team was dealt to the [[Minnesota Twins]] in 1978 for [[Jesse Orosco]] of the 1986 team.
==Quick facts==
{{Baseball Quick Facts
|Founded = [[1962 in baseball|1962]]
|Owner = [[Fred Wilpon]] (Private)
|GM = [[Omar Minaya]]
|Manager = [[Willie Randolph]]
|Colors = Black, blue, and orange
|Logos =
:*An interlocking N and Y with decorative [[serif]]s.
:*Mets in orange script over a blue [[New York City]] skyline over a bridge. The logo is super-imposed over a baseball, with orange stitching running over it.
|Mascot = [[Mr. Met]], a human with a giant baseball for a head.
|Team Mottos =
|Current Mottos =
*'''"Your Season Has Come."''' (Current)
|Former Mottos =
* "The Team. The Time. The Mets." (2006)
:*"Next Year is Now" (2005)
:*"The New Mets" (2005)
:*"Catch the Energy" (2004)
:*"Always Believe" (2002)
:*"Amazin' Again" (2000)
:*"Are You Ready? New Year, New Team, New Magic" (1999)
:*"Show Up At Shea!" (1998)
:*"Believe in the '98 Mets!" (1998)
:*"Hardball Is Back!" (1992)
:*"Excellence. Again And Again" (1989)
:*"Baseball Like it Oughta Be" (1986)
:*"Catch the Rising Stars" (1985)
:*"The Magic is Back" (1984)
:* "You Gotta Believe!" (1973)
:* "The Amazins"
|Theme Songs =
*'''"[[Meet the Mets]]"'''- Fight song written in 1961 by Bill Katz and Ruth Roberts. Is played at the gate, during broadcasts, and during an in-game sing-along at Shea Stadium
:*'''"[[Lazy Mary]]"'''- Song by Lou Monte played during every seventh inning stretch, after "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
:*'''"[[New York State of Mind]]"'''- Billy Joel (originated during a performance at Madison Square Garden before the first game of the '86 World Series, [[Bobby Ojeda]] and [[Gary Carter]] presented Joel with a signature Mets jacket of his own after it was played.)
:*'''"[[Takin' Care of Business]]"'''- Played at Shea after a Mets victory.
:*'''"[[L.A. Woman]]"''' -"Mr. Mojo Rising" refrain used during the Mets Playoff run in 1999.
:*'''"[[Let's Go Mets Go]]"'''-1986
:*'''"[[Who Let the Mets Out]]"'''-2000 (performed by Baha Men; Lyrics by David Brody of Z100 NY)
:*'''"[[And We Say...Lets Go Mets]]"'''-2006 (performed by Lucas Prata; Lyrics by David Brody of Z100 NY)
|Entrance Music =
:Entrance Music is a large part of the Shea Stadium experience, and the Mets usually adopt a song to be used throughout the season as they take the field at the beginning of games.
|Current Music =
*'''"Vertigo,"''' by [[U2]] (Current)
|Former Music =
*"[[Time of the Season]]," by [[The Zombies]] (2006 Postseason)
:*"Bring 'Em Out," by [[T.I.]](2005)
:*"The Way You Move," by [[Outkast]] (2004)
:*"Everybody Wants Some," by [[Van Halen]] (2001)
:*"[[A Day In The Life]]," by [[The Beatles]] (1999 Postseason)
:*"[[Time]]," by [[Pink Floyd]](1999 Regular Season)
:*"Tonight, Tonight" by [[Smashing Pumpkins]] (1996)
|Rivals = [[Atlanta Braves (Braves Suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)]] ([[Braves-Mets rivalry]]), [[New York Yankees]] ([[Subway Series]]), [[Philadelphia Phillies]], [[Florida Marlins]], [[Saint Louis Cardinals]]
|Local TV affiliates = [[SportsNet New York]], [[WPIX]] New York
|TV Announcers = [[Gary Cohen]], [[Ron Darling]], [[Keith Hernandez]]
|Local radio affiliates = [[WFAN]], [[WADO]] (Spanish)
|Radio Announcers = [[Howie Rose]], [[Tom McCarthy (broadcaster)|Tom McCarthy]], [[Ed Coleman (radio personality)|Ed Coleman]]
|Spring Training Facility = Tradition Field, aka [[Thomas J. White Stadium]], [[Port St. Lucie, FL]]
|}}
==
===Uniform color and design===
The Mets' colors are blue, orange, and white, the official colors of [[New York City]]. Blue and orange were also symbolic of the return of [[National League]] baseball to New York after the [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Brooklyn Dodgers]] (blue) and [[San Francisco Giants|New York Giants]] (orange) moved to California.
Before the 1997 season the Mets introduced their "snow white" home jerseys, as an alternate home jersey. These uniforms were completely white with no pinstripes, but with blue piping on the sleeves, front of the jersey and down the side of the pants. A new cap was also introduced at the same time - white with a blue brim and blue "NY" logo trimmed in orange. Before the 1998 season black was also added as an official Mets color. The white cap was eliminated, and a similar alternate cap (keeping the blue brim but replacing white with black) was introduced. A black alternate jersey was also introduced, in home and road versions, as well as an all black cap. Currently the Mets wear solid gray road jerseys with New York written on the front, and alternate solid black, white with blue pinstripes and solid white home jerseys with Mets written on the front.
The Mets wear [[Coolflo]] batting helmets, made by [[Rawlings (company)|Rawlings]], with a metallic blue covering only the front and black over the rest.
===Logo===
The cap logo is identical to the logo used by the [[San Francisco Giants|New York Giants]] in their final years, and is on blue cap reminiscent of the caps worn by the [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Brooklyn Dodgers]]. In the primary logo, designed by sports cartoonist [[Ray Gatto]], each part of the skyline has special meaning — at the left is a church spire, symbolic of Brooklyn, the borough of churches; the second building from the left is the Williamsburg Savings Bank, the tallest building in Brooklyn; next is the Woolworth Building; after a general skyline view of midtown comes the Empire State Building; at the far right is the United Nations Building. The bridge in the center symbolizes that the Mets, in bringing back the National League to New York, represent all five boroughs.[http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym/history/timeline1.jsp]
==Postseason appearances==
{| class="wikitable" cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2
|-
!Year
!colspan=2|[[National League Division Series|NLDS]]
!colspan=2|[[National League Championship Series|NLCS]]
!colspan=2|[[World Series]]
|-
|[[1969 in baseball|1969]]
|
|
|[[Atlanta Braves]]
|W [[1969 National League Championship Series|(3-0)]]
|[[Baltimore Orioles]]
|W [[1969 World Series|(4-1)]]
|-
|[[1973 in baseball|1973]]
|
|
|[[Cincinnati Reds]]
|W [[1973 National League Championship Series|(3-2)]]
|[[Oakland Athletics]]
|L [[1973 World Series|(4-3)]]
|-
|[[1986 in baseball|1986]]
|
|
|[[Houston Astros]]
|W [[1986 National League Championship Series|(4-2)]]
|[[Boston Red Sox]]
|W [[1986 World Series|(4-3)]]
|-
|[[1988 in baseball|1988]]
|
|
|[[Los Angeles Dodgers]]
|L [[1988 National League Championship Series|(4-3)]]
|
|
|-
|[[1999 in baseball|1999]]
|[[Arizona Diamondbacks]]
|W [[1999 National League Division Series#Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Mets|(3-1)]]
|[[Atlanta Braves]]
|L [[1999 National League Championship Series|(4-2)]]
|
|
|-
|[[2000 in baseball|2000]]
|[[San Francisco Giants]]
|W [[2000 National League Division Series#San Francisco Giants vs. New York Mets|(3-1)]]
|[[St. Louis Cardinals]]
|W [[2000 National League Championship Series|(4-1)]]
|[[New York Yankees]]
|L [[2000 World Series|(4-1)]]
|-
|[[2006 in baseball|2006]]
|[[Los Angeles Dodgers]]
|W [[2006 National League Division Series#New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers|(3-0)]]
|[[St. Louis Cardinals]]
|L [[2006 National League Championship Series|(4-3)]]
|
|
|}
==Baseball Hall-of-Famers==
Elected heavily based on performance with the Mets
*[[Gary Carter]], catcher, 1985-1989 (inducted 2003)
** Carter asked that his Hall of Fame plaque either be depicted as split between the Mets and [[Montreal Expos]], or just as a Met. The Hall of Fame denied both of Carter's requests and he was inducted as an Expo.
*[[Tom Seaver]], pitcher, 1967-1977, 1983 (inducted 1992) (only player inducted as a Met).
Other Hall-of-Famers associated with the Mets
*[[Richie Ashburn]], outfielder, 1962
*[[Yogi Berra]], catcher, 1965, manager, 1972-1975
*[[Willie Mays]], outfielder, 1972-1973
*[[Eddie Murray]], first baseman, 1992-1993
*[[Nolan Ryan]], pitcher, 1966, 1968-1971
*[[Duke Snider]], outfielder, 1963
*[[Warren Spahn]], pitcher, 1965
*[[Casey Stengel]], manager, 1962-1965
==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-style:bold; font-size:100%; "border:3px" cellpadding="2"
|-align="center" bgcolor="FFFFFF"
|{{fontcolor|black|'''(1965)'''<br>[[Image:metret37.PNG|95px|]]<br>'''[[Casey Stengel]]'''<br>Manager: 1962-65}}<br><br>
||{{fontcolor|black|'''(1973)'''<br>[[Image:metret14.PNG|95px|]]<br>'''[[Gil Hodges]]'''<br>1B: 1962-63<br>Manager: 1968-71}}
||{{fontcolor|black|'''(1988)'''<br>[[Image:metret41.PNG|95px|]]<br>'''[[Tom Seaver]]'''<br>P: 1966-77, 1983}}<br><br>
||{{fontcolor|black|'''(1997)'''<br>[[Image:metret42.PNG|95px|]]<br>'''[[Jackie Robinson]]'''<br>Retired by<br>Major League Baseball}}
|-
|}
In addition, [[Tom Seaver]] is the only Met ever to win the [[Sports Illustrated]] [[Sportsman of the Year]] Award in 1969 and was voted the Mets "Hometown Hero" in a 2006 poll sponsored by [[DHL]]
Major League Baseball retired Jackie Robinson's number 42 on April 15, 1997, when the Mets played the [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Dodgers]] at [[Shea Stadium]], although [[Butch Huskey]] wore the number throughout the rest of his Mets career (due to a [[grandfather clause]] placed on the retired number by MLB). [[Mo Vaughn]] also wore number 42 during his stint with the Mets, due to the same clause.
=== Numbers out of circulation but not retired ===
The Mets have not issued number 8 since [[Gary Carter]] was elected to the Hall of Fame.<ref name="Mets by the Numbers">{{cite web
|url=http://www.mbtn.net
|title=Mets by the Numbers
|publisher=
|accessdate=
|date= }}</ref>
When the Mets honored Carter, they did not retire number 8 at that time, but instead gave him a replica of his Hall of Fame plaque depicting him as a Met instead of an Expo.
[[John Franco]] wore number 31 for the Mets until 1998, when he switched to number 45 to accommodate [[Mike Piazza]], who wore it until leaving the Mets after the 2005 season. The Mets have not issued number 31 since Piazza's departure.<ref name = "Mets by the Numbers"/>
== Team captains ==
*[[Keith Hernandez]] - 1987-1989
*[[Gary Carter]] - 1988-1989 (co-captain)
*[[John Franco]] - 2001-2004
==
{{:Template:New York Mets roster}}
==Minor league affiliations==
*'''AAA:''' [[New Orleans Zephyrs]], [[Pacific Coast League]]
*'''AA:''' [[Binghamton Mets]], [[Eastern League (U.S. baseball)|Eastern League]]
*'''Advanced A:''' [[St. Lucie Mets]], [[Florida State League]]
*'''A:''' [[Savannah Sand Gnats]], [[South Atlantic League]]
*'''Short A:''' [[Brooklyn Cyclones]], [[New York-Penn League]]
*'''Rookie:''' [[Kingsport Mets]], [[Appalachian League]]
*'''Rookie:''' [[Gulf Coast Mets|GCL Mets]], [[Gulf Coast League]]
*'''Rookie:''' VSL Mets Tronconero (B), [[Venezuelan Summer League]]
*'''Rookie:''' Santo Domingo Mets, [[Dominican Summer League]]
==See also==
{{Commonscat|New York Mets}}
*[[New York Mets all-time roster]]
*[[New York Mets Hall of Fame]]
*[[New York Mets award winners and league leaders|Mets award winners and league leaders]]
*[[List of New York Mets team records|Mets statistical records and milestone achievements]]
*[[List of New York Mets broadcasters|Mets broadcasters and media]]
*[[New York Mets managers and ownership|Mets managers and ownership]]
*[[List of celebrity New York Mets fans]]
*[[Braves-Mets rivalry]]
==References==
<references/>
==
*[http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp?c_id=nym New York Mets official web site]
*[http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYM/ New York Mets Team Index - Baseball-Reference.com]
*[http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nl/nymets/mets.html Sports E-Cyclopedia]
*[http://www.ultimatemets.com Ultimate Mets Database]
*[http://www.mbtn.net/ Mets by the Numbers] All-time listing of Mets uniform numbers
{{New York Mets}}
{{start}}
{{succession box
| title = World Series Champions<br>New York Mets
| years = [[1969 World Series|1969]]
| before = [[Detroit Tigers]]<br>[[1968 World Series|1968]]
| after = [[Baltimore Orioles]]<br>[[1970 World Series|1970]]
}}
{{succession box
| title = World Series Champions<br>New York Mets
| years = [[1986 World Series|1986]]
| before = [[Kansas City Royals]]<br>[[1985 World Series|1985]]
| after = [[Minnesota Twins]]<br>[[1987 World Series|1987]]
}}
{{end}}
----
{{start}}
{{succession box
| title = National League Champions<br>New York Mets
| years = [[1969 in baseball|1969]]
| before = [[St. Louis Cardinals]]<br>[[1967 in baseball|1967]] and [[1968 in baseball|1968]]
| after = [[Cincinnati Reds]]<br>[[1970 in baseball|1970]]
}}
{{succession box
| title = National League Champions<br>New York Mets
| years = [[1973 in baseball|1973]]
| before = [[Cincinnati Reds]]<br>[[1972 in baseball|1972]]
| after = [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]<br>[[1974 in baseball|1974]]
}}
{{succession box
| title = National League Champions<br>New York Mets
| years = [[1986 in baseball|1986]]
| before = [[St. Louis Cardinals]]<br>[[1985 in baseball|1985]]
| after = [[St. Louis Cardinals]]<br>[[1987 in baseball|1987]]
}}
{{succession box
| title = National League Champions<br>New York Mets
| years = [[2000 in baseball|2000]]
| before = [[Atlanta Braves]]<br>[[1999 in baseball|1999]]
| after = [[Arizona Diamondbacks]]<br>[[2001 in baseball|2001]]
}}
{{end}}
{{MLB Team New York Mets}}
{{MLB}}
{{NewYorksports}}
[[Category:New York Mets| ]]
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[[Category:New York baseball teams|Mets]]
[[Category:Sports clubs established in 1962]]
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[[fr:Mets de New York]]
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