I was hoping someone would do this. I need to go back and look at the games I attended over the years to make a top-5. Your #1 was a game I heard on the radio while running errands. It was great. I still remember sitting in the Stop&Shop (with the radio on) hoping Delgado would hit a homer.

#5: September 7, 1986: Mets 7, Padres 1 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B09071NYN1986.htm
Mets 6, Padres 5 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B09072NYN1986.htm

Much like Greenpoint Ian here, I don’t remember much other than Doc, El Sid and the Mets winning both games. My first Mets games ever. Me, Ian B, our father, one of our uncles and some dude named ‘Ron’ who might have been our cousin.

#4: September 26, 1997: Braves 7, Mets 6 (11 innings) http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1997/B09260NYN1997.htm

Sure, it was a Mets loss. But my buddy Tim and I drove down, bought two field-level seats in the parking lot for $10, yelled “RETIRE!” at Fred McGriff all night and saw Rafael Belliard’s second, and last, career home run. This game was a great time for the absurdity of it all more than any Mets brilliance. Also, Mel Rojas!

#3: May 6, 2006: Mets 6, Braves 5 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2006/B05060NYN2006.htm

Memorable mostly for Victor Zambrano’s dramatic exit from New York after striking out Andruw Jones for his third K in four batters to start the game. Ended up being an awesome game, however, with the Mets scoring four runs in the 7th off of Tim Hudson and the Braves’ pen to take a lead that they tried, but could not relinquish. Jorge Julio!

#2: May 21, 2005: Mets 7, Yankees 1 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2005/B05210NYN2005.htm

Mr. Koo’s wild ride. About as much fun as I’ve ever had watching a blow-out. This may have also been Ian B and my first introduction to the kid from the Bagelicious Bombers. This kid was present at every game we went to that year and talked in the most hilarious non-sequiturs you can imagine. One second he’s screaming at Randy Johnson, the next second he’s talking up Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Good times.

#1: September 18, 2006: Mets 4, Marlins 0 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2006/B09180NYN2006.htm

The division clincher. I’ve not seen Shea more alive in any game before or since. Shaking hands with Dub, LoDuca and others after the game down by the field. Weird as it is to say it, I was impressed with LoDuca’s sincerity in looking everyone in the eye, shaking their hand and saying “thank you” as he walked around the field. People just walking around, smiling and cheering for the rest of the night. Even on the late train ride back upstate, people in Mets shirts just looking at each other and nodding. I only hope that we can all be a part of something like that again; maybe this year and maybe at the new place.

This is awesome.

I don’t remember many games. Most just fade out of my memory. In fact, I can only remember four I’ve been to, other than 2008 games.

July 13, 1991: Mets 3, Padres 1. No idea why I was able to remember this game. Sure wasn’t my first, but I was young and impressionable and I surprised by how well I remembered the sequence in the eighth inning.

June 20, 2002: Mets 3, Twins 2. Normally a Steve Trachsel game wasn’t a particularly enjoyable affair—it meant a late night—but it was my first time ever on the field level. And Steve did throw 6+ no-hit innings, probably the closest I’ve come to witnessing one in person.

October 4, 2006: Mets 6, Dodgers 5. The first (and only) playoff game I’ve ever been to, punctuated by Paul Lo Duca tagging two Dodgers out at the plate.

June 9, 1996: Mets 3, Marlins 0. Many will find it odd, but my favorite game at Shea wasn’t the playoff game or a great moment but a win over the Marlins in a season where the Mets lost 91 games. It was Jason Isringhausen’s only career shutout. I was 13, and my love of the game had really seemed to go to a new level that year. I’ve never loved sitting and watching any game as much as I did that day.

Thanks for starting this. Here are my top five.

Number 5: April 11th, 1994: Cubs 9, Mets 5. A loss in the home opener, but it was the first time I skipped school to go to a game. I had a hard time explaining to my parents how I got a sunburn in class.
Number 4: April 1st, 1996: Mets 7, Cardinals 6. It was a cold, damp, miserable day for an opener. The start was as miserable as the weather. The Mets were down 6-0 in the 4th. They got it back to 6-3 when Ray Lankford doubled into the LF corner. Royce Clayton was on first and heading for home. Bernard Gilkey dug the ball out of the corner and threw to Rey Ordonez who, from his knees and half way up the line, threw a strike to home plate to nail Clayton. It is still one of the most incredible defensive plays I’ve ever seen. The Mets scored 4 in the bottom of the 7th to take the lead, and they held on to win 7-6.
Number 3: October 9th, 1999: Mets 4, Diamondbacks 3. The Todd Pratt walk-off homer to win the NLDS. Nuff said.
Number 2:October 17th, 1999: Mets 4, Braves 3. The “Grand Slam Single”. Amazingly the thing I remember most about this game was Bobby Valentine bringing in Dennis Cook for the sole purpose of completing an intentional walk. Cook was then taken out after Bobby Cox pinch hit for Ryan Klesko.
Number 1: August 31st, 2001: Mets 6, Marlins 1. In the 7th inning, Al Leiter hit a line drive to center. Preston Wilson was playing shallow and dove awkwardly for the ball. He missed and it rolled all the way to the wall. Watching Leiter run the bases was one of the most hysterical things I’ve ever seen. When he finally got to third base (it seemed like an eternity) he got a huge ovation that was mixed with the laughter of the crowd. It was his only career triple.

Mets 6, Dodgers 5, October 4, 2006
Probably best remembered for the play Retrosheet describes as: “Martin singled to right [Kent out at home (right to second to catcher), Drew out at home (catcher unassisted), Martin to second (on throw to home)].” Making that second tag on JD Drew was probably also the best thing Paul LoDuca ever did as a Met. The Dodgers’ baserunning gaffe turned out to be huge after Guillermo Mota threw away a lead he was handed by Maine, Feliciano and Chad Bradford.

Mets 3, Braves 2, October 16, 1999
The box score may say “LP: Remlinger” but I’ll always remember this as the game where we beat John Rocker. An 6th inning solo HR by John Olerud staked Rick Reed to a lead that he couldn’t hold, giving up back-to-back solo shots to Brian Jordan and Ryan Klesko in the top of the 8th. John Smoltz appeared untouchable, having given up only 2 hits besides Olerud’s HR, with the then-unhittable Rocker (to that point, the Mets had 5 hits and against 19 K’s in 11.1 innings against him) looming to close out the game. But Roger Cedeno singled to lead off the inning against Smoltz, and Mike Remlinger came in to pitch to Matt Franco after Rey Ordonez failed to execute a sacrifice bunt. Benny Agbayani then hit for Franco but struck out, Cedeno stealing second in the meantime. After Melvin Mora drew a walk, Rocker came in to nail it down. Unfortunately for him, Cedeno and Mora pulled off a successful double steal, and John Olerud’s bleeder through the middle scored them both. Bizarrely, Armando Benitez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, and the Mets staved off elimination after losing the first three games of the series. The next night, of course, was the Grand Slam Single game, but the Mets would lose the series when it returned to Atlanta on Kenny Rogers’ bases-loaded walk of Andruw Jones.

Mets 4, Cubs 2, September 17, 1986
Memorable to me because it was my first game at Shea (or any pro stadium); memorable to everyone else because the Mets clinched their first division title since 1973. I remember very little of the game other than the final out (a ground ball to second) and the fans storming the field afterward. It would appear that Dwight Gooden didn’t have his best stuff, walking 5 and allowing 6 hits (including the second MLB home run hit by rookie Rafael Palmeiro) against 8 strikeouts, but pitched the whole game nonetheless. Dennis Eckersley started for the Cubs and struck out 7 in 4 1/3 innings of work, but came out after allowing two runs in the 3rd and another in the 5th. Lenny Dykstra, Dave Magadan, Darryl Strawberry and Ray Knight all had multiple hits for the Mets.

I may have a few more to add later on, but these are the first three that come to my mind.

LENNY, LENNY

http://www.astrosdaily.com/history/1986NLCS/#Game3

October 11, 1986

It may never get better than that!

gone to Shea. I meant to go this summer, but my daddy wouldn’t let me.
Not a big deal though, I got to see Yankee Stadium. DROOOOOOOL

I have a list prepared for posting, but I will refrain from sharing until Friday. I am going to the game on Thursday against the Cubs, and it could very well be one of my favs. Who knows?

Did anyone else ever go to one? I remember going to one in, I believe, 1985. I can’t remember who they played, but it was so cool as a little kid to walk on the Shea Stadium field. Since my family and I were towards the back we came in to “boo’s” and chants of “No More Banners!”. But because were at the back a lot of the players were back in the dugout and some of them waved at me as we walked by. Not too many things are more awesome than that when you are 6 years old and a die hard Mets fan.

I wish they had brought back Banner Day for the final year at Shea.

I emailed MeiGray for the price list of Shea memorabilia that’ll be getting sold once the stadium is torn down, and – holy crap, they’re selling EVERYTHING. The World Champions flags ($50,000 each), the foul poles ($25,000 each), the retired numbers ($15,000 each), the DUGOUTS ($100,000 for the Mets dugout, $50,000 for the visitors)… lockers, stadium paneling, the Mookie flags… wow, there’s a lot.

August 30, 1968, Mets 8 Cardinals 2
This was my second Mets game. My favorite player, Tom Seaver, was pitching, and Art Shamsky hit a grand slam.

May 6, 1988, Mets 4 Reds 3
This was the week my friends & I graduated from college. Somebody came up with field box seats behind the plate from his father and drove to Shea in the rain hoping for a game. They went into the 10th tied at 2. Randy Meyers gave up a home run in the top of the inning. The Mets came up and Hernandez walked with two out. You could hear the Darryl chant coming down from the upper deck as #18 walked to the plate and Backman was sent in to run for Keith. Darryl spanked it and we all went home happy.

October 4, 2006, Mets 6 Dodgers 5
My only playoff game. I won the Mets lottery and got to sit in Section 1 — Upper Reserves one row from the top. That was the game where Lo Duca tagged two runners at home when the Dodgers made a running error. Delgado’s home run ball was recently seen by NASA’s radar orbiting the earth.

but it was probably 1969 or 1970 when the Vitalis greaseball commercial with Gary Gentry was running. Gaylord Perry was questioned by the umpire about the interesting movement on his pitches and the crowd broke into a “GREASEBALL” chant.