Moustacheiverssary

For whatever reason, this year there have been multiple notices about how today is the anniversary of the legendary Bobby Valentine "Moustache" game. I'm not quite certain why this year it's getting more attention, since it's only the 18th Anniversary, but on the other hand, as the game of June 9th, 1999 is and forever will be a Ballclub Favorite, I'm more than happy to take the time and remember it. In fact, the revelation that Robin Ventura was heavily involved in aiding and abetting Valentine in this ruse just makes it all the more enjoyable.

We at The Ballclub consider the Bobby Valentine era to be one of the peaks in Mets history and this specific game was one of its highlights. In the nascent days of this blog, I did give the game of June 9, 1999 a full treatment so, if you will, step into the wayback machine, across the street to Shea Stadium...

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Lost Classics: June 9, 1999

I was reading about the one-year anniversary of SNY over at Faith and Fear, and the guys over there were talking about the Mets Classics, the old games they have rerun. And rerun. And rerun some more. In fact, just this evening, I was watching yet another replay of Game 7 of the '86 Series. Yes, they warm the heart. But the Mets have a rich tradition of classic games. Interesting games. Games that make you scratch your head, and games that just make you proud to be a Mets fan. But only a handful of Mets Classics are ever seen on SNY. You can rattle them off pretty easily: The Clincher from '86. All the Playoff and World Series wins from '86. The Clincher from '88. Leiter's gem in the '99 Play-In game. Mike Piazza's HR after 9/11. And a smattering of "Instant Classics" from the '06 season.

Yes, new games are on the slate for the upcoming season. Games from '69 and '73.

Many still are simply forgotten. Lost in the annals of time except for people like us who remember them, who were there, or watching on TV. Games indelibly burned into our memories.

Flash back with me, if you will, for one such game.

It is June 9, 1999. A steamy, humid Wednesday night in what will become a magical season for the Mets. Not 5 days earlier, with the team mired in a 7 game losing streak, Manager Bobby Valentine had called for his own head if the team didn't improve over the next 55 games, to the tune of a 40-15 record. Since then, the Mets had not lost, winning the finale over the Yankees in the Bronx, and taking the first two games of a three game series over the Toronto Blue Jays at Shea. This night was the finale. In a season that will see me eventually attend 30 games, I am in attendance on this night, sitting in Mezzanine section 2, row A. Keeping score, as I always do.

A 7:40 curtain at Shea, featuring a pitching matchup of Rick Reed and David Wells.












It is apparent early on that Wells has his best stuff this evening. He strikes out Alfonzo and Olerud in the first. The Blue Jays jump on top on a leadoff HR from Catcher Darrin Fletcher leading off the top of the 2nd. In the 3rd, it's future Met Carlos Delgado doubling home Craig Grebeck with the Jays' second run. Former lazy Met Tony Fernandez will lace a single to right to follow that up. But Roger Cedeno charges the ball, and his throw home to Piazza is true, and well in time to nail Delgado at the plate. Jose Cruz, Jr pops a solo HR with 1 out in the 4th. 3-0 Jays.

Although Reed will continue to weave in and out of trouble for most of his 6 innings of work, he's fortunate to depart after laboring through 6 innings only trailing 3-0. 10 hits and 2 walks, but he's helped out by some stellar defensive efforts. It's not surprising, the infield behind him would do it all season long. In the 4th, Shannon Stewart is robbed on a diving stop up the middle by Alfonzo. In the 6th, he's robbed in the hole by Ordonez.

It is Turk Wendell taking over for the Mets in the 7th and turning in two strong innings. Dennis Cook will follow him in the top of the 9th and retire the Jays in order.

But the Mets haven't been able to touch Wells at all. Through 8 innings, only 4 hits, all singles. Wells has 6 Ks and no walks. And as he gets Henderson to ground to 3rd to start the last of the 9th, much of the sparse crowd of 18,254 begins to depart. Alfonzo singles to center, bringing about a faint murmur. But Olerud follows by hitting a comebacker to Wells, who goes to second to force out Alfonzo. 2 outs. But Piazza singles to right, moving Olerud to 3rd. Still, a faint murmur. It's a lefty/lefty situation with Ventura coming up. Not the best of odds.

But it is a different Robin Ventura this year. Ventura was a solid, if flawed 3Bman over 10 seasons with the Chicago White Sox. But he signed with the Mets before this 1999 season, spurning offers from hometown teams in California. After a slow start, Ventura caught fire, beginning with a doubleheader against the Brewers on May 20th that saw him blast Grand Slams in both games. He is embarking on a career year that will by season's end see him hit .302, with 32 HRs and 120 RBIs. He will win a Gold Glove for his efforts at Third Base. And he will deliver one of the most memorable hits in Mets History in October.

And, on this night, he will battle David Wells. He will work the count. He will foul off 2-strike pitch after 2-strike pitch. Piazza will steal second during the sequence. And then Robin will rip a clean single to center, scoring Olerud and Piazza, and cutting the Jays' lead to 3-2. Wells will depart for the evening. Ventura will as well, as Luis Lopez enters to pinch run. Robin has done his job. Now the need is for speed. And Brian McRae will bat against rookie closer Billy Koch.

And McRae will drill a shot down the left field line, down into the corner.

"SCORE LUIS! SCORE LUIS! SCORE LUIS!" I yell repeatedly as Lopez motors all the way around the bases, scoring without a throw. It's a double for McRae. Game tied.

And the evening was just beginning to get interesting.

Koch would get out of the 9th, sending the game into extra innings. Cook continued for the Mets in the 10th, retiring the Jays in order once again. Against Koch, the Mets will go quietly in their half. John Franco enters for the 11th. He will allow a leadoff single to Fernandez, but Fletcher hits into a nifty 4-6-3 double play. More infield defense.

As the clock ticked later on into the night, and the midweek crowd dwindled, the second subplot of the evening began to take hold.

The New York Knicks, led by Allan Houston and Larry Johnson, were in the midst of a miraculous run to the NBA Finals. This night, they are in Indiana, playing the hated Pacers in game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The series, tied 2-2, had to that point been a tense, taut battle, highlighted by a miraculous 4-point play scored by Larry Johnson in Game 3. It has been a back-and-forth battle most of the evening, with the Knicks hanging on to a slim lead in the 4th quarter. This as the Mets and Jays are headed to the 12th inning. Many fans have the game on radios, and the scoreboard has been giving updates throughout the evening.

It is the 12th inning when the game takes its oddest turn.

Pat Mahomes has taken over for the Mets. He allows a 1-out single to Shannon Stewart. With Grebeck batting, Stewart takes off for second. Grebeck swings through the pitch, but Piazza throws Stewart out at second.

Or so we think.

Home plate umpire Randy Marsh awards Grebeck first base. Seems he hit Piazza's glove with his swing. Catcher's interference is the call. Error on Piazza.

Cue Bobby Valentine.

Valentine will storm out of the dugout and blow his stack at Marsh. Marsh will get in Bobby's face. Bobby is ejected. And then he really lets Marsh have it. He starts flailing his arms, bobbing his head and screaming so loudly he can be heard in the Mezzanine. The crowd loves it. "BOBBY! BOBBY! BOBBY!" is the chant. Finally, Valentine screams his peace, and retreats to the clubhouse.

Mahomes will get Jacob Brumfield to pop out, and strike out Delgado to get out of the jam.

In the top of the 13th, it's Olerud coming up with a stellar diving stop on a smash by Fletcher, turning a 3-6-3 double play to end another Jays threat.

In the last of the 13th, against future Met Graeme Lloyd, the Mets will get Henderson on to lead off, but strand him. The crowd is jovial as Piazza bats with 2 outs. "M-I-K-E, MIKE! MIKE! MIKE!" is the chant, mocking the J-E-T-S chant. Mike strikes out.

But cheers erupt from the crowd. As the fans with the radios already know, and the scoreboard is about to tell us, the Knicks have emerged victorious, a 101-94 win on the road to tilt the series in their favor. They will win Game 6 that Friday night as well, to beat the Pacers and move on to the Finals.

It is around this point, that the most infamous moment of the game occurs. Though it is lost to those in the stands, who cannot see into the Mets dugout, there is, caught by the cameras, a gentleman with an odd pair of glasses and a fake moustache in a Mets T-shirt who has appeared in the dugout. It's Bobby. Donning the Groucho Marx disguise, he has snuck back into the dugout following his ejection to see the end of the game. The Moustache will become legendary in Mets, and Bobby V's lore.

By the 14th, I'm exhausted. It is not uncommon, as games such as this carry on past midnight, for me to begin to root for anyone to score, out of delirium. The Jays do not score in their half of the 14th. Tom Davey begins the bottom of the 14th for the Jays. He walks Lopez. He walks McRae. Davey is pulled for ageless lefty Dan Plesac. Cedeno lays down the sacrifice, moving Lopez to 3rd. The Jays pull the infield and outfield in as Ordonez steps to the plate.

I'm screaming for a fly ball. Something to get that run home.

"YES!!!" I scream as Ordonez delivers. A long fly ball to left, over Brumfield, landing softly in left field, as Lopez trots home with the winning run. A most gratifying winning run, capping off a memorable comeback victory for the Mets. And not a moment too soon, at 12:16AM, capping off 4 hours and 33 minutes of baseball. Thrilling, well-played baseball. The kind that the Mets will play all summer long, as they fulfill their Manager's promise and embark on the 40-15 stretch that will eventually land them in the Playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons.

A blip in the larger picture, but a game that is well worthy of a Mets Classic.

50 Years in Cards: 1979

Part 18 of our 50-Year vote for the All Star Team...

What is it: 1979 Topps #428, Bobby Valentine

What makes it interesting: The '79s are another rather bland effort from Topps, although their classic "Giant T" logo is in full display. The Mets team set from this season doesn't feature any especially notable cards, although it does include Jerry Koosman's final card with the Mets.

As a player, Bobby Valentine was supposed to be great. Unfortunately, his career was derailed by a gruesome leg injury in 1973 that sapped him of his speed, but not of his heart and thirst for the game. His days as a player were spent mostly as a journeyman and his contributions to the Mets were minimal. In his season and a half with the Mets, he barely hit, and was released in Spring Training of 1979 (and given how thin the Mets were in '79, this should speak for itself).

Bobby's greater contributions to the Mets would, obviously, come after his playing days were done. He returned as a coach in the early 1980s, before being hired to manage the Texas Rangers in May, 1985. At just 35, he was one of the youngest managers in the game. He lasted 7 seasons with the Rangers, and although he did improve a moribund franchise, the Rangers never tasted much in the way of success. He would return to the Mets as a Minor League Manager, sandwiching two seasons in AAA ball around a year in Japan. But, with the Mets floundering late in the 1996 season, Bobby was given the call to replace Dallas Green as Manager, and this would usher in one of the most exciting eras in Mets History.

During his 6+ seasons as Mets Manager, the Mets would go from nobodies to Championship contenders, almost overnight. In 1997, a team with no breakaway stars rose from the doledrums to 88 wins, contending for the Wildcard up until the final week of the season. 1998 saw the arrival of Mike Piazza, but although the '98 Mets appeared ready to build on the progress of '97, a final week collapse sunk them. It wasn't until 1999 that Valentine and the Mets finally broke through. In a year that the Mets put forth what was probably their finest offensive team, Valentine finally got a taste of the Playoffs. Despite a slow start and another late swoon that nearly sunk them, the Mets would embark on a wild ride that took them all the way to the NLCS against the Braves. A year later, the Mets broke through that barrier, as Valentine and the Mets made it to the World Series. Along the way, Valentine provided numerous entertaining moments and endless controversy, but he always got the best effort out of his players. Players such as Benny Agbayani, Butch Huskey, Jay Payton, Timo Perez, Pat Mahomes, Roger Cedeno and numerous others would flourish under Valentine, and each would find their own niche on his teams.

Valentine would also prove a leader off the field. He spearheaded relief efforts in the Shea Stadium parking lot in the aftermath of September 11th. As a restaurateur, he claims to have invented the wrap sandwich in 1980. Although his tenure with the Mets ended badly, he would eventually return to Japan to manage the Chiba Lotte Marines, and in 2005 led them to their first Japan Series Championship in 31 years. His success there made him a national celebrity, and endorsements such as his own Hamburger and Beer would follow. Currently, Valentine manages the Boston Red Sox, where we all wish him well. He seems as prickly as ever. I'm sure he would have it no other way.

Card Back:

Happy Valentine Day (Revisited)!

It's a little known fact that Bobby Valentine invented, or at least claims to have invented the Wrap Sandwich at his Stamford, CT restaurant. This video, found here, features our own beloved Bobby V talking about his discovery. As always, on Valentine's day, it's only proper to tip our cap to the only Valentine the Mets fan really needs.

Happy Valentine's Day!

On this day, it's my belief that this is really the only Valentine we need.

He's Not A Real Yankee, Anyway

I have to admit that I was relieved when I heard that Bobby Valentine was not going to be considered to replace Joe Torre as Yankees Manager. My fear was that, in reality, he was probably the one best equipped for the job, combining an ability to handle the spotlight, focus the pressure off his players and deal with the buffoons of the New York Media like a pro, which he did so well when he was managing the Mets. He also made the Mets fun to watch and root for again, after so many down years in the early 90s. Although by the end of his tenure with the Mets, the team had returned to a state of ineptitude, but that was more a reflection of the reactionary nature of Steve Phillips moreso than poor managing by Bobby.

So, Bobby went off to Japan, where he was before he came to the Mets in 1996, and as we all know, he has become a cult hero with the fans, managing former Mets players such as Benny Agbayani and Matt Franco, and winning the Japan series title in 2005. The only remnants of his life here is the legacy of his time with the Mets, and his restaurants dotted across Connecticut. He even has his own hamburger, his own blog, and for all I know, he could be marketing his own line of fake moustaches. And from what I'm told, he's paid like a rock star. But there's nothing comparable to managing in the Major Leagues, and he always had that out clause in his contract to return to America if the right position came along.

It almost happened in 2006, after Jim Tracy had been fired by the Dodgers. The Dodgers were Bobby's team, way back when. His roots with Dodger legend Tommy Lasorda ran deep. But the call never came.

But now, with the Yankees having essentially lowballed Torre in order to push him out the door, the whispers and the calls for Bobby returned. Don't forget how much Bobby had been reviled by the press after his firing in 2002. Many, myself included, felt he had been given a bad rap, and deserved a better fate. I'll always remember him for building the team back up, and making them respectable again, after they were nowhere. He took a team that would have been lucky to not lose 90 games in 1997 and finished 88-74. He took an outfield of Jay Payton, Benny Agbayani and Timo Perez to the World Series. He helped galvanize the city after 9/11. Bobby should be remembered as one of the most loved and revered figures in Mets history. But to see him come and manage the Yankees would have stuck in my throat. That is something I never want to see.

Yanks have little interest in Bobby Valentine [ESPN.com]

Also of note, how hilarious is it that Yankee fan #1, Iron-fisted tyrant Rudy Giuliani, is backing the Red Sox? I don't know what's funnier. That he's publicly announced it, or how badly he's being skewered by the media for saying it.