Mets fans are understandably disappointed that the 2020 season is on an indefinite hiatus. But just because there won’t be any live baseball action for a while doesn’t mean fans can’t relive the most exciting moments from the past.
In this difficult time of social distancing and self-quarantining, these are some of the best Mets videos currently available on YouTube.
All 53 Pete Alonso Home Runs from 2019
We’ve gone over five months without a Pete Alonso home run, and I’m starting to experience some serious withdrawal symptoms. If you’re like me and have an urgent desire to see Alonso crush colossal dingers to the far reaches of various ballparks, this YouTube video has you covered.
This video is a reminder that Alonso not only led the majors in home runs last season; he also hit the most impressive homers of anyone in the game. Watch all 53 of Alonso’s rookie homers in order and you’ll notice that there are almost no “cheapies” to be found. The Polar Bear’s home runs traveled an average distance of 414 feet, a figure eclipsed by only six players that year.
Among the amazin’ Alonso homers you’ll get to relive are two splashdowns in Atlanta, the “majestic bomb” that he hit at San Diego’s Petco Park, and the 474-foot moonshot that he clobbered in Minnesota to break out of his second-half slump.
Click to watch here
Wilmer Flores Night
Believe it or not, Wilmer Flores is the Mets all-time leader in walk-off RBIs. The legend of “Walk-off Wilmer” was born during the 2015 season, just days after it was reported that Flores had been traded to Milwaukee in a deal for outfielder Carlos Gómez.
Flores’s tear-strewn visage upon learning of the reported deal struck a chord with Mets fans, who valued his undying loyalty to the organization. But concerns over the health of Gómez hip caused the deal to fall through, and Flores remained a Met through the trade deadline.
Two days after crying on the field, Wilmer Flores brought the Flushing Faithful to tears by beating the Nationals with a 12th-inning home run. Everything about this clip, from Flores tugging at the Mets logo on his jersey to Ron Darling’s astute comment about “tears of joy,” evokes warm memories of the magical 2015 season.
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The Endy Chávez Catch
The 2006 season was Gary Cohen’s first as the Mets play-by-play man on SNY. When the Mets reached the playoffs that year, Cohen returned to the radio booth to call a few innings for each game. He just so happened to be behind the mic in Game 7 of the NLCS when Endy Chávez leaped over the left-field wall to rob Scott Rolen of a go-ahead homer.
Cohen’s ecstatic reaction remains one of his finest moments, and his declaration that “Endy Chávez saves the day!” will forever be associated with this gravity-defying catch.
Click to watch here
Mike Piazza’s Post-9/11 Home Run
This video never loses its emotional impact, no matter how many times I re-watch it. In the immediate aftermath of September 11th, the nation was still figuring out how to proceed with everyday life. Sports, which had always been a necessary distraction from traumatic events, seemed trivial in the wake of such profound devastation.
On the night of September 21st, 2001, Mike Piazza demonstrated how sports can play a key role in helping a nation overcome its collective grief. In the very first professional sporting event held in New York since 9/11, Piazza hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning to beat the Braves.
When Piazza belted this home run, New York felt a sense of triumph that had been absent following the terrorist attacks.
Click to watch here
Let’s Go Mets Go
If you knew absolutely nothing about the 1986 Mets, you could still get a sense of their clubhouse culture from watching this classic hype video.
This was a high-spirited, freewheeling bunch of personalities that played hard and partied even harder. They weren’t content just beating their opponents; they wanted to pummel them into submission. When this blend of talented ballplayers and wacky characters joined forces, they dominated the National League and had a blast while doing so.
That sense of fun is evident throughout “Let’s Go Mets Go,” which served as the anthem of that championship-winning ballclub. In addition to on-field highlights from the ‘86 season, this video includes juggling, outrageous wigs, and cameos from celebrities like Howard Stern and Gene Shalit.
These Mets were the talk of the town, and “Let’s Go Mets Go” offers a glimpse into their unprecedented level of popularity.
Click to watch here
Mookie Wilson’s Entire Last At-Bat: Game 6 of the 1986 World Series
Every baseball fan knows how this at-bat ends. Mookie Wilson hits a dribbler down the first base line, only for Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner to inexplicably let the ball roll through his legs. Ray Knight scores from second base with the game-winning run, and the Mets force a decisive Game 7 of the World Series.
The grounder was the culmination of a ten-pitch, four-minute at-bat, the entirety of which you can watch on YouTube.
The at-bat is worth watching for the suspenseful buildup to the iconic climax, as well as Vin Scully’s flawless play-by-play. The at-bat is a case study in how an unpredictable series of events can determine the outcome of a baseball game.
Click to watch here
Searle’s Final Say
Mets fans won’t get to see another Jacob deGrom gem, Pete Alonso home run, or Jeff McNeil hit for quite some time, so we’ll have to make do by rewatching our favorite clips from the past. The Amazin’s have long brought us joy, so it’s only natural that their absence has left many of us feeling lonelier than usual. Rather than sinking into depression, we should use this period to celebrate the amazin’ moments that make us proud to support this franchise.
