Reversal of Misfortune...A Mets Dynasty

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Think we're gonna take a swing at one of these. How can you not???? Nearly a HOF reunion!

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Maybe not the smartest move (because we were actually fishing for Nolan Ryan) but the Mets settle for acquiring The Franchise as Tom Seaver departs Houston for Queens.

Gotta give up a lot to get a alot, so we bid farewell to Rollie Fingers, the reigning Fireman of the Year in the National League, but have Bruce Sutter waiting in the wings. We also have a wealth of OFs but didn't make it any easier to part ways with Willie Crawford, a force in our title runs.

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During the run of success, the Mets have avoided significant injuries but it only took four games for New York to get an in-your-face introduction into long-range adversity.

Between losing CF Ron LeFlore for 4-5 weeks with a strained groin and reigning NL MVP Joe Morgan being shelved for 4-5 months after tearing ligaments in his ankle, the Mets have been forced into reshuffling the deck.

Ken Griffey, who opened the year in right field, shifts to left while Jimmy Wynn slides from left to center and Reggie Smith returns to right, eliminating a platoon between he and Cecil Cooper. Manny Trillo will take over responsibilities at second base.

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Because we could use he and Queen to serenade Mets' fans with "Another One Bites The Dust."

It's only a week but 3B George Brett has a mild abdominal strain, but he's listed as day-to-day. Mets are treading water at 4-5 but to lose three starters in the first two weeks of the season is not the way to set out defense of the title.

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As of May 15, 1976, the Mets are tied atop the NL East with the Pirates.



There are some tough decisions ahead which will change the look of the big club. The following staples are in their walk year...

LHP Steve Carlton
LHP Wilbur Wood
LHP Vida Blue
RHP Nelson Briles
OF Reggie Smith
OF Jimmy Wynn

Already have a good idea who we will attempt to re-sign and who we will bid farewell to.

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Happy we could come to an agreement with both LHP Steve Carlton and LHP Vida Blue on long-term extensions.

Carlton is locked up with a six-year, $4.2 million deal. Worked him down from $6.6 while Blue signed for six years at $6.2 million, also chipped down from his starting point of a 10-year contract.

Honestly, Blue has been far more effective in his tenure with the Mets compared to Carlton, which is both surprising and a bit disappointing.

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A sprained ankle has steered C Johnny Bench to the 15-day IL. Mets recall C Buck Martinez from Tidewater while Brian Downing will assume the daily chores behind the dish for the next two weeks.

In the meantime, a quick peak at the standings as of June 4 reveals the Mets a game up on Pittsburgh after dropping a 4-3 decision to the Cubs.

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The Mets welcome C Johnny Bench back from the IL...just in time to say bon voyage to 3B George Brett, who heads to the IL for seven weeks with a torn quad.

And, the hits keep coming!!

We are a 1/2 game back as of June 20, 1976

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Give it up to the resilient '76 Mets. The front office sends a message it's willing to spend to contend by signing RHP Tom Seaver for seven years at $6.84 million.

The news apparently reverberated through the clubhouse and onto the diamond as the Mets win 10 straight and 11 of 12 to open up a bit of a cushion on the Pirates in the NL East.



During the streak...

• LHP Wilbur Wood goes 3-0 with three shutouts and raises his season mark to 9-6.

• Brian Downing goes 6-for-9 in first three games, holding down the fort in the absence of Johnny Bench

• Mets welcome back Bench and George Brett from the IL

• Tom Seaver and Vida Blue each go 2-0

Offensive numbers...


Pitching numbers...

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Mets come out of the All-Star break on fire, fashioning a five-game win streak. However, July ended in a crashing manner as New York dropped 8 of 11 and now finds itself looking up in the NL East.

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Mets close out the '76 regular season by putting away Montreal and Pittsburgh in late-season showdowns to wrap up another NL East crown.

New York will head to the playoffs to tangle with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Mets seize Game 1 of the NLCS behind a three-hit shutout from Vida Blue. The left-hander through six no-hit innings before Pete Rose led off the bottom of the seventh with a single.

Joe Morgan backed a triple by Ron LeFlore with an RBI single to open the scoring in the fourth and George Brett added a run-scoring base knock in the eighth for insurance.

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Mets once again show their resiliency, rallying from a three-run deficit in the sixth and shaking off a blown save in the ninth to outlast the Dodgers, 6-5, in 10 innings to seize a 2-0 series lead in the NLCS.

Reggie Smith drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the 10th to snap the deadlock and Nelson Briles yielded a leadoff walk to Pete Rose in the bottom half before retiring the next three batters to seal the win.

Tom Seaver was touched by Ben Oglivie for a three-run homer in the fifth that gave Los Angeles a 4-1 advantage. New York responded by scoring four times in the sixth, all with two outs.

Smith laced a two-run single and George Brett delivered a base hit that scored two more to put the Mets up, 5-4.

Stan Swanson came through for LA with a two-out, pinch-hit RBI single in the 10th off Dave LaRoche to know the score at 5-5.

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Yes, Reggie Smith was indeed the Mets' version of Mr. October. Smith stamped the exclamation point on the Amazins' three-game sweep of Los Angeles in the 1976 NLCS, launcing a pair of home runs and accounting for every RBI in a 5-1 triumph.

The win sends the defending world champion Mets back to the Fall Classic for an unfathomable seventh consecutive season, in search of their fifth title.

The Mets will face the Oakland A's, who topped Boston, 7-3, in Game 5 to advance to the World Series.New York will host Game 1, featuring Vida Blue for New York opposite Dave Goltz.

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Unreal....simply unreal.

Undertook this dynasty with a distinctive advantage...knowing now what they didn't know then. Built our organization around some of the absolute best players of the '60s and '70s and the payoff has been far greater than I ever imagined.

I just wanted to see if I could match - and mayber surpass - the two World Series crowns the Mets have won since 1962. Instead, the crew we've built has obliterated such modest dreams

By wiping out the Oakland A's in five games, the Mets won their fifth World Series in seven years.

Game 1
Vida Blue twirls a three-hitter and Warren Cromartie delivers in clutch with a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth as Mets walk it off, 2-1.


Game 2
Tom Seaver spins four-hit shutout, Ken Griffey singles home a pair in a three-run second and Mets cruise, 5-0.


Game 3
A's get a game back in Oakland, make things interesting...for the moment.


Game 4
Steve Carlton embodies his "Lefty' persona, fanning 10 against four hits and a walk in a 5-0 shutout victory. Remember when Carlton walked 10 in a Game 7 loss in '74 World Series?


Game 5
Johnny Bench slugged a two-run homer in the fourth to stake Mets to a 4-0 cushion and Vida Blue battles through subpar stuff to notch his second win in the series. Mets win the world title with 5-2 triumph.

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We still have some marquee dudes we need to re-sign...Bench, Morgan come to mind. We have to weigh our options on others...Reggie Smith (an absolute hero in the '76 playoffs), Wilbur Wood.

We have to examine our roster and prepare for an expansion draft as the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays prime for the inaugural seasons in 1977.

Plus, Rule 5 and MLB Draft. Gonna be real interesting to see what we look like in the spring.

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C Johnny Bench earns his third straight Gold Glove behind the dish.

Dave LaRoche wins NL Fireman of the Year


Ron LeFlore, who swiped 58 bags, was named NL Rookie of the Year


Vida Blue named NL Cy Young Award winner

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Mets bid farewell to assistant GM Konrad Fisher, who took the GM position with the expansion Toronto Blue Jays.

Mets signed Andy Valentine to replace Fisher.

Mets have also locked up 2B Joe Morgan and LHP Wilbur Wood to multi-year deals.

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Mets ink C Johnny Bench to a long-term deal