1997
From The Met Wiki
In 1997, the Mets had their first winning record in seven years. The team won 88 games wile losing 74 for the season. They finished in third place in the National League Eastern Division.
Contents |
April
The Mets began the '97 season with 12 wins and 14 losses in April. The team had a 3-6 won-lost record on the west coast to start the year and followed with three straight defeats to the Giants at Shea Stadium. On April 15, the Mets recorded a 5-0 win over the Dodgers at Shea as the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's major league debut was commemerated. They concluded their initial home stand of the season with 7-2 and 10-2 wins over the Reds on April 22 and April 23, respectively. Qn April 30, the Mets ended the month with a 6-2 victory over the Padres at Shea for their fourth straight win.
May
Things turned around for the Mets in May. They had an 18-9 record for a .667 winning percentage. After splitting four games at home to start the month, the Mets won five of seven on an ensuing road trip. At Shea on May 19, the team chalked up a 4-3 triumph over the Rockies for its fourth win on a six-game home stand. The Mets went 5-3 at Florida, Philadelphia and Montreal between May 20 and May 28. They ended the month with a pair of wins over the Phillies at Shea. The Mets stood third in the N. L. East, six games behind the first-place Braves.
June
In June, the Mets continued to win. The team posted a 15-12 record for the month to go further above the break-even mark. After winning three of five at Shea to start the month, the Mets dropped three of five on the road at Cincinnati and Chicago. During their first period of regular season interleague play, they recorded a 6-0 victory over the Yankees on June 16. The Mets swept a four-game series against the Pirates at Shea from June 19 to June 22. The team followed up with a pair of wins over the Braves at Shea. The Mets won two of three games at Pittsburgh on the final weekend of the month. With a 45-35 season record, the team found itself tied with the Expos for third in the division.
July
The Mets posted another winning record in July. The team had 15 wins and 11 defeats for the month. The Mets stopped a four-game losing streak with three straight wins over the Marlins at Shea from July 4 to July 6. Following the All-Star Break, they won three of four games at Atlanta. The Mets had a five-game winning streak between July 17 and July 21. On a month-ending west coast trip, the team won four of eight games. Although still third in the division, the Mets were one game behind the Wild Card-leading Marlins.
August
The Mets struggled in August. They won only 13 of their 29 games during the month. After starting August by losing two of three at Houston, the Mets split eight games against the Rockies and Astros on an ensuing home stand. They dropped four of six at St. Louis and Colorado from August 12 to August 17. Against the west coast teams at Shea, the Mets won four and lost five between August 19 and August 27. The team won two of three at Baltimore to close out the month. The Mets had fallen to seven games behind the Marlins in the National League Wild Card race.
September
The Mets got back on the winning track in September. They won 15 games and had a .556 percentage for the month. The Mets swept a three-game series against the Blue Jays at Shea from September 1 to September 3. Against the Expos on September 11, the team recorded a 9-5 win as John Olerud hit for the cycle. The Mets pulled off an amazing comeback for a 9-6 victory over the Expos in 11 innings at Shea on September 13. They ended a five-game skid with three straight wins at Florida between September 20 and September 22. The Mets won three of five against the Padres and Braves at Shea to close out the season. The team ended up thirteen games behind the division-winning Braves and four games in back of the Wild Card Marlins.
Award Winners
- Rey Ordonez won a National League Gold Glove Award
- Keith Hernandez was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame
