| 1999 New York Mets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National League Wild Card winners | ||||
| League | National League | |||
| Division | East | |||
| Ballpark | Shea Stadium | |||
| City | New York City | |||
| Record | 97–66 (.595) | |||
| Divisional place | 2nd | |||
| Owners | Nelson Doubleday Jr.,Fred Wilpon | |||
| General manager | Steve Phillips | |||
| Manager | Bobby Valentine | |||
| Television | WPIX-TV/Fox Sports New York (Ralph Kiner,Tom Seaver,Fran Healy,Howie Rose,Gary Thorne) | |||
| Radio | WFAN (Bob Murphy,Gary Cohen,Ed Coleman) WADO (Spanish) (Juan Alicea,Billy Berroa) | |||
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The1999New York Mets season was the franchise's 38th and the team's 36th season atShea Stadium. The team finished with a 97–66 record, placing second in theNational League East. They secured the NL Wild Card by defeating theCincinnati Reds in aone-game playoff. The Mets advanced to theNLCS, where they were defeated by theAtlanta Braves in six games.
The Mets were managed byBobby Valentine, who entered his fourth year as skipper. They played home games atShea Stadium.
The Mets' 97 victories were their highest total since they won 100 games in 1988. They were led offensively by catcherMike Piazza, who compiled a .303 average with 40 home runs and 124 RBI in his first full season with the team. New third basemanRobin Ventura put together a .301 average, 32 home runs, and 120 RBI while second basemanEdgardo Alfonzo hit .304 with 27 home runs and 108 RBI. First basemanJohn Olerud continued his consistent hitting, hitting .298 with 96 RBI, his third straight year with 90 or more runs driven in. Offseason acquisitionsRoger Cedeño andRickey Henderson recorded the two highest batting averages on the squad at .315 and .313 respectively.Benny Agbayani, a semi-regular outfielder who got more playing time as the year progressed, contributed 14 home runs.
The Mets' pitching staff was again led byAl Leiter with 13 wins.Orel Hershiser matched that total, withMasato Yoshii recording 12 wins andRick Reed 11. RookieOctavio Dotel went 8–3 in fourteen starts, and late season acquisitionKenny Rogers won five of six decisions while leading the team in complete games. The rotation was not as strong at keeping runs off the board; the team's four main starters recorded ERAs above 4.00.
The offseason acquisition ofArmando Benitez from theBaltimore Orioles endedJohn Franco's tenure as the team's closer. Franco did manage to record nineteen saves and broke the Major League Baseball record for saves by a left-hander, but Benitez' 1.85 ERA and twenty-two saves ensured the closer role would be his for the foreseeable future.
As part of the now-infamousTurn Ahead the Clock promotion sponsored by Century 21, the Mets changed their name to the "Mercury Mets" while hosting thePittsburgh Pirates on July 27, 1999.[6][7]
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 103 | 59 | .636 | — | 56–25 | 47–34 |
| New York Mets | 97 | 66 | .595 | 6½ | 49–32 | 48–34 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 77 | 85 | .475 | 26 | 41–40 | 36–45 |
| Montreal Expos | 68 | 94 | .420 | 35 | 35–46 | 33–48 |
| Florida Marlins | 64 | 98 | .395 | 39 | 35–45 | 29–53 |
| Team | AZ | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LAD | MIL | MON | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | — | 4–5 | 7–2 | 1–8 | 6–7 | 8–1 | 5–4 | 7–6 | 5–4 | 6–3 | 7–2 | 8–1 | 5–2 | 11–2 | 9–3 | 4–4 | 7–8 |
| Atlanta | 5–4 | — | 2–5 | 8–1 | 5–4 | 9–4 | 6–1 | 5–4 | 5–2 | 9–4 | 9–3 | 8–5 | 6–3 | 5–4 | 4–5 | 8–1 | 9–9 |
| Chicago | 2–7 | 5–2 | — | 5–8 | 4–5 | 6–3 | 3–9 | 2–7 | 6–6 | 2–5 | 3–6 | 2–7 | 7–6 | 6–3 | 1–7 | 7–5 | 6–9 |
| Cincinnati | 8–1 | 1–8 | 8–5 | — | 7–2 | 6–1 | 9–4 | 4–3 | 6–6 | 4–3 | 5–5 | 6–3 | 7–6 | 6–3 | 4–5 | 8–4 | 7–8 |
| Colorado | 7–6 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 2–7 | — | 5–4 | 2–6 | 8–5 | 6–3 | 6–3 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 2–7 | 4–9 | 4–9 | 4–5 | 4–8 |
| Florida | 1–8 | 4–9 | 3–6 | 1–6 | 4–5 | — | 2–7 | 7–2 | 5–4 | 8–4 | 3–10 | 2–11 | 3–4 | 3–6 | 4–5 | 3–4 | 11–7 |
| Houston | 4–5 | 1–6 | 9–3 | 4–9 | 6–2 | 7–2 | — | 6–3 | 8–5 | 7–2 | 4–5 | 6–1 | 5–7 | 8–1 | 5–4 | 5–7 | 12–3 |
| Los Angeles | 6–7 | 4–5 | 7–2 | 3–4 | 5–8 | 2–7 | 3–6 | — | 7–2 | 5–4 | 4–4 | 6–3 | 3–6 | 3–9 | 8–5 | 3–6 | 8–7 |
| Milwaukee | 4–5 | 2–5 | 6–6 | 6–6 | 3–6 | 4–5 | 5–8 | 2–7 | — | 5–4 | 2–5 | 5–4 | 8–4 | 3–5 | 4–5 | 7–6 | 8–6 |
| Montreal | 3–6 | 4–9 | 5–2 | 3–4 | 3–6 | 4–8 | 2–7 | 4–5 | 4–5 | — | 5–8 | 6–6 | 3–6 | 5–3 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 8–10 |
| New York | 2–7 | 3–9 | 6–3 | 5–5 | 5–4 | 10–3 | 5–4 | 4–4 | 5–2 | 8–5 | — | 6–6 | 7–2 | 7–2 | 7–2 | 5–2 | 12–6 |
| Philadelphia | 1–8 | 5–8 | 7–2 | 3–6 | 4–5 | 11–2 | 1–6 | 3–6 | 4–5 | 6–6 | 6–6 | — | 3–4 | 6–3 | 2–6 | 4–5 | 11–7 |
| Pittsburgh | 2–5 | 3–6 | 6–7 | 6–7 | 7–2 | 4–3 | 7–5 | 6–3 | 4–8 | 6–3 | 2–7 | 4–3 | — | 3–6 | 4–5 | 7–5 | 7–8 |
| San Diego | 2–11 | 4–5 | 3–6 | 3–6 | 9–4 | 6–3 | 1–8 | 9–3 | 5–3 | 3–5 | 2–7 | 3–6 | 6–3 | — | 5–7 | 2–7 | 11–4 |
| San Francisco | 3–9 | 5–4 | 7–1 | 5–4 | 9–4 | 5–4 | 4–5 | 5–8 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 2–7 | 6–2 | 5–4 | 7–5 | — | 6–3 | 7–8 |
| St. Louis | 4–4 | 1–8 | 5–7 | 4–8 | 5–4 | 4–3 | 7–5 | 6–3 | 6–7 | 4–5 | 2–5 | 5–4 | 5–7 | 7–2 | 3–6 | — | 7–8 |
| Legend | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mets Win | Mets Loss | Game Postponed |
| Bold = Mets team member | ||
| 1999 Game Log Overall: 97–66 Home: 49–32; Away: 48–34 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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April: (14–9) Home: 6–4; Away: 8–5
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May: (13–15) Home: 7–9; Away: 6–6
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June: (17–10) Home: 8–3; Away: 9–7
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July: (18–9) Home: 10–6; Away: 8–3
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August: (18–10) Home: 8–5; Away: 10–5
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September: (13–13) Home: 7–5; Away: 6–8
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October: (4–0) Home: 3–0; Away: 1–0
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| 1999 Postseason Game Log (5–5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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NL Division Series vs.Arizona Diamondbacks (3–1)
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NL Championship Series vs.Atlanta Braves (2–4)
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| 1999 New York Mets | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
| Catchers Infielders | Outfielders
Other batters | Manager Coaches
| ||||||
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Mike Piazza | 141 | 534 | 162 | .303 | 40 | 124 |
| 1B | John Olerud | 162 | 581 | 173 | .298 | 19 | 96 |
| 2B | Edgardo Alfonzo | 158 | 628 | 191 | .304 | 27 | 108 |
| 3B | Robin Ventura | 161 | 588 | 177 | .301 | 32 | 120 |
| SS | Rey Ordóñez | 154 | 520 | 134 | .258 | 1 | 60 |
| LF | Rickey Henderson | 121 | 438 | 138 | .315 | 12 | 42 |
| CF | Brian McRae | 96 | 298 | 66 | .221 | 8 | 36 |
| RF | Roger Cedeño | 155 | 453 | 142 | .313 | 4 | 36 |
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benny Agbayani | 101 | 276 | 79 | .286 | 14 | 42 |
| Darryl Hamilton | 55 | 168 | 57 | .339 | 5 | 21 |
| Todd Pratt | 71 | 140 | 41 | .293 | 3 | 21 |
| Matt Franco | 122 | 132 | 31 | .235 | 4 | 21 |
| Bobby Bonilla | 60 | 119 | 19 | .160 | 4 | 18 |
| Luis López | 68 | 104 | 22 | .212 | 2 | 13 |
| Shawon Dunston | 42 | 93 | 32 | .344 | 0 | 16 |
| Jermaine Allensworth | 40 | 73 | 16 | .219 | 3 | 9 |
| Mike Kinkade | 28 | 46 | 9 | .196 | 2 | 6 |
| Melvin Mora | 66 | 31 | 5 | .161 | 0 | 1 |
| Jay Payton | 13 | 8 | 2 | .250 | 0 | 1 |
| Terrence Long | 3 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| Jorge Toca | 4 | 3 | 1 | .333 | 0 | 0 |
| Vance Wilson | 1 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 0 | 0 |
| Shane Halter | 7 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 0 | 0 |
Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | GS | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Leiter | 32 | 32 | 213.0 | 13 | 12 | 4.23 | 162 |
| Orel Hershiser | 32 | 32 | 179.0 | 13 | 12 | 4.58 | 89 |
| Masato Yoshii | 31 | 29 | 174.0 | 12 | 8 | 4.40 | 105 |
| Rick Reed | 26 | 26 | 149.1 | 11 | 5 | 4.58 | 104 |
| Octavio Dotel | 19 | 14 | 85.1 | 8 | 3 | 5.38 | 85 |
| Kenny Rogers | 12 | 12 | 76.0 | 5 | 1 | 4.03 | 58 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Jones | 12 | 59.1 | 3 | 3 | 5.61 | 31 |
| Allen Watson | 14 | 39.2 | 2 | 2 | 4.08 | 32 |
| Jason Isringhausen | 13 | 39.1 | 1 | 3 | 6.41 | 31 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armando Benítez | 77 | 78.0 | 4 | 3 | 22 | 1.85 | 128 |
| Turk Wendell | 80 | 85.2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3.05 | 77 |
| Pat Mahomes | 39 | 63.2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3.68 | 51 |
| Dennis Cook | 71 | 63.0 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 3.86 | 68 |
| John Franco | 46 | 40.2 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 2.88 | 41 |
| Rigo Beltrán | 21 | 31.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.48 | 35 |
| Greg McMichael | 19 | 18.2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.82 | 18 |
| Josías Manzanillo | 12 | 18.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.79 | 25 |
| Billy Taylor | 18 | 13.1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8.10 | 14 |
| Chuck McElroy | 15 | 13.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.38 | 7 |
| Jeff Tam | 9 | 11.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.18 | 8 |
| Matt Franco | 2 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.50 | 2 |
| Dan Murray | 1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.50 | 1 |
| Glendon Rusch | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 |
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: GCL Mets[13]