1988 New York Mets

1988 New York Mets / Franchise: New York Mets / BR Team Page

Record: 100-60, Finished 1st in NL Eastern Division (1988 NL)

Clinched Division: September 22, 1988, vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Managed by Davey Johnson

Coaches: Bud Harrelson, Greg Pavlick, Sam Perlozzo, Bill Robinson and Mel Stottlemyre

Ballpark: Shea Stadium

History, Comments, Contributions

The 1988 New York Mets opened their season on the road facing the Montreal Expos at Stade Olympique on April 4th. It was the first time that the Expos had opened their season at home, thanks to the recent completion of the stadium's roof, only a decade behind schedule. A crowd of some 55,000 witnessed the Mets hit 6 homers on their way to a 10-6 win that day. The homers included a titanic blast by Darryl Strawberry off Randy St. Claire that hit the stadium's technical ring just below the newly-installed roof; in a more conventional stadium, the ball likely would have traveled well over 500 feet, but it was hit so hard and so high that the television cameras could not capture it, and all that is left is the awed memory of those who witnessed it in person.

The Mets set an attendance record by attracting 3,047,724 fans to Shea Stadium. It was the highest attendance ever by any New York team, and the record would hold for a decade until passed by the 1999 New York Yankees. The huge attendance was the result of the team being clearly the class of the National League that year, winning 100 games against just 60 losses. They were overwhelming favorites entering the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had won 94 games, but were upset in an event-packed seven-game series. That series loss marked a turning point in team history as the team would fall back in the standings over the following seasons, and make increasingly desperate moves in order to re-capture the magic of the mid-1980s, without success.

Awards and Honors

• All-Stars: Gary Carter, David Cone, Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry
• NL Gold Glove: Keith Hernandez (1B)
• NL Silver Slugger Award: Darryl Strawberry (OF)

Further Reading

• Gary Belleville: "April 4, 1988: Darryl Strawberry blasts 525-foot homer off Olympic Stadium service ring," SABR Baseball Games Project.
• 2022 New York Mets Media Guide, pg. 379

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NL Championship Series (4-3) Dodgers over Mets

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