Mets 15 Years of Fun 1976 

I came to America in 1972 as an 8 year old. I started following the Mets in 1975. I have been a fan ever since. The 1976 season was fun. It was brutal from 1977 until 1983. LGM!

1976 would be the Mets last competitive season until 1984. In fact, other than the strike year of 1981, they would lose 90+ games each year during this stretch

GREAT story. Thanks for continuing to share with the rest of us!

My first live Mets game was September, 1973 against San Diego. I cut out the milk coupons to get free tickets.

The first baseball game I ever saw in person as a boy was in 1971in Fenway Park. Skip Lockwood pitched for the Brewers against the Red Sox. I always liked Lockwood and was excited when the Red Sox signed him in 1980

Heckler at Shea to Bruce Bosclair: “Hit it with your hair dryer Bruce!”

I remember this one so well, especially after making a cassette recording of it. They loved to run these things during rain delays. Look how optimistic it seems you had to be in 1977, yet '77 was the first of several dreadful Met years!

THE BEST METS ERA EVER BAR NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I miss Shea Stadium.

76 with 86 wins was not bad but I remember them loosing last 5 games of season. An OMEN for bad things to come‼️

Pepe Mangual obtained in trade with Montreal for Wayne Garrett and Del Unser. Manager Frazier said, “we had to get the dead wood out of here”. Cold dismissive statement regarding Garrett who had served Mets well on 2 championship teams.

to quote Tom Seaver the Mets have to learn what the Yankees learned a long time ago to take care of the guys that got you there

The last ride with Seaver for awhile, 1976.

Nicest thing

John Stearns has a slight resemblance to Brian Wilson of the beach boys

I was only 9 yrs. old but the Mets were my favorites. If they only would've brought in a couple more bats to assist that remarkable trio at the top of the rotation... No one would've wanted to see Seaver, Matlack, and Kooz in those short postseason series. Too many players the likes of Roy Staiger, Pepe Mangual, and Bruce Boisclair. A young Maz, Swan and Stearns however was a really exciting trio to root for at the time. But the trading deadline of '77 put an end to any potential the mid-70s had to grow as contenders.

The Mets pitching staff in 76 had a combined ERA of 2.94, which led the Major Leagues. The Dodgers were second at 3.02. It also conceded the fewest earned runs and hits and led the Majors with 1,025 strikeouts. The rotation had Seaver, Matlack, Koosman, Mickey Lolich, and Craig Swan. The bullpen had Skip and Bob Apodaca. The team could not hit, however. It had a batting average of .246. Kingman led the club in RBIs but he only drove in 86. It also did not run; they only stole 66 bases, just Milwaukee had fewer. It looked like the team just needed some hitting and a runner for 77 but we all know what came next...

The Mets should bring back those pillbox hats.

this video is rare it has video of dave kingman actually smiling and being cordial lol

Shea - "...well maintained ballpark...", ha ha ha ha!...

Grab a YOO-HOO! and pull up a chair, everyone!

Fantastic stuff...although Skip looks like a member of Devo

Mets 86 wins obscured by Yankees success that season. Could’ve won more but Kingman foolishly dove for ball and broke his thumb.

almost no reaction to Mazzilli's walkoff homer. Much different these days

“Accessible well maintained ballpark”. Well not for long. Took new ownership and a lot of $$ to keep Shea going.

Remember dairy Lea well they were located in woodside ny

For the Mets this was the first of seven straight losing seasons from '77-'83 where if you just throw out the strike-shortened split-season of 1981 in six of the seven years the Mets averaged 96 losses and never winning more than 68 games never finishing DEAD LAST or next to last as botttom feeders on the National League East during that seven year span.

to quote Bud Harrelson March 1978 why do the Mets treat their veteran players so poorly

Koosman wins 20 for the first time

Mickey Lolich only season with the Mets in ill advised Rusty Staub trade.

There s a scene where Mazzilli hit a homer, which keeps the Pirates out of first place...Hey they do what they can. I think 76, was not bad, but what was to come? Ugh

The Mets won 86 games because of Seaver, Koosman and Matlack. The hitting was expansion team awful.

Is Skip Lockwood wearing a plastic hair hat?

1977....lol. The year they traded Tom Seaver to the Reds for a collection of junk.

Mazzilli never lived up to his potential!

“Accessible well maintained ballpark”. Well not exactly as Mets and broke NYC severely neglected Shea Stadium.

The Mets lost me when they traded the Franchise in ‘77. Grant had his evil demon Dick Young plant stories in the paper that were pro management and anti Seaver in an effort to sway the public. Tom proceeded to throw a no-hitter the next year, win a division title in ‘79 and finish a very close 2nd in Cy Young to Fernandomania in ’81.

There were few "winners' at Shea in 1977

Hey Don Grant -spend some money on a free agent, you bum.

Mangual

That music has to go!

Just a couple of better bats and the Mets would have won it all. Their pitching staff was unreal.