Amazing Away Games: Wrigley Field. Another Opening Day Victory, and Jesse's First of 1,252

There are few sure things in baseball. Cal Ripken is going to play today. The Yankees will finish over .500. And the Mets will win on Opening Day. And they will look absolutely unbeatable in doing so.

The Mets have the best record on Opening Day. Their winning percentage of .646 is an entire 46 points over the second place Mariners. It's even more incredible when you consider the Mets lost their first 8. Since then, they have won 41 of 55. That's a .745 winning percentage! To put that in perspective, it's like a team winning 121 games in a 162 game season!

April 5, 1979. Mets 10, Chicago Cubs 6.

The year 1979 was the beginning of a new regime for the Mets. Well, maybe not the beginning, more like the end. Joan Payson's daughter, Lorinda de Roulet, had inherited a team she had no interest in. The one positive move in her favor, was finally firing Board Chairman M. Donald Grant. It was Grant who was responsible for trading away Rusty Staub, Nolan, Ryan, Amos Otis, and Tom Seaver, among many others. By 1979, the only long time Met left was Ed Kranepool, about to embark on his final season at only 34.

It was Grant who decided not to pick obvious # 1 pick in the 1966 draft, Reggie Jackson, instead opting for a player that never made it, Steve Chilcott. The accepted reason for not drafting Mr. October? Grant didn't like that Reggie was dating out of his race!

The Mets Opening Day starter was a no brainer for Manager Joe Torre. Craig Swan lead the league in ERA (2.43) in 1978. He only was 9-6 because, no surprise, the Mets didn't hit for him. Insert your favorite Mets starter's name in that last sentence. Jacob deGrom might have already had his Hall of Fame ticket punched if the Mets hit for him. My father would say that Seaver would have won 400 games if he was always on the Big Red Machine.

The game started quickly for the Mets. With one out, Kelvin Chapman singled. Chapman was making his major league debut at second base. Chapman played only 35 games in 1979, before disappearing for 5 years! He resurfaced in that wonderful year of 1984 and became a key member of the team, batting .289 in about 200 at bats. After hitting .174 in 1985, he was gone from the majors forever.

The next batter, Richie Hebner, also singled. Hebner, making his Mets debut also, was a key bat the Mets were glad to have. Richie, who dug graves in the off-season, was previously a member of the Pittsburgh Pirate Lumber Company and was the starting first baseman on two Phillies division winning teams. When Philly signed Pete Rose over the winter, Hebner no longer had a place on the team.

Catcher John Stearns hit a sacrifice fly to center, and the Mets had a first inning lead.

Swan's first inning wasn't smooth either. Shortstop Ivan DeJesus lead off with a double and eventually scored on a single by outfielder Dave Kingman. Kingman was in his first at bat in what would be his best season in the majors. He topped the league with 48 homers and hit, for him, an incredible .288.

The next score came in in third inning for Chicago. Second baseman Ted Sizemore singled and came around on another RBI hit by Kingman, this time a double. The Mets tied it quickly on a long homer to right by Hebner off Cub ace Rick Reuschel.

The Mets took the lead for good in the 5th on an RBI single by Chapman and a two run double for Hebner. Hebner was already 3-3 by the fifth and this young Mets fan was salivating at the thought of a clutch hitter in the middle of the lineup!

Kingman blasted a typical tape measure shot off Swan in the sixth.

The Mets scored 5 in the 7th to put the game away. After Reuschel put a few men on, reliever Willie Hernandez entered. Hernandez would later win the Cy Young and MVP with the World Champion Tigers in 1984! He was always a decent reliever, but he pitched in 80 games that year, throwing 140 innings to a 1.92 ERA. Most of his 32 saves were multiple innings.

Hernandez only faced three hitters in this game. He gave up another RBI double to Hebner, walked Stearns intentionally, and gave up a hit to first baseman Willie Montanez.

Reliever Donnie Moore was next. Moore would become an All-Star with the Angels, and after giving up huge hits in the playoffs, took his own life at the age of 35. A terrifying end for a solid 13-year veteran.

Steve Henderson, Elliott Maddox, and Doug Flynn would get the RBIs off Moore. Maddox, a gifted outfielder, would play much of his three Mets seasons out of position at third. Flynn, the eventual 1980 Gold Glove winner at second base, started the year out of position at short. This out of position Mets garbage has been going on for a long time. Howard Johnson? Juan Samuel? Lee Mazzilli? Brett Baty? Mark Vientos? When will it end?

Swan finished 8 innings, only giving up the three runs and striking out three. He scattered only four hits after Kingman's double in the third.

Dwight Bernard was brought into mop up in a 10-3 game, but we all know nothing comes easy. With two outs, Bernard gave up run scoring hits to Scot Thomson, DeJesus, and Sizemore.

Old friend Bill Buckner was up next and Bernard hadn't shown much. Torre wanted the lefty hitting Buckner to face a lefty. Torre decided on a rookie about to make his first major league appearance. Jesse Orosco was just acquired for Mets Hall of Famer and legend Jerry Koosman. We can imagine how Orosco was feeling taking the mound, but he got Billy Buck on a soft fly ball to right, and another Opening Day win was in the books. Time of game for 16 runs scored with no pitch clock is 2:34.

Orosco would pitch 24 years in a major league record 1,252 games. After getting MVP and Cy Young votes in 1983, Jesse never got another in his next 20 year career! For my Immaculate Grid brethren, he played with the Mets, Orioles, Indians, Brewers, Dodgers, Padres, Yankees, Twins, and Cardinals. He saved 107 out of his 144 total saves as a Met.

Who is taking the Kiner's Korner seat for this game? Richie Hebner, with four hits and 4 RBI with a homer in his initial Mets appearance. Let's invite Orosco just for fun!