I Make the Call

I just completed by 27th year as a Major League Baseball accredited Official Scorer.

During that time, I’ve been fortunate to have scored over 1500 regular season games and 41 post season games. Included among that list is 11 Mets post season games. I was hoping to add to that list but it wasn’t meant to be in 2025 so I thought, thanks to a suggestion from Mark Rosenman, I reflected on those Mets post season games that I have had the privilege to score.

October 22nd, 2000: World Series Game 2 vs. NY Yankees at Yankee Stadium

It was ironic that after growing up in the Bronx, the first Mets post season game that I got to score took place in the Bronx.

It wasn’t a pleasant memory for Mets fans, but it was a busy game from a scorer’s point of view.

I called four “legit” errors (3 on the Mets) in the game and there was an outfield assist when RF Timo Perez threw out Chuck Knoblauch at the plate in the bottom of the second when he tried to score on Derek Jeter’s single. Mike Piazza also caught Jose Vizcaino trying to steal second earlier in the inning.

All these calls are announced by me via the press box microphone that I’m provided with. Taking into account that this was my first World Series game, the press box and Stadium is overflowing with media and fans and millions are watching on television, so there is a little bit of nervousness, but I was able to block that out and do my job.

The game is mostly remembered for Roger Clemens throwing a piece of a shattered bat towards Mike Piazza. That incident only heightened the feud between the two players and the teams, but what is forgotten is that the Mets nearly pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in World Series history.

The Yankees had a 6-0 lead heading to the top of the ninth. Clemens had thrown 112 pitches and eight scoreless innings. With the big lead, Yankee Manager Joe Torre opted for Jeff Nelson to pitch the ninth.

Edgardo Alfonzo led off with a single and then Piazza followed with a two run home run to cut the lead to 6-2. After Robin Ventura singled, Torre brought in Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera in a non-save situation.

Todd Zeile flew out but Benny Agbayani singled to put two runners on. With Lenny Harris at the plate, Rivera’s pitch got past catcher Jorge Posada, which I ruled a passed ball, to put runners on second and third.

Harris hit a come backer to Rivera who threw Ventura out at home for the second out of the inning (a call I have to announce as a 1-2 putout) but Jay Payton hit a three-run homer to cut the lead to 6-5. At that point, things got dicey for the Yankee fans, but a wave of optimism came over the Mets fans who were in the Stadium, but Rivera nullified the rally by retiring Kurt Abbott with a called third strike.

During the post-game announcements that the scorers have to make for each game, I said, “there is no save.” A member of the media came over and asked why there was no save, so I explained that when Rivera entered the game, he did not face the tying run at the plate, nor was the tying run on deck which are the requisites for awarding a save.

October 4th and October 5th, 2006: NLCS Games 1 and 2 vs. LA Dodgers at Shea Stadium

I had been scoring Mets games since 2000, but these were the first opportunities that I had to score a post season game at Shea.

Game 1 featured a very unusual play.

The game was scoreless in the top of the second when Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew both singled off of Mets starter John Maine to put runners on first and second with nobody out.

Russell Martin then hit a deep drive to right that bounced off the right field wall. Mets RF Shawn Green played the carom perfectly and fired to Mets 2B Jose Valentin who was the cut off man. Valentin threw home to Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca to nab Kent who was trying to score. After Lo Duca took a quick look at the home plate umpire to see the out call, he alertly saw Drew trying to sneak in but he tagged him out for an unusual double play (shades of the play that occurred in the Dodgers/Brewers NLCS Game 1 a week or so ago).

On the mic, I announced a double play that went 9-4-2 with the catcher getting both putouts.

In the bottom of the eighth, I had to make a controversial scoring call.

Jose Reyes came up with two out and no one on when he hit a line drive to second. Kent reached up and had the ball carom off his glove into right field. It was hit hard, but it was right at Kent who didn't have to leave the ground and certainly had a chance to make a routine catch. I ruled it an E4 that some had disagreed with, including Reyes who was hoping for his first post season hit.

The Mets had a 6-4 lead going to the top of the ninth. Mets closer Billy Wagner entered the game in a save situation and despite giving up a run, he was awarded the save.

The next day, I got the park early and was on the field while the Mets were taking batting practice.

Mets Manager Willie Randolph, who I had a relationship with, came over to discuss the call from the previous game. The discussion got fairly heated and in order to deescalate the situation, I said to Randolph, who was an outstanding second baseman, if he would’ve made that play. Willie was left speechless, but I later realized he was making a scene to let Reyes (who was watching from the field) know that he had his back.

October 13th, 2006: NLCS Game 2 vs. St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium

The series will always be remembered for the Mets losing in game 7, despite a memorable catch from Endy Chavez, but you could make the argument that the series turned in this game 2 loss.

After Carlos Delgado’s three run homer in the first gave the Mets a 3-0 lead, he committed an error in the top of the second on what could’ve been a double play. That enabled the Cards to score two runs in what needed to be a shut down inning.

The Mets could never shake the Cardinals that day. After taking a 4-2 lead in the second, St. Louis scored twice to tie the game at four.

The Mets had a 6-4 lead going to the top of the 7th, but after Guillermo Mota got the first two outs, the Cardinals rallied to tie the game on a two run triple by Scott Spiezio.

With the game tied at six in the top of the ninth, Mets closer Billy Wagner gave up the lead when light hitting So Taguchi jumped on a fast ball and drove it into the Cards bullpen in left field. Wagner gave up two more runs as the Cardinals took a 9-6 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Cards left hander Tyler Johnson retired Delgado, who had previously hit two home runs. In a portent of what was to come, the Cards went to Adam Wainwright for the final two outs of the game. Despite a three-run lead, Wainwright did not qualify for the save because he didn’t pitch a complete inning.

If the Mets had won game 2, they would never have gotten to lose a disappointing game 7.

October 13th, 2015: NLDS Game 4 vs. LA Dodgers at Citifield

It would be nine years before I would score another Mets post season game but I got the assignment for game 4 against the Dodgers.

The Mets won game three, 13-7, and were looking to close out the series but Clayton Kershaw had other ideas. The future Hall of Famer pitched seven strong innings, but the Dodgers got all the runs he would need off starter and loser Steven Matz in the third inning as the Dodgers scored a 3-1 win to send the series back to Los Angeles for game five.

The Mets went on to beat the Dodgers, 3-2 to move on to the NLCS and give me another opportunity to score one of those games against the Chicago Cubs.

October 17th, 2015: NLCS Game 1 vs. Chicago Cubs at Citifield

Daniel Murphy homers in his third straight game and Matt Harvey throws 7 2/3 innings with 9 strikeouts as the Mets get the jump on the Cubs with a 4-2 in game one of the NLCS.

Harvey retires the first 12 Cubs hitters and is looking strong so there is a little bit of pressure starting to build on me as the scorer. There could come a scenario where I have to make a call that becomes the only hit. That goes by the boards in the fifth when Harvey hits Anthony Rizzo with a pitch to lead off the inning and then Starlin Castro doubles to score one of the two runs that Harvey gave up.

October 30th, 31st and November 1st: World Series Games 3, 4 and 5 vs. Kansas City Royals at Citifield

I had the honor of scoring the first World Series game at Cififield and it was memorable for me on a personal level.

David Wright and I had a friendly relationship, so it was a thrill to be the Official Scorer when he hit his memorable World Series home run in the Mets’ game three win.

The Mets were down two games to none and were already trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first. Curtis Granderson led off with a single and then Wright launched a two run home run launched a 0-1 pitch from Royals starter Yordano Ventura into the left field stands as the Mets took a 2-1 lead. Nearly 45,000 fans at Citi went absolutely bonkers as Wright circled the bases.

Wright drove in two more with a two-run single in the sixth as the Mets went on to win the game, 9-3 for their lone win in the series.

In game 4, the Mets had a 3-2 lead in the top of the 8th, but with runners on first and second and one out, Eric Hosmer hit a chopper to second. Daniel Murphy had it go under his glove to allow the tying run to score. The error turned the game as the Royals scored twice more and they captured a 5-3 win to take a three games to one lead in the series.

The Mets had a 2-0 lead in the ninth inning of game five. Matt Harvey had shut down the Royals for eight innings and Manager Terry Collins heard the fans and let him go out for the ninth.

After Harvey walked Lorenzo Cain and a stolen base, Hosmer doubled to score Cain and cut the lead to 2-1.

Collins brought in closer Jeurys Familia who got Mike Moustakas on a ground out to first, as Hosmer took third.

With the infield in, Salvador Perez hit a grounder to Wright at third. Wright checked on Hosmer at third and threw to first. Hosmer gambled and tried to score but Lucas Duda could not throw him out at the plate as the Royals tied the game and sent it into extra innings.

There was some debate whether Duda could be charged with an error but because it was a tag play, scorers cannot assume an out in that instance. The bottom line is that Familia blew his third save of the series and the game went to extra innings.

In the top of the 12th, the Royals had grabbed a 3-2 lead and had a runner on first with one out when Murphy made his second, no doubt error in two games that opened the floodgates. The Royals went on to score four more times and then finished off the series with a 7-2 win in game five.

October 9th, 2022: NLWC Game 3 vs. San Diego Padres at Citifield

This was the second time (2018 AL WC game) that I had scored a “do or die” game.

This was what we refer to in Official Scoring terms as a “rocking chair game,” which is when you don’t have to make any calls.

It was an all around disappointing evening as the Mets were one hit (Pete Alonso single leading off the fourth) by a trio of Padres pitchers and had only one other base runner for the entire game in a 6-0 loss.

The other thing I remember about this game is how many times the Padres hitters stepped out of the box against Mets starter Chris Bassitt to upset his rhythm.

Padres Manager Bob Melvin was Bassitt’s manager in Oakland the year before so he knew that you could get Bassitt off his game by constantly stepping out of the box. Of course, this was before the pitch clock came into effect.

October 9th, 2024: NLDS Game 4 vs. Philadelphia Phillies at Citifield

The Mets had a chance to clinch the series and move on to the NLCS so it was festive night at the ballpark.

Just because you are the Official Scorer for the game, you can’t help but feel the energy of the crowd.

The game was scoreless in the top of the fourth when the Phillies had runners on second and third and one out.

With the infield in, Alec Bohm hit a chopper to the left of the mound. Mets 3B Mark Vientos came in to play the hop and had a play at the plate, but he bobbled the ball twice for an obvious error that allowed the first run to score and leave the Phillies with runners on first and third.

Mets starter Jose Quintana worked out of the inning by getting J.T. Realmuto on a short fly to right and then retiring Bryson Scott to keep it a one run deficit to set up an explosion in the bottom of the 6th.

With the bases loaded and nobody out, Francisco Alvarez grounded into a force play at home to temporarily stifle the rally.

Phillies Manager Rob Thomson went to Carlos Estevez to face Francisco Lindor who brought the house down with a grand slam home run that landed in the Phils bullpen in right center field.

Citifield was in a frenzy as the Mets took a 4-1 lead and that was all she wrote as the Mets wrapped up the NLDS in four games.

In my post game announcement, I was able to say, “the winning pitcher is David Peterson” and “a save for Edwin Diaz.”

I did not get to do any games in the NLCS, but working this game was a thrill that I’ll never forget.