ode to ’86

MLB Network aired a rebroadcast this morning of Game 6 of the 1986 National League Championship Series, the New York Mets vs. the Houston Astros at the Astrodome. It has to rank in just about everybody’s Top 10 list of the best major league games. The Mets led the series 3-2 and were desperately trying to avoid having to face Mike Scott, almost unhittable in the series, in Game 7. They would win 7-6 in 16 innings — and go on to win the World Series, of course, where they played another fairly memorable Game 6. That NLCS game would have been a great one even had it been played sometime in May: the Mets score three in the ninth to force extra innings; both teams score once in the 14th; the Mets break away, or so it seems, with three in the 16th, only to see the Astros score two and leave the winning run on base. The cast of characters was rich. Nolan Ryan, Dwight Gooden, Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, Jose Cruz, Davey Lopes, Davey Johnson … heck, Yogi Berra was a coach for the Astros. And from a Mississippi perspective, it was off-the-charts compelling, then and now. So many connections and angles. The Mets’ Double-A club had been in Jackson since 1975 — the Astros’ club would move to Smith-Wills Stadium in 1991 — and the big league Mets played an exhibition game at Smith-Wills that spring. Their roster was replete with former JaxMets: Darryl Strawberry, Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson, Jesse Orosco, Kevin Mitchell, Lee Mazzilli, Wally Backman, Kevin Elster and more. Johnson, the manager, managed the JaxMets to a Texas League crown in 1981. Coach Greg Pavlick played in the first game at Smith-Wills. And Scott, the Astros’ ace, was also a former JaxMet, while Jeff Calhoun, who worked the game-deciding 16th for Houston, played at Ole Miss. Watching the rebroadcast brings all that back — and reminds us why we love the game.
P.S. Wonder if anyone else noticed this: When the Braves and Red Sox hooked up Saturday, there was a former Jackson Mets shortstop coaching first base for Boston (Tim Bogar), a former Jackson Generals shortstop playing short for the BoSox (Julio Lugo), and a former Mississippi Brave playing short for Atlanta (Diory Hernandez).