1999 National League Wild-Card tie-breaker game
Encyclopedia
The 1999 National League Wild Card tiebreaker game was a one-game playoff
to decide the winner of Major League Baseball
's (MLB) National League Wild Card
. The game took place on October 4, 1999, between the New York Mets
of the National League East
and the Cincinnati Reds
of the National League Central
at Cinergy Field. It was necessary after both teams finished the season with records of 96–66. Some described the Mets as collapsing late in the season while the race between the Reds and their division rival Houston Astros
was close enough to create the possibility of a three-way tie. The Reds won a coin flip late in the season which, by rule at the time, awarded them home field for the game.
The Mets won the game 5–0 with starting pitcher
Al Leiter
pitching a two-hit shutout
which advanced the Mets to the 1999 National League Division Series
(NLDS) where they defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks
three games to one. They then advanced to the 1999 National League Championship Series
with the NLDS win but there they were defeated by the Atlanta Braves
in six games, which brought an end to the Mets' season. In baseball statistics
the tie-breaker counted as the 163rd regular season game by both teams, with all events in the game added to regular season statistics.
and San Francisco Giants
in the 1998 Wild Card race as late in the season as September 25 at 88–72. However, the Mets did not win another game that year and finished their season one game back of the Cubs and Giants who tied at 89-73. The Cubs and Giants played a tie-breaker in 1998, with the Cubs ultimately winning the Wild Card. Sports writers said the Mets "blew" their lead and "collapse[d]," later comparing their 1998 season to the Mets' troubles late in the 1999 season. Rickey Henderson
and Robin Ventura
joined the Mets prior to the 1999 season and spent the year as their starting left fielder
and third baseman
. The Reds added right fielder
Michael Tucker, center fielder
Mike Cameron
, and starting pitchers Denny Neagle
and Steve Avery
during the offseason.
The Mets spent 34 days of the 1999 season leading the Eastern Division, but following a seven-game losing streak from September 21–28 along with an eight-game winning streak by their division rival Atlanta Braves
from September 19–28 the Braves took a commanding 8 game lead in the division that they did not relinquish. Meanwhile, the Reds and Houston Astros were locked in a tight race for the Central division. The Astros led the division for much of the season, but did not lead by more than three games after August 1 except for one day. Ultimately, the Astros won the division with a 97–65 record, one game ahead of the 96–66 Reds. The Astros won their 97th game on the final day of the season. If Houston had not won that game the Astros, Reds, and Mets would have instead been locked in a three-way tie. Bob Costas
suggested that MLB was lucky to avoid this situation as he believed they had "no reasonable tiebreaker" to deal with it. Had this three-way tie arisen the Mets would have won the Wild Card while the Astros and Reds would have played a tie-breaker for the Central division title.
The Mets' losing streak late in the season led Jayson Stark
to label them a "sinking ship" in a column on September 30. However, the Mets broke this streak with a win over dominant pitcher Greg Maddux
and following a loss swept three games from the Pittsburgh Pirates
. The sweep included a walk-off win in the final game of the series. The Mets and Pirates were tied 1–1 in the bottom of the ninth inning when Pirates closer
Brad Clontz
threw a wild pitch
which allowed Melvin Mora
to score and win the game 2–1, tying the Reds' 96–66 record. The New York Daily News described this late-season performance as an "agonizing roller coaster ride" for Mets fans. With the Mets and Reds holding the best non-division winning records in the league a tie-breaker was necessary to determine the Wild Card winner. Bob Costas said at the time he did not like the Wild Card system as he believed it "diminishes the drama and authenticity
of a pennant race," although he approved of the playoff teams in 1999. Tim McCarver
disagreed, arguing that the late-season race between the Mets, Astros, and Reds showed the excitement a wild card can add to the season. A coin flip conducted earlier that September set the Reds' home park of Cinergy Field as the location for the tie-breaker game.
for Monday October 4, 1999—7:05 p.m. (CT) at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati, Ohio
The Mets took a quick 2–0 lead with a single
by Rickey Henderson to open the game followed immediately by a home run
by Edgardo Alfonzo
. They added to this lead in the third as Alfonzo drew a walk
and then John Olerud
hit a double
which advanced Alfonzo to third base. Reds starter Steve Parris
intentionally walked Mike Piazza
to load the bases
and was relieved
by Denny Neagle. However, Neagle then walked Robin Ventura to score Alfonzo and extend the lead to 3–0. Neagle remained in the game and yielded a home run to Henderson to lead off the fifth inning for the Mets' fourth run. Neagle then loaded the bases with two outs with walks to Piazza and Ventura followed by a Darryl Hamilton
single, but escaped the inning without further scoring. The Reds pinch hit
for Neagle in the bottom of the fifth, and Danny Graves
entered for them to pitch the sixth inning. Graves walked Rey Ordóñez
to leadoff the inning, Mets starter Al Leiter sacrifice bunted Ordóñez to second, and following an out he scored on a double by Alfonzo. Graves remained in the game until Mark Lewis pinch hit for him in the eighth and Dennys Reyes
relieved him in the ninth. Graves and Reyes held the score steady after the sixth but the Reds' offense did not score against Al Leiter and the Mets won the game, and with it the Wild Card, 5–0.
Al Leiter pitched a complete game
shutout
, scattering two hits and four walks across the nine inning start. This was Leiter's first complete game of the season. Pokey Reese
was the only Reds player to reach scoring position
for the entire game, doubling to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning and then advancing to third on a ground out. The Bergen Record
labeled Leiter the Mets' "flag bearer", coming through in games such as this when the team needed him most. For example, Leiter also defeated Greg Maddux in his last start on September 29 to snap the Mets' seven-game losing streak. All told Leiter's earned run average
in the second half of the 1999 season was 1.22 runs lower than in the first. Leiter's start earned an 86 game score
, which tied for the 14th best total in the National League that season.
. The playoff berth made the Mets the second team in MLB history to make the playoffs after being two games back of the leader with three games left to play in the season. The Mets defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS in four games. This win advanced the Mets to the NLCS where they were defeated by the Atlanta Braves in six games. After the defeat, Mets General Manager Steve Phillips
summed up the harrowing weeks the team had been through saying that "we had destiny in our own hands, we lost destiny, we got it back in our own hands...We didn't choke. We didn't fold. We won."
The Mets performance in the playoffs drew heavy television viewership, with the decisive game of the NLCS scoring the highest ratings
for any League Championship Series broadcast since 1993. Overall the NLCS averaged 10.9 million viewers, 18% higher than the NLCS had drawn the year before. Variety
writer Tom Bierbaum argued this was a good sign for the future of baseball because the Mets and Boston Red Sox
had drawn younger viewers during their time in the postseason. Bierbaum believed that baseball needed fresh teams, not just the often-successful Yankees and Braves, to draw new audiences and grow viewership.
In baseball statistics
tie-breakers count as regular season games, with all events in them added to regular season statistics. For example, Mike Piazza
grounded into his 27th double play
of the season in the 9th inning, adding to his league-leading total. Similarly, Leiter's performance advanced his position on several 1999 statistical leaderboards including shutouts and walks issued. Reese, Ventura, and Ordóñez won Rawlings Gold Glove Award
s for the season while Piazza and Alfonzo won Silver Sluggers. Robin Ventura also finished sixth in Most Valuable Player voting, with Chipper Jones
taking the award.
The New York Yankees
also made the playoffs in 1999, eventually advancing to the 1999 World Series
where they defeated the Atlanta Braves. Prior to the Mets' elimination Mike Lupica
noted the possibility of a "Subway Series
," a term for a World Series played between two New York-based teams. The 1956 World Series
between the Yankees and then-Brooklyn Dodgers
was the last such Series. Yankees pitcher David Cone
told Lupica "I want a Subway Series, for selfish reasons. I want to play in one." Although the Mets failed to make the Series in 1999 the two met the following year in the 2000 World Series
where the Yankees won in five games. After their 2000 World Series appearance the Mets did not make the playoffs again until 2006, where they lost in that NLCS
in seven games. Meanwhile the Reds did not place in the top two of their division until returning to the playoffs in 2010. Jack McKeon
managed the Reds from 1998–2000 and was fired after the 2000 season when the team finished 10 games back of the division leading Cardinals.
One-game playoff
A one-game playoff, sometimes known as a pennant playoff or play-in game, is a tiebreaker in certain sports—usually but not always professional—to determine which of two teams, tied in the final standings, will qualify for a post-season tournament...
to decide the winner of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's (MLB) National League Wild Card
Major League Baseball Wild Card
In Major League Baseball, the wild-card playoff spot is given to the team in each league with the best record among the non-division winners. It was established for Major League Baseball's playoffs in 1994 with the intention of helping the best teams that did not win their division to still have a...
. The game took place on October 4, 1999, between the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
of the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
and the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
of the National League Central
National League Central
The National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the Western Division and three teams from the Eastern Division of the National League...
at Cinergy Field. It was necessary after both teams finished the season with records of 96–66. Some described the Mets as collapsing late in the season while the race between the Reds and their division rival Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
was close enough to create the possibility of a three-way tie. The Reds won a coin flip late in the season which, by rule at the time, awarded them home field for the game.
The Mets won the game 5–0 with starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
Al Leiter
Al Leiter
Alois Terry "Al" Leiter is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He is now a studio analyst for MLB Network, and a color commentator for the YES Network.-Early career :Leiter attended Central Regional High School....
pitching a two-hit shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
which advanced the Mets to the 1999 National League Division Series
1999 National League Division Series
-Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Mets:-Game 1, October 5:Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaA pitcher's duel between Shane Reynolds and Greg Maddux highlighted Game 1. The Astros struck first in the top of the second when Tony Eusebio singled in Carl Everett. Gerald Williams would tie the game in...
(NLDS) where they defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
three games to one. They then advanced to the 1999 National League Championship Series
1999 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1999 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Braves began their eighth consecutive NLCS with a 4–2 victory over the Mets, defeating a team they left for dead two weeks earlier...
with the NLDS win but there they were defeated by the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in six games, which brought an end to the Mets' season. In baseball statistics
Baseball statistics
Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and statistics...
the tie-breaker counted as the 163rd regular season game by both teams, with all events in the game added to regular season statistics.
Background
Neither the Mets nor the Reds had made the playoffs the previous season. The Mets finished the 1998 season with an 88–74 record, while the Reds finished below .500 at 77–85. The Mets had been tied with the Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in the 1998 Wild Card race as late in the season as September 25 at 88–72. However, the Mets did not win another game that year and finished their season one game back of the Cubs and Giants who tied at 89-73. The Cubs and Giants played a tie-breaker in 1998, with the Cubs ultimately winning the Wild Card. Sports writers said the Mets "blew" their lead and "collapse[d]," later comparing their 1998 season to the Mets' troubles late in the 1999 season. Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
and Robin Ventura
Robin Ventura
Robin Mark Ventura is the current manager of the Chicago White Sox. He is a former professional baseball player, a third baseman who played for four major league teams, most notably for the Chicago White Sox...
joined the Mets prior to the 1999 season and spent the year as their starting left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
. The Reds added right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Michael Tucker, center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
Mike Cameron
Mike Cameron
Michael Terrance Cameron is an American professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has previously played for the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, and Florida Marlins.Cameron has won 3...
, and starting pitchers Denny Neagle
Denny Neagle
Dennis Edward Neagle Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was last under contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays during the season, but he did not play due to injury...
and Steve Avery
Steve Avery
Steven Thomas Avery is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was a young star with the Atlanta Braves in the early 1990s.-Young Gun:...
during the offseason.
The Mets spent 34 days of the 1999 season leading the Eastern Division, but following a seven-game losing streak from September 21–28 along with an eight-game winning streak by their division rival Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
from September 19–28 the Braves took a commanding 8 game lead in the division that they did not relinquish. Meanwhile, the Reds and Houston Astros were locked in a tight race for the Central division. The Astros led the division for much of the season, but did not lead by more than three games after August 1 except for one day. Ultimately, the Astros won the division with a 97–65 record, one game ahead of the 96–66 Reds. The Astros won their 97th game on the final day of the season. If Houston had not won that game the Astros, Reds, and Mets would have instead been locked in a three-way tie. Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
suggested that MLB was lucky to avoid this situation as he believed they had "no reasonable tiebreaker" to deal with it. Had this three-way tie arisen the Mets would have won the Wild Card while the Astros and Reds would have played a tie-breaker for the Central division title.
The Mets' losing streak late in the season led Jayson Stark
Jayson Stark
Jayson Stark is an American sportswriter who mainly covers baseball. He attended Syracuse University, where he earned a degree in newspaper journalism.-Biography:...
to label them a "sinking ship" in a column on September 30. However, the Mets broke this streak with a win over dominant pitcher Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
and following a loss swept three games from the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. The sweep included a walk-off win in the final game of the series. The Mets and Pirates were tied 1–1 in the bottom of the ninth inning when Pirates closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
Brad Clontz
Brad Clontz
John Braddock Clontz was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball –.Clontz was born in Stuart, Virginia. An alumnus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, he made his major league debut on April 26, . During his career, he pitched for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and...
threw a wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
which allowed Melvin Mora
Melvin Mora
Melvin Mora , affectionately nicknamed Melmo or Melvy, is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who is a free agent...
to score and win the game 2–1, tying the Reds' 96–66 record. The New York Daily News described this late-season performance as an "agonizing roller coaster ride" for Mets fans. With the Mets and Reds holding the best non-division winning records in the league a tie-breaker was necessary to determine the Wild Card winner. Bob Costas said at the time he did not like the Wild Card system as he believed it "diminishes the drama and authenticity
of a pennant race," although he approved of the playoff teams in 1999. Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
disagreed, arguing that the late-season race between the Mets, Astros, and Reds showed the excitement a wild card can add to the season. A coin flip conducted earlier that September set the Reds' home park of Cinergy Field as the location for the tie-breaker game.
Game summary
Box scoreBox score (baseball)
In baseball, the statistical summary of a game is reported in a box score. An abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard, is the line score...
for Monday October 4, 1999—7:05 p.m. (CT) at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati, Ohio
The Mets took a quick 2–0 lead with a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
by Rickey Henderson to open the game followed immediately by a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
by Edgardo Alfonzo
Edgardo Alfonzo
Edgardo Antonio Alfonzo a.k.a. "Fonzie" is a former Major League Baseball infielder who most recently played for the Yomiuri Giants. He bats and throws right-handed, and is tall and weighs...
. They added to this lead in the third as Alfonzo drew a walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
and then John Olerud
John Olerud
John Garrett Olerud , is a former American first baseman in Major League Baseball. Olerud played with the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Mets , Seattle Mariners , New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox ....
hit a double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
which advanced Alfonzo to third base. Reds starter Steve Parris
Steve Parris
Steven Michael Parris , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball from 1995-2003. He played for 14 years, including his time in the minors...
intentionally walked Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
to load the bases
Bases loaded
In the sport of baseball, the bases are loaded when there is a runner on each base . This presents a great scoring opportunity for the batting team, but it also presents an easy double play opportunity for the defense. Causing the bases to become loaded is called loading the bases...
and was relieved
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
by Denny Neagle. However, Neagle then walked Robin Ventura to score Alfonzo and extend the lead to 3–0. Neagle remained in the game and yielded a home run to Henderson to lead off the fifth inning for the Mets' fourth run. Neagle then loaded the bases with two outs with walks to Piazza and Ventura followed by a Darryl Hamilton
Darryl Hamilton
Darryl Quinn Hamilton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Texas Rangers , San Francisco Giants , Colorado Rockies and New York Mets . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
single, but escaped the inning without further scoring. The Reds pinch hit
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
for Neagle in the bottom of the fifth, and Danny Graves
Danny Graves
Daniel Peter Graves is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Born to an American serviceman father and a Vietnamese mother, he is the only Vietnam-born player in the history of the major leagues, and one of the few Vietnamese-American players...
entered for them to pitch the sixth inning. Graves walked Rey Ordóñez
Rey Ordóñez
Reynaldo Ordóñez Pereira is a former professional baseball shortstop. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and Chicago Cubs....
to leadoff the inning, Mets starter Al Leiter sacrifice bunted Ordóñez to second, and following an out he scored on a double by Alfonzo. Graves remained in the game until Mark Lewis pinch hit for him in the eighth and Dennys Reyes
Dennys Reyes
Dennys Reyes is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He has played for ten teams since his major league career began in . Reyes throws left-handed and is considered a lefty specialist. He stands 6'3" and weighs 250 pounds. His nickname is "The Big Sweat."...
relieved him in the ninth. Graves and Reyes held the score steady after the sixth but the Reds' offense did not score against Al Leiter and the Mets won the game, and with it the Wild Card, 5–0.
Al Leiter pitched a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
, scattering two hits and four walks across the nine inning start. This was Leiter's first complete game of the season. Pokey Reese
Pokey Reese
Calvin "Pokey" Reese, Jr. , is an American retired professional baseball infielder. Reese is a two-time National League Gold Glove Award winner and played with the Cincinnati Reds , Pittsburgh Pirates , and Boston Red Sox...
was the only Reds player to reach scoring position
Scoring position
In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when he is on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter hits an extra base hit, while a runner on second or third...
for the entire game, doubling to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning and then advancing to third on a ground out. The Bergen Record
The Record (Bergen County)
The Record is a newspaper in northern New Jersey. It has the second largest circulation of New Jersey's daily newspapers, behind The Star-Ledger. Owned by the Borg family since 1930, it is the flagship publication of the North Jersey Media Group. Stephen Borg is the publisher of The Record...
labeled Leiter the Mets' "flag bearer", coming through in games such as this when the team needed him most. For example, Leiter also defeated Greg Maddux in his last start on September 29 to snap the Mets' seven-game losing streak. All told Leiter's earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in the second half of the 1999 season was 1.22 runs lower than in the first. Leiter's start earned an 86 game score
Game Score
Game Score is a metric devised by Bill James to determine the strength of a pitcher in any particular baseball game.To determine a starting pitcher's game score:# Start with 50 points....
, which tied for the 14th best total in the National League that season.
Aftermath
New York's win clinched the team's fifth postseason berth in franchise history, their first since losing in the 1988 National League Championship Series1988 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 4, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe series opened with a classic pitching matchup, pitting the Dodgers' Orel Hershiser, who had won 23 games during the regular season and carried a Major League record 59 consecutive scoreless innings into the game,...
. The playoff berth made the Mets the second team in MLB history to make the playoffs after being two games back of the leader with three games left to play in the season. The Mets defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS in four games. This win advanced the Mets to the NLCS where they were defeated by the Atlanta Braves in six games. After the defeat, Mets General Manager Steve Phillips
Steve Phillips
Steve Phillips is a former American baseball analyst for ESPN and baseball executive. He served as the general manager of the New York Mets from 1997–2003...
summed up the harrowing weeks the team had been through saying that "we had destiny in our own hands, we lost destiny, we got it back in our own hands...We didn't choke. We didn't fold. We won."
The Mets performance in the playoffs drew heavy television viewership, with the decisive game of the NLCS scoring the highest ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
for any League Championship Series broadcast since 1993. Overall the NLCS averaged 10.9 million viewers, 18% higher than the NLCS had drawn the year before. Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
writer Tom Bierbaum argued this was a good sign for the future of baseball because the Mets and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
had drawn younger viewers during their time in the postseason. Bierbaum believed that baseball needed fresh teams, not just the often-successful Yankees and Braves, to draw new audiences and grow viewership.
In baseball statistics
Baseball statistics
Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and statistics...
tie-breakers count as regular season games, with all events in them added to regular season statistics. For example, Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
grounded into his 27th double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
of the season in the 9th inning, adding to his league-leading total. Similarly, Leiter's performance advanced his position on several 1999 statistical leaderboards including shutouts and walks issued. Reese, Ventura, and Ordóñez won Rawlings Gold Glove Award
Rawlings Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
s for the season while Piazza and Alfonzo won Silver Sluggers. Robin Ventura also finished sixth in Most Valuable Player voting, with Chipper Jones
Chipper Jones
Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. is a Major League baseball player for the National League's Atlanta Braves. Although initially a shortstop, he has spent most of his career as the starting third baseman for the Braves...
taking the award.
The New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
also made the playoffs in 1999, eventually advancing to the 1999 World Series
1999 World Series
The 1999 World Series, the 95th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, featured a rematch between the defending champions New York Yankees against the Atlanta Braves during the month of October, with the Yankees sweeping the Series in four games for their second title in a row,...
where they defeated the Atlanta Braves. Prior to the Mets' elimination Mike Lupica
Mike Lupica
Michael Lupica is an American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.-Biography:...
noted the possibility of a "Subway Series
Subway Series
The Subway Series is a series of Major League Baseball games played between teams based in New York City. The term's historic usage has been in reference to World Series games played between New York teams...
," a term for a World Series played between two New York-based teams. The 1956 World Series
1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers during the month of October 1956. The Series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series...
between the Yankees and then-Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
was the last such Series. Yankees pitcher David Cone
David Cone
David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five...
told Lupica "I want a Subway Series, for selfish reasons. I want to play in one." Although the Mets failed to make the Series in 1999 the two met the following year in the 2000 World Series
2000 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
where the Yankees won in five games. After their 2000 World Series appearance the Mets did not make the playoffs again until 2006, where they lost in that NLCS
2006 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series , the second round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postponed a day because of inclement weather. The St...
in seven games. Meanwhile the Reds did not place in the top two of their division until returning to the playoffs in 2010. Jack McKeon
Jack McKeon
John Aloysius McKeon , nicknamed Trader Jack, is a former Major League Baseball manager. In 2003, he won a World Series with the Florida Marlins...
managed the Reds from 1998–2000 and was fired after the 2000 season when the team finished 10 games back of the division leading Cardinals.