The very first time a Mets pitcher faced this challenge — no surprise — it was Tom Seaver commanding the mound and demanding the ball. It seems like every important piece of the foundation of the franchise was founded by The Franchise, and this was just another one: the first win-or-go-home game in Mets history.
This was Oct. 9, 1973, and Seaver accepted the challenge inside a Mets clubhouse at Shea Stadium still feeling the sting of a wasted opportunity. The Reds had staved off elimination that day, Pete Rose — a day after famously wrestling with Buddy Harrelson at second base and having to dance like Spider out of the way of bottles and cans tumbling from the mezzanine — had hit a 12th-inning home run off Harry Parker, evening the NL Championship Series at two games apiece.