In ye olden days of baseball, "R.A." was short for "Red
Ass," a term used to describe a player who was always in a bad mood. The Mets have had a few of those over the
years, and understandably so. But R.A.
Dickey is no Red Ass.
The last time a Met pitcher won his 20th game
of a season was on October 3, 1990, also against the Pirates. It was Frank Viola, and it was a tougher
task, as it was on the road at Three Rivers Stadium, and the Pirates were
National League Eastern Division Champions. The Mets closed to within 4 games of the Pirates, but would get no
closer to the NL East lead on a final day until 2006.
Here's the Mets' lineup for that day:
CF Darren Reed
1B Dave Magadan (replaced by Kelvin Torve)
RF Pat Tabler
2B Tim Teufel
3B Tom O'Malley
LF Chris Jelic (P Dan Schatzeder, P Alejandro Pena)
C Todd Hundley
SS Kevin Baez
P Frank Viola (PH-LF Keith Hughes)
Not exactly a classic lineup, although that can be
explained by the meaninglessness of the game, to everyone but Viola. The usual lineup would have had Mackey Sasser
behind the plate, Gregg Jeffries at 2nd, Kevin Elster at short,
Howard Johnson at 3rd, Kevin McReynolds in left, Daryl Boston in
center, and Darryl Strawberry in right.
Indeed, while it had been only 4 years since Jesse Orosco
threw his glove in the air to complete the 1986 World Championship, only 7
players were left from that team: Darryl (Strawberry, not Daryl Boston), Teufel, Elster, HoJo,
Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling and Sid Fernandez.
David Cone was there, but had not yet become a Met in 1986.
In the ensuing 22 years, 5 Yankees have won 20 or more games in a season: Andy
Pettitte in 1996, Cone in 1998 (having done it for the Mets in 1988, making him the only
pitcher ever to win 20 for both teams), Roger Clemens in 2001, Mike Mussina in 2008,
and CC Sabathia in 2010. But no Mets since
1990 – until now.
October 3, 1990.
That's just under 22 years – 21 years, 11 months and 25 days. How long has that been?
*
The Mets were finishing their 7th straight
season finishing at least 2nd in the NL East: 1984-90. It's the only time in their history that
they've done that – although the Yankees have done it twice (10 straight, 1949-58;
13 straight, 1995-2007). The old New
York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers also pulled the feat off.
But in 1990, the Yankees finished dead last in the AL
East, their only last-place finish in the Divisional Play era, and only the 4th in their entire history: 1908, 1912, 1966 and 1990. It hasn't happened since. George Steinbrenner had been banned from
baseball (a ban that would be lifted prior to the 1993 season), and the franchise
was in total disarray. The last World
Championship was 12 years earlier, the last Pennant 9 years, and it didn't look
like there would even be a serious run at another anytime soon. Attendance at Shea Stadium was 2,732,745 –
33,737 per game. At the old Yankee
Stadium, it was 2,006,436 – 24,771 per game.
In 1990, the Mets were the kings of New York Tri-State
Area baseball. Not only was it
undisputed, it was indisputable. The
situation was very much the reverse of the current situation: Although the Mets
were about to fall from their perch, and the Yankees were about to begin to
rise from the ashes, hardly anyone saw either eventuality coming.
The Cincinnati Reds were about to defeat the Pirates in the NL Championship Series, and then shocked the defending World Champion Oakland Athletics in a 4-game World Series sweep. The New York Giants went on to win the Super Bowl, beating the Buffalo Bills in a classic after dethroning the defending champion San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
The Detroit Pistons were 2-time defending NBA Champions. Michael Jordan, indeed the Chicago Bulls franchise, had not yet won a title, but that was about to change. The Edmonton Oilers were the defending Stanley Cup Champions – Mario Lemieux, indeed the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise, had not yet won a title, but that was about to change. Nor had the New Jersey Devils won the Cup. Nor had the New York Rangers – not in the last 50 years, anyway.
The heavyweight champion of the world was James "Buster" Douglas, who had knocked out Mike Tyson earlier in the year, but, within a month, he would be defeated himself by Evander Holyfield.
The Cincinnati Reds were about to defeat the Pirates in the NL Championship Series, and then shocked the defending World Champion Oakland Athletics in a 4-game World Series sweep. The New York Giants went on to win the Super Bowl, beating the Buffalo Bills in a classic after dethroning the defending champion San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
The Detroit Pistons were 2-time defending NBA Champions. Michael Jordan, indeed the Chicago Bulls franchise, had not yet won a title, but that was about to change. The Edmonton Oilers were the defending Stanley Cup Champions – Mario Lemieux, indeed the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise, had not yet won a title, but that was about to change. Nor had the New Jersey Devils won the Cup. Nor had the New York Rangers – not in the last 50 years, anyway.
The heavyweight champion of the world was James "Buster" Douglas, who had knocked out Mike Tyson earlier in the year, but, within a month, he would be defeated himself by Evander Holyfield.
The Toronto Blue Jays, the Atlanta Braves (not since they were in Milwaukee), the San Francisco Giants (not since they were in New York), and the team then known as the California Angels had not yet won their 1st World Series. The Jays, the Braves (not since they were in Milwaukee), and the Houston Astros had not yet won their 1st Pennant. The Seattle Mariners, the Texas Rangers had not yet reached the postseason for the 1st time. All of these things have since happened.
There were then World Series droughts for the Braves (33 years), the Giants (36 years), the Cleveland Indians (42 years, 26 years without even a Pennant), the Boston Red Sox (72 years), the Chicago White Sox (73 years), and the Chicago Cubs (82 years). The droughts have ended for the Braves, the Giants, the Red Sox and the White Sox – but not the Indians and Cubs.
It's been only 22 years, and yet only 7 of the 26 teams then playing in MLB are using the same ballparks now: The Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League; and the Boston Red Sox, the Kansas City Royals, the Oakland Athletics, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the team now known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Both New York baseball teams have replaced their stadiums. So have both New York football teams, and the New Jersey Devils. The New Jersey, now Brooklyn, Nets' decision to do so takes regular-season effect later this month.
There were no Asian players in the major leagues, Wrigley Field in Chicago had only become the last MLB stadium to add permanent lights 2 years earlier, and the
SkyDome in Toronto had recently become the 1st stadium with a retractable
roof. The old Comiskey Park in Chicago
had closed 3 days earlier, leaving Tiger Stadium in Detroit and Fenway Park in
Boston as the only remaining pre-World War I parks. In other words, when Viola won his 19th game of the 1990 season (if not when he won his 20th), there was a
park still standing where Cy Young had played. Not just Cy Young Award winners, but Cy Young himself.
The Milwaukee Brewers were in the American League, and
the Houston Astros were in the National League. (The former is no longer true, and the latter will no longer be true
starting next season.) There was no regular season Interleague play. The Montreal Expos had no intention of
moving.
Baseball was going to expand for 1993, and the rumor was officially confirmed a few weeks later. The 10 contenders were, in alphabetical order: Buffalo, Charlotte, Denver, Miami, Nashville,
Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento, Tampa Bay and Washington.
In December 1990, the search was narrowed to 6 cities: Buffalo, Denver, Miami, Orlando, Tampa Bay and Washington. It was agreed that only 1 of the Florida areas would make it. The following June, the decision was made: Denver and Miami, the Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins (now the Miami Marlins).
Phoenix and Tampa Bay would have to wait until 1995, to start play in 1998. Washington got the Expos in the 2004-05 off-season. The other cities are still waiting: Charlotte is being seriously talked about as a future team's home; so is Sacramento, but only for the Oakland Athletics; so is Orlando, but only for the Tampa Bay Rays. Meanwhile, Buffalo has a stadium, but a shrinking population base, and Nashville seems to have given up completely.
In December 1990, the search was narrowed to 6 cities: Buffalo, Denver, Miami, Orlando, Tampa Bay and Washington. It was agreed that only 1 of the Florida areas would make it. The following June, the decision was made: Denver and Miami, the Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins (now the Miami Marlins).
Phoenix and Tampa Bay would have to wait until 1995, to start play in 1998. Washington got the Expos in the 2004-05 off-season. The other cities are still waiting: Charlotte is being seriously talked about as a future team's home; so is Sacramento, but only for the Oakland Athletics; so is Orlando, but only for the Tampa Bay Rays. Meanwhile, Buffalo has a stadium, but a shrinking population base, and Nashville seems to have given up completely.
There were 2 NFL teams in Los Angeles, but none in St.
Louis, Baltimore, the Carolinas or Jacksonville. There was an NBA team in Charlotte, but it
wasn't the Bobcats. There was an NHL team
in Minnesota, but it wasn't the Wild. There was a Winnipeg Jets, but it wasn't the current NHL franchise by
that name. There were still NHL teams in
Quebec City and Hartford. There were no
NHL teams in the Southeastern or Southwestern U.S.
Baseball legends Bill Dickey (no relation to R.A.), Luke Appling, Billy Herman, Charlie Gehringer, Johnny Mize, Roy Campanella, Don Drysdale, and Negro League star James "Cool Papa" Bell were still alive. So were managing legend Leo Durocher, broadcasting titan Red Barber, and the Mets' founding father, Bill Shea.
The defining baseball players of my childhood were pretty much done: Carl Yastrzemski, Johnny Bench and Willie Stargell were already in the Hall of Fame. Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Rod Carew, were retired, and waiting out the Hall's five-full-seasons eligibility requirement. Nolan Ryan, Carlton Fisk and George Brett were still active. Pete Rose was already banned.
R.A. Dickey, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz were in high school. CC Sabathia, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder were in grade school. Stephen Strasburg was 2 years old. Bryce Harper and Mike Trout weren't born yet.
The defining baseball players of my childhood were pretty much done: Carl Yastrzemski, Johnny Bench and Willie Stargell were already in the Hall of Fame. Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Rod Carew, were retired, and waiting out the Hall's five-full-seasons eligibility requirement. Nolan Ryan, Carlton Fisk and George Brett were still active. Pete Rose was already banned.
R.A. Dickey, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz were in high school. CC Sabathia, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder were in grade school. Stephen Strasburg was 2 years old. Bryce Harper and Mike Trout weren't born yet.
The same night that Viola won his 20th, I was
at Yankee Stadium, watching the Yanks play out the string against the Detroit
Tigers, for whom Prince Fielder plays now, and I watched his father Cecil
Fielder hit his 50th and 51st home runs of the season in
a Tiger win. At the time, 50 homers in a
season hadn't been done since George Foster did it for the Cincinnati Reds in
1977, or in the AL since Mickey Mantle (54) and Roger Maris (61)
both did it for the 1961 Yankees. It
would, within a few years, become quite common – and, as we later learned, for
a dubious reason.
Terry Collins, now the manager of the Mets, was managing the Buffalo Bisons, in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization. Joe Girardi of the Yankees was catching for the Cubs. Tom Coughlin of the Giants was the team's wide receivers coach. John Tortorella of the Rangers was an assistant with the Buffalo Sabres. Rex Ryan of the Jets was the defensive coordinator at Morehead State University. Mike Woodson of the Knicks was playing for the Houston Rockets. Avery Johnson of the Nets was playing for the Denver Nuggets. Jack Capuano of the Islanders and Peter DeBoer of the Devils were teammates, on the minor-league Milwaukee Admirals.
The Olympic Games have since been held in America twice, and once each in France, Spain, Norway, Japan, Australia, Greece, Italy, China, Canada and Britain. The World Cup had recently been won by West Germany (a nation in the process of reuniting with East Germany) in Italy, and has since been held in the united Germany, and also in America, France, Japan, Korea and South Africa.
There were 26 Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. The President of the United States was George Herbert Walker Bush. His son George was the owner of the Texas Rangers. Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, their wives, and the widows of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson were still alive, as were (and still are) Jimmy Carter and his wife.
Bill Clinton was about to be elected to his 5th term as Governor of Arkansas. Barack Obama was President – of the Harvard Law Review. Joe Biden was Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and had just presided over confirmation hearings for the newest Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, David Souter. Souter has since retired, and only 2 Justices then on the U.S. Supreme Court are still on it: Antonin Scalia and Anthony Kennedy. Mitt Romney was about to be named CEO of Bain Capital, so instead of them going out of business (they nearly did), he could help them cause other companies to go out of business.
The Governor of the State of New York was Mario Cuomo. His son, the current Governor, Andrew Cuomo, was working for the man then Mayor of the City of New York, David Dinkins, as Chairman of the New York City Homeless Commission. Michael Bloomberg was involved in financial services, and had just launched his company's broadcast services.
The Prime Minister of Canada was Brian Mulroney. The monarch of Britain was Queen Elizabeth II -- that hasn't changed. There have since been 4 Presidents of the United States, 5 Prime Ministers of Britain and 2 Popes.
Liverpool were the defending Champions of England's Football League, their 18th title – but they haven't won it since. Manchester United needed a replay against South London club Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup, which they'd also won twice in the 1980s, but they hadn't won the League since 1967. That would change dramatically over the coming years. Arsenal went on to win the League in the season that had just begun, but the other North London team, Tottenham Hotspur, would take the Cup. AC Milan had just repeated as European Cup winners, to be replaced the next season by Red Star Belgrade, representing the capital of Yugoslavia, a nation about to collapse around them.
Major novels of the year included Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy, Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard, The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum, and The Burden of Proof by Scott Turow. All became major motion pictures.
George R.R. Martin was writing horror novellas. J.K. Rowling was working for the Chamber of Commerce in Manchester, England, and while on a train, she got the idea for Harry Potter. No one had yet heard of Alex Cross, Bridget Jones, Robert Langdon, Bella Swan, Lisbeth Salander or Katness Everdeen.
Major films of the Autumn of 1990 included Goodfellas, Postcards from the Edge, Avalon, Henry & June, Miller's Crossing, Memphis Belle, and a film with a time travel element and a baseball subplot, Mr. Destiny. Timothy Dalton was still James Bond. Michael Keaton was Batman. Superman was in transition between Christopher Reeve on film and Dean Cain on television. And Doctor Who had been canceled, with Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh, and, it appeared, last Doctor.
Terry Collins, now the manager of the Mets, was managing the Buffalo Bisons, in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization. Joe Girardi of the Yankees was catching for the Cubs. Tom Coughlin of the Giants was the team's wide receivers coach. John Tortorella of the Rangers was an assistant with the Buffalo Sabres. Rex Ryan of the Jets was the defensive coordinator at Morehead State University. Mike Woodson of the Knicks was playing for the Houston Rockets. Avery Johnson of the Nets was playing for the Denver Nuggets. Jack Capuano of the Islanders and Peter DeBoer of the Devils were teammates, on the minor-league Milwaukee Admirals.
The Olympic Games have since been held in America twice, and once each in France, Spain, Norway, Japan, Australia, Greece, Italy, China, Canada and Britain. The World Cup had recently been won by West Germany (a nation in the process of reuniting with East Germany) in Italy, and has since been held in the united Germany, and also in America, France, Japan, Korea and South Africa.
There were 26 Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. The President of the United States was George Herbert Walker Bush. His son George was the owner of the Texas Rangers. Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, their wives, and the widows of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson were still alive, as were (and still are) Jimmy Carter and his wife.
Bill Clinton was about to be elected to his 5th term as Governor of Arkansas. Barack Obama was President – of the Harvard Law Review. Joe Biden was Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and had just presided over confirmation hearings for the newest Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, David Souter. Souter has since retired, and only 2 Justices then on the U.S. Supreme Court are still on it: Antonin Scalia and Anthony Kennedy. Mitt Romney was about to be named CEO of Bain Capital, so instead of them going out of business (they nearly did), he could help them cause other companies to go out of business.
The Governor of the State of New York was Mario Cuomo. His son, the current Governor, Andrew Cuomo, was working for the man then Mayor of the City of New York, David Dinkins, as Chairman of the New York City Homeless Commission. Michael Bloomberg was involved in financial services, and had just launched his company's broadcast services.
Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was about to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Pope was John Paul II. The current Pontiff, Benedict XVI, then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, was Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. There were still living veterans of the Spanish-American War, the Boer War, Philippine Campaign and the Boxer Rebellion.
The Prime Minister of Canada was Brian Mulroney. The monarch of Britain was Queen Elizabeth II -- that hasn't changed. There have since been 4 Presidents of the United States, 5 Prime Ministers of Britain and 2 Popes.
Liverpool were the defending Champions of England's Football League, their 18th title – but they haven't won it since. Manchester United needed a replay against South London club Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup, which they'd also won twice in the 1980s, but they hadn't won the League since 1967. That would change dramatically over the coming years. Arsenal went on to win the League in the season that had just begun, but the other North London team, Tottenham Hotspur, would take the Cup. AC Milan had just repeated as European Cup winners, to be replaced the next season by Red Star Belgrade, representing the capital of Yugoslavia, a nation about to collapse around them.
Major novels of the year included Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy, Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard, The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum, and The Burden of Proof by Scott Turow. All became major motion pictures.
George R.R. Martin was writing horror novellas. J.K. Rowling was working for the Chamber of Commerce in Manchester, England, and while on a train, she got the idea for Harry Potter. No one had yet heard of Alex Cross, Bridget Jones, Robert Langdon, Bella Swan, Lisbeth Salander or Katness Everdeen.
Major films of the Autumn of 1990 included Goodfellas, Postcards from the Edge, Avalon, Henry & June, Miller's Crossing, Memphis Belle, and a film with a time travel element and a baseball subplot, Mr. Destiny. Timothy Dalton was still James Bond. Michael Keaton was Batman. Superman was in transition between Christopher Reeve on film and Dean Cain on television. And Doctor Who had been canceled, with Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh, and, it appeared, last Doctor.
Major TV shows that had just
debuted, or soon would, included the original Law & Order, The Fresh Prince
of Bel-Air, Evening Shade, Dream On, Beverly Hills 90210, and a TV version the
comic-book speedster The Flash. Oh yeah,
and Cop Rock, which became one of the biggest jokes in the history of television. Think Police Academy meets Glee. On second thought, don't think about that. I wouldn't want you to get a headache. Then again, maybe it was just way ahead of its time.
Celine Dion said hello,
making her English-language debut. Leonard Bernstein said goodbye, announcing his retirement from
conducting, and dying within days. Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash. Judas Priest was exonerated on charges that
they led two Nevada teenagers to kill themselves.
The Number 1 song in America was "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection," by Nelson, the metal-looking (but hardly metal-sounding) Matthew and Gunnar, twin sons of the late early rock and roll legend Ricky Nelson. A band called Mookie Blaylock, after the basketball player, would soon play its 1st concert; they would soon change their name to Pearl Jam.
Sinead O'Connor refused to take the stage at the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, if the National Anthem was played. The staff of the venue now known as the PNC Bank Arts Center caved in, and did not play it, and Sinead performed. This was the 1st time she courted controversy in the New York Tri-State Area, but not the last, nor the biggest.
Frank Sinatra, approaching his 75th birthday and not yet renewing his relevance with his Duets albums, publicly criticized her for disrespecting the Anthem, and the country that was making her rich (Sinead is actually from Ireland), leading to a classic Saturday Night Live sketch, a takeoff on the political show The McLaughlin Group: The Sinatra Group. Phil Hartman played Sinatra, Jan Hooks played Sinead, Sting played Billy Idol, Chris Rock played Luther Campbell of 2 Live Crew, and, representing Sinatra's guys, Mike Myers played Steve Lawrence and Victoria Jackson played Eydie Gorme.
Inflation has been such that what $1.00 would buy then, $1.73 would buy now. A U.S. postage stamp was 25 cents, and a New York Subway token $1.10. The average price of a gallon of gas was $1.22, a cup of coffee $1.49, a McDonald's meal (Big Mac, large fries, shake) $5.23, a movie ticket $4.23, a new car $9,437, and a new house $145,500. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed that day at 2,489.36.
The tallest building in the world was the Sears Tower in Chicago. The birth control pill was long-established, but there was, as yet, no Viagra. There were portable telephones, but they didn't exactly fit in your pocket. The World Wide Web was about to be introduced, but hardly anyone had heard of it, and the word "Internet" was not yet in wide usage. The Hubble Space Telescope had recently been launched, but it didn't work, and would require a rescue mission. The leading home video game system was the Sega Genesis.
In the early Autumn of 1990, the elder President Bush was building Operation Desert Shield, in anticipation of having to liberate Kuwait from Iraq; when Saddam Hussein refused to remove his troops from Kuwait, the Operation became Desert Storm. Germany was reunified after 45 years. A civil war began in Rwanda, and Yugoslavia would soon face the same. A coup deposed and executed Liberian dictator Samuel Doe, replacing him with Charles Taylor, who was no better. And the 1st McDonald's in mainland China opened, at Shenzhen, appropriately enough, in a city right next-door to the capitalist enclave of Hong Kong, which was then still under British control.
The Number 1 song in America was "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection," by Nelson, the metal-looking (but hardly metal-sounding) Matthew and Gunnar, twin sons of the late early rock and roll legend Ricky Nelson. A band called Mookie Blaylock, after the basketball player, would soon play its 1st concert; they would soon change their name to Pearl Jam.
Sinead O'Connor refused to take the stage at the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, if the National Anthem was played. The staff of the venue now known as the PNC Bank Arts Center caved in, and did not play it, and Sinead performed. This was the 1st time she courted controversy in the New York Tri-State Area, but not the last, nor the biggest.
Frank Sinatra, approaching his 75th birthday and not yet renewing his relevance with his Duets albums, publicly criticized her for disrespecting the Anthem, and the country that was making her rich (Sinead is actually from Ireland), leading to a classic Saturday Night Live sketch, a takeoff on the political show The McLaughlin Group: The Sinatra Group. Phil Hartman played Sinatra, Jan Hooks played Sinead, Sting played Billy Idol, Chris Rock played Luther Campbell of 2 Live Crew, and, representing Sinatra's guys, Mike Myers played Steve Lawrence and Victoria Jackson played Eydie Gorme.
Inflation has been such that what $1.00 would buy then, $1.73 would buy now. A U.S. postage stamp was 25 cents, and a New York Subway token $1.10. The average price of a gallon of gas was $1.22, a cup of coffee $1.49, a McDonald's meal (Big Mac, large fries, shake) $5.23, a movie ticket $4.23, a new car $9,437, and a new house $145,500. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed that day at 2,489.36.
The tallest building in the world was the Sears Tower in Chicago. The birth control pill was long-established, but there was, as yet, no Viagra. There were portable telephones, but they didn't exactly fit in your pocket. The World Wide Web was about to be introduced, but hardly anyone had heard of it, and the word "Internet" was not yet in wide usage. The Hubble Space Telescope had recently been launched, but it didn't work, and would require a rescue mission. The leading home video game system was the Sega Genesis.
In the early Autumn of 1990, the elder President Bush was building Operation Desert Shield, in anticipation of having to liberate Kuwait from Iraq; when Saddam Hussein refused to remove his troops from Kuwait, the Operation became Desert Storm. Germany was reunified after 45 years. A civil war began in Rwanda, and Yugoslavia would soon face the same. A coup deposed and executed Liberian dictator Samuel Doe, replacing him with Charles Taylor, who was no better. And the 1st McDonald's in mainland China opened, at Shenzhen, appropriately enough, in a city right next-door to the capitalist enclave of Hong Kong, which was then still under British control.
William Paley, and Douglas Edwards, and Le Duc
Tho died. Jonathan Lipnicki, and Ricky Rubio, and John Tavares were born.
October 3, 1990. A pitcher for the New York Mets won his 20th
game of the season, Frank Viola. Now, it has happened again, with R.A. Dickey.
But, unlike Viola, whose 20 wins nearly helped the Mets win the Division, Dickey's 20 wins had little effect on the Pennant race. Maybe someday, he'll play in the postseason. Or maybe not: After all, knuckleball or not, he is about to reach his 38th birthday. He's not exactly a kid anymore.
UPDATE: Just 2 months later, the Mets traded Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays, in a package that got them Noah Syndergaard and Travis d'Arnaud. Both teams were better off, and both made the Playoffs in 2015, and both did so again in 2016. The Mets won a Pennant in 2015, but the Jays are still looking for their 1st since 1993. Dickey signed with the Atlanta Braves for 2017, still knuckling away in the major leagues at age 42.
But, unlike Viola, whose 20 wins nearly helped the Mets win the Division, Dickey's 20 wins had little effect on the Pennant race. Maybe someday, he'll play in the postseason. Or maybe not: After all, knuckleball or not, he is about to reach his 38th birthday. He's not exactly a kid anymore.
UPDATE: Just 2 months later, the Mets traded Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays, in a package that got them Noah Syndergaard and Travis d'Arnaud. Both teams were better off, and both made the Playoffs in 2015, and both did so again in 2016. The Mets won a Pennant in 2015, but the Jays are still looking for their 1st since 1993. Dickey signed with the Atlanta Braves for 2017, still knuckling away in the major leagues at age 42.
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