Which Mets championship story makes a better movie?

Ever since the inception of movie making and the introduction of Hollywood into mainstream society, people have tried to figure out a solid plot to make into a movie. It is a very common occurrence when sports and movies collide. Since the beginning of film making, sports has been a mainstay in their genre. With that as a backdrop, Mets fans are often curious as to which one of their two World Series champions would make the better story and, thereby, the better movie.

First, there is the story of the 1969 New York Miracle Mets. From the time they were founded in 1962, the Mets had never finished higher than ninth place and never had more than 73 wins. With such low expectations entering the final three weeks of the 1969 season, the Chicago Cubs seemed to have no reason to fear the Mets.

Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Tommie Agee, Ron Swoboda, Cleon Jones, Ed Kranepool and company would give them a reason. Led by manager Gil Hodges, the Mets would finish out the season by winning 38 of their last 49 games and take the division from Chicago. The Cubs had a nine game lead in the division as late as mid-August. By September, the lead had dwindled to five.

By the time the Mets had caught and surpassed them, they trailed New York by eight games en route to the Mets first division title. The stories from that magical season are legendary. Their story only grew more miraculous in the postseason when they edged out the Braves and defeated the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles with timely hitting and outstanding defensive plays to match their dominant pitching to earn their first World Series pennant.

From a losing their first game of the season to the expansion Montreal Expos to being swept twice by the Houston Astros to a black cat walking behind Ron Santo to being no-hit by Pittsburgh to beating Steve Carlton while still striking out 19 times, the 1969 season had many up and down moments that script writers couldn’t even imagine. But does that make them the better story?

Next is the 1986 Amazin New York Mets. With veteran forces like Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and Ray Knight added to young studs like Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden, the Mets entered the 1986 season as a heavy favorite. They nearly led the division from wire to wire. Along the way, they made a lot of enemies while imposing their will on the National League.

They are the story of a melting pot of personalities and characters learning how to live up to their high expectations and coming to grips with their success while grinding together like two fault lines creating a massive earthquake. They began the season with manager Davey Johnson claiming they would dominate the league. They immediately started 2-3 but turned it around with an eleven game win streak finishing April 13-3.

The season would include bench-clearing brawls and curtain calls. From a pinch-hit, game-winning grand slam by Tim Teufel to releasing George Foster for his dispute with Davey Johnson citing racism (he lost his job to Kevin Mitchell by the way) to winning 108 games and beating out the Philadelphia Phillies by 21.5 games, the 1986 Mets had their dramatic regular season moments too. Their biggest legend was yet to be formed.

With dramatic home runs and solid defense, the Mets edged out the Houston Astros and headed toward third World Series appearance, this time against the Boston Red Sox. There, they would battle to the brink of elimination, not once, but twice, including an extra inning marathon Game 6 that went down as the most memorable in baseball history.

For sheer dramatic tension and character depth, the 1986 season might edge out the 1969 season. At the end of 1986, even the Mets home stadium posted a congratulations message to the Red Sox. After multiple two-out hits and a wild pitch tied the game, Mookie Wilson hit the dribbler down the first base line that would change the series and rewrite history. That is the type of script that makes screen writers salivate.

Between the two, it is a very close call. Both make compelling cases for their story to hit the big screen. In the end, we can be thankful as fans that we have had two opportunities to witness brilliance at the highest level. We would be equally fortunate for Hollywood to choose either one for their next big production.

Perhaps Jerry Seinfeld or Kevin James might have something in the works. Ya gotta believe!