Generation K: The Mets were relying on three young pitchers to take them to the top, Jason
Isringhausen, Paul Wilson & Bill Pulsipher who were highly promoted as "Generation K". All three pitchers suffered various injuries & the whole thing never came to be.
On Opening Day at Shea, 42,060 Mets fans came out excited to start a new season. The Mets hosted Tony LaRussa's St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards would win the NL Central, beat the Padres in the NLDS then lose to the Braves in the NLCS.
Dallas Green sent Bobby Jones to make his first Opening Day start for the Mets, going up against the Cardinals' Andy Benes.
In the 1st inning Bobby Jones retired the side in order. Andy Benes did the same to the Mets in the bottom half of the inning.
In the top of the 2nd inning, Ron Gant walked & Gary Gaetti singled up the middle. John Mabry hit a sac fly scoring Gant for the first run. In the top of the 3rd, Willie McGee singled & scored on Royce Clayton's double for a 2-0 St. Louis lead.
In the top of the 4th, the Cards struck again, John Mabry hit a solo HR bringing in his second run of the game.
The Cards collected back-to-back singles & then got a three run HR from Willie McGee. The longtime veteran McGee had spent 1982-1990 with St. Louis winning a batting title in 1985. He returned after six years to finish his career in St. Louis. He would hit just five HRs that season.
Bobby Jones' Day was done, allowing six runs on eight hits, leaving with his team down 6-0.
The Mets were always a good Opening Day team & this year was no different. They started one of their biggest comebacks of the 1996 season.
In the bottom of the 4th inning, the popular Rico Brogna singled to lead off the inning. Todd Hundley then hit the first HR of the year; a two-run shot off Andy Benes making it a 6-2 game.
Todd Hundley Trivia: That season Todd Hundley would set an MLB record for catchers hitting 41 HRs passing Brooklyn Dodger Roy Campanella's 40. Hundley also set a Mets single season HR record that year. It would later be broken by Carlos Beltran then again by Pete Alonso.
In the bottom of the 6th inning, new Met, Bernard Gilkey hit a solo HR off Benes to make it a 6-3 game.
Bernard Gilkey Trivia: That year, Gilkey would set a Mets single season double record with 44. He drove in 117 runs which is still the 6th most RBIs in a Mets single season (tied with Howard Johnson). He also put up an 8.1 WAR, even though it was not a stat at the time.
After the seventh inning stretch, the Mets had one of their best Opening Day comebacks in team history. They would score four runs, with five hits sending seven men to the plate off Cardinal relievers- Rick Honeycutt, Cory Bailey & Tony Fossas.
After Todd Hundley grounded out, Jose Vizcaino & Rey Ordonez both singled off Rick Honeycutt. Then Chris Jones delivered an RBI base hit up the middle off Cory Bailey. Bailey faced just one batter as Tony Fossas was brought into pitch.New Mets centerfielder Lance Johnson hit a little roller to third base, he reached safely with his speed & Rey Ordonez scored on the play to get the Mets within a run, 6-5. Bernard Gilkey then tied the game up with a line drive base hit to short right field scoring Chris Jones.
With one out, Gilkey on first & Lance Johnson on third, Rico Brogna hit a sac fly to short right field, the speedy Johnson was able to score the go ahead run giving the Mets a 7-6 lead. But Gilkey was thrown out trying to reach second base, ending the inning.
Lance Johnson Trivia: That season Lance set five Mets single season records, hits (227) & triples (22) which both still stand today. At that time, he set a record for runs (117) at bats (682) & total bases (327).
In the top of the 8th, Mets reliever, Doug Henry walked Ron Gant to start the inning, then threw a wild pitch advancing him to second. But Henry was able to hold the Cardinals down maintaining the one run lead. In the 9th inning John Franco came on & retired the side in order, notching his first save of the year as the Mets took the opening day victory.
1996 Mets: In 1996, the Mets would finish fourth with a 71-91 record. There were some good moments as mentioned in the above individual player highlights. Dallas Green would be fired in late August & Bobby Valentine took over. 
