Remembering Mets Opening Days (1991) Dwight Gooden Earns His Fourth Opening Day Win

 The Mets in for a big change during the 1991 season, as the team was about to begin another downfall with bad trades, terrible free agent signings & poor management that would lead to six straight losing seasons. 

In 1990 they had finished (91-71) in second place for the second straight year & in an era of no wild card missed the playoffs once again. They fired Davey Johnson who had won them two NL East titles & a world championship & gave long time popular Mets player then coach Bud Harrelson the job.

The 1991 Mets brought in former Cardinal nemesis' Vince Coleman for the outfield & Tommy Herr for second base. They also brought back Hubbie Brooks to play right field after Darryl Strawberry had left for Los Angeles via free agency & veteran catcher Rick Cerone. 

None of these things worked out too well, with the Coleman/Herr combo being a disaster. One of the few bright spots was Rookie Todd Hundley who was just starting out his career.

The pitching staff of Dwight Gooden, David Cone & Frank Viola was the team's strength. Ron
Darling started the year with the Mets but after going 5-6 with a 3.87 ERA was traded to Montreal for Tim Burke during the season.

Dwight Gooden was making his sixth career Opening Day start, his fourth straight having missed the 1987 season opener when he was in rehab. His Opening Day record was 3-1 going into the 1991 opener.

Dwight Gooden Opening Day Trivia: Gooden would start a total of eight Mets Opening Days in his ten-year Mets career going 6-2, tying Tom Seaver with six victories. Only Seaver started more Mets Opening days than Doc with eleven.

Monday April 8th, 1991: In the top of the 1st, former Met Lenny Dykstra started the season flying out to center field. Gooden the struck-out Darren Daulton & Von Hayes.

In the bottom of the 1st, Vince Coleman started out his Mets career with a double to right field. Gregg Jefferies followed with another double & Coleman scored the first run of the season. Coleman would play in just 72 games that season & score 45 runs.

In the bottom of the 4th inning, Hubie Brooks led off with a double. After Mullholland retired Howard Johnson & Kevin McReynolds, he walked Tommy Herr. Then with catcher Charlie O'Brien up, the Mets pulled off a double steal, as Brooks went to second Tommy Herr came home &got credit for a steal of home plate. The Mets had a 2-0 lead.

Charlie O'Brien Trivia: O'Brien was a brilliant defensive catcher who became Dwight Gooden's personal catcher in New York. O'Brien would go to be a personal catcher to Greg Maddux in Atlanta. 

He would be behind the plate, catching 11 Cy Young pitchers, three of them in their Cy Young seasons. He later developed a new catcher's mask in the style of the NHL hockey goalies' masks.

In the top of the 5th inning, John Kruck led off with a HR. Although the Phils threatened, Charlie Hayes reached on a Howard Johnson throwing error & Gooden walked Dickie Thon, he got former Met teammate Wally Backman to ground into a double play & struck out Mullholland.

The Phils got two hits in the 6th inning bit Gooden got out of that jam & retired the next seven in a row thru eight innings.

On the day Gooden allowed one run on six hits, with a walk & seven strike outs to earn his first win. On the season he led the starters in winning % (.650%) going 13-7. He was second to David Cone in ERA & strike outs.

The 1991 Mets would finish 5th going 74-80. In late September they fired Bud Harrelson & put coach Mike Cubbage in as interim manager. Cubbage had ended his playing career with the Mets then became a coach & was once looked at as a future manager. In his seven games as manager, he was 3-4. In 1992 the managerial job went to Jeff Torborg.

In 1992 things got worse as the free agent additions of Bobby Bonilla, Eddie Murray, Bret Saberhagen & Willie Randolph labeled them "the worst team money could buy".