A Night to (Never) Repeat

After Dwight Gooden’s complete game victory over the Chicago Cubs at Shea Stadium, the Mets clinched the National League East for the first time since 1973. The final out, a ground out from second baseman Wally Backman to first baseman Keith Hernandez, was almost interrupted by fans rushing on to the field and the victorious Mets had to be escorted off the field. ”I got knocked down on the ground,” Gooden said. ”I didn’t know who was on top of me. It was really a scary feeling. You don’t know what’s going to happen.” While most Mets fans just wanted to celebrate the historic win, several began ripping up the turf and looking for souvenirs in the dugouts. ”The infield is a mess,” said groundskeeper Pete Flynn after the crowd was cleared. ”The whole field looks like it’s been bombed. It won’t be 100 percent, but we’ll put it back together and we’ll have the game tomorrow.”