Once Upon a Time in Queens Part 1

S1, E1: To really understand the fairy tale that was the 1986 Mets, you have to go back – back before Mookie dribbled that ground ball towards first base, and way before the club put together one of the most dominating seasons in baseball history that would end in such unbelievable, unforgettable fashion. You have to go back nearly a decade, to the infamous blackout of the summer of 1977 – rock bottom for the city of New York, and the ballclub that played in Queens. The Mets were 15 years into their history then; they’d begun as lovable losers, then rode a miracle team to a 1969 title, and then became a laughingstock hard to watch. And the club’s almost unwatchable play in the late 70s mirrored the sorry state of New York City – tired, bankrupt, crime-ridden. Until things started to turnaround. The 1980s was the decade of New York – with a financial boom propelling the rebirth of a city defined by excitement, unpredictability, and edge. And soon the Mets followed suit. New ownership brought in general manager Frank Cashen, who began building a contender that was a mix of promising young stars like Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden, and veteran All-Stars like Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter. Around them was a wide range of complex personalities and characters, and by 1984, led by the swashbuckling manager Davey Johnson, out of nowhere the Mets became a contender once again – a brash collection of talent that looked poised to rise to the very top of the sport when they came up just short of a division title in 1985. In a city that had roared to life, the Mets seemed just a spark away from igniting into the best story in sports.