This was back before Wrigley became a yuppie/corporate/hipster destination and was a true neighborhood ballpark. Also Mets catcher John Stearns. In my mind one of the most overlooked very good players in Mets history.

I was at this game! I was an 11 year old Met fan from New York, but when I realized my dad's business trip to Chicago coincided with opening day, I convinced me to take him with me and go to the game! Unforgettable!

Love these old games when baseball was baseball.

This is the MLB debut for reliever Jesse Orosco. Remarkably, he would go on to pitch in 4 different decades and pitched 24 seasons. Orosco retired at the age of 46 after the 2003 season, and holds the MLB record for games pitched with 1,252. All but 4 of those games came in relief. Career stats: (87-80) 3.16 ERA 144 Saves. Orosco pitched for 9 teams, but is most remembered as a member of the '86 Mets. Orosco was 3-0 in relief in the 1986 NLCS, and pitched scoreless relief in all 4 games he pitched covering 5.2 innings in the World Series. He saved games 4 & 7 in the WS, and allowed only 2 hits with 0 walks and 6 strikeouts. With the score 7-6 and runners on first & second and 2 outs, he struck out Astros hitter Kevin Bass in the bottom of the 16th inning of game 6 to clinch the pennant for the Mets. Later in the World Series, Orosco pitched the final 2 innings of game 7 and struck out Red Sox second baseman Marty Barrett to wrap up the title for the Mets. Orosco also won a World Series ring in 1988 as a member of the LA Dodgers.

During the mid seventies I used to drop everything and run inside just in time for lead off man. Didn’t matter what I was doing - it was baseball, and that’s all that mattered. Then Star Wars came....

Kingman had a monster 1979. 48 homers, 115 ribbies and a .288 average.

At 48:30, Dave Kingman hits the longest double in baseball history-over 600 feet. Only about 130 feet from home plate, but 500 feet straight in the air. Doug Flynn is waiting about 8 seconds for it to come back down to the ground. Amazing.

Keep these classics coming...I'm reliving my childhood...Thanks

I remember this like it was yesterday... Feeling nostAlgic... Mets fan until the End.

Orosco vs. Buckner....two key players in the 1986 World Series.

Was at this game .The thing I remember about the Kingman home run was that it looked like a pop-up and the wind kept carrying it. When he hit it the infielders were playing it and there was one last gust of wind right before it hit the basket.

Remember in the spring of 1979 we starting getting both Cub and Met games on cable, it was great, and Sox too, would come home early to see the Cub home games, and loved the Sox games televised from Yankee stadium….thank you for this game….⚾️

RIP John Stearns

Yes, the Good Old Day’s. To bad for today’s senior citizens, who can’t watch their beloved Chicago Cubs on free Television anymore, they can’t afford to see the Cubs in person because they are on a fixed income. And they can’t afford cable. It’s all about greed, that’s what my elderly neighbor says who is a life long Cubs fan.

1:23:35..Dave Kingman, definitely top 10 baseball players of all time

I was at this game I remember seeing Sizemore high fly heading into the stands only for the wind to grab it and drop in fair territory. 43 years later seeing the replay 👍🤠

Even though I wasn't a Cubs fan living in ohio, I loved baseball and watching Jack and Lou was always fun and entertaining on WGN.

This is absolutely a time warp. Thanks for the memories, past present and their future who didn't have a chance to see the Cubbie Game 7 victory in 2016..

Good times, bad cub teams, $20 practically got you a train ride, gen admission tic, food and cash leftover

Oh my gosh ! Bobby Murcer was still on the Cubs for a last few months. Wow !!

I’ve watched this game today Jan 11th 2023, 50’ degrees today in Bolingbrook Illinois , and it’s was perfect for a good old afternoon nap 😴 just like it was back in 1979 😂, thank You 🙏🏼 whoever posted this game!!! Jack Brickhouse Lou Boudreaux, Vince Lloyd were the greatest ever, the only thing missing was the 10th inning show. 😢 😊❤😊

The Mets were dreadful in the late 70's/early 80's, but that is also when I became a die-hard Mets fan, so I appreciate you posting even these games from their bad years. If you have it or ever come across it, I would love to see the full Mets-Giants game from June 14, 1980 (aka "the Steve Henderson Game").

You are posting some amazing content I've never seen before. Keep up the fantastic work.

Thanks for posting. Your respect and appreciation for history is greatly appreciated!

Damn, Rick Reuschel has a lot of movement on his pitches. Like every one of them breaks.

The Rocky intro!!! Yes! Yes! Yes! The first Cubs broadcast open I remember. This game happened because Chicago was finally able to clear the roads after the blizzard. ;)

Bill bucker almost got one there in the 9th.he was a cub favorite.they should've never traded him.

Love all the games you show. What a fantastic collection. I went to many Sox and Cubs games in the 60s on so these bring back great memories. Two Hall of Famers announcing, Jack Brickhouse and Lou Boudreau as a player.

Only Brickhouse would get excited about Barry Foote and Ted Sizemore. 🙄

Fun fact - this was the first game the Mets played with names on the back. For some reason, leadoff batter Lee Mazzilli went without one.

AWESOME video. Thank for posting. Always loved the "Rocky" starting.

Richie Hebner's off season grave digging gig more lively than 1979 dreary Shea Stadium tomb mirroring atmosphere 😆

Thanks. Fun to watch.

loved wgn even though i lived in LA 1979. worked night shift but my cable had wgn so i could get my baseball fix in daytime, great memories

When I want a ballgame on, this is the ticket. MLB is dead to me in 2021.

Having played small town ball for 20 years, I can tell you that strong, gusty winds are an absolute nightmare. When somebody hits one straight up the elevator shaft and you realize too late that it's going to land 20 feet behind you is one sick feeling. Makes for good watching, though.

Hope you have some Pirate games from '79. Keep them coming. Great Job!!

I remember the 1979 Mets as being particularly bad. Thanks for the upload.

The Mets brought up Kelvin Chapman and demoted Chico Escuela.

Jack Brickhouse and Lou Boudreau! Hey Hey Hey!

We Had season tickets for the Pittsfield Mets and ivan dejesus was the coach and he was always kind to my kid's as he would take them to bring the lineup cards to the ump and my 6 year old is looking up at massive steve balboni.plus he probably signed 50 of his old cards for them before the game.

First Mets game with NOB of uniforms! Thanks for the post!

53:09. A good reason why Marla Collins was a ball girl for a few seasons in the eighties.

Freddy Fender on the anthem, Stan Hack throwing out the first pitch, this is so classic. I was at the '77 Wrigley opener when Seaver dusted the Flubs. Any chance you have that game? It was on WGN.

If only the salad days of baseball would come backi

John Stearns could fight. He and Gary Carter had a good bout and he broke Dave Parker's jaw. People didn't mess with the Dude. He was also drafted in the NFL.

Love the dude bring in a sleeping bag @9:41. Preparing for extra innings? Doubt that would fly today

At just the right camera angle, I can see the black blurry dot from the 15th floor lakeside apt when I was 8 years old. Too bad I can't go back and knock to let me know, how I am doing in the future..I would have to tell Jack and Lou its 2016...Miss yous!!

To my surprise, the Mets look like a good ballclub here. Young talent coming in to their own, a few veterans mixed in. A strong performance by Swannie as well. However -1979 was arguably the worst season in Mets history. Though they did not lose as many games as in 1962, at least the 1962 club was colorful. As the 1979 season progressed, the Mets pitching staff immolated -not that it was great to begin with. The front office got so desperate they tapped washed up Dock Ellis and Wayne Twitchell just to eat innings. The offense wasn't much better -Montanez was dumped mid season (he was their best hitter in 1978), Hebner was a malcontent who sort of sat out the middle of the season, and the kiddie corps were not contender-quality.

You go guys

The sponsors in the opening have so many things that are no longer relevant; 76 fuel, Zenith, the Yellow Pages, Pontiac, and Major League Baseball

This is Very Interesting to watch. 1979 was the year that I started to watch baseball. I turned 9 in may of that year. I started collecting baseball cards that year as well. I still remember that 1979 Mets yearbook that I had. Not sure if I still have it around somewhere. I also had a 1982 Mets yearbook. In 1979 my favorite Met player was Lee Mazzilli. In 1982 my favorite Met player was Dave Kingman. This is obviously a Chicago broadcast. I'd Really Like to see a Mets broadcast, from 1979, Especially with those commercials from Way Back then. I Still always remember one particular commercial from Way back in 1979, or maybe it was from 1980. It had this Man and Woman riding they're bicycles. They were the skinny tire 10 speed type bicycles that were Super Popular back then. Anyway, they were basically racing along on they're bikes, and then they reach they're finish-line point, and they both raise they're arm in the air. I think it was a bank commercial if I'm not mistaken. Metropolitan bank I'm guessing. I also remember that Pepperidge Farm Cookies commercial from Way back then, with that old farmer saying Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Wow Freddie Fender top notch entertainment

Jack Brickhouse (PBP) 1-4/7-9 Lou Boudreau (PBP) 5-6

I thought Manny Trillo was still 2nd base in 1979. I thought Ted Sizemore was for back up duty. Then again in 1979 I was 12. Saw some of this game when I got home from school.

45:26 this clip of a wind-blown single was used in a Mets 25th Anniversary video as an indicator of the rough times the team was going through at this point.

You could come up with a pretty good "I was traded for Willie Montanez" team

That home plate ump was all over the place. Not much has changed for them it seems...😝

im hoping to find the 3rd game of this series broadcast on 4/7/79.......also,the mick kelleher collision with kingman from 1977 when dave played with the padres....

Umpires HP Dennis Riccio 1B Lanny Harris 2B Dick Cavanaugh 3B Joe Pomponi

That's pretty funny--a 4.05 ERA put them at the bottom of the league in 1978, now it's probably better than half the teams. Two things jump out at me; almost no foul balls compared to today and nobody stepping out and monkeying with their batting gloves after every pitch.

to bad its not ralph kiner and lindsey nelson or bob murphy calling the game.. lets go mets

Do you have any Cubs vs Indians games from the 1990s that you can put on. I went to Chicago in 1998 to see Cleveland vs cubs

These were a continuation of the brutal Joe Torre Mets. Not his fault as the collection of garbage he had to manage was ridiculous. They had to win their last 6 games to avoid 100 losses and they made Richie Hebner out to be David Wright at 3rd base. He was a horrible glove, had no power and hated playing in NY and forced his way out after the season. Willie Montanez at first was another guy made out to be John Olerud and he sucked with his BS snatch catch. He was so brutal they couldn't wait to deal him and did. The pitching stunk, the hitting stunk and the team was brutal. A 63-99 Mets team!

Controversial play at 1:45:43. Maddox out, but Flynn reached 2nd on interference by Sizemore.

Back when they had still had unreserved seats...

Swannie had good stuff, but, oy, the way he lands on that front foot and jerks up.

These players are making less money than I do now

Cubs back then somehow traded for really good talent like Bill Madlock, Manny Trillo, and Ivan DeJesus but then stupidly traded them away when they wanted to get paid. Cubs never developed even one good position player over a twenty year period.

Hmm, I wonder why most but not all of the Mets had their names on the backs of their uniforms. That's not very...uniform.

51:00 Bartman's dad costs the Cubs a run and possibly the game and maybe the season!

A game without so many graphics that I can see the actual game? I refuse to watch, the score of the game has been shown way to many times, I need launch angle, exit velocity , wins above sea level and tire rotation rate. Bobby Mercer was boos every at bat because he made $320,000 thousand dollars and he sucked. He was taken out during the game for a guy making $21,000. Jason Heyward still plays and gets 22 million a year to suck at baseball

What are the odds Donnie Moore comes in to face Steve Henderson? God bless both their souls 🙏

Rick was never a cub favorite.he always got hammered.cubs wouldn't spent a dime on pitching those days.as if they knew we were only coming to see big Dave hit homers.cubs front office was totally clueless as to what they were doing.cubs fans hated hernandez too.he always sucked in chicago.

All that trash on the field.