1999 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game

Some described the Mets as collapsing late in the season while the race between the Reds and their division rival Houston Astros was close enough to create the possibility of a three-way tie.

[3] If Houston had not won that game, the Astros, Reds, and Mets would have instead been in a three-way tie for both the NL Central and the wild card spot.

[6] The Mets' losing streak late in the season led Jayson Stark to label them a "sinking ship" in a column on September 30.

[7] However, the Mets broke this streak with a win over the Braves and dominant pitcher Greg Maddux and then, following a loss, swept three games from the Pittsburgh Pirates to end the season,[1][7] tying the Reds' 96–66 record.

Bob Costas said at the time he did not like the wild-card system as he believed it "diminishes the drama and authenticity of a pennant race", although he approved of the playoff teams in 1999.

[5] Tim McCarver disagreed, arguing that the late-season race between the Mets, Astros, and Reds showed the excitement a wild card can add to the season.

[11] The Mets took a quick 2–0 lead with a single by Rickey Henderson to open the game followed immediately by a home run by Edgardo Alfonzo.

Reds starter Steve Parris intentionally walked Mike Piazza to load the bases and was relieved by Denny Neagle.

[12] Pokey Reese was the only Reds player to reach scoring position for the entire game, doubling to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning and then advancing to third on a ground out.

[15] New York's win clinched the team's fifth postseason berth in franchise history, their first since losing in the 1988 National League Championship Series.

[19] The Mets performance in the playoffs drew heavy television viewership, with the decisive game of the NLCS scoring the highest ratings for any League Championship Series broadcast since 1993.

Variety writer Tom Bierbaum argued this was a good sign for the future of baseball because the Mets and Boston Red Sox had drawn younger viewers during their time in the postseason.

[20] Bierbaum believed that baseball needed fresh teams, not just the often-successful Yankees and Braves, to draw new audiences and grow viewership.

[24] Robin Ventura also finished sixth in the National League's Most Valuable Player voting, with Chipper Jones taking the award.

A man in brown pants, a brown vest, and white shirt raises his right hand. He is standing on grass in front of three chairs, one with a bouquet of flowers on it.
Rickey Henderson led off the game with a single, scored the game's first run, and hit a home run in the fifth inning.