The Mets have never clinched anything at Citi Field, and have not clinched anything at home since 2006.
The night is September 18, 2006. “Sexyback” by Justin Timberlake is about to chart #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for its tenth straight week. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest just wrapped up its run as highest grossing summer blockbuster. Steve Jobs is about five months away from unveiling the first iPhone. The Nintendo Wii and the PS3 are just weeks away from hitting the shelves. Eli Manning is starting just his second full season as Giants QB. Citi Field is just a bunch of occupied parking spaces; break ground date was not for another two months.
That was the last time the Mets clinched anything at home. It was the NL East crown that they locked up that night, and it’s a night that anyone who was around then surely remembers. Even if it’s not, you can probably still catch that game on SNY as a MetsClassic every offseason.
Of course, the Mets clinched the NLDS on the road in 2006, and their next playoff appearance would not be until 2015, the first at Citi Field. The Mets clinched the division that year in Cincinnati, but did have a chance for the first Citi Field clincher in Game 4 of the NLDS. Coming off a blowout loss in Game 3, the Dodgers sent Clayton Kershaw to the mound on short rest out of desperation down 2-1 in the series, and he shut the Mets down in a 3-1 win to send the series back to LA. The Mets would win Game 5, and then swept the NLCS, which unfortunately meant another road clincher in Chicago.
In 2016, they had a chance to win the Wild Card game at home, but they lost to Conor Gillaspie and the Giants.
If the Mets could’ve won a game or two in Atlanta in September 2022, they could’ve clinched the division at home in the final series of the year. But they couldn’t get it done.
They also could’ve won the Wild Card Series in Game 3 at home that year, but they couldn’t get it done.
This year, the opportunity to clinch anything at home never realistically presented itself. Until tonight. They have another chance to get it done.
It has been 18 years and nearly one month since the Mets last home clincher of any kind. It is a streak that just graduated High School. It’s a streak old enough to vote in this year’s election. Only two other teams in baseball have longer home-clinching droughts: the Chicago White Sox and the Miami Marlins. Not exactly great company. Even teams like the Mariners, Pirates, and Angels have the Mets beat here. It’s more a streak of happenstance than anything, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating.
But tonight, the Mets have a chance to end that streak. They finally have a chance to celebrate with their home fans at Citi Field with a victory over the Phillies tonight. They have a chance to make this night an iconic one in the ballpark’s 16-year history.
Shea Stadium was known for these moments. The Mets won two World Series, three NL pennants, two NLDS’s, and four division titles at Shea. Citi Field has yet to host any kind of moment like that, now well into its second decade of existence.
Of course, other teams have had their moments here. The Royals had theirs. So did the Giants. The Padres did it here too. Heck, even the Tampa Bay Rays and Phillies have both clinched playoff berths at Citi Field. Citi Field has been something of an iconic ballpark for other teams. But the Mets haven’t had a chance to celebrate on their own field.
They have a chance to tonight. It’s not the most important thing in the world, and it’s not like clinching on the road wouldn’t still be fun, but this is a thing that matters to people. It’s something an entire younger generation of fans haven’t experienced at this point. It’s time to get it done at home.