October 4, 1999: The Al Leiter Game

October 4, 1999: The New York Mets whitewash the Cincinnati Reds‚ 5-0 at Riverfront Stadium (by this point, renamed Cinergy Field)‚ to become the National League's Wild Card Playoff team. Al Leiter hurls a complete game 2-hitter for the win. Rey Ordoñez plays his 100th consecutive errorless game, a record for shortstops.

Leiter allowed just 2 hits, and 4 walks, striking out 7. He threw 135 pitches, and there was no way that manager Bobby Valentine was going to take him out. Having grown up a Met fan in Berkeley Township, Ocean County, New Jersey, this was the game he'd waited for his whole life.

He was supported by a 2-run home run by Edgardo Alfonzo in the 1st inning, a bases-loaded walk by Robin Ventura in the 3rd, a home run by Rickey Henderson in the 5th, and an RBI double by Alfonzo in the 6th.

The Mets had struggled against the Atlanta Braves, who had now won 5 straight NL Eastern Division titles, but managed to be 1 of the last 5 teams standing. Now, they were 1 of the last 4, and would play the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL Division Series. The D-backs had set a record by making the Playoffs in only their 2nd season.

This was a playoff to get into the Playoffs; therefore, Major League Baseball counts it as a regular-season game. The Reds had won 96 games. This is easily the most wins by a team that didn't make the Playoffs proper since the advent of MLB's Wild Card era in 1995.

*

October 4, 1999 was a Monday. Both Leagues' Division Series started the next day. On ABC Monday Night Football, the Buffalo Bills beat the Miami Dolphins, 23-18 at Pro Player Stadium (now Hard Rock Stadium) in Miami Gardens, Florida.

The NBA season did not begin until November 2. But there were 3 games played in the NHL:

* In an "Original Six" matchup, the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins, 4-0 at the Air Canada Centre (now the Scotiabank Arena) in Toronto.

* The Los Angeles Kings beat the St. Louis Blues, 3-2 at the Kiel Center (now the Enterprise) in St. Louis.

* And the San Jose Sharks beat the Chicago Blackhawks, 7-1 at the San Jose Arena (now the SAP Center).