Editing New York Mets (section)

===1980s: Success, Wilpon takes over and second World Series championship===
{{Multiple image 
| align = right 
| direction = horizontal
| width = 150 
| total_width = 300
| image1 = DwightGoodenSF 2.jpg
| image2 = Darryl Strawberry 1986.jpg 
| caption_align = center 
| footer = Both [[Dwight Gooden]] and [[Darryl Strawberry]] became key stars for the Mets during the 1980s
| footer_align = centre 
| alt1 = 
}}
In January 1980, the Payson heirs sold the Mets franchise to the [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] publishing company for $21.1 million, a record amount at that time. [[Nelson Doubleday, Jr.]] was named chairman of the board while minority shareholder [[Fred Wilpon]] took the role of club president. In February, Wilpon hired longtime [[Baltimore Orioles]] executive [[Frank Cashen]] as general manager who began the process of rebuilding the Mets much in the same way he developed the Orioles in the late 1960s and early 1970s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/frank-cashen-whose-team-building-savvy-led-ny-mets-to-world-series-in-1986-dies/2014/06/30/865d9d68-0094-11e4-b8ff-89afd3fad6bd_story.html|title=Frank Cashen, whose team-building savvy led N.Y. Mets to World Series in 1986 dies|last=Walker|first=Ben|date=June 30, 2014|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=August 2, 2022}}</ref>

The franchise turned around in the mid-1980s. During this time the Mets drafted slugger [[Darryl Strawberry]] (#1 in 1980)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/6/3/4391810/this-date-in-mets-history-june-3-darryl-strawberry-gregg-jefferies-drafted|title=This date in Mets History: June 3 – Mets draft Darryl, Gregg Jefferies, and others|website=Amazin'Avenue|last=Mahan|first=Brock|date=June 3, 2013|access-date=January 13, 2022}}</ref> and 1985 [[Cy Young Award]] winner [[Dwight Gooden]] (#5 in 1982).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-dwight-gooden-mlb-draft-20220716-owdiqwzsdvepbm6rgbnaaw4rb4-story.html|title=Dwight Gooden and the '82 Mets draft class that turned the team into champs|last=McCarron|first=Anthony|date=July 16, 2022|website=[[New York Daily News]]|access-date=August 22, 2022}}</ref> Former National League MVP and perennial [[Gold Glove]] winner [[Keith Hernandez]] was obtained by the Mets in 1983 from the [[St. Louis Cardinals]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/16/sports/keith-hernandez-sent-to-mets-for-allen-ownbey.html|title=Keith Hernandez Sent to Mets For Allen, Ownbey|last=Dupont|first=Kevin|date=June 16, 1983|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sny.tv/articles/mets-traded-for-keith-hernandez-on-todays-date-in-1983|title=Mets traded for Keith Hernandez on today's date in 1983|website=[[SportsNet New York]]|access-date=June 15, 2018}}</ref> This began a rivalry between the two teams that lasted throughout the rest of the 1980s, during which the teams would swap [[NL East]] titles between 1985 and 1988, Mets players openly trolled the Cardinals, and Cardinals fans nicknamed the Mets "pond scum."<ref name="Ladson">{{cite web|last=Ladson|first=Bill|title=How the trade that made Keith Hernandez a Met came to be|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/keith-hernandez-mets-trade-anniversary|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]|date=June 16, 2023|access-date=July 20, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Crisafulli">{{cite web|last=Crisafulli|first=Alex|title=The Cardinals – Mets rivalry was the best rivalry|url=https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2016/8/25/12637064/the-cardinals-mets-rivalry-keith-hernandez-jack-clark-1985-1987|publisher=[[SB Nation]] (Viva El Birdos)|date=August 25, 2016|access-date=July 20, 2023}}</ref>

After finishing their first three campaigns of the 1980s decade in either 5th or 6th (last) place, in 1984, new manager [[Davey Johnson]] was promoted from the helm of the AAA [[Norfolk Tides|Tidewater Tides]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/news/johnson-davey|title=Davey Johnson's Managerial Skills Lead Him To Cooperstown's Doorstep|last=Francis|first=Bill|website=Baseball Hall of Fame|publisher=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]|access-date=August 22, 2022}}</ref> He led the Mets to a second-place, 90–72 record, their first winning season since 1976.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYM/1984.shtml|title=1984 New York Mets Statistics|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=August 22, 2022}}</ref>

In [[1985 New York Mets season|1985]], they acquired Hall of Fame catcher [[Gary Carter]] from the [[Montreal Expos]] and won 98 games, but narrowly missed the playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/11/sports/mets-get-expo-s-carter-for-brooks-and-3-others.html|title=Mets get Expo's Carter for Brooks and 3 Others|last=Durso|first=Joseph|date=December 11, 1984|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=November 24, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYM/1985.shtml|title=1985 New York Mets Statistics|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=August 22, 2022}}</ref> In [[1986 New York Mets season|1986]], they won the division with a record of 108–54, one of the best in National League history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYM/1986.shtml|title=1986 New York Mets Statistics|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=August 23, 2022}}</ref> They then won a dramatic [[1986 National League Championship Series|NLCS]] in six games over the [[1986 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]].<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.amazinavenue.com/2020/10/14/21515174/mets-1986-nlcs-victory-over-the-astros-gooden-strawberry-hernandez-carter-dykstra-scott|title=Revisiting the Mets 1986 NLCS victory over the Astros|last=Wolff|first=Robert|date=October 14, 2020|website=amazinavenue.com|access-date=October 14, 2020}}</ref> The sixth game of the series lasted sixteen innings, the longest playoff game in history until 2005. The Mets came within one strike of losing the [[1986 World Series|World Series]] against the [[1986 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] before a series of hits and defensive miscues ultimately led to an error by Boston's [[Bill Buckner]] which gave the Mets a Game 6 victory. The Mets won their second World Series title in seven games.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/36038/this-date-in-86-miracle-at-shea|title=This date in '86: The Miracle of Game 6|last=Simon|first=Mark|date=October 25, 2011|website=ESPN.com|publisher=[[ESPN]]|access-date=October 25, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/28/sports/the-world-series-86-mets-win-it-city-loves-it.html|title=The World Series '86; Mets Win It, City Loves It|last=Alfano|first=Peter|date=October 28, 1986|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 23, 2022}}</ref>

In [[1987 New York Mets season|1987]] the Mets declined to re-sign World Series MVP [[Ray Knight]], who then signed with the Baltimore Orioles and also traded away the flexible [[Kevin Mitchell (baseball)|Kevin Mitchell]] to the Padres for long-ball threat [[Kevin McReynolds]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/12/sports/mets-trade-five-for-mcreynolds-in-eight-man-deal.html|title=Mets Trade Five For McReynolds In Eight-Man Deal|last=Durso|first=Joseph|date=December 12, 1986|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref> Weeks later Mets' ace Dwight Gooden was admitted to a drug clinic after testing positive for cocaine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1987-04-02-8701210559-story.html|title=Mets' Gooden To Enter Drug Center|last=O'Connell|first=Jack|date=April 2, 1987|website=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|access-date=August 23, 2022}}</ref> Despite Gooden struggling in the first few months of the 1987 season, "Dr. K" rebounded, as did the team. It was during the tough times that the Mets made a great long-term deal, trading [[Ed Hearn (catcher)|Ed Hearn]] to the [[Kansas City Royals]] for pitcher [[David Cone]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/28/sports/mets-trade-hearn-anderson-to-royals.html|title=Mets Trade Hearn, Anderson To Royals|last=Berkow|first=Ira|date=March 28, 1987|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref>

The rivalry with the Cardinals culminated in the 1987 season, when the Mets surged to challenge them for the NL East title but suffered two painful losses. The first came on Seat Cushion Night where [[Tom Herr]] hit a walk-off grand slam. A greater loss came on September 11 in a game against St. Louis, 3rd baseman [[Terry Pendleton]] hit a homer to give the Cardinals a lead, and eventually the NL East title.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/terry-pendleton-hr-doomed-mets-dynasty-article-1.3482807|title=In 1987, Terry Pendleton's HR doomed the Mets dynasty that never was and Roger McDowell still can't talk about it|last=Red|first=Christian|date=September 9, 2017|website=[[New York Daily News]]|access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref> One highlight of the year was Darryl Strawberry and [[Howard Johnson (baseball)|Howard Johnson]] becoming the first teammates' ever to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season.

The Mets rebounded the following year to post a 100–60 overall record and win their division in [[1988 New York Mets season|1988]], but lost [[1988 NLCS|in the NLCS]] that year to the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] and declined into the 1990s.