How 1977 actually went.
The season is remembered through one date: June 15, the Midnight Massacre. After months of conflict with ownership and chairman M. Donald Grant, Tom Seaver was traded to Cincinnati. Dave Kingman was dealt the same night. The Mets did not merely move veterans; they told their fans that keeping the greatest player in club history was less important than winning a public contract fight.
The team collapsed around the decision. Jerry Koosman remained in the rotation, John Stearns established himself at catcher, and rookie Steve Henderson hit well after arriving in the Seaver trade. None of it could replace the identity that had left. Attendance fell, Shea grew quiet, and every loss carried anger beyond the result on the scoreboard.
A 64–98 finish began the true rebuilding years. The trade return never became enough, the old championship core disappeared, and trust between the organization and fan base broke. Many bad seasons are forgotten once the next good team arrives. Mets fans kept 1977 alive because it was not ordinary failure. It felt like failure chosen by the people in charge.
The Midnight Massacre was a terrible trade and the night the Mets pushed their own fans away.