How 1996 actually went.
The team lost 91 games, but the offense produced several unforgettable individual seasons. Todd Hundley hit 41 home runs, setting the major-league record for a catcher at the time. Bernard Gilkey drove the ball with authority, and Lance Johnson filled the gaps at Shea with 227 hits and 21 triples.
The problem was run prevention. The pitching staff allowed too much contact and could not protect the offense’s best nights. Dallas Green was fired in August, and Bobby Valentine took over, bringing the manager who would shape the next era. Young infielders such as Edgardo Alfonzo continued finding their places.
The 71–91 finish looks like another dead year, but the change to Valentine and the growth of the lineup created a useful bridge. Hundley’s home-run chase gave Shea energy, Johnson’s triples made the park feel enormous, and the front office had clearer everyday talent than it had possessed during the expensive collapse. The pitching still needed major repair.
Hundley and Lance Johnson made a 91-loss team much more fun than a 91-loss team had any right to be.