Amazin' Date 6/25/1969: Mets Bow to Phillies in Extra Innings

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #67: Wednesday, June 25, 1969 - BR
Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Mets
Shea Stadium

Let us not mince words; the Mets blew a five run lead.

Cleon Jones opens the scoring straightaway with an RBI single in the first.  The Mets add three runs in the fourth on a single from J.C.Martin and a two RBI double off the bat of second baseman Al Weis.  Cleon Jones strokes another single to right in the fifth plating Ken Boswell for a 5-0 Mets lead.

Starter Nolan Ryan keeps the Phillies scoreless through his first five innings of work while striking out eight.  The first hint of trouble comes in the six when Mets killer Larry Hisle drives in the Phillies first run with a triple off Ryan.  In the seventh, a Wayne Garret error contributed to a three run seventh inning for Philadelphia.  Then with Cal Koonce pitching in the eighth, third base replacement Dave Watkins connects on his first home run of the season tying the game at five.

After a scoreless ninth, into extra innings they go.

Opening the tenth reliever Ron Taylor quickly induces two ground ball outs.  However, Dave Watkins follows with a triple to straightaway center.  Left fielder John Briggs then singles back through the box; Watkins scores the go-ahead run.

The Mets load the bases in the bottom half of the frame courtesy of three bases on balls.  But with two out Ed Kranepool bounces out second to first ending the game.

Ron Taylor takes the loss.

The series finale is slated for Thursday afternoon.

• Mets Record: 38-29 (.567)
• N.L. East: 2nd; 6 GB

N.Y. METS ~ Mets Get Fish-Slapped

From the desk of:  HEAD BUTTING MR. MET



NEW YORK METS:  ...And The Big Shake-Up That Wasn't.


I like Sandy Alderson.  I like the Front Office shake-up.  In that respect, the Wilpons finally did something I can't criticize by going off campus for a change, and reinvigorating the organization with fresh, new minds.


As far as the Trade Deadline though, I myself had different ideas.  But it looks like Sandy Alderson will be taking the more methodical approach in rebuilding the club.  The July 31st cutoff point wasn't the fire-works extravaganza I hoped it would be.  But that's fine.  In Sandy I trust.  That in itself is already a small victory for me. 


There are always trades to be made in August after passing players through waivers.  So, more deals may still yet develop.  And the coming off season will probably be one where Sandy Alderson takes a few more liberties with his position than he did last winter after freshly being hired as GM.  The way I see things, the Mets trading window opened right away this season when they started adding by subtracting players like Castillo; Perez; etc.


My thing is, once I commit to detonation, I like to blow things up.  Disagree with me as much as you like; we're all free-range Met Fans here; but I was looking for total separation from the previous era.  Of course I realize a purge doesn't take place with one wave of the hand.  But I would have liked to have taken major steps in that direction during this trading period.  I'm not hiding from the fact I would have traded Reyes and Wright with the right deal.  I have my reasons most of which I have already shared here.  I would have tried to move Angel Pagan (one of my favorites); R.A. Dickey; Daniel Murphy; and Izzy as well.


And so, Sandy didn't detonate the team.   Francisco Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran were pretty big names to move.   However, we were prepared those, and understood the moves.


I wasn't thinking playoffs in Spring Training.  I wasn't thinking playoffs in April; May; June; or July either.  So I'm not about to start now.  I'd rather be wrong, than be a hypocrite by playing ping-pong with my opinions.  I predicted the Mets to be a .500 team; nothing more; nothing less.  So far, their record speaks for itself.  But I think I stand with many when I say these guys are likable.


However, when I sit in the Man-Cave and watch the Washington Nationals and the Florida Marlins beat-us like dirty floor rugs, year in and year out, I look for things to throw at my TV.  Then I start looking at some of the constants over that period of time for explanations.


After watching Izzy surrender a grand slam to the Marlins tonight..., I feel my blood pressure rising.  Stop.





Mike.BTB

Thank You CRZ BLUE's Dodger Blue World

Back in December '09, one of my initial posts of this newborn blog was a little trip back to the present day site of Ebbets Field.  It was a simple post with a picture of the stone marker signifying the site of Ebbets and the street sign of Bedford Ave, alternatenly named Gil Hodges Way.  That post received one comment.  I was very new in the BloggerHood; very new.  I was happy.  It was a step forward.  A couple of posts followed I'm sure with me complaining about the Wilpons or the Mets in general.  Then I wrote the following quick post in what was to become (unofficially) "our" second TrolleyRide through the Hood.  Here is that post which is fairly brief, about the Brooklyn Dodgers.  But what made it different from just about any other post or Trolley Ride I've taken you on, I for the first time and maybe the last time, openly expressed my hate (hate? hate is strong.)...my hate for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  But I'm not one of those clouded cats.  I'm just a baseball fan above all else and to be quite honest, there's nothing like taking in Vin Scully starting at 10:30pm my time to end my nights.  Take a quick peek because today's post has everything to do with my commenter, not me...
http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/12/the-boys-of-summerat-least-whats-left-anyway.html

This post was visited by the one same commenter; CRZBLUE, or as we affectionately know her, Emma.

http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/  

CRZBLUE'S Dodger Blue World.

She made no mention to my L.A. Dodger quips.

Very recently when I threw my SchoolYard, Hot Dogs Baseball and Brandy Bonfire to the Fans, Emma brought so many goodies for us to eat while we all cajoled about baseball.  As part of that SchoolYard post I took a little poke at "her" Dodgers (affectionately but intentionally) and this time she bit right back!
I loved it.  She's been riding on the Trolley since day one and is one of my greatest supporters.  She followed me through the Caribbean Series.
Her recent posts celebrating black history month and the women who played in the Negro Leagues still have me fascinated.  She put together an amazing list of Brooklyn Dodgers still alive.  She just informed us that list was shortened by one less name with the passing of another former Bum.  Her desire for her Dodgers is insatiable.  Personally, I love her blog.  She keeps digging up things I've never known and that I find amazing..  We all pride ourselves somewhat on our knowledge about baseball.  Don't we?  But I for one can say I've learned from you all.  Another recent post she made featured the L.A. Dodgers 2010 commemorative patch:
1st World Championship
1955 Dodgers
55 Since '55

I salivated like Pavlov's dog when I saw it, and in jest said I had to have one.
Today when I arrived home and checked my mail box, I received this item
and hurried myself to settle in for the evening.

 
Upon opening it, this is what I found inside:

  It's the small things in life that make the most impact with me.

This is HUGE!!  Emma! What can I say?

I'm at a loss, -  I'm sorry my words may not come out the way I want them.  But to all my neighbors in the BloggerHood, and especially to you Emma...I'm very happy to know and learn and share with you.

Thank you for this gift!

AND...

For Emma and Brooklyn/L.A. Dodger fans,

CatLovesTheDodgers,BehindBlueEyes

I offer you my BrooklynTrolleyBlogger

55 SINCE '55 Tribute

C'mon!...This is cause for celebration.  Everyone, I know this is a little unexpected...but,

Let's Jump-the-Trolley!!

Emma...get up here...You're drivin'!

NEXT STOP

1955 and the Party Time Hotel

 It was always wait till next year with them.  They were a buncha Bums.

(mine)                                        (mine)

 But Dem Bums were our Bums, Chum! Then one season, it happened.

They faced off against the N.Y. Yankees, our hated cross town rivals, in the World Series again.

After so many years of winning the National League Championship and loosing to them in the Series, 

I'm gonna spare myself the details.

 

(my 1947 pin)

But in '55

(program and tickets, T.S. Collection)

(Topps Cards, Mine)

after winning

and winning

and Winning.

In game seven at Yankee Stadium, Bronx

Johnny Podres shut-down the mighty Yankees and Vin Scully announced,

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Brooklyn Dodgers are Champions of the World"

On the field...

....and the paper the next day looked like...

There was still the matter of some serious celebration and party to be had.

So, today we're pullin up to the Bossert Hotel on Montague Street.

This is where the Dodgers celebrated their 1955 World Series victory.

The Bossert Hotel

That must have been some party!

Brooklyn finally had their..

(Yep..it's mine. autographs are real)

(on my wall)

(something I put together)

I know that was just a quick trip  up the block, but I can really picture what that night might have been like in the Hotel.  Emma, I hope you enjoyed my little tribute to that day in 1955; 55 years ago this season. 

I appreciate the Patch so much.  Now I don't know whether to put it on my -

(rookie jersey L.A.)

OR

because we spent a lot of time using the Brooklyn Cyclones (our Baby Bums as we call em) to celebrate our old Brooklyn Dodgers, many fans put their Dodger patches on their -

 

So I have to decide which it's going to be. 

Does anyone have a thought which jersey to slap this patch on?

*note: The Bossert is no longer a hotel and was just recently sold.

But she should be fine.

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.mlblogs.com/

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/