Amazin' Date 10/15/1969: Tom Seaver Goes Ten In Game Four Victory

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

1969

WORLD SERIES

GAME FOUR

Orioles   1

Mets       2

10 INNINGS

SHEA STADIUM

TOM SEAVER TEN INNING GEM LIFTS METS TO 3-1 SERIES LEAD OVER BIRDS

The unflappable Gil Hodges and his amazin' Mets are one victory away from clinching baseball's world championship.

• GAME FOUR: Wednesday, October 15, 1969 - BR

In a rematch of game one, Tom Seaver toes the rubber at Shea Stadium opposed by Baltimore's Mike Cuellar.  If you recall it was Seaver making an early exit from the series opener at Baltimore, and Cuellar going the distance for the win.  This time it is Cuellar making an untimely exit while Seaver pitches triumphantly through the tenth.

Also getting his second look at Cuellar is Donn Clendenon who goes 2 for 4 with a double in game one.  On Wednesday leading off the second Donn hits his second home run in his last three games.  Cuellar exits after seven innings having yielded the lone run on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts in a no-decision effort.  Meanwhile the score remains unchanged through eight.  With one out in the top half of the ninth Tom Seaver yields consecutive singles to Frank Robinson and Boog Powell.  Then with runners on the corners Brooks Robinson strokes a low sinking liner to right field.  Ron Swoboda racing furiously to his right makes a full extension backhanded diving catch for the out.  Frank Robinson tags and scores the tying run from third.  But anything less than Swoboda's amazing catch means that ball bounces all the way to the wall.  Seaver then fans Elrod Henricks ending the threat.

Into extra-innings they go ...

Manager Hodges sends his ace back out for the tenth inning.  Tom Seaver obliges with another scoreless frame.  Leading off the bottom half of the inning against Orioles reliever Dick Hall, Jerry Grote flares an excuse me double up along the left field line.  Al Weis is intentionally walked, and the Orioles then summon reliever Pete Richert.  Pinch-hitting for Seaver, J.C. Martin pushes a bunt up along the first base side.  Richert fields it, but his attempted throw to first hits Martin.  Pinch-runner Rod Gaspar rounds third and when the ball gets away he hustles home scoring the winning run.

Tom Seaver puts forth New York's third straight dominant performance against a seemingly over matched Baltimore lineup.  He faces 38 batters, allowing just one earned run on six hit and two walks with six strikeouts through ten full innings pitched.  The Mets have now limited Baltimore to just a pair of runs and twelves hits over their last three games.  New York's defense also should not go under spoken.  Superlative glove work from Tommie Agee, Bud Harrelson, Cleon Jones, and Ron Swoboda, no doubt have had a deflating effect upon Orioles hitters.

Amazin' Date 9/11/1969: First Place Mets Win Seventh in a Row

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #142: Thursday, September 11, 1969 - BR
Montreal Expos @ New York Mets
Shea Stadium

New York completes a three game sweep of Montreal.  Thursday afternoon's 4-0 whitewashing of the Expos at Shea Stadium is the Mets seventh straight win and ninth of September against just three losses.  Meanwhile the Chicago Cubs lose to the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium and fall two games back of the first place Mets.

Gary Gentry puts his last few appearances behind him by tossing a gem, surrendering no runs on six hits and just two walks with nine strikeouts in a complete game shut out performance.  He evens his record at 11-11 with a 3.62 ERA.  The Mets score three times against Montreal starter Jerry Robertson, and once more off reliever Claude Raymond.  Tommie Agee scores on a passed ball in the third.  Ken Boswell's double in the fifth plates Cleon Jones.  And in the sixth Cleon scores all the way from first base on Art Shamsky's line single to right.  Rod Gaspar caps the scoring in the eighth with a single and run batted in.

• Mets Record: 85-57
• N.L. East: 1st; Up 2 Games

Amazin' Date 9/5/1969: Mets Trounce Phillies; First Place Cubs Arrive Monday

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #137: Sunday, September 7, 1969 - BR
Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Mets
Shea Stadium

The Pittsburgh Pirates complete a sweep of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley.  Coupled with Sunday's commanding victory over the Phillies, the Mets clinch a 3-1 series win over Philadelphia and close to within 2.5 games of first place Chicago who arrive at Shea Stadium on Monday.

Trailing the Phillies 2-3 after five, Ken Boswell scores the tying run on Bud Harrelson's sixth inning grounder to short.  Art Shamsky then drives in the go ahead run and Ken Boswell triples home Shamsky giving the Mets a 5-3 lead after seven.  In the eighth Tommie Agee and Rod Gaspar each drive in two runs apiece en route to a 9-3 final score.  The Mets inflict near all their damage against starter Bill Champion, who yields eight earned runs on nine hits and six walks with eight strikeouts.  Tommie Agee and Art Shamsky each hit first inning home runs.  Making his 29th start of the season, Gary Gentry allows three earned runs on eight hits and one walk with six strikeouts through six innings pitched, but does not figure in the decision.  Nolan Ryan tosses three scoreless innings of two-hit ball in relief of Gentry to earn is fifth victory of the season.

It's the Mets 80th victory of the season, and their 12th victory in their last 17 games.  The Chicago Cubs are 7-9 over the same stretch and presently in the midst of a four game losing streak.  Since Aug. 22, the Mets have gained 3.5 games in the standings.  Jerry Koosman is scheduled to pitch game one against the Cubs on Monday.

• Mets Record: 80-57
• N.L. East: 2nd; 2.5 GB

Amazin' Date 7/31/1969: Astros Complete Sweep at Shea Stadium

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #99: Thursday, July 31, 1969 - BR
Houston Astros @ New York Mets
Shea Stadium

Foiled again ... and swept by the Houston Astros.  Jim Wynn breaks a scoreless tie in the sixth with his 24th home run of the season.  Tom Seaver then yields a hit by shortstop Denis Menke and a double by first baseman Curt Blefary.  Menke scores when Jerry Grote fails to secure Tommie Agee's throw from right/center.  And that's all she wrote.  Houston starter Tom Griffin pitches eight scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and five walks with six strikeouts.  Fred Gladding completes the shut out for his 22nd save of the season.  Tom Seaver suffers only his sixth loss against 15 victories, with a 2.51 ERA.  Rod Gaspar getting the start in right accounts for half the Mets hits.

• Mets Record: 55-44
• N.L. East: 2nd; 6.5 GB

Amazin' Date 5/4/1969: Mets Sweep Twin Bill at the Friendly Confines

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

There is No Joy in Cubville - the Gamely Mets Win Out

Game #24: Sunday, May 4, 1969 - BR

New York Mets @ Chicago Cubs

Wrigley Field - TWIN BILL

GAME ONE: We join the action with two outs in the home second.  Facing Mets starter Tom Seaver, Cubs catcher Randy Hundley singles then scores on Al Spangler's triple to straightaway center.  Ed Kranepool, who continues wielding a hot bat entering May, answers back in the fourth inning with a home run off Cubs starter Bill Hands.

Tom Seaver helps his own cause an inning later drawing a one out walk off his counterpart, then scoring on consecutive hits from Rod Gaspar and Ken Boswell.  Ron Swoboda follows with a sac fly to left plating Gaspar from third for a 3-1 Mets lead.  Chicago manages one run in the bottom half of the frame, but Seaver would yield no more.

The Mets ace goes the distance, allowing two earned runs on nine hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.  He improves his record to 3-2 with a 2.35 ERA through seven starts.  Unlike his victorious April 26 complete game performance at Shea Stadium, Bill Hands is off to the showers after five innings, but not before surrendering three earned runs on six hits en route to his third loss of the season.  When in the batters box, both Seaver and Hands even took turns hitting one another with a pitch.

A stir crazy Manager Hodges is relieved after his team bats 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

Ed Kranepool goes 2 for 4 with his third home run of the season.  He is now batting .324, with 16 RBI.

Game #25: Sunday, May 4, 1969 - BR

New York Mets @ Chicago Cubs

Wrigley Field - TWIN BILL

GAME TWO: Manager Hodges tasks Tug McGraw with making his first start of the season on the back end of Sunday's twin bill.  The 24-year old southpaw and returning service veteran does not disappoint.  Making just his sixth appearance of the season, McGraw gives his manager nine complete innings, allowing two earned runs on nine hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.  He improves his record to a perfect 3-0 on the season.

Each team strikes opening blows straightaway in the first.  The Mets jumped out to 2-0 lead off Chicago starter Dick Selma with an RBI double off the bat of Rod Gaspar, and a follow up run scoring single courtesy Cleon Jones.  The Cubs claw back with two runs on three hits.

From the second through the sixth McGraw would face the minimum, allowing just a hit and a walk, and benefiting from two double-plays in the field behind him.

Dick Selma's undoing came in the seventh.  After issuing a one out walk to Ron Swoboda and a two out single to Al Weiss, Selma unleashes a wild pitch allowing Swoboda to score all the way from second.  And therein lies the Mets final margin of victory thus completing a twin bill sweep of the Cubs.

... a game the Cubs quite literally threw away to the great dismay of the more than 40,000-plus fans in attendance at sun bathed Wrigley Field.  Alas there is no joy in Cubville today.

• METS RECORD:  11-14
• N.L. EAST:  4th; 6 GB

Amazin' Date 5/2/1969: Mets Drop Series Opener at Wrigley

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #22:  Friday, May 2, 1969 - BR
New York Mets @ Chicago Cubs
Wrigley Field

Ron Santo Welcomes Mets to the Friendly Confines

The second leg of the Mets road trip brings them to Chicago for their first visit of the season to Wrigley Field.

Try as he might, Tommie Agee's return to the line-up could not lift the Mets to victory in game one on Friday.

Opposing starting pitchers, Gary Gentry for the Mets and Ken Holtzman for the Cubs, cruised through their respective first three innings of work.  In the fourth, Ron Santo continued his assault this season against Mets pitching.  With two outs, the five time all-star third baseman connected off Gentry for his sixth home run of the season.  Ernie Banks followed with a single, and Randy Hundley drew a walk.  Right fielder Al Spangler then delivered both runners with yet another home run surrendered by Gentry.

The Mets struck back for a pair in the fifth on runs batted in from Tommie Agee and Rod Gaspar.

But with Al Jackson pitching the fifth in relief of Gentry, Ron Santo doubled home Don Kessinger for an insurance run of which the Mets would not recover.  Center fielder Don Young's RBI in the sixth off Jackson gave the Cubs a 6-2 lead.  In the seventh, Tommie Agee singled and scored on Rod Gaspar's sac fly making it a 6-3 game.  Leading off the ninth, Tommie Agee took Cubs reliever Phil Regan deep to get the Mets within two.  But that's as close as the Mets would get.

Phil Regan closed out the game to earn his second save of the season.  Ken Holtzman improved his record to 3-1, with a 2.42 ERA.  Gary Gentry is charged with his first loss of the season.  He allowed four earned runs on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts in just four innings of work.

Despite a .220 batting average, Ron Santo has 21 RBI through the Cubs first 24 games of the season.

Back in the lineup after a stint on the disabled list, Tommie Agee was 4 for 4 with a walk, double, home run, two RBI, and one run scored.

• Mets Record:  9-13 (.409)
• N.L. East:  5th; 7 GB

Amazin' Date 4/30/1969: Mets Take Second Straight at Jarry Park

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

Game #20: Wednesday, April 30, 1969 - BR
New York Mets @ Montreal Expos
Parc Jarry

Tom Seaver Out-Duels Expos Mike Wegener; Mets Win Second Straight at Montreal.

In game two of the Mets first ever series played north of the border, Tom Seaver dueled Montreal's Mike Wegener for nine innings at Parc Jarry on Wednesday.

Leading off the second, Cleon Jones legged out a triple then scored on Ed Kranepool's sacrifice fly to left.  The Mets held that lead until the seventh when with two outs Expos catcher John Bateman connected off Seaver for his third home run of the season.

Limited to just three hits through the first eight innings of play, the Mets rallied in the ninth.  Leading off against Mike Wegener, Rod Gaspar singled to left.  With Ken Boswell up, Manager Hodges put Gaspar in motion.  After a successful steal of second base, Boswell singled to right scoring Gaspar, but was cut down himself trying to stretch out a single.

In the bottom of the ninth Tom Seaver retired the Expos in order, striking out first baseman Donn Clendenon and third baseman Coco Laboy to end the game.  Despite unleashing three wild pitches, Tom was terrific in earning the complete game victory, allowing just the one run on five hits and three walks, with six strikeouts.  He evened his record at 2-2 and lowered his ERA to a 2.35 mark.

Hard luck loser Mike Wegener was equally effective, allowing just two runs on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts through nine complete innings of work.

The Mets are winners of three in a row for the first time this season.  They finish the month of April with a 9-11 record.  Manager Hodges says he wants improvement from his club in games decided by one run.  So far they've won two and lost four in such games.

Ed Kranepool now leads the team with 15 RBI.  Cleon Jones is second with 14 RBI through the Mets first twenty games of the season.

Tommie Agee appeared as a ninth inning defensive replacement for Ron Swoboda.  Wednesday marked Agee's tenth straight game absent from the starting lineup.  He is expected to resume full time duty during the Mets upcoming series at Chicago.

• Mets Record:  9-11 (.450)
• N.L. East:  3rd; 5.5 GB

Amazin' Date 4/17/1969: Mets Drop Second Straight at Forbes Field

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game Ten: Thursday, April 17, 1969 - BR
New York Mets @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Forbes Field

Don Cardwell Suffers Hard Luck Loss; Pirates Sweep Mets at Forbes.

At 36-years of age, the old veteran showed em how it's done.  Stalwart hurler Jim Bunning took one step closer to achieving his 200th victory by holding the Mets scoreless on just three hits and two walks, with nine strikeouts through six innings pitched.  His first victory of the season is the 196th of his stellar career.  Ron Kline, pitching in relief of Bunning finished out the game with two scoreless innings of no-hit ball to earn his first save of the season.  With Thursday's joint effort 4-0 whitewashing of the Mets, the Pirates sweep both games of this abbreviated set by a 15-3 aggregate score.

Mets starter Don Cardwell matched Bunning pitch for pitch through seven innings of work.  But committed one very costly mistake. After issuing a walk to third baseman Richie Hebner leading off the fifth and with Roberto Clemente at the plate, Cardwell unleashed his first wild pitch of the inning.  Roberto Clemente's ground out then advanced Hebner to third.  With Willie Stargell at the plate Cardwell unleashed his second wild pitch allowing Hebner to score.

Insurance came in the eighth.  Al Oliver's three run home run off Cal Koonce lifted the Pirates to a final 4-0 margin of victory.

Pirates catcher Manny Sanguillen threw out two would be base-stealers.

Rod Gaspar, Cleon Jones, and J.C. Martin were the lone Mets to hit safely.

Mets have now lost six of their last seven.  Next stop is St. Louis for another two game rematch against the Cardinals whom swept three games from the Mets last week at Shea Stadium.

• Mets Record:  3-7
• N.L. East:  5th; 6 GB

Amazin' Dates 4/14/1969: Slugger Dick Allen Powers Phillies to Victory Over Mets

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game Seven: Monday, April 14, 1969 - BR
New York Mets @ Philadelphia Phillies
Connie Mack Stadium

Mets Open Road Trip With Loss to Phillies; Extend Skid to Four.

It wasn't long after the Mets arrival in Philadelphia when they slammed into their first pothole, Phillies starter Woodie Fryman, whom would stymie the Mets through nine complete innings at Connie Mack Stadium - or Shibe Park to another generation.  But whatever the venue, a loss by any other name is still a loss.  And as a result of Monday's series opening defeat, the New York Metropolitans have now bowed to their opponents in four straight games.

For a fleeting moment the first inning left many with the impression Fryman was surely destined for an early shower.  With one gone in the top of the first, Rod Gaspar singled to left, and with two outs Ed Carles drew a walk.  Ron Swoboda then lined a base hit up the middle, scoring Gaspar.  But Fryman escaped further damage, and for all intent and purpose his troubles ended there.  He limited the Mets the rest of the way to just a pair of scattered hits; a double by his counterpart Jim McAndrew in the fifth; and an inconsequential base hit by Amos Otis in the seventh.  In all, Woodie Fryman surrendered the one earned run on just four hits and three walks, with six strikeouts en route to the complete game victory.

Perennial slugger Dick Allen went 2 for 2, with a home run and two RBI; shortstop Don Money was 1 for 3, with another pair of runs batted in.

Mets loser Jim McAndrew lasted just 5.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on four hits (two home runs) and four walks, with six strikeouts.  Ron Taylor and Nolan Ryan joined on 2.2 innings of scoreless, no hit relief.

Monday marked both the Mets first road, and night game of the new season.

• Mets Record: 2-5
• N.L. East: 5th; 4 GB