Amazin' Date 10/2/1969: Mets End Regular Season With Split at Wrigley Field

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

End Regular Season
New York Mets @ Chicago Cubs
Wrigley Field

METS WIN 100th GAME OF SEASON

• GAME #161: Wednesday, October 1, 1969 -BR

The Mets rub salt into the wounds of 10,000 some odd Cubs fans in attendance Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field.  After Tommie Agee gives the Mets a 5-3 lead in the top of the ninth, Chicago scores two runs off Nolan Ryan in the bottom portion of the inning sending the game into extra innings.  Bud Harrelson doubles leading off the 12th inning, and comes around to score on Art Shamsky's one out hit to right.  In relief of Ron Taylor, Bob Johnson retires the Cubs in the bottom of the frame to secure the New York Mets National League leading 100th victory of the season.  Starter Jerry Koosman takes a no decision.  He yields three runs on six hits and one walk with a pair of strikeouts through five innings.  He ends the season with a 17-9 record and 2.28 ERA.  Ron Taylor earns his ninth victory against four losses with a 2.72 ERA.  Cleon Jones is 1 for 5 and falls to .339 in the batting race with a game left to play.  Bud Harrelson is 2 for 6 with two runs batted in.


NEXT STOP: ATLANTA

• GAME #162: Thursday, October 2, 1969 - BR

Chicago defeats the Mets on the final day of the regular season to gain a consolation series split with the post-season bound New York Mets.  Making his 35th and final start, Gary Gentry yields just one run on two hits and no walks with four strikeouts through five innings pitched.  He exits on the winning side of a 3-1 game but not before surrendering a home run to third baseman Ron Santo.  Chicago goes on to score four more times against Don Cardwell whom allows five hits including Ernie Banks 23rd home run of the season.  Cardwell finishes the season with an 8-10 record and a 3.01 ERA.  Cleon Jones goes 2 for 5 and drives in his 75th run of the season but his club record .340 average falls short of clinching the National League batting title.  The Mets will open the first ever National League Championship Series on Saturday at Atlanta.  The series shifts to Shea Stadium after game two.

• FINAL RECORD: 100-62 (.617)
• N.L. EAST: First Place; 8 Games Up
• NEXT GAME: Saturday, October 4, 1969 @ Atlanta Braves

Amazin' Date 9/9/1969: Black Cat and Mets Sweep Durocher and the Cubs

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #138: Tuesday, September 9, 1969 - BR
Chicago Cubs @ New York Mets
Shea Stadium

METS SWEEP CUBS; JUST HALF GAME OUT OF FIRST!

In the seven years since the gates first opened in 1964 there's never been a more surreal game at Shea Stadium.  The most creative minds of Hollywood could not have better scripted the events of Tuesday evening.

On Aug. 13 the Mets lagged ten game behind the first place Cubs.  But Leo Durocher's club has since faltered posting a 10-14 record, while New York goes on to win 19 of their next 25 games, including Monday's game one 3-2 victory over the Cubs, to pull within 1.5 games of first place.

Game two features a match-up between aces.  First time 20-game winner Tom Seaver is opposed by  Fergie Jenkins, whom enters Tuesday's action one victory shy of achieving his third straight 20-win season.  Seemingly with all the momentum of the world and a raucous home crowd at the ready the Mets strike for two runs in the first inning.  Fergie Jenkins does himself no favors by walking Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones.  Ken Boswell makes Jenkins pay with a two run double to right.  Donn Clendonon's two run home run in the third stakes Tom Seaver to a commanding 4-0 lead.

Don Kessinger looks at strike three leading off the top of the fourth.  Second baseman Glenn Beckert then doubles to left/center.  With slugger Billy Williams at the plate a black cat suddenly appears from under the stands behind home plate.  Shea's resident feline takes a direct route toward on deck batter Ron Santo.  At first it circles the Cubs third baseman before nearing the edge of Chicago's dugout for a closer inspection of manager Leo Durocher.  As quickly as it appears, the cat wraps up its business with the Cubs bench and scatters back under the stands.  Somewhat superstitious, Ron Santo still manages to drive home Beckert for the Cubs first run.

That is quickly negated as Tom Seaver helps his own cause with a double off Jenkins leading off the bottom of the fourth.  Tommie Agee advances Seaver to third, and Wayne Garrett plates him with a sac-fly to center for a 5-1 Mets lead.  Art Shamsky leads off the fifth with his 13th home run of the season, and Jerry Grote caps off the scoring with a two run double in the seventh.  By then over 51,000 fans packing Shea Stadium begin serenading the familiar Chicago manager (from his days in New York City) with "Goodbye Leo, we hate to see you go!" on through the conclusion of the Mets 7-1 victory.  They continue singing down the ramps and into the parking lots ... and maybe all the way home.

Fergie Jenkins yields seven runs, five earned, on three walks with nine strikeouts through seven innings.  He is denied his bid at New York's expense for a third straight 20-win season.  Tom Seaver allows the Cubs just one run on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts en route to his 21st victory of the season against seven losses with a 2.43 ERA.  Tommy Agee, Ken Boswell, and Jerry Grote continue their hot hitting, joining on 6 for 12 at the plate, with two doubles, and three runs batted in.

No heel clicking for Ron Santo either; at least not at Shea Stadium.  The Mets sweep two games from the Cubs and close within one-half game of first place.  The Cubs meanwhile lose their sixth in a row.  Black cats seem to be the least of their problems, although Leo the Lip may beg to differ.

For the 1969 Mets, another amazin' night at Shea!

• Mets Record: 82-57
• N.L. East: 2nd; 0.5 GB

Amazin' Date 9/8/1969: Mets Defeat Cubs; Close In On First Place

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

 AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #138: Monday, September 8, 1969 - BR
Chicago Cubs @ New York Mets
Shea Stadium

METS NOW JUST 1.5 GAMES OUT OF FIRST PLACE!

With Joan Payson in attendance among an announced crowd exceeding 43,000 plus, the surging Metropolitans hold on for a tightly contested victory in Monday evening's game one showdown against the Cubs at Shea Stadium.  Jerry Koosman makes his 27th start of the season and is opposed by Chicago's Bill Hand.  Tommie Agee breaks the ice with a two run home run scoring Bud Harrelson in the fourth.  Undeterred, Chicago's Don Kessinger and Glenn Beckert open the sixth with consecutive singles.  Next up Billy Williams drives in Chicago's first run with a third straight hit to right.  Beckert scores on Ron Santo's sac fly to left tying the game at two.  But the Mets answer back on Tommie Agee's lead-off double and Wayne Garrett's run scoring single to right/center in the bottom half of the frame.  Jerry Koosman takes care of the rest.  The Mets southpaw allows two runs on seven hits and just two walks with 13 strikeouts en rout to his 13th victory of the season against nine losses with a 2.48 ERA.  Koosman achieves double-digit strikeouts for the third time this season.  Bill Hand surrenders three earned runs on just five Mets hits and two walks with five strikeouts through eight innings pitched.  Tommie Agee continues pounding opposing pitchers with another 2 for 3 day with a double, home run, and two runs batted in.

• Mets Record: 81-57
• N.L. East: 2nd; 1.5 GB

Amazin' Date 7/15/1969: Mets Tame Cubs For 50th Victory of the Season

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS
50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #87: Tuesday, July 15, 1969 - BR
New York Mets @ Chicago Cubs
Wrigley Field

New York Mets Achieve 50th Victory in Record Time

Gary Gentry and the Mets knot up their series with the Cubs at one apiece.  After trading runs in the third, the Mets score three times in the fourth and one more time in the fifth.  Chicago rallies for one run in the sixth and two late runs in the eighth, but would score no more.

Gentry yields four runs, three earned, on eight hits and just one walk with four strikeouts through 7.2 innings for his ninth victory of the season against seven losses.  With two outs in the top of the eighth, the Mets rookie starter surrenders back to back home runs to Billy Williams and Ron Santo.  Manager Gil Hodges then calls upon Ron Taylor who pitches the final 1.1 innings with two strikeouts for his eighth save of the season.

Tommy Agee opens the scoring with a triple scoring Weis from second base in the third.  The Mets end up hamming Cubs starter Dick Selma for five earned runs on eight hits and a walk through 4.1 innings pitched.  Al Weis connects on his first home run of the season - a three run shot in the fourth - and Ken Boswell hits his third of the season an inning later.

For those who recall, the 1962 Mets failed to win 50 games all season.  In 1965 they gain their 50th victory with just five games remaining on the schedule.  Three season ago is the first time the Mets win their 50th prior to the month of September.  Last season - their first under manager Gil Hodges - the Mets rally for their 50th victory on Aug. 2, with a 3-2 win over the Dodgers at Los Angeles in their 109th game of the season.  Today's victory over the Cubs at Wrigley marks the Mets 50th victory in just their 87th game.

Oh, and they're within five games of first place, again.

Something special is brewing.

• Mets Record: 50-37 (.574)
• N.L. East: 2nd; 5 GB

Amazin' Date 7/10/1969: Cubs Salvage Series Finale at Shea

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

AMAZIN'

THE MIRACLE METS

50th ANNIVERSARY

Game #82: Thursday, July 10, 1969 - BR
Chicago Cubs @ New York Mets
Shea Stadium

Chicago salvages a victory in the series finale at Shea and end the Mets winning streak at seven.  The Cubs reclaim a game in the standings and now lead the second place Mets by 4.5 games.  Tommie Agee opens the scoring with a lead-off home run off Cubs starter Bill Hands.  Ernie Banks ties the game in the fourth, but Ed Kranepool puts the Mets back out in front in the bottom half of the frame with his 34th RBI of the season.  However, Mets starter Gary Gentry's effort comes undone in the fifth when Chicago strikes for five including a Ron Santo home run en route to a 6-2 victory at Shea.

Gentry fails to make it through the fifth, surrendering six runs (five earned) on seven hits and two walks through 4.1 innings pitched.  Cal Koonce and Don Cardwell join for 4.2 innings of scoreless, three-hit relief.  Chicago's Bill Hands goes the distance for his tenth victory of the season.  He limits the Mets to just three hits.

• Mets Record: 47-35 (.573)
• N.L. East: 2nd; 4.5 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