Gonna party like it's 1969

[Frayed Knot]

Now this is the kind of baseball Labor Day should bring -- not off days and inter-division stuff Mr. Selig, but an in-division rival for what would be the first set of not just �meaningful games in September� in NYM history but dare I say "critical" ones.
Just a two-game series, but it was long enough to do major damage to one party.


Monday, September 8 - Shea Stadium: Mets 3 - Cubs 2 -- Jerry Koosman vs Bill Hands

- Agee�s 2R HR in the 3rd breaks the ice (was this the semi-famous HR after being dusted event?).
- Cubs even it up by starting the 6th with 3 consecutive singles and a Sac Fly (Beckert, Kessinger, Williams, Santo)
- but the Mets strike right back in the bottom half on a leadoff double from Agee followed by a Garrett single
- Kooz retires the side in order in the 7th; gives up singles to the first 2 hitters in the 8th but gets Santo to roll into a GiDP and Ks Banks to wriggle out of it. He then works around a one-out Randy Hundley single in the 9th to seal the game.


Game Time = 2:09


81 - 57; 2nd place; 1.5 games out of 1st -- it�s the Cubs fifth straight loss

[Guest Edgy DC]

(was this the semi-famous HR after being dusted event?).[/quote:192c5824]

Yup. Agee went down twice in the first --- on the first and third pitches of the game. Koos hit Ron Santo in the second.

It didn't end there, as Hands set a ball behind Koosman's helmet in the eighth --- an inning when the game has gotten serious enough that you'd think they'd be done with that sort of nonsense, and an inning when today both starters would be out.

Anyhow, it's evidence against Tim McCarver's insistence that payback pitches even the score and end feuds rather than keep them simmering.

[HahnSolo]

- but the Mets strike right back in the bottom half on a leadoff double from Agee followed by a Garrett single[/quote:34770lhc]

This is the oft-seen highlight of Randy Hundley and Leo Durocher simultaneously going banana-sh**t at what they thought was a terrible missed call.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Murph: "Randy Hundley is jumping up and down, up and down. Here comes Leo Duroucher...."

[Frayed Knot]

This is the final of the two-game series. There would be just two more Met-Cubs games on the schedule after this one, but by the time those would be played they�d be nothing more than schedule-filler.

Tuesday, September 9 - Shea Stadium: Mets 7 - Cubs 1 -- Tom Seaver vs Ferguson Jenkins

Mets score twice in the 1st (Boswell: 2-RBI double) and twice again in the 3rd (Clendenon: 2R-HR), then add single runs in the 4th (Garrett: Sac Fly), 5th (Shamsky: HR) & 7th (Grote: RBI double) to run away with the game. All runs score off Jenkins who K�d 9 but also gave up 10 hits (incl 5 XBHs) & 3 BBs over 7 innings.
Seaver, meanwhile, was perfect thru 3 en route to a complete game 5-hitter w/1 walk & 5 Ks. He also hit a double.

This was also the infamous "black cat" game.

Game Time = 2:15


82 - 57; 2nd place; 1/2 game out of 1st -- and a guaranteed winning record!!! (something that would have been a noble goal just months earlier but there are bigger bears to fry now)


I had forgotten (or most likely never knew) that one of the myriad of CF candidates the Cubs trotted out that year was a 19 y/o Oscar Gamble. For a team solid in every other position they had a revolving door of mostly young hopefuls in CF who never worked out -- 9 in all, including 7 different starters*. This game was just Gamble�s 9th ML start and he�d pretty much be the guy for the rest of the year. No mention is made in BB-Ref.com on the size of his afro at that point but I think it�s something that needs its own stats column.
(in truth, the afro came much later)

* All remember the name Jimmy Qualls - or, more precisely, the one start out of the 26 he made out there. But it was Don Young who was the Opening Day starter and the most used (88 starts). Then came Qualls, Gamble, Adolfo Phillips, Jim Hickman, Jimmie Hall & Rick Bladt.
Only HIckman (who was really a RF doing occasional fill-in work in CF) and Hall (very briefly) would ever play for the Cubs again after this season. Gamble, who would go on to have a nice 17-year long career, would be dealt to Philly in November for an over-the-hill Johnny Callison. Meanwhile the Cubs would continue with a revolving door of scrubs in CF until Rick Monday joined the team in 1972.

Edited September 9, 2009 by Guest

[Guest Edgy DC]

All 1969 posts lead to Johnny Callson.

Then came Qualls, Gamble, Adolfo Phillips, Jim Hickman, Jimmie Hall & Rick Bladt.[/quote:117siryv]
Rick Bladt, mall cop.

[Frayed Knot]

First place is within reach for the first time ever as a Met DH plus a solo Cub game can make the end-of-the-day gap anywhere from two games back to one game ahead.


Wednesday, September 10 - Shea Stadium: Mets 3 - Expos 2 (1st game of DH) -- Jim McAndrew vs Mike Wegener

- McAndrew starts the game in somewhat odd fashion, giving up leadoff triples in both the 1st & 2nd innings, both of which score on subsequent errors. But, after that, all he did was pitch 2-hit shutout ball through the 11th!
- Mets match the run in the 1st (Shamsky singles in Agee) and then tie up the score in the 5th on a bases-loaded balk.
- Mets load the bases w/one out in the 7th, but McAndrew hits for himself and grounds into a DP
- McAndrew again bats for himself in the 9th w/2 outs and a runner on 1st, this time he Ks
- in the 11th Jim Gosger PHs for McAndrew w/2 outs on 2 on ... and HE strikes out
- Ron Taylor takes over in the 12th. He gets the first 2 outs but then serves up 2 straight singles, the 2nd one a PHer for Wegener who also went the first 11 innings. On that second hit, the runner (who I assume was running on the pitch) is thrown out at home!
- Bill Stoneman (normally a starter) takes over for the Expos in the 12th. He also gets the first two outs but a Jones single, a walk to Gaspar, and a Boswell single wins the game.

Game Time = 3:22




Wednesday, September 10 - Shea Stadium: Mets 7 - Expos 1 -- Nolan Ryan vs Howie Reed

A bit less drama in the nightcap as the Mets, helped by 3 Montreal errors, 2 Wild Pitches, and an HBP, tally 6 in the 2nd and ride Ryan�s complete game 3-hit, 4-BB, 11-K effort into 1st place for their first time ever!!

Game Time = 2:22


84 - 57; 1st place; 1.0 Game Ahead (Cubs oblige by losing their 7th straight - 6-2 to Philly)
6 full games were made up since the 1st of September

Looking at 1969 is a lot more fun than looking at 2009.

[Frayed Knot]

(Keith and Gary once again reading from this thread last night ... would it kill them to give us a plug?!?)



Thursday, September 11 - Shea Stadium: Mets 4 - Expos 0 -- Gary Gentry vs Jerry Robertson

Mets ccelebrate their first-ever day in first place (in front of 10.713 fans!!) with Gary Gentry�s complete game, 6 hit (all singles), 2 walk, 9 K shutout.
Mets tally solo runs in the 3rd, 4th, 5th & 7th.

Lineup for the (44 - 100) expansion Expos on this day:
Ty Cline - CF
Gary Sutherland - 2B
Rusty Staub - RF
Ron Fairly - 1B
Mack Jones - LF
Coco Laboy - 3B
John Bateman - C
Bobby Wine - SS
Jerry Robertson - P


Game Time = 2:45


85 - 57; 1st Place; 2.0 Games Ahead -- Cubs give up 3 in the 8th to lose 4-3 to Philly, it�s their 8th straight loss.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Nice rouges gallery:

1. Ty Cline - CF: Only 3752 hits short of being the hittingest Ty ever.
   
2. Gary Sutherland - 2B: Ah, the old sub-.300 OBP-secondbaseman-batting-second trick.
   
3. Rusty Staub - RF: "Le Gran Giver of the Best Years of His Life to Crappy Expansion Clubs"
   
4. Ron Fairly - 1B: Fairly good hitter, but fairly forgotten because many of his best years were in a lousy offensive context of Dodger Stadium in the sixties.
   
5. Mack Jones - LF: Can you guess what his nickname was?
   
6. Coco Laboy - 3B: Ballplayer by day, transvestite cabaret star by night? This was LaBoy's rookie season and only good one after he hurt himself in winter ball.
   
7. John Bateman - C: Like Rusty, he spent most of his career playing for expansion teams, and carried a little extra weight. Battled with Gene Mauch throughout his Expo tenure, and eventually wound up with Eddie Feigner�s famous King and His Court softball team.
   
8. Bobby Wine - SS: Foster Brooks, a comic whose act was to act like a drunk, famously visited the Mets booth around 1980 and declared that "Bobby Wine" was his favorite ballplayer. Ralph Kiner (and very few others, I imagine) thought it hilarious.
   
9. Jerry Robertson - P: Traded to the Mets before the 1971 season for Dean Chance and Bill Denehy, and never pitched another inning.

Sad thing is that it's kind of still a better lineup than any the Mets have trotted out there most of the second half.

[Frayed Knot]

Ni[*]John Bateman - C: Like Rusty, he spent most of his career playing for expansion teams, and carried a little extra weight. Battled with Gene Mauch throughout his Expo tenure, and eventually wound up with Eddie Feigner�s famous King and His Court softball team.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It must be true, because it's on the Internet. http://www.kingandhiscourt.com/playerphotos.php

It's funny that he made the squad, because --- taking the field with only four players --- fast moving rotations were a big part of their game. When Feigner expected a bunt, he'd change up on the hitter, he and the firstbaseman would charge, and the catcher would spring down and cover first.

[MFS62]

The UMDB shows that Bobby Wine had 32 career RBI against the Mets.
I'd swear that most of them were game winners or back breakers.
I hated that guy.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Another famous day in 1969 Met pennant race lore -- not to mention the 2nd DH in 3 days and the 3rd in 8 !!

Friday, September 12 - Forbes Field: Mets 1 - Pirates 0 (Game 1 of DH) -- Jerry Koosman vs Bob Moose

Mets ride Koosman�s complete game shutout in game 1 as he holds the Bucs to 3 singles (2 of which are erased on DPs) plus 3 walks and 4 Ks

Pittsburgh�s Bob Moose, meanwhile, Ks 10 through 8 innings and holds the Mets to 5 singles, but 3 of those are in a row w/one out in the 5th as Koosman follows singles by the powerhouse of Pfeil & Dyer with a RBI one of his own.

Pirates go hitless (1 walk + one error) after the 4th.

Game Time = 2:19






Friday, September 12 - Forbes Field: Mets 1 - Pirates 0 (Game 2 of DH) -- Don Cardwell vs Dock Ellis

A 2-out, 2nd inning Bud Harrleson double followed by a Don Cardwell RBI single both opens and finishes the scoring for the nightcap as the Mets complete the oddest of DH sweeps: two 1-0 games where the pitcher drove in both runs. At least Cardwell, unlike Kooz, was actually known as a hitter.

Cardwell also went 8 innings allowing only 4 singles and a walk. McGraw pitched the 9th, surrendering a bunt single to Matty Alou to lead off the inning but he never advances.

Mets actually had a bunch of base runners (7 hits + 3 walks) but just the one run. Only twice did the Pirates get a runner past 1st.

Game Time = 2:02



87 - 57; 1st Place; 2.5 Games Ahead -- Cubs break their losing streak with a 5-1 win over the now 4th place Cardinals

btw, Pythagorean calculations show the Mets should still be ~4 games behind the Cubs at this point

[Guest Edgy DC]

Total gametime: 4:21. They get the double-header in during the time of a contemporary Sox-Yankees game. If it's a Sox-Yankees playoff game, they could get the double header in along with the break in between games.

[Frayed Knot]

Saturday, September 13 - Forbes Field: Mets 5 - Pirates 2 -- Tom Seaver vs Luke Walker

Always nice to come off a double shut-out and THEN trot out Tom Seaver.

Seaver actually had the gall to give up a 3rd inning run as the Mets were getting 2-hit thru the first 6.
They tied it up in the 7th on a walk, single & groundout.
In the Met half of the 8th they loaded the bases on three walks - the last of which was an intentional pass to Clendenon to get to Swoboda. Ron promptly smacked a Grand Slam.

Seaver gave up two singles and a run in the bottom of the 8th - but struck out Jose Pagan with two on to end the inning. Also gave up a leadoff single in the 9th but got a GiDP and the threat was over.

Game Time = 2:37


88 - 57; 1st Place; 3.5 Games Ahead -- Cubs lose to St Louis 7-4


btw, if it seems like Swoboda�s name is popping up a lot in these little game-synopses it�s because it is. For a guy who hit a very ordinary .232 during August and September of that year (right around his .235 BA for the season) he hit 6 of his 9 HRs down the stretch and had an absurd 30 of his 52 RBIs. Talk about making your hits count!


Pirate starter Luke Walker played about a decade too early to have the nickname �Sky� hung around his neck.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Shutting down the bats of the Lumber Company like that, a team knows it's pitching well.

[Frayed Knot]

The Ten-Game winning streak is over

Sunday, September 14 - Forbes Field: Mets 3 - Pirates 5 -- Nolan Ryan vs Steve Blass

- Pirates score three times off Ryan in the 4th
- Mets come back with two in top 5 via RBIs on Agee�s single and Shamsky�s Sac Fly, and then one more in the 6th as Ryan�s single drives in Charles.
- But the Pirates go ahead with two in the 7th on 2-out singles from Blass and Matty Alou and the Mets never answer.

Game Time = 2:11


88 - 58; 1st Place; 3.5 Games Ahead -- Cubs lose to St Louis 2-1 on a 10th inning Lou Brock HR with starters Bob Gibson & Ken Holtzman still in at the end



During this 13 games in 10 days stretch (11-2, starting with the 9/5 DH vs Philly) the Mets used a total of 9 different pitchers: Seaver started three times while Ryan, Cardwell, Koosman, Gentry & McAndrew got the nod twice each. Only two 'pure' relievers were used the entire time: McGraw getting the call three times, Taylor twice, while Ryan also relieved once.
There'd be one more game (a Monday make-up in StL) before the next off-day but two from the same crew (Gentry & McGraw) would cover it - so that's the same 9 pitchers for 14 games over 11 days ... and this was during a stretch with 3 DHs, no off-days, and expanded rosters!

[Frayed Knot]

Monday, September 15 - Busch Stadium: Mets 4 - Cardinals 3 -- Gary Gentry vs Steve Carlton

During a one-game make-up in St Louis, the Ron Swoboda legend continues to grow.
In another game that has become a famous part of NYM lore, Swoboda�s two 2R-HRs offset Carlton�s 19K complete game for a 4-3 Met win.

- Vada Pinson singles in Lou Brock in the 3rd for a 1-0 StL lead
- Swoboda follows Clendenon�s leadoff walk in the 4th with his first shot.
- In the 5th, two-out RBI hits by Curt Flood and Joe Torre put the Cards up 3-2
- Then in the 8th, Agee leads off with a single and, after a Clendenon strikeout (what else?), Swoboda hits his second of the night
- McGraw, who had come on in the 7th, leaves two stranded in both the 7th & 9th innings and gets credit for the win, his 8th of the season

The Mets actually got 9 hits in this game plus 2 walks so it�s not like they lacked for baserunners despite all the Ks.
Gentry & McGraw, meanwhile, combined to hold the Cards to 8 singles.

Carlton�s list of strikeout victims:
Harrelson - 2
Amos Otis - 4 (ouch!)
Agee - 2
Clendenon - 1
Swoboda - 2
Charles - 2
Grote - 1
Weis - 2
Gentry - 2
McGraw - 1

He K�d the side in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 9th - although only in the 9th did he face only 3 hitters


Game Time = 2:23



89 - 58; 1st Place; 4.5 Games Ahead -- Cubs lose to Montreal 8-2


Tim McCarver - as was often the case - was Carlton�s catcher that night. In later years when he was doing Met broadcasts with Kiner, Ralph would occasionally open the inning where announcer duties changed hands by saying; in September of 1969, Steve Carlton struck out a then-record 19 batters but lost the game because Ron Swoboda hit two 2-run HRs ... and now to carry you along over the next three innings the man who called for both those pitches, Tim McCarver
McCarver always took it in good humor usually adding that he had no idea how Swoboda even hit either of those pitches much less hit them out of the park.

[Frayed Knot]

Wednesday, September 17 - Parc Jarry: Mets 5 - Expos 0 -- Jerry Koosman vs Gary Waslewski

Koosman goes all the way on a 6-hit shutout

In the 4th, Swoboda (there�s that name again) gets a one-out single to plate one run and then Garrett�s two-out single plates two more.
Mets add solo runs in the 7th - Grote squeezes home Otis!!, and again in the 9th - Weis knocks in Clendenon

Game Time = 2:11


90 - 58; 1st Place; 4.0 Games Ahead -- Cubs win against Philly and also beat Montreal the previous day when the Mets were off to shrink the lead by 1/2 game

[Guest Edgy DC]

I like these Mets guys.

[Frayed Knot]

Thursday, September 18 - Parc Jarry: Mets 2 - Expos 0 -- Tom Seaver vs Bill Stoneman

Seaver�s turn at shutting out the now 48-103 Expos. A complete game 5 hit (all singles) 3 BB, 9 K performance

Bill Stoneman also pitched well for Montreal, striking out 11 in 7-1/3 -- but you can�t stop Eddie Kranepool you can only hope to contain him.
Krane�s two-out single in the 1st knocks in Agee (who batted 2nd behind Garrett this day) and then his 6th inning solo HR closes out the night�s scoring.
In the 8th Eddie ... grabbed some bench while Clendenon pinch-hit for him against the lefty reliever Dan McGinn

Game Time = 2:23


91 - 58; 1st Place; 5.0 Games Ahead -- Cubs lose 5-3 to Philly

[Frayed Knot]

Friday, September 19 - Shea Stadium: Mets 2 - Pirates 8 (Game 1 of DH) -- Nolan Ryan vs Bob Veale

Ryan is pulled with just 2 outs in the 2nd inning after Matty Alou�s bases-loaded single makes it 3-0 Pittsburgh.
Hodges calls on the back of the pen that hadn�t seen action in two weeks or more: DiLauro, Koonce, Les Rohr and Bob Johnson. They mostly fare well except for former #1 pick Rohr who gets hit up for 4 Pirate runs in 1.1 innings. It was Johnson's ML debut:2 hitters faced, 2 ground-outs

Veale goes all the way holding the Mets to RBI singles by Otis in the 7th and Boswell in the 9th.

Game Time = 2:47





Friday, September 19 - Shea Stadium: Mets 0 - Pirates 8 (Game 2 of DH) -- Jim McAndrew vs Luke Walker

Has too much success gone to the Mets� heads?

McAndrew leaves after 5 innings after giving up 7 runs on 11 hits.
Ron Taylor settles down the next two innings and then Jesse Hudson finishes up the game with his only 2 innings of his NYM and MLB career: 2 IP, 1 ER, 2 hits, 2 walks, 3 Ks

Luke Walker pitches a complete game, 6-hit shutout

Game Time = 2:25


91 - 60; 1st Place; 4.0 Games Ahead -- Cubs split a pair in StL

[Guest Edgy DC]

Please fire Hodges and all coaches this off-season.

[Frayed Knot]

Saturday, September 20 - Shea Stadium: Mets 0 - Pirates 4 -- Gary Gentry vs Bob Moose

So they take over 1st place, win 6 of 7 on the road, then come home against the so-so Pirates and suddenly lose three in a row!?! What could be worse than that? --- Oh I don�t know, getting no-hit maybe!

Moose Ks 6 and walks 3 but no Met gets a hit in their 2nd straight shut-out loss.

Meanwhile Pittsburgh wasn�t hitting much either (6 singles) but Gentry�s total mess of a 4th inning allows 3 runs on just one hit:
Walk - single - double steal - Wild Pitch (run) - Walk - HBP - Wild Pitch (run) - RBI-GO (run) - Fly Out - Fly Out
McGraw comes in to pitch the final three innings and HE allows a run on a wild pitch

Game Time = 2:08


91 - 61; 1st Place; 5.0 Games Ahead -- Cubs lose again to StL 4-1


Bob Moose, who was just 21 this his second ML season, wound up 14-3 with a 2.91 ERA for 1969. It was the first of 5 double-digit win seasons for him by the time he was 25. He then would be shifted to the bullpen in 1974 but he was also called on to relieve in the 9th inning of the deciding game of the 1972 NLCS. The Pirates took a one-run lead into the 9th when their �closer� (wouldn�t have been called that at the time) Dave Giusti gave up a leadoff HR to Johnny Bench to tie the game. After two more singles, Giusti was pulled in favor of Moose who had the near impossible task of not losing the pennant after coming in with two on and no outs. But he got the first out on a Fly Ball but pinch-runner George Foster (for Perez) moved to 3rd. With the winning run there Moose got an infield pop-up for out #2. But then, with Hal McRae at the plate, he uncorked a wild pitch and the Reds went on the the WS.

The Pirates did not make the post-season in 1976 which was bad news for Bob Moose in several ways. During the NLCS of that year Moose was driving to a charity golf tournament when he was killed in a car wreck. It was his 29th birthday.

[Frayed Knot]

And yet another double-header!

Sunday, September 21 - Shea Stadium: Mets 5 - Pirates 3 (Game 1 of DH) -- Jerry Koosman vs Dock Ellis

Koosman goes all the way on a 6-hitter to end the first NYM 3-game losing streak since July
2 RBIs each early in the game from Dyer & Swoboda puts the Mets up 4-1.
Then, after the Bucs closed to within 4-3, a 7th inning Shamsky HR provides the insurance.

Game Time = 2:14




Sunday, September 21 - Shea Stadium: Mets 6 - Pirates 1 (Game 2 of DH) -- Don Cardwell vs Steve Blass

Willie Stargell�s 4th inning solo HR is the only thing keeping Cardwell from a complete game shutout

Mets, meanwhile, take advantage of 4 Pirate errors to score 4 unearned runs.

The DH sweep salvages the final two games of a five-game series after losing the first two.

Game Time = 2:23
(another sub-5-hour DH)


93 - 61; 1st Place; 4.5 Games Ahead -- Cubs beat Cardinals 4-3
Any chance the Cubs had at getting back into the race disappeared when they gained only a half-game while the Mets were losing three straight.
Now they manage to win a game but lose that gained ground right back anyway. Their goose is cooked at this point and they know it.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I had forgotten that Freddi Patek was ever a Pirate --- parts of three seasons at that. He's, of course, a Royal for life in my mind.

[Frayed Knot]

Monday, September 22 - Shea Stadium: Mets 3 - Cardinals 1 -- Tom Seaver vs Nelson Briles

A scoreless game until the 6th, Shamsky�s one-out single brings in Agee and breaks the shutout. In the 7th, Seaver and Agee knock in single runs.
The Cards touch up Seaver for a run in the 8th, but otherwise he cruises to a 4-hit, 0-walk complete game.

Game Time = 2:05


94 - 61; 1st Place; 5.0 Games Ahead -- Cubs idle

[Guest Edgy DC]

Nellie Briles would follow the example of Gil Hodges and die of a heart attack on a Florida golf course.

[Frayed Knot]

Tuesday, September 23 - Shea Stadium: Mets 3 - Cardinals 2 -- Jim McAndrew vs Bob Gibson

Bud Harrelson�s one-out single in the 11th inning off starter Bob Gibson pushes across Swobooda with the winning run.

The reigning CY Young pitcher looked to give the Cards an edge over the Mets 4th starter, but McAndrew went 7 allowing only 2 un-earned runs.
The Mets struck first when Garrett�s 2-out single plated Harrelson in the 4th.
Cards get their two in the 5th on 2-out singles by Brock & Flood, a Boswell error and a Torre single.
Mets tie it in the 8th; Agee singles, Garrett bunts him over, Shamsky singles him in.
McGraw takes over in the 8th after Hodges PHs for McAndrew. He gets out of trouble in both the 8th (Gibson lines out with the bases laoded) and the 10th (McCarver�s one-out double is stranded) and is still in in the 11th to get the win

Game Time = 2:35 (yeah, that�s 11 innings)


95 - 61; 1st Place; 6.0 Games Ahead -- Cubs lose to Expos 7-3

[Guest Edgy DC]

Bud Harrelson, secret weapon.