On This Date in Sports October 16, 1969: AMAZIN'
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The miracle is complete as the New York Mets win the World Series. The Mets stun the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles in five games, winning the finale 5-3. The Mets needed a comeback win in Game 5, as Donn Clendenon hit a key two-run homer on the way to being named World Series MVP. Prior to 1969, the Mets had never finished better than ninth.
A new era of baseball was born in 1969, as divisional play ushered in a new round of playoff baseball, as no longer finishing first guarantee a pennant, as the National and American Leagues were divided into two six-team divisions. There were also four new expansion teams added, including the first team ever based in Canada, the Montreal Expos.
The Baltimore Orioles managed by Earl Weaver were a powerhouse in the American League. They easily won the Eastern Division, with a record of 109-53. The Orioles were led by a strong pitching staff that featured Mike Cuellar, who shared the Cy Young with Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers. In the first-ever ALCS, the Orioles got two straight walk-off wins on the way to sweep the Minnesota Twins in three straight games.
The New York Mets were baseball’s laughingstock when they were born of expansion in 1962, losing a modern-day record 120 games. The next few seasons were not much better, as they lost 111 in 1963, 109 in 1964, and 112 games in 1965. The Mets escaped last place for one year in 1966, finishing ninth with a record of 66-95, but again finished tenth and lost 101 games in 1967. The Mets hired Gil Hodges as manager in 1968, and avoided last place by one game, with a record of 73-89.
The Mets hardly looked like a champion on opening day as they lost to the expansion Montreal Expos on Opening Day. However, as June began, the Mets began to make their move, winning a franchise-record 11 straight games. The Mets now above .500, acquired Donn Clendenon and started a summer-long battle with the Chicago Cubs. While moments like Tom Seaver’s near-perfect game symbolized the season, it was not until September that the Mets reached first place as they won 38 of their last 49 games, to finish the year at 100-62. In the NLCS, the Mets swept the Atlanta Braves in three games, despite Hank Aaron hit a home run in each game, as Nolan Ryan came on to pitch the clincher.
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The World Series began at Memorial Stadium with the Orioles a considerable favorite, having won the Fall Classic in 1966. In the opener, it was a matchup of Cy Young winners as Mike Cuellar took on National League Cy Young winner Tom Seaver. The Mets franchise pitcher struggled in his first World Series start, giving up a leadoff home run to Don Bufford as the Orioles won the game 4-1.
In Game 2, the Mets sent Jerry Koosman to the mound against Dave McNally. This game would be a classic pitchers’ duel as the Mets took a 1-0 lead on a home run by Donn Clendenon in the fourth inning. Koosman meanwhile did not allow a hit until the seventh inning, that inning saw the Orioles tie the game on an RBI single by Brooks Robinson, who scored Paul Blair, who broke up the no-hitter with a hit leading off the inning. In the ninth inning, the Mets staged a two-out rally with Ed Charles, Jerry Grote, and Al Weis singling to bring home a run. Koosman came on in the ninth but began to falter, issuing two straight two-out walks before he was relived by Ron Taylor. Taylor would retire Brooks Robinson with a grounder to third, preserving the Mets 2-1 win.
As the series shifted to Shea Stadium, the Mets had Gary Gentry on the mound against Jim Palmer in Game 3. This would be the Tommie Agee show. Agee got the Mets offense started with a leadoff home run in the first. The Mets would add two more runs in the second when Gentry had two-run double. In the fourth inning, the Orioles had a chance to make some noise, but Tommie Agee made the first of two brilliant catches running down a drive by Elrod Hendricks that would have scored two runs. In the sixth inning, the Mets made it 4-0 on a double by Jerry Grote, but the Orioles looked poised to get back in the game in the seventh as they loaded the bases, leading to Nolan Ryan coming on in relief of Gary Genty. Ryan gave up a screaming line drive to Paul Blair that was caught by Agee, keeping the Orioles off the scoreboard. Ed Kranepool would add a home run off Dave Leonhard as the Mets won the game 5-0.
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In Game 4, it was Cy Young battle part two, with both pitchers looking like the best in baseball. The Mets got an early run off Mike Cuellar as Don Clendenon homered in the second inning, while Seaver had the Orioles off-balance all day until the ninth inning. The Orioles got two runners on with one out, when Brooks Robinson lined the ball to right field, Ron Swoboda made a diving catch, keeping the Orioles from taking the lead, though tying run scored on the sacrifice fly. Seaver remained on the mound for the tenth, while Cuellar had exited the game after being lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth. In the tenth, Jerry Grote led off with a double as Rod Gaspar came on to pinch run. Al Weis was intentionally walked to set up the double play as Dick Hall was relieved by Pete Richert. Seaver himself would also exit the game, as J.C. Martin came on to pinch-hit, looking to bunt the runners over. Martin’s bunt was not just perfect; it was better than perfect as Richert fielded the ball and hit the Mets backup catcher as he got near first base, this allowed Gaspar to score the winning run as the Mets had a 3-1 series lead with a 2-1 win.
The Mets went into Game 5 with a chance to complete the miracle with Jerry Koosman on the mound. The Orioles got on the board first, as Dave McNally helped his own cause with a two-run shot in the third. Baltimore later made it 3-0 with a home run by Frank Robinson. Koosman settled down and did not allow another run, but McNally was large and in charge, keeping the Mets off the board. In the sixth inning, the Mets magic began to show itself as Cleon Jones was award first base after the umpires determined he was hit by a pitch. Jones had argued the ball hit his foot, and when Gil Hodges produced a baseball with shoe polish on it, the umpires determined he was right. Don Clendenon made the O’s pay with a two-run shot to get the Mets back in the game. In the seventh inning, Al Weis tied the game with a home run. Weis had never before hit a home run at Shea Stadium and only had two in the regular season. With Eddie Watt on in relief, Cleon Jones led off the eighth with a double. After Clendenon was retired, the Mets took the lead with a double by Ron Swoboda. Swoboda later scored on an error by Boog Powell as the Mets went into the ninth leading 5-3. Frank Robinson led off with a walk against Koosman, but the Mets lefty got the next two batters, leading to Davey Johnson coming up with two outs. Johnson would fly out to left field as Jones squeezed the final out touching off a celebration at Shea Stadium as fans poured on to the field.