1969 New York Mets
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Imagine this pitcher:
- 241 IP
- .654 winning percentage
- 2.28 ERA
- 6.72 K/9
- 1.058 WHIP
- 161 ERA
On most teams, that line would belong to the team's ace. On the 1969 New York Mets, they belonged to Jerry Koosman, the team's unheralded #2 pitcher. Tom Seaver bested him in every category, giving the Mets a formidable 1-2 punch to the tune of 67 starts. The '69 Mets, despite finishing with a mere 73 wins the year before, and in spite of an anemic offense that ranked 9th (out of 12) in the NL in runs per game, banged out the franchise's first 100 win season on a way to a World Series pennant.
[edit] The Players
[edit] A Woeful Offense
Cleon Jones put up a career year, with a .340/.422/.482 (151 OPS ) line. Tommie Agee was well above average -- his 122 OPS was a product of a 26 homer, .271/.342/.464 campaign. Off the bench, Art Shamsky added a .300/.375/.488 year in 303 at bats, and Donn Clendenon a not-too-shabby .252/.321/.455, given the hitting-hostile climate.
After that, however, the Mets were a rag-tag bunch of pathetic performances. The right side of the infield, Ed Kranepool and Ken Boswell, put up 14 homers and 81 RBI combined, with the lion's share of power coming from Kranepool's 11 dingers. He mitigated this strength with a pathetic .238 batting average.
And it only got worse when one looked at the left side. Wayne Garrett and Bud Harrelson, 3B and SS, respectively, put up a combined one home run. Harrelson hit a mere .248/.341/.306; Garrett was even rose at .218/.290/.268. Yes, the 1969 World Champion New York Mets wasted 400 at bats on a third baseman with a .268 slugging percentage.
Behind the plate, Jerry Grote was a serviceable .252/.312/.351; and rounding out the outfield was almost-average .235/.326/.361 thanks to a decent 43 but hardly good 43 walks.
It is no wonder that the Mets were so bad at scoring runs. It was, indeed, a miracle that they could win so many games.
[edit] And Stellar Pitching
In this case, the miracle could be named Seaver, Koosman, Gentry, Cardwell, and McAndrew. The rotation gobbled up 144 starts, with ERA s of 166, 161, 107, 122, and 106, respectively. Seaver won the Cy handily, gaining 23 of 24 votes (Phil Niekro took the 24th). Both he and Koosman picked up MVP votes.
The bullpen featured Ron Taylor and Tug McGraw, who ate a combined 176 and one-thirds innings, saved 25 games, went 18-7, and respectively had ERA s of 135 and 164. With Jack Dilauro (ERA 153) and a youngster named Nolan Ryan (ERA 104, 92 K in 89.3 IP), the late innings were an unlikely place for opposing teams to find runs.
Even though the Mets had a hard time putting digits on the board, their opponents found it much, much more difficult.
[edit] Regular Season Highlights
[edit] Opening Day
[edit] April
[edit] May
[edit] June
[edit] July
[edit] August
[edit] September/October
[edit] Post-Season Highlights
[edit] NLCS
[edit] World Series
- Interestingly, the last out of the World Series was made by Davey Johnson -- who would manage the Mets to their next title 17 years later.
