By Tim Ryder
The New York Mets announced on Tuesday that the club will retire Jerry Koosman’s uniform #36 in 2020.
Koosman, who is the winningest left-hander in team history (140 wins), will become the third player to have his number retired by the Mets, joining Tom Seaver (#41) and Mike Piazza (#31).
“The excitement of playing for the Mets when we won the 1969 World Series was an experience I never thought I’d be able to repeat,” said Koosman, who won two games during the ’69 World Series vs. Baltimore, including the deciding Game 5. “But the news that the Mets Hall of Fame Committee has voted to retire my number is another life-changing thrill and honor.”
“I’m enormously proud of the time I played in the orange and blue uniform of the Mets,” Koosman said. “It was a privilege to play alongside some of the most wonderful and talented teammates for more than 11 years and to hone my craft under Gil Hodges.”
“This honor isn’t only for me and my family, it’s for the legions of fans I grew to love,” Koosman continued. “To know that my number will be retired and sit alongside other team legends is one of the greatest tributes I could ever be granted. I was always proud to be a Met. Today, I am even prouder.”
“Jerry is one of the most iconic Mets of all-time and this forever honor is a tremendous representation of what he meant to the organization,” Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said.
Over 12 seasons with the Mets, Koosman, now 76 years old, won 140 games (third in franchise history), pitching to a 3.09 ERA (sixth) – not including his 3-0 record and 2.39 ERA over four World Series starts – striking out 1,799 and walking 820 over 376 games (346 starts) with the Amazin’s.
Koosman’s All-Star season in 1969 (17-9, 2.28 ERA, 180 strikeouts, 68 walks over 35 starts; 241 innings) helped catapult the Mets past the Cubs in late-summer, leading the young, upstart Metropolitans into the postseason for the first time.
Once there, they knocked off the heavily-favored Braves and Orioles to win their first World Series.
Koosman’s contributions to the 1973 NL champion ‘Ya Gotta Believe’ Mets was just as considerable. His 2.84 ERA over 35 regular season starts provided the necessary consistency the Mets needed for their mad dash to the postseason.
The left-hander’s complete-game win over Cincinnati in Game 3 of the NLCS was a pivotal moment in that miraculous series. The Mets ended up losing the World Series in seven games to the Oakland Athletics, but not for a lack of production from Koosman.
Kooz’ six-and-a-third frames of scoreless ball in Game 5, putting the Mets ahead 3-2 in the series and, from what I’ve been told over the years, practically putting the team on his back, will go down in franchise lore as some of the most meaningful innings pitched in this team’s history.
MMO expresses their sincere congratulations to Jerry, and Let’s Go Mets!
