In case we weren’t already reminded before this past weekend, Mother Nature has let everyone in the northeast know it’s officially winter time. Between the single-digit temperatures and the threat of snow, it certainly feels like baseball isn’t close to happening yet (and that’s without even mentioning the current state of the lockout).

So, with that said, why not warm ourselves up with an excellent picture of Donn Clendenon during the 1969 World Series at Shea Stadium? Yes, let’s do that:

Clendenon was one of the most pivotal acquisitions in franchise history. New York officially traded for the right-handed hitter on June 15th, 1969 by sending a package of four players that included Kevin Collins, Steve Renko, Jay Carden, and David Colon to the Montreal Expos. In the 72 games he played for the Mets during the regular season, he slashed .252/.321/.455 with 12 home runs, 37 RBI, and 31 runs scored. That’s all well and good, but it’s what he did in the postseason that really mattered.

He didn’t appear in the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves, but he made up for it during New York’s World Series matchup against the heavily-favored Baltimore Orioles. He registered five hits in 16 plate appearances, which is already pretty good, but was even better because four of them went for extra bases. Three of those extra-base hits went over the wall, and another one went for a double. Clendenon added four RBI and four runs scored to go along with his .357/.438/1.071 line, which led to him earning series MVP honors once the final out was recorded.

This ended up being the only taste of postseason baseball Clendenon would ever experience, so one can assume he was happy about maximizing the one opportunity given to him. Below is a great clip of his highlights from the ’69 Fall Classic, and it doesn’t just include the things he did at the plate — it also included a couple of plays over at first base:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZFVKNluykU

Clendenon actually finished 13th in National League MVP voting as a 34-year-old for the Mets in 1970, as well. He did this off the strength of a .288/.348/.515 line with 22 home runs and 97 RBI, but it’s what he did during that five-game stretch in October of 1969 that will link him to this organization forever.