In a matchup between the 2nd-seeded 1969 World Champion Miracle Mets vs. the 15th-seeded 1997 NY Mets, it seemed on paper to be a mismatch. Early on, the 1997 Manager, MMO writer Jorge Eckert expressed concern with his rotation…grimacing at the matchups Game 1- Tom Seaver vs. Rick Reed Game 2- Gary Gentry vs. Bobby Jones Game 3- Jerry Koosman vs. Dave Mlicki Game 4- Nolan Ryan vs. Armando...
Good morning, Mets fans! The slate of postseason games Wednesday contained loads of fireworks as home runs were slugged and tickets were punched. The day started out in Philly, where Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos both sent two balls out of the park on their way to a 10-2 win over the Braves and a 2-1 series lead. The Diamondbacks took over the nightcap as they lit Lance Lynn up like a...
We’re looking back at the 50th anniversary of the Mets’ 1973 National League pennant-winning team by reviewing the most inspirational figures of that remarkable run. We continue with a hero of 1969 who while he didn’t have the same year-long success as four years before was instrumental when it counted most. It’s impossible to think about the Miracle Mets season and not...
Growing up in Bronx in the 1940s and ’50s, Ed Kranepool spent much of his time playing stickball in local parks. In fact, stickball brought refuge to a young Kranepool. As his stickball reputation grew, local gangs treated Kranepool well and insisted he not hang around with them after dark as they didn’t want him to get into trouble and not be able to play on their teams. Growing up...
The baseball world lost a former pitcher and dynamic personality on May 6, when former Oakland Athletic, San Francisco Giant, and Kansas City Royal Vida Blue passed away in the East Bay Area of Northern California. He was 73 years old. Blue made his major league debut in July of 1969, making 12 appearances. He returned in 1970 to make six starts. In his first, he one-hit the Kansas City Royals...
In April 1969, humans were hundreds of thousands of miles away from setting foot on the moon just as the New York Mets seemed far away from a World Series title. By October 15, both distances had been covered and two feats once thought of as miracles were achieved. The Mets—cellar dwellers for the better part of their first seven years—headed into Game 5 on the brink of an accomplishment...
The words on the giant Shea Stadium scoreboard captured the seminal moment: “Look Who’s No. 1.” The Mets swept a doubleheader from the Montreal Expos and got a solid from the Philadelphia Phillies as they beat the Chicago Cubs. On the board in right-center field, a snapshot of the up-to-date standings with the accompanying headline. Just a night earlier, the Cubs had left New York...
The Mets held their first Old Timers’ Day since 1994, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Complete with a surprise number retirement, a fake mustache and a bunch of old guys having fun on a baseball field, the festivities honored Mets history at Citi Field Saturday afternoon. “Big day at the ballpark as we welcome back Mets legends spanning 60 years,” Mets owner Steve...
The Mets introduced their first Old Timers’ Day since 1994 with a special ceremony for all those in attendance Saturday. It certainly lived up to Mets’ fans expectations, but it took a welcome twist when the team announced they’d be retiring Willie Mays’ number 24. Mays played for the Mets in the final two years of his career, from 1972-1973. He helped the Mets win the...
For the first time since 1994, the Mets are hosting an Old Timers’ Day. What once had been a staple of the organization ever since the team originated has now been revived under the Steve Cohen regime, helped by crowdsourcing on Twitter shortly after taking ownership. The early years of the festivities celebrated New York’s brilliant baseball past, especially in 1977 when they...
Pete Alonso already has the Mets’ single-season home run record. Now he’s after the RBI mark. Following play on Monday, even with recent struggles, his current pace has him within sight of the 124 set by Mike Piazza and David Wright. And with under six weeks left in the regular season, his other number put him in the discussion for the greatest individual hitting seasons by a Met. In...
When Cleon Jones squeezed his glove around the ball that Baltimore Orioles second baseman Davey Johnson hit to left field in the top of the ninth in Game Five of the 1969 World Series to give the Mets their first championship in their eight-year history, it was something he never dreamed of doing. For Jones, making it as a major league ballplayer from his hometown of Africatown, a historic...
