Wednesday, August 20, 2014

World Series: Did You Know?

The Miracle Mets of 1969 got exactly six hits in each of the first three games. They had to make do with so little. Entering the Fall Classic that year, they were the decided underdogs against the Baltimore Orioles. And just to make things a little more difficult, it was the O's with the home-field advantage!

Game one in Baltimore matched Tom Seaver of the New York Mets against Oriole starter Mike Cuellar. If Seaver couldn't do it for New York, who could? But, in less than a New York minute, the Mets were down.

Cuellar got the Mets out in the top of the first, giving up just one hit. In the bottom of the frame, the Orioles also got a hit, but it was a home run by Don Buford! In the top of the fourth, it was Donn Clendenon who stroked the Mets' second hit, a double. But New York failed to score and still trailed 1-0. Baltimore then put the game out of reach by scoring three runs in the bottom of the frame. Cuellar himself got an RBI single. Buford followed that by driving in his second run, as well. It was 4-0, Baltimore!

In the top of the seventh, it was New York's turn to bang out some hits. Clendenon got his second hit of the game. Another single and a walk loaded the bases with just one out. But all New York could get out of this was one run on a sac fly by Al Weiss. The shutout was broken, but the Mets would not score again. They collected two more hits, and even got the tying run to the dish in the top of the ninth. But New York ultimately lost this game, 4-1.

In game two, it was Jerry Koosman of the Mets who opposed Dave McNally of the O's on the hill. This time, it was New York that scored first. In the top of the fourth, it was Clendenon again with a hit and this one was a home run to make it 1-0, Mets. New York had two hits at this point.

The Mets had to wait until the top of the seventh for their third hit of the game. It was a double, but it was also stranded. In the bottom of the seventh, it was Baltimore's turn to score. That tied the game at one. The Orioles needed just two hits to score the run. But it proved to be the Orioles only two hits of the game. And also, it was Baltimore's only run of game two.

The Mets, seizing the pitching advantage, then got three straight two-out singles in the top of the ninth. It was Al Weiss that got the third single, and the RBI. 2-1, New York. Koosman made it an interesting bottom of the ninth with two walks, but Canadian Ron Taylor got the last out and the 1969 World Series was tied heading to New York.

In game three, the Mets faced a legend in pitcher Jim Palmer. On the hill for New York? Rookie Gary Gentry, 13-12 in 1969 and eventually 46-49 for his career. Can you say, mismatch?

But Tommie Agee got the Mets off on the right foot as he hit a home run off Palmer in the bottom of the first. Tom would be heard from a lot more before this game was over. But it would be his glove that did a lot of talking.

Gentry himself then drove in both Jerry Grote and Bud Harrelson (who had singled) with a double in the bottom of the second. The Miracle Mets were sure making due with so little hits. It was 3-0, New York after two!

Palmer made sure the Mets felt his wrath in the bottom of the third by getting them 1-2-3. In the top of the fourth, it looked like Baltimore was in for a big inning. With one out, it was Frank Robinson with a single and then Boog Powell with one of his own. Brooks Robinson fanned, but Elrod Hendricks launched one to centre that looked like it would score two. Tommie Agee, in centre, robbed Elrod of two RBIs with a running catch on the warning track.

The Mets, though, continued to fail against Palmer. Although they had put a runner on in the third, fourth and fifth inning against Palmer (via the walk), Jim was stranding them, and giving Baltimore a chance to tie it. The O's, it should be noted, put two on in the top of the sixth inning, but would also strand them.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, New York's Ken Boswell led off with the Mets' fourth hit, a single. With one out, Jerry Grote came through with a double to left to score him. Palmer stopped the bleeding from there by fanning the next two batters. But now, New York had some breathing room, ahead 4-0.

Elrod Hendricks made some solid contact for Baltimore to lead of the top of the seventh. He sent a drive to right-centre, where Agee made the catch again. This one was not so hard, but Gentry was running out of gas, as it turns out. That fly ball was the telling sign. Deron Johnson flied out to Agee as well. But that was the last batter Gentry would retire. He walked not one, not two, but three straight batters! That was enough for manager Gil Hodges. On to the hill trotted another right-hander, who was a legend like Palmer. Nolan Ryan!

Odd spot for him. In relief? Eh?

In any event, Paul Blair sent a well-hit ball to right-centre. But Agee was there for his third putout of the inning. But this one was his best of the inning, and better then the catch he made of Hendricks in the fourth. It was a diving catch that saved three runs. The best play by Tommie in the game, despite also hitting that home run back in the first. Tommie had given the Mets one run on the scoreboard and saved five!

Jim Palmer, meanwhile, was done for the game. He had been removed for pinch hitter Dave May in that inning where Agee had made the three putouts. It seemed like a good move for the Orioles, for May had been the first of three straight batters to walk against Gentry. Plus it took Gentry out of the game. But now, Palmer was out of the game for Baltimore and Nolan Ryan was in for New York. The pitching edge had to go to the Mets here!

But Dave Leonhard held the Mets hitless in the bottom of the seventh. They could only get a runner to second on a walk and a sac bunt. Ryan got Baltimore 1-2-3 in the top of the eight.

New York got another hit in the bottom of the eighth inning when Ed Kranepool hit a solo home run of his own, just like Agee had in the first. It was the Mets' sixth and final hit of the game. Too bad New York could not have had a runner on when they were leaving the park here. That's what happens when you only get six hits! But with a 5-0 lead, no one on the New York Mets was complaining at this point, I'm sure!

However, Baltimore, who had just three hits of their own going into the top of the ninth, was not done putting some fear into New York. They, too, did not need many hits to get 'er going. Ryan got the first two batters out on fly balls hit to right fielder Art Shamsky. Baltimore had evidently learned to stop hitting them anywhere near centerfield. But there was two outs. Unexpectedly, Ryan came undone as the Orioles coaxed two walks of him around a single. Ryan managed to fan Paul Blair to end the game.

The Mets went on to win game four 2-1 and game five 5-3. The 1969 World Series would belong to New York! Only in game four did the Mets manage to reach double figures in hits, and even then they needed ten innings to do that. The 1969 New York Mets, with 100 wins to their name, might not have seemed like a team needing a miracle to win. Or even seem like a longshot pick. But with only six hits in each of the first three games, they were put to the test early by Baltimore. But the Mets managed to use some of their smarts, wits, walks, long balls and pitching to overcome that. I guess, with such little output off the bats, New York did need a few miracles that Fall Classic!

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