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1969 - Baseball Clip - 1969 New York Mets Album - Highlights · Retro Sports Radio: Classic Games from History

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This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons
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.com for more sports history. 1957. That was
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some sad year, that 1957. That was the year the
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Dodgers passed away and the Giants passed away.
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You look at any National League fan in New York
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and you would have thought somebody died. O'Malley
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and Stoneham called press conferences to read
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their eulogies, but the tragedy of it all didn't
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really hit home until the day they knocked down
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Ebbets Field. What a funeral that was. They wheeled
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Campy out behind home plate for the last time,
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and everybody cried, except Gladys Gooding. She
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sang. She did sad songs like... Thanks for the
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memories, which is all we had left. Memories.
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No more Dodgers symphony. No more Dixie, the
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people's churse. Or Jackie. Or Pee -wee or Cookie.
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No more Dusty, Leo or Willie. No more action
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like this. Wait a minute. Stanky is being called
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back from the plate and Lava Jello goes up to
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hit. John Frito walks off second. Makes his start
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first. They both rather go on anything. Two men
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out last of the night. The pitch swung on as
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a drive hit out toward the right field corner.
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Henrik is going back. He can't get it. It's off
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the wall for a base hit. Here comes the tying
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run. And here comes the winning run. Joe DiMaggio
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up. Rolling at a club down at the end. Big fella
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sets. Happen pitches. A curveball high outside.
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4 -1. So the Dodgers are ahead 8 -5. And the
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crowd well knows that one swing of this bat,
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this fella's capable of making it a brand new
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game again. Jolene's in. He has one for three
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today. Six hits so far in the series. Outfield
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deep, round toward left, the infield overshifted.
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Here's the pitch. Swung on, felt it. It's a long
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one. Deep to the left center. Back for Gianfrido.
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Back, back, back, back, back, back. He makes
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a one -handed catch against the bullpen. Oh,
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doctor. What a blast of the night. Blacker pitches.
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Bobby Thompson takes a strike call on the inside
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corner. at 2 .92. He's had a single and a double,
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and he's going with the Giants' first run with
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a long fly to center. With the lead at 4 -2.
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High time, down the line at 3, not taking any
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chances. Lost him without too big of a lead at
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second, but he'll be running like the wind at
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Thompson, which one? Back to throws. There's
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a lead! Horace doesn't want to leave New York.
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I know that. And I know all the fans here in
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New York, they don't want to see the Giants leave.
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And we all, I mean all the old -timers, they've
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been so nice to us around here in New York. And
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I'm telling you, it's an awful sad day for every
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one of us around here. One rabid Giant fan did
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more than just cry about things. She did things.
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Mrs. Charles Payson, who loved racehorses, decided
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to back a dark horse. the new National League
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expansion team in New York City. Joan Payson
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promised to put her money where her heart was,
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but only on three conditions. Don Grant would
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run the organization, George Weiss, the man who
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had built a Yankee dynasty, would build the Mets,
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and for field manager, who else? There was only
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one man in the world for the job. And after I
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was idol from the New York Yankees, I was invited
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to come to the New York Mets. by Mr. Weiss and
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Mrs. Payson and Mr. Grant. There he stood, that
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first freezing day of spring training, the old
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professor. That same number 37 was back on his
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back, except this time the pinstripe uniform
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was trimmed in orange and blue, just so you couldn't
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confuse the Mets with the Yankees, which after
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one squad game, nobody could. The trouble was,
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the team looked pretty good on paper, but on
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the field, awful. Roger Craig looks in for the
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sign. Now Bill White at third leads down the
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line. Craig has the sign, checks the run and
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goes into the motion and drops the ball. The
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ball is rolling away in the umpire now. It's
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called a balk. Roger Craig in the motion, drops
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the ball. Bill White is being waved across the
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plate. He comes across the Cardinals rod in front
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by a score of 1 -0 on the balk. The New York
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Mets have given up their first run in history.
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John Holt of the Pirates now leaps down the line
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from third base. Mazeroski waggles about a couple
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of times. Here's the pitch. It's swung on. Flap
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all out into right field and moving over to his
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right is Gus Bell. He's underneath and waiting.
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Now Richie Ashburn is calling him off. Ashburn
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is there and the ball is falling in between Bell
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and Ashburn. Nobody made a move for it. It has
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fallen in between them. Holt has scored and Mazeroski
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is on his way to second. Maybe some towns would
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have been bitter. Maybe some fans would have
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booed. but not New York. For the Mets fans, it
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was love at first glance. What a time they had
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with their new ball club. Marv Thornberry was
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more than popular. He was a legend. A lot of
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the things that happened on the field were, they
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happened in earnest baseball, and everybody was
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trying to play a good game of baseball, but it
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seemed that some of them turned out. off bad,
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and I felt bad the way things went, and then
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it seemed like all the fans were pulling for
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me more and more, and it just gave me a lift,
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and I played better ball then. Marv's former
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teammate, Frank Thomas, recalls the marvelous
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one. We had Marv Thornberry playing first base,
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and as you know, the fans here kind of took a
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liking to Marv and called him Marvelous Marv
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and everything, and I was playing third base
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against the St. Louis Cardinals just one day.
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Any team that almost misses their first game
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in history because they're stuck in a hotel elevator,
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any team that plays their very first home game
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on Friday the 13th, What can you say about a
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team this unlucky? Just an amazing Mets. The
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amazing Mets. Unlucky, but never unloved. The
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spirit was always there. And then one day, the
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words came true. Mets fans could get excited
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about anything. Who cares if the team's not going
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up in the standings? There's a new stadium going
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up in Flushing Meadows. Let's cheer about that.
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Well, I think it's great. It's terrific. I was
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over here three or four days ago, and they've
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cleaned it up certain, and I know it'll be better
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when we start tomorrow. Got terrific clubhouses.
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The clubhouses are amazing for ballplayers that
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were ever in major league parks. They're, you
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might say, 304. I think later on for the ball
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players, it'll be a great place for anybody that
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wants to make good in New York and be a big league
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ball player. Why wouldn't you want to start and
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play here all your life? The highlights of those
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early years. Here they come. Starting with the
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very first Met win at Shea. Now he takes the
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wind up in his first pitch to Ron Hunt. Hits
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softly in the right side. Now the 2 -2 pitch.
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He's to the left, way back, could be, going,
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going. And it is gone for a home run for Jim
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Hickman. The fans in Shea Stadium and also at
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the polo grounds over the past two years have
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affected baseball, not only me, but I think it's
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affected baseball. And to me, they're great and
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they're... They honestly believe in us, and they
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believe that someday we'll be a good ball club.
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Why, they're the most amazing fans that I've
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ever seen in baseball. They stick by you. They
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stick by you in the hotels. They're on the streets.
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They're carrying placards. They're going through
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the place. You can find them over here in right
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field four innings later. If you get a base hit,
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they'll be over on the left field line. They
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make up wonderful placards. The placards are
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terrific. I even have to stop and look at him.
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I think I made 15 mistakes this year reading
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the placards instead of watching the pitcher
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or watching the hitter. That's down to their
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final out of the ninth inning, trying to yank
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this one out. Dying run, Joe Christopher on first
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base, two men down. Next pitch to him. High fly
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ball hit deep to left field. It's back toward
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the bullpen. It's down the line. The Mets win
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it with a Merrill Well finish, a two -run homer
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by pinch hitter Frank Thomas. The final score,
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the New York Mets 4 and the St. Louis Cardinals
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3. Now here we go. Runners on first and second,
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one down. Thomas the hitter, the pitch by the
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master. Ground ball hit toward the hole, cut
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off by Matthew. Thrown to second and one. No
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chance for a double play. Hunt's trying to score.
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The play to the plate. He's going to be out of
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the plate. Ron Hunt is out of the plate. And
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we almost have a fight going between Hunt. And
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Ed Bailey. Everybody's storming out of the dugouts.
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Ed Bailey wrestling the Empire. Billy Williams
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trying to get away to get to Rod Hunt. Now Rod
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Kinnear is right in the middle of it. Both ball
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clubs are really going at it. We've got a real
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pure six ball going right at home plate. Hunt
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saw that he was going to be out. He was out dead
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to rights. Only chance he had to score was to
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barrel in to Big Ed Bailey. He barreled into
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him and they're still trying to keep him apart.
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Ron Hunt now being held by Al Jackson out by
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home plate. Now things start to cool off. Good
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evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Shea
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Stadium. As all of you know, I'm sure, Casey
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Stengel, the manager of the New York Mets. Tonight,
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he is 74 years young. Will you join me now in
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saying happy birthday to Casey? Casey, will you
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come out, please? He's at the plate with nobody
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out. Big right -hand power hitter. Pitch to Cepeda.
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Runners go and it's line to McMillan and a double
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play. The end of 13 and a half innings is the
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Mets 6 and the Giants 6. If I can't go out there
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and run out and take a picture out, I don't expect
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to complete my year of service with this ball
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club. So I made it known to Mr. Weiss, and I
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said I don't think that I want to go out on that
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ball field again. I received a call about 9 .15
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Mountain Standard Time from Mr. Donald Grant,
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who is chairman of the board. And he said to
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me, is this the new manager of the Mets? Pitching
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one and two. A high drive. Where is it going?
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And there it goes. A home run. Way up in the
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back of the left field bleachers. Jim Hickman
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becomes the first member of the New York Mets
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in their three and a half year history ever to
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hit three home runs in one ball game. 2 -2 delivery.
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A high fly ball to right field. Not too deep.
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Tagged up is Bond. Lewis is under it. Makes the
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catch. Here comes Bond. Here comes the peg to
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the plate. They may get him. He's out. Plato's
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down to second base. Sliding. Out. A triple play.
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Trying to steal home. Here's the play at the
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plate. He's safe. Harrelson steals home. Bud
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Harrelson stole home on Linda McDaniel. His second
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stolen base of the night. He now is five for
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five in the licensing department. You could sense
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the change from helpless has -been. The Mets
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became hopeful maybes. From down on the farm
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came the makings of the Mets. McGraw, Swoboda,
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Harrelson, Boswell, Selma. Well, you know who
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they were. That's the young Tom Seaver. Well,
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they just pulled him out of a hat. For the new
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manager, the front office had the good sense
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to bring Gil Hodges back home. Hodges for manager,
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said the fans. Ridiculous. Hodges was too nice
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a guy, and nice guys finish last. Why, just ask
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Leo DeRocher. Spring training, 1969. The optimistic
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whispers begin, but fade quickly as the Mets
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lose opening day for the eighth straight year.
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Same old Mets, right? Same old Mets, wrong. Last
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of the eighth is Shea. Three runs are in. The
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Mets have come from behind. They now lead the
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Atlanta Braves by a score of 4 -3. George Stone
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on in relief of starting pitcher Phil Necro.
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Well, the Mets' base is loaded. Nobody out. Kenny
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Boswell on first. Ed Charles, the glider, is
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on second. And Tommy Agee on third. Again, Stone
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goes into his windup. Here's the pitch on the
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way. It's swung on. Get high into the air toward
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left field. It's well hit. It's up there. It
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may go. And there it goes. A grand slam home
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run. A grand slam for Cleon Jones. The first
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of his major league career. The book on Al Weiss
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was good feel, no hit. But as a Met, Al rewrote
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the book. And in 1969, it was great feel, great
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hit. Ron Taylor relying on a sinker ball and
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a good breaking ball, a good curve ball. As he
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is signed now from Jerry Grody as the runners
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Russell and Grabarkowitz take a lead. And the
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pitch on the way, it is swung on a smash off
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the glove of Ron Taylor, out towards second base.
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Al Weiss comes in, barehanded pickup, thrown
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to the plate, in the dirt, Grody up with it,
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tags Groparkowitz out. Oh, what a play by Al
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Weiss. I never saw a better one by an infielder.
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And a great pickup by Jerry Grody, and Groparkowitz
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is out at the plate, and the score remains nothing
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to nothing. The old Dodgers used to keep you
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guessing because you never knew what they'd do
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next. and Gil Hodges was an old dodger. The Mets
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skipper walking slowly out toward the mound.
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Two outs and nobody on, but coming up in this
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1 -0 ballgame, the Phillies' great slugger, Richie
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Allen. Now Gil is motioning to Al Weiss, the
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second baseman. Weiss coming over, and Gil points
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toward the left field corner, and Weiss is going
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out to the outfield. Well, Gil has been talking
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about the possibility of using the four -man
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shift if the situation ever came up. with such
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a great slugger as Allen Batting with a chance
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to tie the game. And Al Weiss goes out into the
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extreme left field corner. Cleon Jones moves
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over into the alley in left center. Tommy Agee
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over to right center. And Rod Gaspar near the
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right field line. This is a town that's watched
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Willie and the Duke go back and grab them. Suddenly
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in July, Tommy Agee belonged in that company.
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Last of the ninth in St. Louis, Mets 4, Cardinals
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4. Cardinals hitting two down. They have a chance
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to win it. Kirk Flood is on first base. Flood
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single to center field. Tug McGraw pitching in
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relief of Jerry Kuzma. Now Tug checks the runner
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at first base. Here's the pitch on the way. Hard
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hit line drive toward the alley and right center
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field. It may be in for extra bases. Agee cutting
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in front of Gasper. Scoops the ball up on the
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first half. The Cubs came into Shea Stadium looking
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for trouble and found it. Cranepo beat them with
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a two -out single on July 8th. And the next day,
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Tom tamed them with a perfect game, almost. Top
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of the ninth inning here at Shea Stadium, Mets
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lead the Chicago Cubs 4 -0. Tom Seaver pitching
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a masterpiece for the New York Mets. Randy Hundley,
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first man to bat in the ninth inning, retired.
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Now the hitter stepping in is Jimmy Qualls. Jimmy,
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a line drive type hitter. And Willie Smith has
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come out into the on -deck circle. He is going
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to bat for Ted Abernathy. Now Seaver picks up
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his sign from Jerry Grody. Qualls cocks the bat.
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Tom swings out of his windup. Here's the pitcher
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on the way. Swung on. Line drive hit hard in
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the left center field. A clean base hit for Jimmy
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Qualls. a magnificent bid for a perfect ball
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game. He had retired 25 straight hitters. With
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one out and nobody on here in the ninth, Jimmy
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Qualls has spoiled the bid for not only a no
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-hitter but a perfect game by Tom Seaver. The
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Cubs saved a sweep by taking the finale, but
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Leo got caught with his foot in his mouth. Are
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these the real Cubs, he was asked. I don't know,
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the lip answered, but these are the real Mets.
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On July 15th, Mighty Might Al Weiss answered
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Leo back. Fourth inning, runners on first and
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third for the New York Mets. Game tied, 1 -1,
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Mets and Chicago Cubs. Now Dick Selma, the ex
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-Met, pitching for Leo DeRocher, Chicago Cubs,
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will be facing Al Weiss with runners on first
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and third. Crane pool on first, Shamsky on third.
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Selma texts the runners, here's the pitch. And
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he gets the breaking ball over for a called strike
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two. Slender Al Weiss. The super sub of the New
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York Mets singled his first time up. Nick Salma
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looking in to Randy Hundley. Runners on first
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and third. Bitter battle going. And the pitch
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thrown by Salma is swung on. A high drive. Well
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hit for deep left field. It's up. It is going.
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And there it goes. A three -run homer. A three
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-run homer for Al Weiss. His first home run of
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the year. And what a shot to hit it. Now came
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the bad stretch. The lean days. when there was
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gloom in Medville because the heroes were faltering,
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falling way back, and the main villains were
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the Astros. Final score, the Houston Astros 8
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and the New York Mets 2. Winning pitcher Larry
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Durker is 14th, and the loser Gary Gentry, Gary
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now, has won 9 and lost 10. So the Astros complete
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the sweep of the three -game series in the Astrodome.
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Well, how do you explain it? The Astros have
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taken all six against New York in the Astrodome
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this year. and they've won 10 of the 12 games
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during the season. The only team in the National
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League to have a season's advantage over the
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New York Mets. But the Astros, as far as the
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Mets are concerned, have been almost unbeatable.
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By losing, the Mets dropped to third place for
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the first time, and they're now nine and a half
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games behind the Chicago Cubs. So now for Gil
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Hodges and the Mets, they'll be heading home
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to open a series at a homestand against the San
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Diego Padres. Once again, the final score, Houston
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8. and the New York Mets, too. Houston, Texas
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is where men prepared ahead for the heavens,
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but where the Mets tumbled to the ground. That's
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what the newspapers said August 15th. That's
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the day everybody officially left them for dead.
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Everybody, that is, except the Mets players and
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the Mets fans. And the Mets ate them up alive.
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They swept San Diego. Then A .G.'s 14th inning
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shot brought down Marichal. And the Giants stayed
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on the canvas the next day as Jim McAndrew zipped
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them 6 -0. Swoboda helped KO the Dodgers three
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straight as the Mets, now only five games back,
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headed west. The Giants have the winning run
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on Bob Berta on first base. Berta slicing a single
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left off Doug McGraw. And Willie McCovey steps
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in to hit. And now as McCovey steps in, the outfield
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will swing far around toward right. Swoboda protecting
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against the right field line. Tommy Agee deep
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and over into right center. And Rod Gasper moves
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over in the alley and is back deep in left center
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field. Bob Berta leading off first base. And
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the pitch by Tug. Outside and low, ball one.
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Mets two, Giants two, bottom half of the ninth
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inning. McCovey takes a couple of phantom swings.
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Now McGraw has his sign from Jerry Grody. Here's
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the pitch on the way. It's swung on. A high fly
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ball sliced down the left field line. Will it
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stay fair? Rod Gasper running full speed. He
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will not be able to get to it. The ball lands
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just inside the line. A fair ball. Mets won six
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of ten on the coast, three of four from the Phillies,
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including number 20 for Tom Seaver, and set their
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traps for the stumbling Cubs. Now only two and
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a half up. And Tommy Agee will lead off for the
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New York Mets. Last half of the first inning,
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the wind -up by Hens. Now the pitch, look out.
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And he hits the dirt, getting out of the way
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of a high, tight basketball. Tommy Agee knocked
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down on the first pitch of the game by Bill Hens.
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The pitch that cost the Cubs a pennant as Tommy
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Agee brushed himself off and went on a one -man
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rampage. Tommy is 0 -1 in the game. Now the 1
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-0 pitch. It is at the deep left center field
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with 50 extra bases. It's going, going, it's
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gone! Tommy Agee with a two -run home run, a
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line shot over left center field, and the Mets
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are leading by a score of 2 -0. Another big one
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for Tommy Agee. A .G. now checking with Eddie
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Yost, the third base coach, to see if he has
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the green light. 3 -1 delivery. Ground ball hit
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hard, through the hole, a base hit to left field.
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A .G. is going to try for second. The throw coming
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in, the slide, he makes it. Now hands, makes
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the one -second stop. The 2 -1 delivery. And
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a line shot, base hit going into right field.
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A .G. is going to try and score. It's going to
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be close at the plate, the throw, the slide.
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Save! Save for the plate. Oh, what an argument.
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And Randy Huntley is jumping up and down, up
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and down. Here comes Leo DeRocher. The Mets lead
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3 -2. Next night was no contest. The Cubs came
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down with Seaver Fever and went down 7 -1. Only
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a half game out now, but the Expos hang tough
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2 -2 in the 12th inning. And the pitch is hit
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through the middle. It's going to go into center
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field. A base hit and the Mets are in it. Coming
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around the score is Cleon Jones. And the Mets
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have won the ball game 3 -2 on the base hit by
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Ken Boswell. So for the first time in the history
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of the New York Mets, they have gone into first
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place. The New York Mets, seven years and four
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months. for the first time in their history,
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have gone into first place in the National League
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race. So the crowd in the background chanting,
28:01
we're number one, we're number one, we're number
28:05
one, as the Mets take over first place in the
28:10
Eastern Division of the National League race.
28:17
The Mets had come a long way, baby, and once
28:20
they had hold of first place, nobody was getting
28:23
them out. And the New York Mets have swept the
28:38
Pittsburgh Pirates, winning both games of the
28:41
doubleheader by the score of 1 -0. Probably the
28:44
most incredible doubleheader in baseball history
28:46
because in each game, the Mets pitcher drove
28:49
in the game's only run. In the first game, Jerry
28:52
Kuzmin, in blanking the Pirates on three hits,
28:55
drove home the game's only run when he singled
28:58
home Bobby Fowle in the fifth inning. In the
29:01
second game, Don Cardwell singled home Buddy
29:04
Harrelson in the second inning. The Mets winning
29:06
the first game 1 -0 on Kuzmin's free hitter,
29:09
winning the nightcap on a five hitter by Don
29:11
Cardwell. And on the double shutout, the Mets
29:14
now have moved two and a half games in front.
29:17
Once again, the final scores at each game of
29:20
the doubleheader, the New York Mets won the Pittsburgh
29:23
Pirates nothing. Those poor Pirate pitchers.
29:26
You allow only two runs in 18 innings and you
29:29
expect to win, but not against the Mets. Not
29:32
this year. And poor Steve Carlton. You strike
29:36
out 19 batters and you expect to win, but not
29:40
against the Mets. Not this year. Ron Swoboda.
29:46
Here's the 2 -2 offering. Swung on and hit deep
29:51
to left. It's way back there. And it's going,
29:54
going. It is a home run for Ron Swoboda. His
29:57
second home run of the night. The New York Mets
30:00
go out in front by a score of 4 -3. Ron Swoboda
30:04
with a line drive home run over the left field
30:07
long. The date? September 21st, the clincher
30:13
minus three days and counting. The Mets began
30:16
a game -winning streak by bombing the Bucs in
30:18
a doubleheader. September 22nd, Seaver chalks
30:23
up his 24th. September 23rd, Bob Gibson tries
30:27
to stop the Mets express. Now Grody leads off
30:31
first, Ron Swoboda leads off second. The Mets,
30:34
if they can win, can reduce the magic number
30:36
to one. Gibson, the hard -working Cardinal right
30:39
-hander. checks the runners at first and second.
30:41
Here's the pitch on the way. Line drive hits
30:44
sharply into left center field for a base hit.
30:47
Ron Swoboda gets the green light for Matty Yost
30:50
around third. Swoboda's streaking home and he'll
30:52
score. He scores standing up. And the Mets win
30:55
it in 11 innings. Final score, Mets 3 and the
30:59
Cardinals 2. The magic number is now 1. September
31:03
24th. The crowd chatting, we're number 1. Mets
31:11
made up 15 and a half games since the 13th of
31:14
August. Lou Brock is on second. And Vic D 'Amelio
31:18
is the runner on first with one man up. Ninth
31:21
inning, 6 -0 New York. Gentry working hard here
31:25
against Joe Torre. Now in the set position, here's
31:29
the pitch. Ground ball, hit the shortstop. Harrelson
31:32
to Weiss, there's one. First base, full play.
31:35
The Mets win. It's all over. Unbelievable scene
31:51
on the field. Fans are pouring out on the field.
31:54
The ball player is trying to get to the dugout.
31:57
Flindennan and Charles provided the fireworks.
32:00
Gentry lit the match. And then came the celebration.
32:04
Here's the guy that causes all the trouble, Tom
32:06
Seaver. Congratulations, Tom. What a great year.
32:14
Rob, it's great. It's a third of what we want.
32:16
We hope we get the rest of it. That's all. I
32:18
think you guys have got a tremendous spirit.
32:20
You were the leader of it all when you got them
32:22
all thinking you could win and go on and go right
32:25
to the top. I hope so. We've got the greatest
32:27
bunch of guys you've ever seen, and we're just
32:29
a bunch of young kids that love to play this
32:31
game. It's terrific. You guys never have any
32:33
fun. Oh, I might smile all day long and all night,
32:37
too. We're going to go all the way to the playoffs
32:39
and hopefully to the World Series. Manager Gil
32:44
Hodges was asked what he considered the team's
32:46
turning point. I go back to the latter last part
32:51
of May and early June when the boys won 11 in
32:54
a row as far as myself is concerned. And I think
32:58
it proved to them that they could win and it
33:01
gave them the confidence to go ahead. Next, it
33:04
was bring on the Braves. The experts said the
33:10
Western winners would hit the Mets pitching.
33:11
The experts were right. They also claimed the
33:15
Mets lacked the muscle to hit back. The experts
33:17
were wrong. Mets want to get Wayne Garrett in
33:21
here from second base now with a tying run. The
33:23
Braves are leading him by a score of five to
33:25
four, and it's the top half of the eighth inning.
33:27
Here's a swing and a drive into center field.
33:28
It will score Garrett, I believe. He turns third.
33:31
He's coming home. No play on Garrett. He scores
33:33
standing up. Throw goes to second. Jones holds
33:36
with a single to send and a run batted in. The
33:38
score is tied at 5 -5. The Mets have the go -ahead
33:42
run. At first base now with nobody out in the
33:45
top half of the eighth inning. So the score is
33:47
still tied 5 -5. Jones still at third. And now
33:51
it's Boswell on at first having hit into the
33:53
fourth play. Craneville is one for three. There's
33:59
a swing and a ground ball. Top to first. Taken
34:01
by Cepeda. Play at the plate and he's safe. And
34:03
now there's Barbier holding at second base now.
34:07
It's Ken Boswell and Craneville is on at first.
34:09
The Mets go ahead by a score of 6 -5. It was
34:13
a ground ball taken near the edge of the infield
34:16
grass and about a foot fair by Cepeda. Jones
34:18
was running on anything. And the throw went to
34:21
the plate and it went by Didier. It is an error,
34:25
a throwing error, charged against Cepeda that
34:27
allows Jones to score. The bases are loaded.
34:30
Two men out and J .C. Martin up. So what the
34:33
Mets want here, just a base hit to get a little
34:36
more of an edge before facing the Braves in the
34:38
bottom half of the eighth inning. Phil Necro
34:40
into the motion. The pitch is loud for a base
34:43
hit into center field. One run has scored. Two
34:46
runs will score. Ball is picked up in center
34:48
and played to second base and not in time. And
34:50
three runs score. Harrelson crosses the plate.
34:53
And now going to third is Martin. He's tagged
34:55
out by Cleve Boya. But three runs score on the
35:00
drive into center field by J .C. Martin. And
35:03
the New York Mets are out in front by a score
35:05
of 9 -5. The second playoff game was more of
35:10
the same. as the Mets bombarded the Braves 11
35:12
-6. It sounded like a prize fight with Atlanta
35:16
on the ropes and the Mets pounding away. Swing
35:20
and a ground ball. It's going to end the right
35:22
field for a Tommy Agee base hit. Here's the 1
35:24
-1 pitch. Changeup, and it's hit way out into
35:27
left field, way back, going, going. It's what
35:29
is a home run. 1 -1 pitch. Swung on line into
35:32
left, and Carty comes over to try to grab it
35:34
and can't. It's on by him, and Jones is around
35:37
first. He'll try for two. Carty can't throw.
35:40
and Jones goes in standing up. This will be a
35:43
3 -2 pitch and it's on the way. Hit on the ground
35:46
wide at first and on into right field and Jones
35:49
is coming home. From champions of the East to
35:53
champions of the National League in nine beautiful
35:56
innings. Now with one away it brings up Wayne
36:01
Garrett. The Mets have out hit the Braves 8 -6
36:05
but trail 4 -3. And a high drive deep. To the
36:09
right. Going. Going. There it goes. A home run.
36:15
Wayne Garrett hitting his second major league
36:18
home run. And it was major league in every respect.
36:22
Tremendous foul by Garrett to put New York back
36:24
in front. So the Mets are one out away from their
36:31
impossible dream. And the batter coming up is
36:34
Tony Gonzalez. Nolan Ryan, who came in the ballgame
36:40
with the Mets behind 2 -0 in the third. One out
36:44
away from the National League pennant. Gonzalez
36:50
has had two hits and four times up. Left hand
36:54
batter. Against Ryan, he has had no hits. And
36:58
two times up. And the first pitch. Swung on and
37:02
missed. Strike one. Blazing fastball. Letter
37:05
high. And the pitch back a curve. Topped out
37:08
the third. Garrett has the ball. A throw to first.
37:11
And the Mets are the National League champions.
37:17
A mild, wild scramble as the Mets celebrating
37:23
their National League championship. I'm glad
37:26
we won it here in New York. I think they deserve
37:28
it more than we do almost. I think you can. I'm
37:30
just trying not to get excited all year, but
37:32
I can't help it now. You can jump up and down
37:34
all you want. I'm willing to go through that,
37:50
believe me. Ed Charles here, the daddy of them
37:53
all, and here's a fellow who has been a big part
37:55
of the Mets and certainly one of the great leaders.
37:57
Ed, I know this has got to be it. This is your
37:59
first time. A wonderful feeling. They got you
38:06
again, Mr. Grant. And that was Mr. M. Donald
38:11
Grant, our chairman of the board, who took another
38:13
champagne glass. Don't do it. Hey, really. Here
38:18
is Jim McAndrew dousing Ron Swoboda. As Ron wipes
38:25
his eyes off. In my nose. They call the Big Bad
38:32
Birds from Baltimore the most beautifully built
38:34
machine in baseball. On his second pitch of the
38:37
World Series, Tom Seaver found out why. Drive
38:41
to left field. Svoboda started in, then back,
38:43
looking up near the wall. And cannot get it.
38:48
Home run filter as Svoboda falls down. Losing
38:54
the opener was bad enough, but tied 1 -1 in the
38:57
second game, it looked like McNally might outlast
39:00
Kuz until... Now here's Al White. First pitch
39:04
to him, drive. This was even one game apiece.
39:17
And Don Clendenin described the club's confidence
39:20
as they headed home to Shea. The first game yesterday,
39:23
I told them that we were going to win this series.
39:26
I have more confidence now knowing that we're
39:28
going to beat Baltimore. Because I did not have
39:31
screen training. I did not play against Baltimore.
39:33
All I know is how great everybody said the Baltimore
39:36
Orioles were. And after I saw them out there,
39:38
I said, they're just like anybody else. You know,
39:40
I don't think they could put on a sustained hitting
39:42
attack like Cincinnati or Pittsburgh. I don't
39:45
think they have the pitching staff of Los Angeles
39:47
Dodgers ball club. So I said, let's go out there
39:49
and show them. And we did. In game number three,
39:53
the Mets scored five runs and A .G. saved five
39:56
runs. There was nothing the birds could hit that
39:59
Tommy couldn't catch up to. Gentry throws a fastball,
40:03
hit high and deep to center field. A .G. was
40:05
pulled around the right, goes over with the speed
40:07
and watches it. He scores! up two -strike delivery.
40:36
Here's a fly ball to right center field. Deep
40:39
in right center. Shamsky with A .G. A .G. dives
40:42
and he makes the catch. A .G. made a diving catch.
40:47
A warning track in right center field. The score
40:52
at the end of seven innings. That's four. Orioles
40:55
method. Game four found Seaver back in form.
41:00
He held the birds at bay until the big play in
41:03
the tenth. The left -hand arm of Pete Rickard
41:07
out of the Oriole bullpen against the left -hand
41:09
swinging pinch hitter J .C. Martin. Runners for
41:13
the Mets at second and at first and nobody out.
41:15
He squares, he... and Gasper has scored. The
41:53
Mets in the 10th inning have won the fourth game
41:56
of the World Series by a score of 2 -1. It looked
42:02
like the fifth game was Baltimore's as Dave McNally
42:05
was coasting 3 -0. Then all of a sudden, it was
42:09
a tie game. Glenn Denon well off the plate but
42:13
leaning out of the crowd towards the plate with
42:16
a couple of golf swings and out. Frank's the
42:18
bat boy. 2 -2 from McNally. A curve. Deep left
42:23
field. To the warning track. It is in and up
42:26
for a home run. Don Quendenin has just smacked
42:31
his third home run of the 1969 World Series on
42:34
a bell -tied McNally pitch. McNally ahead 0 -1.
42:39
Fastball. Here's a Solo blast by Weiss over the
43:03
fence and left center to begin the bottom of
43:05
the seventh. Then in the eighth, justice was
43:09
done. Ron Svoboda, who suffered through the losing
43:13
years, drove in the run that made the Mets a
43:16
winner. Winner of their first world championship.
43:21
One on for the Mets and one out. Svoboda waited.
43:25
Watt working. Slider. Buford gave it a backhanded
43:48
bid but could not get to it. He picked it up
43:50
on one hop, threw home, but down the third base
43:53
foul line. Jones has scored. Svoboda on the throw
43:57
to the plate went to second base. The Nets are
43:59
leading 4 -3. Quendenin is just one good stride
44:02
in from the outfield grass at first. 2 -1 pitch.
44:04
Fly ball. Deep left field. Jones has... Highlights
44:35
of a happening they said could never happen.
44:37
The New York Mets. From marvelous Marv to a miracle.
44:41
They've come a long way, baby. You've come a
44:44
long way. Come on, come forward. Thank you.