1969 New York Mets season

The 1969 New York Mets season was the team's eighth as a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise and culminated when they won the World Series over the Baltimore Orioles. They played their home games at Shea Stadium and were managed by Gil Hodges. The team is often referred to as the "Amazin' Mets" (a nickname coined by Casey Stengel, who managed the team from their inaugural season to 1965) or the "Miracle Mets".

1969 New York Mets
World Series Champions
National League Champions
National League East Champions
Bullpen coach Joe Pignatano, third base coach Eddie Yost, and first base coach Yogi Berra in September 1969.
Bullpen coach Joe Pignatano, third base coach Eddie Yost, and first base coach Yogi Berra in September 1969.
LeagueNational League
DivisionEast
BallparkShea Stadium
CityQueens, New York, U.S.
Record100–62 (.617)
Divisional place1st
OwnersJoan Whitney Payson
General managersJohnny Murphy
ManagersGil Hodges
TelevisionWOR-TV 9
(Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy, Ralph Kiner)
RadioWJRZ–AM 970/WABC-FM 95.5
(Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy, Ralph Kiner)
StatsESPN.com
Baseball Reference
← 1968 Seasons 1970 →

The 1969 season was the first season of divisional play in Major League Baseball. The Mets were assigned to the newly created National League East. In their seven previous seasons, the Mets had never finished higher than ninth place in the ten-team National League and had never had a winning season. They lost at least one hundred games in five of the seasons. However, they overcame mid-season difficulties while the division leaders for much of the season, the Chicago Cubs, suffered a late-season collapse. The Mets finished 100–62, eight games ahead of the Cubs. They went on to defeat the National League West champion Atlanta Braves three games to none in the inaugural NLCS, and defeat the American League champion Orioles in five games. First baseman Donn Clendenon was named the World Series' most valuable player on the strength of his .357 batting average, three home runs, and four runs batted in.

On Saturday, August 22, 2009, many of the surviving members of the 1969 championship team reunited at the New York Mets' present park, Citi Field.[1]

Offseason

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Trades

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Date Details
December, 1968 Jerry Buchek traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Jim Cosman
December 2, 1968 Drafted Wayne Garrett from the Atlanta Braves in the 1968 rule 5 draft
Tommie Reynolds drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 1968 rule 5 draft
Juan Rios drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 1968 rule 5 draft
Bill Short drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1968 rule 5 draft
February 5, 1969 Greg Goossen and cash traded to the Seattle Pilots for a player to be named later. Received Jim Gosger three months later to complete the trade.

Spring training

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The Mets held spring training at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the 8th season.

Regular season

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Shea Stadium prior to a game in September 1969.

The Mets had never finished higher than ninth place in a ten-team league in their first seven seasons. As an expansion team, they went 40–120 in 1962, the most losses by an MLB team in one season in the 20th century, and the 1962 Mets' .250 winning percentage was higher than only the .248 posted by the 1935 Boston Braves.

The Mets never had been over .500 after the ninth game of any season. Seven years after their disastrous inaugural season, "The Amazin' Mets" (as nicknamed by previous manager Casey Stengel) won the World Series, the first expansion team to do so.

1969 was the first year of divisional baseball, precipitated by the expansion of each league from 10 to 12 teams.[3] The Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots joined the American League. The San Diego Padres and Montreal Expos joined the National League. Before 1969, the first place team in each league advanced directly to the World Series. Under the new structure, each league was divided into East and West divisions, each comprising six teams, with the divisional winners facing off in a best-of-five playoff for the right to represent their league in the World Series. The Mets were slotted into the National League Eastern Division, along with the Chicago Cubs, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Pittsburgh Pirates, expansion Montreal Expos, and the St. Louis Cardinals, who had been World Champions in 1964 and 1967 and losers of the 1968 World Series. For the first time since joining the National League in 1962, the Mets could finish no lower than 6th.[4] The New York Times journalist, Joseph Durso, predicted the Mets would finish 4th in the East, ahead of the Pirates and the Expos.[5]

On Tuesday April 8, with 44,541 fans in attendance at Shea Stadium, the Mets and the Expos played the first international baseball game in major league baseball history. The Mets had lost seven straight opening day games since joining the National League in 1962. That dubious record reached eight when the Expos prevailed in an 11–10 slugfest, despite the Mets scoring four runs with two down in the bottom of the ninth, highlighted by a pinch hit three-run homer by Duffy Dyer. Apparently, this was axiomatic Mets baseball, as one columnist described the Mets as "masters of the lingering death."[6]

The Mets took the next two games from the Expos, but then lost six of the following 7 games, bringing their record to 3–7. After a 9–14 start, the Mets won 9 of their next 13 games, including consecutive shutouts in late April against the Cubs and Expos. When Tom Seaver shut out the Atlanta Braves 5–0 on May 21, the Mets were 18–18, their best start in franchise history. But the Mets lost their next five games, starting with a 15–3 drubbing from the Atlanta Braves, followed by a 3-game sweep by the Astros, who outscored the Mets 18–4, and finishing with a loss at Shea Stadium to the lowly Padres.[7] At the end of play on May 27, the Mets' record stood at 18–23. Then, in late May, the Mets reeled off a club-record 11 straight wins, which included three walk-off wins and dominant pitching, as the Mets pitching staff yielded a stingy 2-runs per game. Starting with their 42nd game, the Mets went 82–39 (a .678 winning percentage), including an astonishing 38–11 in their last 49 games.[8]

Despite that performance, the Mets suffered two mid-season three-game series sweeps at the hands of the Houston Astros, who manhandled the Mets all season, taking 10 of the 12 games the teams played. They were also no-hit by Bob Moose of the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 20, only five days after becoming the first major league team to strike out 19 times in a nine-inning game, a game they won, 4–3, on a pair of two-run home runs by Ron Swoboda, against the Cardinals' Steve Carlton.

Trailing the Chicago Cubs for much of the season, the Mets found themselves in third place, 10 games back, on August 14[9] but they won 14 of their last 17 games during August, and 24 of their 32 games during September and October, to surge past the Cubs, finishing 100–62, eight games ahead of the Cubs. That 18 game differential - recovering from being 10 games behind the Cubs to finish 8 games ahead of them - is one of the largest turnarounds in MLB history.

Season standings

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National League East

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NL East
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
New York Mets 100 62 .617 52‍–‍30 48‍–‍32
Chicago Cubs 92 70 .568 8 49‍–‍32 43‍–‍38
Pittsburgh Pirates 88 74 .543 12 47‍–‍34 41‍–‍40
St. Louis Cardinals 87 75 .537 13 42‍–‍38 45‍–‍37
Philadelphia Phillies 63 99 .389 37 30‍–‍51 33‍–‍48
Montreal Expos 52 110 .321 48 24‍–‍57 28‍–‍53

Record vs. opponents

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Record Games Left
Opponent Home Road Total Home Road Total
NL East
Chicago Cubs 5–4 5–4 10–8
Montreal Expos 7–2 6–3 13–5
Philadelphia Phillies 5–4 7–2 12–6
Pittsburgh Pirates 4–5 6–3 10–8
St. Louis Cardinals 6–4 6–2 12–6
NL West
Atlanta Braves 4–2 4–2 8–4
Cincinnati Reds 3–3 3–3 6–6
Houston Astros 2–4 0–6 2–10
Los Angeles Dodgers 6–0 2–4 8–4
San Diego Padres 5–1 6–0 11–1
San Francisco Giants 5–1 3–3 8–4
Grand Totals 52–30 48–32 100–62
Month Games Won Lost Pct.
April 20 9 11 .450
May 24 12 12 .500
June 28 19 9 .679
July 27 15 12 .556
August 31 21 10 .677
September 30 23 7 .767
October 2 1 1 .500
Totals 162 100 62 .617

Schedule and results

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Regular season

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1969 Regular Season Game Log (100–62) (Home: 52–30; Road: 48–32)
April (9–11) (Home: 4–8; Road: 5–3)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Stadium Record Report Rank GB
1 April 8 Expos 10–11 Shaw (1–0) Koonce (0–1) Sembera (1) 44,541 Shea Stadium 0–1 Boxscore 4 −1 2:05 PM EST WOR-TV
2 April 9 Expos 9–5 McGraw (1–0) Stoneman (0–1) Ryan (1) 13,827 Shea Stadium 1–1 Boxscore 3 −1 2:05 PM EST WOR-TV
3 April 10 Expos 4–2 Gentry (1–0) Jaster (0–1) Koonce (1) 8,608 Shea Stadium 2–1 Boxscore 3 −1 2:05 PM EST WOR-TV
4 April 11 Cardinals 5–6 Koosman (0–1) 12,591 Shea Stadium 2–2 Boxscore 3 −2 WOR-TV
5 April 12 Cardinals 0–1 Cardwell (0–1) 19,510 Shea Stadium 2–3 Boxscore 3 −2 WOR-TV
6 April 13 Cardinals 1–3 Seaver (0–1) 25,314 Shea Stadium 2–4 Boxscore 4 −3 WOR-TV
7 April 14 @ Phillies 1–5 McAndrew (0–1) 13,070 Connie Mack Stadium 2–5 Boxscore 5 −4 7:35 PM EST WOR-TV
8 April 15 @ Phillies 6–3 Gentry (2–0) Koonce (2) 2,880 Connie Mack Stadium 3–5 Boxscore 4 −4 7:35 PM EST WOR-TV
9 April 16 @ Pirates 3–11 Koosman (0–2) 7,666 Forbes Field 3–6 Boxscore 5 −5 8:05 PM EST WOR-TV
10 April 17 @ Pirates 0–4 Cardwell (0–2) 8,097 Forbes Field 3–7 Boxscore 5 −6 8:05 PM EST WOR-TV
April 18 @ Cardinals Postponed (rain); rescheduled for July 1 Busch Memorial Stadium –6
11 April 19 @ Cardinals 2–1 Seaver (1–1) 20,716 Busch Memorial Stadium 4–7 Boxscore 4 −6 WOR-TV
12 April 20 @ Cardinals 11–3 Ryan (1–0) Koonce (3) 19,065 Busch Memorial Stadium 5–7 Boxscore 3 5+12 WOR-TV
13 April 21 Phillies 1–2
(11)
Taylor (0–1) 9,286 Shea Stadium 5–8 Boxscore 3 −6 WOR-TV
April 22 Phillies Postponed (rain); rescheduled for September 5 Shea Stadium −5
14 April 23 Pirates 2–0 Koosman (1–2) 7,274 Shea Stadium 6–8 Boxscore 3 4+12 WOR-TV
April 24 Pirates Postponed (rain); rescheduled for September 19 Shea Stadium –5
15 April 25 Cubs 1–3 Jenkins (3–1) Seaver (1–2) 18,548 Shea Stadium 6–9 Boxscore 4 −5 WOR-TV
16 April 26 Cubs 3–9 Cardwell (0–3) 16,252 Shea Stadium 6–10 Boxscore 5 −6 WOR-TV
17 April 27 Cubs 6–8 Koonce (0–2) N/A Shea Stadium 6–11 Boxscore 4 −6 WOR-TV
18 April 27 Cubs 3–0 McGraw (2–0) 37,437 Shea Stadium 7–11 Boxscore 4 −6 WOR-TV
19 April 29 @ Expos 2–0 Ryan (2–0) 8,577 Jarry Park 8–11 Boxscore 3 6+12 4:05 PM EDT
20 April 30 @ Expos 2–1 Seaver (2–2) 19,024 Jarry Park 9–11 Boxscore 3 5+12 8:05 PM EDT WOR-TV
May (12–12) (Home: 7–5; Road: 5–7)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Stadium Record Report Rank GB
21 May 1 @ Expos 2–3 Cardwell (0–4) 7,741 Jarry Park 9–12 Boxscore 4 −6 4:05 PM EDT
22 May 2 @ Cubs 4–6 Gentry (2–1) 14,702 Wrigley Field 9–13 Boxscore 5 −7
23 May 3 @ Cubs 2–3 Koonce (0–3) 23,228 Wrigley Field 9–14 Boxscore 5 −8 2:15 PM EDT WOR-TV
24 May 4 @ Cubs 3–2 Seaver (3–2) N/A Wrigley Field 10–14 Boxscore 4 −6 WOR-TV
25 May 4 @ Cubs 3–2 McGraw (3–0) 40,484 Wrigley Field 11–14 Boxscore 4 −6 WOR-TV
26 May 6 Reds 8–1 Cardwell (1–4) 12,291 Shea Stadium 12–14 Boxscore 4 −6 WOR-TV
27 May 7 Reds 0–3 Gentry (2–2) 9,242 Shea Stadium 12–15 Boxscore 4 −6 WOR-TV
May 9 Astros Postponed (rain); rescheduled for July 30 Shea Stadium –5
28 May 10 Astros 3–1 Seaver (4–2) 14,981 Shea Stadium 13–15 Boxscore 3 −5 WOR-TV
29 May 11 Astros 1–4 Cardwell (1–5) N/A Shea Stadium 13–16 Boxscore 3 5+12 WOR-TV
30 May 11 Astros 11–7 Koonce (1–3) 19,456 Shea Stadium 14–16 Boxscore 3 5+12 WOR-TV
31 May 13 Braves 3–4 Reed (5–1) Gentry (2–3) Upshaw (8) 12,332 Shea Stadium 14–17 Boxscore 3 −7 WOR-TV
32 May 14 Braves 9–3 Seaver (5–2) Niekro (5–2) Taylor (1) 15,365 Shea Stadium 15–17 Boxscore 3 −7 WOR-TV
33 May 15 Braves 5–6 Jarvis (3–2) Cardwell (1–6) Upshaw (9) 14,370 Shea Stadium 15–18 Boxscore 3 7+12
34 May 16 @ Reds 10–9 Koonce (2–3) 11,736 Crosley Field 16–18 Boxscore 3 7+12 8:05 PM EDT WOR-TV
35 May 17 @ Reds 11–3 Gentry (3–3) 8,925 Crosley Field 17–18 Boxscore 3 6+12 8:05 PM EDT WOR-TV
May 18 @ Reds Postponed (rain); rescheduled for August 5 Crosley Field –6
36 May 21 @ Braves 5–0 Seaver (6–2) Niekro (5–3) 14,669 Atlanta Stadium 18–18 Boxscore 3 5+12 WOR-TV
37 May 22 @ Braves 3–15 Jarvis (4–2) McGraw (3–1) Stone (1) 12,574 Atlanta Stadium 18–19 Boxscore 3 6+12 WOR-TV
38 May 23 @ Astros 0–7 Gentry (3–4) 10,825 Astrodome 18–20 Boxscore 4 7+12 WOR-TV
39 May 24 @ Astros 1–5 Koosman (1–3) 17,911 Astrodome 18–21 Boxscore 4 8+12 8:30 PM EDT WOR-TV
40 May 25 @ Astros 3–6 Seaver (6–3) 22,716 Astrodome 18–22 Boxscore 4 −9 WOR-TV
41 May 27 Padres 2–3 McAndrew (0–2) 11,772 Shea Stadium 18–23 Boxscore 4 −9 WOR-TV
42 May 28 Padres 1–0
(11)
McGraw (4–1) 11,860 Shea Stadium 19–23 Boxscore 4 −9 WOR-TV
43 May 30 Giants 4–3 Seaver (7–3) Taylor (2) 52,272 Shea Stadium 20–23 Boxscore 3 −9 WOR-TV
44 May 31 Giants 4–2 Gentry (4–4) McGraw (1) 32,178 Shea Stadium 21–23 Boxscore 3 −9 WOR-TV
June (19–9) (Home: 9–5; Road: 10–4)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Stadium Record Report Rank GB
45 June 1 Giants 5–4 Taylor (1–1) 41,294 Shea Stadium 22–23 Boxscore 3 −9 WOR-TV
46 June 2 Dodgers 2–1 Koosman (2–3) 22,600 Shea Stadium 23–23 Boxscore 3 8+12
47 June 3 Dodgers 5–2 Seaver (8–3) McGraw (2) 24,212 Shea Stadium 24–23 Boxscore 2 8+12 WOR-TV
48 June 4 Dodgers 1–0
(15)
Taylor (2–1) 31,331 Shea Stadium 25–23 Boxscore 2 8+12 WOR-TV
49 June 6 @ Padres 5–3 Gentry (5–4) Taylor (3) 11,203 San Diego Stadium 26–23 Boxscore 2 8+12 11:00 PM EDT
50 June 7 @ Padres 4–1 Koosman (3–3) 10,827 San Diego Stadium 27–23 Boxscore 2 −8
51 June 8 @ Padres 3–2 Seaver (9–3) Taylor (4) 8,568 San Diego Stadium 28–23 Boxscore 2 7+12 WOR-TV
52 June 10 @ Giants 9–4 Cardwell (2–6) Taylor (5) 6,038 Candlestick Park 29–23 Boxscore 2 −7 11:00 PM EDT
53 June 11 @ Giants 2–7 Gentry (5–5) 3,935 Candlestick Park 29–24 Boxscore 2 −7 4:00 PM EDT WOR-TV
54 June 13 @ Dodgers 0–1 Koosman (3–4) 20,042 Dodger Stadium 29–25 Boxscore 2 8+12 11:00 PM EDT
55 June 14 @ Dodgers 3–1 Seaver (10–3) McGraw (3) 26,727 Dodger Stadium 30–25 Boxscore 2 8+12 11:00 PM EDT
56 June 15 @ Dodgers 2–3 DiLauro (0–1) 28,086 Dodger Stadium 30–26 Boxscore 2 −9 4:00 PM EDT WOR-TV
57 June 17 @ Phillies 1–0 Gentry (6–5) N/A Connie Mack Stadium 31–26 Boxscore 2 7+12
58 June 17 @ Phillies 3–7 Cardwell (2–7) 17,259 Connie Mack Stadium 31–27 Boxscore 2 7+12
59 June 18 @ Phillies 2–0 Koosman (4–4) 5,608 Connie Mack Stadium 32–27 Boxscore 2 −7 WOR-TV
60 June 19 @ Phillies 6–5 Taylor (3–1) McGraw (4) 6,871 Connie Mack Stadium 33–27 Boxscore 2 −6 WOR-TV
61 June 20 Cardinals 4–3 Ryan (3–0) McGraw (5) 54,083 Shea Stadium 34–27 Boxscore 2 −6 WOR-TV
62 June 21 Cardinals 3–5 DiLauro (0–2) 29,628 Shea Stadium 34–28 Boxscore 2 −6 WOR-TV
63 June 22 Cardinals 5–1 Gentry (7–5) Koonce (4) N/A Shea Stadium 35–28 Boxscore 2 −5 WOR-TV
64 June 22 Cardinals 1–0 Koosman (5–4) 55,862 Shea Stadium 36–28 Boxscore 2 −5 WOR-TV
65 June 24 Phillies 2–1 Seaver (11–3) N/A Shea Stadium 37–28 Boxscore 2 −5 WOR-TV
66 June 24 Phillies 5–0 McAndrew (1–2) Taylor (6) 39,843 Shea Stadium 38–28 Boxscore 2 −5 WOR-TV
67 June 25 Phillies 5–6
(10)
Taylor (3–2) 27,814 Shea Stadium 38–29 Boxscore 2 −6 WOR-TV
68 June 26 Phillies 0–2 Cardwell (2–8) 15,360 Shea Stadium 38–30 Boxscore 2 −7
69 June 27 Pirates 1–3 Koosman (5–5) 42,276 Shea Stadium 38–31 Boxscore 2 −7 WOR-TV
70 June 28 Pirates 4–7 Gentry (7–6) 48,398 Shea Stadium 38–32 Boxscore 2 −8 WOR-TV
71 June 29 Pirates 7–3 Seaver (12–3) 27,455 Shea Stadium 39–32 Boxscore 2 8+12 WOR-TV
72 June 30 @ Cardinals 10–2 McAndrew (2–2) 17,476 Busch Memorial Stadium 40–32 Boxscore 2 7+12 9:00 PM EDT WOR-TV
July (15–12) (Home: 6–7; Road: 9–5)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Stadium Record Report Rank GB
73 July 1 @ Cardinals 1–4 Ryan (3–1) N/A Busch Memorial Stadium 40–33 Boxscore 2 −8 6:00 PM EDT WOR-TV
74 July 1 @ Cardinals 5–8 DiLauro (0–3) 19,799 Busch Memorial Stadium 40–34 Boxscore 2 −8 8:29 PM EDT WOR-TV
75 July 2 @ Cardinals 6–4
(14)
McGraw (5–1) 14,928 Busch Memorial Stadium 41–34 Boxscore 2 −8 9:00 PM EDT WOR-TV
76 July 3 @ Cardinals 8–1 Gentry (8–6) 11,070 Busch Memorial Stadium 42–34 Boxscore 2 −8
77 July 4 @ Pirates 11–6 Seaver (13–3) Koonce (5) N/A Forbes Field 43–34 Boxscore 2 7+12 10:35 AM EDT WOR-TV
78 July 4 @ Pirates 9–2 Cardwell (3–8) 17,631 Forbes Field 44–34 Boxscore 2 7+12 1:57 PM EDT WOR-TV
July 5 @ Pirates Postponed (rain); rescheduled for September 12 Forbes Field 6+12
79 July 6 @ Pirates 8–7 Taylor (4–2) Koonce (6) 11,552 Forbes Field 45–34 Boxscore 2 5+12 1:35 PM EDT WOR-TV
80 July 8 Cubs 4–3 Koosman (6–5) Jenkins (11–6) 55,096 Shea Stadium 46–34 Boxscore 2 4+12 WOR-TV
81 July 9 Cubs 4–0 Seaver (14–3) 50,709 Shea Stadium 47–34 Boxscore 2 3+12 WOR-TV
82 July 10 Cubs 2–6 Gentry (8–7) 36,012 Shea Stadium 47–35 Boxscore 2 4+12
83 July 11 Expos 4–11 McAndrew (2–3) 36,012 Shea Stadium 47–36 Boxscore 2 4+12 WOR-TV
July 12 Expos Postponed (rain); rescheduled for September 10 Shea Stadium –5
84 July 13 Expos 4–3 Koosman (7–5) N/A Shea Stadium 48–36 Boxscore 2 −5 WOR-TV
85 July 13 Expos 9–7 Koonce (3–3) Taylor (7) 40,653 Shea Stadium 49–36 Boxscore 2 −5 WOR-TV
86 July 14 @ Cubs 0–1 Seaver (14–4) 37,473 Wrigley Field 49–37 Boxscore 2 −6
87 July 15 @ Cubs 5–4 Gentry (9–7) Taylor (8) 38,608 Wrigley Field 50–37 Boxscore 2 −5
88 July 16 @ Cubs 9–5 Koonce (4–3) Jenkins (12–7) Taylor (9) 36,795 Wrigley Field 51–37 Boxscore 2 −4
89 July 18 @ Expos 5–2 Koosman (8–5) 23,507 Jarry Park 52–37 Boxscore 2 −4 WOR-TV
90 July 19 @ Expos 4–5 Seaver (14–5) 21,493 Jarry Park 52–38 Boxscore 2 −4 NBC
91 July 20 @ Expos 2–3 Gentry (9–8) N/A Jarry Park 52–39 Boxscore 2 −5 WOR-TV
92 July 20 @ Expos 4–3
(10)
DiLauro (1–3) 27,356 Jarry Park 53–39 Boxscore 2 −5 WOR-TV
July 23: All-Star Game (NL wins—[1]) 9–3 Carlton (STL) Stottlemyre (NYY) 45,259 RFK Stadium Washington, D.C.
93 July 24 Reds 3–4
(12)
McGraw (5–2) 30,934 Shea Stadium 53–40 Boxscore 2 −6 WOR-TV
94 July 25 Reds 4–3 Taylor (5–2) 37,470 Shea Stadium 54–40 Boxscore 2 −5 WOR-TV
95 July 26 Reds 3–2 Seaver (15–5) 25,259 Shea Stadium 55–40 Boxscore 2 −5
96 July 27 Reds 3–6 Cardwell (3–9) 55,391 Shea Stadium 55–41 Boxscore 2 −5 WOR-TV
July 29 Astros Postponed (rain); rescheduled for July 31 Shea Stadium 5+12
97 July 30 Astros 3–16 Koosman (8–6) N/A Shea Stadium 55–42 Boxscore 2 5+12
98 July 30 Astros 5–11 Gentry (9–9) 28,922 Shea Stadium 55–43 Boxscore 2 5+12
99 July 31 Astros 0–2 Seaver (15–6) 6,683 Shea Stadium 55–44 Boxscore 2 6+12 WOR-TV
August (21–10) (Home: 12–1; Road: 9–9)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Stadium Record Report Rank GB
100 August 1 Braves 5–4 Koonce (5–3) Niekro (14–9) Taylor (10) 34,779 Shea Stadium 56–44 Boxscore 2 6+12 WOR-TV
101 August 2 Braves 1–0 McAndrew (3–3) Reed (10–8) McGraw (6) 37,442 Shea Stadium 57–44 Boxscore 2 6+12 WOR-TV
102 August 3 Braves 6–5
(11)
Taylor (6–2) Raymond (2–2) 34,696 Shea Stadium 58–44 Boxscore 2 6+12 WOR-TV
103 August 4 @ Reds 0–1 Koosman (8–7) 13,228 Crosley Field 58–45 Boxscore 2 7+12
104 August 5 @ Reds 5–8 Seaver (15–7) N/A Crosley Field 58–46 Boxscore 2 −8 WOR-TV
105 August 5 @ Reds 10–1 Ryan (4–1) 31,062 Crosley Field 59–46 Boxscore 2 −8 WOR-TV
106 August 6 @ Reds 2–3 McAndrew (3–4) 17,452 Crosley Field 59–47 Boxscore 2 −9 WOR-TV
107 August 8 @ Braves 4–1 Koosman (9–7) Pappas (5–8) N/A Atlanta Stadium 60–47 Boxscore 2 8+12 WOR-TV
108 August 8 @ Braves 0–1
(10)
Reed (11–8) Taylor (6–3) 42,838 Atlanta Stadium 60–48 Boxscore 2 8+12 WOR-TV
109 August 9 @ Braves 5–3 Seaver (16–7) Stone (9–7) Koonce (7) 28,194 Atlanta Stadium 61–48 Boxscore 2 8+12 NBC
110 August 10 @ Braves 3–0 Cardwell (4–9) Britton (5–3) McGraw (7) 18,224 Atlanta Stadium 62–48 Boxscore 2 7+12 WOR-TV
111 August 11 @ Astros 0–3 McAndrew (3–5) 21,798 Astrodome 62–49 Boxscore 2 −8
112 August 12 @ Astros 7–8 Koosman (9–8) 22,283 Astrodome 62–50 Boxscore 2 −9 WOR-TV
113 August 13 @ Astros 2–8 Gentry (9–10) 30,590 Astrodome 62–51 Boxscore 3 −10 8:30 PM EDT WOR-TV
August 15 Padres Postponed (rain); rescheduled for August 17 Shea Stadium 9+12
114 August 16 Padres 2–0 Seaver (17–7) Taylor (11) N/A Shea Stadium 63–51 Boxscore 2 −9 WOR-TV
115 August 16 Padres 2–1 McAndrew (4–5) McGraw (8) 19,940 Shea Stadium 64–51 Boxscore 2 −9 WOR-TV
116 August 17 Padres 3–2 Koosman (10–8) N/A Shea Stadium 65–51 Boxscore 2 −8 WOR-TV
117 August 17 Padres 3–2 Cardwell (5–9) Taylor (12) 35,711 Shea Stadium 66–51 Boxscore 2 −8 WOR-TV
118 August 19 Giants 1–0
(14)
McGraw (6–2) 48,968 Shea Stadium 67–51 Boxscore 2 −8 WOR-TV
119 August 20 Giants 6–0 McAndrew (5–5) 48,414 Shea Stadium 68–51 Boxscore 2 −7 WOR-TV
120 August 21 Giants 6–7
(11)
Taylor (6–4) 42,795 Shea Stadium 68–52 Boxscore 2 −7 WOR-TV
121 August 22 Dodgers 5–3 Koosman (11–8) McGraw (9) 50,460 Shea Stadium 69–52 Boxscore 2 −6 WOR-TV
122 August 23 Dodgers 3–2 Taylor (7–4) 40,974 Shea Stadium 70–52 Boxscore 2 −6 WOR-TV
123 August 24 Dodgers 7–4 Koonce (6–3) 48,435 Shea Stadium 71–52 Boxscore 2 5+12 WOR-TV
124 August 26 @ Padres 8–4 Seaver (18–7) N/A San Diego Stadium 72–52 Boxscore 2 3+12
125 August 26 @ Padres 3–0 McAndrew (6–5) 8,873 San Diego Stadium 73–52 Boxscore 2 3+12
126 August 27 @ Padres 4–1 Koosman (12–8) 5,525 San Diego Stadium 74–52 Boxscore 2 2+12
127 August 29 @ Giants 0–5 Gentry (9–11) 13,843 Candlestick Park 74–53 Boxscore 2 −4
128 August 30 @ Giants 3–2
(10)
McGraw (7–2) 14,436 Candlestick Park 75–53 Boxscore 2 −4
129 August 31 @ Giants 8–0 Seaver (19–7) N/A Candlestick Park 76–53 Boxscore 2 4+12
130 August 31 @ Giants 2–3
(11)
McGraw (7–3) 32,327 Candlestick Park 76–54 Boxscore 2 4+12
September (23–7) (Home: 13–4; Road: 10–3)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Stadium Record Report Rank GB
131 September 1 @ Dodgers 6–10 Koosman (12–9) 28,079 Dodger Stadium 76–55 Boxscore 2 −5 WOR-TV
132 September 2 @ Dodgers 5–4 Gentry (10–11) McGraw (10) 25,676 Dodger Stadium 77–55 Boxscore 2 −5
133 September 3 @ Dodgers 4–5 DiLauro (1–4) 26,625 Dodger Stadium 77–56 Boxscore 2 −5
134 September 5 Phillies 5–1 Seaver (20–7) N/A Shea Stadium 78–56 Boxscore 2 4+12
135 September 5 Phillies 2–4 McAndrew (6–6) 40,450 Shea Stadium 78–57 Boxscore 2 4+12 WOR-TV
136 September 6 Phillies 3–0 Cardwell (6–9) McGraw (11) 20,477 Shea Stadium 79–57 Boxscore 2 3+12 WOR-TV NBC
137 September 7 Phillies 9–3 Ryan (5–1) 28,937 Shea Stadium 80–57 Boxscore 2 2+12 WOR-TV
138 September 8 Cubs 3–2 Koosman (13–9) 43,274 Shea Stadium 81–57 Boxscore 2 1+12 WOR-TV
139 September 9 Cubs 7–1 Seaver (21–7) Jenkins (19–13) 51,448 Shea Stadium 82–57 Boxscore 2 WOR-TV
140 September 10 Expos 3–2
(12)
Taylor (8–4) N/A Shea Stadium 83–57 Boxscore 1 +1 WOR-TV
141 September 10 Expos 7–1 Ryan (6–1) 23,512 Shea Stadium 84–57 Boxscore 1 +1 WOR-TV
142 September 11 Expos 4–0 Gentry (11–11) 10,713 Shea Stadium 85–57 Boxscore 1 +2
143 September 12 @ Pirates 1–0 Koosman (14–9) N/A Forbes Field 86–57 Boxscore 1 +2+12 6:05 PM EDT
144 September 12 @ Pirates 1–0 Cardwell (7–9) McGraw (12) 19,303 Forbes Field 87–57 Boxscore 1 +2+12 8:49 PM EDT WOR-TV
145 September 13 @ Pirates 5–2 Seaver (22–7) 10,440 Forbes Field 88–57 Boxscore 1 +3+12 4:15 PM EDT WOR-TV NBC
146 September 14 @ Pirates 3–5 Ryan (6–2) 11,324 Forbes Field 88–58 Boxscore 1 +3+12 1:35 PM EDT WOR-TV
147 September 15 @ Cardinals 4–3 McGraw (8–3) 13,086 Busch Memorial Stadium 89–58 Boxscore 1 +4+12 9:00 PM EDT WOR-TV
September 16 @ Cardinals Postponed (rain); rescheduled for September 22 Busch Memorial Stadium +4
148 September 17 @ Expos 5–0 Koosman (15–9) 10,422 Jarry Park 90–58 Boxscore 1 +4
149 September 18 @ Expos 2–0 Seaver (23–7) 13,280 Jarry Park 91–58 Boxscore 1 +5
150 September 19 Pirates 2–8 Ryan (6–3) N/A Shea Stadium 91–59 Boxscore 1 +4
151 September 19 Pirates 0–8 McAndrew (6–7) 51,885 Shea Stadium 91–60 Boxscore 1 +4
152 September 20 Pirates 0–4 Gentry (11–12) 38,784 Shea Stadium 91–61 Boxscore 1 +4 WOR-TV
153 September 21 Pirates 5–3 Koosman (16–9) N/A Shea Stadium 92–61 Boxscore 1 +4+12 WOR-TV
154 September 21 Pirates 6–1 Cardwell (8–9) 55,901 Shea Stadium 93–61 Boxscore 1 +4+12 WOR-TV
155 September 22 Cardinals 3–1 Seaver (24–7) 23,267 Shea Stadium 94–61 Boxscore 1 +5
156 September 23 Cardinals 3–2
(11)
McGraw (9–3) 32,364 Shea Stadium 95–61 Boxscore 1 +6 WOR-TV
157 September 24 Cardinals 6–0 Gentry (12–12) Carlton (17–11) 54,928 Shea Stadium 96–61 Boxscore 1 +6 WOR-TV
158 September 26 @ Phillies 5–0 Koosman (17–9) 6,288 Connie Mack Stadium 97–61 Boxscore 1 +7 WOR-TV
159 September 27 @ Phillies 1–0 Seaver (25–7) 4,297 Connie Mack Stadium 98–61 Boxscore 1 +8
160 September 28 @ Phillies 2–0 Gentry (13–12) Taylor (13) 6,875 Connie Mack Stadium 99–61 Boxscore 1 +8
October (1–1) (Road: 1–1)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Stadium Record Report Rank GB
161 October 1 @ Cubs 6–5
(12)
Taylor (9–4) Johnson (1) 10,136 Wrigley Field 100–61 Boxscore 1 +9 2:30 PM EDT
162 October 2 @ Cubs 3–5 Decker (1–0) Cardwell (8–10) 9,981 Wrigley Field 100–62 Boxscore 1 +8 2:30 PM EDT
Legend
Mets win Mets loss All-Star Game Game postponed Clinched
"GB" legend
1st (NL East) Not in playoff berth Tied for 1st (NL East)

All times are EASTERN time

  • All games broadcast on WJRZ and METS RADIO NETWORK

Postseason

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1969 Postseason Game Log
National League Championship Series vs. Atlanta – New York (NL) wins series 3–0
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Stadium Report Game Time Local TV National TV
1 October 4 @ Braves 9–5 Seaver (1–0) Niekro (0–1) 50,122 Atlanta Stadium Boxscore 4:10 PM EDT WOR-TV NBC
2 October 5 @ Braves 11–6 Taylor (1–0) Reed (0–1) McGraw (1) 50,270 Atlanta Stadium Boxscore 4:10 PM EDT WOR-TV NBC
3 October 6 Braves 7–4 Ryan (1–0) Jarvis (0–1) 54,195 Shea Stadium Boxscore 1:10 PM EDT WOR-TV NBC
World Series vs. Baltimore – New York (NL) wins series 4–1
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Stadium Report Game Time Local TV National TV
1 October 11 @ Orioles 1–4 Cuellar (1–0) Seaver (0–1) 50,429 Memorial Stadium Boxscore 1:00 PM EDT WOR-TV NBC NBC
2 October 12 @ Orioles 2–1 Koosman (1–0) McNally (0–1) Taylor (1) 50,850 Memorial Stadium Boxscore 2:00 PM EDT WOR-TV NBC NBC
3 October 14 Orioles 5–0 Gentry (1–0) Palmer (0–1) Ryan (1) 56,335 Shea Stadium Boxscore 1:00 PM EDT WOR-TV NBC NBC
4 October 15 Orioles 2–1 (10) Seaver (1–1) Hall (0–1) 57,367 Shea Stadium Boxscore 1:00 PM EDT WOR-TV NBC NBC
5 October 16 Orioles 5–3 Koosman (2–0) Watt (0–1) 57,397 Shea Stadium Boxscore 1:00 PM EDT WOR-TV NBC NBC
Legend
Mets win Mets loss

All times are EASTERN time

Attendance

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Attendance Rank
2,175,373[10] 1

Roster

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1969 New York Mets
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders Manager

Coaches

The final out

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With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, starting pitcher Jerry Koosman faced Orioles second baseman Davey Johnson (who later managed the Mets to their second World Series championship in 1986). After taking a pitch of two balls and one strike, Johnson hit a fly-ball out to left field which was caught by Cleon Jones.[11]

Hall of Fame members who played in the 1969 World Series

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Two future Hall of Fame members were on that Mets' roster: pitcher Tom Seaver, who won twenty-five games en route to winning the Cy Young Award, and a young Nolan Ryan playing in his third season. Seaver was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992 and Ryan in 1999. Manager Gil Hodges was elected to the Hall in 2022. Bench coach Yogi Berra and Director of Player Development Whitey Herzog are also in the Hall of Fame.

The Baltimore Orioles boasted four future Hall of Famers on their roster: pitcher Jim Palmer, outfielder Frank Robinson, third baseman Brooks Robinson, and manager Earl Weaver.

Opening Day starters

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Notable transactions

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Player stats

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= Indicates team leader

Batting

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Starters by position

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Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
C Jerry Grote 113 365 92 .252 6 40
1B Ed Kranepool 112 353 84 .238 11 49
2B Ken Boswell 102 362 101 .279 3 32
3B Wayne Garrett 124 400 87 .218 1 39
SS Bud Harrelson 123 395 98 .248 0 24
LF Cleon Jones 137 483 164 .340 12 75
CF Tommie Agee 149 565 153 .271 26 76
RF Ron Swoboda 109 327 77 .235 9 52

Other batters

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Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
Art Shamsky 100 303 91 .300 14 47
Al Weis 103 247 53 .215 2 23
Rod Gaspar 118 215 49 .228 1 19
Bobby Pfeil 62 211 49 .232 0 10
Donn Clendenon 72 202 51 .252 12 37
J. C. Martin 66 177 37 .209 4 21
Ed Charles 61 169 35 .207 3 18
Amos Otis 48 93 14 .151 0 4
Duffy Dyer 29 74 19 .257 3 12
Kevin Collins 16 40 6 .150 1 2
Jim Gosger 10 15 2 .133 0 1
Bob Heise 4 10 3 .300 0 0

Pitching

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Starting pitchers

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Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Tom Seaver 36 273.1 25 7 2.21 208
Jerry Koosman 32 241.0 17 9 2.28 180
Gary Gentry 35 233.2 13 12 3.43 154
Don Cardwell 30 152.1 8 10 3.01 60
Jim McAndrew 27 135.0 6 7 3.47 90

Other pitchers

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Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Nolan Ryan 25 89.1 6 3 3.53 92
Jack DiLauro 23 63.2 1 4 2.40 27

Relief pitchers

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Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G W L SV ERA SO
Ron Taylor 59 9 4 13 2.72 42
Tug McGraw 42 9 3 12 2.24 92
Cal Koonce 40 6 3 7 4.99 48
Al Jackson 9 1 0 0 10.64 10
Danny Frisella 3 0 0 0 7.71 5
Jesse Hudson 1 0 0 0 4.50 3
Bob Johnson 2 0 0 1 0.00 1
Les Rohr 1 0 0 0 20.25 0

NLCS

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Game 1

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Saturday, October 4, 1969, at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 5 0 9 10 1
Atlanta 0 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 5 10 2
WP: Tom Seaver (1–0)   LP: Phil Niekro (0–1)
Home runs:
NYM: None
ATL: Tony González (1), Hank Aaron (1)

Game 2

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Sunday, October 5, 1969, at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 1 3 2 2 1 0 2 0 0 11 13 1
Atlanta 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 6 9 3
WP: Ron Taylor (1–0)   LP: Ron Reed (0–1)   Sv: Tug McGraw (1)
Home runs:
NYM: Tommie Agee (1), Ken Boswell (1), Cleon Jones (1)
ATL: Hank Aaron (2)

Game 3

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Monday, October 6, 1969, at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Atlanta 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 8 1
New York 0 0 1 2 3 1 0 0 X 7 14 0
WP: Nolan Ryan (1–0)   LP: Pat Jarvis (0–1)
Home runs:
ATL: Hank Aaron (3), Orlando Cepeda (1)
NYM: Tommie Agee (2), Ken Boswell (2), Wayne Garrett (1)

World Series

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Game 1

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Saturday, October 11, 1969, at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 6 1
Baltimore 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 X 4 6 0
WP: Mike Cuellar (1–0)   LP: Tom Seaver (0–1)
Home runs:
NYM: None
BAL: Don Buford (1)

Game 2

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Sunday, October 12, 1969, at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 6 0
Baltimore 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0
WP: Jerry Koosman (1–0)   LP: Dave McNally (0–1)   Sv: Ron Taylor (1)
Home runs:
NYM: Donn Clendenon (1)
BAL: None

Game 3

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Tuesday, October 14, 1969, at Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens, New York

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Baltimore 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1
New York 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 X 5 6 0
WP: Gary Gentry (1–0)   LP: Jim Palmer (0–1)   Sv: Nolan Ryan (1)
Home runs:
BAL: None
NYM: Tommie Agee (1), Ed Kranepool (1)

Game 4

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Wednesday, October 15, 1969, at Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens, New York

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Baltimore 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 6 1
New York 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 10 1
WP: Tom Seaver (1–1)   LP: Dick Hall (0–1)
Home runs:
BAL: None
NYM: Donn Clendenon (2)

Game 5

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Thursday, October 16, 1969, at Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens, New York

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Baltimore 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 2
New York 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 X 5 7 0
WP: Jerry Koosman (2–0)   LP: Eddie Watt (0–1)
Home runs:
BAL: Dave McNally (1), Frank Robinson (1)
NYM: Donn Clendenon (3), Al Weis (1)
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In the movie Oh, God!, God, as played by George Burns, explains to John Denver that "the last miracle I performed was the 1969 Mets."

Part of the movie Frequency is set in Queens, New York, in 1969, as firefighter and avid Mets fan Frank Sullivan (Dennis Quaid) and his family follow the "Amazin's" throughout the World Series.

In Moonlighting, Season 2, Episode 13, "In God We Strongly Suspect", when David is attempting to define the parameters of Maddie's skepticism and atheism by inviting her to provide logical explanations for various phenomena seemingly beyond man's understanding, he mentions the "'69 Mets" which she immediately dismisses as "a myth and a hoax".

In his song "Faith and Fear in Flushing Meadows", twee/folk artist Harry Breitner makes mention of Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman.

In the TV sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond episode "Big Shots", Ray and Robert visit the Baseball Hall of Fame to meet members of the '69 Mets.

In the film Men in Black 3, set shortly before the Apollo 11 launch in July 1969, Griffin, an alien from the fifth dimension who can see the future, says the Mets' title is his favorite human history moment for "all the improbabilities that helped".

In the TV show Growing Pains, the family's name was the Seavers and their neighbors were the Koosmans.

In the TV Sitcom The Simpsons episode MoneyBart, Homer Simpson says the 1969 Mets will live on forever.

Awards and honors

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Awards

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Nolan Ryan's 1969 championship ring on display at the Nolan Ryan Exhibit Center
Regular Season
Player
Award
Al Weis Babe Ruth Award
Tom Seaver National League Cy Young Award
Associated Press Athlete of the Year[14]
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
Playoffs
Player
Award
Donn Clendenon World Series Most Valuable Player Award
Regular Season
Manager
Award
Gil Hodges Associated Press NL Manager of the Year

40th Major League Baseball All-Star Game

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Outfielders

Pos # Player League AB H RBI
LF 21 Cleon Jones National League
Starter
4 2 0

Pitchers

# Player League IP SO
36 Jerry Koosman National League 1.2 1
41 Tom Seaver National League did not pitch

Draft

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Date Round Pick Player Position Hometown/School
June 5, 1969 1 4 Randy Sterling RHP Key West, Florida
2 28 Joe Nolan C St. Louis, Missouri

Farm system

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Level Team League Manager
AAA Tidewater Tides International League Clyde McCullough
AA Memphis Blues Texas League Pete Pavlick, John Antonelli
and Roy McMillan
A Visalia Mets California League Roy McMillan, Chuck Estrada
and Harry Minor
A Pompano Beach Mets Florida State League Joe Frazier
Rookie Marion Mets Appalachian League Jack Cassini

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Memphis [15]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Seaver, Ryan and Koosman highlight Miracle Mets gathering to celebrate 40th anniversary of 1969 World Series Championship - mets.com: Official Info". mlb.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  2. ^ Don Bosch[permanent dead link] at Baseball Reference
  3. ^ /New York Times, Sunday April 6, 1969
  4. ^ Id.
  5. ^ Id.
  6. ^ Joseph Durso, New York Times, April 9, 1969
  7. ^ "1969 New York Mets Schedule".
  8. ^ Id.
  9. ^ "Events of Wednesday, August 13, 1969". www.retrosheet.org.
  10. ^ "1969 NL Attendance Data From Baseball Reference". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  11. ^ snarfmatic (March 16, 2011). "New York Mets Win 1969 World Series". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ Al Jackson at Baseball Reference
  13. ^ Donn Clendenon at Baseball Reference
  14. ^ "Associated Press Athlete of the Year (male)". www.nndb.com.
  15. ^ Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.
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