Mets set to pay tribute to Jerry Koosman
FILE - In this Aug. 22, 2009, file photo, former New York Mets baseball player Jerry Koosman gestures during a pre-game ceremony before the Mets played the Philadelphia Phillies in New York. Koosman's No. 36 is being retired by the New York Mets, more than four decades after he threw his final pitch for the team. Koosman, whose five-hitter beat Baltimore in Game 5 of the 1969 World Series for the Mets' first title, will be honored before the June 13 game against Washington, the team said Thursday, March 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
Jerry Koosman had just served up two homers in a three-run third against the Orioles, one surprisingly by the opposing pitcher, Dave McNally, in a bunting situation. Not surprisingly, the starter for the Mets marched back to the dugout in a rather foul mood.
It was Oct. 16, 1969, Game 5 of the World Series at Shea Stadium. The Mets had a chance to clinch first prize for the first time, but now they were in a 3-0 hole. So Koosman, who had won Game 2 with a dominant one-run, two-hit effort across 8 2⁄3 innings, had some stern words to say:
"They’re not going to get any more, guys. Let’s go score some runs."
Baltimore didn’t get any more, and the Mets led 5-3 with one out to go. The crowd was so loud that Koosman couldn’t hear Davey Johnson’s bat making contact with the ball to judge how well he hit it. But he quickly turned and saw Cleon Jones stop at the edge of the warning track in left, and he knew. Then it seemed as if all 57,397 fans descended on the field at once.
"You can run for your life," Koosman said Monday, flashing back to his thoughts from his home in Osceola, Wisconsin. "Grab your glove and your cap and head for the dugout."
Koosman pitched so many great games for the Mets from 1967 through 1978. He’s 78 and still their all-time winningest lefty with 140. Fans coming to Citi Field for the game against Washington on Aug. 28 are supposed to settle into their seats by 6:45 p.m. to see the Mets pay him an ultimate tribute by retiring his No. 36.
"It’s very humbling to be chosen to have your number retired," Koosman said. "Evidently, someone thinks I contributed along the way. So yeah, it’s a good feeling. Gosh, I don’t know what more to say. I’m overjoyed."
Jerry Koosman of the Mets pitches against the Cubs on Sept. 8, 1969. Credit: AP/Ron Frehm
Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza are the only other Mets players to have their numbers retired. An old teammate is enthused that 36 is joining 41 and 31.
"This is so appropriate, it’s ridiculous," said Ron Swoboda, who’s coming from New Orleans for the ceremony.
The idea had been to officially add Koosman to the exclusive roster last season, but the pandemic forced a postponement.
"Jerry is one of the most iconic Mets of all time, and this forever honor is a tremendous representation of what he meant to the organization," then-chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said when the plan was announced in September 2019.
Koosman ranks second in Mets history behind Seaver in starts (346), complete games (108), innings (2,544 2⁄3) and shutouts (26, tied with Jon Matlack), third in strikeouts (1,799) and sixth in ERA (3.09). Koosman also won a game in the 1973 NLCS and World Series. He won 21 games in 1976.
His run concluded after he went 3-15 despite a 3.75 ERA in 1978. He said he "didn’t want to go through a whole many years of rebuilding again" and requested a trade.
The Mets dealt him to Minnesota, and he finished 222-209 with a 3.36 ERA over 19 seasons with the Mets, Twins, White Sox and Phillies. He became a Mets Hall of Famer in 1989.
"None of us who are wearing World Series rings would be wearing World Series rings from 1969 if we didn’t have Jerry Koosman coming right behind Tom Seaver," Swoboda said. "You needed that 1-2 punch
. . .
"In certain situations, I think you’d rather have Koosman out there because he was a little nastier than Tom was."
Swoboda remembers a September home game in 1969 when the Mets edged the Cubs, 3-2, behind Koosman to pull 1 1⁄2 games back of Chicago. He also remembers Cubs starter Bill Hands knocking down Tommie Agee in the first . . . and Koosman drilling Ron Santo in the second.
"Koosie went out there and launched one neck-high at Santo, who luckily spun around and got his right forearm in front of his face and took it on the forearm," Swoboda said. "Santo screamed. It was scary.
"Seaver was up on the dugout steps yelling ‘You don’t want to play that game!’ That was the end of knockdown city in a hurry."
Koosman grew up on a Minnesota farm and signed with the Mets in 1964 after they scouted him with an Army team in Texas.
"I had a catcher by the name of John Luchese who wrote his father who was an usher at Shea Stadium that he had a good pitcher on his team and that he should tell the Mets about it so they could send the scout down to see me, which they did," Koosman said. "But they had already sent Red Murff down to scout me sometime before that."
Two years later, Koosman’s car was totaled — he wasn’t driving — as he and two other players were headed from Atlanta for spring training in St. Petersburg, Florida. Koosman said he called a team official, Joe McDonald, and had $50 wired so they could take a bus, although he ended up buying another car and they drove.
Then the Mets thought about releasing him during spring training.
"Joe McDonald claimed I owed him 50 bucks and they weren’t going to release me until they got the money back," Koosman said. "I think they took it out of my check."
Fortunately, they kept him, and he paid off. Koosman went 19-12 with a 2.08 ERA in 1968, when he was an All-Star and runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year.
His second and final All-Star selection happened in 1969. That year came with a 17-9 record and a 2.28 ERA.
That year will always stand out.
"Naturally, being on a world championship team is a feather in your hat," Koosman said, "and who wouldn’t want that notoriety?"
