centerfield maz

After the Championship: Over the next two seasons after the Miracle 1969 World Series, Grote caught in 120 plus games behind the plate both years.  1970:  The Mets opened the season as reigning World Champions with a 5-3 win at Pittsburgh. Grote went 0-4 in the game. He then drove in runs in three of the next four games before the home Opener when the raised the Championship flag. Record Setter: On April 22nd, 1970, in a weekday matinee at Shea, Grote set a record for put outs in a game by a catcher with twenty. In that game, Tom Seaver tied an MLB record with 19 strike outs in a 2-1 win over the Padres.  In late May he hit two HRs one in a loss to the Expos & another in a loss to the Cubs at Shea Stadium. They would be the only two HRs he would hit all season.  At the plate Grote struggled, he didn't hit over the .200 mark until the end of June although he did drive in 15 runs in his first 48 games. In July Grote batted .379 collecting 33 hits with a .438 on ba...