Remembering Mets History (1962): The First Two Walk Offs & Double Header Sweep In Mets History

-
Saturday May 12th 1962: This was one of the biggest days for the young Mets franchise & their fans. The Mets were just 23 games into their existence, already struggling at 6-17.

They were miring around in ninth place already 12 games back of first place.

Not only would they sweep their first double header today, but win both games in exciting walk off fashion. A huge thrill for the 19,748 fans at the Polo Grounds.

 In the first game Mets Manager; Casey Stengel started Roger Craig against the Milwaukee Braves future Hall of Famer& the all time winning left hander,Warren Spahn. 

Starting Lineups
In the top of the 2nd, the Braves; Del Crandall hit a solo HR putting Milwaukee up 1-0. Then in the 5th, Spahn himself had an RBI single, making it 2-0 Braves.

In the home 6th, Mets short stop; Elio Chacon singled & got to second base. Frank Thomas then doubled to left field putting the Mets on the board as Chacon scored. The score stayed that way to the 9th inning, as Spahn came out to finish the complete game. 



 The Mets; Gil Hodges led off with an infield single. Next, Hot Rod Kanehl came into pinch run for the aging Hodges. Spahn got pinch hitter Cliff Cook to strikeout & Gus Bell to pop out. 


With the Mets down to their last out, Hobie Landrith stepped in & made Mets history. He hit what the first walk off HR in the history of the New York Mets franchise. It was the only HR Landrith would hit for the Mets in his 23 games played.

The Polo Grounds crowd was delighted for their beloved team, as Spahn & the Braves were needless to say shell shocked.

Met pitcher, Craig Anderson, who had come on in the 8th inning, got the win pitching two scoreless innings. Craig had gone seven innings allowing two runs on five hits.

second game:





In the second game of the twin bill (also known as the night cap) there were even more thrills to come. The Mets starter Bob Moorhead went up against the Braves, Carl Willey, who would be a future Met.

Casey Stengel would use six Mets pitchers- Moorehead (five innings) Bob Miller (one inning) Ken MacKenzie (one inning) Dave Hillman (one inning) Vinegar Bend Mizell (walked the one batter he faced) & Craig Anderson (one inning). The Braves would use five pitchers.  

The Mets struck first as Jim Hickman hit a 1st inning lead off HR. In the 2nd, Charlie Neal singled but was caught stealing. Hobie Landrith then walked & was moved over on a bunt. Elio Chacon then singles making it 2-0 Mets.

The Braves got a sac fly from Hank Aaron in the 4th, but the Mets came back in the bottom of the inning. Landrith singled & Chacon walked then Felix Mantilla hit a two run double, making it 4-1. The Met lead held going to the 5th, but Moorhead quickly gave up singles to Roy McMillan & Jack Curtis. Tommie Aaron hit a sac fly & then Mack Jones tripled bringing in two runs. HR King Hank Aaron then hit a two run HR,making it 5-4 & knocking Moorehead out of the game.

In the home 6th, Jim Hickman singled for New York & Elio Chacon tripled him in to tie it up. Frank Thomas added an RBI single & the Mets regained the lead 6-5.

But in the 8th Hank Aaron drove in his fourth run of the day with a double off reliever, Ken MacKenzie. The Braves added another run to go up 7-6.

In the home 8th, the pesky Mets fought back. Ed Bouchee walked, Hot Rod Kanehl came in to pinch run, and was advanced by a Hickman bunt. Elio Chacon came through again, his infield single tied the game at 7-7 as pinch runner Hot Rod Kanhel scored. It was his third RBI on the day. Chacon would have just 27 RBIs on the season.

In the top of the 9th, the Braves got (future Mets coach & manager) Roy McMillan all the way to third base but left him stranded as Mets pitcher Craig Anderson retired the side.

In the bottom of the 9th, the Mets fans in the Polo Grounds got another tremendous thrill. The future Hall of Famer & Veteran Brooklyn Dodger; Gil Hodges, a New York legend, now with the Mets came to bat.

Hodges delivered to hit the walk off HR to win the game. 

It was the second Mets thrilling HR of the day that ended a game with a win. Quite a day for the young Mets franchise.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering Vixen Founder / Guitarist; Jan Kuehnemund (1961-2013)

-
Image
centerfieldmaz was shocked to learn of the sudden passing of Jan Kuehnemund, the founding member of the all female metal band Vixen. Jan was a fantastic guitarist, song writer & women pioneer in Heavy Metal. I am a huge fan of hard rock all girl bands & Vixen were one my long time favorites. Janice Lynn Kuehnemund was born November 18th, 1961 in St. Paul Minnesota. The female guitarist formed one of the first all female Metal bands in Minnesota with singer Janet Gardner while in high school in 1980. By 1985 they moved the band to Los Angles California, to be part of the Heavy Metal scene. In 1987 the classic Vixen line up of Jan Kuehnemund (lead guitar) Janet Gardner (vocals/ guitar) Share Pederson (bass) & Roxy Petrucci (drums) formed & released their debut album the following year. Vixen 1988 In a world of all male Heavy Metal bands during its heyday, Vixen were groundbreaking in being an all female metal band. The Runaways, with Joan Jett & Lita Ford
Read more

Remembering Bobby Ojeda's Tragic Boating Accident (1993)

-
Image
Steve Olin, Tim Crews & Bob Ojeda March 22 nd 1993: was an off day from Spring Training, for three Cleveland Indians pitchers; Former Mets 1986 World Champion pitcher; Bobby Ojeda, Tim Crews & Steve Olin. The three friends, took out an 18-foot open-air bass boat & went out fishing & gator hunting in the darkness of the evening on Lake Nellie in Clermont, Florida. Tragedy struck, when the boat rammed into a private dock that jutted out some 250 feet into the still waters. Two other Cleveland Indians personnel had arrived to meet the fishing party just as the horror took place. They heard Bob Ojeda saying they needed help. The two men jumped into the water and called out for someone to call 911. 27 year old pitcher; Steve Olin was killed instantly. 31 year old pitcher; Tim Crews was alive but was struggling to breathe suffering from massive head wounds. Bobby Ojeda was in & out of shock, he was suffering from head lacerations but was coherent. The
Read more

Remembering Batgirl: Yvonne Craig (1937-2015)

-
Image
centerfieldmaz interrupts baseball with a sad note on one of his favorite actresses. Being a huge Batman (TV series) fan Yvonne Craig has been someone I adored since I was a child.  As a boy I always hoped the Batgirl cycle would wiz by on the opening credits, meaning it would be a Batgirl episode. I didn't realize why until I got older & liked girls. For myself & millions of young boys of the 60's / 70's Batgirl was one of our first crushes. But her character also she added so much more than that to the final season of Batman. She was special in so many ways ... rest in peace Batgirl! Yvonne Joyce Craig was born May 16th 1937 in Taylorville, Illinois. As a young girl she was a talented ballet dancer, getting accepted to the prestigious Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She eventually moved to Los Angeles & began an acting career. She landed a part in Gidget (1959) as one of Gidget's beach girl friends. Yvonne began dating Elvis Presley & landed r
Read more

Remembering Dawn Wells- Mary Ann From Gilligan's Island

-
Image
  getting away from baseball for a bit.......................... Dawn Alberta Wells was born October 18th 1938 in Reno, Nevada. She first attended college at the elite Stephens College in Missouri, majoring in chemistry. She then fell in love with acting & transferred to the University of Washington at Seattle, finishing with a Degree in Theater. By 1959 the brunette Ms. Wells was crowned Miss Nevada & represented that state in the  1960 Miss America Pageant, held in Atlantic City. She soon moved to Hollywood. In 1962 she married talent agent Larry Rosen, who helped her career. They would divorce in 1967 & have no children. She appeared in many TV shows of the early  sixties, until landing the role she is forever remembered for, Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island. Gilligan's' Island , was a big show for, me & millions of my generation. We were first generation in it's reruns, whether after school or later at night. The simple show, kept us laughing at its si
Read more

The 1970's Oakland A's Ball Girls- (MLB's First)

-
Image
In the days of the early seventies the Oakland A's won three straight Championships & changed the face of baseball forever.  The team's controversial owner was known to be cheap in paying his star players & known to meddle in the teams on field affairs. He drove managers crazy & even had Dick Williams resign after winning his second straight World Series. But Finley also revolutionized baseball in many other ways. He was instrumental in getting the designated hitter in the American League & have the World Series played at night, so fans could attend after work. He gave his players fancy names like Catfish, Blue Moon & True Blue.  When his star Reggie Jackson refused to shave his beard, he encouraged the whole team to grow facial hair by paying them $200 each.  The A's team even grew their hair long, a sign of the times. But before that baseball players had not had facial or long hair since the 1800's.  He introduced bright colored yello
Read more