Jan 24, 2019

Remebering Mets History: (1962) "Marvelous" Marv Throneberry's Two Summer Walk Off HRs

Saturday, July 7th 1962: Casey Stengel's Mets (23-57) hosted Johnny Keane's fourth place St. Louis Cardinals (45-38) in the first game of a double header at the Polo Grounds. 

 In the battle of pitchers named Jackson; the Mets sent Al Jackson to the mound against Larry Jackson. 

Starting Lineups


In the top of the 3rd, the Cards, Larry Jackson singled & Curt Flood reached on an infield error. Both runners advanced on a Julian Javier fly out. They then scored on Ken Boyer's base hit making it 2-0 St. Louis. The added another in the 6th on a Jimmy Schaffer hit.

St. Louis' Larry Jackson was pitching a shutout until the bottom of the 6th, when the Mets Sammy Taylor hit a solo HR making it a 2-1 game. 

In the home 7th, the Mets rallied, as Gil Hodges started it off with a one out single. Elio Chacon then walked & pinch hitter Frank Thomas singled bringing in Hodges. The Cards brought in Lindy McDaniel to pitch, facing Richie Ashburn. Ashburn hit a fly ball to left field, Chacon tagged & scored tying up the game. 

In the 9th inning, Curt Flood led off with a solo HR off new Mets pitcher; Ray Daviault. With the Cards leading 4-3, pitcher Curt Simmons gave up a lead off infield single to Joe Christopher. The Cards brought in Ernie Broglio to close out the game. He got Gil Hodges to fly out to left field for the first out. The next batter was Cahcon but Casey Stengel sent in Marv Throneberry to pinch hit. 

The legend of Marv Throneberry grew even bigger today, as Marvelous Marv came through with a walk off HR, winning the game for the Mets 5-4. There were not many wins for the '62 Mets, especially in walk off style. 

Tuesday August 21st, 1962: On this day a small crowd of just 4,184 came to the Polo Grounds to see Danny Murtaugh's fourth place Pittsburgh Pirates (72-53) take on Casey Stengel's Mets (31-95). Bob Moorhead went for New York & Harvey Haddix for Pittsburgh.

Starting Lineups



The Pirates Dick Stuart (future Met), the man known as Dr. Strange Glove for his horrific fielding, singled in the first two runs of the game, scoring Dick Groat & Bill Virdon. Pitcher Harvey Haddix added an RBI single to make it 3-0.

In the 4th Jim Hickman singled & Rick Herrscher doubled. Hot Rod Kanehl grounded out as Hickman scored. The Pirates went up 4-1 as Don Leppert homered off Ray Daviault.

In the bottom of the 9th, the Mets were down 4-1 & it looked like another loss. But the Polo Grounds gods helped the Mets on this day, Richie Ashburn singled & Joe Christopher walked.

The Pirates brought in Roy Face to close out the game. After striking out Charlie Neal looking, Felix Mantilla singled bringing in Ashburn. After slugger Frank Thomas flew out, Stengel brought in Marvelous Marv Throneberry to pinch hit for Jim Hickman.

Casey had a hunch & it worked, Throneberry took Roy Face deep over the right center field wall, giving the Mets a dramatic unbelievable 5-4 win.
 The legend of Marvelous Marv got even bigger.

Marv Throneberry was one of the first folk heroes for the New York Mets. The fans loved him, starting the "Marvelous Marv Fan Club" which reportedly had over 5000 members. They would wear shirts that read VRAM, which was Marv spelled backwards.

As the early Mets fans began to bring home made banners to the ball park, many were in Throneberry's honor. Mets manager Casey Stengel would  famously call them placards. One of Marvelous Marv's placards read "Cranberry Strawberry - We Love Throneberry"!

In 1962 Throneberry hit 16 HRs, second to Frank Thomas on the Mets team. He would bat .244 with 49 RBIs playing in 116 games.

After just 14 games in 1963 he was sent to the minors & eventually retired. In the early eighties he resurfaced as one of the stars in the classic Miller Lite commercials. 

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