Remembering Mets History (1969) Mets Sweep a Twin-bill at Wrigley Field

Sunday May 4th, 1969: After the Chicago Cubs (18-8) took the first two games of a big four game series at Wrigley Field, a large noisy crowd of nearly 40,000 filled the Friendly Confines, looking for a sweep in this Sunday doubleheader.

 
After all the Cubs were already leading the division & were a heavy favorite to win it all. Led by legendary manager, Leo Durocher & Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Ferguson Jenkins & Billy Williams, it was a powerful veteran team with good pitching. 

The Cubs & their fans were ready to clinch the title this early in the season, little did they know, todays Mets double header sweep was just the beginning of the end of their dreams. This young Mets team sent a message in what was to become that summers biggest rivalry.

Todays matchup was a good one, Gil Hodges Mets (10-14) sent their ace Tom Seaver to the mound, against the Cubs, Bill Hands. 

Bill Hands was born in Hackensack, New Jersey & attended Rutherford High School. Originally signed by the San Francisco Giants, in December 1965 he was traded along with Randy Hundley to the Cubs. In 1968 Hands won 16 games (16-10) with a 2.89 ERA, giving up a league leading 26 HRs. 

In 1969 he had his best season winning twenty games (201-14) with a 2.49 ERA, pitching 300 innings. He & Ferguson Jenkins both won twenty games for Leo Durocher's Cubs.

First Game: In the bottom of the 1st, the Mets got lead off singles from Rod Gaspar & Ken Boswell. Then Ron Swoboda grounded into a Glen Beckert to Don Kessinger to Ernie Banks double play. 

Trivia: The Cubs had a good defensive infield that played together from 1965 - 1971. The corners were made up of Hall of Famers Ernie Banks at first & Ron Santo at third, with short stop Don Kessinger making six All Star teams for his defense, then Glenn Beckert at second base who made four straight All-Star teams.

In the bottom of the 2nd, the Cubs catcher Randy Hundley singled, then Al Spangler tripled to center field scoring Hundley. In 1969, Al Spangler was age 35, he batted just .211 with that one triple playing in 82 games. Al did have 26 career triples.

In the top of the 3rd inning, things got interesting, Bill Hands hit Tom Seaver with a pitch. Seaver who never took any nonsense, immediately retaliated by hitting Hands with a pitch as he led off the bottom of the 3rd inning.

During this era, this was common in baseball, but the home plate umpire Frank Secoy, shook his finger at Seaver. Mets manager Gil Hodges came out of the dugout to defend his pitcher to the umpire. Things settled down & play resumed. 

Don Kessinger then doubled, putting runners on second & third with no one out. Seaver got Beckert to ground out to the mound, he held the runner at third & got the out at first. Seaver then walked Billy Williams intentionally, loading the bases for Ron Santo. Seaver arguably the game's best pitcher that year, struck out Santo & got Hall of Famer Ernie Banks to pop up in the infield.

In the top of the 4th, Ed Kranepool hit his third HR of the season, tying up the game at one. In the bottom of the 4th Seaver struck out Hundley & Spangler, then got Don Young to pop up.

In the bottom of the 5th the Mets struck again, with one out, Seaver drew a walk. Rod Gaspar then singled to left field. Ken Boswell followed with a base hit to right field scoring Seaver. Ron Swoboda's sac fly scored Rod Gaspar giving New York a 3-1 lead. 

In the bottom of the 5th inning, the Cubs got a base hit from pinch hitter Manny Jimenez. Don Kessinger hit into a force play, then Glenn Beckert singled putting two on. Billy Williams grounded out to third base, but Kessinger scored getting the Cubs to within a run 3-2.

Seaver walked Ron Santo but got a big strike out fanning Ernie Banks.

Seaver retired ten of the next eleven batters, before Randy Hundley & Al Spangler singled with two outs in the 8th. But pinch hitter Gene Oliver popped up to end the inning.

In the 9th Seaver gave up a hit but got three ground ball outs to go the distance. He scattered nine hits giving up two runs, walking two & striking out seven batters. Seaver was now 3-2 with a 2.28 ERA. 

Tom Seaver Trivia: From this game thru July 9th, Seaver would go 12-1 striking out 96 batters in 111 innings posting a 2.50 ERA. On July 9th he would pitch his one hit- imperfect game against the Cubs at Shea Stadium.

Bill Hands exited took the loss getting to 3-3. 

Nightcap: The scheduled starter for the Mets had been Gary Gentry, but he was scratched from his start. Tug McGraw was penciled in as the games starter. 

In 1965 McGraw had come up being used mostly in relief. In 1966 he made 12 starts in his 15 appearances but was 2-9 with a 5.32 ERA. The next year he made just four relief appearances & spent 1968 in the minor leagues. In 1969 he made just four starts & would go 9-3 in 42 appearances posting a 2.24 ERA.

 

His opponent tonight was a former Met teammate, who was also Tom Seaver's childhood friend from Fresno, California, Dick Selma.

Dick Selma Trivia: Selma had been drafted by the Mets out of Fresno high school, considered a top prospect, maybe even bigger than Seaver. He spent four years with the Mets going 17-21 with a 3.16 ERA. He would not be around as the Mets started winning, as he was chosen by the Padres in the 1968 expansion draft. In 1969 after four games, he was sent to the Cubs in exchange for Joe Niekro, Gary Ross & Frankie Libran.

In the top of the 1st, Rod Gaspar walked & Wayne Garrett struck out. Ken Boswell doubled to centerfield bringing in Gaspar with the first run. Cleon Jones who was batting .400 at this point in the season, as the league's leading hitter, then drove a single to center field scoring Garrett giving the Mets a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the 1st, Don Kessinger led off with a double, then Glenn Beckert singled, putting two men on for future Hall of Famer Billy Williams. Billy collected the RBI base hit & Ron Santo grounded into a double play that allowed Beckert to score, tying the game.

In the top of the 3rd, Dick Selma got out of a first & third jam, getting Ken Boswell to grounded out to him to end the inning.

 

In the top of the 6th inning, Wayne Garrett & Ken Boswell both singled, then with two outs Cleon Jones grounded into an inning ending double play, Kessinger to Beckert to Banks once again.

Tug McGraw retired eight Cubs in a row before issuing a walk to Ron Santo in the 4th inning. As McGraw struck out Ernie Banks, Ron Santo was caught trying to steal second base by catcher Jerry Grote, for a strike him out throw him out double play.

Jerry Grote Trivia: That year Grote threw out 56% of base runners trying to steal on him. Grote was one of the best defensive catchers in the game during this era. He was estimated at saving a league's best 11 runs with his defense. Over the next two seasons he led the league in put outs & in his career threw out 8% of would-be base stealers.

In the top of the 7th inning, Ron Swoboda drew a one out walk. With two outs Al Weis singled to left field. Next, Pitcher Dick Selma threw a wild pitch with Tug McGraw at the plate. Swoboda came scampering home with what was to be the games winning run.

Tug McGraw rolled along easily into the 7th inning. He struck out Ron Santo start the inning,
then Ernie Banks & Randy Hundley both singled. With one out & two men on McGraw got Jim Hickman to ground out, then struck out Don Young to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 9th inning, McGraw struck out Ron Santo for the second time. Ernie Banks collected his second hit, then with two outs Jim Hickman singled putting the winning run on base.

Tug McGraw struck out pinch hitter Gene Oliver to end the game. The win got McGraw to a 3-0 record while owning a fantastic 1.61 ERA.

Although it was early in the season, the Mets did send a message to the Cubs. Still, no one could imagine the year ahead as the Amazing Mets would overtake the mighty Cubs in the NL East & go on to win the World Series.