Remembering Mets History (1962) The First Two Walk Off HRs in Mets History Help Craig Anderson Collect Wins in Both Ends of a Double Header
On this Saturday afternoon a good crowd of 19,748 came out to the Polo Grounds as Casey Stengel's New York Mets (6-17) hosted Manager Birdie Tibbets, Milwaukee Braves (13-15) in a double header.
It was the Mets second double header, on April 29th they split a twin bill with the Phillies in the Polo Grounds.
In the first game of the twin bill, Roger Craig (1-3) got the start for the Mets going up against the Braves future Hall of Fame pitcher, Warren Spahn (3-3).
On the mound, Warren Spahn shut the Mets out thru the first five innings. In the bottom of the 6th, Elio Chacon singled & advanced on a fielder's choice. Frank Thomas then doubled to left field bringing in Chacon with the Mets first run making it 2-1.
In the top of the 8th inning, Mets Reliever Craig Anderson took over. Warren Spahn led off with his second hit of the game, a double to left center field. But Anderson retired the next three batters & striking out Mack Jones to end the inning keeping the game at 2-1.
In the bottom of the 9th, Spahn was looking to end the game.
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| Craig Anderson |
Hobie Landrith then came up & blasted Spahn's pitch for a two-run walk off HR, giving the Mets an exciting 3-2 win, as the Polo Grounds fans went crazy. This was the very first walk off HR in the franchise history.
Pitcher Craig Anderson was credited with the victory, his second win of the season to get to 2-1. It was the first of his very special day.
Second Game: In the nightcap Casey sent Bob Moorhead (0-0) to the mound making his second start for the Mets. He went up Carlton Willey (0-2) who would eventually pitch for the Mets from 1963-1965.
Bob Moorhead would appear in 38 games, making seven starts for the 1962 Mets, going 0-2. He would make just nine more appearances in his career, three years later with the 1965 Mets.
In the bottom of the 2nd, Charlie Neal led off with a single to center field. Neal was then caught stealing. Hobie Landrith drew a walk & advanced on a fielder's choice. Elio Chacon then singled to right field bringing in Landrith for the Mets second run giving them a 2-0 lead.
Bob Moorhead held the Braves scoreless thru the first four innings. In top of the 4th, Mack Jones drew a walk. Moorhead picked him off first base, but Marv Throneberry missed the ball, getting charged with an error, allowing Jones to get to third base. Henry Aaron hit a sac fly to bring in Jones with Milwaukee's first run.
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| Felix Mantilla |
out. Elio Chacon then drew a walk putting two men on.
The former Brave, Felix Mantilla then hit a two-run double to the deep part of the vast Polo Grounds center field, giving the Mets a 4-1 lead.
Felix Mantilla Trivia: Mantilla had won two pennants & a World Series (1957) with Milwaukee as a utility player.
In the top of the 5th, Moorhead gave up a pair of singles to Roy McMillan & Jack Curtis. Next Tommie Aaron, Hank's brother hit a sac fly to right, scoring Roy McMillan.
Mack Jones followed with an RBI triple bringing the Braves within a run 4-3. Next, the future All Time HR king, Hank Aaron blasted a two run HR putting the Braves ahead 5-4.
Hank Aaron Trivia: In 1962 Aaron hit 45 HRs & drove in 128 runs. He would hit 40 or more HRs seven times in his career & drive in over 100 runs eleven times. This year he was in the midst of a stretch of five straight 100 plus RBI seasons.
Bob Moorhead was done for the day, allowing five runs on five hits walking two & striking out four. In relief, one of the two Bob Miller's on the Mets staff came into pitch.
In the top of the 8th, Ken Mackenzie was now pitching for the Mets as Mack Jones & Henry Aaron hit back-to-back doubles. Casey brought in Dave Hillman in to pitch. After retiring Joe Adcock, Frank Bolling hit a sac fly scoring Aaron putting the Braves back on top 7-6.
In the bottom of the 8th, Mets pinch hitter Ed Bouchee drew a walk off reliever Don Nottebart."Hot Rod" Kanehl came in to pinch run for Bouchee & was sacrificed over to second by Jim Hickman.
Mets short stop, Elio Chacon was having one of the biggest days of his career, he reached on an infield hit to third base for his third hit of the game. "Hot Rod" was able to score giving Chacon his third RBI of the game. More importantly the game was now tied at seven.
In the top of the 9th, "Vinegar Bend" Mizell started the inning for the Mets, he walked the leadoff batter, Roy McMillan. Manager Casey Stengel went right back to the bullpen, to Craig Anderson once again.
Anderson was making his tenth appearance of the season, his second on the day. Pinch hitter Del Crandall sacrificed McMillan to second. Anderson then threw a wild pitch, allowing McMillan to get to third base. Anderson was able to get Tommie Aaron & Mack Jones to ground out to end the inning.In the bottom of the 9th, Hank Fischer came on to pitch for Milwaukee. He got Frank Thomas for the first out. Next up was New York's beloved former Brooklyn Dodger, Gil Hodges. Hodges had come into the game in the 5th inning as a pinch hitter.
Walk Off HR: Hodges delighted the Polo Grounds fans hitting a walk off HR to win the game 8-7. Incredibly it was the Mets second walk off HR of the day. It was Hodges third HR of the year; he would hit nine. For Gil it was his 364th career HR, as he would hit 370 overall, ending his career at the end of the season.
The winning pitcher in the game was Craig Anderson. He became the first Mets pitcher to win both ends of a double header. After congratulating Hodges on the field, Craig looked up into stands above the Mets dugout & saw his wife putting up two fingers smiling at him. He returned the glance holding up two fingers back to her as well with a big smile. It was two wins in the same day.It was like a World Series victory for the ecstatic fans in attendance that day at the Polo Grounds. The twin bill sweep accounted for two of the teams forty victories that the season.
Overall, Casey Stengle used 18 roster players in that second game & a total of 34 players overall in both games.
Trivia: Unfortunately, for Craig Anderson, he would never win another big-league game. Strangely, Anderson had three wins in that week but would lose his next 16 decisions that season & the next 19 decisions of his career.
Amazing Trivia: Craig Anderson & Gil Hodges became very good friends. In 2022, some sixty years later, Gil Hodges' daughter & granddaughter escorted Anderson onto the field at the Mets Old Timers Day.
