Remembering Mets History (1966) Jack Hamilton Tosses the Second One Hitter in Franchise History
In a year where the Mets went 62-99, this night was one of the team's highlights on that season. In 1966 the Mets playing in their fifth season, put up 62 wins which was the most to date at that time. This was three years before the Amazing's 100-win World Championship year of 1969.
The Mets starter was Jack Hamiliton who would have his best outing in his Mets career. In Hamilton's last start he had earned his second win of the year, allowing three earned runs in 6.1 innings of a 14-11 Mets win at Wrigley Field.
In his first ten starts he gave up two earned two runs or less six times posting a 2.95 ERA but just a 4-4 record.
Mets pitcher, Jack Hamilton retired the side in order over the first two innings. In the bottom of
the 3rd inning, Cards pitcher Ray Sadecki singled for a base hit. It was to be the only hit Hamilton allowed on the day.
In the top of the 4th, Eddie Bressoud continued having a three-hit game, with a solo HR off Sadecki, making it 6-0 Mets. It was Bressoud's first HR of the year.
Today Hamilton went up against the Cardinals Ray Sadecki, who had been a twenty-game winner two years earlier in the Cardinals 1964 Championship season. Sadecki was to become more of a reliever & would pitch for the Mets from 1970-1974, then again in 1977 where he ended his career.
It was a big day for the Mets offense, right off the bat. In the 1st inning Eddie Bressoud singled & was forced at second on a Roy McMillan ground out.
With two outs, Jim Hickman walked, then young slugger Ron Swoboda socked a three run HR making it 3-0 New York. It was Swoboda's first HR of the year.
Ron Swoboda Trivia: In 1965 Swoboda was brought up & hit 19 HRs being labeled the Mets slugger of the future. Although it didn't turn out that way he had a decent Mets career. In 1966 he would be limited to 112 games & hit just 8 HRs. Swoboda would have 11 multi- RBI games on the season.
In the top of the 2nd inning, Mets center fielder Billy Murphy walked & advanced on a botched pick off play. Eddie Bressoud then singled him home to make it 4-0 Mets. Later that inning, Ken Boyer brought Bressoud in with an RBI single to left field, making it 5-0 Mets.
the 3rd inning, Cards pitcher Ray Sadecki singled for a base hit. It was to be the only hit Hamilton allowed on the day.
Hamilton then issued a walk to Hall of Famer, Lou Brock. As Sadecki advanced to second base, no one knew it at the time, but they would be the only base runners St. Louis would have the rest of the game. From there on, Hamilton retired the next 19 batters in a row, ten of them on ground balls & five of them strike outs.
In the top of the 4th, Eddie Bressoud continued having a three-hit game, with a solo HR off Sadecki, making it 6-0 Mets. It was Bressoud's first HR of the year.In the top of the 8th, Jim Hickman singled & Ed Kranepool walked. Then another botched St. Louis pickoff play brought home Hickman with the Mets seventh run. Ron Hunt then hit a grounder to first, that was misplayed by Tito Francona (Terry Francona's dad) causing Kranepool to score, icing the Mets 8-0 win.
Hamilton completed the one hit, shut out, issuing one walk & striking out six batters.
Mets Trivia: The one hitter was just the second of the 40 career one hitters thrown in Mets history.
Jack Hamilton Trivia: Hamilton spent parts of two seasons with the Mets (1966 -1967) going 8-13 in 74 games making 14 starts with a 3.90 ERA.
In 1966 Hamilton posted a 6-13 record with a 3.93 ERA. After going 2-0 in 1967, he would be traded to the California Angels where he would infamously hit Boston's Tony Conigliaro in the head with a pitch. It is still considered one of baseballs' worst beaning's, ruining the promising career of Conigliaro. Jack Hamilton never got over it & was never the same on or off the field.