50th Anniversary of the 1969 Mets: Mets Click Their Heels Winning Two At Wrigley
50th Anniversary of the 1969 World Champion "Amazing Mets"
After beating Tom Seaver 1-0 in the opener at Wrigley Field, the Cubs third base man Ron Santo jumped up clicking his heels while leaving the field.
Tuesday, July 15th 1969- The next day, Al Weis hit one of his two HRs of the regular season, a three run blast. Ken Boswell added a solo shot as the Mets won it 5-4. Tommy Agee drove in the other Mets run with a triple. Pitchers, Gary Gentry & Ron Taylor combined for the win.
Wednesday, July 16th 1969- In the rubber game, a full house packed Wrigley Field, and all the transistor radios in New York were tuned in on this Wednesday afternoon.
Starting Lineups
Future Hall Of Famer, Fergie Jenkins took the hill for Chicago, and the Mets battered him around in the 1st inning.
Tommie Agee doubled and scored on Ken Boswell's base hit. Cleon Jones who was batting .346, singled and stole his 13th base of the year.
Wayne Garrett was intentionally walked and Ed Kranepool singled home Jones making it 2-0.
Then, second string catcher J.C. Martin ( a .227 hitter) drove a base hit to left field scoring two more Mets runs. It was now 4-0 Mets.
In the 2nd, Tommy Agee hit his 16th HR of the year, to make it 5-0. Jones & Art Shamsky both singled, then Wayne Garrett grounded to the pitcher, but Jones scored on the throw to first making it 6-0.
Mets starter Don Cardwell, got knocked out in the 2nd inning, after giving up four runs on six hits, as the Cubs made a game of it. Jim McAndrew relieved Cardwell & allowed a run on three hits. All of a sudden it was a one run 6-5 lead by the time Cal Koonce took the mound in the 3rd.
Starting Lineups
| 1 | Tommie Agee | CF |
| 2 | Ken Boswell | 2B |
| 3 | Cleon Jones | LF |
| 4 | Art Shamsky | RF |
| 5 | Wayne Garrett | 3B |
| 6 | Ed Kranepool | 1B |
| 7 | J.C. Martin | C |
| 8 | Al Weis | SS |
| 9 | Gary Gentry | P |
| 1 | Don Kessinger | SS |
| 2 | Glenn Beckert | 2B |
| 3 | Billy Williams | RF |
| 4 | Ron Santo | 3B |
| 5 | Ernie Banks | 1B |
| 6 | Willie Smith | LF |
| 7 | Randy Hundley | C |
| 8 | Jim Qualls | CF |
| 9 | Dick Selma | P |
Tommie Agee doubled and scored on Ken Boswell's base hit. Cleon Jones who was batting .346, singled and stole his 13th base of the year.
Wayne Garrett was intentionally walked and Ed Kranepool singled home Jones making it 2-0.
Then, second string catcher J.C. Martin ( a .227 hitter) drove a base hit to left field scoring two more Mets runs. It was now 4-0 Mets.
In the 2nd, Tommy Agee hit his 16th HR of the year, to make it 5-0. Jones & Art Shamsky both singled, then Wayne Garrett grounded to the pitcher, but Jones scored on the throw to first making it 6-0.
Mets starter Don Cardwell, got knocked out in the 2nd inning, after giving up four runs on six hits, as the Cubs made a game of it. Jim McAndrew relieved Cardwell & allowed a run on three hits. All of a sudden it was a one run 6-5 lead by the time Cal Koonce took the mound in the 3rd.
Koonce stopped the Cubs cold, he scattered just four hits over the next five innings, in a stellar relief performance getting the win. Reliever, Ron Taylor closed out the 8th & 9th innings earning his 9th save of the year.
The Mets did add more runs, Al Weis hit his second HR in two days, the only two he would hit all season, in the 5th inning. Art Shamsky added a two run HR in the 8th inning, his 7th of the year making it 9-5 Mets. After the game, The Mets' Tom Seaver jumped & clicked his heels outside the Mets dugout while smirking over at Ron Santo & the Cubs.
Not only were these surprising young Mets winning, they weren’t taking anybody's crap.
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