50th Anniversary of the 1969 Mets: Amazing Mets World Series MVP- Donn Clendenon
50th Anniversary of the 1969 World Champion "Amazing Mets"
As a result Clendenon did not play in the Mets three game sweep of the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. But he was sure ready for the 1969 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles.
Game #1 Memorial Stadium, Baltimore Maryland: The Amazing Mets won the NL Pennant & were in the World Series. The first game saw their ace Tom Seaver take a 4-1 loss to Mike Cuellar. It was the only post season game the 1969 Mets would lose.
The next day they got right back on track. In Game #1 Donn Clendenon was playing first base & batting clean up. He would be in that batting position in four of the five Series games.
The next day they got right back on track. In Game #1 Donn Clendenon was playing first base & batting clean up. He would be in that batting position in four of the five Series games.
In his first Series at bat he struck out. Then, the 4th inning, he doubled to left center field with two outs, but was stranded on second base. In the 7th he led off with a base hit & came around to score the Mets only run on Al Weis' base hit.
Game #2 Memorial Stadium, Baltimore Maryland:
With the O's taking Game #1 they were feeling pretty good, like things were normal in the universe. Little did they believe that the same year a man walked on the moon, the Amazing Mets would upset the Mighty Orioles & win the World Series.
In the 4th inning, Clendenon led off with a HR off McNally. It was his first post season HR & put the Mets up 1-0.
It was his only hit of the game, but Jerry Koosman held the Orioles down to just one run on two hits, he walked three & struck out four. The only run was an RBI base hit from Brooks Robinson in the 7th.
In the 8th the Mets got three straight base hits from Ed Charles, Jerry Grote & the RBI game winner from Al Weis to give the Mets the series tying 2-1 win. Ron Taylor came on for the final out & the save.
Game #3 Shea Stadium, New York: All the excitement surrounding the Amazing Mets came to a true reality as the Mets played their first ever World Series game at home. With the right hander Jim Palmer on the mound for Baltimore, Clendenon sat on the bench as Ed Kranepool got
the start. Kranepool hit a HR that day, as did Tommie Agee leading off the Mets 1st inning. Gary Gentry & Nolan Ryan combined on the 5-0 shut out.
the start. Kranepool hit a HR that day, as did Tommie Agee leading off the Mets 1st inning. Gary Gentry & Nolan Ryan combined on the 5-0 shut out.
The excitement level was off the charts at Shea as the Mets ace, the best pitcher in MLB was on the mound, ready to earn his first & only World Series win. Seaver pitched ten innings, giving up just one run on six hits while striking out six & walking two.
With the left handed Mike Cuellar on the mound, Clendenon was inserted as the clean up hitter for Gil Hodges Mets. In his first at bat in the 2nd inning, Clendenon gave the Shea crowd a big boost as he led off with a deep HR over the left field wall, into the back of the Orioles bullpen off Cuellar.
It was the second straight game he homered in.
He would strike out in the 4th inning & ground out to the pitcher in the 7th.
In the 9th he struck out with Cleon Jones on second base & one out.
The Mets would score one more run, a walk off bunt base hit scoring Rod Gaspar in the 10th inning. The Mets were now just one win away.
He would strike out in the 4th inning & ground out to the pitcher in the 7th.
In the 9th he struck out with Cleon Jones on second base & one out.
The Mets would score one more run, a walk off bunt base hit scoring Rod Gaspar in the 10th inning. The Mets were now just one win away.
Game #5 Shea Stadium, New York: Today was probably the most memorable & important day in Mets history. It's hard to imagine in this day & age how Amazing, how unlikely & how shocking the 1969 World Series win was for New York & the Mets.
For the clincher Gil Hodges sent Jerry Koosman to the mound, after his Game #2 gem to rematch with Dave McNally. Donn walked in the 1st inning, with two outs. Tommie Agee had walked earlier & they were both stranded when RonSwoboda struck out.
Koosman gave up two HRs in the 3rd inning, to pitcher McNally & Frank Robinson.
When Koosman came back into the dugout he told his team, I'm going to hold them right there go out & score some runs.
With the Mets down 3-0 in the 6th inning, Cleon Jones was allegedly nicked on the shoe by a pitch. Mets manager, Gil Hodges walked out of the dugout showing home plate umpire Lou DiMuro a baseball with a shoe polish smudge on it. DiMuro awarded Cleon first base.
It was now Donn Clendenon who took charge, blasting a two run HR putting the Mets within a run. The Shea crowd went wild & the team was now ready to win it all. It was his only hit of the game.
It was now Donn Clendenon who took charge, blasting a two run HR putting the Mets within a run. The Shea crowd went wild & the team was now ready to win it all. It was his only hit of the game.
Al Weis homered in the 7th to tie it. In the 8th Cleon Jones doubled & scored on Ron Swoboda's double. He scored on an Orioles fielding error to seal the 5-3 victory. The Amazing Mets were World Champions & forever the poster boys for under dogs.
In four games he batted .357 going 5 for 14 with two walks. He hit three HRs, in three straight games driving in four runs. He added a double& scored four runs.
Donn received a brand new 1970 Dodge Charger for his efforts.
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