With the Mets up two Games to one, Shea Stadium was was filled again with 57,367 with fans ready to witness another Amazing victory.
In a rematch of Game One starters, NL Cy Young winner Tom Seaver (25-7 / 2.21 ERA / 208 Ks) would go up against the only Orioles pitcher, to have a victory in the 1969 World Series, Mike Cueller (23-11 / 2.38 ERA / 182 Ks).

Seaver said any war protest from him would not come during a World Series & it would be him as a U.S. citizen not an MLB pitcher. "I'm a ball player not a politician. I did not give them permission to use me".
More drama arose having to do with the flying of the U.S. Flag. That day Mayor John Lindsay had agreed to fly Flags at half staff to observe moratorium Day & honor those who had died in Vietnam. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn overruled the Mayor & had the Flag flown at full staff.
In a pregame ceremony, former Mets manager Casey Stengel threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The Ol' Professor would manage the Mets from their inception until the summer of 1965 when health had him retire. Stengel was the Mets biggest cheerleader & supporter.
Starting Lineups
Baltimore Orioles | New York Mets | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Don Buford | LF | 1 | Tommie Agee | CF | ||||
2 | Paul Blair | CF | 2 | Bud Harrelson | SS | ||||
3 | Frank Robinson | RF | 3 | Cleon Jones | LF | ||||
4 | Boog Powell | 1B | 4 | Donn Clendenon | 1B | ||||
5 | Brooks Robinson | 3B | 5 | Ron Swoboda | RF | ||||
6 | Elrod Hendricks | C | 6 | Ed Charles | 3B | ||||
7 | Davey Johnson | 2B | 7 | Jerry Grote | C | ||||
8 | Mark Belanger | SS | 8 | Al Weis | 2B | ||||
9 | Mike Cuellar | P | 9 | Tom Seaver | P |
Seaver started out the 1st inning striking out Don Buford. Paul Blair would single but Frank Robinson flied out to center field. Seaver closed out the inning by striking out Boog Powell looking. Cuellar put the Mets down in order in the 1st.
It would be the only scoring until the 9th inning, as both pitchers put on a heck of a pitching performance.
The fiery Weaver who would make a career out of arguing with umpires & getting thrown out of games, became the first manager in 34 years to get thrown out of a World Series Game.
In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Al Weis led off with a base hit. After Seaver struck out, Tommie Agee singled to left field. Bud Harrelson & Cleon Jones both grounded out to end the inning.
Seaver would not allow another hit until the 9th inning. He got stronger as the day went on. He would retire 19 of 20 batters in that period, allowing just a walk. He would also retire nine in a row from the 6th to the 9th innings. He had allowed just three hits up to that point of the game.

He allowed base hits in the 4th & 5th innings, but the Orioles solid defense turned double plays to end any chance of scoring. He tossed a perfect 6th, allowed a base hit to Ron Swoboda in the 7th, but got Ed Charles to line out & Jerry Grote to ground out to Belanger.
Ron Swoboda singled with his second hit of the day. But pinch hitter Art Shamsky grounded out to end the inning. taking the World Series to extra innings.
He stretched out his body & reached with his glove making a remarkable diving backhanded catch. He looked in his glove, and there was the ball. The crowd roared, in disbelief they realized he had made a spectacular circus catch.
Swoboda who was never known for his glove, erased all those memories away. Seaver would earn his first & only World Series victory thanks to Swoboda's catch.
Quotes- Ron Swoboda: "I want to thank the Rawlings people for making such a fine glove. You know that if you catch the ball, you aren't going to throw anybody out, but you have to try."
Trivia: A silhouette of Swoboda making his famous catch, is designed on the right field gate entrance at Citi Field in his honor.
Although Frank Robinson tagged up from third base and scored the tying run, there is no doubt that Swoboda's grab prevented the go-ahead run from scoring.
Now with two outs & order restored in the universe, Seaver got the final out of the inning, as Elrod Hendricks lined out to non other than Swoboda in right field. Ron Swoboda had a good day at the plate as well, collecting three hits.
Overall on the day for Tom Seaver, he went ten innings, allowing one run on six hits, struck out six & walked two. He would get credit for the win. In four career World Series games, this was his only credited victory. Overall he was 3-3 with a 2.77 ERA in eight career post season games. In the 1969 post season he was 2-1 with a 4.70 ERA 11 strike outs & 6 walks.
Jerry Grote also was hitting well in the Series, he led off the 10th inning with a double off O's reliever; Dick Hall. The ball got him on the fists & dropped in left center field between Don Buford & Mark Belanger.
Next, Al Weis was walked intentionally to get to the pitchers spot. Gil Hodges put in pinch runner Rod Gaspar at second, and called on back up catcher J.C. Martin, to pinch hit for Seaver. Pete Richert came in to pitch for Baltimore.
J.C. Martin got the bunt sign, and bunted perfectly back to the pitchers mound. Richert chose to field the ball, instead of letting catcher Elrod Hendricks handle it. His throw to first base hit Martin in the arm as he was running down the base line.
Catcher Elrod Hendricks was yelling he had it to the pitcher; Richert. Richert said " I just went for the ball, he might have yelled; first base or he might have yelled I got it. With all those people yelling, if I stop to listen I don't make the play."
Manager Gil Hodges congratulates J.C. Martin |
In the dugout Seaver whispered to Jerry Koosman the scheduled Game #5 starter "get em tomorrow, stuff it down their throats, one more!"
After the game, in the Shea visiting dugout, an ejected manager Earl Weaver complained about the call but MLB Commissioner; Bowie Kuhn stated that the game was official.
After the game Seaver was interviewed by NBC broadcaster, Sandy Koufax. Koufax asked Seaver if he thought God was a Mets fan? Seaver's reply was "no but he might have an apartment in New York".
Quotes: Tom Seaver: "They overestimated themselves & underestimated the Mets. One more game will really prove it."
1 comment:
I was thrilled to see the 69 Mets games on MLB network this morning, I was 13 all my life in the Bronx when in 1970 relocated to the Midwest.
I missed Swoboda's miracle catch in Game 4. Does anyone have a video clip of that? I checked youtube...
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