Remembering Mets History (1962) Al Jackson Throws First Shutout in Franchise History & Frank Thomas Gets Hit By Pitches Twice In the Same Inning

Sunday April 29th, 1962: At this early point in the Mets inaugural season, Casey Stengel's Mets had only won two games in their first 14 tries. It would be a long year trying to earn wins for the 1962 Mets.

 
On this day, Casey's team would earn their third Met victory & see first shut out thrown by a Mets pitcher in team history. 

On this Sunday afternoon double header at the Polo Grounds, the Mets hosted Gene Mauch's Philadelphia Phillies. 

A good crowd of just under 20,000 came to the old ballpark in Washington Heights to see 26-year-old Al Jackson pitch for the Mets, against the Phillies Art Mahaffey.

In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Mets slugger, Frank Thomas hit a solo HR off Art Mahaffey. It was already Thomas' sixth HR on the young season.

Frank Thomas Trivia: The 32-year-old Frank Thomas was the Mets first true slugger. In 1962 he hit 34 HRs with 94 RBIs. Thomas would hit 25 or more HRs seven times in his 16 year career. He finished up with 286 career HRs, 52 of them as a Mets player. 

Seven Run Inning: In a crazy home 4th inning, the Mets scored seven runs with just three hits while sending 13 men to the plate. 

Gus Bell led off with a base hit & then Frank Thomas got hit by a pitch.

 

Charlie Neal then bunted & got aboard when first baseman Roy Sievers threw the ball away
allowing Gus Bell to score the first run of the game well. Next, Thomas Gil Hodges fielder's choice allowed Thomas to score the second run.

Felix Mantilla then singled to center field, scoring Charlie Neal with Gil Hodges & Felix Mantilla advancing on another error by Roy Sievers. Next Sammy Taylor grounded out to the right-side allowing Gil Hodges to score the Mets fifth run. 

Art Mahaffey then threw a wild pitch which allowed allowing Felix Mantilla to score to score the sixth Met run. Pitcher Al Jackson drew a walk in that at bat. Next Jim Hickman finished off the scoring with a two run HR, giving the Mets an 8-0 lead. 

Two batters later Frank Thomas was hit by another pitch reaching twice as a hits batsman in the same inning, tying an MLB record. 

Frank Thomas HBP Trivia: Thomas would get hit with pitches eight times that year (5th most in the NL). In his career he got plunked 51 times.

In the top of the 5th the Phillies collected two singles but Al Jackson got Tony Taylor to ground out to second to end the inning. In the top of the 7th the Phil's collected two more hits but Jackson held them down again. Al then retired the last seven batters in a row becoming the first pitcher in franchise history to throw a complete game shut out.

As Mets broadcaster Bob Murphy called him "Little Al Jackson" pitched nine innings, allowing eight hits with one walk, while striking out four to earn his first win of the year.