Remembering Mets History (1967) Mets Beat the Giants Juan Marichal for the First Time

1967 Mets Team Photo

In 1962 National League baseball returned to New York City. Whenever the Mets hosted games against the two former National League teams that moved West, the Giants & Dodgers it was always something special for the fans.

In 1967, it had been ten years since the New York Giants & Brooklyn Dodgers had left town. Many of those old fans were still heartbroken, never getting over the move. So, when those two teams came to town, the Mets would always draw bigger crowds than usual.

Juan Marichal

Back then, expansion was not what it was today, so the first few years were losing ones for the New York Mets. But they were motivated by the excitement & always played the former New Yorker teams tough. Those Giants & Dodgers had some good teams out West in those days as well. From 1962 thru 1966 they combined to win three of the four NL Pennants.

As for the San Francisco Giants, they were coming into Shea Stadium on the 4th of July 1967, led by manager Herman Franks, in fourth place 6.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals, who would eventually go on to win the 1967 World Series.

On this day the future Hall of Fame pitcher with the high leg kick delivery; Juan Marichal "The Dominican Dandy" took the mound (11-6). 

Marichal had just come off a four year stretch winning twenty or more games with 200 plus strike outs. That year he would fall to 14-10 but returned in 1968 with a 26-9 season, 218 K's & a 2.43 ERA. 

Jack Fisher

Since 1962, the Mets had lost 19 consecutive decisions to Marichal, as he was 19-0 against them.

The 1967 Mets (61-101) finished last in a league of ten NL teams under manager Wes Westrum. Westrum the former New York Giants catcher & served as Mets manager for parts of three seasons. 

In 1967 he would walk away from his position, with just 11 games to go in the season, when he learned the Mets were replacing him with Gil Hodges for 1968.

26,767 fans came out on Shea Stadium on this Independence Day to watch the Mets Jack Fisher take on Mr. Marichal & his Giants team, that included Hall of Famers Willie Mays & Willie McCovey among others.

In the top of the 1st, the Giants Tom Haller doubled to left field with one out. Willie Mays popped out to first base, then Jim Ray Hart doubled to bring in Haller for a 1-0 Giants lead.

In the bottom f the 1st, the Mets answered right back with a big inning. With two outs Tommy Davis reached to second base on an error at third by Jim Ray Hart. Ed Kranepool drove a base hit to right field scoring Davis. Ron Swoboda also singled. Then Ed Charles & Jerry Buchek both collected RBI singles making it a 3-1 Mets lead.

In the inning, they would send eight men to the plate score three runs & & collect five hits. 

In the top of the 3rd, Jack Fisher walked Tom Haller, then Willie Mays singled to left field. Jim Ray Hart followed with an RBI single which brought in Haller to make it a one run game. Willie McCovey then grounded out to Fisher, but the great base runner Willie Mays was, he scored on the play to tie it up at three.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Mets veteran Ed Charles who had come over from the Kansas City Athletics, hit a HR off Marichal. It was one of just three HRs "the Glider" hit all year.

Both pitchers rolled along into the 6th inning. In the bottom of the 6th, the Mets Jerry Grote led off with a base hit. He was sacrificed over to second base by pitcher Jack Fisher & advanced to third on Bud Harrelson's base hit.

Next center fielder Larry Stahl walked bringing up Tommy Davis, by far the best hitter on the Mets club. Dais doubled bringing in both Grote & Harrelson giving the Mets a 6-3 lead.

Tommy Davis Trivia:

Tommy Davis

Davis was a former two-time batting champion (1962- 1963) with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1965 he broke his ankle missing the rest of the season & the World Series. With the Dodgers having some issues with his personality, he was traded to the Mets along with Derrell Griffith for Jim Hickman & Ron Hunt. 

Davis hit .302 but was unhappy in New York & was traded to the White Sox at the end of the season in a six-player deal that brought Tommie Agee to the Mets.

After Marichal walked Ed Kranepool intentionally, Ron Swoboda singled to left field bringing home Larry Stahl & Tommy Davis making it an 8-3 Mets lead knocking Marichal out of the game. 

In the top of the 8th the Mets Jack Fisher ran into trouble as Jesus Alou & Tom Haller singled to start the inning. Fisher struck out Willie Mays, then walked Jim Ray Hart to load the bases.

Hal Reniff

Norm Sieburn singled to right field bringing in two more runs, making it an 8-5 game. Next pinch hitter Ty Cline singled to center scoring Jim Ray Hart bringing the Giants closer at 8-6.

Ron Taylor relieved Fisher & served up an RBI single to veteran Dick Groat. But Taylor then got Jim Davenport to ground out to Jerry Buchek at second base to end the inning. 

In the top of the 9th inning Jesus Alou led off with a base hit.  Manager Westrum went to the bull pen for Donnie Shaw, who got Tom Haller out on a sacrifice bunt.

Westrum then went to reliever Hal Reniff who got Willie Mays & Jim Ray Hart to both ground out to end the game.

Jack Fisher got the win & Hal Reniff earned his first save of the year, he would finish with four, second most on the club to Ron Taylor's eight saves. 

Trivia: Juan Marichal took his first loss, to the Mets after six years of play. He was now 19-1 vs the Mets. In his career Marichal would pitch in 43 games against the Mets going 26-8 with a 2.13 ERA, 241 strike outs & 44 walks in 342 innings of work. 

In each of the next two seasons, Marichal would lose a game to the Mets in each of the next two seasons. In 1969 he was 1-1 with a 0.40 ERA against the Amazing's. In the Mets 1973 pennant season they beat him three out of four games.