Remembering Mets History (1973) Willie Mays Hits His Final Career HR #660

Friday August 17th, 1973: Yogi Berra's New York Mets were in last place (53-66) but only seven games back in a tight NL East race.  The previous game saw Tom Seaver throw a two hit shut out over the Padres 7-0 in San Diego snapping a four game losing streak. The win was Seaver's 15th with a league best 1.78 ERA on his way to his second Cy Young Award.

The Mets were about to make their run as they would win 30 of their next 43 games to capture the NL Eastern title on the last day of the season.

On this night, no one knew it but it would be an NLCS preview as Sparky Anderson's Big Red Machine (75-48) were in town opening up a weekend series at Shea Stadium. 

36,803 fans came to see the Mets George Stone (7-3) take on the Reds Don Gullet (14-8). Since being put in the starting rotation at the start of June, George Stone had gone 6-1 since with a 3.38 ERA in his last ten starts.

After a 2nd inning single from Andy Kosco, the Mets George Stone would retire the next 13 batters in a row until the 6th inning.

In the bottom of the 4th inning with one out, veteran Willie Mays stepped in & hit a HR to right center field. 

All Time HR List: It was Mays' sixth HR of the season & the 660th of his incredible career. At the time Willie was third behind Babe Ruth & Henry Aaron on the All-Time HR list.

The HR came off Don Gullet, Mays had gone 2-12 off Gullet with a HR in 1970 while with the Giants, that game was Gullet's first career loss.

Willie would get just six more starts in the regular season before announcing his retirement on September 17th. He would be convinced to stay on to play out the rest of the season by team owner Mrs. Joan Payson. 

Mays most important role was being the inspirational leader on team that came from last place at the end of August, to win the NL pennant & come within one game of a championship. 

Mays in the '73 Post Season: Mays would collect an RBI single in the clinching Game #5 of the NLCS then make his final career start while driving in the first run of the 1973 World Series in Game #1 at Oakland. In three World Series appearances that year he was 2-7 collecting his final career hit in Game #2.

Trivia: 22 years earlier, on May 28th, 1951 Willie Mays hit his first career HR coming off Milwaukee's Warren Spahn at the Polo Grounds. 

George Stone took the 1-0 lead into the 9th inning. After retiring Pete Rose & Joe Morgan, the Reds collected three straight singles from Dan Driessen, Tony Perez & Johnny Bench tying up the game. 

Bobby Tolan popped up for the final out of the inning. Overall Stone allowed a run on five hits, striking out eight & walking two. T

In the top of the 10th, pinch hitter Hal King hit a HR to right field off reliever Harry Parker. In the bottom of the 10th, Pedro Borbon retired the Mets in order as the Reds won the game 2-.1