Koosman was the Mets all time best post season pitcher with a 4-0 record, 3-0 in World Series play with a 2.39 ERA. It was on this day in 1976 when he reached the 20th win mark in a single season.
Joe Frazier's Mets were in third place (77-69) 11 1/2 games out of first place and had up until recently had a chance in the pennant race. Tonight they hosted Red Schoendienst 5th place St. Louis Cardinals (65-79). Brooklyn born, Pete Falcone (12-13) a future Met went up against Koosman on this night in front of just 5,472 fans at Shea.
St.Louis Cardinals | New York Mets | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Vic Harris | CF | 1 | Lee Mazzilli | CF | |
2 | Luis Alvarado | 2B | 2 | Felix Millan | 2B | |
3 | Keith Hernandez | 1B | 3 | John Milner | LF | |
4 | Ted Simmons | LF | 4 | Joe Torre | 1B | |
5 | Joe Ferguson | C | 5 | Mike Vail | RF | |
6 | Mike Anderson | RF | 6 | John Stearns | C | |
7 | Hector Cruz | 3B | 7 | Roy Staiger | 3B | |
8 | Don Kessinger | SS | 8 | Bud Harrelson | SS | |
9 | Pete Falcone | P | 9 | Jerry Koosman |
The Mets gave Koos run support early on with a little help from the Cards. In the 3rd, Falcone walked Felix Millan & John Milner, then an infield error on a Joe Torre grounder brought in the Mets first run.
After the game Koosman along with his wife Lavonne & his mother enjoyed a toast of champagne in celebration. Sadly that March Koosman lost his father & lived with that inspiration his father provided the whole season.
He ended the year at 21-10 (2nd in the NL in wins) with 200 strike outs (3rd in the NL) & a 2.69 ERA (4th in the NL) posting 17 complete games (2nd in the NL) & three shut outs. He lost out to Randy Jones in the Cy Young voting, an honor in which Koosman deserved to get.
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