centerfield maz

Jerome Martin Koosman w as born December 23, 1942, on a farm in Appleton, Minnesota. As a child he left hander went ice fishing and played baseball in their family’s hay loft with his brother. He was drafted into the army in 1962, & there was no baseball team where he was stationed. Lucky enough his dentist, who was a general in the same unit helped Koosman get to El Paso Texas where they did have a baseball team.  After a few warmup pitches at the try out, he was told he was in the starting rotation. Koosman was serving at Ft. Bliss, Texas and made a friend who was from Queens, New York. He also was the son of an usher at Shea Stadium. John Luchese wrote to his dad telling him the Mets team should check this Koosman guy out, he could sure throw. The scouts came and offered him a contract right away after seeing him pitch. Quotes- Jerry Koosman:  “It seemed every time we spoke, they lowered the offer by a hundred dollars. I figured I be...

Roger Alan McDowell was born December 21, 1960, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His parents Herbert & Edna had two other children as well with Roger being the youngest of the McDowell children. After high school in Cincinnati, he attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio on a baseball scholarship. By 1982 the six foot one, right hander was signed by the New York Mets in the third round of the amateur draft. In the minor leagues he was still a starting pitcher, going 11-12 at AA Jackson in 1983. In 1984, with the AA Jackson Mets, he suffered an arm injury & had surgery to repair it, missing all but three games that season. After the injury he converted from being a starter to being a full-time relief pitcher. McDowell’s best pitch & basically his only pitch was his sinker ball which made him a right-handed ground ball specialist. Mets Career: In 1985  McDowell surprisingly made the Mets staff out of Spring Training. Davey Johnson wa...