Remembering Mets History (1966) Ron Swoboda HRs in Los Angeles As His Son Is Born In New York

Friday July 22nd, 1966: On July 19th the Mets left for a West Coast Road trip that landed them in San Francisco for two games, then to Los Angeles for four games & then to Houston for three games. The trip would last 11 days with the travel days included. For the Mets young 22-year-old outfielder, Ron Swoboda, it was nerve racking, because his wife Cecilia was back in New York about to give berth at any moment.

The Mets were on a six-game win streak, having swept the Astros in a four-game set at She Stadium & then taking two from the Giants at Candlestick Park. This was the team's longest winning streak in their five-year existence since joining the National League in 1962. 

1966 was also the team's first year that they would not be in last place at any point in the season. The Mets were just in their fifth season in the National League.

Tonight, the Mets were at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, playing Walt Alston's reigning World Series Champion Dodgers. That year the Dodgers would win another pennant but get swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.

New Dad: During the game at approximately 9:02 PM Pacific Coast Time, the Dodgers Stadium scoreboard would congratulate Swoboda on becoming a father to his son born the next day. Ron's wife Cecilia gave birth to their son, Ron Jr. at 12:02 AM East Coast time which is the following day in New York. 

At this point in time, players & men in general did not get time off from their job, especially in major league baseball for paternity leave.

Tonight 43,748 came out to see the Mets Bob Friend take on the Dodgers Claude Osteen. Osteen
was a 17-game winner that year & the next. He won 15 or more games four straight years, also losing 13 or more games in those years, but pitched in the shadows of Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax & Don Drysdale.

Mets pitcher Bob Friend had pitched 15 years in Pittsburgh winning 191 games for the Pirates (191-218). The 35-year-old Friend began the year with the AL New York team then had his contract purchased by the Mets on June 15th. 

Trivia: On August 28th, 1966, a week later, the Beatles were to play Dodger Stadium. At the time there was plenty of promotion around the Hollywood area. The promo poster read "Prepare! the Beatles is coming" & the bottom it read "Move over Sandy"!

The game was scoreless for the first two innings. In the top of the 3rd, Ed Kranepool led off with a base hit & was sacrificed over to second by the pitcher Friend. Ron Hunt then singled scoring Kranepool with the Mets first run.

Bob Friend held onto that 1-0 lead until the 8th inning, scattering four hits along the way.

Since the 3rd inning, Claude Osteen had held New York scoreless scattering just two hits. In the top of the 8th, Eddie Bressoud drew a leadoff walk. Cleon Jones sacrificed him over to second base. Then the new daddy, Ron Swoboda most likely full of emotion after learning of his son's birth, hit a two run HR to left field, giving the Mets a 3-0 lead.

Ron Swoboda Slugging Trivia: The previous year Swoboda set a franchise rookie record with 19 HRs that stood until Darryl Strawberry's 26 HRs 17 seasons later in 1983. Swoboda had hit ten HRs in his first 29 career at bats. He would average a HR every 36 at bats in his Mets career, hitting 73 in 737 Mets games over six seasons.

The Mets won the game 3-0 behind Bob Friend's complete game eight hit shutout. In the game he struck out three & walked no one. Friend went 5-8 for the Mets as a starter & reliever, this being his only Mets shut out, he pitched 36 in his 16-year career. Friend retired at the end of the season.

The Mets had their longest winning streak in franchise history to date at seven games. Cecilia & Chipper Swoboda were doing just fine as daddy Ron joined them after the road trip. To date Ron & Cecilia have been married sixty years & have two sons.