Remembering Mets History (1963) Jim Hickman Hits a Walk-Off Grand Slam Helping Break Roger Craig's Personal 18 Game Losing Streak

Friday August 9th, 1963: Casey Stengel's Mets had won two straight games but were 36-77 on the season. 

On this evening, they hosted Bob Kennedy's fifth place Chicago Cubs (59-52) in front of 11,566 fans at the Polo Grounds. 

The starting pitchers were the Mets Roger Craig (2-20) & the Cubs Paul Toth (3-6).

Roger Craig Trivia: Roger Craig was on one of the worst hard luck streaks a pitcher could ever have. 

Dating back to April 29th, Craig entered tonight's game having lost 18 straight decisions already registering twenty losses on the season. In that time over 24 games, Craig gave up 61 earned runs with 16 HRs in 132 innings for a 4.16 ERA. Also notes is that in 17 starts he allowed two runs or less eight times. 

In the top of the 1st the Cards put two men on but Merritt Ranew grounded out to Jim Hickman to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 2nd, the Mets collected three straight singles but ailed to score.

In the bottom of the 4th, Mets slugger Frank Thomas hit his 11th HR of the season putting the Mets on the board first.

But in the top of the 5th, the Cubs connected for two HRs off Roger Craig as Andres Rodgers & Lou Brock both went deep putting Chicago ahead 2-1.

Polo Grounds Trivia: The previous year Brock known more for being one of the all time best base stealers became just the second player to ever hit a ball into the right field bleachers an approximate 460 ft from home plate. The only other player to reach that far was Joe Adcock (1953).

Lou Brock

In the bottom of the 5th, Al Moran led off with a walk, he was moved over on Roger Craig's sacrifice bunt. Moran went to third when Jim Hickman reached on a Ron Santo error. 

Duke Carmel then singled to right field scoring Moran to tie the game. Duke Snider followed with a base hit into left field scoring Hickman with his 38th RBI of the season, the 1309th RBI of his Hall of Fame career giving the Mets a 3-2 lead.

In the top of the 8th inning, with Roger Craig holding the one run lead, Billy Williams hit a triple to right field. Ron Santo followed with an RBI sac fly to score Williams with the games tying run.

The game would get to the bottom of the 9th inning tied at three. Cubs starter Paul Toth was still on the mound, as Joe Hicks collected a one out single. After Choo-Choo Coleman struck out Al Moran doubled to left field putting the winning run at third base. 

Lindy McDaniel came on in relief & walked his first batter Tim Harkness to load the bases.

Jim Hickman stepped in & hit the game winning, walk off grand slam HR. It was the Mets second walk off grand slam in franchise history.

Mets Walk Off Grand Slam Trivia: On June 26th, just six weeks earlier Tim Harkness hit the Mets first walk off grand slam also coming against the Cubs, off pitcher Jim Brewer.

Jim Hickman Trivia: Just two games earlier Jim Hickman was the first Mets player to hit for the cycle in a 7-3 win over the Cardinals at the Polo Grounds.

The Mets went on to the 7-3 win, much to the relief of Roger Craig who finally snapped an 18-game losing streak. Craig would go 2-2 the rest of the way, finishing the season with 22 losses. Craig had lost a franchise record 24 games the previous year.

Slit Finger Fast Ball Mentor: Roger Craig was a former Brooklyn & Los Angeles Dodger, who was a two-time World Champion. In 1964 he would win another Championship with the Cardinals. 

Craig would become a successful pitching coach & manager with the San Francisco Giants. He is most famous & credited as the master teacher of the spilt finger fastball popularizing it in the 1980's.