Remembering Mets History (1963) Duke Snider Night at the Polo Grounds & His Mets Career

September 12, 1963: In a pregame ceremony before the Mets & San Francisco Giants, the team honored future Hall of Famer Duke Snider. This also marked the last time the Giants would play in their former home the Polo Grounds.

Duke Snider was a legendary Brookyln (Los Angeles) Dodger who among his many accomplishments, had the most RBIs in the 1950's (1031) & was one of two players, along his teammate Gil Hodges to drive in over 1000 runs in the decade. 

Snider was an eight-time All-Star, one-time HR champ (1955) one time RBI leader (1956) becoming the Dodgers all time HR (389) RBI (1271) & extra base hits leader (814). Duke won six NL Pennants with the Dodgers & two Championships; he is also the only player to hit four HRs in two different World Series.

After the 1962 season, the 37-year-old veteran was sold to the expansion New Mets due to his popularity in New York. This was the case for the early Mets as they brought in as many old New York NL fan favorites to attract fans. Back in New York he joined his old friend & teammate Gil Hodges.

Mets Career: On Opening Day 1963, Duke Snider debuted with the Mets batting cleanup in the
7-0 loss to St. Louis at the Polo Grounds in front of 25,049 fans. In his first at bat he drew a walk off Ernie Broglio, then went 0-3.

On April 11th, in his third Mets game, Snider hit a HR off the Milwaukee Braves Warren Spahn, scoring the only Mets run in a 6-1 loss at County Stadium. He added another HR the next day as well.

2000 Career Hit: On April 16th, Snider hit his third HR of the season, coming off the Reds Jim Maloney in a 7-4 loss at Cincinnati. In that game he also collected his 2000th career hit.

Multi HR Game:

 On May 3rd, in a 5-3 loss to the Giants in front of 49,431 old Giants & Dodger fans at the Polo Grounds, Snider hit two HRs off Jack Fisher. Snider drove in all three runs for the Mets on that day.

By early May, he had collected five HRs & 13 RBIs leading the weak hitting Mets team while thrilling the nostalgic hometown fans with his heroics. On May 12th, in a wild 13-12 win at Cincinnati, Snider hit a 6th inning three run shot off the Reds Dom Zanni putting the Mets up 11-6. It was his 395th career HR. 

On May 22nd at Dodger Stadium, he homered off his friend & former roommate Don Drysdale in a 7-3 loss at Los Angeles, as the Dodger fans cheered for him. On June 2nd, he hit a solo shot off the Pirates Vern Law in a 2-1 win highlighted by a Pittsburgh error allowing the Mets Walk off winning run to score.

Walk Off HR: On June 7th, with the Mets down 2-0 to the Cardinals at the Polo Grounds in the bottom of the 9th inning, Frank Thomas singled & Ron Hunt drew a walk. Snider then blasted three run walk off HR off pitcher Diomedes Olivo, giving the early Mets fans one of their biggest dramatic thrills in the team's short history. 

400th Career HR: On June 14th at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Snider reached a
milestone hitting his 400th career HR. It came in the top of the 1st inning off the Reds' Bob Purkey. Snider became just the seventh player up to that point in MLB history to record 400 HRs with 2000 hits.

On June 25th, Duke hit his last HR in New York City, it came off the Cubs' Larry Jackson in a 4-1 loss to Chicago. Throughout the summer he only hit two more HRs, both coming on the road at Philadelphia & San Francisco. 

On September 6th in Cincinnati, Snider singled in the 5th inning scoring Ed Kranepool putting the Mets up 4-1. In the 7th inning his sac fly scored the young Kranepool again, helping the Mets in a 5-3 win.

The previous night, September 11th, Snider drove in his last Mets RBI with a 1st inning single off the Giants Jack Sanford for career RBI #1316. 

Duke Snider Night: On September 12th, 1963 the Mets honored Snider at the Polo Grounds in front of 27.839 fans, His former teammates Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella (whom Snider called his favorite catcher that night), Ralph Branca, Carl Furillo, Carl Erskine, Don Newcombe, Joe Pignatano & Cal Abrams were all on hand for the ceremony. Mets broadcaster Lindsey Nelson served as the evenings MC. 

For years Snider's Brooklyn Dodgers had battled their rival New York Giants in these Polo Grounds, now tonight he was being honored in that same park.

Quotes- Duke Snider: " I really don't know what to say. I look up in the stands & it looks like Ebbets Field. The Mets are wonderful, but you can't take the Dodger out of Brooklyn. My only regret is that my wife & children can't be here to share this with me. But school, you know the education process must go on, so they're back in California."

The Mets organization presented Hodges with a new Thunderbird, a world cruise, a golf cart & a color TV console (something fairly new at the time).

In the Giants last game played at the Polo Grounds, Juan Marichal went on to shut out the Mets 6-0 & even contributed with a solo HR. Felipe Alou & Ed Bailey also homered in the Giants victory. Duke Snider went 0-3 with a walk.

In his only Mets season, Snider hit .243 with 14 HRs & 45 RBIs with a .345 on base % & .742 OPS. At the end of the season he requested to be traded to a contender & was sent to the San Francisco Giants where he hit .210 in 91 games.