Remembering Mets History (1963) Rare Back to Back Walk Off Wins

Casey Stengel's Mets were certainly not a good team. The expansion franchise were just in their second year of play having lost a record 120 games the previous year. The roster was made up of washed up veterans & young players not yet ready for the big leagues, but so was the business of baseball in the early sixties. 

Although the 1963 Mets won just 51 games they did pull off eleven walk off wins. In mid July they did in back to back games. After a 13 games losing streak stretching from June 30th to July 14th, the Mets finally won a game beating the Houston Colt .45s in the first game of a double header. Of course they dropped the night cap to get to thirty one games below .500 at 30-61.

Tuesday July 16th, 1963: In the final game of a four game set with Harry Craft's Houston Colt .45s, the Mets Al Jackson (6-10) went up against Turk Farrell (6-7). Both pitchers would lead their respective staff's in victories that year, with Jackson winning 13 games & Farrell winning 14 games.

After three scoreless inning, in the bottom of the 4th, Mets centerfielder Joe Hicks hit a two out solo HR to right field giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. Hicks a veteran utility player had come over from the Washington Senators. He had just been brought up a week ago from AAA Buffalo where he hit 14 HRs while batting .320. 

In the bottom of the 5th, New York's Jim Hickman hit his 9th HR of the year, a solo shot off Turk Farrell giving the Mets a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the 6th, Frank Thomas doubled, collecting the second of his three hits on the day. Joe Hicks doubled as well driving in Thomas with his second RBI of the game making it 3-0.

In the top of the 7th, after Al Jackson had shut out Houston for six innings, rookie Rusty Staub homered bringing the Colts to within a run. In the top of the 8th, Jim Campbell hit a solo HR making a 3-2 game.

In the top of the 9th, with Al Jackson trying to close out the game, Johnny Temple doubled & Pete Runnels singled putting the tying run on third base. Manager Casey Stengel removed Jackson for Galen Cisco. Cisco got Carl Warwick to ground into a double play but pinch runner Ernie Fazio scored from third base to tie the game.

In the bottom of the 9th, Houston's Al Woodeshick came on to pitch. Hot Rod Kanhel reached on an infield single. Woodeshick then threw wildly trying to pick off Hot Rod at first base, allowing him to get all the way to third base on the error.

Casey Stengel then brought in Norm Sherry to pinch hit. Norm then delivered the walk off base hit with a single to left field scoring Hot Rod Kanehl for the 4-3 win.

Norm Sherry Trivia: Norm Sherry was a native New Yorker, who signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers then went on to play four seasons with the in Los Angeles. Sherry a catcher, gets credit to having lent some pitching advice to Sandy Koufax that helped turn around his career.  In 1963 Sherry was brought over to the Mets along with Dick Smith. 

After his brief playing career he became a successful pitching under Dick Williams with the Angels, Padres & Expos. In Montreal Shery also helped tutor catcher Gary Carter. Sherry replaced Williams as manager of Angels for parts of two seasons. He later coached under another former Met, Roger Craig in San Francisco.

Wednesday July 17th, 1963: The next night the Mets opened up a series with Alvin Dark's reigning NL Champion San Francisco Giants. Just six years removed from New York, the Giants always drew many of their old fans back when they arrived in town. 

A crowd of 26,574 filled the Polo Grounds as Tracy Stallard took on future Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry (1-3). Perry just in his second season was making just his second start of the year.

In the top of the 1st, the Giants Harvey Kuenn led off with a triple, Willie Mcovey then singled to bring in Kuenn with the first run. In the 2nd, Orlando Cepeda drew a lead off walk. After getting the next two outs, Gaylord Perry & Harvey Kuenn both singled making it a 2-0 Giants lead.

In the bottom of the 2nd, Frank Thomas singled, Larry Burright reached on a fielders choice then advanced on a wild pitch. With two outs Al Moran hit a grounder to second that Chuck Hiller missed allowing Moran to reach & Larry Burright to score on.

In the top of the 3rd, the miscues continued, after Willie Mays tripled Tracy Stallard threw a wild pitch allowing Willie to score for a 3-1 Giants lead.

In the bottom of the 4th, Joe Christopher walked, Duke Snider then reached on Chuck Hiller's second error of the game at second base. Jesse Gonder the hit a three run HR to right field putting the Mets ahead. It was Gonder's sixth & final HR of the season.

In the bottom of the 4th, Joe Christopher hit his first & only HR of the season, making it a 5-3 game.

In the top of the 5th, Willie McCovey hit his league leading 29th HR of the season, that year McCovey would lead the NL with 44 HRs, winning the first of three HR titles in the 1960's. 

In the bottom of the 6th, the Mets added a run after singles from Al Moran & the pitcher, Stallard followed by Joe Christophers ground ball out allowing Moran to score giving the Mets a 6-4 lead.

In the top of the 8th, the Giants led off with back-to-back singles. Jay Hook came on to pitch for the Mets giving up three straight RBI singles to Orlando Cepeda, Chuck Hiller & Jose Pagan giving San Fran the lead 7-6.

In the bottom of the 9th, Jack Fisher who would join the Mets the next year came on to pitch for the Giants. Duke Snider led off with a base hit & Hot Rod Kanehl came on to pinch run. Then Frank Thomas delivered a game tying RBI double to left center field with Kanehl crossing the plate.

The game remained tied for the next two innings as Galen Cisco & Jack Fisher pitched scoreless innings.

In the bottom of the 11th, veteran Don Larsen came on to pitch for the Colts. Joe Christopher collected his third hit of the game with a lead off single. Joe Hicks then won the game with a walk off HR over the right field wall. It was the second straight game Hicks homered & had a multi-RBIs. The Mets won the game 9-7 enjoying back-to-back walk off wins.

Joe Hicks Trivia: Hicks would hit HRs in three straight games, collecting seven RBIs with eight hits in the three games. His success was short lived as he hit just three more HRs the rest of the season.