Remembering Mets History (1965) Casey Stengel Breaks His Hip After a Night Out- Ending His Baseball Career

 July 24th, 1965: After a 5-1 loss to the Jim Bunning & the Phillies that afternoon at Shea, Mets manager Casey Stengel had a night out at the legendary Toots Shor's Restaurant. This was the second location of Toots Shor's located on 52nd St off Sixth Avenue. 

Casey was joined by old time baseball players from the New York Giants & the Brooklyn Dodgers, both teams in which Casey played on in his playing career. Casey was to have a mile stone birthday the following week turning 75.

After leaving the event, he did not go home to his usual apartment at the Essex House on Central Park South, where he lived during the baseball season. Mostly due to the fact that his wife Edna was in California at their Glendale home suffering with an eye infection.

Casey was driven to the home of a Mets executive, Joseph Gregorio where he was to spend the night, in the Malba section of Whitestone, Queens close to Shea Stadium. The home was located at 1-12 Malba drive near the Whitestone Bridge right off Powell's Cove connected off the East River.

While exiting the vehicle Stengel slipped & fell injuring his hip. The next morning he was in
excruciating pain & Mets trainer Gene Mauch was called to the home. 

Next, Dr. Peter LaMotte was called in & he diagnosed a broken hip. Stengel was sent to Roosevelt Hospital where Dr. LaMotte was an orthopedic surgeon. 

Quotes Dr. Peter LaMotte: "A person of his age could fracture a hip even while twisting & turning in bed. It is now my belief that he twisted his leg getting out of the car."

Meanwhile at Shea Stadium, a celebration of the manager's 75th birthday had been planned. His birthday was July 30th but the Mets would be on the road. The Mets organization was to present him with a remote control stereo, the players with a silver bowl.

The broadcasters (Bob Murphy, Ralph Kiner & Lindsey Nelson) were to present a color TV set & the Baseball writers a tie clasp with a diamond stud for each of his 53 years in baseball. Even the president of the United States, Lyndon Johnson sent a message.

The city of St. Petersburg where the Mets held Spring Training & the future home of Stengel Field even sent Miss St. Petersburg, dolled up in an orange dress to represent the City along with a plaque in his honor.

The 39,288 fans that came to see the Mets take on the Phillies that day & celebrate in the festivities. 35,000 small birthday cakes were issued to fans, a large 250 pound cake for the players & Mets staff as well as a sixty piece band to perform.

Quotes- Casey Stengel: "I know I can't make it to the Stadium today. I do feel sorry for all those people who went to all the trouble for my birthday."

Mets coaches Wes Westrum who became acting manager & Yogi Berra accepted the gifts on Casey's behalf. 

The Shea crowd then all sang a special Happy Birthday to Casey as he watched on TV from a hospital bed where no visitors were allowed.

The Mets posted updates on Stengel on the large Shea scoreboard.

The Mets won the first game of that afternoon's double header, rally for their skipper. They dropped the nightcap 3-1. Then went on the road for the first time since their inception in 1962 without Casey Stengel. 

On August 30th he would officially announce his retirement from baseball. On September 2nd, 1965 the Mets officially retired his uniform #37.