Remembering Mets History (1965) Mets Win One For Casey on His Shea Stadium Birthday Celebration
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 in an afternoon double header & 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.
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.
With Stengel in the hospital, Wes Westrum was given the job as Mets interim manager.
That year the Mets Fans were dubbed "the New Breed" as they turned out in large numbers to root on the poor team. The Mets did begin to bring up some exciting players that would become legends & play roles in the 1969 Championship such as young players Ed Kranepool, Ron Swoboda & Cleon Jones.
Bo Trivia: Belinski as a native New Yorker born on Manhattan's Lower East Side. In 1962 he became one of the Los Angeles Angels first star payers after throwing a no hitter at Dodger Stadium, the first no-hitter thrown at the ballpark.
The L.A. Angels played there as tenants from 1962-1965. Bo was known for loving the night life & living a playboy life style. Bo was engaged to the beautiful actress / playboy model Mamie Van Doren in a high profile relationship. His star status quickly fell & by 1965 he was traded to the Phillies.
In the bottom of the 2nd, the Mets rose to the occasion to win one for their skipper. First with one out Jim Hickman singled to right field. After Ed Kranepool flew out for the second out Bobby Klaus drew a walk. Chris Cannizzaro then singled into right field scoring Hickman to tie the game.
Next the pitcher Galen Cisco hit a grounder to second base, Ruben Amaro's error led to Bobby Klaus scoring & Cisco reaching safely. A wild pitch from Bo Belinsky advanced the runners.
Ed Roebuck came on to pitch then gave up an RBI single to Roy McMillan giving the Mets a 6-1 lead.
In the bottom of the 3rd inning, after rookie Ron Swoboda reached on an error, new pitcher Art Mahaffey hit Jim Hickman with a pitch then walked Ed Kranepool. Bobby Klaus delivered an RBI single to left field scoring Swoboda making it 5-1 Mets.
In the bottom of the 4th, Roy McMillan collected his second hit of the game with a double to center. Charley Smith then drove in his 35th run, second on the team to Ed Kranepool, scoring McMillan for a 7-1 lead.
Meanwhile on the mound for New York, Galen Cisco held the Phillies down to a run on five hits over six innings. Cisco earned his second win of the season, breaking a personal four game losing streak. Gary Kroll came on to pitch three scoreless innings striking out five to earn his first save & only save of his career.
In 1965 Shea Stadium was a busy place drawing 1.8 million fans third most in the NL behind Sandy Koufax & the World Champion Dodgers & the Astros who played in the Astrodome "the eighth wonder of the world".
That year the World's Fair was going across the way in Flushing Meadows Park. In August the Beatles would play one of the most famous concerts in history setting the future up for stadium rock concerts.
