New York Mets - The Beginning Years (1962-1969)  
   
 
Mets
Home
Click
on Logo		                                                    
        Yr P W L   Yr P W L   Yr P W L               1960  
        1962 10 40 120   1965 10 50 112   1967 10 61 101               Decade  
        1963 10 51 111   1966 9 66 95   1968 9 73 89               Click  
        1964 10 53 109             1969 1 100 62               on Logo  
                                                     
                                                       
                                                             
   
  Titles: Top Mets Players of the Sixties  
  1969 World Champs   
    Pitchers:  
  Ballpark: Tom Seaver (19.96) -   44  
  1962-1963 Polo Grounds Jack Fisher (4.74) -   29  
  1964-1969 Shea Stadium Alvin Jackson (3.17) -   27  
    Jerry Koosman (11.76) -   26  
  Team Name: Ron Taylor (4.88) -   12  
  Mets Don Cardwell (3.64) -   10  
    Galen Cisco (3.42) -   9  
  Owner:  Roger Craig (5.26) -   9  
  Joan Payson Gary Gentry (2.64) -   8   
    Tracy Stallard (2.26) -   8  
  General Managers: Denis Ribant (3.61) -   8  
  George Weiss (1962-1966) Dick Selma (3.33) -    7  
  Bing Devine (1967) Bob Shaw (0.82) -    7  
  Johnny Murphy (1968-1969) Tug McGraw (2.41) -    6  
    Jack Hamilton (-1.06) -    6    
  Managers: Carlton Willey (4.41) -   5  
  Casey Stengel (1962-1965) Jay Hook (-0.85) -    5  
  Wes Westrum (1965-1967) Nolan Ryan (1.59) -   3  
  Salty Parker (1967) Larry Bearnarth (0.65) -   3  
  Gil Hodges (1968-1969) Warren Spahn (0.04) -   3  
    Gary Kroll (0.25) -   2  
  Hall of Famers: Bill Wakefield (0.82) -    1  
  Richie Ashburn Ken MacKenzie (0.36) -    1  
  Gil Hodges   Darrell Sutherland (0.11) -   1  
  Nolan Ryan Bob Friend (-0.56) -    1  
  Tom Seaver Frank Lary (0.77) -    0  
  Duke Snider Dennis Musgraves (0.66) -    0  
  Warren Spahn Bob Moorhead (0.58) -    0  
     Grover Powell (0.51) -   0  
  Rookie of the Year:  Willard Hunter (0.37) -    0  
  Tom Seaver (1967) Dick Rusteck (0.31) -   0  
    Ralph Terry (0.15) -    0  
e MVP Bob G. Miller (0.07)  -    0  
e None Clem Labine (-0.14) -   0  
e   Bob Miller (0.17) -   0  
e No Hitters: Harvey Haddix (0.0) -   0  
e None Tom Sturdivant (-0.45) -    0  
    Vinegar Bend Mizell (-0.81) -    0  
  Cy Young: Billy Connors (-0.87) -   0  
  Tom Seaver (1969) Frenchy Daviault (-1.08) -   0  
    Craig Anderson (-3.54) -    0  
  Notable Events:  
  Catchers:  
  1962  - In a very smart marketing move, the Mets take advantage of the  Jerry Grote (5.66) -   24  
   fact that the National League Dodgers and Giants abandoned  Chris Cannizzaro (3.44) -   8  
   New York five years earlier. Jesse Gonder (1.85) -    6  
   They knew that the old Dodger and Giant fans would never defect Choo Choo Coleman (0.09) -   2  
  to rooting for the Yankees and that they were primed for finally making Hawk Taylor (-1.5) -   2  
    a clean break with the two clubs on the west coast.  Sammy Taylor (0.52) -   1  
  The Mets forsake going for long term wins and losses early on Hobie Landrith (0.2) -    0  
  by bringing in old ex Dodgers and Giants to play for them. Joe Pignatano (-0.31) -   0  
   The Mets sort of turned themselves into an Old Timers team for the Norm Sherry (-0.5) -    0  
   first  few years of their existence. And it worked. Greg Goossen (-0.71) -    0  
   New York also, at the same time, marketed the Mets as the   
  Lovable Losers - that worked as well. The Mets started out playing in  First Basemen:  
  the old Polo Grounds. More nostalgia. Ed Kranepool (0.42) -   26  
   Then, in 1964, they moved into the brand new Shea Stadium in  Tim Harkness (1.16) -   4  
  Flushing Meadows which was at the site of the  World's Fair -  Marv Throneberry (0.1) -   3  
   more good marketing. They were getting it all correct. Donn Clendenon (0.39) -   2  
  Duke Carmel (0.75) -   0  
  1962 - New owner Joan Payson brings in ex Yankees GM George Gil Hodges (0.61) -    0  
   Weiss and field manager Casey Stengel to run the club. Dick Stuart (-0.09) -    0  
   They weren’t going to win immediately so Casey's baseball acumen Dick Smith (-0.46) -   0  
   wasn't needed, but his remarkable showmanship was.   
  Meanwhile, Weiss, while initially bringing in old nostalgia guys, Second Basemen:  
   ended up building the roster that would eventually win the Mets Ron Hunt (8.25) -   21  
   the World title in '69, altho' George was out of the picture by then. Charlie Neal (1.67) -    4  
  Players brought in by Weiss: Felix Mantilla (1.06) -   4  
  □   First Base Ed Kranepool, free agent '62 Bob Johnson (0) -    3  
  □   Outfielder Ron Swoboda, free agent '63 Elio Chacon (1.14) -    1  
  □   Outfielder Cleon Jones, free agent '63 Chuck Hiller (0.66) -   1  
  □   Shortstop Bud Harrelson, free agent '63 Larry Burright (-0.29) -   1  
  □   Righthander Dick Selma free agent '63 Bobby Klaus (0.81) -   0  
  □   Lefthander Jerry Koosman, free agent '64 Rick Herrscher (0.2) -   0  
  □   Lefthander Tug McGraw, free agent '64 Bobby Pfeil (0.08) -   0  
  □   Infielder Kevin Collins, free agent '64 Lou Klimchock (-0.15) -   0  
  □   Catcher Jerry Grote, trade with Houston for Tom Parsons '65 Rod Kanehl (-1.74) -    0  
  □   Outfielder LeRoy Stanton, free agent '65  
  □   Second Base Ken Boswell, 4th round '65 draft ShortStop:  
  □   Righthander Jim McAndrew, 11th round '65 draft Bud Harrelson (4.81) -   14  
  □   Righthander Nolan Ryan, 12th round of '65 draft Ed Bressoud (2.05) -   7  
  □   Righthander Steve Renko, 24th round of '65 draft Roy McMillan (0.24) -   6  
  □   Catcher Duffy Dyer, 1st round of '66 draft Al Moran (-0.99) -   2  
  □   Righthander Danny Frisella, 3rd round of '66 draft Phil Linz (-1.41) -   0  
  □   First Base Mike Jorgenson, 4th round of '66 draft    
  □   HOF Righthander Tom Seaver, free agent '66 Third Base:  
  □   Outfielder Amos Otis, Rule 5 draft '66 Frank Thomas (3.5) -   14  
    Ed Charles (5.12) -   10  
  1965 - Casey Stengel breaks his hip, which, at his age, forced him to retire. Ken Boyer (3.52) -   7  
  Wes Westrum takes over.  Joe Moock (0.1) -   0  
    Wayne Graham (-0.43) -   0  
  1967 - Weiss retires as GM and well respected former Cards GM  Don Zimmer (-0.66) -    0  
   Bing Devine takes over. Cliff Cook (-1.42) -   0  
       
  1967 Righthander Don Cardwell, 31, is acquired from Pittsburgh in a trade Outfield:  
  for Denis Ribant Cleon Jones (11) -   40  
    Ron Swoboda (6.24) -   23  
  1967 - Righty Reliever Ron Taylor, 29, is purchased from Houston Jim Hickman (3.63) -   20  
    Tommy Agee (5.11) -   16  
  1967 - Third baseman Ed Charles, 34, is picked up in a trade with the A's Art Shamsky (3.63) -   14  
  for outfielder Larry Elliot Joe Christopher (1.34) -   9  
    Richie Ashburn (2.09) -   8  
  1968 - Outfielder Tommy Agee, 25, is acquired from the White Sox in a six Tommy Davis (2.73) -   8  
  player trade. Duke Snider (1.2) -   7  
    Johnny Lewis (2.11) -   6  
  1968 - Outfielder Art Shamsky, 26, is acquired from the Reds for utility infielder Gene Woodling (0.4) -    0  
  Bob Johnson Don Bosch (-0.97) -   0  
    Jimmy Piersall (1.02) -   0  
  1969 - Mid season deal brings in Expos slugging first baseman Donn Gus Bell (-1.46) -    0  
  Clendenon, 33, for five players including pitcher Steve Renko and infielder    
  Kevin Collins.  
     
  1969 - Led by starting pitchers Tom Seaver (25-7), Jerry Koosman (17-9)  
  and Gary Gentry (13-12) and ace relievers Ron Taylor, Tug McGraw and   
  Nolan Ryan, the Mets improve twenty seven games in the standings to jump    
  from ninth place to first place. This achievement came on the heels of the Red    
   Sox improving twenty games in 1967 to also jump from ninth to first. However,    
   the Mets' ascent was still a bit more impressive due to the slightly steeper climb    
   and the fact that the Mets then went on to win it all beating a tremendous Orioles    
   team in the World Series (Boston lost the World Series to the Cards in '67).    
   Aside from the pitching, the Mets fortified their lineup with some astute deals    
   for some good hitters like Donn Clendenon, Tommy Agee, Ed Charles and    
   Art Shamsky without giving up much in return. George Weiss had been    
   cultivating some outstanding pitching, but not so much so with the hitting,    
   thus necessitating adding the extra sticks.