Master Index of Archived Threads


Celebrating the 69 Team Saturday Night.

metirish Aug 19 2009 07:50 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 19 2009 07:58 AM

Didn't want to clog the other thread with this First 25,000 fans get this Then in the Daily Snewz today Legacy of 1969 Mets: Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Nolan Ryan forever friends and champs ] Game 1 of the 1969 World Series was winding down and a disappointed Tom Seaver stood in the dugout runway at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium next to Donn Clendenon. The two were alone, Seaver lost in his thoughts. But Clendenon washed away the pitcher's disappointment with a few words. "We're going to beat these guys," Seaver says Clendenon told him. "We got our feet wet and we played poorly and we lost. But they didn't run us off the field. And Koosman's out there tomorrow. "He wasn't just yakking. He really believed it. And we had had every right to say that they were the big, bad Orioles." Seaver cherishes those quiet moments, when he and his teammates on the 1969 Mets felt that they could win, a sense mostly absent from the expansion team's inept-yet-cuddly history before that "Miracle" World Series title. This weekend, Seaver and many of his Amazin' teammates will relive moments such as that one in a 40th anniversary celebration that includes a reunion at Citi Field on Saturday. Nolan Ryan, who hasn't been back to a Mets event since his playing career ended in 1993, is slated to be there, as well as Jerry Koosman and Ed Kranepool, and coaches Eddie Yost and Yogi Berra. Seaver chuckled during a recent interview when he said, "We'll relive the lies, the half-truths and the reality. By now, we never gave up a home run as a pitcher or struck out as a hitter." There will be a lot of laughs. Some tears, too. Gil Hodges, the mastermind manager, has been dead since 1972. Tommie Agee is gone; so is Don Cardwell, Clendenon, pitching coach Rube Walker, Tug McGraw and others. "Oh, man," Seaver says, "that's the sad part. "Most importantly, at the back of everybody's mind will be Gil," Seaver adds. "He won't be there, but he'll be there, you know?" In 1968, the Mets had finished in ninth place in the 10-team National League, but their 73-89 record was by far the best in franchise history. In spring training of 1969, catcher Jerry Grote was perhaps the first to say the Mets "could win," Seaver says. "Jerry said it because he knew the pitching - Seaver, Koosman, Ryan, (Gary) Gentry. We had a whole stack of very good arms and he knew what that meant and that's exactly what happened." It didn't take long for the players to believe, either, even against the juggernaut Orioles. Ryan, who was 22 at the time, counts among his favorite 1969 memories when the Mets "started making our move on the Cubs and just being involved in that momentum that was going and the realization that we, in our minds, were going to win. "Looking back on it," Ryan adds, "It was my one shot at a World Series team. When it happened, probably a lot of us, if not all of us, thought that we'd be in that position again. It was our inexperience to not realize how hard and unique it is to get to that position. Now, there's such an appreciation." Ryan was wild and full of promise as a Met, but he was traded to the Angels for Jim Fregosi before the 1972 season, so he played much of his Hall of Fame career elsewhere. He says he thinks that Mets fans probably see his place in club history as yet another star the team let get away. He says he hasn't been back because his playing career lasted so long and, now, he has responsibilities as president of the Texas Rangers. He, Seaver and Koosman still keep in touch. Koosman says he sends e-mails to their wives when he wants to contact them. Koosman and Ryan recently visited Seaver at Seaver's California vineyard for a Sports Illustrated story and "picked up like it was old times. We were very good friends when we were young." For Koosman, the moment that sticks is watching Cleon Jones catch the final out. "Knowing it's over and we win," he says. "Then there are the feelings of what it was like before those games started. In the whole works, you're in ecstasy. "It is no doubt the highlight of my baseball life. Winning the World Series changes your life. There's a closeness that comes from it, you're kind of like brothers to your teammates. You have a much different relationship with them when you have that in common." The Mets had a much different relationship with the world, too. The lovable losers were gone for good. "People had lived so long on the floundering Mets," Seaver says. "But we didn't buy that. It wasn't fun to lose. Nineteen sixty-nine gave the franchise, let's say, an adult reputation. "It graduated. It's one of the pillars the Mets are founded on. What we did was set a cornerstone for the franchise." Very much looking forward this night.

metsguyinmichigan Aug 19 2009 07:56 AM

Wonderful story!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 19 2009 08:03 AM

Are they letting Kooz out of prison for this one?

metirish Aug 19 2009 08:11 AM

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3spdqtat]Are they letting Kooz out of prison for this one?[/quote:3spdqtat] LOL MC Howie Rose " and now the starting pitcher number thirty....si....Jerry what's your prison number?" bmfc1 Aug 19 2009 08:22 AM It's a shame that over 200 Phillies fans are bussing in for the game which means 200 people won't care about the ceremony. OTOH, about 200 of the shirts should end up on ebay (if Phillies fans can figure out how to use ebay). http://www.philliesnation.com/archives/ ... -saturday/ metirish Aug 20 2009 07:39 AM ="bmfc1":1l0a24ra]It's a shame that over 200 Phillies fans are bussing in for the game which means 200 people won't care about the ceremony. OTOH, about 200 of the shirts should end up on ebay (if Phillies fans can figure out how to use ebay). http://www.philliesnation.com/archives/ ... -saturday/[/quote:1l0a24ra] this could have been a great weekend of ball , who wasn't expecting this series to be a tussle for NL East supremacy . I'm sure the philly fans will at least respect the 69 Mets. Ashie62 Aug 20 2009 08:42 AM ="metirish":3odchlqx] ="bmfc1":3odchlqx]It's a shame that over 200 Phillies fans are bussing in for the game which means 200 people won't care about the ceremony. OTOH, about 200 of the shirts should end up on ebay (if Phillies fans can figure out how to use ebay). http://www.philliesnation.com/archives/ ... -saturday/[/quote:3odchlqx] this could have been a great weekend of ball , who wasn't expecting this series to be a tussle for NL East supremacy . I'm sure the philly fans will at least respect the 69 Mets.[/quote:3odchlqx] Uh..I signed up for Philliesnation only so as to to email Chase Utley a don't get well message. I was emailed about the trip. They have good seats and plan to raise hell Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 09:19 AM <img src="http://www.potomacbooksinc.com/images/covers/1934186171_cf150.jpg" align="right">This is as good a time as any to plug <a href="http://www.potomacbooksinc.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=186448" target="_blank">this baby</a>. It's due in October, and it might have a better chance out there in fall if the 2009 team actually were good enough to be playing then and making folks feel nostalgic for 1969. It might well have been better released at the beginning of the season and it might have been if certain perfectionist authors had gotten their chapters in on time. Jerks. Vic Sage Aug 20 2009 01:38 PM i don't think i'm comfortable knowing that when i take my daughter to the game on saturday, they're going to give us shirts with a "69" on it. I see years of therapy... though i could probably be charged with child abuse for turning her into a mets fan to begin with. Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 01:58 PM Buy her the book. She can read it on the way to counselling sessions. metirish Aug 22 2009 04:52 PM Howie's eyes are creeping me out, he looks different. Did he have work done? Fman99 Aug 22 2009 04:55 PM Woo boy, Joy Murphy. I'm going to refrain from saying mean things about Mets of yore and their kin. Fman99 Aug 22 2009 04:57 PM Donn Clendenon's wife still looks good. RIP Donn, Tug, etc No show on big shot country music douche Tim, other less famous sons do make the trip. bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:01 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 22 2009 05:04 PM Tim McGraw seems like a good guy. He has a charitable foundation in his father's name. Maybe he's on tour. (He's not on tour. Maybe Faith Hill is keeping him busy.) bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:01 PM Where is Shamsky? He lives in NY. Fman99 Aug 22 2009 05:02 PM DId anyone ever give Joe Pignatano the nickname "Joe Pig"? Fman99 Aug 22 2009 05:02 PM Yogi in a Mets jersey, the Steinbrenners are all somewhere pooing themselves. Fman99 Aug 22 2009 05:07 PM So far these guys look pretty healthy, not too obese or beat up. metirish Aug 22 2009 05:16 PM ="Fman99":rgwzafes]So far these guys look pretty healthy, not too obese or beat up.[/quote:rgwzafes] I'm watching and thinking wow all these guys look great. A wonderful ceremony and several goose bump moments Kong76 Aug 22 2009 05:16 PM Wow, Nolan Ryan showed up! metirish Aug 22 2009 05:20 PM ="Kong76":1i5etl25]Wow, Nolan Ryan showed up![/quote:1i5etl25] a great moment Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 05:21 PM Wow!! I feel OLD OK Seaver goes 2 Koos 2 Ryan 2 McAndrew & Gentry 1 bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:23 PM Great ceremony. It would be nice if the '09 Mets could capture that magic for one night and win this game. Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 05:25 PM In response the 2009 Mets will lose 38 of their last 49 bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:42 PM From [u:1cq3dsfh]Esquire[/u:1cq3dsfh], on Tim McGraw's origins: The founding legend of Tim McGraw is one of the great contemporary American stories: He is born in Delhi, Louisiana, on May 1, 1967, and spends his childhood as Timmy Smith, believing Horace Smith to be his biological father. When he's eleven, he finds his birth certificate in a closet. It says his name is Samuel Timothy McGraw. He confronts his mom, Betty, who has recently divorced Horace. She fesses up. Tim's real daddy is Tug McGraw, the famous big-league pitcher--formerly a Met, now a Phillie--who's as famous for his party-guy persona as he is for his screwball. (Tug once told a reporter, "Ninety percent of the money I've earned in baseball I've invested in women, cars, parties, and booze. The other 10 percent I wasted.") Betty contacts Tug and arranges a meeting in Houston, the closest city with a National League team. Tug is friendly to Tim but refuses to acknowledge that he's the boy's father. Tim goes home and changes his name to Tim McGraw anyway. About a year later, another meeting is arranged, also in Houston. But this time, Tug goes out of his way to be an asshole. He lets Tim come down to the dugout but blows off Betty's invitation to see them later. Tim goes home and changes his name back to Tim Smith. More than five years pass, during which Tim sends letters and leaves messages. Tug answers none of the letters; he returns none of the calls. Tim's a teenager now, and he's pissed. In his senior year of high school, he decides he wants to go to college and that, goddammit, his rich father ought to help pay for it. So for the first time ever, Betty asks Tug for money. Tug agrees, on the condition that they sign a contract stipulating that a) neither Tim nor Betty can ever contact him again, and b) Tim can't ever use the name McGraw. Tim counters, saying he'll accept those terms only if Tug grants him one last meeting. When Tug shows up in Houston with his lawyer, he takes one look at this six-foot-tall, seventeen-year-old kid and realizes, at long last, that Tim is his son. Tug can't do it. He tears up the contract. And the healing begins. Read more: http://www.esquire.com/ESQ0206TIMMCGRAW ... z0OxTrloOm Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 05:46 PM ="bmfc1":287r8cjk]Tim McGraw seems like a good guy. He has a charitable foundation in his father's name. Maybe he's on tour. (He's not on tour. Maybe Faith Hill is keeping him busy.)[/quote:287r8cjk] Tim & Tim were not on speaking terms for many years bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:56 PM Despite the way Tug treated Tim, when Tug was diagnosed w/brain cancer, Tim was there for him. He paid for his treatment and flew his family in when the end was near. Tug moved onto Tim's property so he didn't have to die in a hospital. I'm not a big fan of Tim's music, but I have great admiration for Tim, and his wife Faith Hill, for the way they treated Tug. seawolf17 Aug 22 2009 06:19 PM ="Fman99":1j9gs7gb]DId anyone ever give Joe Pignatano the nickname "Joe Pig"?[/quote:1j9gs7gb] I believe he was known as "J-Pig" in the parlance of the day. ="Fman99":1j9gs7gb]Yogi in a Mets jersey, the Steinbrenners are all somewhere pooing themselves.[/quote:1j9gs7gb] Probably why they Yankees gave up two touchdowns today. I'm pissed I missed this whole thing -- forgot to set the DVR. Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 06:28 PM I fucked up my recorder also..shit..well, SNY will show it often About Tug...Beloved Met for sure, but at a Met game at Jarry park in the dark ages he was nas-tee... The good part was pitchers warmed on the 1B lines and Seaver was starting (Sciatica year 1975 or 6) and a got a pitching coaches view of the warm-up. Kong76 Aug 22 2009 07:18 PM The game is/was worth recording too, the interviews are more interesting than the action on the field -- and Ralph in the middle of it. metirish Aug 22 2009 07:21 PM ="Kong76":36ol95xc]The game is/was worth recording too, the interviews are more interesting than the action on the field.[/quote:36ol95xc] Gentry was brilliant.... Cohen - " Gary is was great to talk to you and for you to be part of this great night" Gentry - " Ah guys it's great to meet you guys and shoot the shhhh , talk things up" hilatious Kong76 Aug 22 2009 07:36 PM That was Grote, but yeah I caught the shoot the shhh and laughed. metirish Aug 22 2009 07:43 PM Grote of course , nice chat with Garrett from KB Kong76 Aug 22 2009 07:46 PM Kevin interviews people well ... I hope he doesn't end up in another team's booth down the road any time soon. Our booth is kind of full. metirish Aug 22 2009 07:50 PM Kevin knows his Mets and it shows . Ron Taylor was a tough interview, he seemed a little lit up though. Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 08:23 PM ="metirish":12yrn8lo]Kevin knows his Mets and it shows . Ron Taylor was a tough interview, he seemed a little lit up though.[/quote:12yrn8lo] I think they all have been lit up ala Casey Stengal..just don't fall off Ron's seat A Boy Named Seo Aug 22 2009 10:53 PM If gfafif was in black jersey and blue cap, I think I might've spied him during the ceremony. G-Fafif Aug 23 2009 03:56 AM ="A Boy Named Seo"]If gfafif was in black jersey and blue cap, I think I might've spied him during the ceremony. That wasn't me, but I did wear a Mets tie Saturday. Great, great, great piece on Saturday night by my favorite (FAFIF company excluded) daily blogger [url=http://metstradamus.blogspot.com/2009/08/flushing-express.html]here[/url]. metirish Aug 23 2009 08:58 AM ="G-Fafif"] ="A Boy Named Seo"]If gfafif was in black jersey and blue cap, I think I might've spied him during the ceremony. That wasn't me, but I did wear a Mets tie Saturday. Great, great, great piece on Saturday night by my favorite (FAFIF company excluded) daily blogger [url=http://metstradamus.blogspot.com/2009/08/flushing-express.html]here[/url]. Excellent read , on SNY Gary as soon as they cut to him mentioned that Boswell had been omitted . Not good obviously. Edgy DC Aug 23 2009 11:28 AM No shortage of cheap shots in the top half, though --- big contracts to injured players, Oliver Perez, Jeff Wilpon. Easy. Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 09:11 AM I went to the game for the specific reason of interviewing the 1969 guys. Spent a great 30-35 minutes with the group in a formal PC a few hours before the game...got the chance to chat with one or two afterwards, and was fully prepared to go home after watching the ceremonies. I wnr down to the field to watch the ceremonies, and never heard Ken Boswell's name. Went back up to the press box, asked around, confirmed he wasn't mentioned and went to work. "oversight", my ass. I wrote this story Saturday night: http://baseballdigest.com/featured/2009 ... ded-again/ Edgy DC Aug 24 2009 09:20 AM Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell. seawolf17 Aug 24 2009 09:43 AM I thought that story was a Ron Hunt story, not Boswell. But I might be getting my old second basemen confused. Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 09:58 AM ="Edgy DC":11y10te3]Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell.[/quote:11y10te3] Nah, just someone who preferred to remain anonymous Ashie62 Aug 24 2009 09:58 AM ="Edgy DC":enz20si3]Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell.[/quote:enz20si3] Wouldn't a Mets employed fact-checker be responsible for not omitting Boswell whether he planned to appear or not? Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 10:00 AM ="seawolf17":2l6csejw]I thought that story was a Ron Hunt story, not Boswell. But I might be getting my old second basemen confused.[/quote:2l6csejw] Hunt wanted Shea seats: http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ ... -1.1235413 Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 10:01 AM ="Ashie62":yk1774wh] ="Edgy DC":yk1774wh]Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell.[/quote:yk1774wh] Wouldn't a Mets employed fact-checker be responsible for not omitting Boswell whether he planned to appear or not?[/quote:yk1774wh] Maybe the Mets need a resident historian? Ya think? seawolf17 Aug 24 2009 10:23 AM ="Mark Healey":356tv05p] ="seawolf17":356tv05p]I thought that story was a Ron Hunt story, not Boswell. But I might be getting my old second basemen confused.[/quote:356tv05p] Hunt wanted Shea seats: http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ ... -1.1235413[/quote:356tv05p] Knew I hadn't completely lost my mind. Maybe they just hate old second basemen; someone get Roberto Alomar to call and ask for tickets. ="Mark Healey":356tv05p]Maybe the Mets need a resident historian? Ya think?[/quote:356tv05p] That made me laugh.