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Being Jon Matlack

Willets Point Feb 10 2006 02:39 PM

I really enjoyed Matlack as a kid, a great vehicle for Andy Griffith full of courtroom drama with a touch of whimsy. Oh wait that's Matlock. Here's the rub of being a "younger" Mets fan. I have no memories of Jon Matlack (you could say I'm Mat-lacking in that area). It's interesting despite being the 19th greatest Met of all time, a ROY, and a star pitcher for 7 years that there isn't more lore about Jon Matlack passed down to folks like me who weren't able to see him play. Maybe it's because he pitched in the shadow of Seaver and Koosman and maybe because he wasn't on the 69 championship team nor lingered long enough to be associated with the great Met teams of the 80's. Add to all that he had the Fred Gwynne/John Kerry long-face look (then again that should make him distinctive). Anyhow, here's to Jon Matlack, a prime example of the Mets' history of great pitching.

Yancy Street Gang Feb 10 2006 02:42 PM

There's a Matlack Street in West Chester, PA, Jon's home town.

cooby Feb 10 2006 02:43 PM

Wow, our date with Rusty went fast. You summed Jon Matlack up nicely, Willets. A nice quiet guy who pitched third in the rotation behind two greats. Born in PA, so for that alone I liked him.

Frayed Knot Feb 10 2006 02:50 PM

Two words: Broken Bats When he was on his game there were lots of 'em.

Bret Sabermetric Feb 10 2006 02:54 PM

One word: comebacker. Yikes!

Edgy DC Feb 10 2006 03:05 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 10 2006 03:11 PM

Koosman did also. Leiter did also. The Mets: Our lefties break bats. Except for Sid, who "climbed the ladder." I suspect that Koosman's threw what today might have been called a cutter. Matlack was the beginning of my Met madness. I had no solid tangible memories of him pitching, but when I began following boxscores every morning, after checking the Mets' numbers, I'd check the Cincinnati box to see if Seaver pitched, then the Texas box to see if Matlack pitched, as if I actually had a hisotry with him. It's been pointed out, but it's easy to see in Matlack --- rather than Fred Gwynn or John Kerrry --- John Rocker.

seawolf17 Feb 10 2006 03:07 PM

="Bret Sabermetric"]One word: comebacker. Yikes! S'okay... Jon Matlack was ready for those.

soupcan Feb 10 2006 03:19 PM

My memories of Jon Matlack: No. 32, lefty, won 17 games one year as a Met, was co-MVP of the 1975 All Star Game with Bill Madlock (which I always thought was very strange - Matlack - Madlock.). Liked him.

cooby Feb 10 2006 03:28 PM

Also I remember that when Matlack was around, I was learning how to use my mom's sewing machine, and it was pretty obvious that Mrs. Matlack was an avid seamstress (you can tell by their daughter's duds) so I liked him for that too. I have a Mrs. Grote memory for when we get that far, too, Willets

Edgy DC Feb 10 2006 03:45 PM

Mrs. Grote had a grody daughter Duds as sharp as Matlack's were so rare But it`s sad, she doesn`t sew, somehow She`s made it clear enough her kid will never shine She wants to return the clothes Mom bought her She feels they'll distract folks from the game Styles have changed, she's such a frumpy frau I think it's clear enough the kid will never shine

cooby Feb 10 2006 03:46 PM

Mrs. Brown...nice one lol, I think Mrs. Grote sewed too. I wonder if any Mets wives of today know how to thread a needle

Zvon Feb 10 2006 07:42 PM

I think that one/two/three punch of Seaver/Koosman/Matlack, a righty and two lefties, was one of the most powerful trios the Mets ever had in a rotation (even though for the most part Matlacks win/loss record does not reflect this). But if you saw him in the 73 playoffs, what he did to the Reds, you knew what he could do when he was on. He could bring it! I do believe that for the '73 World Series Yogi went with just those 3 for the starting rotation. Seaver/Koosman/Matlack It didnt see a Met rotation with punch like that until the mid eighties. I remember that time I talked with Matlack from the rail. Early seventies, Id guess 72. Dont remember anything that was said, just that he had a good laugh and funny smile. A good sense of humor. And he seemed like such a regular guy. I became a HUGE Matlack fan after that. And thats why the moment that sticks out the most was the comebacker that beaned him. I was watching this game on TV with one of my brothers. They were playin at Shea. The line drive came back at him like a bullet out of a gun, hitting him just below the bill of the cap. It hit him so hard, if I remember right, that it popped up and back and into the stands around the visiting dugout. I mean, you heard it hit his head with this loud thud/crack noise. My brother and I were in shock. It was a feeling of absolute dread. I thought I was gonna be sick. (I saw a friend of mine get hit by a car once. It was like that.) No one could survive what we just saw. This was reflected in the voices of the broadcasters, who had to be Kiner and/or Murphy at the time. I think it was Kiner, and he just sounded so.........sad. Sad and worried. Agonized. Just like my brother and I. It was amazing how fast he was back pitching again after that. I think he only missed afew starts. And the following year ('76) was his best in a Met uniform, though he had changed. He didnt seem to be the same power pitcher he was in the early 70's. Like afew of you I followed his career after the Mets traded him, cuz I had become a fan of the man himself, not just the Met pitcher.

cleonjones11 Feb 11 2006 12:15 AM

Who was the Atlanta Brave who almost killed him? Ralph Garr maybe?

Zvon Feb 11 2006 12:22 AM

cleonjones11 wrote: Who was the Atlanta Brave who almost killed him? Ralph Garr maybe? whew....... I thought you were gonna say Matlack was gay too. Thats a good question Cleon. I have absolutely no recollection. I did think they were playing the Braves that day, but i did a quick check at UMDB and on the date I use on the card they were playing the Expos. Can anyone confirm that June 17th date? Or who the Mets were playing that day? Or what day that actually happened?

Edgy DC Feb 11 2006 12:32 AM

Don't worry, Potsy. Fonz is gonna get us out of this.

Zvon Feb 11 2006 12:34 AM

Edgy DC wrote: Don't worry, Potsy. Fonz is gonna get us out of this. ROTFLMAO! LOTN (laugh of the night)

cooby Feb 11 2006 08:45 AM

That's a keeper

Frayed Knot Feb 11 2006 09:08 AM

I remember the batter in that liner off Matlack's noggin as being Atlanta's Marty Perez. Bases were loaded at the time and it wound up as a 2-run double as the ball richocheted into the NYM dugout. Maybe some digging on Retrosheet or UMDB can confrim any of the above but, either way, the date on that commemorative card is definitely wrong.

Johnny Dickshot Feb 11 2006 10:18 AM

It was Perez on May 8, 1973: [url]http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B05080NYN1973.htm[/url] Garr hit the ball that Theodore and Hahn collided on.

dinosaur jesus Feb 11 2006 01:06 PM

I remember thinking that if you stuck him in the Gulag for a few years and slapped an Amish beard on him, this is what Matlack would look like.

Zvon Feb 12 2006 01:26 AM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: It was Perez on May 8, 1973: [url]http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B05080NYN1973.htm[/url] Garr hit the ball that Theodore and Hahn collided on. cripes. I even got the year wrong? And I did alot of research for that set to confirm things like dates. Daym. I know there was a great pic of that collision between Hahn and The Stork. Thats one I dont have and would love to see.