‘PORTENT OF DOOM?’ CUBS COLLAPSE IN 9TH AGAINST METS
Tuesday, July 8, 1969
The Chicago Cubs came to Shea Stadium for an afternoon game, bringing with them a 5-game lead over the surprising New York Mets in the National League Eastern Division.
With the Mets franchise unaccustomed to any sort of pennant race in their short history, anticipation ran high for the team’s first game back from its recent road trip – and one against its new division rival. The club distributed 16,000 free tickets to children, and one sportswriter observed that as the home team took the field, the young fans’ ”demonstrations of lung power even drowned out the blasts of low-flying jets from landing and taking off from nearby LaGuardia.”
All-Star pitchers Jerry Koosman and Fergie Jenkins squared off in a tightly fought contest. The Mets broke through with the first run of the game on Ed Kranepool’s home run in the 5th. Ernie Banks answered for the Cubs with a solo shot in the 6th. Chicago took the lead when Jenkins walked and later scored on Glenn Beckert’s single in the 7th, and Jim Hickman homered in the 8th to gave the Cubs a 3-1 lead.
The score stood that way going into the bottom of the 9th. With no outs, Don Young misjudged Ken Boswell’s shallow fly to centerfield, and Boswell pulled into second with a double. Two batters later, Don Clendenon sent a drive to the wall that Young tracked down but let bounce out of his glove. With the tying runs on base, the team’s best hitter, Cleon Jones, stepped up to the plate and doubled to score both men and tie the game.
Jenkins issued an intentional pass to Art Shamsky, and both runners moved up on Wayne Garrett’s groundout. Ed Kranepool stepped in and blooped a single over Don Kessinger to bring home Jones with the winning run.
The Shea crowd erupted. In the locker room, Mets manager Gil Hodges would admit, “Yes, you can call it one of the most important victories in Mets’ history….That’s what we’re here for, to make believers out of all you unbelievers.” A jubilant Jones declared, “Somebody said the Cubs aren’t taking us seriously! Maybe they’re taking us seriously now!”
Things erupted in the visitor’s locker room, as well, as the Cubs sounded more like a team that now trailed rather than led by 4 games in the standings. Manager Leo Durocher growled about Young’s two 9th-inning miscues. “It’s tough to win when your centerfielder can’t catch a fucking flyball. Jenkins pitched his heart out. But when one man can’t catch a flyball, it’s a disgrace.” He added: “My son could have caught those balls! My [bleep]ing thirteen-year-old son could have caught those balls!”
Ron Santo, the team’s outspoken third baseman, commented, “Don’s a major leager because of his glove. When he hits, he’s a divided, but when he fails on defense he’s lost–and today he took us down with him.”
The following day, the Chicago Tribune’s report on the game would carry the ominous headline: PORTENT OF DOOM?
Mets 4, Cubs 3. W: Koosman (6-5) L: Jenkins (11-6)
Team Name W L T PCT GB Chicago Cubs 52 32 1 .619 - New York Mets 46 34 0 .575 4.0
Parts of this game report were excerpted from 1969: The Year Everything Changed (Skyhorse Publishing, 2009), available now on Amazon and as part of a 40th anniversary promotion at Barnes and Noble.
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Tags: 1960s, 1969, Art Shamsky, Baseball, Books, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Tribune, Don Clendenon, Don Kessinger, Don Young, Ed Kranepool, Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Gil Hodges, Glenn Beckert, Jerry Koosman, Jim Hickman, Ken Boswell, Leo Durocher, New York Mets, Ron Santo, Shea Stadium, Wayne Garrett
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