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Thursday, October 2, 1969

At the end of a season that began so promisingly, the Cubs saved a little face with a win against the Mets at Wrigley in the regular season finale for both teams.

New York jumped out to two runs in the first, both on a single by Ken Boswell. Gary Gentry, the team’s projected no. 3 starter for the playoffs, gave up one run in a four-inning tuneup.  Don Cardwell took the loss, giving up four runs in two innings. Ernie Banks had a triple, home run, and three RBI for the Cubs. Ron Santo also homered. Bill Hands allowed three runs in five innings before rookie Joe Decker came on to earn his first Major League win with four scoreless innings in relief.  Chicago won despite committing four errors in the field.

Recapping from 1969: The Year Everything Changed:

During the season finale on October 2, one member of the Bleacher Bums tossed a smoke bomb onto the field near Cleon Jones that sent a stream of red smoke wafting into the air. Later, a procession of Bums left their seats, made their way past the Wrigley Field ushers, and found their way down to the top of the home and visitor dugouts, where they tried to take over the show. They eventually returned to the left-field stands, and after the last out of a meaningless win, they climbed over the ivy-covered outfield wall and jumped onto the field. Some ran around the infield and slid into bases, urged on by civilian base coaches. In the ugliness, one girl severely hurt her back and was taken to the hospital, and another girl suffered an ankle injury. Amid the commotion, the park’s organist mockingly played “Happy Days Are Here Again.” The season had come to a bitter conclusion. As one player had said before the final game, “This is just like the last day of school. I can hardly wait for it to end.”

Cleon Jones went 2 for 5 and finished third in the National League with a .340 average. Pete Rose won the batting title with a .348 mark, and Roberto Clemente finished strong at .345. Next up for Jones and the Mets: Game One of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, October 4.

Cubs 5, Mets 3.  W: Decker (1-0)  L: Cardwell (8-10)

FINAL NL EAST STANDINGS          W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
New York Mets                  100   62    0  .617     -   632  541
Chicago Cubs                    92   70    1  .568   8.0   720  611
Pittsburgh Pirates              88   74    0  .543  12.0   725  652
St. Louis Cardinals             87   75    0  .537  13.0   595  540
Philadelphia Phillies           63   99    0  .389  37.0   645  745
Montreal Expos                  52  110    0  .321  48.0   582  791

Wednesday, October 1, 1969

The Mets’s had their scoreless innings pitched streak snapped, but they kept their winning streak going.

New York won 6-5 in 12 innings at Wrigley to record their 100th victory of the season. The Mets looked to have won it in the top of the 9th when Tommie Agee doubled off Cubs starter Ken Holtzman to drive in two runs. But Nolan Ryan walked the first two men he faced in the bottom of the inning, and both came around to score. Ron Taylor stranded the winning run at second, and the game proceeded into extra innings.

The game stayed knotted until the top of the 12th, when Bud Harrelson led off with a double off Dick Selma and then scored on a single from Art Shamsky. Rookie Bob Johnson took the mound for New York in the bottom of the 12th and preserved the win despite giving up a one-out double to Ernie Banks.

Tug McGraw pitched two scoreless innings for the Mets after Jerry Koosman went the first five. Bud Harrelson and Tommie Agee both went 2 for 6 with 2 RBI. Cleon Jones went 1 for 5 and now sits at .339 in the batting race.

Dick Young went 2 for 5 with a home run for the Cubs, while Paul Popovich, Billy Williams, and Ernie Banks each went 2 for 6.

Mets 6, Cubs 5 (12 inn.).  W: Taylor (9-4)  L: Selma (12-10)  SV: Johnson (1)

Saturday, September 12, 1969

Jerry Koosman and Don Cardwell were a pair of one-act men for the Mets in Pittsburgh.

Koosman tossed a three-hit shutout in game one of a doubleheader at Forbes Field and also chipped in with an RBI single in the fifth inning to score the only run of the game.

Not to be outdone, Cardwell threw eight shutout innings in the nightcap and also produced the only run of the game with his second inning single to drive in Bud Harrelson. Cardwell got out of a jam in the eighth, after his wild pitch moved the potential tying run to third, by striking out pinch-hitters Jose Pagan and Roberto Clemente. Tug McGraw then came on to pitch a scoreless ninth and preserve the doubleheader sweep.

The first-place Mets have now won nine games in a row. 

Mets 1, Pirates 0 (1).  W: Koosman (14-9) L: Moose (10-3)

Mets 1, Pirates 0 (2). W: Cardwell (7-9)  L: Ellis (9-16)  SV: McGraw (12)

After giving up a single run in the first inning, Chicago’s Bill Hands settled in and held the Cardinals scoreless the rest of the way at Busch Stadium. Ernie Banks led the comeback charge for the Cubs with an RBI single in the seventh and a bases-loaded double in the eighth.

The win broke Chicago’s eight-game losing streak 

Cubs 5, Cardinals 1.  W: Hands (17-13)  L: Taylor (7-3)

NL EAST STANDINGS

                                          W    L    T   PCT    GB  
New York Mets              87   57    0  .604     -  
Chicago Cubs               85   60    1  .586   2.5

Saturday, August 30, 1969

The Cubs held on to take a second game of a weekend series in Atlanta. Handed a 3-0 lead, Chicago starter Dick Selma got just two outs and gave up two runs before Leo Durocher pulled him in favor of Ken Johnson. The veteran Johnson earned his first win of the season by going 5 1/3 before handing things over to Phil Regan. Don Kessinger and Billy Williams had two hits, one run, and one RBI apiece, and Ernie Banks struck a two-run homer, his 21st of the season.

Cubs 5, Braves 4.  W: Johnson (1-2)  L: Reed (13-9)  SV: Regan (15)

Don Clendenon hit a 10th-inning home run off Gaylord Perry and Tug McGraw finished off the game with two scoreless frames to put the Mets over the Giants.  Ken Boswell had three hits and scored twice for New York, who got 7 1/3 strong innings from starter Don Cardwell.

Mets 3, Giants 2.  W: McGraw (7-2)  L: Perry (16-11)

NL EAST                          W    L    T   PCT    GB   
Chicago Cubs                    81   52    1  .609     -  
New York Mets                   75   53    0  .586   3.5

Sunday, August 24, 1969

The Cubs won a slugfest that featured 29 combined hits in Game One.  Chicago struck for 3 in the 7th and 4 in the 8th. Ernie Banks had 3 hits and 3 RBI, Billy Williams had a single, double, and triple, and Jim Hickman hit his third home run in two days. Ron Santo also had three hits and scored thrice.

The Cubs started strong with 2 runs in the first inning of the nightcap, but Houston starter Don Wilson hung on to get the win.

Cubs 10, Astros 9 (1).  W: Regan (12-5)  L: Gladding (2-5)  SV: Aguirre (1)

Astros 3, Cubs 2 (2).  W: Wilson (16-8)  L: Johnson (0-2)

***

Ron Swoboda’s three-run double lead the comeback charge for the Mets, as they scored 4 in the 7th and downed the Dodgers at Shea.

Mets 7, Dodgers 4.  W: Koonce (6-3)  L: Sutton (15-12)

NL EAST STANDINGS

Team                             W    L    T   PCT    GB 
Chicago Cubs                    78   49    1  .614     -  
New York Mets                   71   52    0  .577   5.0 

Sunday, July 13, 1969

Ken Holtzman shut out the Phillies in the first game of a doubleheader, and Jim Colburn, making his Major League debut, picked up a victory while going 5 1/3 innings and allowing 3 runs. Don Kessinger was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI in the first and scored twice in the second.  Glenn Beckert was 3 for 4 and Ron Santo struck a 2-run shot in the first game.  Ernie Banks was the hitting star of the second game, going 2 for 3 with 4 RBI. Billy Williams scored twice in the nightcap, as well.

Cubs 6, Phillies 0 (1). W: Holtzman (11-5)  L: Fryman (8-6)

Cubs 6, Phillies 4 (2).  W: J. Colburn (1-0)  L: L. Palmer (0-1)  SV: Nye (2)

***

At Shea, Jerry Koosman recorded a complete-game win in the opening end of a doubleheader with the Expos. Cleon Jones, Art Shamsky and Ed Kranepool each went 2 for 3.

The second game was a wild affair, with starters Nolan Ryan and Howie Reed both getting touched for 6 runs in 3 1/3 inning and neither figuring in the decision. Tommie Agee hit a leadoff home run and then followed with a 3-run blast to cap a 5-run rally in the 4th inning. Agee also scored the go-ahead run in the 7th on Ron Swoboda’s single and the insurance run on Wayne Garrett’s single in the 8th. The Mets centerfielder finished the game with 3 hits, 4 runs scored, and 4 RBI in 4 at-bats.

Mets 4, Expos 3 (1).  W: Koosman (7-5) L: J. Robertson (2-7)

Mets 9, Expos 7 (2). W: Koonce (3-3)  L: McGinn (4-9)  SV: Taylor (7)

***

Team Name                        W    L    T    GB   
Chicago Cubs                    56   34    1    -  
New York Mets                   49   36    0   4.5

Wednesday, July 9, 1969

Tom Seaver flirted with perfection, and now the Mets are flirting with the unimaginable – a run at first place.

It was clear from the first inning onward that the Mets’ young ace brought his good stuff to the ballpark.  He struck out Don Kessinger to start the game and retired the side in order in the first. In the bottom of the inning, Tommie Agee led off with a triple and rookie Bobby Pfeil followed with a double off Chicago’s Ken Holtzman to score the game’s first run.  Although the Mets would add three more in the game, one on a Cleon Jones homer, Agee’s was all they would need as Seaver pitched the game of his life.

New York’s 24-year-old hurler struck out the side in the second. He sent the Cubs down 1-2-3 in the third, and then again in the fourth.  As he would later comment, “I was aware from the fourth inning on that I had a perfect game, and I was going for it.”

By 1969, only eight pitchers in the entire history of baseball had recorded a perfect game – that is, allowing not one opposing batter to reach base on either a hit, walk, error, or getting hit by a pitch.  That’s nine consecutive 1-2-3 innings…27 batters up, 27 batters out.

After he got relief pitcher Ted Abernathy on strikes to end the top of the 6th, Seaver had gone through the Chicago lineup twice without a blemish. He took on the top of the order again in the seventh, getting Don Kessinger and Glenn Beckert on flyouts and Billy Williams on a groundout. Ron Santo flied out to lead off the eighth.  Still going strong, Seaver struck out both Ernie Banks and Al Spangler. 

When Seaver came to bat in the bottom of the inning, the game stopped for nearly two minutes as the Shea crowd stood in applause for the most dominant performance by a Mets pitcher they had ever seen.

In the top of the ninth and the game all but in hand, Seaver took the mound just three outs from baseball immortality. He got Randy Hundley out weakly, pitcher to first. Up next was the 8th-place hitter, Jim Qualls, a seldom-played rookie who brought a .244 average into the game. Seaver wound up and delivered a pitch, and Qualls blooped it into leftfield for a soft hit, not far from where Ed Kranepool’s game-winner had landed the previous night.

The quest for the perfect game was over, but the home crowd stood and cheered again in recognition of Seaver’s outstanding night. Visibly disappointed, he collected his emotions and retired pinch-hitter Willie Smith on a foul pop-up and then got Don Kessinger to fly out to leftfield for the game’s final out.

Seaver’s pitching performance would go down in Mets memory as The Imperfect Game. “That was the best game I ever pitched,” he’d later say. “It was better than my no-hitter with Cincinnati. I had great stuff that night, superb control, and a mastery of all my pitches. It was obvious even before the game.”

And it was now obvious that the Chicago Cubs had serious competition in the N.L. East.

Mets 4, Cubs 0.  W: Seaver (14-3)  L: Holtzman (10-5)

Chicago Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO 
Kessinger ss                  4   0   0   0       0   2
Beckert 2b                    3   0   0   0       0   0
Williams lf                   3   0   0   0       0   1
Santo 3b                      3   0   0   0       0   1
Banks 1b                      3   0   0   0       0   2
Spangler rf                   3   0   0   0       0   3
Hundley c                     3   0   0   0       0   0
Qualls cf                     3   0   1   0       0   0
Holtzman p                    0   0   0   0       0   0
  Abernathy p                 2   0   0   0       0   2
  W. Smith ph                 1   0   0   0       0   0
Totals                       28   0   1   0       0  11

New York Mets                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Seaver W (14-3)               9     1   0   0   0  11   0  28

Team Name                        W    L    T   PCT    GB
Chicago Cubs                    52   33    1  .612     -
New York Mets                   47   34    0  .580   3.0
Pittsburgh Pirates              41   43    0  .488  10.5
St. Louis Cardinals             42   45    0  .483  11.0
Philadelphia Phillies           37   45    0  .451  13.5
Montreal Expos                  26   58    0  .310  25.5

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.

Sunday, July 5, 1969

Trailing 6-1 after just 2 innings, the New York Mets rallied back in Pittsburgh to win 8-7.  Don Clendenon’s 3-run homer capped a 4-run rally in the 6th inning.

After starter Jim McAndrew had lasted just 2/3 of an inning and Nolan Ryan went just as long, the combination of Danny Frisella, Ron Taylor, and Cal Koonce kept the Mets in the game. Jerry Grote had 2 hits and an RBI, as did Ron Swoboda off the bench.

With Chicago’s doubleheader loss, the Mets pulled back to within 5 games of the Cubs.

Mets 8, Pirates 7.  W: Taylor (4-2)  L: Hartenstein (2-4)  SV: Koonce (6)

***

The Cubs were scoreless in 16 of 18 innings of a doubleheader in St. Louis as they were swept by the Cardinals.

In the first game, Steve Carlton scattered 8 hits over 8-plus innings as the Cards carried a 4-0 lead into the 9th. Ernie Banks went 3-for-3, and Ron Santo and Randy Hundley had 2 hits apiece for the Cubs. Steve Huntz’s 2-run single in the 4th proved to be the difference.

In the second game, Rich Nye gave up 5 runs in just 3 innings. St. Louis starter Mike Torrez yielded 3 unearned runs in 2 2/3, but Chuck Taylor came out of the pen to throw 6 1/3 shutout innings. Mike Shannon’s 3-run homer and Joe Torre’s 2-run roundtripper powered the Cardinals’ attack in game 2. Jim Qualls was 2 for 4 with 2 ribbies for Chicago.

Cardinals 4, Cubs 2 (1).  W: Carlton (10-5)  L: Hands (9-7)  SV: Hoerner (9)

Cardinals 6, Cubs 5 (2). W: C. Taylor (1-0)  L: Nye (1-4)

Team Name                        W    L    T   PCT    GB
Chicago Cubs                    52   31    1  .627     -
New York Mets                   45   34    0  .570   5.0

Sunday, June 29, 1969

Bob Gibson struck out 10 batters but Fergie Jenkins got the win Sunday afternoon at Wrigley.

Jenkins gave up just 3 hits and 1 run, while Willie Smith was the hitting star for Chicago, going 3 for 4 with a homerun and 2 RBI.

Game two was a blowout. The Cubs pounded out 12 runs while starter Dick Selma got a complete-game,10-strikeout win. Ernie Banks hit a 3-run homer in the 1st. Ron Santo was 3 for 4 with a homerun and 5 RBI.  And Billy Williams was 4 for 5 with a double, triple, 3 runs and 3 RBI. Williams appeared in his 895th and 896th straight game to break Stan Musial’s NL record.

Cubs 3, Cardinals 1 (1).  W: Jenkins (10-5)  L: Gibson (10-5)

Cubs 12, Cardinals 1 (2). W: Selma (8-3)  L: Grant (4-8)

***

With Tom Seaver on the mound, 7 Mets runs were plenty against Pittsburgh. Recent acquisition Don Clendenon, who came into the day hitting just .118 as a Met,  went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI, and Cleon Jones and Ed Charles both knocked in 2. Tommie Agee scored twice.

Mets 7, Pirates 3.  W: Seaver (12-3)  L: Veale (4-9)

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB   

Chicago Cubs                    76   49   26    1  .653     -  

New York Mets                   71   39   32    0  .549   8.0  

Saturday, June 28, 1969

Bill Hands gave up just 3 hits and 1 run to St. Louis at Wrigley. Willie Smith and Don Young both homered for the Cubs.

Cubs 3, Cardinals 1.  W: Hands (8-6)  L: Giusti (3-7)

***

A 5-run Pirates rally in the 8th inning broke open a Saturday night game at Shea. Cleon Jones went 3 for 4, scored twice, and drove in a run in a losing effort. Ed Kranepool had 2 hits and 2 RBI, and Al Weis added 2 hits and an RBI.

Pirates 7, Mets 4.  W: Bunning (7-5) L: Gentry (7-6)  SV: Gibbon (4)

Friday, June 27, 1969

The Cubs rapped out 10 hits but managed only 1 run against Steve Carlton and the Cardinals. The St. Louis lefty tossed a complete game and worked around trouble by striking out 12 Chicago batters. Ken Holtzman gave up jst 2 runs in 7 innings but took his second loss of the season. Ron Santo went 2 for 4 and knocked in Paul Popovich for the only Cubs run.

Cardinals 3, Cubs 1.  W: Carlton (8-5)  L: Holtzman (10-1)

***

Steve Blass outpitched Jerry Koosman in a pitcher’s duel at Shea Stadium. The Mets managed only 3 hits, with J.C. Martin driving in Art Shamsky for the sole New York tally.

Pirates 3, Mets 1.  W: Blass (8-4)  L: Koosman (5-5)  SV: Gibbon (3)