The “Miracle Mets” Won Baseball’s World Series 45 Years Ago Today

Today is the 45 year anniversary of the 100 to 1 underdog New York Mets, aka “The Miracle Mets,” winning the 1969 World Series.

They were a tremendous team, winners of 100 games in the National League regular season, who went on to sweep the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS, despite home runs by the great Henry Aaron, in each of the three games.

In the World Series, they  dropped the opener to the 109 regular season wins Baltimore Orioles team. The Mets then  went on to win the next four games and become the World Champions.

The Orioles were a great team, but the Mets with Jerry Koosman winning two games and series MVP Donn Clendenon smacking homers in three different games, won it all.

Those 1969 Mets, and for that matter, the year 1969 (Woodstock and a man named Neil Armstrong walking on the moon) provide great memories.

On the day of the last game, I was in school, games were in the glorious daylight then.  Homers by pitcher Dave Mc Nally (he hit more World Series homers than Willie Mays) and Frank Robinson gave “The Birds” a (3-0) lead. Robinson is still one of my favorites and certainly one of the greatest players ever, but his bitterly, self righteous, total opposition and failure to forgive a disease and allow the great Pete Rose into the no longer so hallowed, Hall of Fame is a big turn off.

The Mets fought back; I recall the superb Baltimore announcer Bill O’Donnell, intoning Clendenon’s drive with a man aboard, is “in and up for a home run.” The Mets were within one run.

Mentioning Bill O’Donnell reminds me of our mutual friend Lenny Nadel, whom you may not know, but was a fine man who received a moving tribute at his recent funeral by both his family and the Navy.

Back to Baseball: Next, I was walking through the school halls when I heard “the Mighty Mite,” Al Weis, had tied the game with a home run.

On the bus home, the Mets had men on and I made it home in time to see Ron Swoboda hit a ball that landed fair to drive in the go ahead run and most of all, to see Cleon Jones go down on one knee, as he caught Dave Johnson’s drive to end it.

Johnson would later manage the only other Mets’ World title team.

My late father Norman’s call from work after the ’69 win and Joseph Durso’s remarkable lead in the New York Times will always be remembered. It read: “After years of wandering in the baseball wilderness the New York Mets reached the promised land today.”

Another really good man, Jesse Krawitz, still laments missing the game, although as with most of life, has it in perspective.

Playing “God,” which he loved , actor George Burns answered John Denver’s character’s question about which was the last miracle, in the movie, “Oh God.” It was “The ’69 Mets,” he replied.