Notes On Game 3 1969 NLCS

A number of years back, the great player and Mets’ broadcaster, (the original three Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy and Kiner were so good) Ralph Kiner, came into the press room at Citi Field and sat at the same table as me.

This was a great honor and pleasure, as I came up with the name of the St. Louis Cardinals’ pitcher John Beazley, against whom Ralph got his first big league hit.

I reminded Ralph of his most meaningful “call” when reliever Nolan Ryan of the Mets got the Atlanta Braves’ Tony Gonzalez to ground out third to first, Wayne Garrett to Ed Kranepool, clinching the 1969 National League pennant for the Mets.

In listening to a good chunk of that clinching game the other night, I note that Ralph came in to broadcast the third inning, and as in the first, with Murphy behind the microphone, Gonzalez got a hit followed by a Hank Aaron extra base hit.

The great Aaron homered in all 3 games of that best of 5 1969 NLCS, the great home run hitter, Kiner’s first and last calls were with Tony Gonzalez batting.

NLCS Gm3: Aaron crushes two-run homer to center

Click above to view Mr. Aaron’s home run in game 3 of the 1969 NLCS as called by Curt Gowdy on NBC television.

It is very likely that only I could “link” Kiner and Johnny Beazley, the following way: 27 years apart in 1942 and 1969, the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets lost the first game of the World Series but won the next four, clinching the title in New York.

Kiner was a Mets’ broadcaster and Beazley, as was the case regarding Jerry Koosman of the Mets 27 years later, won games two and five of the World Series.