Remembering Jerry Koosman

Twice a game 5 World Series winner.

The recent World Series ended and clips of the last play from 1943-2026, some with great audio, became available.

Among the most compelling, certainly to me, was Jerry Koosman, an excellent pitcher, getting future Mets title winning manager Dave Johnson to fly out to LF Cleon Jones, clinching the ’69 crown for the 100 win(s) “Miracle” Mets.

Won #’s 2 and 5 ’69 W.S. and #3 ’73 NLCS and #5 ’73 W.S.

Curt Gowdy, a superb TV announcer made the call and added “look at this scene,” as fans poured onto the field.

After a great Baltimore Orioles team, who came back to title led by the great Brooks Robinson, the next season, won game 1 (Don Buford, his name called in the second “Godfather” film as a U.S.C. back, homering leading off vs 25 game winner Tom Seaver), it was Mr. Koosman who pitched 8 and two thirds/one run yielded innings and getting the (2-1) win, that sent the Series to Shea Stadium even. (Dr.) Ron Taylor got the save.

Subsequently, though yielding homers to opposing pitcher Dave McNally and the great Frank Robinson, giving “Balti” a (3-0) lead, “Koos” allowed no more.

Home runs by Donn Clendenon and Al Weis tied it and two Mets runs sans a home run, B8, set the stage for the seminal, not to be forgotten Johnson fly to “Clee.”

View it below as Koosman, who won 222 big league games and had a (4-0) post-season mark, gets the last out, coincidentally hit by relatively recently deceased Johnson, who 17 years later, guided the Mets to their only other title.