This time, it’s personal.
Jerry Koosman, one of the “Miracle Mets” of my youth, died on Sunday at his home in Osceola, Wis. He was 83.
He made his debut in 1967 (0-2) but the following year enjoyed the Mets’ best pitching record to date, going 19-12 to finish second in NL Rookie of the Year voting, behind Johnny Bench. He was also named to the league’s All-Star team and finished among the top 25 in MVP voting
The following year, Koosman went 17-9 and won two games in the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles, including a complete game in the finale. I was talking with a colleague of mine at work, noting what a rare thing it would be now to even think of tossing a CG in the post-season.
Here’s the famous photo, “The Battery is Fully Charged,” by the legendary Walter Iooss, Jr. Sadly, Ed Charles and Jerry Grote, shown in the iconic shot, are also gone.
Koosman won 21 games for the Mets in 1976 and lost 20 the following season. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins in 1978 in a deal that eventually brought Jesse Orosco to the Mets. Koosman also pitched for the White Sox and Phillies in a career that lasted 19 seasons, finishing with a record of 222-209.
Needless to say, Koosman is a staple in every book written about that year and the history of the Mets in general. Surprisingly, there has never been a book written solely about him.
Here’s his obituary from The New York Times by Richard Goldstein.
is available on Amazon.com,
