Reversal of Misfortune...A Mets Dynasty

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What a bizarre World Series.

The Mets win games 20-0 and 9-0, get shellacked, 8-0, and drop a pair of one-run outcomes, ultimately bowing to the Angels, 2-1, in Game 7 to lose their bid at a third straight championship.

I'll spare the details with the exception of one.

In Game 7, Steve Carlton threw the most inexplicable game I've seen in a long time, fanning six and yielding two hits while walking an astonishing playoff-record 10 batters.Two of those free passes manifested into runs.

Kudos to California for manufacturing a pair two runs to pick up the win but Mets ultimately failed to deliver big hits in critical spots in Game 7 to suffer the consequences.

Below are Games 1 thru 5

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Joe Morgan was the recipient of the 1974 NL MVP award. The second baseman had a sensational season, topping the league in multiple categories.


Gil Hodges was named the NL Manager of the Year, an honor bestowed upon the lovable skipper once again. He has piloted the Mets to five straight World Series appearances.

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Been awhile, but we return on the heels of a blockbuster off-season deal ahead of the 1975 season.

The Mets sent seven - yes, seven - players to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for 32-year-old CF Jimmy Wynn. New York said goodbye to SS Buddy Harrelson, RHP Jimmy Bibby, LHP Tug McGraw, RF Mike Easler, CF Gene Clines, CF Leon Brown and C Bill Fahey.

On the surface, it's definitely a lot for an aging Toy Cannon. However, we dumped a ton of salary. It does come at the expense of trading Harrelson and McGraw - two beloved Mets - but center field was a gaping hole both defensively and offensively.

Fan reaction was not particularly kind upon word of Harrelson being in the mix, but hopefully the base can look past that and appreciate Wynn's presence in the order.

Hated getting rid of Easler, a personal favorite. But we have a huge stockpile in the outfield, especially right field. I could have held on to him in anticipation of inheriting first base from Tony Perez. Decided to let him begin his MLB journey on the West Coast. Hope it doesn't bite us in the a$$.

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Mets selected RHP Lee Smith in the first round of the MLB Draft. Big pick up and gets learn under the wings of Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter. Those two with the big teams gives Smith ample time to bloom in the minors.

Mets picked up OF Thad Bosley in Round 2. 1B George Weicker was plucked in Round 3 followed by 2B Gene Menees and RHP Mike Howard.

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For the last few years the Mets had a luxury with Buddy Harrelson starting at shortstop and Larry Bowa his patient understudy.

But, when Harrelson was shipped to LA as part of the deal for Jimmy Wynn, Bowa's role elevated this spring and he made the transition to starter seamlessly, leading all SS with a robust .396/.449/.519 slash line.

That is, until he tore ligaments in his ankle on May 16. Now, Bowa will spend the next three months recovering and the Mets are scrambling to find a replacement. Don Money will be the stop gap choice for the time being but we will have to look to either Larry Milbourne at Tidewater or search for a trading partner.

As of May 20, 1975, here is a look at the MLB standings...

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STREAKING!

Mets run off 14 straight wins to bridge May into June. Amazins blitzed NL West during the tear, outscoing opponents, 84-35. They then preceded to drop three straight but for their efforts all it's done is keep them on pace with the Phillies.

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Mets hosted Philly for a four-game set with a chance to perhaps seize at least a marginal edge atop NL East. Instead, Vida Blue's victory to cap the series salvaged a split as the Phillies' lead in the East stays at 3 1/2.

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Mets find themselves in an unusual position at the All-Star break, trailing the Phillies by 5 1/2 games.

The Standings at the break...


Our offensive numbers...


Our pitching numbers...

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Mets work out a deal with the San Diego Padres, sending 33 year-old 1B Tony Perez, 27 year-old RHP Reggie Cleveland and 22 year-old 3B Rob Jackson to the West Coast in exchange for 25-year-old 1B Cecil Cooper, 25-year-old RHP Pat Darcy and 20-yeard-old OF Lee Mazzilli.

Perez has shown subtle decline this season in the power department, with just nine home runs. He hit a combined 69 in the previous two campaigns. We get younger at first base and, in Cooper, a guy who hits for power and average. He has 17 HRs, 51 RBI and boasts a .327 batting average.

We also land a Met icon in Mazz, which only sweetened the deal. We have to shake things up. Despite winning seven straight, we still are 4/12 behind Philly, which is on an 11-game win streak.

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Trailing the Phillies by four games in the NL East at the trade deadline, the New York Mets went all in to pursue another pennant.

Among the moves was the blockbuster acquistion of SS Robin Yount from the Milwaukee Brewers. Sets up our left side of the infield for years to come with he and Brett.

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Moves at deadline have paid off handsomely as the Mets now own a three-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East as September begins. Things should heat up over the last 10 days of the regular season, a span in which the two sides will square off six times.

Buckle up.

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With a 5-3 win over the Phillies in their series opener at Shea Stadium, the Mets clinched their sixth straight NL East title.

New York will face the Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS. Both American League division races have yet to wrap up as of Sept. 20, 1975.

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Took more work than in recent years- a couple deadline deals were significant - but the New York Mets are heading back to the playoffs.

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Dominant starting pitching outshined a pretty productive offensive display as tthe Mets swept the Reds in the 1975 NLCS to earn their sixth straight trip to the Fall Classic.

There, the Amazins get a rematch with the defending champion California Angels, who defeated New York in seven games a year ago in the World Series.

Here are all three boxscores from the NLCS...

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A year after bowing to the California Angels in the 1974 World Series, the Mets scored sweet revenge, rattling off four straight one-run wins to take the rematch in five games.

Before diving into the '75 Fall Classic, some historical inventory for the Amazins...

• Mets have now made six straight appearances in the World Series
• The Mets have won four world championships during this run
• The Angels outscoreed the Mets, 15-14, in the series

Game 1

A two-run homer by Dave May in the bottom of the first staked Jon Matlack to a lead he refused to surrender. Vida Blue wasn't sharp and Mets left nine on bases.


Game 2
Jimmy Wynn reaches on an error to lead off the top of the 12th and Larry Bowa made the miscue sting with an RBI single that snapped a 1-1 tie. The Angels forced extra innings as Brooks Robinson delivered a two-out double to plate Gary Carter, knotting the contest.


Game 3
George Brett drove in a pair with a double and Jimmy Wynn ensued with an RBI single that broke a 7-7 deadlock as the Mets struck for three runs in the bottom of the eighth. New York took Steve Carlton off the hook. Lefty was touched for six runs over a mere 1 2/3 innings before being lifted. Kudos to Mets' bullpen, which pieced the game together long enough to grab the victory.


Game 4
Paul Splittorff allowed two runs and four hits while fanning seven over seven innings to seize a win while Reggie Smith's two-run single in the bottom of the fifth catapulted New York to a 3-2 lead it never rescinded.


Game 5
Vida Blue atones for his shaky Game 1 start by spinning a five-hitter that featured nary a walk and Johnny Bench launched a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth that snapped a 1-1 tie as the Mets sealed their fourth World Series title.

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National League MVP
Joe Morgan

National League Manager of the Year
Gil Hodges
Worth noting that Hodges has won this award six times in his eight years as Mets' manager.

National League Fireman of the Year
Rollie Fingers

Silver Sluggers
C Johnny Bench
2B Joe Morgan

Gold Gloves
P Wilbur Wood
C Johnny Bench

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The Mets dealt 29-year-old SS Larry Bowa to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for 27-year-old minor leaguer RHP Charlie Hough.

Move cements 20-year-old Robin Yount will inherit shortstop position for Mets, who also bolstered their farm system with Hough, who can start or come out of the pen.

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The Mets selected RHP Dave Stewart, a re-entry, with their first round pick and backed in with slugger Joe Charboneau in the second round of the MLB Draft.