Meet the Mets, meet the Mets--dynasty est. 1962

[rjl518]

As usual, after a great month, OOTP brings me back down to earth.
12-17 for June brings me right back where i started from.
Now 4th in the NL, 2.5 back of the 3rd playoff spot.
Not having Wills is really hurting because Lee Bales is just a young kid who really is not even ready for the majors.
He was the only SS i had in the minors and OOTP wouldnt let me make a trade. (Trading is on Average BTW)
Looks like ill be getting a SS in the draft so that this doesnt happen again.
Still need outfield help.

[rjl518]

My Mets sent FIVE players to the All Star Game.

[rjl518]

Again i rebound from a tough month and i go 17-12 for July to keep me in 3rd place in the NL, only 2 games back of the league lead.
Steve Carlton bounced back from a tough start to the 1967 season and was POTM.
Willie Stargell is BOTM as he continues to hit very well in the early stages of his career.
Don Sutton is putting up Cy Young Award numbers this year.
Gaylord Perry struggling, but i think its due to lack of offensive help when he is on the mound.
Maury Wills is back in the lineup and i am very happy about that,
Sent Lee Bales back to the minors where he belongs.
Two months to go and we have a shot at the playoffs, even winning the league and avoiding a division series.

[rjl518]

The month of August goes a little above average for us as a 16-13 record keeps us in 3rd place in the NL.
At one point we actually held the league lead, but there are a lot of good teams during the 1960s.
I brought up a few players for roster expansion and we will see if they will help or hurt.
One more month to go.
We have to be in at least 3rd place to make the playoffs and play in a best of three NLDS against the #2 team in the league.
Can we do it?
To be continued tomorrow...

[rjl518]

Joan Payson, my owner, passed away this month.
Sad that she didnt see the Mets make the playoffs for the first time.
OOTP reports that her son took over, but i edited the information so that Charles Payson, her husband took control instead.
He originally took control of the team in 1975 IRL when his wife died.

Don Sutton pitched a no-hitter against the Dodgers during a key series when we were chasing them for 1st in the league.
But, we were unable to catch them and because they beat the Phillies head to head during the season, they clinched the top spot in the NL.
The Mets however are in the playoffs for the first time in their history.
We did it in our 5th season!

[rjl518]

We will play the Philadelphia Phillies in the best of three NLDS.
They had a 10-8 record against us during the season.
My starters for this short series will be Jenkins, Sutton and Carlton.
Although i really wanted Sutton to start game 1, he wasnt fully rested and Jenkins was on a hot streak.
Carlton will go in a game 3 if needed.
The Phillies have the best offense in the NL this year.
The Mets have the 2nd best pitching staff in the NL.
We will really see if pitching does win championships.

[rjl518]

Game 1

Fergie Jenkins gave up 1 run, but it was enough as my Mets beat the Phillies 2-1 to take a 1-0 series lead to Shea Stadium.
PHIs Bill Singer had two wild pitches to allow the Mets to score both runs in the 6th and 7th.
Blasingame had to play today because Millan was injured a few days ago.
But he stepped in nicely going 2 for 4.
We did leave 10 men on base however.
Got to get those runs in when it comes to close games like these.
With a 1-0 lead in the series and Sutton slated for game 2, i feel pretty good.
But things can change very quickly and i really dont feel like going back to Connie Mack Stadium for a game 3.
We will try to wrap up the series as best as we can.
NYM lead series 1-0

[rjl518]

Game 2

It took a couple of extra innings and a blown save by Sparky Lyle, but we managed to come away with the game 2-1.
Maury Wills stole 2nd in the 11th and a key throwing error by PHIs Bateman allowed Wills to go to 3rd.
Then Don Blasingame, who was inserted into the lineup for Millan hit the winning single to score him.
Sutton pitched very well only giving up a run, but i figured Lyle was my stopper so i brought him in to close the game.
But PHIs Dick Simpson got a single in the 9th to score Curt Motton from third.
I hate extra inning games.
I brought in Roy Face to pitch the 10th and 11th, thinking he could keep the Phillies off of the basepaths.
He got him all and picked up the win.
You think that i would have trust in my bullpen, but not with this game engine.
Anyway, the Mets have won the NLDS, now its on to Los Angeles.
NYM win series 2-0

[rjl518]

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be very tough in the best of five NLCS.
Im gonna go with Jenkins to start the series since he is on a hot streak.
I wanted Sutton for game 2 but he wont be fully rested by that time so ill start him for game 3.
Steve Carlton seems the logical choice for game 2 since he had the best ERA against the Dodgers this year.
The Dodgers did not hit well against us even though they beat us 10-8 for the season.
They will have Don Drysdale pitch against us 3 times according to the schedule.
He was 2-4 against the Mets.
With the pitching of Drysdale, and some nobody by the name of Koufax, im not sure if we can win this series.
But, we are on the plane to LA anyway.
Lets play ball!

[rjl518]

Game 1

A pitchers duel that could have gone either way.
Jenkins pitched very well, but he gave up a HR to Bill Robinson in the 9th to send the Dodgers home with a 1-0 win and 1-0 series lead.
It was very difficult against Drysdale, could only muster 3 hits against him.
Maybe i could have brought in another pitcher in the 9th, but i think the end result would have been the same anyway.
LA leads series 1-0

[rjl518]

Game 2

Where game 1 was a pitchers duel, game 2 was anything but.
This time, we were on the winning end with an 8-3 win to tie the series at 1-1.
The Dodgers committed 4 errors which allowed some key base runners.
Joe Horlen gave up 6 earned runs, while Steve Carlton gave up 2.
He also helped himself going 2 for 3 with an RBI.
But it was Archie Moore who came through going 5 for 5, scoring 2 runs and 1 RBI.
What a big difference the Dodgers have in pitching going from Drysdale to Horlen.
Sutton will going for me in game 3 back at Shea.
We have a great opportunity here to take the lead in the series.
Lets get on the plane right now!
Series tied 1-1

[rjl518]

Game 3

"The Left Arm of God" really put us away today.
Koufax was unbreakable as we couldnt get anything going.
Sutton gave up 3 straight singles to start the game and then gave up the Grand Slam HR to Mincher.
Typical that the best pitcher during the regular season, has a hard day in his first start in the playoffs.
He calmed down after that but the damage was already done.
He gave up 3 hits after the 1st inning, but we couldnt even get a runner past second.
We needed this game because Drysdale is going to go in game 4.
And we couldnt even breathe past him.
Well...lets see if we can get lucky.
LA leads series 2-1

[rjl518]

Game 4

Have to admit, before the 8th inning, i thought it was all over.
The Dodgers were up 1-0 after the 4th inning.
Drysdale was pitching unhitable baseball and i couldnt get a runner past 2nd base.
Then the Dodgers did something very interesting.
They took out Drysdale for a pinch hitter in the 8th and sent out Murakami for the bottom of the 8th.
With the way Drysdale was pitching, i think he could have gotten 3 more outs.
But that was the turn of the tide.
I brought in Blasingame to PH for Jenkins, who also had a great outing, only giving up 1 run on 3 hits.
But the game was on the line so i had to do something.
Blasingame got a leadoff single, then Maury Wills hit another single to get on base.
Felix Millan reached on a key error by LAs Roy White, which allowed Blasingame to score.
Then my man Willie Stargell came up to bat and he tied the game up with an RBI single.
Tommie Agee was next, who promptly got out of the way of a wild pitch by Murakami which allowed Millan to score.
Crazy inning that was.
Lyle and Face closed the game out.
We took the game by the score of 3-1.
With the series tied at 2-2, its back to LA we go for the deciding game 5!
Can we pull it off?
Series tied 2-2

[rjl518]

Game 5

I did call this series as tight and i wasnt wrong.
We started Steve Carlton for game 5 and they went with Joe Horlen who we destroyed back in game 2.
Horlen pitched very well this time and Carlton gave up 2 runs early.
When the 5th inning came around i said ALL HANDS ON DECK!
I brought in Don Sutton to pitch the 6th and he was masterful like he was during the regular season.
Phil Niekro was in reserve, but i thought he could do the job and he pitched 3 scoreless innings.
Meanwhile, Murakami is going to have nightmares this offseason.
His two blown saves is what launched the Mets into the world series.
Maury Wills hit a single and after getting caught stealing, Felix Millan got on base in the top of the 8th.
Willie Stargell struck out then Tommie Agee came up to bat.
In 1962, i drafted him in the expansion draft.
Kept him in the minors till he was ready , while a lot of other clubs were trying to trade me for him.
I didnt make the trade and he rewarded me with a 2-run HR to tie the game.
Going into extra innings i used all the pitchers i could to keep it close.
Even Gaylord Perry did a fine job getting batters out.
Then Archie Moore came through with a sacrifice fly in the 12th to take a 3-2 lead.
Thats how the game would end as Hiller and Duren shut the door in the bottom of the 12th.
So..i have achieved 1 goal so far.
The Mets have made the world series BEFORE 1969.
Now can we really close the deal and be champions 2 full years early?
NYM wins series 3-2

[rjl518]

1967 World Series

The Minnesota Twins will play us in the 1967 World Series.
I like my rotation over theirs but they got some good hitters in Jim Northrup, Willie Horton and some bench warmer who will probably never amount to anything.
Some putz by the name of Harmon Killebrew.
Sutton will be fully rested by game 1 and so i will have him for games 1, 4, 7.
Jenkins has been awesome in the playoffs so far so he gets 2 and 5, while Carlton will get 3 and 6.
The Twins were also the 3rd place team in the American League, just like we were in the National League.
Who will get the glass slipper in this Cinderella story?
Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of MEET THE METS!!

[rjl518]

Game 1

I do feel good about this series with the rotation i have.
My pitching didnt let me down in game 1 as we beat the Twins 4-2 take a 1-0 series lead.
Don Sutton picked up the win and i gave Roy Face the save.
Tommie Agee belted a 2-run HR off of Jim Kaat in the 1st to take the lead 2-0.
He had 3 RBI in this game.
Makes me feel good every time Agee does well, letting me know that drafting and keeping him was a good idea.
Max Alvis got one back for the Twins in the bottom of that inning.
But Don Sutton pitched very well only giving up 2 runs.
Bubba Morton got into the act also with an RBI triple in the 5th.
Its only the 1st game, but we now have the home field advantage.
NYM lead series 1-0

[rjl518]

Game 2

This game went back and forth as the Twins really needed to win this one.
But, it was the Mets who came out on top 3-2 and we now lead the WS 2-0.
Fergie Jenkins gave up a HR to Willie Horton in the 6th.
I knew Horton had power and he got a hold of one.
But we came right back in the 7th when Bubba Morton scored Bench with an RBI single.
Then in the 8th, Harmon Killebrew knocked out a HR to give the Twins a 2-1 lead going into the 9th.
But, the Mets wouldnt be denied.
Agee walked.
Bench grounded him to 2nd.
Then Jim Gilliam sent a long double to CF to score Agee.
Archie Moore moved the runners over with a base hit to load the bases.
I brought in Don Blasingame to pinch hit for Jenkins.
I have to admit.
Blasingame seems to come through when i need him to.
A sacrifice fly scored Gilliam from third and the Mets took the lead for the first time in the game.
Roy Face and Sparky Lyle combined to close the game out.
We took both games in Minnesota!
Now...can we win the championship in front of our own home crowd?
NYM lead series 2-0

[rjl518]

Game 3

With a 2-1 lead going into the 9th inning, this time the bullpen could not close the game.
The Twins win 3-2 to cut the series lead down 2-1.
Steve Carlton and MINs Pete Richert pitched marvelously.
No one could get a hit off of these pitchers until the middle innings.
The Twins scored a run in the 7th and then Johnny Bench tied it up with a blast in the bottom of the inning.
Phil Niekro pitched the 8th and got the Twins out.
Then Willie Stargell picked up an RBI in the bottom of the 8th and we went into the 9th with the lead.
But Sparky Lyle, who i brought in to pitch, gave up a single.
Then Roy Face gave up a 2-RBI single to Jack Lamabe, a good hitting pitcher, and the Twins took the lead.
Then Lamabe closed the game out on us.
NYM lead series 2-1

[rjl518]

Game 4

The home team has not won a game yet this series.
The Twins beat the Mets 5-0 on some very strong pitching by Jim Kaat.
Sutton did not have a good outing and two errors by Stargell and Gilliam kept a few innings alive.
You cant give teams extra outs.
We left 5 men on base, but 4 of those runners were in scoring position.
This was a tough loss as now we head back to Metropolitan Stadium for that very important game 5.
Series tied 2-2

[rjl518]

Game 5

No pitcher wanted to give an inch in this game.
But in the end, the Twins got the win 5-3.
The Twins lineup has not been really doing the damage against us, it has been their bench.
Bob Sadowski has come off the bench twice in this series and has hurt us with a couple key RBIs.
Fergie Jenkins again pitched well but couldnt hold off the Twins forever.
Truth is, my lineup has not been getting the job done since game 2 of this series.
Wills, Millan and Morton are not hitting.
Back to Shea to see if we can stave off elimination and force a game 7 back here in Minnesota.
MIN leads series 3-2