1962 New York Mets season
| 1962 New York Mets | |
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| Inaugural Season | |
| Major League affiliations | |
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| Location | |
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| Other information | |
| Owner(s) | Joan Payson |
| General manager(s) | George Weiss |
| Manager(s) | Casey Stengel |
| Local television | WOR-TV |
| Local radio |
WABC (AM) (Ralph Kiner, Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy) |
| Next season > | |
The 1962 New York Mets season was the first regular season for the Mets, as the National League returned to New York City for the first time since 1957. They went 40–120 and finished tenth and last in the National League, 60 1⁄2 games behind the NL Champion San Francisco Giants, who once called New York home. The Mets' 120 losses are the most by any MLB team in one season since 1899; since then, the 2003 Detroit Tigers have come the closest to matching this mark, at 43-119.
The team lost its first game 11–4 to the St. Louis Cardinals on April 11, and went on to lose its first nine games. After a 12–19 record on May 20 after sweeping a doubleheader, the Mets lost their next 17 games. They also lost 11 straight from July 15 to July 26, and 13 straight from August 9 to August 21. Their longest winning streak of the season was three.[1]
The Mets were managed by Casey Stengel and played their home games at the Polo Grounds, which was their temporary home while Shea Stadium was being built in Queens. They are rather infamous for their futility, and were one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball history. The pitching staff allowed the most runs (948) in the majors.
Despite the futility of the team, fans came out in droves. Their attendance of 922,530 was good enough for 6th in the National League that year.
The season was chronicled in Jimmy Breslin's humorous best-selling book Can't Anybody Here Play This Game? The title came from a remark made by Manager Casey Stengel expressing his frustration over the team's ineptitude.
Offseason
- July 20, 1961: Paul Blair was signed as an amateur free agent by the Mets.[2]
- October 16, 1961: Billy Loes was purchased by the Mets from the San Francisco Giants.[3]
- November 28, 1961: The Mets traded a player to be named later and cash to the Milwaukee Braves for Frank Thomas and a player to be named later. The deal was completed on May 21, 1962, when the Mets sent Gus Bell to the Braves, and the Braves sent Rick Herrscher to the Mets.[4]
- January 30, 1962: Joe Ginsberg was signed as a free agent by the Mets.[5]
- March 2, 1962: Billy Loes was returned by the Mets to the San Francisco Giants.[3]
Expansion draft
- Main article: 1961 MLB expansion draft
- Craig Anderson, pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals
- Gus Bell,[6] outfielder, Cincinnati Reds
- Ed Bouchee,[7] infielder, Chicago Cubs
- Chris Cannizzaro, catcher, St. Louis Cardinals
- Elio Chacón, infielder, Cincinnati Reds
- Joe Christopher, outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Choo-Choo Coleman, catcher, Philadelphia Phillies
- Roger Craig, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Ray Daviault, pitcher, San Francisco Giants
- John DeMerit, outfielder, Milwaukee Braves
- Sammy Drake, infielder, Chicago Cubs
- Jim Hickman, outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals
- Gil Hodges, infielder, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Jay Hook, pitcher, Cincinnati Reds
- Al Jackson, pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Sherman Jones, pitcher, Cincinnati Reds
- Hobie Landrith,[8] catcher, San Francisco Giants
- Félix Mantilla, infielder, Milwaukee Braves
- Bob L. Miller, pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals
- Bob Smith, outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies
- Lee Walls, infielder/outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies
- Don Zimmer, infielder, Chicago Cubs
Regular season
Season standings
| National League | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Giants | 103 | 62 | 0.624 | — | 61–21 | 42–41 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 102 | 63 | 0.618 | 1 | 54–29 | 48–34 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 98 | 64 | 0.605 | 3½ | 58–23 | 40–41 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 93 | 68 | 0.578 | 8 | 51–30 | 42–38 |
| Milwaukee Braves | 86 | 76 | 0.531 | 15½ | 49–32 | 37–44 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 84 | 78 | 0.519 | 17½ | 44–37 | 40–41 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 81 | 80 | 0.503 | 20 | 46–34 | 35–46 |
| Houston Colt .45s | 64 | 96 | 0.400 | 36½ | 32–48 | 32–48 |
| Chicago Cubs | 59 | 103 | 0.364 | 42½ | 32–49 | 27–54 |
| New York Mets | 40 | 120 | 0.250 | 60½ | 22–58 | 18–62 |
Opening Day lineup
The first game in franchise history was played on the road, at Busch Stadium, St. Louis, on Wednesday night, April 11, 1962. The Mets fell behind 5–0 early, then narrowed the deficit to one run, but ultimately lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 11–4. Former Brooklyn Dodgers Gil Hodges and Charlie Neal homered for the Mets, whose home opener at New York's Polo Grounds would wait until their second-ever official game, on Friday, April 13, 1962.
| 1 | Richie Ashburn | CF |
| 18 | Félix Mantilla | SS |
| 4 | Charlie Neal | 2B |
| 25 | Frank Thomas | LF |
| 3 | Gus Bell | RF |
| 14 | Gil Hodges | 1B |
| 17 | Don Zimmer | 3B |
| 5 | Hobie Landrith | C |
| 38 | Roger Craig | P |
Record vs. opponents
1962 National League Records Sources: | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | CHC | CIN | HOU | LAD | MIL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SF | STL | |||||
| Chicago | — | 4–14 | 7–11 | 4–14 | 8–10 | 9–9 | 10–8 | 4–14 | 6–12 | 7–11 | |||||
| Cincinnati | 14–4 | — | 13–5 | 9–9 | 13–5 | 13–5 | 8–10 | 13–5 | 7–11 | 8–10 | |||||
| Houston | 11–7 | 5–13 | — | 6–12 | 7–11 | 13–3–1 | 1–17 | 5–13 | 7–11 | 9–9–1 | |||||
| Los Angeles | 14–4 | 9–9 | 12–6 | — | 10–8 | 16–2 | 14–4 | 10–8 | 10–11 | 7–11 | |||||
| Milwaukee | 10–8 | 5–13 | 11–7 | 8–10 | — | 12–6 | 11–7 | 10–8 | 7–11 | 12–6 | |||||
| New York | 9–9 | 5–13 | 3–13–1 | 2–16 | 6–12 | — | 4–14 | 2–16 | 4–14 | 5–13 | |||||
| Philadelphia | 8–10 | 10–8 | 17–1 | 4–14 | 7–11 | 14–4 | — | 7–10 | 5–13 | 9–9 | |||||
| Pittsburgh | 14–4 | 5–13 | 13–5 | 8–10 | 8–10 | 16–2 | 10–7 | — | 7–11 | 12–6 | |||||
| San Francisco | 12–6 | 11–7 | 11–7 | 11–10 | 11–7 | 14–4 | 13–5 | 11–7 | — | 9–9 | |||||
| St. Louis | 11–7 | 10–8 | 9–9–1 | 11–7 | 6–12 | 13–5 | 9–9 | 6–12 | 9–9 | — | |||||
Notable transactions
- April 26, 1962: Harry Chiti was purchased by the Mets from the Cleveland Indians.[9]
- April 26, 1962: Bob Smith was traded by the Mets to the Chicago Cubs for Sammy Taylor.[10]
- May 1, 1962: Joe Ginsberg was released by the Mets.[5]
- May 7, 1962: Don Zimmer was traded by the Mets to the Cincinnati Reds for Bob G. Miller and Cliff Cook.[11][12]
- May 7, 1962: Jim Marshall was traded by the Mets to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Vinegar Bend Mizell.[12][13]
- May 9, 1962: Marv Throneberry was sold by the Baltimore Orioles to the New York Mets.[14]
- June 7, 1962 The New York Mets sell Hobie Landrith to the Orioles.[15]
- June 15, 1962: Harry Chiti was returned by the Mets to the Cleveland Indians by the New York Mets.[9]
- June 27, 1962: Ed Kranepool was signed as an amateur free agent by the Mets.[16]
- August 4, 1962: Vinegar Bend Mizell was released by the Mets.[13]
- September 7, 1962: Galen Cisco was selected off waivers by the Mets from the Boston Red Sox.[17]
Roster
| 1962 New York Mets | |||||||||
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| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
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Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Player stats
| = Indicates team leader |
Batting
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Cannizzaro, ChrisChris Cannizzaro | 59 | 133 | 32 | .241 | 0 | 9 |
| 1B | Throneberry, MarvMarv Throneberry | 116 | 357 | 87 | .244 | 16 | 49 |
| 2B | Neal, CharlieCharlie Neal | 136 | 508 | 132 | .260 | 11 | 58 |
| 3B | Mantilla, FélixFélix Mantilla | 141 | 466 | 128 | .275 | 11 | 59 |
| SS | Chacón, ElioElio Chacón | 118 | 368 | 87 | .236 | 2 | 27 |
| LF | Thomas, FrankFrank Thomas | 156 | 571 | 152 | .266 | 34 | 94 |
| CF | Hickman, JimJim Hickman | 140 | 392 | 96 | .245 | 13 | 46 |
| RF | Christopher, JoeJoe Christopher | 119 | 271 | 66 | .244 | 6 | 32 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashburn, RichieRichie Ashburn | 135 | 389 | 119 | .306 | 7 | 28 |
| Kanehl, RodRod Kanehl | 133 | 351 | 87 | .248 | 4 | 27 |
| Woodling, GeneGene Woodling | 81 | 190 | 52 | .274 | 5 | 24 |
| Taylor, SammySammy Taylor | 68 | 158 | 35 | .222 | 3 | 20 |
| Coleman, Choo ChooChoo Choo Coleman | 55 | 152 | 38 | .250 | 6 | 17 |
| Hodges, GilGil Hodges | 54 | 127 | 32 | .252 | 9 | 17 |
| Cook, CliffCliff Cook | 40 | 112 | 26 | .232 | 2 | 9 |
| Bell, GusGus Bell | 30 | 101 | 15 | .149 | 1 | 6 |
| Bouchee, EdEd Bouchee | 50 | 87 | 14 | .161 | 3 | 10 |
| Pignatano, JoeJoe Pignatano | 27 | 56 | 13 | .232 | 0 | 2 |
| Drake, SammySammy Drake | 25 | 52 | 10 | .192 | 0 | 7 |
| Zimmer, DonDon Zimmer | 14 | 52 | 4 | .077 | 0 | 1 |
| Herrscher, RickRick Herrscher | 35 | 50 | 11 | .220 | 1 | 6 |
| Landrith, HobieHobie Landrith | 23 | 45 | 13 | .289 | 1 | 7 |
| Chiti, HarryHarry Chiti | 15 | 41 | 8 | .195 | 0 | 0 |
| Marshall, JimJim Marshall | 17 | 32 | 11 | .344 | 3 | 4 |
| Smith, BobBob Smith | 8 | 22 | 3 | .136 | 0 | 2 |
| DeMerit, JohnJohn DeMerit | 14 | 16 | 3 | .188 | 1 | 1 |
| Kranepool, EdEd Kranepool | 3 | 6 | 1 | .167 | 0 | 0 |
| Ginsberg, JoeJoe Ginsberg | 2 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Pitching
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hook, JayJay Hook | 37 | 213.2 | 8 | 19 | 4.84 | 113 |
| Craig, RogerRoger Craig | 42 | 233.1 | 10 | 24 | 4.51 | 118 |
| Jackson, AlAl Jackson | 36 | 231.1 | 8 | 20 | 4.40 | 118 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miller, Bob L.Bob L. Miller | 33 | 143.2 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 4.89 | 91 |
| Anderson, CraigCraig Anderson | 50 | 131.1 | 3 | 17 | 4 | 5.35 | 62 |
| Moorhead, BobBob Moorhead | 38 | 105.1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4.53 | 63 |
| Hunter, WillardWillard Hunter | 27 | 63 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5.57 | 40 |
| Jones, ShermanSherman Jones | 8 | 23.1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7.71 | 11 |
| Cisco, GalenGalen Cisco | 4 | 19.1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.26 | 13 |
| Foss, LarryLarry Foss | 5 | 11.2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4.63 | 3 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daviault, RayRay Daviault | 36 | 81 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6.22 | 51 |
| MacKenzie, KenKen MacKenzie | 42 | 80 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 4.95 | 51 |
| Mizell, Vinegar BendVinegar Bend Mizell | 17 | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7.34 | 15 |
| Miller, Bob G.Bob G. Miller | 17 | 20.1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7.08 | 8 |
| Hillman, DaveDave Hillman | 13 | 16.2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6.32 | 8 |
| Moford, HerbHerb Moford | 7 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7.20 | 5 |
| Labine, ClemClem Labine | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.25 | 2 |
Awards and honors
League top five finishers
- #3 in NL in bases on balls (81)
- MLB leader in losses (24)
- #2 in NL in home runs allowed (35)
- #3 in NL in earned runs allowed (117)
- #4 in NL in earned runs allowed (115)
- #4 in NL in home runs allowed (31)
- #2 in NL in losses (20)
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Auburn
Syracuse affiliation shared with Washington Senators
Notes
- ↑ 1962 New York Mets Schedule
- ↑ Paul Blair page at Baseball Reference
- 1 2 Billy Loes page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Frank Thomas page at Baseball Reference
- 1 2 Joe Ginsberg page at Baseball-Reference
- ↑ Gus Bell page at Baseball-Reference
- ↑ Ed Bouchee page at Baseball-Reference
- ↑ Hobie Landrith page at Baseball Reference
- 1 2 Harry Chiti page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Bobby Gene Smith page at Baseball-Reference
- ↑ Don Zimmer page at Baseball Reference
- 1 2 "Mets Obtain Three Players". The Gazette. Montreal. Associated Press. May 7, 1962. p. 22. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
- 1 2 Vinegar Bend Mizell page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Flurry of trades as Majors cut their rosters
- ↑ "Gary Landrith Replaces Father". Schenectady Gazette. Associated Press. 8 June 1962. p. 22.
- ↑ Ed Kranepool page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Galen Cisco page at Baseball Reference
- 1 2 1962 New York Mets Statistics and Roster – Baseball-Reference.com
References
- 1962 New York Mets
- 1962 New York Mets team page at www.baseball-almanac.com
- Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.