Tom Brennan - THE AMAZING TUG MCGRAW

Tom Brennan - THE AMAZING TUG MCGRAW

What is the answer of what Met was the first to beat the legendary Sandy Koufax, who was 17-2, 1.44 ERA lifetime vs. Casey Stengel's motley Queens Crew? 

It's the same answer as to: what undrafted left hander made his 1965 pitching debut with the Mets?

And the same answer as to: which Mets pitcher was just 4-19 with the Mets from 1965 to 1967, and then didn't pitch in the bigs at all in 1968, but who never gave up?

And the same answer as to: who is it that BELIEVED IN HIMSELF SO MUCH that after that 4 year stretch of misery, he went 9-4, 2.28 for the Mets in 4 starts and 38 relief appearances, with 12 saves, in the very next magical Mets season of 1969?

And the same answer as to:which Mets pitcher went 19-10 with a 1.70 ERA in both 1971 and 1972, with 35 saves?

And, lastly, the same answer as to: who was the reliever who pitched like crap through late August in 1973, then let out a YA GOTTA BELIEVE cry to rally a dead-in-the-water Mets team to a pennant and within one game of winning the World Series, while suddenly pitching like it was 1971-72 all over again?

That's right:

THE TUGGER, TUG MCGRAW.  

The "slapping that glove on the thigh, scroogie-tossing" Tug McGraw we Mets fans all loved.

In 1969, he was part of the miracle World Series-winning squad that included Seaver, Koosman, Gentry, and MacAndrew, suddenly coalescing into a super pitching staff that posted an insane 2.99 team ERA.

Tug regressed a bit in 1974 with what turned out to be a correctable arm problem - and the Mets, as they had in the 1970s with Seaver, Ryan, and Koosman, also made the similarly huge mistake of trading McGraw.

Post-trade, Tug threw a "mere" 463 games with the Phils, to the tune of a 3.10 ERA, going 49-37 with 94 saves.  

And threw the final pitch to win a World Series for the Phils one season.

But Tug was so much more than his stats.

Some players - not to be critical, just thinking like a team owner - exude zero charisma on the field, like a Lucas Duda.

Lucas likely is a truly nice guy in person - but Tug was a charismatic, smiling, huge Mets fan favorite - starting with the day that the unheralded 21 year old Tugboat took down the great and mighty Koufax in 1965.

Tug truly was a huge historical part of why so many local baseball aficionados became - and stayed - Mets fans.

The wonderful Tug McGraw died far too soon at age 58 - but amazingly, his son Tim McGraw became a huge country music singer.  

Simply Amazin'.