Tom Brennan - KOOSMAN'S FIRST 3 GAMES OF 1968 - WOW!!
Well, I covered Nolan Ryan, and I covered Tom Seaver, in two recent articles - about how the blazing duo did in their debuts.
Jerry Koosman did not debut so well over the course of 1967, when called up in early 1967, the same time as 1967 rookie of the year Tom Seaver.
Oh, Kooz did great when he debuted in relief in the game that followed the very next day after Seaver's debut.
Koozman went 2.2 innings and allowed 2 walks and fanned two. Nice!
Koozman went 2.2 innings and allowed 2 walks and fanned two. Nice!
But otherwise in 1967, he only got into several early season and September games. In those other games, he tossed 20 more innings and surrendered 17 runs. Either a bum, or tired (the last 2 outings were particularly bad), or in need of more seasoning.
Mets fans had reason to think it was one of the latter two, because he was GREAT in the minors.
In 1966, he had a stunning 1.38 ERA and sub 0.90 WHIP in A ball in 170 innings. He also excelled in 99 innings of Florida Instructional League outings in 1966 and 1967. Besides that, he put up a 2.43 ERA in AAA in 178 innings in 1967.
(Man, a lot of innings those 2 seasons, don't you think - 447 innings in total in those 2 seasons, PLUS the 22.1 innings in 1967 with the Mets).
In 1966, he had a stunning 1.38 ERA and sub 0.90 WHIP in A ball in 170 innings. He also excelled in 99 innings of Florida Instructional League outings in 1966 and 1967. Besides that, he put up a 2.43 ERA in AAA in 178 innings in 1967.
(Man, a lot of innings those 2 seasons, don't you think - 447 innings in total in those 2 seasons, PLUS the 22.1 innings in 1967 with the Mets).
Anyway, looking at those 1967 minors numbers, and it sure seems the then-lousy Mets could have just left him in the Mets rotation from the start of 1967 and let him grow and adjust - seems to me that he wasted that season in the minors.
Well, forget 1967, he sure was ready to start 1968:
1) First outing, a complete game 4 hit shutout on April 11.
2) Second outing in April a complete game 7 hit shutout with 10 Ks.
3) Third outing in April, a complete game, 1 run, 11 Ks.
Hot dang. How brilliant is that!
He tossed a brilliant 12 K shutout against the Cardinals in July, too.
Pitching for a team that scored just a historically low 473 runs in 1968, he still won 19, lost 12, and had a 2.08 ERA in 264 innings. Johnny Bench edged Jerry out for the rookie of the year award, but as good as Bench was, Koosman IMO deserved the award. Because the lefty was THAT GREAT in 1968.
In games he pitched that the Mets lost, in one game, he threw 12 shutout innings, but the team lost 1-0. In 2 losses, he allowed 1 earned run, in 2 more, just 2 earned runs, and in 4 more, just 3 earned runs. He would have won 20 games with a decent hitting squad.
He rang up 17 complete games and 7 shutouts, and his ERA was sub 2.00 the entire season until his second to last game.
Wow.
So, going into 1969, most of us programmed-for-losing Mets fans thought the Mets, if lucky, might somehow get to .500, despite having what appeared to be a great pitcher in Seaver.
And Jerry Koosman. And Nolan Ryan.
And McGraw (in an upcoming article).
Mets fans were too pessimistic, clearly.
Koosman, as I have written before, had a lot of bad luck in his career due to pitching for a lot of anemic hitting teams.
It probably kept him out of the Hall of Fame.
It probably kept him out of the Hall of Fame.
Case in point: after winning 21 games in 1976, in 1977 and 1978 he went a combined painful 11-35, despite an ERA for those 2 seasons of just 3.63.
Traded to Minnesota after the second of those 2 seasons, he promptly won 20 games again.
Traded to Minnesota after the second of those 2 seasons, he promptly won 20 games again.
In his 20 loss season in 1977, he allowed 3 or less earned runs 10 times, and just 4 runs in 7 others. It was a similar story for him in 1978. Horrible run support. What a shame.
The 1977 and 1978 Mets teams averaged only about 3.7 runs per game. As bad as that was, when he pitched, their offense was worse.
Baseball is a team sport - in those 2 seasons, particularly, his team let him down.
Baseball is a team sport - in those 2 seasons, particularly, his team let him down.
Simply put, Koosman was one of my all time favorite Mets.
He just should have filed suit in Family Court for non-support.
He just should have filed suit in Family Court for non-support.
10 comments:
Will Szapucki, Peterson, and Kay combined someday have as many wins and innings as Koosman?
Tom
I do
I really do
Hope u r right, Mack.
You don't get to lose 20 games unless you are a good pitcher they entrust to trot out there every 5 days.
And no offensive support, Reese. If I counted correctly, the Mets scored 32 runs in those 20 losses, in total in 1977, not just while he was pitching. Stunning.
Was at sea (Merchant Marine) most of 1968. Heading to the Cape from India in April, the Chief Steward tells he heard on AFR of this Met pitching sensation. I(said, "I know, Tom Seaver." He says "No, another guy."
Another one! I'm psyched.
Yep, Hobie, 2 aces and we were on our way.
@Tom -- He was the Jacob deGrom of his day in terms of run support.
It's Now Official
First 2019 NY Mets injury, Jed Lowrie. Pain behind the knee while ramping his running up. Cartilage, ligaments, and tendons, oh my Dorothy!
Hopefully nothing major, may just kneed down time, get it Mack? But Jed has had some leg injuries in his career. This is why Brodie stacked the house with backups. Wise, wise man that Brodie.
Kudos galore there.
What is my 2019 ST Dream List and why you should care...
1. Someone helps develop one more out pitch for Daniel Zamora, if he hasn't himself already. Daniel has a slider to die for already. But seriously here, what about a sinker then too? Why: Because I love lefty strikeout starters. Daniel Zamora is fine already for the pen. We all know this. But his strikeouts well exceeded innings pitched in 2018 on his slider. But can you imagine Daniel with one more great pitch added to that one? OMG! worthy already. Get me Steve Somers on the line, I tell ya'. I want to see what Steve thinks. He's probably at his favorite Geritol Drip/Asian Restaurant he frequents so often with his main squeeze. (Best sports radio host ever in the universe hands down already. Not kidding.)
2. I'd like to see righthanded pitcher Walker Jocketty get a serious look and decent innings in Spring Training. Or was that Walker Lockett? I get them mixed up a little. One of them anyway. Whomever is available.
3. I'd like it if the Mets allowed Todd Frazier, Peter Alonso, and Dominic Smith to take throws from shortstop blind folded. Whoever catches one first should start there.
4. I am hoping that catcher Devon Mesoraco can hit better this year. Maybe just go for singles and doubles instead of trying to hit the baseball back to Punxsutawney to kill the damn groundhog.
5. Maybe Mike Francessa can cut himself off Diet Coke long enough to actually say something nice (for a change) about the crosstown rival NY Mets. But I still do like his "back, back, back" homerun calls.
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