The New York Mets were the laughing stock of baseball through the 1960s…
In the club’s first year in 1962 it posted the worst regular season record since Major League baseball went to a 162 game schedule and the team never finished above second to last until.. the worst regular season record since Major League Baseball went to a 162-game schedule (two games were canceled). The team never finished better than second to last until THE MIRACLE METS of 1969.
Even their manager Casey Stengel was famous for his comments about how bad his team had been but that they would win a World Series soon. Of course, nobody believed him. The joke at the time was which would happen first, a winning season by the Mets or Apollo 11 landing on the moon. Well, both got there the same year in 1969.
This year’s Kansas City Royals may be our version of the 1969 Miracle Mets.
Maybe that’s what we should call them, the Miracle Royals.
There are lots of similarities between the two teams. Both were troubled franchises suggesting their winning would entail a miracle. Yet now the Royals look unbeatable.
Who are these guys?
The Mets too were a light hitting ball club in 1969. Their only two real bats were Tommie Agee with 26 homers but just 76 RBI’s and Cleon Jones with his .340 batting average. They had a light hitting, patch work offense just like the Royals.
Also like the Royals, the Mets strength was their pitching led by Tom Seaver 25-7. Kansas City doesn’t quite have that, but the Mets bullpen was much like the Royals. Led by Tug McGraw and Ron Taylor. Oh and they also had a guy named Nolan Ryan.
Like the Royals, just making the post season would have been a major accomplishment for the lowly Mets but winning it All, no way.
Yet in 1969 the Mets took out the Baltimore Orioles, kinda like the Royals hope to.
And like today, back then, the Orioles were the mighty ones with Frank Robinson, Boog Powell, Jim Palmer, Dave McNally and Mike Cuellar. The O’s were a monster team, yet the Mets won the series.
If you saw the movie SPACE JAMS with Michael Jordan you might remember that aliens came down from outer space and took over the bodies of a basketball team. They became unbeatable, out of nowhere. Kinda like the Royals.
Who are these guys?
Are they the Royals team just hoping they could slide into the playoffs ? A wild card team at best that now can’t be stopped?
Seriously, six wins in the post season and no loses. These Royals seem capable of doing anything they need to do to win games. A team that couldn’t buy a home run is now doing it daily and often. Power from Eric Hosmer, Mike the Moose and even a hitting attack led by Lorenzo Cain?
Their defense is composed of snap shots of great pay after great play. Nobody has seen base stealing like this in decades. Even Billy Butler stole one. Hey, if they win the World Series they just might have to keep Butler, if nothing else, just for good luck.
I was one of the folks who thought the Royals were a decent team but not a play off team.
I was very wrong.
Now they look like a world championship ball club. Nobody wants to face these guys now.
Are they a one year wonder? Who knows?
I think they will see more playoffs in the future, but a world title?
The Mets would see one more after 1969, but that didn’t come until 1986.
And since 2000 they have been in only one post season. So World Series titles don’t come too often. The Royals seem to be headed towards one this year. Enjoy it. They have earned it and more so the FANS HAVE EARNED IT.
The Amazing, Miracle Royals.
the comparisons you make between the 2 teams are absolutely atrocious.
why even try.
please….all you have to do for the royals to win the world series is repeat your
famous words…….
I T ‘ S O V E R
repeat that…it started the run by the royals…and stop trying to analyze
these teams.
How much has the playoffs affected your new restaurant. Hopefully there are
just 6 more games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You forgot to compare catches by Cain and Gordon to the fantastic grabs in the outfield by Ron Swoboda.
good call
you’re good call…
ITS OVER…ITS OVER…ITS OVER….
don’t jinx us.
Craig:
Does this mean in a way, that the Royals – like the Mets – really don’t belong here?
That it’s an aberration, a rare example of a team playing above and beyond it’s true capabilities?
I think you said something to me the other day about the Royals being the “best worst team in baseball.”
Explain, por favor?
BTW, nice job writing and researching. Can tell you put some time and effort into this one.
I think they earned the spot. Their regular season was not impressive outside of the great pitching. Hitting was so light it was scary, but the pitching and defense were out of sight. Now they just put it all together for the first time really ever as a team. The hitting and with power has just not been there ever before, so that’s a wonderment for sure. Had Hosmer, Moose, Cain and others hit like this all year, Royals win 100 plus. That doesn’t matter, they are on fire now when it counts. So yeah they earned it.
thanks mr. Ouija board…pick the winners after the game..
now you change your mind…
ITS OVER…ITS OVER….
yes…glaze your sports expert days are OVER…WAY WAY OVER!
Missed Casey Stengel being a native of Northeast Kansas City.
Richie Ashburn used to tell great stories about those early Mets. He retired shortly after being sent to them in the expansion draft.
Good job Craig. I actually think a comparison to the 1973 Mets that lost the World Series to the A’s is even more spot on. The 1969 Mets won 100 games and pulled away from the Cubs by eight games. The ’73 Mets clinched the last couple days of the season and caught fire entering the post-season. They had a 3-2 edge in the WS before the A’s won the last two in Oakland to burst their bubble. When you look at the ’73 team you find Rusty Staub and a bunch of slap hitters, with a solid starting rotation.
YES if we lose series. I feel the Royals will win it all. But who knows, NOBODY KNOWS.
You’ve been down on the Royals all season. It’s time for you to shut up!
now he realizes his mistakes…and will hopefully not jinx the team…
ITS OVER….repeat that its over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WELL Jack, I said I was wrong. I did say the Royals were a decent team all year, I just didn’t think they would go deep or make playoffs. Hey few thought they would be this hot. Maybe nobody. So calm down.
actually, someone in the national media picked them to go all the way against the Dodgers in the WS. can’t recall who it was…someone on CBS Sports (internet, radio?) I think. he might have been the only one.
glaze repeat after me…
ITS OVER
ITS OVER
ITS OVER
ITS OVER
say it while you make those dr. pepperribs/eat crow/make flowerpot bread…
just rpeat ITS OVER…ITS OVER…THEN BET 10k ON THE ROYALS…
ITS A LOCK….ITS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111
OK HARLEY JUST FOR YOU MAN….SO THEY WILL WIN…
ITS OVER
ITS OVER
ITS OVER
ITS OVER
HAPPY NOW.
hahahaha…
you’ve got agreat sense of humor…
good luck…luv ya…but wewant more hotties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mets also had Koosman and Clendenon and Hodges as well destiny on their side…the latter died at age 47, never before or aft being able repeat the success he and the Mets had 1969. Destiny died too post 1969, Mets returned their customary spot, looking up in the standings.
Koosman was the the second half of NY’s 1-2 punch, Clendenon, obtained mid-season trade from expansion Expos, provided the missing spark Mets, team going 2nd before Clendenon’s arrival into first place after and never looking back.
Alas, like the Jets in ’68, the 1969 Mets were nigh on flukes, nod Royals of 2014. Jets play the Colts 10 x, Colts win 9… Jets won their one, never again sniffed a Superbowl. Ditto the Orioles vs the Mets a 10 game set: Mets won theirs in ’69 and it wasn’t until 1973 they managed return, again nigh on flukish as they beat the CINN Reds, owners merely the best record in MLB that season.
As for the Orioles, the best collection of talent to disappoint on the MLB level since the 1970 CINN R
Reds same.
Well guess that worked yesterday so for today IT’S OVER, ITS OVER, ITS OVER,ITS OVER…AND I think it is…THE AMAZIN ROYALS
thanks for helping moose and alex and shields….they need everyone’s
help.
thanks for being a good sport..we all get killed gambling sometime!!!
yourfriend
Harley
I believe that your comparison is a bit misguided.
The 1969 Mets came into the postseason having
won the NL East with 100 wins, while KC is a
wildcard with fewer than 90 wins. Where is the
comparison?