The 1969 New York Mets | Year in Review

The 1969 New York Mets were simply amazing which would be the moniker for the team that season as they was able to have a miraculous year by winning their first ever World Series championship led by pitchers like Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, left fielder Cleon Jones, Tommy Agee, Al Weis and Ed Kranepool.

The 1969 New York Mets won 100 games losing only 62 games. This Mets team came out nowhere and took the baseball world by storm. The manager of the 1969 New York Mets was Gil Hodges.

The 1969 MLB Baseball Season was a watershed season due to expansion because there was divisional play for the first time. The Mets was assigned to the National League East as they would win the division. Prior to 1969 MLB from a postseason standpoint was all about winning the division finishing in first place then the next step would be advance to the World Series from the American League and National League.

So the 1969 MLB Regular Season ushered in a new era of expansion from a divisional perspective. The American League and The National League were divided into two six team divisions. The next step would be the League Championship Series for the first time in MLB history. Now there was the American League Championship Series and the National League Championship Series something that was unforeseen and unprecedented.

The 1969 New York Mets were the first team in National League history to win the pennant in the National Championship Series to advance to the World Series playing in the best of 5 which would later be a best of 7 series in the future years to come. The New York Mets faced the Atlanta Braves who were winners of the National League West in the inaugural National League Championship Series and the Mets would put together a clean sweep of the Braves to advance to their first ever World Series appearance.

Now the Amazing Mets would face the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles who won the first ALCS of its kind by beating the Minnesota Twins in a clean sweep: 3-0. Now the World Series of 1969 was all set. The upstart New York Mets versus the powerhouse Baltimore Orioles who was a team that won 109 games only losing 53 games that was led by slugger like Frank Robinson and Boog Powell including defensive specialist at 3rd base in third baseman Brooks Robinson. Pitchers like Mike Cuellar ,Dave McNally and Jim Palmer had combined for 63 wins as a pitching staff.

The Mets were unfazed by winning the World Series in 5 games: 4-1. This Series win over Baltimore at the time was one of the great upsets in MLB Baseball Postseason History. The Mets had another moniker that would stand the test of time as the Miracle Mets. Nolan Ryan would later become one of the greatest pitchers ever was on this Amazing Mets squadron.

First Baseman Donn Clendenon was the MVP of the 1969 World Series with a .357 batting average including 3 home runs and 4 RBIS. In a season of change and expansion, the 1969 New York Mets broke new ground by being the 1st expansion team to win a championship ,division title and a pennant. The New York Mets would go to the World Series in 1973 but lost to a burgeoning dynastic team in the Oakland A's in 7 games.

The New York Mets wouldn’t return and make more World Series magic until 1986 when a new generation of Mets like Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden and company would win the 2nd championship in franchise history. But back in 1969 the New York Mets were the toast of the league and the toast of the town who were simply amazing and simply miraculous.