Jerry Koosman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jerry Koosman |
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Koosman with the New York Mets in 1971
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: December 23, 1942 Appleton, Minnesota, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 14, 1967, for the New York Mets | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 21, 1985, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 222–209 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.36 | ||
| Strikeouts | 2,556 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Jerry Koosman (born December 23, 1942) is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These included the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies. His career lasted from 1967 to 1985. Koosman is most famous for being a key player on the "Miracle Mets" team. This team surprisingly won the 1969 World Series.
Contents
Playing for the New York Mets
Becoming a Rookie Star
Jerry Koosman was first noticed by the Mets while pitching for the United States Army. This was at Fort Bliss, Texas. After leaving the military, the Mets offered him a contract. In 1966, Koosman almost got cut from the team. However, an assistant director, Joe McDonald, asked to keep him. Koosman owed the Mets money for a car repair, so he stayed.
In 1967, Koosman led all pitchers in the International League in strikeouts. He then joined the Mets' main team in 1968. That year, he had an amazing record of 19 wins and 12 losses. He also pitched seven shutouts and had a low 2.08 earned run average. He set new team records for wins, shutouts, and ERA. He was also chosen for his first All-Star team. The National League won that game 1–0, which was very rare. Koosman helped secure the win by pitching the last inning. He was named to the 1968 Topps All-Star Rookie Roster. He finished second for the National League Rookie of the Year award.
The Miracle Mets of 1969
In 1969, Koosman continued to play well. He had 17 wins and 9 losses with a 2.28 ERA. He was also an All-Star again. This was the year he became part of the "Miracle Mets." This team unexpectedly won the National League East title. They had been in last place for many years. They were also far behind the Chicago Cubs for most of the season. Koosman helped them catch up by winning eight of his last nine games.
In the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves, Koosman had a tough game. He gave up six runs, including a home run by Hank Aaron. But the Mets still won that game 11–6. They then swept the series, winning all games.
Koosman was a pitching hero in the 1969 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. After the Mets lost Game One, Koosman pitched Game Two. He kept the Orioles from getting any hits until the seventh inning. The Mets won that game, tying the series.
The series then moved to Shea Stadium. The Mets won Games Three and Four. Koosman pitched Game Five, hoping to win the series. He fell behind 3–0 early in the game. But the Mets fought back! Donn Clendenon hit a two-run home run. Then Al Weis hit a home run to tie the game. The Mets scored two more runs in the eighth inning to take the lead. Koosman finished the game, and the Mets won the World Series! It was an amazing and unexpected victory.
The Game 5 Ball
After the final out of the 1969 World Series, left fielder Cleon Jones gave the game ball to Koosman. Koosman kept this ball, along with the ball from Game 2, in a safe. He later sold the Game 5 ball. Its location today is unknown.
Later Years with the Mets
In 1970, Koosman had a 12–7 record. Over the next two seasons, he struggled a bit. He had arm problems in 1971. In 1973, he started strong but finished with a 14–15 record. That year, he set a Mets' record by pitching 312⁄3 innings without giving up any runs. The Mets again surprisingly won the NL East title. This comeback led to famous sayings like Tug McGraw's "Ya Gotta Believe!" and manager Yogi Berra's "It ain’t over 'til it's over."
In the NLCS against the Cincinnati Reds, Koosman pitched a complete game. The Mets won 9–2. This win gave the Mets a 2–1 lead in the series. They won the pennant two days later.
Koosman was also the winning pitcher in Game Five of the World Series. He held the Oakland Athletics scoreless for over six innings. This win gave the Mets a 3–2 lead in the series. However, Oakland won the next two games to become champions again.
Leaving the Mets
Koosman had good seasons in 1974 and 1975. In 1976, he had one of his best years ever. He won 21 games and had 200 strikeouts. He finished second for the National League Cy Young Award. In 1977, the Mets traded his teammate Tom Seaver. The team then struggled, and Koosman had a tough year, losing 20 games. After another difficult season in 1978, Koosman asked to be traded. He went to the Minnesota Twins. His departure meant Ed Kranepool was the last player left from the 1969 Miracle Mets team.
Later Baseball Career
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| Jerry Koosman's number 36 was retired by the New York Mets in 2021. |
Koosman played very well for the Minnesota Twins in 1979, winning 20 games. He won 16 games in 1980. In 1981, the Twins traded Koosman to the Chicago White Sox.
He continued to play well for the White Sox in 1982 and 1983. In 1983, the White Sox won their division. This was their first time in the playoffs since the 1959 World Series. However, they lost to the Baltimore Orioles. After that season, Koosman was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He played his last productive season in 1984.
On April 13, 1984, Koosman gave up a double to Pete Rose. This was Rose's 4000th career hit, a huge milestone.
Jerry Koosman finished his career with 222 wins. This places him among the top pitchers in baseball history. He had a career ERA of 3.36 in 612 games. He also struck out 2,556 batters.
Koosman has the third most wins in Mets history (140). Only Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden have more.
Koosman was honored by being inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1989. He also attended the 40th anniversary celebration of the 1969 Miracle Mets in 2009.
The Mets retired Koosman's number 36 on August 28, 2021. This means no other Mets player will wear that number. He was only the third Mets player to have his number retired at that time. Later, Keith Hernandez, Willie Mays and Dwight Gooden also had their numbers retired.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
