Jerry Koosman, Miracle Mets Lefty, Dies at 83

Jerry Koosman, the left-hander who got the final out of the Miracle Mets' 1969 World Series win and then jumped into Jerry Grote's arms on the Shea Stadium mound, has died. He was 83.

Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said Koosman died Sunday in Osceola, Wisconsin, surrounded by his children, after being sick for about a year with multiple illnesses, the AP reported. For Mets fans, that leap onto Grote is still one of the great images in baseball, the moment a team that had never posted a winning record became world champions.

The Final Out of 1969

The 1969 Mets were an expansion team that had lost 100 games in five of their first seven seasons. Then they won 38 of their last 49, went 100-62 and took the new National League East. Koosman was the No. 2 starter behind Tom Seaver, going 17-9 with a 2.28 ERA in 32 starts.

In the World Series against Baltimore, he won Game 2 by allowing one run over 8 2/3 innings. In Game 5 he threw a five-hitter, and the last out was a flyout by future Mets manager Davey Johnson to Cleon Jones in left field.

"I turn around and look at Cleon and I see Cleon going back and, uh, the first thing is the heart stops," Koosman told Mets broadcaster Howie Rose in 2019. "Well, then you see him slow down, oh, God, now you know it's OK. Now the only other thing is: Don't drop the ball."

That game also had the famous shoe polish play. With the Mets down 3-0 in the sixth, Jones said a pitch hit him, and the ball bounced to Koosman in the dugout. "As I bent down, Gil says: 'Swipe it against your shoe,'" Koosman said. Gil Hodges showed the ball to the umpire, Jones was awarded first, and Donn Clendenon followed with a two-run homer. Koosman's later line: "Maybe it wasn't mine. Maybe it was Cleon's shoe polish."

A 19-Year Career

Koosman went 222-209 with a 3.36 ERA over 19 big league seasons, with 140 complete games, 33 shutouts and two 20-win seasons. With the Mets from 1967 to 1978 he was 140-137 with a 3.09 ERA, then pitched for the Twins, White Sox and Phillies.

The Minnesota native signed with the Mets for $1,600 in 1964 after a catcher he threw to in the Army passed word along to the front office. As a rookie in 1968 he went 19-12 with a 2.08 ERA, made the All-Star team and struck out Carl Yastrzemski for the final out of the NL's 1-0 win. He finished second to Johnny Bench for Rookie of the Year.

"I feared losing. I didn't want to be looked upon as a loser by anyone," Koosman told Rose.

No. 36 Forever

The Mets retired his No. 36 in 2021. At that ceremony, he summed up 1969 in one line: "Good pitching gets out good hitting. So that's what happened and our pitching kind of took over."

He is survived by sons Michael and Shawn and daughter Danielle.

Every Mets fan knows the picture. Koosman in the air, Grote holding on, Shea going crazy. Rest easy, Kooz.