ANewYorkGUY
May 24, 2001
I had been a Met Fan since their inception in 1962, the year I was discharged from the Army. This team was going to help me forget the departure of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Of course, they didn't. I was depressed every season. In February of 1969, my ex- wife gave me a belated anniversary gift. Season tickets to Shea. I watch the Miracle Met season from right behind the Met's dugout. When they won the pennantI was overjoyed, even though I was sure that they couldn't win the Series against the powerful Orioles with Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Davie Johnson, et al. I watched the series from right above the left field scoreboard (the best seats I could get, even as a season-ticketholder. I'll never forget the outstanding plays in the outfield by the late and lamented Tommie Agee and that diving grab by Swoboda. Even now when I see the highlight film I think "this time he won't get it". And there was Don Clendenon and the homer by Weis. The Mets had completed the impossible dream. Last place to first, defeating one of the most powerful offensive teams of the time. After the last game, knowing where Gil Hodges lived on Bedford Avenue, I went to stand there when he got home. There was a huge crowd. It was one of the best years of my life.

Irv Zimmerman
June 6, 2001
I was 11 years old and living in Las Vegas, NV. I was the only Mets fan at my school. I slipped out of my classroom when the teacher wasn't looking and talked the janitor into turning on the only television in the school which was in the auditorium. I will never forget watching the last 2 innings, standing there with the janitor, who just happened to be an Oriole fan. I was so thrilled that the Mets were actually going to do it. By the time Cleon had made the last catch, my teacher had found me. All he said was, "Man! Those Mets!" The janitor mumbled something about "pure luck". I just smiled at both of them. Words couldn't describe how happy I was.

I've still never been to Shea Stadium. Maybe one of these days.

Joe Coppola
September 23, 2005
The most underrated box score item ever.

HBP - CLEON JONES

That one little piece of info is all you need to see if you are a Mets fan to know that 1969 was a fait accompli.

Gil Hodges was a master manager at work that whole season. Each and every move he made produced a positive result for some sort.

From each and every platoon move that he did (imagine doing that today??) to the slow walk out to left field on the bleakest day of that great season, when the Mets were being trounced in a make up double header against the Astros with 2 double digit innings, asking Cleon Jones if he was ok, and upon Cleon saying yes pulling him out of the game for dogging it on a fly ball, sending a message as to what the manager expected (try doing THAT today!)

How Mr. Hodges is NOT in the HOF is a travesty of justice and fair play.

1969 truly the greatest NY Mets season EVER!

LenDog
December 22, 2005
I attended school for 19 years... kindergarten grade school high school college grad school

In those 19 years, I only had ONE teacher who was a Met fan...Miss Ryan, 3rd Grade teacher, St. Agnes School, Clark, NJ.

She was our teacher in 1969-1970...so, WE WATCHED THIS GAME IN SCHOOL INSTEAD OF DOING SCHOOL WORK!

One Met fan teacher in 19 years of attending school, and she taught me during the 1969 World Series! No other teacher would have allowed us to watch this game.

There is a God....and THANK YOU, MISS RYAN, wherever you are.

PS: Four years later, we had an angry, senile nun for 7th grade teacher, so we had to sneak in transistor radios for the Mets/Reds playoff games.

Lee
March 10, 2006
This was the triumph of the Miracle Mets. The Orioles had Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Boog Powell, Dave Johnson, and the best pitching staff in baseball history, and the Mets still won the Series in 5. Let's go Mets

Tony from ct
October 5, 2006
I recently met Cleon Jones, and despite the message that was sent on that game that Joey C talks about, he is a real gentleman. The real travesty was that I never had a chance to see these guys play, and I have never seen a world championship by the Mets, except on video.

original mets
September 18, 2006
I was able to attend all 3 World Series Games against the mighty Orioles. I remember bringing my French grammar book to the game because I had a test that night at City University in Queens. After the final out I went on the field and the red clay from the warning track stained my book cover, then it was off to the hospital to visit my ebuillent dad who was recovering from a herniated disc. He might have been in pain but the victory in game 5 was the greatest pain killer my dad could have taken.

Martin Smith
October 17, 2008
I turned 12 in June of 1969. It had already been the most incredible summer of my life. Having suffered through years of absolute hopelessness I would have been happy if the Mets just won as many games as they lost... but here we were on a bright October afternoon just one game away from Nirvana. Back then, World Series games were played in the afternoon when most kids were in school. Fortunately my middle school was right across the street from my house. We were all lined up like sprinters for the 3 o'clock bell, waiting to race home and catch the last few innings.

I lived on the 9th floor of a housing tenement in Newark New Jersey. Bypassing the elevator I would sprint up 9 flights of stairs and burst through the front door. My mom was a huge baseball fan so I knew the game would be on. Usually the game was only halfway through when I arrived. I got to see the amazing Swoboda catch (still ranks as the greatest catch in World Series history in my book), the clever shoe polish demonstration by the great Gil Hodges, J.C. Martin getting struck in the back with the throw to first, etc.

We had history class from 1pm to 3pm the day of the 5th game. Most of us would have been completely worthless during those two hours. I guess our teacher, Mr. January, must have realized this because on this day he surprised all of us by rolling in a 15 inch black and white TV. "Today we are going to witness history," he said as he tuned in NBC channel four. We most certainly did. It was part of the most amazing run in New York sports history. Baltimore? Not so much.

Shickhaus Franks
December 28, 2010
I was nearly 3 yrs old at the time but watching the footage of 1969 still gives me goosebumps. I feel it's only appropriate that I post about 1969 season on the heels of the Monster Blizzard of December 2010. In February of 1969, a similar snowstorm hit New York City and many parts including Queens WEREN'T plowed for days and blame was put on then-Mayor John Lindsay. Lindsay lost the primary but decided to run for re-election on another ticket. Meanwhile, the Mets start their Miracle run to the championship and Lindsay, who wasn't a big baseball fan, was seen a lot in the Mets clubhouse after every home game during the stretch run and in the post-season. The Mets won the WORLD SERIES (of course) after beating the mighty Baltimore Orioles and Lindsay won re-election after beating mighty odds and lots of snowstorm blame. Not everybody likes a blizzard but a lot of good can come out in the wake of a storm.

Bill Costello
January 10, 2014
I was born October 16th 1969 at the moment the Mets won the World Series. My parents had a best friend who was a sports reporter who was on the scene that day, who was able to get the entire team to sign a ball. This ball was given to my parents as a birth gift. It was in a round plastic case and I remember it from a very early age. I used to play with it and my parents didn't think it was very valuable and none of us are sports fans. Eventually I took the ball out of the case and played with it for years until all the names wore off and the ball was eventually thrown out. Someone told me recently that this ball would be worth between 20-40 grand today! Man were my parents stupid to let me play with it.

Shickhaus Franks
November 28, 2014
I got a book called "1969" in paperback, it talks about all the events of that year: the Vietnam war, Ted Kennedy and Mary Jo, the Stonewall riots, Nixon entering the WH, the Tate- LoBianco murders, Woodstock, Altamont and Apollo 11. But it gives healthy chapters of when Shea Stadium of Flushing beat Memorial Stadium of Baltimore twice in 9 months courtesy of Broadway Joe and the Jets upsetting the mighty Colts in Super Bowl III in Miami and then the Mets upending the mighty Orioles.

Patrick
March 17, 2019
I was in the fourth grade and they announced it over the loudspeaker that the Mets just won the World Series. The Miracle Mets

Ed V
August 12, 2024
Crazy what I remember. The nuns in our Catholic school refusing to put the games 3 and 5 on the TV and confiscating transistor radios. Game 4 I was able to watch complete since Wednesdays we had half days so the public school kids got Catechism. Once again at 3 pm I raced home leaving my grandmother in the dust and watched the whole 9th with my dad and uncles. My dad and one of the uncles were NYPD and had 12 to 8 shift but made sure not to miss history.

I remember going out after the final out at 317 and everyone on the block imitating Cleon's kneel down. I remember the tortured look on my dad and uncles' faces when Davey Johnson hit the ball. It looked gone at first.

Went to the Bronx this Xmas with my wife daughter and granddaughter and did the Cleon kneel down on the same corner for a goof. Great days, both of them!