METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE JULY 14, 1962 GAME:
Barry
October 4, 2004
This was the first game that I saw at the Polo Grounds. Somewhat stargazed, not so much by the Mets whom I loved out of sentiment, but because of the ex-Brooklyn players on the LA roster; the Dodgers appeared to be heading to the World Series. [They lost to the Giants in a playoff]. Maury Wills broke Ty Cobb's season record for stolen bases, and I believe that he stole three in this game. In batting practice, Frank Howard reached the right field bleacher on a bounce, and Duke Snider pulled a ball into the second deck of the right field grandstand. Craig Anderson, who was about the luckless of all the Met pitchers, failed to arise to the occasion, despite my cheers.
Barry
September 15, 2004
This was the first game that I saw at the Polo Grounds. Somewhat stargazed, not so much by the Mets whom I loved out of sentiment, but because of the ex-Brooklyn players on the LA roster; the Dodgers appeared to be heading to the World Series. [They lost to the Giants in a playoff]. Maury Wills broke Ty Cobb's season record for stolen bases, and I believe that he stole three in this game. In batting practice, Frank Howard reached the right field bleacher on a bounce, and Duke Snider pulled a ball into the second deck of the right field grandstand. Craig Anderson, who was about the luckless of all the Met pitchers, failed to arise to the occasion, despite my cheers.
James Mack
October 4, 2005
It was a good year. National League baseball was was returning to N.Y. I had arranged for a group of co-workers and friends to go to the game. It was also Old-Timers Day, and the heroes of my youth would be there: Jackie, Gil, Duke and Pee Wee. In eary June I started dating a lovely girl named Flo. We had a lot in common and our relationship started to blossom. One night Flo said, "I have to attend a wedding on July 14th., will you escort me?" I hesitated for a second and said, "No, I have to go to the Mets game on that day." "You're kidding." she said. "Well, if you won't take me I'll go with someone else." I started to think should I go to the wedding with a girl I really liked, or should I go to the game? Mets or Flo? Flo or the Mets? I went to the game. I'm sitting there in the old Polo Grounds saying to myself, "What am I doing here? The Mets are being crushed, and my girl is dancing with someone else." Later that evening Flo called me and we decided to meet. We agreed that we wouldn't date anyone else as we were made for each other. Flo said, "From now on, we'll go to the Mets games together." That was 43 years ago, and my wife Flo and I are still rabid, enthusiastic Mets fans.
Jim Eckert
February 8, 2011
I did not attend this game but I remember the newspaper account. The account mentioned there was an Old-Timer's Game preceeding this game, and went on to say that afterwards "then the Mets went out against the Dodgers and played like old old old timers". No wonder of course. The score - just look at it! Scores of some other Dodger wins over the Mets that season were 17-8, 13-6, 16-5. I dreaded Mets-Dodgers games their first 3 seasons - 2-16, 2-16, 3-15 for a 7-47 record 1962-64. In 1965 they finally solved the Dodgers and were a "respectable" 6-12 against them.
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