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Memories of
Al Luplow

Al Luplow
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 275 of 1218 players
Luplow
Alvin David Luplow
Born: March 13, 1939 at Saginaw, Mich.
Died: December 28, 2017 at Saginaw, Mich.
Throws: Right Bats: Left
Height: 5.10 Weight: 185

Al Luplow was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on May 3, 2009, August 19, 2012, October 28, 2012, January 31, 2013, March 13, 2016, January 11, 2018, July 26, 2018, and March 12, 2019.

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First Mets game: April 16, 1966
Last Mets game: June 18, 1967

Share your memories of Al Luplow

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Morris Mazer
I remember thinking that Al could turn out to be a good. Sadly, I was wrong. He only lasted 2 years with the Metsies. He had the greatest ears in Mets history though. God bless him. It's been a pleasure.

Richard Kissel
My most vivid memory of Al Luplow was from when he was traded by the Mets to the Pirates. He was playing right field when he misplayed a ball (c. 1967), which allowed Bud Harrelson to hit his first major league home run, an inside the park job in, I believe, Forbes Field.

Haywood Jablomey
February 28, 2001
I remember this guy had a wicked bald head. Everytime he'd step out of the batters box, he'd lift up his helmet to wipe the sweat away and there was that bald head, and then he would squint and snuff.

Christopher Chapman
June 6, 2001
I was sitting in loge reserved behind home plate - it was a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in '66, I think...vs. the Phillies, I believe...I discovered that some other friends from my neighborhood were sitting nearby...Luplow hit a game-winning homer in bottom of the ninth...apparently I must have called it, because I remember jumping up and down and yelling at them "I told you so! I told you so!"

Bill Deegan
June 6, 2002
I've heard it said that Al made "the greatest catch in Major League history" while playing for Cleveland. It supposedly took place at Fenway in right-center field along that low bullpen wall they have out there. Al, it is said, made a running, diving catch over the wall and somehow managed to hold on to the ball. Maybe some other Al Luplow fan can shed some light on this for me. I've been telling this story for years and actually have no idea if it's true or not.

Joe Figliola
September 25, 2002
I think it was Al who helped Bud Harrelson get his first home run. The way I heard it, Buddy hit a ball down the right field line that the umpire called fair. Al basically pulled a David Cone and began arguing with the umpire rather than call time out or field it. Young Harrelson, meanwhile, stormed around the bases for the first of his seven career roundtrippers.

You see? Having a big bald head isn't everything!

Metsmind
December 23, 2002
Yes, he did misplay the ball that became Buddy Harrelson's first homer. In fact, that ball rolled under the bullpen bench in Forbes Field, and into a paper cup. And yes, Luplow did stop looking for it and starting yakking at the umps. I think he was still a Mets fan at heart!

Feat Fan
July 11, 2005
I was around 10 when the Mets aquired him from Cleveland. Said to my dad, wow, the Mets just picked up Al Luplow from the Indians.

He grunted and said, great, now that will get them a pennant. Man of few words.

Luplow had a serviceable 1966 season and still to this day conjures up fond memories.

Joe Ward
May 19, 2006
I being a huge Met fan was thrilled when one day Al showed up at the Twin Willows Club, after a tough previous hitless day at Shea. We shot a little nine hole. He put the first shot in the pond... then we went for a swim in the pool, played some tennis, and went to the Pompton Queen for some dinner, since Mrs. Ward was cranky and would not cook for us. He bought and left a big tip for the waitress Liz. That is just the kind of wonderful gentleman he was!

centerfieldmaz.com
April 19, 2012
Al Luplow was born on March 13, 1939 in Saginaw, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University where he played varsity football and baseball for the Spartans.

Luplow was originally signed by the Cleveland Indians in 1959. He spent five seasons with the Indians as a reserve outfielder. In 1962 he played in 97 games, batting .277 with 14 HRs 15 doubles and 45 RBIs (362 at bats). The next year he was a regular in the outfield next to Vic Davillio and Tito Francona. He played in 100 games, but his average fell off to .234 with 7 HRs and 27 RBIs.

That year he made a spectacular game saving catch stealing a HR away from future Hall of Fame manager, Dick Williams. It happened at Fenway Park in front of only 6000 fans on a weekday afternoon. Although it has been written about throughout baseball history, only those who were there on that day, actually saw it. Luplow chased down Williams deep fly ball, he leaped in the air and caught the ball over the fence. He flipped over the right center field wall and landed in the Red Sox bullpen. He jumped up waving his glove to show he made the fantastic catch and let everyone know he was alright.

He saw little action the next two seasons, batting a dismal .111 in 19 games in 1964. Then the Indians acquired Rocky Colavito in 1965 Luplow's time was soon over in Cleveland. At the end of November 1965, his contract was purchased by the New York Mets. Al Luplow may not be the most famous #18 to wear a Mets uniform, like Darryl Strawberry but he was still on board for the 1966 season.

Luplow appeared in the second game of the 1966 season as a defensive replacement in the Mets 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. Al eventually made his was as one of the teams main outfielders by June. Al got himself into 111 games for the '66 Mets, playing all three outfield positions and making pinch hit appearances. In June he had a five game hit streak and helped New York to a 2-1 win over the Cardinals the next day with a ground out RBI.

On July 1 he hit a HR off Pittsburgh's Steve Blass helping the Mets to a 4-3 win. Two days later he drove in the first run of the Mets 9-8 win over the Pirates as they took a rare series victory from the Bucs. His first big day came on the 4th of July at Wrigley Field where he hit a HR and drove in four runs in the Mets 8-1 victory.

On July 20 Luplow hit a HR off Hall of Famer Juan Marichal in San Franciso, in the game weak hitting short stop Roy McMillan also hit a HR off Marichal. The game went to extra innings and was won by New York on a Ron Swoboda HR, it was a rare time that the Mets could beat the Giants with Marichal on the mound.

In the first two weeks of August he had two four game hit streaks with five multi-hit games, and added three more during the month. In September he hit two HRs in a game at San Francisco, getting six hits with three HRs and seven RBIs overall on the West Coast road trip. In 1967 he began the year hitting safely in seven of nine games at the end of April, but he struggled after that hitting just .205. The Mets sold his contract to the Pittsburgh Pirates

Retirement: After his baseball career, Al ran a tavern and worked as a real estate appraiser. He is generally known as an all around good guy and good tipper.

Sal from the projects
February 14, 2014
Al Luplow hit a game-tying HR vs, Juan Marichal in SF on July 20, 1966, in a game the Mets eventually won in the 10th inning (Marichal was out of the game by then.) For a variety of personal reasons, I remembered my little brother bursting into my room to announce that "Luplow hit a HR!" -I looked up this game on bbref.com just find out some details of my brother's exclamation, and found that the Mets, going into this game, were in the middle of their longest winning streak of the season (7 games--pretty impressive) and that their cleanup hitter was the mighty Larry Elliot, another "who's he?" outfielder wanna-be from the 1960s. Probably the most interesting thing I learned was that Luplow was a Marichal-killer: he hit more HRs against Marichal (3) than against any other pitcher, and he slugged close to 1.000 against him over his career.

Phil Prnes
August 11, 2015
My only vivid memory of Al Luplow was in 1966 when he hit two (2) home runs against the Giants in Candlestick Park. Quite an accomplishment, something I have always remembered. Bob Murphy the Met announcer at the time was also very impressed! I had the chance to watch the game on Channel 9 the Met station at the time.








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