National League Standings, June 27, 1967
METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE JUNE 27, 1967 GAME:
Bob P
February 28, 2004
The Pirates batted out of order in this game. According to retrosheet.org:
In the top of the first, Pittsburgh sent six batters to the plate. Maury Wills and Manny Mota both singled and moved up on a wild pitch. Roberto Clemente grounded out, driving in Wills and Donn Clendenon also grounded out with Mota remaining at third. After Bill Mazeroski walked, Gene Alley came to the plate and grounded out to the pitcher. Alley batted ahead of Jose Pagan, the proper batter, but since he made an out the Mets said nothing.
In the third inning, Mota reached on his second bunt hit of the game and Clemente was called out on strikes. Both Clendenon and Mazeroski singled to left with Mota scoring on Maz's single. Alley again batted out of turn and hit into a force play at second moving Clendenon to third. After Pagan hit a 2-RBI double, Wes Westrum approached the umpires and pointed out that the Pirates had batted out of turn. The proper batter, Jim Pagliaroni, was called out. Pagan’s plate appearance was eliminated, along with the two runs. The Mets were leading at the time by the final score of 5-2.
I remember the stories on the news and in the papers that Westrum made a brilliant move by not saying anything the first time it happened since no damage was done, and then waiting for an at bat when the Pirates did some damage before bringing it to the attention of the umpires.
Kenny M
July 13, 2004
This was the date/game that the production crew for the original MOVIE The Odd Couple filmed the baseball scene at Shea, where Bill Mazeroski hits into a triple play. I guess this was filmed before the real game. Apparently, Clemente was first asked to be the batter for this triple play, and refused, so they asked Maz.
rich edwards
October 21, 2004
Kenny you have a good memory. Maz was the batter and Jack Fisher was pitching. The scoreboard even simulated the Mets leading 2-1 in the 9th inning. Maz fouled off several and then hit a grounder to 3rd (I believe Ed Charles) for an around the horn triple play. Unfortunately they never really showed any close up action in the movie. I was sitting lower level behind first base, so somewhere in that shot of the stands is me.
PAT PIZZONIA
July 25, 2005
More about The Odd Couple filming: the papers said that Clemente refused to bat in the game scene because he was offered the scale $100. He was quoted as saying "I will do it for $1000, or I will do it for nothing, but I won't do it for $100!"
The real game that day featured not only the batting-out-of order incident, but it was the Mets debut of lefty Dennis Bennett. The Mets that year were strapped for left-handed pitchers, and GM Bing Devine, forever wheeling and dealing, plucked many a lefty that year from obscurity, and in nearly every case, that's where they were returned. But on that exciting day, the Mets were winners! What a thrill for this 13-year-old kid as the summer vacation was just beginning!
JAMES R
October 15, 2008
This was my first Mets game. I've been hooked ever since. I sat in a field box between the Mets dugout and the foul pole. It was hot and sunny and Shea looked like heaven to an eight year old. I recall Swoboda caught the last out against the right field wall and also homered. I think it took Mazeroski a few takes to hit into the triple play and he was paid $100.00. The P.A. guy, Mr. Lightcap, prompted the crowd to cheer for the cameras.
Mike Bernicker
December 6, 2020
I remember going to this game courtesy of the Parkchester Little League. Every year they would take us to a game at Shea and sit us in the upper deck by the left field foul pole. This game was billed as "Camera Day" on the schedule. I watched Bill Mazeroski hit into a triple play prior to the actual game. I had no idea what was going on until I saw the Odd Couple movie the following year.
Michael
July 20, 2021
I was 16 1/2 at the time. My friend and I got our tickets from one of the WOR-TV producers who was a family friend of his, mezzanine section 1, row A. I seem to remember Tom Seaver throwing 2 pitches to Mazeroski, and on the second pitch, Maz hit into the staged triple play. I’ve been to around 800 Mets games, and this was the only “batting out of order” I’ve seen live. I still have the scorecard, a bit messy. I also remember the Pirates were keyed into the batting order on the scoreboard, which was wrong. Poor Jim Pagliaroni, declared out and he never even batted in that inning.
Michael Spivack
September 11, 2022
I must correct my comment of July 20, 2021. I thought it was Tom Seaver who threw the simulated triple play pitch to Bill Mazeroski, but in reading some previous comments, my memory must’ve been wrong. I now believe it was Jack Fisher.
Thomas
December 18, 2022
I went to the game with my brother and father. I knew Clemente had turned down the role and Mazeroski stepped in. Mazeroski hit the first pitch off the LF wall. The 2nd pitch he hit to Ed Charles for the triple play. I watched Charles throw, then watched Maz run. He was staring at the play and did a good job of pretending to run slow instead of that jogging thing. I remember the whole batting out of order commotion because it delayed the game for quite a bit. Without looking it up, I think Swoboda hit a HR to left. No doubter from our 3B vantage point.
Alan Bernstein
April 30, 2024
I was at this game for my brother's 16th birthday. I was 13. I remember the Mets PA guy urging the crowd to cheer as the triple play was completed. I also recall that as they were coming off the field Bud Harrelson did a little jump/skip like he might if they really pulled that play off (a true thespian).
It's a long time ago and maybe I'm wrong but my recollection is that for a moment they said they were going to reshoot it but then decided not to as it was good enough. Why were they going to reshoot it? At the time I noticed they screwed it up (this was the Mets) as the second baseman came off the bag early. The umpire noticed too.
In the movie they barely showed the scene so you really couldn't tell much of anything.
BTW, I remember the movie scene far more than the game itself.
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