Amazing. This is a word that describes not only the 1969 Mets, but also the fact that nobody has commented on this game yet - the team's first ever in post-season play. Trailing by a run, the Mets scored five times in the eighth inning for a 9-5 win over the Braves. Three Atlanta miscues in the inning helped the Mets' cause. On Ken Boswell's missed bunt attempt, Cleon Jones (who had singled to tie the game) got caught in a rundown and advanced to third base on catcher Bob Didier's high throw. Jones scored the go-ahead run when Ed Kranepool hit a grounder to first base on which Orlando Cepeda made a throwing error. With the bases loaded, pinch-hitter J. C. Martin got a two-run single that Tony Gonzalez misplayed in the outfield and allowed a third Met run to come home. Gonzalez then threw out Martin at third to end the inning, but enough damage was done to give the Mets a one-game lead in the first ever NLCS.

With the exception of two games (1972 ALCS Game Two and 1973 NLCS Game One), the video broadcast of every League Championship Series through 1975 has been lost because NBC decided to wipe the full games and only keep highlight reels. Even with the saved highlights, the only video that I've found from the 1969 NLCS is from Game 3 played at Shea, and it's just a few highlights from that game.

However, today's (and future) baseball fans must be thankful for those intrepid souls who recorded audio of the radio broadcasts from this era. Thankfully, the audio of this game is on YouTube, so we can place ourselves back to that cool Sunday afternoon in October, imagining the Mets in the bright daylight at Fulton County Stadium in their road uniforms. The Braves' uniforms of that era were a dark navy blue, almost black, so I can imagine myself as a young Mets fan seeing this series as a true battle between the good guys in the bright blue and orange uniforms and the bad guys with the black hats.

The Braves pitcher (and former NBA player, according to Lindsey Nelson) Ron Reed came into this one with a lifetime record against the Mets of 4-1, but on this day he did not have good control. After giving up a single to Agee, he walked Garrett, then Jones. He then got Shamsky and Boswell to strike out, but Kranepool singled to right to drive Agee in.

In the 2nd inning, Koozman was given a 3-0 lead after he walked and then Agee homered. The Mets kept hitting the Braves starter hard in the second, with Jones doubling and Shamsky driving him in with a single, knocking Ron Reed out of the box after 1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, good for an ERA of 21.60.

The Mets scored two more runs In the top of the 3rd to make it 6-0, then two more in the 4th inning to make the score 8-0. A single by a Braves hitter in the bottom of the 4th made the score 8-1, but then the Mets got that run back in the top of the fifth to make the score 9-1. With Koozman pitching, things were looking pretty good for the Mets. However, Jerry could not get out of the 5th inning, allowing 6 ER and ending his day with 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, and an 11.57 ERA, slightly better than Reed.

With the score 9-6 Mets, Ron Taylor pitched the good guys out of trouble in the fifth and also pitched a scoreless sixth.

In the top of the 7th, Agee was also part of a scary play when he narrowly avoided a line drive that just went over his head on an attempted steal of home. The "wicked line drive" (as Bob Murphy put it) by Cleon Jones seemed to barely miss Agee's head, and both players needed to take a moment to compose themselves. According to the New York Times, in the dugout right after the play, Gil Hodges said, "the Mobile Express almost got derailed." Two pitches after that near disaster, Cleon hit a two-run homer to left to make it 11-6 Mets.

Tug McGraw pitched three scoreless innings for the save, sending the Mets back to New York with a 2-0 lead in the series.

By the way, Casey Stengel was in the stands, as well as Joan Payson. Casey was apparently being considered by the team as something of a good luck charm because he travelled with the team and rode on the team bus to the games in Atlanta.

After the game, Casey was asked what he thought of the Mets and he responded, "This team has come along slow but fast."

October, 1969, I was seven years old and fell in love with the Braves. But, as they did for a decade and a half, they broke my heart. Though favored, with more veterans, than New York the Braves were simply outclassed. T. Daiss, Savannah, Georgia

My father tricked me. I was a Met's fan from the start- and now I was 11. I had a broken wrist that fall. My folks went under the cover of a check-up at the Doctor. Mom took me in to Dad's office in Brentwood and then we were to go to the Doctor. Dad asked me "Do you think the Mets will win?" and I said, "Yes- I know they'll win!" He laughed and held up the tickets- and I remember saying "You're kidding!" We headed off to Shea. Parking was so bad that day that Dad sheeplishly said- "I don't think we can find a parking space." Well I started to cry and he found one pretty fast. When we got to the gate we heard a crack of the bat and the crowd groaned. Henry Aaron hit a massive home run off of Nolan Ryan. But the Mets roared back. Gentry relieved Ryan- and the crowd poured on top the field. I asked my Dad if we could get some turf- and that's where he drew the line. My younger brother has never quite forgiven me for going to game three of the first NLCS. But I never will forget what my Dad did for an 11 year old with a cast on his arm.

Richard, it's not my style to email posters on this site directly, so I'll just say here that although you wrote your post on this game in 2004, I have to say that it made me cry.

I only read your comment on this game after my post on the previous game had been published. Reading your story of your dad's surprise led to an emotional outburst, a kind of a purging of the mourning for my father that I have kept inside for over four years now. I never cried when my dad passed in 2019, but my tears after your post made up for that.

Your wonderful story of your dad surprising you with tickets to this game is one of the heartwarming stories I think I have ever heard in my life, just because it reminds me of that special connection that baseball can bring between young boys and their fathers.

Honestly, before 1986, I was a momma's boy and therefore somewhat distant from my dad because he was working so much, but the 1986 Mets brought us closer together. We went to eight games that year.

Being a single dad (after December 1986), he didn't have the means to surprise me with playoff tickets like your dad did, but I remember in 1988, he and and my uncle took me to the game for my birthday (a tradition that started in 1986) he had the Shea Stadium scoreboard wish me a 'Happy Birthday' (along with about 10 other names).

It was just before the 7th inning I think, and I needed to go to the bathroom or get a soda or a pretzel and was about to go down the ramp, but my dad stopped me and made me look at the scoreboard, and it flashed HAPPY BIRTHDAY (with my name after in all caps) and that is a memory I will never forget.

It must have been great to see this game in person. I'm just as envious as your brother, but also extremely thankful that you shared your story so that it can be an example to all dads out there of the best a dad can be.

I remember coming home for lunch from Catholic school, 2nd grade in the Bronx, and my father and 2 uncles getting in the car and heading to the Big Shea. One of the uncles worked on Wall Street and got his firm's tickets. My dad told me years later that after they went over the Whitestone they found a spot in the marina and walked over since the parking was difficult. They did the same for the Jets Chiefs playoff game over 2 months later. I remember rushing home two blocks and leaving my grandmother in the dust to watch the last inning and change!

I was born on this date. My dad tells of he and the Doctor watching the game and asking my mom to wait to have me until the game was over. My dad loves baseball and he and the doctor did see the end of the game and then I was born.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and I was in Beaver Stadium watching a Penn State football game. I remember the public address announcer gave the football scores then the results from the WS game. I was disappointed but at least Penn State won the game.

We couldn't get tickets for the games at Shea, so my father drove us from Far Rockaway, Queens to Baltimore to see the game. Incredably, it wasn't sold out..(Baltimore isn't a sports town). My family stood where the left field stands meet the foul line during batting practice. We had Mets banners and were yelling encouraging words to the players. Reliever Ron Taylor threw my Dad a ball during practice. We were the only Mets fans at that game. During the game, a local fan paraded through the aisles with a sign that said "Save The Railroad." My father, a Brooklynite, shouted "Forget the railroad. You betta save the Orioles from the Mets!!!"

Jerry Koosman held the Orioles hitless through the first six innings and the Mets won their first World Series game. Donn Clendenon homered and Al Weis got an RBI single to break a tie in the top of the ninth. In the 7th, Ed Charles made an outstanding grab of Dave Johnson’s hard grounder for an inning-ending force play. This was one of many defensive gems turned by the Mets in the Series that got overshadowed by the catches Agee and Swoboda made over the next two games. Charles looked much like his third base counterpart, Brooks Robinson, on the play. He was even wearing the same uniform #5 in front of the Baltimore crowd! Ed’s stellar stop was a sign of things to come at Shea later in the week.

Recent talk about banning The Shift set off this legendary memory: Didn’t Mgr. Hodges send Al Weis from 2B to the OF in the B-9, G2 of the 1969 WS?Yes, specifically LF, w/2out & nobody on and Frank Robinson at bat. Jerry Koosman pitched around him, so either way Robbie was denied a EBH. After Boog Powell walks, Gil waves-in Ron Taylor, who runs a 3&1 count to Brooks Robinson. This is where the Mets came dangerously close to blowing it: Brooksie swings through a pitch that would’ve been a third consecutive walk. On 3&2 with the runners moving, Taylor induces a grounder to 3rd, a tricky multi-hopper. Ed Charles is tempted to step on 3rd-base for the force-out, but judges quickly that Frank Robinson is slightly ahead of him. However, he makes a short-hop throw to 1st, where Donn Clendenon, proving furthermore why he was WS-MVP, scoops it up, averting a now-unthinkable ending.

The 1969 Mets were known for their youth, but look at 4 of the aforementioned: the vets, with their experience & knowledge delivered under this crucible.

That entire 9th inning is one of the most dramatic in history, with 2 of the subjects playing a crucial role in T-9: 3 consecutive singles with 2 out off Dave McNally, starting with Ed & ending with Al’s GWr. -in-between which was Jerry Grote’s ditto.

This was the most crucial of the 4 wins : if the Mets fail to hang on, the WS returns to Baltimore the next weekend, where anything could’ve happened. Thanx to these heroes, we will, mercifully, never know!

Larry, you described the ninth inning very well, but you were off on one fact. It was pinch-runner Merv Rettenmund who moved to third base and forced Charles to throw to first. As for the shift, it's gotten a bit out of hand and probably should be banned. Putting Weis into the outfield wasn't really necessary, was it?

When my husband called me at work to say he had tickets for this game, I found 2 babysitters for my kids, a 3 year old and 10 month old. The tickets were at a ticket agency in NYC & we lived in NJ. We just arrived in time to see Tommie Agee make the catch of a lifetime. We sat at the 3rd base side of the field about 25 rows back. I can still remember the sore throat I had for about a month from screaming. Being a Met fan from the beginning truly paid off!! Both those kids are Met fans today especially the 3 year old who is now 34 and living within 30 minutes of Camden Yard. When he graduated from Georgetown University, he and six friends spent the summer in a Winnabago driving to all the National League parks. We also have a special guardian angel who is also the biggest Met fan and is smiling today after last night's win!!! Let's go METS!!!

The first World Series game ever at Shea. My dad scored 4 tickets for he and his 3 sons. (Myself , Eddie & Chris.)

Agee makes the two catches and Eddie is in the bathroom each time and misses both of them. Amazing.

Agee homers, Kranepool homers, and there is nothing better than being in 7th grade, skipping school, to go to Shea for the series.

We put a pennant on the antenna for the ride home and I remember the wind ripping it off. I still have the ticket stub.

That October day had a gray overcast and it was definitely jacket weather. But at Shea it was electifying - the first World Series game ever played at the ballpark. I had waited in line for two hours to buy an upper deck ticket (for $8!) and now was the payoff. The World Series was tied 1-1 and all true Mets fans believed we would take it all, even though the Orioles had a far better team, at least on paper. Agee led off the Mets half of the first inning with a huge homer over the center field fence. Later, pitcher Gary Gentry, who wasn't a good hitter, lined a 2-run double over Paul Blair's head in center field to give them a 3-0 lead. Then came the two amazing catches by Agee that saved the game. Kranepool's homer gave them a 5-0 lead, and Nolan Ryan got the save. We all went home happy, and two days later the Mets were World Champs. A great day to be a 14-year-old Mets fan.

I can remember being in the 3rd grade at ps 20 in Staten Island. I can remember those two great catches made by Tommie Agee as though it was today and just happening. To have the precious memories of those catches at age 42 is something that I will always be greatful for.

What a memory!

Had 2 standing room tix. Stood down the right field line in a gap by the rear of the box seats.

I call this day "Tommie Agee" day.

What a showcase to have your greatest single game performance ever!

A 400 ft + BOMB of a home run, 2 of the greatest outfield catches in WS history.

I still get choked up just thinking about it, and forget about watching the replay!

Tommie Agee was incredible. A home run, and then the catches. One of those catches, when he came out of nowhere and caught a snowcone at the warning track, still sends chills up my spine when I watch the replay.

I'll never forget this. I was in 5th grade. In detention for some horrible thing I'd done that day. Staying after school. Boo hoo.

But I had my transistor radio and an earplug in my ear as I sat in the back of the classroom writing "I will not do [something]" 500 or whatever times. Didn't get caught, but I had to watch the highlights later.

I was in 9th grade. I bought one ticket the week before when my friends and I stood in line at Shea starting at midnight. My friends bought tickets for game 5. I bought a ticket for game 3. I wanted to be at the first World Series game at Shea and, in case there was a sweep, I wanted to guarantee seeing a World Series game.

I sat right behind home plate in the highest row of the stadium. Agee had two unbelievable catches and a lead off HR. Kranepool also hit a home run.

It was bliss!

This was the game that ended on J.C. Martin's bunt, with Rod Gaspar coming around to score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th. Seaver pitched a 10-inning complete game. If it happened today, even a pitcher as great as Seaver probably wouldn't have gone all 10.

It was fitting that this game ended on a bunt, as the Mets relied a lot on small ball in 1969. I also think Ron Swoboda made his incredible catch in this game (correct me if I'm wrong). Ron Swoboda wasn't really a great outfielder but that catch was one of the most incredible catches I've ever seen to this day. Watching the replay of him flying so low to the ground, I can't tell if he's Ron Swoboda or Superman or Michael Vick.

This game is the defintive answer to the question of who was better: Seaver or Clemens. Seaver goes 10 and gets the W. That's why Seaver was "The Franchise". Swoboda's catch was unbelievable, especially to him. He was the most surprised person at Shea that he made that catch. A wink, a nod and a smile as to whether or not JC Martin was in fair territory when he was hit with the throw that allowed "Ron" Gaspar, who pinch ran for Grote, to score the winner from second.

Martin was clearly out of his lane and into fair territory when the throw struck him. But umpires only call that play when the runner is intentionally trying to interfere with the throw or is grossly out of the lane, which he wasn't. Besides any catcher will tell you when you make that throw you have to anticipate the runner to cheat a little to the inside - which Hendricks did not.

J, the throw to which you refer was made by Orioles pitcher Pete Richert, not Elrod Hendricks. Martin was pinch-hitting for Tom Seaver when he put down the bunt. Richert picked up the ball and threw it to first, but it hit J. C. on the wrist and rolled away. Rod Gaspar, who was pinch-running for Jerry Grote, scored all the way from second on the play. It was Martin's only World Series appearance of his 14-year career.

I remember my mother let me stay home from school so I could watch the game.

I remember sitting up high in the upper deck with the wind blowing at our back. Very cold, but very confident in the Mets and not at all surprised that they won.

I remember reading Frank Robinson calling Gaspar Rod Stupid in jest after they swept the Twinkies. Like Felix Unger said La Fortsa De Destino !

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!