Tag: Mets

Oct 16: It’s the shoes

OCTOBER 16, 1969 – NEW YORK, NEW YORK • A good reason to shine your shoes; it could help you win a World Series, as it did on this date in 1969.

It was game 5 between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets. The Mets, in only in their 8th year of existence, led the heavily favored Orioles three games to one, but were behind by three runs in this game. Mets left fielder Cleon Jones was at bat. He claimed he was hit in the foot by a pitch and headed toward first base. The home plate umpire didn’t share Jones’ opinion.

There was a discussion involving Mets manager Gil Hodges. Somebody decided, ‘Let’s take a look at the ball.’ If it hit Jones’ foot there should be a smudge of shoe polish on the ball. There was. Jones was awarded first base.

Later that inning Jones scored on Donn Clendenon‘s third home run of the Series. Al Weis‘s home run an inning later tied the game. Ron Swoboda‘s double and two Baltimore errors in the 8th give New York a 5-3 win and the Series.

Contributing sources:
Mets
1969 World Series box score/stats/play-by-play

MARCH 28 – SIDD FINCH: TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

MARCH 28, 1985 | The April 1, 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated hit the newsstands and mailboxes on this date (the issues always come out a few days early) with the story of Sidd Finch, a New York Mets pitching prospect scouts said could throw 168 MPH with pinpoint accuracy. The article also said Finch never played ball before mastering the art of pitching in a Tibetan monastery. As the story written by George Plimpton unfolded at the Mets spring training camp, anticipation was building as to whether Finch would decide between a baseball career and a career playing the French horn. Was Sidd Finch too good to be true? Yes!

April Fools!

There was no Sidd Finch. There was no French horn. There was no monastery doubling as a pitching school. It was entirely the imagination of writer George Plimpton. The pictures of Sidd were actually those of a junior high school science teacher from Oak Park, Illinois named Joe Berton who was a friend of Plimpton’s.

Sports Illustrated finally admitted it was a hoax on April 15, 1985. Was Sidd Finch too good to be true? Yes he was.

Contributing sources:
More on Sidd Finch