Jerome Martin Koosman is a former left-handed starting
pitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for the
New York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
,
Minnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
,
Chicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
between 1967 and 1985. He was generally considered the #2 starter on the Miracle Mets (behind
Tom SeaverGeorge Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
) when they won the
World SeriesThe 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
in .
Rookie Year
Koosman was discovered by the son of a Shea Stadium usher who caught Koosman when he pitched in the Army at Fort Bliss Texas, he had written to his dad about Koosman. The
MetsThe Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard is a metadata standard for encoding descriptive, administrative, and structural metadata regarding objects within a digital library, expressed using the XML schema language of the World Wide Web Consortium...
offered Koosman a contract after his discharge. Koosman was about to be cut from the Mets in 1966, when
Joe McDonaldJoe McDonald is a former front office executive in American Major League Baseball.He played prominent roles in the New York Mets organization in his career there between 1965 and 1980. McDonald was the Mets' Administrative Secretary, Minor League Clubs, where he dealt with minor league operations...
, the Assistant farm director requested Koosman be retained at least until his first payday as he owed the Mets money they had wired him after his car broke down en-route to
spring trainingIn Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
.
After leading all
International LeagueThe International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
pitchers in
strikeoutIn baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s in , Koosman broke into the Mets’ rotation in . He posted a 19-12 record with seven
shutoutIn team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s, 178 strikeouts and a 2.08
earned run averageIn baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. The wins, shutouts, and ERA set franchise records, breaking those set by mound mate
Tom SeaverGeorge Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
just the year before. Koosman also made the first of two
All-StarThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
teams in his career. The
National LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
won the game 1-0 (to date, the only All-Star Game to end in a 1-0 score) in this, the “Year of the Pitcher.” Koosman pitched a scoreless ninth for the save, striking out
Carl YastrzemskiCarl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...
for the final out. Koosman would be named to the 1968
Topps All-Star Rookie RosterThis is a year-by-year list of the Topps All-Star Rookie teams. Note that players selected for a particular team appear in the following year's set release...
and finish runner-up to
Johnny BenchJohnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
for the National League
Rookie of the YearIn Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
honors.
The Miracle Mets
In Koosman posted a 17-9 record with a 2.28 ERA and 180 strikeouts in making a second All-Star appearance. That year, he was a member of the Mets team that unexpectedly won the
National League EastThe National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
title (both leagues were now split into two divisions after expanding from ten teams to 12) after not only finishing dead last in five of their first seven seasons, but also trailing the
Chicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for much of this season, by as many as 9½ games on August 13. The day before, Koosman had lost to the
Houston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
to fall to 9-8; he would win eight of his final nine decisions.
In Game Two of the
NLCS-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Mets struck first in the second off Phil Niekro when Jerry Grote singled in a run and Ken Boswell scored on a passed ball by Braves catcher Bob Didier...
against the
Atlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, Koosman was shelled for six runs in 4⅔ innings (including a Hank Aaron three-run homer). The Mets won 11–6, however, then won the next game to complete the series' sweep.
Koosman was the pitching star of the
1969 World SeriesThe 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
against the
Baltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. After Seaver was defeated in Game One, Koosman, leading 1-0, held the Orioles hitless until
Paul BlairPaul L. D. Blair is a former outfielder who spent seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds...
singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, eventually scoring on
Brooks RobinsonBrooks Calbert Robinson, Jr. is a former American professional baseball player. He played his entire 23-year major league career for the Baltimore Orioles . Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner", he is generally acclaimed as the greatest defensive third-basemen in major league history...
’s only hit in 19 Series' at-bats. The Mets regained the lead in the top of the ninth; Koosman got two outs in the bottom of the frame, then walked the next two batters, when he was relieved by
Ron TaylorRonald Wesley Taylor is a former professional baseball player. He was a pitcher over parts of 11 seasons with the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, New York Mets and San Diego Padres. Taylor was a member of two World Series-winning teams: the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals and the...
who induced Robinson to ground out to end the game.
With the Series shifting from
Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
to
Shea StadiumWilliam A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
for the next three games, the Mets won Games Three and Four, and Koosman took the mound for Game Five. He fell behind 3-0 in the third inning after giving up home runs to his mound opponent,
Dave McNallyDavid Arthur "Dave" McNally was a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher from until . He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and played with them every season except for his final season with the Montreal Expos.McNally has the unique distinction as the only pitcher in Major League...
, and
Frank RobinsonFrank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
. The Mets, however, cut into the Oriole lead on
Donn ClendenonDonn Alvin Clendenon was a Major League Baseball first baseman. He is best remembered as the World Series MVP for the Amazin' Mets.-Early life:...
’s two-run home run in the sixth, then tied the game in the seventh on a homer by
Al WeisAlbert John Weis is a former Major League Baseball infielder.Weis grew up in Bethpage, New York, and graduated from Farmingdale, New York, High School in 1955...
, who had hit only six career homers at that point—none of which had been in a home game. The New Yorkers scored two runs in the eighth to take the lead, and after walking Frank Robinson to lead off the ninth, Koosman retired the next three hitters to end the game and complete the Mets’ improbable World Series win.
Game ball for game 5
After catching
Davey JohnsonDavid Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
's fly ball for the final out of the World Series, left fielder
Cleon JonesCleon Joseph Jones is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who is best remembered as the man who caught the final out of the "Miracle Mets" improbable World Series Championship over the Baltimore Orioles....
gave the game ball to Koosman. That ball, as well as the game ball from Game 2, was stored in a safe in Koosman's residence. In the early 1990s, Koosman sold the ball from Game 5. The Game 5 ball's current whereabouts are unknown.
“Ya Gotta Believe!” and “It Ain’t Over 'til It’s Over”
In Koosman posted a 12-7 record with a 3.14 ERA. Over the next two seasons, however, posted losing records: 6-11 in (a season in which he was beset by arm woes) and 11-12 in with a 4.14 ERA—more than a run and a half above his career ERA to that point. In he went 5-0 in his first six starts, but ended the season 14-15. However, as in 1969, the Mets unexpectedly won the NL East title—once again overtaking the Cubs, whom they had trailed this time by as many as nine games—on the strength of the pitching of Koosman, Seaver and the previous year's NL Rookie of the Year,
Jon MatlackJonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher...
. (This season would become famous for two slogans:
Tug McGrawFrank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw and actor/TV personality Mark McGraw and Cari McGraw...
’s “Ya Gotta Believe!” and manager
Yogi BerraLawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
’s “It ain’t over 'til it’s over.”)
In Game Three of the
NLCS-Game 1:Saturday, October 6, 1973 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe starting pitchers, New York's Tom Seaver and Cincinnati's Jack Billingham, produced a classic pitcher's duel in Game 1. The Mets threatened in the first, loading the bases with one out, but Cleon Jones grounded into a...
against the
Cincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, Koosman pitched a complete-game, 9–2 victory in a game headlined by
Pete RosePeter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
's altercation with Mets' shortstop
Bud HarrelsonDerrel McKinley "Bud" Harrelson is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers from to . After retiring, he served as a coach for the World Champion Mets, and as manager of the Mets in 1990 and 1991...
. The victory gave the Mets a 2-1 lead in the NLCS; they won the pennant two days later in five games.
Koosman was the winning pitcher in Game Five of the
World SeriesThe 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions....
against the defending champion
Oakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, holding Oakland scoreless for 6⅓ innings. This victory gave the Mets a 3-2 lead in the Series; however, Oakland would win the next two games to repeat as World Champions.
Later Met Years
Koosman posted a 15-11 record in and 14-13 record in . In he had possibly his best season ever, establishing career bests with 21 wins (against 10 losses) and 200 strikeouts. He also finished runner-up to
Randy JonesRandall Leo Jones , nicknamed "Junkman", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He attended Brea-Olinda High School in Brea, California. He attended Chapman University in Orange, California...
for the National League
Cy Young AwardThe Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
. In , the Mets traded Seaver to the Reds. The remainder of the team deteriorated, especially Koosman who slumped to 8-20, finishing tied with
Phil NiekroPhilip Henry Niekro , nicknamed "Knucksie" because of his usage and skill level with the knuckleball, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997....
for most losses in the NL. After a 3-15 season in Koosman, seeing no imminent improvement to the team, was traded to the Minnesota Twins at his request. His departure left
Ed KranepoolEdward Emil Kranepool is a former first baseman who spent his entire Major League Baseball career with the New York Mets....
as the last remaining member of the 1969 Miracle Mets (although Seaver would return to the Mets for the 1983 season).
The Mets acquired
Jesse OroscoJesse Russell Orosco is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who holds the major league record for career pitching appearances. He pitched most notably for the New York Mets in the 1980s. He won a World Series in 1986 with the Mets and in 1988 with the Dodgers. He threw left-handed,...
in the trade that sent Koosman to the Twins. (Orosco had been the
player to be named laterThe concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
who went to the Mets to complete the deal, which had been made two months earlier, in December 1978.) Coincidentally, Orosco was on the mound for the final out of the
1986 World SeriesThe 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
—the only other Fall Classic the Mets have won to date. In another coincidence, the '86 Championship team was managed by
Davey JohnsonDavid Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
, whom Koosman had retired for the final out in the '69 World Series.
Later career
Koosman rebounded in to post a 20-13 record, and went 16-13 in . On August 30, , less than a month after the strike ended, the Twins traded Koosman to the Chicago White Sox. He went 4-13 on the season, again finishing tied for his league lead in losses.
Koosman posted identical 11-7 records in and . In the latter year, the White Sox won the
American League WestThe American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
title to make their first post-season appearance since the
1959 World SeriesThe 1959 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers beating the American League champion Chicago White Sox, four games to two. It was the first pennant for the White Sox in 40 years . They would have to wait until 2005 to win another championship...
; however, the Baltimore Orioles defeated the White Sox in four games. After the season Koosman was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies; he went 14-15 in his last productive season.
With 222 wins, he is tied (with
Hooks DaussGeorge August "Hooks" Dauss was a Major League pitcher who played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers. Nicknamed 'Hooks' or 'Hookey' because of his hard-to-hit curveball...
) at #70 on the
all-time win listThis is a list of the top 500 Major League Baseball winningest pitchers. In the sport of baseball, a win is a statistic credited to the pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when his team last took the lead...
. He ended his career with a 222–209 record and a 3.36
ERAIn baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 612 games. He
struck outStrike Out, , North American Harness racing championStrike Out was born in 1969 at Castleton Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and is by Bret Hanover out of the mare Golden Miss....
2,556 batters in 3,839⅓
innings pitchedIn baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
Koosman was inducted into the
New York Mets Hall of FameThe New York Mets Hall of Fame was created in 1981 to recognize the careers of former New York Mets players, managers, broadcasters and executives. There are presently 25 members...
in . He attended a 40th anniversary reunion of the 1969 Miracle Mets at Citi Field on August 22, 2009.
Federal tax problem
In May 2009, Koosman pled guilty to
misdemeanorA misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
federal tax evasion after failing to pay up to $90,000 in federal income taxes for 2002, 2003 and 2004. Koosman admitted to being "suckered" by anti-tax rhetoric. On September 3, 2009, he was sentenced to six months in prison, and was released from a Federal Prison Camp in
Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
on June 30, 2010.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time
In baseball, a strikeout occurs when the batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher and failure on the part of the batter....
External links