1969 Mets: Remembering them as we approach their 50th anniversary

A is for Apple + A is for analytics

For those of you who know I love analytics, here is a statistical surprise:

• Total WAR of players who played for the Mets in 1968 but not 1969
  • -0.4
• Total 1968 WAR of players who played for the Mets in 1968 and 1969
  • 34.7
• Total WAR in 1968
  • 34.3
• Total WAR of players added in 1969
  • 5.6
    • Tug McGraw 2.5
    • Gary Gentry 2.2
    • Donn Clendenon 0.4
    • Rod Gaspar 0.4
• Total 1969 WAR of players who played for the Mets in 1968 and 1969
  • 35.7
    • Seaver 7.2
    • Jones 7.0
    • Agee 5.2
    • Koosman 5.0
• Total WAR in 1969
  • 41.3

The biggest surprise for me is that the players who played in both seasons had a difference of 1 Win Above Replacement from 1968 to 1969. It was the new players who added the biggest impact, with a difference of six WAR.

Most of the impact was from 24-year-old Tug McGraw (2.5) and 22-year-old Gary Gentry (2.2).

Then what/Where are they now?

Tom Seaver interviews (1972) by former bonus baby pitcher Pat Jordan (2013)

[Unfortunately, the second Jordan piece is from a website that has been found to have malware, so this is just a couple of quotes from it. I read it years ago, and it was great, as are all Pat Jordan’s books and articles.]

Cleon Jones today

Ed Charles passed away

1969 New York Mets Yearbook

Lasting impact of 1969 Miracle Mets

Bibliography

You may want to go to your local library and check out these books about the season:

• A Magic Summer: The Amazin’ Story of the 1969 New York Mets, by Stanley Cohen
• Miracle Year 1969: Amazing Mets and Super Jets, by Bill Gutman
• The 1969 Miracle Mets: The Improbable Story of the World’s Greatest Underdog Team, by Steven Travers and Bud Harrelson
• Amazin’: The Miraculous History of New York’s Most Beloved Baseball Team, by Peter Golenbock
• Gil Hodges: A Hall of Fame Life, by Mort Zachter
• Gil Hodges: The Quiet Man, by Marino Amoruso
• The Life Story of the One and Only Cleon, by Cleon Jones with Ed Hershey
• (Forthcoming, due in March) The Miracle of 1969: How the New York Mets Went from Lovable Losers to World Series Champions, by Rich Coutinho
• (Forthcoming, due in March) After the Miracle: The Lasting Brotherhood of the ’69 Mets, by Art Shamsky and Eric Sherman

Answer to trivia question 1: Pearl Bailey, who attended games regularly.

Answer to trivia question 2: Sandy Koufax and Mickey Mantle

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