Koos lasted in the majors from 1967--1985. Thought he won twenty games for the Twins and pitched for the White Sox and Phillies, he will always be a Met.
Breaking into the Mets in 1968, he was 19 and 12 with a 2.08 E.R.A. It took the greatest catcher in baseball history, Johnny Bench to beat him out as Rookie of the Year.
But what makes Koos my favorite player was what he did for the Miracle Mets in 1969. He had a great regular season with a 17 and 9 record and a 2.28 E.R.A. Even though the Mets swept the Braves in the National League Championship, he did not pitch well against the Braves. That all changed in the World Series.
After the Mets lost Game 1 of the World Series, Koos came out in Game 2 and pitched a gem. Then to top it off he won the World Series clincher in Game 5. His World Series record that year was 2-0 with a 2.04 E.R.A. Koos was the real World Series MVP.
In honor of his incredibly clutch performances as a Met, Jerry Koosman gets the Mets Baseball Birthday Quote of the Day.
"Your with a guy you watched years ago and he's the same. He's just a big old farm boy. He throws all the pitches. He's smart. He understands the concept of pitching.
Tug McGraw--Talking about Jerry Koosman
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