The 1969 New York Mets Quiz / Test | MLB Teams

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1. The 1969 New York Mets won 100 regular season games en route to the National League East title. Which team did the Mets defeat in the N.L. Championship Series?

Answer: Atlanta Braves

The New York Mets won the first-ever National League East title, outlasting the Chicago Cubs in the regular season. The Mets then went on to play the Atlanta Braves, inaugural champions of the National League West. The Braves had a powerful lineup featuring such hitting stars as Hank Aaron, Rico Carty, and Orlando Cepeda.

However, the Miracle Mets were able to sweep Atlanta in three straight games by the scores of 9-5, 11-6, and 7-4. The Mets thus won the first National League Championship Series. Tommie Agee, Cleon Jones, and Wayne Garrett were the main hitting stars for the "Amazings" in this series.

2. Gil Hodges was the manager of the 1969 New York Mets. Which uniform number did the Mets' skipper wear? Hodges wore the same number when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950s.

Answer: 14

Gil Hodges wore number 14 for the 1969 New York Mets. He was a soft-spoken but stern manager for the Mets, a skipper who demanded hustle and top effort from his players. Yogi Berra was the first base coach for the 1969 Mets and wore number 8; Rube Walker, number 54, was the pitching coach; and Eddie Yost, number 53, was the third base coach.

3. Tom Seaver was the ace of the 1969 New York Mets' pitching staff, compiling an impressive record of 25-7 with an ERA of 2.21. Which lefty pitcher was second on the staff with 17 victories?

Answer: Jerry Koosman

Jerry Koosman, a big lefty pitcher from Minnesota, was a vastly underrated member of the 1969 Mets' staff. Tom Seaver grabbed most of the headlines, but Koosman was also an extremely valuable pitcher. In 1969, Koosman went 17-9 during the regular season, with an ERA of 2.28 and 180 strikeouts.

He also won Game Two of the 1969 World Series against the Orioles. Don Cardwell, Gary Gentry, and Jim McAndrew were all right-handed pitchers on the '69 Mets' staff.

4. Derrel Harrelson was the starting shortstop on the 1969 New York Mets squad. Can you supply Harrelson's nickname?

Answer: Bud

Derrel McKinley "Bud" Harrelson was the starting shortstop and the most dependable fielder in the 1969 Mets' infield. He didn't hit very well, but Manager Gil Hodges kept Harrelson in the lineup for Bud's defensive skills. During the 1969 regular season, Harrelson batted only .248 but registered 243 putouts and 347 assists, with a fielding average of over 97%. Ken "Hawk" Harrelson played for the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians during the 1969 season.

5. In September 1969, the New York Mets played a memorable game against Steve Carlton and the St. Louis Cardinals. Carlton struck out 19 batters but lost the contest, 4-3. Which Mets' outfielder, known as "Rocky", hit a pair of 2-run homers against Carlton?

Answer: Ron Swoboda

Ron "Rocky" Swoboda belted a pair of two-run homers off ace lefty Steve Carlton in that remarkable mid-September game. Although Carlton struck out an incredible 19 batters in a nine inning contest, Swoboda's home runs were enough to defeat this future Hall of Fame pitcher. During the regular season, the right fielder Swoboda hit 9 home runs in a platoon role.

6. In June 1969, the New York Mets made a deal to obtain veteran slugger Donn Clendenon. Which team traded Clendenon to the Mets?

Answer: Montreal Expos

On June 15, 1969, the New York Mets made a trade which helped them to win the 1969 championship. They acquired first baseman Donn Clendenon from the Montreal Expos in exchange for infielder Kevin Collins, pitcher Steve Renko and two minor league players.

The veteran Clendenon provided the Mets with savvy and with right-handed power. Clendenon would be named the Most Valuable Player in the 1969 World Series for his .357 batting average, 3 HRS and 4 RBI.

7. Tommie Agee, an outfielder on the New York Mets, had an amazing Game Three in the 1969 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. What feats did he accomplish during the contest?

Answer: He made two spectacular catches and hit a home run.

On October 14, 1969, Tommie Agee, Mets' center fielder, had one of the most amazing single game performances in World Series history. The setting was Game Three of the World Series at New York's Shea Stadium. In the first inning, Agee belted a home run off Baltimore pitcher Jim Palmer.

Then, in the fourth innning, Agee made a spectacular catch in left-center field to rob Elrod Hendricks of a possible extra-base hit with two runners on base. Finally, in the seventh inning, the center fielder robbed Paul Blair of a potential bases-loaded triple by racing into right-center field to snare the line drive.

8. In the 1969 World Series, the New York Mets' pitching staff recorded two saves. Ron Taylor saved one game. Which other pitcher, who wore uniform number 30, picked up a save against Baltimore?

Answer: Nolan Ryan

Nolan Ryan, number 30, began his pitching career as a "long reliever" in the Mets' bullpen; he was considered too wild to be placed in a regular spot in the starting rotation. In Game Two of the 1969 World Series, Ron Taylor of the Mets picked up a save in relief of starter Jerry Koosman.

In Game Three, Gary Gentry was the starting pitcher for the Mets. Ryan entered the game in the seventh inning as a reliever and successfully completed the final 2.1 innings of the contest to earn a save. It would be Ryan's only appearance in a World Series as he never made it back to the Fall Classic. Tug McGraw, number 45, was a relief pitcher on the '69 Mets, but he didn't see any action in the World Series that year.

9. Al Weis played second base for the 1969 New York Mets and became a World Series hero. Which one of these players alternated at second base with Weis?

Answer: Ken Boswell

Ken Boswell, a lefty-hitting infielder from Texas, alternated at second base with veteran Al Weis for Gil Hodges' Mets. During the 1969 season, Boswell appeared in 102 games, batting .279 with 3 HRS and 32 RBI. Boswell played with the Mets from 1967 to 1973. Al Weis, normally a light-hitting infielder, had a spectacular World Series, batting .455 with a homer. Ed Kranepool was a first baseman/pinch-hitter for the '69 Mets, and Jerry Grote and Duffy Dyer were catchers on the '69 Mets' squad.

10. Ed Charles played third base for the 1969 New York Mets, sharing playing time with Wayne Garrett. What was Charles' nickname?

Answer: The Glider

Veteran third baseman Ed Charles was known as the "Glider" for his smooth fielding skills around the "hot corner". He began his Major League career with the Kansas City A's in 1962 and moved to the Mets in 1967. Bob Murphy, Mets' broadcaster, used to say, "Never hang a slider to the Glider." Charles retired from baseball after the Mets won the 1969 World Series title.

Source: Author mrgrouchy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
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The 1969 New York Mets Trivia Quiz

The Miracle Mets of 1969 shocked the baseball world by first capturing the National League pennant and by then winning the World Series. Please take this quiz about an amazing team. Good luck!

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