A Uniform Approach to the Mets

It’s been fun watching the Mets the past few seasons. But it is hard to see new stars wearing numbers that I still associate with players from 35 years ago. How can they let Jose Reyes wear Ed Kranepool’s number seven? Carlos Beltran is playing great, but it sure does look funny seeing catcher Jerry Grote’s number 15 play center field. At least Ed Charles can rest comfortably knowing that a fellow third baseman, David Wright, is wearing his old number five.

That got me wondering how many numbers of players on the Miracle Mets of 1969 I could remember. I got out pen and paper and went in numerical order, filling out the players. From Bobby Pfeil at number one to Tug McGraw at number 45, I got 23 numbers, including manager Gil Hodges at number 14.

1. Bobby Pfeil
3. Bud Harrelson
4. Ron Swoboda
5. Ed Charles
6. Al Weis
7. Ed Kranepool
10. Duffy Dyer
11. Wayne Garrett
12. Ken Boswell
14. Gil Hodges
15. Jerry Grote
17. Rod Gasper
20. Tommie Agee
21. Cleon Jones
22. Donn Clendenon
27. Don Cardwell
30. Nolan Ryan
36. Jerry Koosman
39. Gary Gentry
41. Tom Seaver
42. Ron Taylor
43. Jim McAndrew
45. Tug McGraw

So, next I had to find out who I missed. With the help of baseball-reference.com, which gave me the list of players who played for the team in 1969 and Mets by the Numbers, which lists the all-time numerical roster for the team, I was able to fill in the ones that I did not remember.

1. Kevin Collins
9. J.C. Martin
18. Jim Gosger
24. Art Shamsky
25. Amos Otis
28. Bobby Heise
29. Dan Frisella
31. Jack DiLauro
34. Cal Koonce
38. Al Jackson

I should have gotten Martin, Shamsky, Frisella and Koonce. But overall I think I did pretty well.

It just goes to show what a hold baseball can have on a person. I have trouble remembering someone’s name five minutes after they tell me when I first meet them, but I can remember names and numbers from 37 years ago in the blink of an eye.