Mets Pitcher Jerry Koosman, 1969 World Series Hero, Dies at 83
The left-hander started three games in the 1969 championship and finished his career with 222 wins across four major league teams.
By Maya Morris ·
Jerry Koosman, the starting pitcher for the 1969 New York Mets, died on Sunday in Osceola, Wisconsin. The team announced the news on the same day, noting that Koosman was 83 and surrounded by family at the time of his death. He had been battling multiple illnesses.
Born in Appleton, Minnesota, Koosman played 12 seasons for the Mets. He made two All-Star teams in 1968 and 1969. During the 1969 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles, he started three games and won all three, including the decisive fifth game. In 1973, he won two starts against the Oakland Athletics during the Mets' second World Series appearance.
Koosman recorded 222 wins and 209 losses over his career, striking out 2,556 batters. He pitched 140 complete games and 33 shutouts. His last major league season was 1985 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He also pitched for the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox during his career.
In 1976, he finished second in the National League Cy Young Award voting after posting a 21-10 record. The Mets retired his number 36 jersey in 2021. They inducted him into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1989.
Jay Horwitz, the Mets vice president of media relations, called Koosman one of the biggest heroes of the 1969 team. Horwitz said, "Rest in peace, Kooz," in a statement shared by the club.
Source: WGVL
