Remembering Mets History (1967) Fourth of July - Mets Beat Juan Marichal & The San Francisco Giants

1967 Mets Team Photo

Ever since the New York Mets brought National League baseball back to New York City in 1962, the games against the two former National League teams that moved West, the Giants & Dodgers were always something special.

In 1967, it was just ten years since the New York Giants & Brooklyn Dodgers had left town. Many of the old fans were still heartbroken & never got over the move. So, when those two teams came to town, the Mets would always draw bigger crowds than usual.

Juan Marichal

Expansion was not what it was today, so the first few years were bad losing ones for the New York Mets. They always played the former New Yorkers tough, but they had some good teams out West in those days as well.

As for the San Francisco Giants, they were coming into Shea Stadium on the 4th of July 1967, led by manager Herman Franks, in fourth place 6.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals, who would eventually go on to win the '67 World Series.

On this day they sent future Hall of Fame pitcher with the high leg kick delivery; Juan Marichal "The Dominican Dandy" to the mound (11-6 up to that point). 

Marichal had just come off a stretch where he won twenty games or more & struck out 200 plus batters, the past four seasons.

Jack Fisher

That year he would fall to 14-10 but returned in 1968 with a 26-9 season, 218 K's & a 2.43 ERA. More importantly for the Mets, he had beaten them 19 consecutive times since 1962, he was 19-0 against them, never taking a loss, until this day.

The 1967 Mets finished tenth in a league of ten, NL teams winning 61 games while losing 101 under manager Wes Westrum. Westrun was a former New York Giants catcher & served as Mets manager for parts of three seasons. 

He would walk away from his position, with just 11 games to go at the end of the season, when he learned the Mets were getting Gil Hodges to replace him for 1968.

26,767 fans came out on this Independence Day to watch the Mets Jack Fisher take on Mr. Marichal, and his Giants team, that included Willie Mays & Willie McCovey. 

TIn the top of the 1st, Tom Haller doubled & after Willie Mays popped out to first base, Jim Ray Hart doubled to bring in Haller for a 1-0 Giants lead.

But the Mets answered right back; in the bottom of the 1st they would send eight men to the plate & collect five hits scoring three runs, all with two outs. 

Tommy Davis reached on an error by Jim Ray Hart at third. Then the Mets got four straight singles, first Ed Kranepool's base hit brought in Davis. Ron Swoboda singled, then Ed Charles & Jerry Buchek both collected RBI singles making it a 3-1 Mets lead.

In the top of the 3rd the Giants tied it up as Jack Fisher walked Tom Haller, then allowed a single to base hit to Willie Mays. Jim Ray Hart collected another hit, which brought in Haller to make it a one run game. Willie McCovey then grounded out to Fisher, but the great base runner Willie Mays was, he scored anyway to tie it up at three.

The Glider Ed Charles

In the bottom of the 3rd, Mets veteran Ed Charles who had come over from the Kansas City Athletics, hit a HR off Marichal. It was one of just three HRs Charles "the Glider" hit all year.

Both pitchers rolled along into the 6th inning. In the bottom of the 6th, the Mets Jerry Grote led off with a base hit. He was sacrificed over to second base by pitcher Jack Fisher & advanced to third on Buddy Harrelson's base hit.

Next center fielder Larry Stahl walked bringing up Tommy Davis, by far the best hitter on the Mets club. Davis, was a former two time batting champion (1962 & 1963) while playing with the Dodgers, he doubled bringing home Grote & Harrelson with two Mets runs

Tommy Davis

After Marichal walked Ed Kranepool intentionally, Ron Swoboda singled to left field bringing home Stahl & Davis, making it 8-3, finally knocking Marichal out of the game. 

But Jack Fisher ran into trouble in the 8th inning. Jesus Alou & Tom Haller singled to startthe inning. Fisher struck out Willie Mays, then walked Jim Ray Hart.

With the bases loaded Norm Siebern singled, driving in two more runs, making it 8-5. Next pinch hitter Ty Cline singled scoring Hart bringing the Giants within a run at 8-7, sending Jack Fisher to the showers.

Mets reliever Ron Taylor came in & served up an RBI single to veteran Dick Groat. He then got Jim Davenport to ground out to Jerry Buchek at second to end the inning. 

In the 9th inning Ron Taylor served up a lead off single & manager Westrum went to the bull pen for Donnie Shaw, who got Tom Haller out on a sacrifice bunt.

Hal Reniff

Westrum then went to reliever Hal Reniff who got the final two outs, including Willie Mays grounding out. 

Reniff earned his first save of the year, he would finish with four, second on the club to Ron Taylor's eight. Jack Fisher earned the win .

Trivia: Juan Marichal "the Dominican Dandy" took the loss, his first ever against the Mets in their six years of play, was now 19-1 vs the Mets. Overall through 1873, Marichal would pitch in 43 games against the Mets going 26-8 with a 2.13 ERA, 241 strike outs & 44 walks in 342 innings of work. 

He would lose a game in each of the next two seasons, in the Mets 1969 World Champion season he was 1-1 with a 0.40 ERA. The Mets would finally beat him three out of four games in their 1973 NL Pennant season.