Remembering Mets History (1974) Mets Raise the N.L. Championship Flag in the Shea Home Opener

The 1974 season opened with the New York Mets as the reigning National League Champions. The previous season the Mets had struggled thru injuries, finding themselves in last place by the summer. But no team was running away with the tight NL East. A September stretch run of 24-7 got the Mets to capture the divisional title on the last day of the regular season. 

In the NLCS they upset the Big Red Machine in five games which featured a legendary bench clearing brawl during the Bud Harrelson Pete Rose fight.

In a classic World Series with the mighty Oakland A's, the Mets left New York up three games to two but dropped the last two games back in Oakland settling for the NL Championship title.

The Mets left Spring Training 1974 with the same cast from the pennant season hoping for good things again. They had expectations for young outfielder Dave Schneck & rookie pitcher Bob Apodaca. The Mets had lost pitcher Buzz Capra who went to Atlanta & would lead the NL in ERA.

The 1974 season opened up in Philadelphia where Tom Seaver & Steve Carlton faced off against each other for the second straight year. Neither pitcher decided in the outcome as, the Mets took a 4-3 lead to the bottom of the 9th inning when Tug McGraw served up a two-run walk off HR to Mike Schmidt.

New York came back to win the next game scoring nine runs behind Jon Matlack for the win.

Wednesday April 10th, 1974: On this afternoon the Mets raised the N.L. Championship flag high above Shea Stadium. A small crowd of 17,154 came to greet the NL Champs in a 2:05 PM start. This game was originally scheduled for the previous day but was rained out.

Yogi Berra's Mets hosted Red Schoendienst St. Louis Cardinals. The starting pitchers would be the Mets Jerry Koosman & the Cards John Curtis.

Jerry Koosman Trivia: Although Kooz had a 14-15 record in the 1973 Pennant season, was 6-1 with a 1.30 ERA in his last ten games of the season, with two shut outs & a 31.2 scoreless innings streak. In the 1973 post season he was 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA. 

In his Mets post season career Koosman was 4-0 with a 3.38 ERA in six games, winning one championship & two pennants. In his Mets 12-year career Koosman was 140-137 with a 3.09 ERA getting his number retired in 2021.

These Cardinals would win 86 games & finish second behind the Pirates in 1974. The team featured the NL stolen base leader & future Hall of Famer Lou Brock, the 1971 MVP Joe Torre, catchers Ted Simmons & Tim McCarver as well as .300 hitter Bake McBride & slugger Reggie Smith. That year they would bring up a rookie Keith Hernandez.

Thier starter John Curtis had just come over from Boston where he won 13 games (13-13) along with Lynn McGlothen who would win 16 games for St. Louis (16-12) & Mike Garman.

In the bottom of the 1st, Felix Millan & Cleon Jones both drew walks. With two outs "the Hammer' John Milner & catcher Jerry Grote both collected RBI singles giving the Mets the 2-0 lead.

Curtis held the Mets down until the bottom of the 6th inning, when Jerry Grote homered over the left field fence with a much-needed insurance run. 

Jerry Grote Trivia: In his previous game Grote hit a three run HR & had a career best five RBI game collecting three hits in the Mets 9-2 win at Philadelphia. 

In 1974, the Mets catcher would miss significant time with injuries seeing action in just 97 games. His presence was certainly missed defensively & offensively. Grote would have 13 multi-RBI games on the season.

In the top of the 2nd, Joe Torre led off with a single to left, two batters later Bake McBride also singled advancing Torre to third. Joe scored on Ken Rietz sac fly to rightfield.

Jerry Koosman would roll along into the top of the 7th inning maintaining the Mets lead. In the 7th, Joe Torre collected his second hit of the game then advanced on a fielder's choice. Bake McBride then reached on an error by short stop Bud Harrelson, then stole the first of his 30 stolen bases on the season. But Kooz struck out Ken Rietz & retired Mike Tyson on a grounder to Felix Millan to end the threat. 

In top of the 9th, the Cards threatened again as Reggie Smith led off with a triple. After Torre was retired with a grounder to first base, catcher Ted Simmons singled into center field scoring Smith making it a one run game. After Bake McBride collected his second hit of the game, Mets manager Yogi Berra went to his bullpen for Bob Apodaca. Apodaca had pitched just one game in his MLB debut the previous season. 

Apodaca got pinch hitter Tim McCarver to hit into a double play comebacker to the mound, finishing off the 3-1 Mets home opener, collecting his first career save. 

Bob Apodaca Trivia: Apodaca or "dack" as he was referred to in the Mets yearbook, would have three saves on the year. Next year after the Mets traded away Tug McGraw Apodaca would be the teams main closer, saving 13 games. The Mets would have seven pitchers collect at least one save in 1975.

Jerry Koosman got the win, going 8.1 innings allowing two runs on seven hits, with four strikeouts & a walk. In 1974, he would go 15-11 on the season, winning double figures for the sixth time in seven seasons. It was also his third season of 15 or more victories, two years later he would in twenty games for the first time.