1963 New York Mets season
Encyclopedia
The New York Mets
season was the second regular season for the Mets. They went 51-111 and finished 10th in the NL, 48 games behind the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers
. They were managed by Casey Stengel
. They played their home games at the Polo Grounds
, the second and final season there for the Mets before moving to Shea Stadium
the following season
.
of the Mets hit his 400th home run against the Cincinnati Reds
. The opposing pitcher was Bob Purkey
. The homer came in the 6,783rd at bat
of his career. Snider became the ninth player to reach 400 homers. Along with Eddie Mathews
, Snider became part of the first duo to reach the 400-plateau in the same season. Afterwards, Mets outfielder Jimmy Piersall
told Snider that he could get more publicity for his 100th home run. Nine days later, on June 23, Piersall ran the bases backward after hitting the 100th home run of his career off Philadelphia Phillies
pitcher Dallas Green
. He was released by the Mets one month later, with that home run being the only one he hit in a Mets uniform.
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
season was the second regular season for the Mets. They went 51-111 and finished 10th in the NL, 48 games behind the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers
1963 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers were led by pitcher Sandy Koufax, who won both the Cy Young Award and the Most Valuable Player Award. The team went 99–63 to win the National League title by six games over the runner-up St...
. They were managed by Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
. They played their home games at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, the second and final season there for the Mets before moving to Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
the following season
1964 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the third regular season for the Mets. They went 53-109 and finished 10th in the NL, 40 games behind the World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals. They were managed by Casey Stengel...
.
Offseason
- October 11, 1962: Ron HuntRon HuntRonald Kenneth Hunt is a former Major League Baseball player. A second baseman who also played third base sparingly, Hunt played for the New York Mets , Los Angeles Dodgers , San Francisco Giants , Montreal Expos and St...
was purchased by the Mets from the Milwaukee BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. - November 26, 1962: Paul BlairPaul Blair (baseball)Paul L. D. Blair is a former outfielder who spent seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds...
was drafted from the Mets by the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in the 1962 first-year draft.
Regular season
On June 14, Duke SniderDuke Snider
Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...
of the Mets hit his 400th home run against the Cincinnati Reds
1963 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Cincinnati Reds finishing in fifth place in the National League with a record of 86-76, 13 games behind the NL and World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers...
. The opposing pitcher was Bob Purkey
Bob Purkey
Robert Thomas Purkey was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball known for his use of the knuckleball. From through , Purkey played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds and St. Louis Cardinals...
. The homer came in the 6,783rd at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
of his career. Snider became the ninth player to reach 400 homers. Along with Eddie Mathews
Eddie Mathews
Edwin Lee "Eddie" Mathews was an American Major League Baseball third baseman. He is regarded as one of the greatest third basemen ever to play the game.-Early life:...
, Snider became part of the first duo to reach the 400-plateau in the same season. Afterwards, Mets outfielder Jimmy Piersall
Jimmy Piersall
James Anthony Piersall is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. Between 1950 and 1967, he played for the Boston Red Sox , Cleveland Indians , Washington Senators , New York Mets , and Los Angeles/California Angels .While he had a fairly good professional career as a center...
told Snider that he could get more publicity for his 100th home run. Nine days later, on June 23, Piersall ran the bases backward after hitting the 100th home run of his career off Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
pitcher Dallas Green
Dallas Green
George Dallas Green is a former pitcher, manager, and executive in Major League Baseball. After playing for the Philadelphia Phillies and two other teams, he went on to manage the Phillies, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets, and managed the Phillies when they won their first World Series...
. He was released by the Mets one month later, with that home run being the only one he hit in a Mets uniform.
Notable transactions
- May 8, 1963: Larry FossLarry FossLarry Curtis Foss is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played one season with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1961 and one season with the 1962 New York Mets expansion team.-External links:...
was traded by the Mets to the Milwaukee BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for Chico FernándezChico FernandezHumberto "Chico" Fernández Pérez is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played eight seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers , Philadelphia Phillies , Detroit Tigers , and New York Mets . Fernández played in 856 Major League games, 810 at shortstop...
. - May 23, 1963: Gil HodgesGil HodgesGilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
was traded by the Mets to the Washington SenatorsTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
for Jimmy PiersallJimmy PiersallJames Anthony Piersall is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. Between 1950 and 1967, he played for the Boston Red Sox , Cleveland Indians , Washington Senators , New York Mets , and Los Angeles/California Angels .While he had a fairly good professional career as a center...
. - July 1, 1963: Charlie NealCharlie NealCharles Lenard Neal was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1950, and won the 1959 World Series after the team moved to Los Angeles. He hit two home runs in Game 2 of the Series, at Chicago's Comiskey Park...
and Sammy TaylorSammy Taylor (baseball)Samuel Douglas "Sammy" Taylor is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played from 1958 to 1963 for the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians....
were traded by the Mets to the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for Jesse GonderJesse GonderJesse Lemar Gonder , was a professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from -. He played for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates....
. - July 29, 1963: Jacke DavisJacke DavisJacke Sylvesta Davis , often misspelled "Jack" Davis, is a retired professional baseball outfielder who spent eight season in professional baseball, including part of a season in Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies. After his playing career was over, Davis became a coach at...
and cash were traded by the Mets to the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
for Duke CarmelDuke CarmelLeon James "Duke" Carmel is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1959 and 1965, for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and New York Yankees, primarily as an outfielder.-External links:...
. - July 27, 1963: Jimmy Piersall was released by the Mets.
- September 5, 1963: Ron SwobodaRon SwobodaRonald Alan Swoboda is a former Major League Baseball outfielder best remembered as a member of the Amazin' Mets.-MLB debut:...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Mets.
Roster
| 1963 New York Mets | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 143 | 533 | 135 | .272 | 10 | 42 | |
| LF | 126 | 420 | 109 | .260 | 15 | 60 | |
| RF | 129 | 354 | 86 | .243 | 14 | 45 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | 149 | 35 | .235 | 3 | 18 | |
| 58 | 145 | 29 | .200 | 1 | 9 | |
| 40 | 124 | 24 | .194 | 1 | 10 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 183 | 9 | 14 | 3.10 | 101 | |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 155.2 | 7 | 15 | 4.34 | 81 | |
| 3 | 9.1 | 0 | 2 | 8.68 | 6 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3.42 | 48 | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.21 | 13 | |
Awards and honors
All-Star Game1963 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1963 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 31st playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held in Cleveland, Ohio, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, home of the American...
- Duke SniderDuke SniderEdwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...
, outfield, reserve