1969 National League Championship Series

Game 1

Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Atlanta Stadium

Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:...

in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

The Mets struck first in the second off Phil Niekro

Phil Niekro

Philip Henry Niekro , nicknamed "Knucksie" because of his usage and skill level with the knuckleball, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997....

when Jerry Grote

Jerry Grote

Gerald Wayne Grote is a former professional baseball player. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Mets and was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.-Early life:...

singled in a run and Ken Boswell

Ken Boswell

Kenneth George Boswell is a former professional baseball player. He was a second baseman over parts of 11 seasons with the New York Mets and Houston Astros. Boswell was a member of the 1969 World Series champion Mets...

scored on a passed ball by Braves catcher Bob Didier

Bob Didier

Robert Daniel Didier is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for three different teams from 1969 through 1974. Listed at , , he was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed....

. The Braves cut the lead in half in their half on a sacrifice fly by Clete Boyer

Clete Boyer

Cletis Leroy "Clete" Boyer was a Major League Baseball player.A third baseman who also played shortstop and second base occasionally, Boyer played for the Kansas City Athletics , New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves...

.

The Braves took a 3–2 lead in the third, scoring twice on three consecutive one-out doubles by Felix Millán

Félix Millán

Félix Bernardo Millán Martínez is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:Millán, nicknamed "The Kitten" , born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, made his major league debut on June 2, 1966 with the Atlanta Braves, and played for Atlanta until 1973. Millan was primarily a second...

, Tony González, and Hank Aaron. The Mets immediately re-took the lead in the fourth on a two-out, two-run triple by Bud Harrelson

Bud Harrelson

Derrel McKinley "Bud" Harrelson is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers from to . After retiring, he served as a coach for the World Champion Mets, and as manager of the Mets in 1990 and 1991...

.

Gonzalez then tied the game at 4––in the fifth with the first home run ever in NLCS play. Aaron gave the Braves the lead with a solo homer in the seventh.

In the eighth, however, things fell apart for the Braves. Wayne Garrett

Wayne Garrett

Ronald Wayne Garrett was the New York Mets starting third baseman from 1972 through 1975. Garrett also saw occasional duty as a second baseman and as a shortstop....

led off with a double and was singled home by Cleon Jones

Cleon Jones

Cleon Joseph Jones is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who is best remembered as the man who caught the final out of the "Miracle Mets" improbable World Series Championship over the Baltimore Orioles....

. Art Shamsky

Art Shamsky

Arthur Louis Shamsky is a former Major League Baseball player. He played right field, left field, and first base from to for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. In he was the manager of the Modi'in Miracle of the Israel Baseball League.-Early life:Shamsky...

singled and Jones stole third. Ken Boswell

Ken Boswell

then grounded to third, but Braves third baseman Boyer threw wildly home in an attempt to retire Jones. Boswell reached first and Al Weis

Al Weis

Albert John Weis is a former Major League Baseball infielder.Weis grew up in Bethpage, New York, and graduated from Farmingdale, New York, High School in 1955...

, running for Shamsky, went to second. Ed Kranepool

Ed Kranepool

Edward Emil Kranepool is a former first baseman who spent his entire Major League Baseball career with the New York Mets....

forced Weis at third, and Grote grounded out to first, putting runners on second and third. Harrelson was walked intentionally to load the bases. Then, J.C. Martin, batting for Tom Seaver

Tom Seaver

George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...

, drove in two runs with a single to right center. Harrelson came around to score from first when González misplayed the hit. Martin reached second, but was cut down in a rundown.

Game 2

Sunday, October 5, 1969 at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
The Mets scored early and often in this one, pounding six Braves pitchers for thirteen hits and eleven runs. Cleon Jones

Cleon Jones

had three RBIs, including a two-run homer. Tommie Agee

Tommie Agee

Tommie Lee Agee was a Major League Baseball center fielder most noted for making two of the greatest catches in World Series history, both of which occurred in game three of the 1969 World Series.-Cleveland Indians:...

and Ken Boswell

Ken Boswell

also had two-run homers in the rout. Mets reliever Ron Taylor

Ron Taylor (baseball)

Ronald Wesley Taylor is a former professional baseball player. He was a pitcher over parts of 11 seasons with the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, New York Mets and San Diego Padres. Taylor was a member of two World Series-winning teams: the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals and the...

was credited with the win, as starter Jerry Koosman

Jerry Koosman

Jerome Martin Koosman is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies between 1967 and 1985...

started off well, but had trouble holding back the Braves in the fifth, in which Hank Aaron belted a three-run homer and Clete Boyer

Clete Boyer

knocked in two with a single.

Game 3

Monday, October 6, 1969 at 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...

in Queens, New York
The Braves' failure in this series certainly wasn't the fault of Hank Aaron. In what would be his last-ever post-season appearance, Aaron put the Braves up 2–0 in the first with a two-run homer, his third of the series.

Once again, the downfall of the Braves was their inability to stave off the hot Met hitters. Tommie Agee

Tommie Agee

homered in the third, and Ken Boswell

Ken Boswell

hit a two-run homer in the fourth to put the Mets on top 3–2.

Orlando Cepeda

Orlando Cepeda

Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...

gave Braves fans a glimmer of hope by hitting a two-run home run off Gary Gentry

Gary Gentry

Gary Edward Gentry , is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, who played seven seasons for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves between 1969 and 1975....

in the fifth to put the Braves back on top, 4–3. But, in the bottom of the inning, a young Nolan Ryan

Nolan Ryan

Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....

singled with one out. Ryan had entered the game in the third in relief of Gentry. Wayne Garrett

Wayne Garrett

Ronald Wayne Garrett was the New York Mets starting third baseman from 1972 through 1975. Garrett also saw occasional duty as a second baseman and as a shortstop....

then homered to give the Mets a 5–4 lead, which they would not lose. Boswell added an RBI single in the same inning, and Agee singled home the final Mets run in the sixth.

Composite box

1969 NLCS (3–0): New York Mets
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...

over Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves

The 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....

External links

Baseball-Reference.com - 1969 NLCS

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