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New York Mets: A Sports Illustrated History Part 1: 1962-1985

Inspired by this post at SB Nation Orioles site Camden Chat, here is a visual history of the New York Mets courtesy of Sports Illustrated Covers. Click any cover to read the corresponding issue. Enjoy.

March 5, 1962. The Mets are born.

March 2, 1964. The Mets are terrible.

May 6, 1968. The Mets begin to be not terrible

Star-divide

December 22, 1969. Tom Seaver: Sportsman Of The Year.

April 13, 1970. Jerry Koosman and the Mets defend their amazin' World Series title.

September 7, 1970. Bud Harrelson and the Mets fight off their World Series hangover.

June 21, 1971. Jerry Grote. Err. Something.

May 22, 1972. Willie Mays is traded to the Mets.

July 21, 1975. Tom Seaver and Jim Palmer: Baseball's Toughest Pitchers.

April 18, 1983. Tom Seaver returns to the Mets.

April 23, 1984. Rookie of the Year Darryl Strawberry is, in his sophomore season, the straw that stirs the Mets.

September 24, 1984. Dwight Gooden and Rick Sutcliffe battle for the NL Cy Young. Gooden gets robbed.

April 15, 1985. Dwight Gooden is "Doctor K".

September 2, 1985. Dwight Gooden wins #20.

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Slugger Ron Swoboda

Was surprised to see him called that. He was slugging .506 on that day—phenomenal for 1968—but it predictably declined after that. He hit seven homers in April but hit only four after that. Furthermore, that April he didn’t have a single extra-base hit that wasn’t a homerun. His final .373 mark was about average for a corner outfielder.

By the way, when I was looking that up I looked at the Mets’ and Astros’ epic, six-hour, 24-inning game on April 15th of that year. Rocky had the worst performance of the day, going 0-for-10 with five strikeouts. Tommie Agee went 0-for-10 also but with only four. Ken Boswell and the ‘Stros’ Ron Davis went 1-for-10, and Hal King and Al Weis went 1-for-9. 24 innings, 1 combined run. The Year of the Pitcher, folks.

by Alex Nelson on Jan 23, 2009 8:50 AM EST reply actions  

Doc's arm

How the hell did that thing not just snap off and land half way between the pitchers mound and home plate?

Looking at those pictures I can understand why Mel Stottlemyer tinkered with his delivery. But what a mistake that turned out to be.

by Reg Dunlop on Jan 23, 2009 9:10 AM EST reply actions  

Seriously

the 4/15/85 cover picture looks like it was distorted with a fun house mirror or something.

'Oh yes, I know all about that duty-of-a-citizen stuff. It doesn't go. There are exceptions to every rule, and this was one of them. When a man risks his liberty to come and root at a ball-game, you've got to hand it to him. He isn't a crook. He's a fan.'

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Jan 23, 2009 9:41 AM EST up reply actions  

Doc

makes me hesitate to draft Lincecum in fantasy.

King of the bling come to lay down the evidence//Not George Bush, L-Millz be da president

by Sam Page on Jan 23, 2009 10:22 AM EST up reply actions  

That's why I don't think he could have continued that

I mean, the drugs and other distractions certainly didn’t help. But there’s a good chance he would have had Koufax-esque arm pain.

"When the little children start to speak they once said 'Mama' and 'Papa', but with the fans we got they say the first thing, 'Metsie, Metsie, Metsie'." - Casey Stengel

by Prince on Jan 23, 2009 11:18 AM EST up reply actions  

Is that it?

Gooden wins #20 and then it’s all downhill? :-)

The 2008 NY Mets: Pedro hurt already. Delgado still sucks. Mets still can't beat the Braves. Beltran only plays 6 innings. WTF with Pelfrey?? Mets win 60 in a row. Freakin' Wagner. PLAYOFFS, NO WAY?!

by ZaBlanc on Jan 23, 2009 9:54 AM EST reply actions  

Swoboda

Anyone else think that, at least in that photo in profile, he looks a little like Wright?

by JoshNY on Jan 23, 2009 10:40 AM EST reply actions  

Yeah, he does.

"When the little children start to speak they once said 'Mama' and 'Papa', but with the fans we got they say the first thing, 'Metsie, Metsie, Metsie'." - Casey Stengel

by Prince on Jan 23, 2009 11:20 AM EST up reply actions  

next up

all the goofy studio posed group shots of the 90’s and 00’s that make everyone look like a bunch of clowns.

why did they make olerud where his bating helmet in a studio shot????

HELLO HELLO MR WILPON. WE WANT THE MANSION NOT THE CONDO.

by kendynamo on Jan 23, 2009 3:00 PM EST reply actions  

They didn't run a cover story on the Mets

after the ’69 World Series? Seriously? What the hell possibly could have been more important in sports that week to bump that off the cover?

by cjmulrain on Jan 24, 2009 10:21 AM EST reply actions  

Apparently

they were too busy covering Brooks Robinson challenging the New York Mets.

Or, assuming a lag on printing time, they were printing “My Story”, by Lew Alcindor.

'Oh yes, I know all about that duty-of-a-citizen stuff. It doesn't go. There are exceptions to every rule, and this was one of them. When a man risks his liberty to come and root at a ball-game, you've got to hand it to him. He isn't a crook. He's a fan.'

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Jan 24, 2009 5:47 PM EST up reply actions  

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