Exactly one year after their manager suffered a heart attack in the dugout during a game against Atlanta, the Mets give Gil Hodges a reason to breathe a bit easier when the team clinches a tie for the NL East flag by beating the Cardinals, 3-2, on an 11th inning walk-off single stroked by Bud Harrelson off Bob Gibson. Prior to the Shea Stadium victory, Linton H. Bishop, Jr., the skipper’s cardiologist, had sent him a telegram that read, “Happy to see you’re No. 1. Hope your team does as well as your heart.”

ByThis Day in Baseball

Exactly one year after their manager suffered a heart attack in the dugout during a game against Atlanta, the Mets give Gil Hodges a reason to breathe a bit easier when the team clinches a tie for the NL East flag by beating the Cardinals, 3-2, on an 11th inning walk-off single stroked by Bud Harrelson off Bob Gibson. Prior to the Shea Stadium victory, Linton H. Bishop, Jr., the skipper’s cardiologist, had sent him a telegram that read, “Happy to see you’re No. 1. Hope your team does as well as your heart.”

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1969 – Third base coach Salty Parker sends Norm Miller home from third when he sees a white object fly away from Atlanta catcher Bob Didier after a pitch. The object turns out not to be the ball, but a finger cast the catcher was wearing on his glove hand. Miller is easily tagged out. The 5-3 loss creates an unhappy 23rd birthday for sore-armed Larry Dierker who broke in with the Colt .45s on his brithday five years earlier. 

ByTom

1969 – Third base coach Salty Parker sends Norm Miller home from third when he sees a white object fly away from Atlanta catcher Bob Didier after a pitch. The object turns out not to be the ball, but a finger cast the catcher was wearing on his glove hand. Miller is easily tagged out. The 5-3 loss creates an unhappy 23rd birthday for sore-armed Larry Dierker who broke in with the Colt .45s on his brithday five years earlier. 

Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants hits his 600th career home run
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Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants hits his 600th career home run

ByThis Day in Baseball

  On September 22, 1969, Willie Mays, joining Yankee legend Babe Ruth, becomes the second major leaguer to hit 600 career home runs. The historic two-run homer is delivered as a pinch hitter, for George Foster, in the top of the seventh inning off Padres hurler Mike Corkins and proves to be the difference in…

In a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the tenth inning at Candlestick Park, LA’s Pete Mikkelsen quickly retires the first two Giants batters, but then is ordered to intentionally walk Willie McCovey, who is 4-for-4 in the game. The Dodger reliever proceeds to issue free passes to the next two hitters unintentionally, loading the bases, and then loses the game when shortstop Maury Wills boots pinch-hitter Jim Davenport’s ground ball.

ByTom

In a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the tenth inning at Candlestick Park, LA’s Pete Mikkelsen quickly retires the first two Giants batters, but then is ordered to intentionally walk Willie McCovey, who is 4-for-4 in the game. The Dodger reliever proceeds to issue free passes to the next two hitters unintentionally, loading the bases, and then loses the game when shortstop Maury Wills boots pinch-hitter Jim Davenport’s ground ball.

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1969 – Keith Lampard, a native of England, gets his first and last major league homer. It’s a two-run pinch-hit shot in the bottom of the ninth off Wayne Granger to shock the Reds, 3-2. So excited, the Brit almost runs past Jim Wynn on his way around the bases. Wynn had walked for the fourth time of the night. Houston sets an N.L. record for strikeouts with 1,125. Ironically, it’s a knuckleball from Jim Bouton that sets the mark on a squad full of flamethrowers. 

ByTom

1969 – Keith Lampard, a native of England, gets his first and last major league homer. It’s a two-run pinch-hit shot in the bottom of the ninth off Wayne Granger to shock the Reds, 3-2. So excited, the Brit almost runs past Jim Wynn on his way around the bases. Wynn had walked for the fourth time of the night. Houston sets an N.L. record for strikeouts with 1,125. Ironically, it’s a knuckleball from Jim Bouton that sets the mark on a squad full of flamethrowers. 

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1969 – Larry Dierker becomes the first Houston pitcher to reach 20 wins in a 2-1 victory at San Francisco. Jim Wynn and Doug Rader homer off Gaylord Perry for the decisive runs. For Giant fans, the chance to see Willie Mays hit his 600th homer is the big attraction but Dierker and Jim Bouton limit him to a single and two walks. The Astros are five games over .500 and 5-1/2 games out of first.

ByTom

1969 – Larry Dierker becomes the first Houston pitcher to reach 20 wins in a 2-1 victory at San Francisco. Jim Wynn and Doug Rader homer off Gaylord Perry for the decisive runs. For Giant fans, the chance to see Willie Mays hit his 600th homer is the big attraction but Dierker and Jim Bouton limit him to a single and two walks. The Astros are five games over .500 and 5-1/2 games out of first.

1969 – The great race in the National League West finds San Francisco ahead in the morning, Los Angeles in front in the afternoon, and Atlanta atop the division at the end of the night. Houston nips the Giants, 2 – 1, while Atlanta takes the Dodgers, 6 – 5.

ByBaseball

1969 – The great race in the National League West finds San Francisco ahead in the morning, Los Angeles in front in the afternoon, and Atlanta atop the division at the end of the night. Houston nips the Giants, 2 – 1, while Atlanta takes the Dodgers, 6 – 5.