GaryMrMets
08-30-2003, 01:34 PM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym/news/nym_news.jsp?ymd=20030825&content_id=497367&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyn
08/25/2003 1:57 PM ET
Wondering what could have been
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
The Mets are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their 1973 National League championship this season. Throughout the year, MLB.com has been looking back at that season, remembering the 'Ya Gotta Believe' Mets and how they almost pulled off a second miracle. Here's a look back at the hubbub surrounding Game 6 of the World Series, with several of the players from that team wondering what might have been.
NEW YORK -- George Stone is a physical education teacher now, nearly 30 years removed from throwing his last pitch in the Major Leagues. Yet, he remains an integral part in one of the liveliest debates in Mets history.
What if Stone had started Game 6 of the 1973 World Series? Would the Mets have won? Would New York have picked up its second championship in five seasons?
Nobody knows. What is known, though, is that New York manager Yogi Berra started Tom Seaver on short rest in Game 6, eschewing Stone, who happened to be the popular choice among many of the players.
It's not as if Berra made a bad choice. Seaver was coming off the second of his three Cy Young Awards in 1973 and was one of the dominant pitchers of his era.
The Mets were leading the Series, 3-2, and were looking to close out another miracle run. But Stone was the hottest pitcher New York had in the second half of the season, finishing 12-3 with a 2.80 ERA. If he had been unable to get the job done in Game 6, Berra would have had Seaver on full rest, as well as Jon Matlack and probably Jerry Koosman for an inning or two in Game 7.
"A lot of people have asked me that over the years," Stone said. "I thought I had a chance to start and I was disappointed that I didn't. He decided to go with the three main starters, but I was a control-type pitcher, the kind of pitcher that gave Oakland trouble.
"I thought I deserved a chance to start. And even if we lose, we still have Game 7 and everyone on an extra day of rest. Some of the players begged Yogi to start me. I even talked with the opposing players and manager, and they had a scouting report ready for me because they thought I was going to start. But it's best to get over it. Yogi might have orders from above."
So Seaver started Game 6 and scattered six hits over seven innings. Unfortunately two of those hits were RBI doubles by Reggie Jackson. The Mets managed only four hits off Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter as the A's eked out a 3-1 victory.
Matlack started Game 7 and got shelled early, allowing four runs on four hits through 2 2/3 innings. The Mets couldn't solve Ken Holtzman, whom they had devoured in Game 4. Holtzman gutted his way through 5 1/3 innings, allowing only one run as Oakland won, 5-2, picking up its second of three consecutive World Series titles.
Stone, incidentally, ended up pitching two scoreless innings of relief in the seventh game. He also earned a save with a scoreless inning in Game 2. He also started Game 4 of the National League Championship Series and got a no-decision, allowing one run and three hits over 6 2/3 innings. Stone's 1973 postseason ERA was 0.93.
"We can all second-guess Yogi," said Cleon Jones, the left fielder on the '73 Mets team. We talked to Yogi about it, and a bunch of wanted him to start Stone. He was our best pitcher in September.
"And when we asked Yogi to start him, he said if he did that the writers would eat him alive. But if you win it's different. Good managers take chances and don't worry about what the writers say. If we needed to go to the seventh game, we had four great pitchers [Tug McGraw being the fourth]. If we couldn't beat Oakland with those four, we didn't deserve to win. I felt that way then, and I feel that way now."
Not everybody on that Mets team wanted Stone to pitch, at least not publicly. Jerry Grote was the Mets' hard-nosed catcher who wasn't about to debate the skipper, then or now.
"It was his decision, and we were not in a position to question the manager's decision," Grote said. "We didn't have a choice. If Seaver had won, no one would have said a word. I'm not about to second-guess him."
Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2003/08/26/SLEKBvi8.jpg
George Stone waves to the Shea Stadium faithful during the 1973 Mets reunion in July. (Marc S. Levine/NY Mets)
08/25/2003 1:57 PM ET
Wondering what could have been
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
The Mets are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their 1973 National League championship this season. Throughout the year, MLB.com has been looking back at that season, remembering the 'Ya Gotta Believe' Mets and how they almost pulled off a second miracle. Here's a look back at the hubbub surrounding Game 6 of the World Series, with several of the players from that team wondering what might have been.
NEW YORK -- George Stone is a physical education teacher now, nearly 30 years removed from throwing his last pitch in the Major Leagues. Yet, he remains an integral part in one of the liveliest debates in Mets history.
What if Stone had started Game 6 of the 1973 World Series? Would the Mets have won? Would New York have picked up its second championship in five seasons?
Nobody knows. What is known, though, is that New York manager Yogi Berra started Tom Seaver on short rest in Game 6, eschewing Stone, who happened to be the popular choice among many of the players.
It's not as if Berra made a bad choice. Seaver was coming off the second of his three Cy Young Awards in 1973 and was one of the dominant pitchers of his era.
The Mets were leading the Series, 3-2, and were looking to close out another miracle run. But Stone was the hottest pitcher New York had in the second half of the season, finishing 12-3 with a 2.80 ERA. If he had been unable to get the job done in Game 6, Berra would have had Seaver on full rest, as well as Jon Matlack and probably Jerry Koosman for an inning or two in Game 7.
"A lot of people have asked me that over the years," Stone said. "I thought I had a chance to start and I was disappointed that I didn't. He decided to go with the three main starters, but I was a control-type pitcher, the kind of pitcher that gave Oakland trouble.
"I thought I deserved a chance to start. And even if we lose, we still have Game 7 and everyone on an extra day of rest. Some of the players begged Yogi to start me. I even talked with the opposing players and manager, and they had a scouting report ready for me because they thought I was going to start. But it's best to get over it. Yogi might have orders from above."
So Seaver started Game 6 and scattered six hits over seven innings. Unfortunately two of those hits were RBI doubles by Reggie Jackson. The Mets managed only four hits off Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter as the A's eked out a 3-1 victory.
Matlack started Game 7 and got shelled early, allowing four runs on four hits through 2 2/3 innings. The Mets couldn't solve Ken Holtzman, whom they had devoured in Game 4. Holtzman gutted his way through 5 1/3 innings, allowing only one run as Oakland won, 5-2, picking up its second of three consecutive World Series titles.
Stone, incidentally, ended up pitching two scoreless innings of relief in the seventh game. He also earned a save with a scoreless inning in Game 2. He also started Game 4 of the National League Championship Series and got a no-decision, allowing one run and three hits over 6 2/3 innings. Stone's 1973 postseason ERA was 0.93.
"We can all second-guess Yogi," said Cleon Jones, the left fielder on the '73 Mets team. We talked to Yogi about it, and a bunch of wanted him to start Stone. He was our best pitcher in September.
"And when we asked Yogi to start him, he said if he did that the writers would eat him alive. But if you win it's different. Good managers take chances and don't worry about what the writers say. If we needed to go to the seventh game, we had four great pitchers [Tug McGraw being the fourth]. If we couldn't beat Oakland with those four, we didn't deserve to win. I felt that way then, and I feel that way now."
Not everybody on that Mets team wanted Stone to pitch, at least not publicly. Jerry Grote was the Mets' hard-nosed catcher who wasn't about to debate the skipper, then or now.
"It was his decision, and we were not in a position to question the manager's decision," Grote said. "We didn't have a choice. If Seaver had won, no one would have said a word. I'm not about to second-guess him."
Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2003/08/26/SLEKBvi8.jpg
George Stone waves to the Shea Stadium faithful during the 1973 Mets reunion in July. (Marc S. Levine/NY Mets)