1965 New York Mets season

Major League Baseball team season

1965 New York Mets

League| National League
Ballpark| Shea Stadium
City| New York
Record| 50–112 (.309)
League place| 10th
Owners| Joan Whitney Payson
General managers| George Weiss
Managers| Casey Stengel, Wes Westrum
Television| WOR-TV
Radio| WHN
(Ralph Kiner, Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy)
| <- 1964 | Seasons | 1966 ->

|
|

The 1965 New York Mets season was the fourth regular season for the Mets. They went 50–112 and finished tenth and last in the National League. They were managed by Casey Stengel and Wes Westrum. They played home games at Shea Stadium, where they drew 1.77 million paying fans, third in the National League (and over 500,000 more fans than the New York Yankees).

As WOR-TV, the team' television broadcaster, began to be broadcast on cable starting that year via microwave relay thru the WWOR EMI Service throughout much of the Northeastern United States, it made the Mets the first major league team to broadcast its games via satellite to viewers outside its home city. Home and away games were aired on cable to regional viewers in this part of the country. This is the first season to feature numbers on the front of both home and away jerseys.

## Offseason

[edit]

* November 23, 1964: Warren Spahn was purchased by the Mets from the Milwaukee Braves.[1]
* November 30, 1964: Duke Carmel was drafted from the Mets by the New York Yankees in the 1964 rule 5 draft.[2]
* December 7, 1964: Tracy Stallard and Elio Chacón were traded by the Mets to the St. Louis Cardinals for Gordie Richardson and Johnny Lewis.[3]
* January 15, 1965: George Altman was traded by the Mets to the Chicago Cubs for Billy Cowan.[4]
* April 27, 1965: Yogi Berra signed as a free agent by the Mets.[5]

## Regular season

[edit]

Former Yankee great Yogi Berra, fired as manager of the Bombers even after he had led them to the American League pennant and into the seventh game of the 1964 World Series, signed with the Mets as player-coach during the off-season. Before managing the 1964 Yankees, his last appearance in a game had been as a pinch hitter in Game 3 of the 1963 World Series on October 5; batting for Jim Bouton, Berra lined out to right field off Don Drysdale.[6] With the 1965 Mets, Berra appeared in only four games, with two starts at catcher, and made two hits in nine at bats. On May 9, 1965, he appeared in his final game as a player, three days shy of his 40th birthday. He then served as the Mets' first-base coach through the 1971 season and proved to be a valuable asset to the team, especially with young talent like Jerry Grote coming up.

Following the 1964 season, the Milwaukee Braves sold pitcher Warren Spahn to the Mets. Braves manager Bobby Bragan predicted, "Spahnie won't win six games with the Mets." Spahn took on the dual role of pitcher and pitching coach in New York but won only four and lost twelve.[7] Spahn was put on waivers on July 15, 1965, and released on July 22, 1965. He immediately signed with the San Francisco Giants, with whom he finished the season.

Wes Westrum had joined the Mets as a coach in 1964 and became pitching coach on July 14, 1965, after Spahn's release. When manager Casey Stengel fell and broke his hip on July 25 while celebrating his upcoming 75th birthday at Toots Shor's in Manhattan, Westrum was named interim manager, a position in which he served until Stengel formally retired on August 30, when Westrum became the Mets' official manager, the second in their four-year history.

### Season standings

[edit]

* v
* t
* e

National League Team  | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road

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Los Angeles Dodgers | 97 | 65  | .599  | —  | 50‍–‍31  | 47‍–‍34
San Francisco Giants | 95 | 67  | .586  | 2  | 51‍–‍30  | 44‍–‍37
Pittsburgh Pirates | 90 | 72  | .556  | 7  | 49‍–‍32  | 41‍–‍40
Cincinnati Reds | 89 | 73  | .549  | 8  | 49‍–‍32  | 40‍–‍41
Milwaukee Braves | 86 | 76  | .531  | 11  | 44‍–‍37  | 42‍–‍39
Philadelphia Phillies | 85 | 76  | .528  | 11½  | 45‍–‍35  | 40‍–‍41
St. Louis Cardinals | 80 | 81  | .497  | 16½  | 42‍–‍39  | 38‍–‍42
Chicago Cubs | 72 | 90  | .444  | 25  | 40‍–‍41  | 32‍–‍49
Houston Astros | 65 | 97  | .401  | 32  | 36‍–‍45  | 29‍–‍52
New York Mets | 50 | 112  | .309  | 47  | 29‍–‍52  | 21‍–‍60

### Record vs. opponents

[edit]

1965 National League record

* v
* t
* e

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Team  | CHC  | CIN  | HOU  | LAD  | MIL  | NYM  | PHI  | PIT  | SF  | STL
Chicago | — | 7–11 | 8–10 | 8–10 | 9–9 | 11–7–1 | 8–10 | 5–13 | 6–12 | 10–8–1
Cincinnati | 11–7 | — | 12–6 | 6–12 | 12–6 | 11–7 | 13–5 | 8–10 | 6–12 | 10–8
Houston | 10–8 | 6–12 | — | 5–13 | 4–14 | 14–4 | 6–12 | 8–10 | 3–15 | 9–9
Los Angeles | 10–8 | 12–6 | 13–5 | — | 10–8 | 12–6 | 9–9 | 9–9 | 10–8 | 12–6
Milwaukee | 9–9 | 6–12 | 14–4 | 8–10 | — | 13–5 | 6–12 | 9–9 | 10–8 | 11–7
New York | 7–11–1 | 7–11 | 4–14 | 6–12 | 5–13 | — | 7–11–1 | 4–14 | 5–13 | 5–13
Philadelphia | 10–8 | 5–13 | 12–6 | 9–9 | 12–6 | 11–7–1 | — | 8–10 | 8–10 | 10–7
Pittsburgh | 13–5 | 10–8 | 10–8 | 9–9 | 9–9 | 14–4 | 10–8 | — | 11–7–1 | 4–14
San Francisco | 12–6 | 12–6 | 15–3 | 8–10 | 8–10 | 13–5 | 10–8 | 7–11–1 | — | 10–8
St. Louis | 8–10–1 | 8–10 | 9–9 | 6–12 | 7–11 | 13–5 | 7–10 | 14–4 | 8–10 | —

### Notable transactions

[edit]

* April 27, 1965: Yogi Berra was signed as a free agent by the Mets.[5]
* May 17, 1965: Yogi Berra was released as a player by the Mets.[5]
* June 8, 1965: 1965 Major League Baseball Draft
* Nolan Ryan was drafted by the Mets in the 12th round.[8]
* Don Shaw was drafted by the Mets in the 35th round.[9]
* July 17, 1965: Warren Spahn was released by the Mets.[1]
* July 21, 1965: Jesse Gonder was traded by the Mets to the Milwaukee Braves for Gary Kolb.[10]
* August 5, 1965: Billy Cowan was traded by the Mets to the Milwaukee Braves for players to be named later. The Braves completed the deal by sending Lou Klimchock and Ernie Bowman to the Mets on September 25.[11]

### Roster

[edit]

1965 New York Mets

Roster
Pitchers

* 31 Larry Bearnarth
* 41,42 Jim Bethke
* 26 Galen Cisco
* 38 Dave Eilers
* 22 Jack Fisher
* 29 Rob Gardner
* 15 Al Jackson
* 25 Gary Kroll
* 17 Frank Lary
* 45 Tug McGraw
* 16,35 Larry Miller
* 21 Bob Moorhead
* 34,36 Dennis Musgraves
* 27 Tom Parsons
* 18 Dennis Ribant
* 41 Gordie Richardson
* 45 Dick Selma
* 21 Warren Spahn
* 43 Darrell Sutherland
* 28 Carl Willey

|  | Catchers

* 8 Yogi Berra
* 5 Chris Cannizzaro
* 12 Jesse Gonder
* 10 Greg Goossen
* 17 Jimmie Schaffer
* 49 John Stephenson
* 19 Hawk Taylor

Infielders

* 10 Kevin Collins
* 3 Bud Harrelson
* 2 Chuck Hiller
* 33 Ron Hunt
* 6 Bobby Klaus
* 7 Ed Kranepool
* 11 Roy McMillan
* 1 Charley Smith

|  | Outfielders

* 23 Joe Christopher
* 3 Billy Cowan
* 9 Jim Hickman
* 21,34 Cleon Jones
* 18 Gary Kolb
* 24 Johnny Lewis
* 16,48 Danny Napoleon
* 14 Ron Swoboda

|  | Manager

* 37 Casey Stengel
* 51 Wes Westrum

Coaches

* 8 Yogi Berra
* 52 Don Heffner
* 53 Sheriff Robinson
* 21 Warren Spahn
* 51 Wes Westrum

## Player stats

[edit]

| = Indicates team leader

|

### Batting

[edit]

#### Starters by position

[edit]

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

Pos  | Player  | G  | AB  | R  | H  | Avg.  | HR  | RBI  | SB

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C | Chris Cannizzaro | 114 | 251 | 17 | 46 | .183 | 0 | 7 | 0
1B | Ed Kranepool | 153 | 525 | 44 | 133 | .253 | 10 | 53 | 1
2B | Chuck Hiller | 100 | 286 | 24 | 68 | .238 | 5 | 21 | 1
3B | Charley Smith | 135 | 499 | 49 | 122 | .244 | 16 | 62 | 2
SS | Roy McMillan | 157 | 528 | 44 | 128 | .242 | 1 | 42 | 1
LF | Ron Swoboda | 135 | 399 | 52 | 91 | .228 | 19 | 50 | 2
CF | Jim Hickman | 141 | 369 | 32 | 87 | .236 | 15 | 40 | 3
RF | Johnny Lewis | 148 | 477 | 64 | 117 | .245 | 15 | 45 | 4

[12]

#### Other batters

[edit]

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

Player  | G  | AB  | R  | H  | Avg.  | HR  | RBI  | SB

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Joe Christopher | 148 | 437 | 38 | 109 | .249 | 5 | 40 | 4
Bobby Klaus | 119 | 288 | 30 | 55 | .191 | 2 | 12 | 1
Ron Hunt | 57 | 196 | 21 | 47 | .240 | 1 | 10 | 2
Billy Cowan | 82 | 156 | 16 | 28 | .179 | 3 | 9 | 3
John Stephenson | 62 | 121 | 9 | 26 | .215 | 4 | 15 | 0
Jesse Gonder | 53 | 105 | 6 | 25 | .238 | 4 | 9 | 0
Danny Napoleon | 68 | 97 | 5 | 14 | .144 | 0 | 7 | 0
Gary Kolb | 40 | 90 | 8 | 15 | .167 | 1 | 7 | 3
Cleon Jones | 30 | 74 | 2 | 11 | .149 | 1 | 9 | 1
Hawk Taylor | 25 | 46 | 5 | 7 | .152 | 4 | 10 | 0
Bud Harrelson | 19 | 37 | 3 | 4 | .108 | 0 | 0 | 0
Jimmie Schaffer | 24 | 37 | 0 | 5 | .135 | 0 | 0 | 0
Greg Goossen | 11 | 31 | 2 | 9 | .290 | 1 | 2 | 0
Kevin Collins | 11 | 23 | 3 | 4 | .174 | 0 | 0 | 0
Yogi Berra | 4 | 9 | 1 | 2 | .222 | 0 | 0 | 0

### Pitching

[edit]

#### Starting pitchers

[edit]

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player  | G  | IP  | W  | L  | ERA  | BB  | SO

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Jack Fisher | 43 | 253.2 | 8 | 24 | 3.94 | 68 | 116
Al Jackson | 37 | 205.1 | 8 | 20 | 4.34 | 61 | 120
Warren Spahn | 20 | 126.0 | 4 | 12 | 4.36 | 35 | 56
Rob Gardner | 5 | 28.0 | 0 | 2 | 3.21 | 7 | 19
Dick Selma | 4 | 26.2 | 2 | 1 | 3.71 | 9 | 26

#### Other pitchers

[edit]

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player  | G  | IP  | W  | L  | ERA  | SO

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Galen Cisco | 35 | 112.1 | 4 | 8 | 4.49 | 58
Tug McGraw | 37 | 97.2 | 2 | 7 | 3.32 | 57
Gary Kroll | 32 | 87.0 | 6 | 6 | 4.45 | 62
Tom Parsons | 35 | 90.2 | 1 | 10 | 4.67 | 58
Frank Lary | 14 | 57.1 | 1 | 3 | 2.98 | 23
Carl Willey | 13 | 28.0 | 1 | 2 | 4.18 | 13
Dennis Musgraves | 5 | 16.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.56 | 11

#### Relief pitchers

[edit]

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player  | G  | W  | L  | SV  | ERA  | SO

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Larry Bearnarth | 40 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4.60 | 16
Gordie Richardson | 35 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3.78 | 43
Larry Miller | 28 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5.02 | 36
Jim Bethke | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.28 | 19
Dennis Ribant | 19 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3.82 | 13
Darrell Sutherland | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2.81 | 16
Dave Eilers | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4.00 | 9
Bob Moorhead | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4.40 | 5

## Farm system

[edit]

See also: Minor League Baseball

Level  | Team  | League  | Manager

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|
|

AAA | Buffalo Bisons | International League | Sheriff Robinson and Kerby Farrell
AA | Williamsport Mets | Eastern League | Kerby Farrell and Bunky Warren
A | Auburn Mets | New York–Penn League | Clyde McCullough
A | Greenville Mets | Western Carolinas League | Ken Deal
Rookie | Marion Mets | Appalachian League | Pete Pavlick

[13]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Warren Spahn". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
2. ^ "Duke Carmel". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
3. ^ "Gordie Richardson". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
4. ^ "George Altman". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
5. ^ a b c "Yogi Berra". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
6. ^ "Retrosheet Boxscore: Los Angeles Dodgers 1, New York Yankees 0". Retrosheet. October 5, 1963. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
7. ^ Daley, Arthur (July 16, 1965). "Strong Minded Spahn Ignoring Sign Posts of Retirement?". St. Petersburg Times. p. 39. Retrieved September 27, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Nolan Ryan". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
9. ^ "Don Shaw". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
10. ^ "Jesse Gonder". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
11. ^ "Billy Cowan". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
12. ^ "1965 New York Mets Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
13. ^ Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (3rd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-1-93-239117-6.

## External links

[edit]

* 1965 New York Mets at Baseball Reference
* 1965 New York Mets team page at www.baseball-almanac.com

* v
* t
* e

1965 MLB season by team

American League|

* Baltimore
* Boston
* Los Angeles / California
* Chicago
* Cleveland
* Detroit
* Kansas City
* Minnesota
* New York
* Washington

National League|

* Chicago
* Cincinnati
* Houston
* Los Angeles
* Milwaukee
* New York
* Philadelphia
* Pittsburgh
* St. Louis
* San Francisco

* 1965 MLB draft
* 1965 All-Star Game
* 1965 World Series

* v
* t
* e

New York Mets

* Established in 1962
* Based in Queens, New York

Franchise|

* History
* Brooklyn Dodgers
* New York Giants
* New York Metropolitans
* 1962 expansion
* expansion draft
* Seasons
* Records
* No-hitters
* Award winners and League leaders
* Players
* New York Mets Hall of Fame
* Managers
* Coaches
* Owners and executives
* Broadcasters
* Kiner's Korner
* Radio network
* SportsNet New York
* Opening Day starting pitchers
* First-round draft picks
* Logos and uniforms

Ballparks|

* Polo Grounds
* Shea Stadium
* Citi Field

Spring training
Al Lang Stadium
Clover Park

Culture|

* Continental League
* Mr. Met
* Mrs. Met
* "Ya Gotta Believe!"
* Grant's Tomb
* Home Run Apple
* Generation K
* Sidd Finch
* The 7 Line Army
* Spider-Man's wedding (live performance)
* Rheingold Brewery
* Statue of Tom Seaver

| Books|

* Can't Anybody Here Play This Game?
* Sometimes You See It Coming

|

Movies|

* Game 6
* Frequency
* Mathematically Alive
* The Odd Couple

Music|

* "Let's Go Mets Go"
* "Lazy Mary"
* "Meet the Mets"
* "Narco"
* "New York Groove"
* "Ode to the Mets"
* "OMG"

TV show episodes|

* "The Boyfriend" (Seinfeld episode)
* "A Leela of Her Own" (Futurama episode)

Notable people|

* Alex Anthony
* Jane Jarvis
* George Kalinsky
* Michael Sergio
* Sign Man
* Cow-Bell Man
* Grimace

Lore|

* 2018 MLB Little League Classic
* Miracle Mets
* Bill Buckner's 1986 World Series error
* Grand Slam Single
* MLB Puerto Rico Series
* Rick Camp Game

Rivalries|

* Atlanta Braves
* New York Yankees
* Subway Series
* 2000 World Series
* Philadelphia Phillies

Key personnel|

* Owner: Steve Cohen
* President of Baseball Operations: David Stearns
* General manager: Vacant
* Manager: Carlos Mendoza

World Series
championships (2)|

* 1969
* 1986

National League
pennants (5)|

* 1969
* 1973
* 1986
* 2000
* 2015

Division titles (6)|

* 1969
* 1973
* 1986
* 1988
* 2006
* 2015

Wild Card (5)|

* 1999 (tie-breaker game)
* 2000
* 2016
* 2022
* 2024

Minor league affiliates|

* Triple-A: Syracuse Mets
* Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies
* High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones
* Single-A: St. Lucie Mets
* Rookie: FCL Mets
* DSL Mets Blue
* DSL Mets Orange
* Player overview

Seasons (65)

1960s|

* 1960 · 1961 ·  1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969

1970s|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979

1980s|

* 1980
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1990s|

* 1990
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* 2000
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