Simply Amazin'

Polo Grounds - Harlem, NYC - GAME 1 - NYM 6, HOU 3
To quote the late great Bob Murphy as he made the call, "Oh, the dream is a reality". National League baseball has officially returned to New York city after a 4 year hiatus. Christened by Casey Stengel, "the Amazin's" were able to win their opener and reward their baseball starved fans with a 6-3 defeat of the Houston Colt 45's. Jay Hook went the distance and allowed only 3 runs, which came off the bat of Bob Aspromonte in the form of a 3 run shot. At that point the Mets were already up 5-0, and with a tack on run in the 6th they had a comfortable 3 run margin for Hook. Turk Farrell was dreadful for the Colt 45's. Richie Ashburn, who was left unprotected by the Cubs, went 3 for 4 and had 2 RBI's for New York. Joe Christopher was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI's and a homer.

GAME 2 - HOU 18, NYM 15 (16 inn)
This game went from the ridiculous to the sublime. Upon first glance one looking at the score would have thought the Oilers beat the Jets by a field goal. Both teams combined to score 30 runs in the first 9 innings then score nothing over the next 6 extra frames. This comedy of errors reminds us why expansion baseball is just so unpredictable. At one point the Mets were up 10-1. Houston was up 15-13 in the 9th, but couldn't close the deal. Both managers ran out of pitchers just about the same time they ran out of Tums. Houston won it in the 16th when Bob Morehead, who had been stellar for the previous 3 innings walked 2. I could hear "Murph" on WOR-TV 9 saying, "oh, those bases on balls..." Well walks will haunt you, and when Norm Larker doubled home 2 and Roman Mejia singled home Larker the Mets were haunted right out of the game. Houston reliever Jim Golden tried to make it interesting by walking 2 himself in the bottom of the frame, but thankfully for him Marvelous Marv Throneberry hit inot a DP and Chris Cannizzaro grounded out to end it. This was truly a marathon.

GAME 3 - Colt's Stadium - Houston, TX - HOU 5, NYM 4
Diminutive lefty Al Jackson gutted out a fine 6 inning performance that was marred by 1 unearned run in the 6th thanks to a passed ball charged to catcher Sammy Taylor. Up 4-1, that passed ball looked to not be an issue, but once Jackson tired the Mets were forced to go to their porous bullpen. Ray Daviault, who probably should be pitching American Legion ball somewhere, came on and surrendered 4 runs in 2 innings and handed the game to Houston. The Colt 45's scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th to give reliever Russ Kemmerer the win. Bob Lillis singled home Carl Warwick, who led off the inning with a single. Joey Amalfitano doubled home Campbell and Kemmerer, who had walked on 4 pitches. The Mets went down in order in the 9th. The Mets squandered a fine pitching performance by Jackson. Daviault was also charged with a Wild Pitch and a balk as he single handedly promoted the Mets implosion.