1969 Season - Memories, Stories, Legends, Nostalgia

[GFDWARF07]

I was only 6 years old in 1969. My brother had been drafted and was in a small country in Southeast Asia serving the same organization that my Dad did in North Africa, Sicily and Normandy during WWII. My brother came home safely after 9 months (though some would argue not fully "sound"), unlike my Dad who spent a full year in the hospital following a meeting with a German mortar in Hasselt, Belgium in September, 1944.

1969 is the first season I can remember major league baseball, starting with a spring training game between the Twins and Braves in Florida that was won 1-0 on a homerun in the 9th inning. I remember watching the game in black and white and gradually becoming aware of players like Oliva, Killebrew, Aaron, etc. But for the life of me I cannot recall which team won that game or who hit the homer that day.

It was a great year to become a life-long baseball fan. It would be fun to collect stories and personal recollections about the players and teams represented in the 1969 strat set.

So bring 'em on - please share what you are willing to share!

gfdwarf

[GFDWARF07]

Priming the pump a bit here.

From [i:51e2dbf146]The Twins At The Met[/i:51e2dbf146] (by Bob Showers): Great new book!


Charley Walters (came up with the Twins in '69 for a few weeks - now a
columnist for the St. Paul paper):

In 1969 we started the season 0-4. We were in Anaheim for a series
against the Angels and I'm sound asleep in my hotel room when the
phone rings at 3:30am. It's Ted Uhlaender, and he says: "We've got an
unbelievable party going on. You've got to come down to room 203". I
could hear women and music and laughter in the background. I was 22
years old and single at the time, but there was no way I was going down
to that party. It was the middle of the night, we'd just lost our first four
games and I wasn't going to do anything that might get me sent to the
minors. I told Ted I wasn't coming down and hetells me to hang on
because someone wants to talk to me. Another guy gets on the phone
and says, "Hey Big Shooter, this is Billy. You've got five minutes to get
your *** down here." It was Billy Martin our manager. I said, "I'll be
right down."

I get dressed and go down to the party. Half of our ballclub is there with
a bunch of Hollywood types. Billy comes over and asks what I'm drinking
and I say: "Billy, I just got up. I'll have what your're having." So he gives
me a scotch, and I have a seat. I remember thinking. "This is the big
leagues." I left the room about 6a.m. and the party was still going.
And, we won our next seven games. (end Walters' quote)

[GFDWARF07]

This was also (1970 set actually) the first year I started buying baseball cards. My favorites were the World Series set - one for each game of the Mets-Orioles series.

Buford belts leadoff homer!

Clendenon's HR breaks ice!

Agee's catch saves the day!

Martin's bunt ends deadlock!

Koosman shuts the door!

Mets whoop it up!

[Sneezedoc]

I have the original blow up photo of Agee's catch from Shea Stadium hanging in my office waiting room! I purchased it from Shea when they sold everything from the pictures to the bathroom toilets last year!
I first remember 1971 as I was only 4 going on 5 in 1969 but a lot of the same players were still around so this deck of Strat brings me back to my very early childhood memories of baseball.

[doug_tucker10]

I was 11 years in 1969, have been a Mets fan since not long after they first came into existence..it's still my favorite season because of the Miracle Mets, i also got to see a no hitter that season at Shea... Bob Moose of the Pirates with the hitless effort....In '69 i met Ron Swoboda and Cleon Jones at the grand opening of a bank...years later i would finally meet Tom Seaver...

[GFDWARF07]

Tom was terrific that year, Doug, but why does his '69 card always seem to underperform?

[Rjnewman]

Gordie Howe and I played our first strat league in 1972 with 1969 set in Basic format. Drafted individual players to make 12 teams played 162 games and kept all stats.

[Whamo]

Mays was fading, but still showed moments, while McCovey was totally awesome. I was 17 then, and turning psychedelic, and into a hardcore surfer, so I lost interest in baseball for awhile, but I'd been playing STRATO since '64, and still an avid Dodger's fan. It's hard to remember much about those years because, man, it was the sixties.

[neilm100]

[quote:6174deff45="Rjnewman"]Gordie Howe and I played our first strat league in 1972 with 1969 set in Basic format. Drafted individual players to make 12 teams played 162 games and kept all stats.[/quote:6174deff45]

THE Gordie Howe? :?:

[neilm100]

Did Carlos May blow his thumb off in the army? :oops: