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1962 Timeline

Mets Rewind Timeline
1962

1962 went down in Major League Baseball history as the first (and most infamous) year as the New York Mets set the record for the worst regular season mark (40-120). The record still stands as the worst single-season mark.

January 31

Mets sign Hodges
The Mets sign Gil Hodges, veteran first baseman of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

February 20

Pappas auditions for Mets
John Pappas, a 21-year old college student from Queens, took the mound at Miller-Huggins Field in St. Petersburg, Florida to audition for a spot on the New York Mets. Wearing blue jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers, Pappas threw for 18 minutes before team scout Johnny Murphy raised his hand and yelled, “Stop!” Murphy instructed the young man to go home and return to school.

February 20

Mets hire Rogers Hornsby
Casey Stengel announces 65-year old Rogers Hornsby will be the @Mets hitting instructor. Hornsby batted .424 for the 1924 St. Louis @Cardinals. The 1962 @Mets posted a team batting average of .240.

March 22

Mets, Yankees meet for first time
In the first meeting between the two New York teams, the Mets beat the defending World Champion Yankees, 4-3, at Al Lang Field when Richie Ashburn delivers a ninth-inning pinch-hit single to give the Mets the walk-off win.

April 11

Mets lose debut, 11-4, to Cards
After being rained out the previous night and with some players getting stuck in an elevator, the New York Mets make their National League debut in St. Louis losing to the Cardinals, 11-4.

April 13

Mets lose home opener to Pirates
With snow flurries falling, the Mets play their first-ever home game at the Polo Grounds, losing, 4-3, to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Attendance for the game is reported as 12,447.

April 23

Mets crush Pirates for first franchise win
After starting the season 0-9, the Mets win their first game with a 9-1 victory at Pittsburgh. Jay Hook throws a complete game five-hitter.

April 24

Stengel fined for beer ad
Mets manager Casey Stengel is fined $500 by Major League Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick for appearing in a beer ad.

April 26

Chiti traded to Indians
Catcher Harry Chiti is traded to the Mets from the Indians for a player to be named later. In June, New York sends the backstop to Cleveland to complete the deal.

April 28

Mets win first game at Polo Grounds
The Mets score six times in the sixth inning and Roger Craig pitches 3.0 innings of scoreless relief as New York beats Philadelphia, 8-6, to win for the first time at the Polo Grounds.

April 29

Mets shutout Phils, Thomas ties MLB mark
During the seven-run fourth inning at the Polo Grounds, Frank Thomas ties a MLB record by being hit twice with a pitch in one inning. Art Mahaffey and Frank Sullivan plunk the Mets outfielder in the Phillies' 8-0 loss.

May 9

Mets acquire Throneberry
The New York Mets acquire Marv Throneberry from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Hobie Landrith and cash.

May 12

Mets capture first doubleheader sweep
The Mets, who lost 17 of their first 22 games, celebrate their first doubleheader sweep against the Milwaukee Braves, 3-2 and 8-7, at the Polo Grounds. The pair of wins also mark the first time a major league team has accomplished the feat with two walk-off homers, thanks to the ninth-inning heroics of Hobie Landrith and Gil Hodges.

May 14

Sports Illustrated features Payson
Mrs. Payson's life as normal as blueberry pie and stock splits. "I don't know what in the world you would ever write about me," she said. "I don't do anything interesting."

May 30

Dodgers return to NY, sweep Mets in DH
The Los Angeles Dodgers return to New York for the first time and sweep the Mets in a doubleheader in front of 54,360 fans, the franchises largest crowd to date. The Mets turn their first-ever triple play in the sixth inning of the second game.

June 8

Mets snap 17-game losing streak
Jay Hook and the Mets stop a franchise record 17-game losing streak with a, 4-3, win over the Chicago Cubs in the first game of a doubleheader. Hook limits the Cubs to three runs over eight innings to end the skid that started on May 21 against the Houston Colt 45's.

June 17

Throneberry gets a laugh, Mets lose
In a play that is emblematic of the struggling Mets, first baseman Marv Throneberry's apparent first inning triple becomes an out on an appeal play for missing second base in an 8-7 loss to the Cubs at the Polo Grounds. When New York manager Casey Stengel questions the call, he is told by the umpire, according to legend, "Don't bother arguing, Casey, he missed first base, too."

June 17

Woodling first to play for both NY teams
Gene Woodling becomes the first major leaguer to play for both the Yankees and the Mets. In his National League debut, Woodling goes 2-for-4, scoring two runs in an 8-7 loss to the Cubs at the Polo Grounds.

June 22

Jackson tosses one-hitter
Al Jackson throws the first one-hitter in Mets franchise history, beating the Houston Colt .45s at the Polo Grounds, 2-0. The lone hit given up by the southpaw is Joey Amalfitano's line drive single to left field in the first inning.

June 27

Mets sign Kranepool
Monroe High School standout Ed Kranepool signs an amateur free agent with the New York Mets. Kranepool, 17, will spend his entire 18-year career with the franchise, establishing multiple franchise records.

June 30

Koufax no-hits Mets
Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax no-hits the Mets in a 5-0 win at Los Angeles. Koufax strikes out 13 and walks five.

August 29

Mets lose 100th game
The Philadelphia Phillies rally to beat the Mets 3-2 in 10 innings at Connie Mack Stadium, handing the Mets their 100th loss of the season.

September 30

Thomas sets Mets HR mark
Frank Thomas hits his 34th home run of the season to set a club record that stands until 1975.

December 11

Goodbye Mantilla, Hello Pumpsie!
The Red Sox trade Tracy Stallard, Pumpsie Green, and a player to be named later (Al Moran) to the Mets in exchange for Felix Mantilla.
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