Bob Friend - The 49th Met pitcher

     Bob Friend was purchased by the Mets from the New York Yankees on June 15th, 1966.  Friend, nicknamed "Warrior", appeared in 22 games for the Mets, starting 12.  The '66 season was his 16th in the big leagues and unfortunately, Bob didn't have much left by the time he reached Shea.   With a 5-8 record to go along with a 4.40 ERA, Bob was released on October 17th, 1966.  

     The "Warrior" ball was purchased off of eBay, the second '65 Mets baseball was signed by Mr. Friend after being mailed to his home.

Bob Shaw - The 48th Met Pitcher

     Bob Shaw joined the Mets on June 10, 1966.  His contract was purchased from the San Francisco Giants.  Shaw pitched parts of two seasons for the Mets.  Shaw certainly didn't embarrass himself during his Mets tenure, but was pretty average.  His 14-19 record was solid for a team that lost 95 and then 103 games.  His 4.06 ERA was likely influenced by poor defense.  He compiled a solid 1.29 WHIP and a 3.28 FIP (Fielding Independent ERA).  On July 24, 1967, Shaw's contract was suddenly sold to the Cubs.  Maybe injury was a factor?  Shaw struggled in Chicago and was released in September.  He retired after that season.  Mr. Shaw passed away on September 11th, 1967.

     This baseball was purchased from a collector.  It's showing it's age, but looks better in person than in this photo.  I hope to upgrade it someday of possible.  

Dick Rusteck - The 47th Met Pitcher

     Dick Rusteck was signed by the Mets as an amateur free agent before the 1963 season.  On June 10th, 1966, Rusteck made his major league debut at home vs the Reds, and boy was it special.  Dick tossed a four hit complete game shutout, winning by a score of 5-0.  There was hope in Flushing!  His  second start didn't go so well, giving up five runs to the Cardinals in only one inning.  Rusteck made six more appearances in '66, finishing with a respectable 3.00 ERA and a reasonable 1.33 WHIP.   He never hit a batter that season, but also never pitched another big league inning.  His arm was never the same ofter offseason elbow surgery.  The amazing part is that Rusteck pitched in the minors for 11 more seasons.  He didn't retire till the age of 35 in 1977, a truly unique path from a guy with a true love for the game. 

     This ball was signed through the mail after being mailed to Mr. Rusteck's home.  

Gerry Arrigo - The 46th Met Pitcher

     Gerry Arrigo was acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds on May 20. 1966.  Ron Locke was sent to Cincinnati three days later as a player to be named later.  Arrigo's Met career was relatively short, lasting only three months.  On August 16th, he was sent back to the Reds for cash.  During his short stay in New York, Arrigo pitched pretty well, posting a 3.74 ERA over 43.1 innings.  He spent four more seasons in the majors before retiring in 1971 after three games in the minors.  

     This 4th of July ball was signed through the mail after being mailed to Arrigo's home.

BIll Hepler - The 45th Met Pitcher

     Bill Hepler was drafted from the Senators on November 29th in the 1965 Rule V draft.  In 1966, at the age of 20, Hepler made his major league debut.  He went 3-3 that season with a 3.52 ERA.  The problem was that he walked 51 batters in 61 innings.  Hepler began the '67 season in the minors and never made it back to the big leagues.  He retired in 1970 after 4 seasons in the minors.  

     This ball was signed through the mail after being sent to Mr. Hepler's home.  He said the highlight of his career was striking out Hank Aaron two times in one game.

Jack Hamilton - The 44th Met Pitcher

     Jack Hamilton joined the Mets on October 14th, 1965 when his contract was purchased from the Detroit Tigers.  He joined the team for the 1966 season, pitching 148.2 innings in a swingman role.  Hamilton threw hard, but was notorious for having control Problems.  Hamilton went 6-13 with a 3.93 ERA that season, but allowed more than 1.5 baserunners per inning.  His one hitter at St. Louis on May 4th was a glorious highlight.  In 1967, Jack broke camp with the Mets, but was dealt to the Angels on June 10th for Nick Willhite.  Hamilton is perhaps most famous for his beaning of Tony Conigliaro in August of '67.  At the time Conigliaro, 22,  had just became the youngest AL player to ever reach 100 HRs.  His career would never be the same.  Suffering from vision issues, Tony missed three seasons and struggled through the others.  He retired at age 30.  Hamilton's major league career also ended at age 30, when he consistently struggled to find the strike zone.  Jack passed away on February 22nd, 2018.

     This ball was purchased from another collector.  He had met Hamilton at a card show and had an extra ball available.   

Mike Joyce - Almost Met Pitcher

     Mike Joyce was purchased from the Chicago White Sox on March 31st, 1964.  He pitched well in 1962, but struggled in 1963.  After spring training, the White Sox felt he was expendable despite his 4.33 career ERA.   The Mets assigned him to AAA Buffalo with expectation that he would receive a quick call up.  Topps even gave him a Mets card in their 1964 set.  Joyce never made it to Shea.  He developed arm trouble and retired soon after.  

     This ball 4th of July ball was signed through the mail after being mailed to Mr. Joyce's home.

Dick Selma - The 43rd Met Pitcher

     Dick Selma joined the Mets on May 28th, 1963 as an amateur free agent.  He threw the baseball so hard that a young Nolan Ryan was once said to "throw as hard as Dick Selma"  Selma spent four seasons with the Mets and was dominant at times.   In '67 he posted a 2.77 ERA over 81.1 innings.    In '68 he posted an even lower ERA of 2.75,  doubling his inning total with 170.1.  In 1969, the Mets left Selma unprotected in the expansion draft and he was selected by the Padres with the 5th overall pick.   Soon after, he found a place in the record books by throwing out the very first pitch in Padres history.  Dick had three more productive seasons in the majors, but arm troubles limited his effectiveness at the end.  His major league career ended in 1974, and he retired after two seasons in the minors in 1976.  Selma passed away on August 29th, 2001 after developing liver cancer.  

     Dick Selma is one of the more difficult signed Mets baseballs to find and when you do it's often pricy.  Combining the fact that he died almost 20 years ago, plus his role in Padres history keeps him in demand.  The top nicer ball was purchased from a private collector.  I found the second ball hidden in a group of balls on eBay.   At some point I will likely sell or trade the second ball.

Rob Gardner - The 42nd Met Pitcher

     Rob Gardner was drafted from the Twins in the 1963 first year draft, whatever that was.  He had previously been signed by the twins prior to the 1963 season as an amateur free agent.  Rob pitched 107.1 total innings during the '65 + '66 season.  As a swingman during this period,  he went 4-10 and posting a 4.79 ERA.  On June 12, 1967, Gardner and a player to be named later was dealt to the Cubs for Bob Hendley.   Five days later, John Stephenson was sent to the Cubs as the PTBNL.  Gardner pitched 6 more seasons in the majors, but retired after the 1975 season.

     This ball was purchased on eBay.  Mr. Gardner is a difficult target for signing via mail.  He may have moved recently.  

Dave Eilers - The 41st Met Pitcher

     Dave Eilers joined the Mets on August 18th, 1965, when his contract was purchased from the Milwaukee Braves.  With less than two months remaining in the the '65 season, Eilers made 11 appearances for the Mets.  His 4.00 ERA and solid work the following spring earned him a spot in the pen for the '66 season.  Unfortunately, Eilers struggled early, posting a 4.67 ERA over 34.2 innings.   He was demoted at the end of June and finished the season at AAA Jackson.  Dave was drafted by Houston in the minor league draft the following season and finished his career in the Astros organization.  

     This baseball was signed through the mail after being mailed to Mr. Eilers home in April of 2018.

Dennis Musgraves - 40th Met Pitcher

     Dennis Musgraves was signed by the Mets as an amateur free agent on June 20th, 1964.  In his rookie year of 1965, Dennis posted a 0.56 ERA in 15 innings pitched.  Wow, what a start to his Met career, he allowed only one earned run!  He made his debut on July 9th and his last appearance was July 29th.   He never pitched in the majors again, despite solid minor league numbers.  Musgraves retired in 1971 after several years in the minors.  

     This ball was signed by Mr. Musgraves after being mailed to his home in April of 2018.  I requested the #34 #36 #41 inscription, since Baseball Reference suggests that he wore 3 numbers during his major league career.   I thought this was odd, so I asked him about it.  He said he only wore one number in the majors and the others were numbers he wore in the minors.  

Gordie Richardson - The 39th Met Pitcher

     Gordie Richardson joined the Mets on December 7th, 1964.  The Mets sent Elio Chacon and Tracy Stallard to St. Louis in exchange for Richardson and Johnny Lewis.  Gordie pitched well out of the bullpen in 1965, posting a 3.78 ERA in 35 appearances.  Unfortunately, his 1966 season wasn't so good.  After breaking camp with the Mets, Richardson struggled to a 9.16 ERA over 18.2 innings.  He was demoted to the minors in June and retired at the end of the '66 season.

     This baseball was signed by Mr. Richardson in April of 2018, after being mailed to his hime.  

Larry Miller - The 38th Met Pitcher

     Larry Miller was traded to the Mets on October 15th, 1964.  The Dodgers acquired Dick Smith in return.  During portions of the '65 and '66 seasons Miller exhibited a 5.35 ERA in 65.2 innings.  Although he compiled a 3.15 career ERA in AAA, Miller just wasn't able to carry over that success to the majors leagues.  After pitching three more seasons in the minors, Larry retired in 1969 at the age of 32.  Miller passed away on March 21st, 2018.  

     This signed ball was purchased from another collector a couple months after Mr. Miller's passing.  I had mailed a ball and autograph request to Miller's home on March 18th.  A family member returned my baseball in June, along with a note informing me of his passing.  

Tug McGraw - The 37th Met Pitcher

     Tug McGraw was signed on June 12, 1964 as an amateur free agent.  After only one season in the minors, McGraw made his major league debut on April 18th, 1965, against the San Francisco Giants.  Tug's Met career ended up being a long one, spanning 9 seasons from 1965-1974.  During this period, he posted a 3.17 ERA over 792.2 innings pitched.  McGraw was also a huge fan favorite, causing much disappointment when he was traded to the Phillies on December 3rd, 1974.  John Stearns, Del Unser and Mac Scarce were sent to the Mets in exchange for McGraw, Dave Schneck and Don Hahn.  McGraw became the first Met reliever ever to play in an all star game in 1972.  McGraw died of brain cancer on January 5th, 2004.

     Tug McGraw balls are rather pricy on eBay.  I was able to buy these two balls for a reasonable pricing after watching auctions for months.

Warren Spahn - The 36th Met Pitcher

     Warren Spahn joined the Mets on November 23rd, 1964, when his contract was purchased from the Milwaukee Braves.  In an unusual scenario, Spahn served as a player coach during the 1965 season.  Not only did he occupy the pitching coach position previously held by Mel Harder, but he also made 19 starts.  As a player, in his age 44 season, Spahn went 4-12 with a 4.26 ERA.  Unfortunately the experiment was short lived.  He was placed waivers July 17th, 1965 and Wes Westrum took over as pitching coach after his release.  Spahn a three year WWII veteran was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of fame in 1973, with 83% of the vote.  He passed away on November 24, 2002 at the age of 82.  

     This signed baseball was purchased off eBay.  I have never seen a signed Warren Spahn baseball with a Mets inscription.  

Jim Bethke - The 35th Met pitcher

     Jim Bethke was signed by the Mets as an amateur free agent in 1964.  In 1965, he posted a 4.28 ERA in 40 major league innings during his age 18 season.  Bethke was the last Met "Bonus Baby".  In 1965.  For those of you who don't know what a "Bonus Baby" was, it was a rule established by MLB in 1947.   This "bonus" rule was designed to limit the larger market teams from hoarding top amateur prospects.  If an amateur player signed for more than a set limit ($4,000), the signing team was required to roster this player on their 25 man active roster for 2 seasons.  This system had many flaws, such as rushing players to the majors or teams hiding players on the DL with phantom injuries.   In 1965 MLB implemented the rule IV amateur draft, effectively putting an end to the flawed bonus system.  

     This Father's Day baseball was signed by Mr. Bethke after being mailed to his home in March of 2018.  

Ray Apple - Almost Met Pitcher

     Ray Apple was the first player to ever sign a contract with the New York Mets.  After playing on the 1960-61 Ohio State National Championship team with Bobby Knight, Apple chose to begin a career in baseball.  Mets scouts saw lots of potential in the hard throwing righty.  They inked him to a contract in June of 1961.  The catch was the Mets didn't even have a minor league system yet, so they had to loan him to other teams during his early development.  The side effect was that Ray was worked very hard.  He developed shoulder issues during an 11 innings shutout in 1963.  Apple was never the same afterwards.  He walked away from the game after the 1964 season and founded a successful real estate business in Nashville, Tennessee.

     This baseball was signed by Mr. Apple after being mailed to his office.  He also called and talked baseball with me for almost 45 minutes.   He had lots of great stories and was definitely the highlight of my through the mail experience so far.  

Howie Nunn - Almost Met Pitcher

     Howie Nunn's contract was purchased from Cincinnati on December 21st, 1961.  Howie showed up to the inaugural Mets spring training in 1962, lead by Casey, but didn't make the roster.  His contact was returned to the Reds on April 2nd, 1962.  As a Red that same year, Howie struggled to a 5.59 ERA in 9.2 innings pitched.  Nunn spent most of 1962 in the minors and retired after returning in 1963 for more of the same.  Mr. Nunn passed away on February 17th, 2012.  

     This ball was picked up from a collector who was selling his collection during the summer of 2018.

Dennis Ribant - The 32nd Met Pitcher

     Dennis Ribant was acquired from the Braves in exchange for Frank Lary, on August 8th, 1964.  

At the age of 22 during his rookie season, Ribant struggled to adapt the the majors, going 1-5 with a 5.15 ERA.  In his second season, Dennis was much better.  Through his first eleven appearances he posted a 2.93 ERA.  On May 30th, 1965, Ribant gave up six runs in three innings and was demoted, despite his solid bullpen work earlier in the season.  He returned to the majors that September, highlighted by an 11 inning complete game shutout of the Pirates on September 28th.
     1966 was truly amazing!  Dennis went 11-9 with a 3.20 ERA that season.   Keep in mind the Mets were 66-95 that season, so wins definitely weren't easy to come by.  That December the Mets traded Ribant to the Pirates along with Gary Kolb in return to veteran starter Don Cardwell and Don Bosch.  I'm not exactly sure what happened, but Ribant's arm was never the same.  Limited by injuries, he last appeared in the majors in 1969 and retired from the game in 1973 after four years in the minors.

     This father's day ball was signed by Mr. Ribant after being mailed to his home in March of 2018.

Tom Parsons - The 34th Met Pitcher

     Tom Parson's contract was purchased from Pittsburgh in September of 1964.  Baseball Reference doesn't list the exact date of the transaction.  He was a Met for approximately one year and two months, pitching 110 career innings.  Parsons was 2-12 with a 4.58 ERA during this stint.  Tom was dealt to Houston in November o f '65 in exchange for a player to be named later.  This player turned out to be future "Miracle Met" catcher Jerry Grote.   

     This ball was signed through the mail in March of 2018 after being mailed to his home.

Gary Kroll - The 33rd Met Pitcher

     Gary Kroll was acquired on August 7th, 1964, along with Wayne Graham in exchange for former Met star Frank Thomas.  He played two seasons for the Mets.  Kroll pitched 21.2 strong innings to end the 1964 season, going 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA.  In '65, Kroll appeared in 32 games, making 11 starts.  He was 6-6 with a 4.45 ERA that season.  On January 6th of 1966, Kroll was dealt to Cleveland for John Weekly who never played in a Mets uniform.  

     This ball was signed in January 2018 through the mail as part of a charity for a little league program.  

Frank Lary - The 30th Met Pitcher

     Frank Lary, "The Yankee Killer" pitched in parts of two seasons for the Mets.  The crazy part is that during both seasons he was acquired in the spring, then dealt away in the summer.  For his first tour of Shea, Lary was purchased from the Tigers on May 30th, 1964.  Frank labored for 57.1 innings pitched, posting a 4.55 ERA in '64.  This wasn't good enough for the Mets brass, so on July 31st of the same year, he was dealt to the Braves for Dennis Ribant.  Picking up Ribant turned out to be a very good deal, but the cherry on top was that the Mets were able to reacquire Lary the following spring.  The Braves were having a roster crunch before opening day, so Lary's contract was again sold to the Mets on March  28th, 1965.  The second time around turned out to be much better for Lary.  He  hurled a 2.98 ERA over 57.1 innings pitched.  The Mets were a very bad team in 1965.  Casey was fired and Wes Westrum took over as manager.  There was no room for the aging ace, so Frank was dealt to the contending White Sox in July for a player to be named later.  On July 26th, 1965, The Mets received Jimmy Schaffer to complete the deal.  Lary finished the season with the White Sox, but retired afterwards.  He passed away on December 14th, 2017.  

     The first ball was purchased off of eBay and is inscribed "21 - Wins, Lead League in '56"  The second ball is just a nicely signed Selig ball, with no inscriptions.  Either one could be a trade piece to help complete my collection.  

Darrell Sutherland - The 31st Met Pitcher

     Darrell Sutherland was claimed off waivers from the Phillies on April 6th, 1964.  He was pressed into action immediately, posting a 7.76 ERA in his rookie season.  Sutherland rebounded in his sophomore season of '65, dropping his ERA to 2.81 in 41 innings pitched.  This would turn out to be the best season of Darrell's career.  A mediocre '66 season left Sutherland exposed to the 1967 minor league draft and the Indians pounced.  He pitched only 3.1 innings for the Indians before hanging it up soon after the 1968 season.   In three seasons from 1964 to 1966, Sutherland tuned in a 4.69 ERA with the Mets. 

     This Father's day baseball was signed by Mr. Sutherland after being mailed to his home in March of 2018.

Tom Sturdivant - The 29th Met Pitcher

     Tom Sturdivant was signed as a free agent by the Mets on May 10th, 1964, after being previously released by the Kansas City A's.  "The Snake" pitched in 28.2 relief innings for the Mets at the tune of a 5.97 ERA.  Sturdivant didn't have much left by the time he made it to Shea.  He was released on Jun 27, 1964.  Tom finished out the season in the Houston's minors system and retired at seasons end.  Mr. Sturdivant passed away on February 28, 2009.  

     I'm not quite sure how I ended up with so many Sturdivant baseballs.  I kept watching auctions and picking up a ball that I liked slightly better than the one I had on display.  I really like the nickname ball, but the ink seems to be fading more than I would like.  I guess I have extra balls for trading purposes.  It seems you always have to pay a premium for dead Yankee players on eBay.

Ron Locke - The 28th Met Pitcher

     Ron Locke was signed by the Met as an amateur free agent before the 1963 season.  Locke had been scouted by the Reds, but was not offered a contract due to organizational beliefs that he was too short at 5'10".  The Mets swooped in soon afterwards and offered him a contract, assigning him to Auburn for the '63 season.  After a strong 18 win season with Auburn, Locke was promoted to the big league club for the 1964 season.  He pitched very well for a 22 year old, posting a 3.48 ERA, but was used sparingly by Casey and only logged 41.1 innings pitched.  Ron never pitched for a big league club again, despite pitching very well in the minors.  Over 8 seasons his career 2.97 minor league ERA was exceptional and certainly should have earned him a second shot.  I'm guessing his size may have been part of the issue, but being buried behind Seaver, Koosman, Gentry and others such as McAndrew didn't help.

     Ron signed this Father's day ball through the mail in April of 2018 after being sent to his home.  

Jerry Hinsley - The 27th Met Pitcher

     Jerry Hinsley was drafted from the Pirates in the 1963 "First Year" draft.   I think this was something similar to today's rule V draft, although additional research may be necessary.  In April of 1964, when Jerry made his MLB and Met Debut at the age of 19,  he was the 6th youngest player in the big leagues.  He struggled against major league hitting that year, yielding 17 runs, 14 of those earned in 11.1 innings pitched.  Hinsley was demoted in late May and spent the next two seasons in the minors.  He received a September call up in 1967 and pitched better, allowing 2 runs in 5 innings.   Jerry was never given another opportunity to pitch in the majors again.  He retired from the game in 1971 after four seasons in the minors.  

     This Father's Day ball was signed in Sharpie by Mr. Hinsley after being mailed to his home in March of 2018.

Bill Wakefield - The 26th Met Pitcher

     Bill Wakefield was acquired from the Cardinals along with George Altman in exchange for Roger Craig on November 4th, 1963.  In 1964 Wakefield set a Met record for relief appearances with 62, posting a 3.61 ERA along the way.  After '64, he never returned to the majors again.  Bill struggled in the minors for the next three seasons before finally hanging it up in 1966.

     This baseball was signed by Mr. Wakefield after being mailed to his home.  He also included a printout in which he detailed his career.  At some point, I hope to either summarize this piece or scan and attach it.   

Jack Fisher - The 25th Met Pitcher

     Jack Fisher, nicknamed "Fat Jack" was picked up from the Giants on October 10th 1963.  From 1963 through 1966 Fisher proved to be a solid innings eater in the Mets rotation, almost never missing a start.  Despite a 4.12 ERA during that span, Fisher lead the NL in earned runs three of those four years, and losses two of the four years.  He combined for a 38 and 73 record.    In December of 1967, Jack was dealt along with Billy Wynne, Tommy Davis and Buddy Booker for the great Tommie Agee and Al Weis.  

Billy Loes - Almost Met Pitcher

     Since we just ended the Polo Grounds era, I thought I would loop back to the spring of '62.  It was spring training in St. Petersburg Florida, before they would go 40-120.  Between seasons, I plan to occasionally revisit those guys who didn't make the cut.

     Billy Loes was purchased from the San Francisco Giants on October 16th, 1961.  Another of the 1955 "Boys of Summer" World Champion Brooklyn Dodgers and 1957 All Star, Loes set out to make history with the 1962 Mets.  Loes barely made an impact that spring.  Perhaps it was due to injury, perhaps it was just that he was long in the tooth.  Billy was returned to the Giants on March 2nd 1962.    Billy was promptly released by the Giants that very day, ending a 12 year major league career.  Mr. Loes passed away on July 15th, 2010 at the age of 80.  

Steve Dillon - The 24th Met Pitcher

     Steve Dillon joined the Mets on November 26th, 1962 after being selected from the Yankees in that era's equivalent of the Rule V draft.  Dillon only appeared in one game in 1963, giving up two runs in 1.2 innings pitched.  He spent most of the '64 season in the minors, but pitched three Major League innings, allowing three runs.  Dillon retired at the end of the '65 season.

     This baseball was signed by Mr. Dillon after being mailed to his home in March of 2018.

Ed Bauta - The 23rd Met Pitcher

     Ed Bauta was acquired from the Cardinals in exchange for Ken MacKenzie on August 5th, 1963.  Ed's Met career consisted of 17 games during the '63 and '64 seasons.  He compiled a 5.28 ERA in the majors, but spent most of his time with the Mets in the minor leagues.  

     The first ball was purchased off of eBay.  The second ball was was signed by Mr. Bauta with two different pens, after being sent to his home.  When asked the question "What was your favorite memory as a Met?"   He replied .. "When I left"   This was definitely one on my most memorable signatures through the mail.

Carlton Willey - The 20th Met Pitcher

     Carlton Willey joined the Mets on March 23rd, 1963, after his contract was purchased from the Braves.  Willey flourished with the Mets, posting a 3.10 ERA in 1963.  His 4.3 WAR lead the '63 Mets and was also one of the best seasons of the '60's timeline.  Carlton's Met career hit an unexpected bump, when he was hit in the jaw by a line drive in April of 1964.  Afterwards, he was never the same.  He averaged 29 innings pitched over the next two seasons and hung it up in '65.  Who know what could have been, but his 1963 season was one for the ages, especially considering how terrible the defense was in the early Met years.  Mr. Willey passed away at the age of 78, on July 21st, 2009.

     Both balls were purchased off of eBay.   His signed baseballs aren't particularly hard to find.

Tracy Stallard - The 19th Met Pitcher

     Tracey Stallard was acquired on December 11th, 1962 from the Boston Red Sox, along with Pumpsie Green and Al Moran in exchange for Felix Mantilla.  Tracy had a rough 1963 season, posting a 4.71 ERA over 154 innings, which included 23 starts.  His 1964 season was much better posting a 3.79 ERA over 225.2 innings pitched.   Unfortunately, run support was nowhere to be found.  Stallard lead the league with 20 losses that season.  After the '64 season, the Mets cashed in on Stallard's 2.0 WAR season.  On December 7th, they dealt him to St. Louis along with Elio Chacon for Johnny Lewis and Gordie Richardson.  Stallard pitched the '65 and '66 season for the Cardinals, before finally hanging it up in 1969.

Larry Foss - The 17th Met Pitcher

    Larry Foss was claimed off waivers from the Pirates on September 6th, 1962.  He appeared in five games, posting a 4.63 ERA in 11.2 innings pitched.  Larry would never pitch in the majors again.   He was dealt to Milwaukee in May of 1963, and soon retired after toiling a few innings at AAA Denver of the PCL.   

"Vinegar Bend" Mizell - The 13th Met Pitcher

     Wilmer "Vinegar Bend" Mizell was received from Pittsburgh on May 7th, 1962 in exchange for Jim Marshall.   After posting a 7.34 ERA over 38 IP, Vinegar Bend was released three months later on August 4th.  Overall, Wilmer had a solid major league career, consistently posting sub four ERAs throughout his twenties.  He took two years off from baseball in 1954 and 1955 to serve in the U.S. Army.  

      After retirement from baseball, Mizell began a political career.  He served 6 years in the U.S. House of representatives.  Wilmer was also appointed Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Economic Development and Executive Director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.  "Vinegar Bend" passed away on February 21st, 1999 from complications of a heart attack. 

Galen Cisco - The 16th Met Pitcher

     Galen Cisco was claimed off of waivers from the Boston Red Sox on September 7th, 1962.   Galen turned out to be a great pick up, posting a 3.26 ERA to finish the 1962 season.  His best season by far, was 1964.  Cisco turned in a 2.8 WAR, despite a 6-19 record.  His 3.62 ERA was second on the team, barely beat out by Bill Wakefield at 3.63.  A little run support would have gone a long way in the early Met days.  The Mets released Cisco on Jun 4th, 1966, ending his Met career with an amazing 4.04 ERA.  Galen currently live in Ohio, where he was a star linebacker for Ohio State during his college years.  

    The 1st ball was bought off of eBay.  The 3rd ball was obtained in a random lot of balls that included a 1963 team ball.   The middle Memorial day ball was signed through the mail by Mr. Cisco.      At some point I may try to obtain a ball with a "'62 Mets" inscription of somer sort.  I think he signs "Original Met" a lot.   I guess I have a couple extra balls to trade away if it ever comes up.