By Philip Kossoy 

Freehold, NJ

The 1973 Baseball season sprung new hope for the 4 years removed World Champion New York Mets.  After 3 years of playing .500 baseball, they felt paused to rise back to the top.  They had every reason to think so.  They had great young pitching in Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, and had the war proven Tug McGraw to pick them up when needed.  Philip Kossoy recalls a core of solid defensive players like the leagues best defensive catcher in Jerry Grote, two time gold glove Shortstop in Buddy Harrelson, and a terrific fielding Centerfielder Don Hahn.  They also had added some offence with the additions of Second Baseman Felix Millan, a 23 year old rookie named John Milner and with a healthy Right Fielder Rusty Staub, the 1973 New York Mets felt they were going to contend all season long.  I must pause by saying that this was the first year the Author Philip Kossoy of Freehold NJ discovered baseball and watched this Amazing season unfold.

As Philip Kossoy Remembers, 1973 with all its great promise, started off like the 1972 had ended.  Injuries to almost every starting player forced the team to last place 9 1/2 games behind the first place Cardinals at the end of July.  In dire straits, team GM, M. Donald Grant, the stuffiest of executives called a team wide meeting in an effort to have his club turn the season around.  During this very long and boring pep talk, veteran player Tug McGraw started screaming out "Ya Gotta Believe"  "Ya Gotta Believe".  Well, M. Donald Grant may have taken it the wrong way at the time, as Philip Kossoy can understand, but it became the battle cry of the 1973 Mets as they went on to win 26 of their last 37 games and overtake all 5 of the teams that were ahead of them in the standings to win the National League East Title and give Philip Kossoy his first baseball thrill.

Of course, they didn't stop there.  They then beat the "Big Red Machine"  Pete Rose and the Cincinnati Reds in a hard fought 5 game series and made it to the World Series for the second time in 4 years.

Nobody thought the Mets stood a Chance against Reggie Jackson and the defending World Champion Oakland Athletics, especially a team that won only 83 regular season games and lost 79.  Well folks, nine year old Philip Kossoy of Freehold NJ, watched in amazement as his team had a 3 games to 2 lead in the World Series and just like 4 years earlier, it looked like the Amazin' Mets were going to repeat as World Champions. 

This of course was not to be the case, as Yogi Berra, the Mets manager decided in his infinite wisdom, that instead of starting George Stone in game six, who went 12-3 during the regular season and saving "The Franchise" Tom Seaver in reserve for game seven if needed, he instead went with Seaver on Short rest who pitched, well like a pitcher on short rest.  Then Jon Matlack pitched game seven, again on short rest, and lost 5-2.  To this day Mets fans believe that Yogi's decision not to pitch George Stone in game six cost them their second World Championship.  The author Philip Kossoy of Freehold NJ is one of these disappointed fans.

Philip Kossoy

Freehold NJ