Stats in His Mets Career
661 Games, .262 BA 82 HR, 265 RBI, 632 Hits, 344 Runs Scored
His Mets Moment
Game Three of the 1969 World Series saw what Sports Illustrated said was the greatest performance by a Center Fielder ever.
In was the first ever World Series game to be played at Shea Stadium, a moment frozen in time where even the most loyal of Mets Fans in those days couldn’t dream it would happen so quickly.
Tommy Agee, the Former All Star and Rookie of the Year put his name not only in the history books of the New York Mets, but in Major League baseball for a day at the park that nobody ever had again.
In the first inning, Agee hit a leadoff home run off Orioles Ace Pitcher Jim Palmer for what would eventually be the game winning hit and RBI, as the Mets shut out the Orioles, 5-0 in Game 3.
But it was his glove and the two amazing catches that may have saved almost 5 runs, the same difference in the final score that Mets Fans will remember for ever.
The first was on a two-out line drive to left center field by Elrod Hendricks with two runners on base. Agee sprinted across the outfield and caught the ball in the webbing of his glove, almost backhanded mind you, just before crashing into the wall.
The crowd was going wild and the Mets, with a 3-0 lead at the time were able to keep the Orioles off the board and not let them back into the game.
The second catch by Agee came at a even bigger moment in the game. The catch came was on a fly ball hit by Paul Blair with the bases loaded in the seventh inning off a Mets spot starter and reliever named Nolan Ryan, you might have heard of him.
When the wind blew the ball down and away from him he lunged into a headfirst dive for the catch on the Warning Track. He rolled on the track but held on to the ball. With Blair rounding second base moments after the catch, Agee may have saved an inside the park grand slam home run.
With the score 4-0 at the time, it could have been a tie game and very deflating moment for the Mets, but instead the Orioles were once again robbed of at least three runs and they never got close to the Mets again in Game 3.
A Performance of a lifetime on a team and a championship that will live on for a lifetime. The World Series is where stars are born and on that fateful October Day in Flushing, Tommy Agee was once again a star.
Fast Facts
The Chicago White Sox Traded for Tommy Davis, along with pitcher Jack Fisher and two minor leaguers, from the New York Mets for Tommy Agee and Al Weis.
2× All-Star selection (1966, 1967)
World Series champion (1969)
2× Gold Glove Award winner (1966, 1970)
1966 AL Rookie of the Year
1969 NL Comeback Player of the Year
Hit a Home Run to lead off Game 3 of the ’69 World Series, the first ever hit by the Mets Franchise in a World Series Game at Home.
Following the 1972 season, The Mets traded Agee to the Houston Astros for Rich Chiles and Buddy Harris.
Other Players of Note to Wear Number 20 as a Met
Craig Anderson (1962, 1964), Choo Choo Coleman (1966), Rick Ownbey (1982-1983), Howard Johnson (1985-1991), Kurt Abbott (2000), Mark Johnson (2001), Jeromy Burnitz (2002-2003), Prentice Redman (2003), Karim Garcia (2004), Ricky Bottalico (2004), Victor Diaz (2005-2006), Shawn Green (2006-2007), Howard Johnson (2008-2010), Jason Pridie (2011)
Previous Best: #1 Mookie Wilson, #2 Bobby Valentine, #3 Bud Harrelson, #4 Lenny Dykstra, #5 David Wright, #6 Wally Backman, #7 Jose Reyes, #8 Gary Carter, #9 Todd Hundley, #10 Rusty Staub, #11 Wayne Garrett, #12 Ron Darling, #13 Edgardo Alfonzo, #14 Gil Hodges, #15 Jerry Grote. #16 Dwight “Doc” Gooden, #17 Keith Hernandez, #18 Darryl Strawberry, #19 Bobby Ojeda
Coming Up, The Best Met Player Ever to wear Number Twenty One.
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