Jerry Koosman Passes Away

Jerry Koosman passed away today at age 83, as per an announcement from the Mets.  A veteran of 19 Major League seasons, Koosman spent the first 12 of those seasons in New York, with a legacy that includes a retired #36 jersey and a spot in the Mets’ Hall of Fame.

Koosman’s pro career started almost by chance, as he was serving stateside in the Army with John Luchese, whose father was an usher at Shea Stadium.  Luchese passed on word to his father of Koosman’s talents pitching for the Army team, and the Mets ended up scouting Koosman and signing him to a contract in 1964.  Koosman made his MLB debut by tossing 22 1/3 innings over nine appearances in 1967, but the real breakout came a year later.

The 1968 season saw Koosman post a 2.08 ERA over 263 2/3 innings and 35 games, as he made the first of his two All-Star teams and finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting.  Tom Seaver won the NL ROY the year prior, and Seaver and Koosman became the backbone of the Mets’ rotation for the next decade-plus.

The Mets opened their history with seven losing seasons before their young core of pitchers suddenly turned the franchise into World Series champions.  Koosman was on the 1969 “Miracle Mets,” posting a 2.28 ERA in 241 regular-season innings and a 2.04 ERA in 17 2/3 innings in the World Series.  The southpaw won both of his starts in the Series, including a complete in New York’s Game 5 clincher over the heavily-favored Orioles.

Another NL pennant in 1973 and a second-place finish in NL Cy Young Award voting in 1976 were among the highlights of the rest of Koosman’s tenure in Queens.  Koosman had a 3.09 ERA over his 2544 2/3 innings in a Mets uniform, ranking sixth and second in those respective categories in Mets history.  He made 346 starts for New York, second only to Seaver in the Mets record books.

Seaver was infamously traded to the Reds during a miserable 1977 season for the Mets that saw the team return to last place in the NL East.  Another lousy Mets season in 1978 left Koosman requesting a trade, and the left-hander was dealt to the Twins that winter.  Koosman’s first season in Minnesota was the best of his career in terms of fWAR (5.5), and he had a 3.38 ERA over 263 2/3 innings while finishing sixth in AL Cy Young Award voting.

Koosman’s last seven seasons were spent with the Twins, White Sox, and Phillies.  Knee problems limited him to 99 1/3 innings in 1985, and he chose to retire at year’s end.  Koosman finished his career with a 3.36 ERA, 222 wins, 2556 strikeouts, and a 7.5% walk rate over 3839 1/3 innings.

We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Koosman’s family, friends, and loved ones.