European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 7, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Commentary Mefs need a Koosman in stretch Bucky Fox the bad news for mets fans came wednesday night. A double header dive at Pittsburgh. That Sank new York 2lh games behind the pirates with less than a month left. The Good news is the mets have overcome worse. Way worse. Like 9 i games behind in August 1969, when they Rose to the world series title. Like last place in july 1973, when they sprang to the National league Pennant. A what the 1990 mets need is one two pitching Power. Frank Viola from the left and Dwight Gooden from the right. They have the right idea with Viola 17-9 and Gooden 15-6, but the lefty was wasted in game los 1-0 loss wednesday. Not Good. Take the 1969 mets one of the great comeback stories in baseball lore. They Rode pitching to the championship particularly two pitchers. Tom Seav Erslew Mem out from the right Side going 25-7 on the Way to the by Young award. Jerry Koosman left Mem standing from the port Side finishing at 17-9 plus two world series victories. Koosman remembers this crucial Streak a Sseaver and i won 18 of our last 19 there you have it. When Seaver and Koosman pitched Down the stretch 21 years ago the mets won. My pals and i would bark a Seav and Kooz and bring on the whatever that meant. If Viola and Gooden produced like that these last 26 games the mets would win the National league East. Goodbye Pittsburgh. But Viola had a no decision wednesday. If that was As critical a game As every met and pirate fan thought new York can forget it. That game sure gave me the shakes even with my Faith in mets revivals. Can the mets really pull off another ascension no better expert to ask than Koosman who is in Germany with the ambassadors of baseball. Kooz is 47 years old. He admits his gut is bigger than he wants. He smokes which he probably did As a player but you never considered. But so what he a personable and still Jerry Koosman the Man who filled life magazines cover the same summer in which Man landed on the Moon. As Koosman munched on Chicken at the Wiesbaden a gym last week he chewed on the Metsy 1990 chances. A Pittsburgh is giving the mets a run a he said. A but i think the mets will win Koosman is from Appleton minn., and swings through retirement in Chaska also in his native state. He spends much of his Days golfing not following baseball. Still he knows the no East has been a pirates mets race since june. Koosman picks the mets to prevail because of a their experience. But in a pulling for both of them because Jim Leyland Pittsburgh a manager was the White sox a third base coach when we won the division in 1983.�?� Koosman pitched for the mets from 1967 to 1978. A amps l. Emmett Lewis or. Former mets Pitcher Jerry Koosman has lunch with 3-year-old fan Mykel Hunt Moses at Wiesbaden Abs gym. He bounced from the twins to the White sox to the Phillies before retiring in 1985. He compiled a 222209 record and 3.36 named run average. Koosman hurled his finest pitching numbers in 1968, his first full season. He went 19-12 with a 2.08 Era and would have been Rookie of the year had Johnny Bench not crashed upon the National league. Koosmann a great �?T68 came despite the Metsy ninth place finish. Then came 1969, the Miracle year that Kooz said a dominates the minds of most fans yet. I wont Ever forget he wont forget How the mets went from 73-89 losers to 100-62 champions in one season. He credits that amazing turnaround to Gil Hodges the manager who died in 1972. Kooz said Hodges was the brain behind the Metsy big player moves in �?T69. He picked up Rookie third baseman Wayne Garrett from Atlanta a system. In june he traded for Donn Clendenon the first baseman who went on to claim the world series map. He threw Rookie Pitcher Gary Gentry into the starting rotation. A the made us believe in ourselves a Koosman said of Hodges. A the ruled pretty much with an Iron hand. Everybody knew his Job. We had Good chemistry and that was because of his the mets followed Hodges to the tune of 11 straight victories in May june and a 38-11 record in the last six weeks. A there was nothing Fluke about it a said Koosman. A we dominated All the defensive and pitching categories. We finished Strong and won 100 games. We just blew everybody away. A it was a great experience. I was fortunate to be on that the mets were fortunate to have Koosman. Heck they could use his Type now. The Man not Only had a blazing fastball but also a Backbone. Koosmann a fortitude played a huge part in what he Calls the Metsy key game of 1969. The Chicago cubs came to Shea stadium on sept. 8 trying to protect their 2 a game Lead. Koosman started against Bill hands who immediately brushed Back new Yorkus Lead off Man Tommie Agee. A the tried to intimidate us a said Koosman. Koosmann a answer a fastball that caught Ron Santos wrist. Koosman does no to feel remorse to this Day. A nothing that happened in that game was by Accident a said Koosman who later dodged a Brush Back pitch from hands. A we proved they intimidate indeed Agee tagged hands for a Homer in his next at Bat to push Koosman and the mets to a 3-2 Victory. Come world series time the Baltimore orioles were another team that scare the mets. Even though the of a were heavy favourites they fell in five games to the mets. Koosman was the pitching hero winning 2-1 in game 2 and 5-3 in the clincher. He pitched 16 More years. And when it All ended a you miss that competitiveness on the Mound a said Koosman. A i really missed it the first year. But As time goes by in be missed it Koosman said he sees his fellow �?T69 mets about once a year. He has other concerns such As whether his 23-year-old son Michael will be called to Active duty from the Marine reserves during the persian Gulf crisis. Maybe Koosman will make time to watch the world series. Not that he picks his old team. A Oakland is pretty hard to beat a said Kooz. A a they re a hard hitting defensive club. I done to know anyone who can hold up to he knows a team 21 years ago that would have. Tha Star and strip Ellis Hopes Clemson has shot at More titles by Rob Staggenborg staff writer Frankfurt West Germany a might say Clemson basketball coach pitl Ellis has an attitude problem. It comes from his attitude toward winning a winning the Atlantic coast conference and Mcaa division i championships. L t1 not going to stick a gun to my near if i done twin a National Champt in sep a Ellis said upon Landing Here wednesday on the Way to the Safe basketball clinics at Pitburg a. A in it Ean the Odds Are against it. Only one coach out of some 294 division i schools re t1?1 each year. Done to get me it-8, i strive for it but the championship is based on a lot of Luck. You n i control Luck not a bad attitude. When it comes to Luck Ellis is an expert. His tigers ran out of Luck As Connecticut a last second shot eliminated Clemson from last seasons Sweet 16 in the no aah a biggest show. The tigers fell to Virginia in the acc tournament semifinals by a Mere three Points a 6966. Lady Luck walked out on the tigers last season. Cliff Ellis yet Ellis contributions to one of the most highly competitive conferences in the nation Are unrivalled by any former Clemson coach. Ellis guided the tigers to a 26-9 Overall record Only the second time the South Carolina based school posted a plus-25 win season. The tigers posted a 25-6 record in 1986-87. That 26-9 10-4 in the conference earned Ellis plaudits As the 1990 acc coach of the year and up coach of the year. A i give a lot of credit to my coaching staff and players a he said in a Southern drawl As deep As the acc. A a in a just one of Many. The coaches the players. These Are the Guys who make it Ellis is leading a troupe that includes Mcaa officials Larry Rose and Donald Shea and Wake Forest coach Dave Odom through Europe for the Safe clinics. At Frankfurt a Airport the 44-year-old Elus remembered that 71-70 Mcaa loss to Connecticut on Tate Georges Miracle shot. A it was a big game for both teams a said Ellis. A so Many games during the tournament were decided by one Point. You be got to remember All the teams Are Good when you get into that Sweet 16 round. You be got to be Good and have some Fortune coming your Way. A you always want the dream to be culminated with the final four. Very few teams get there. We lost to Connecticut on a last second 94-foot play. That was a Tough Way to end it sure but it was the greatest year in Clemson basketball the acc loss to Virginia a we won the acc during the regular season. That regular season Crown is tougher to get than the tournament Crown a said Ellis. A we had to play 14 games during the regular season where we Only had to play three games in the the prop 48 debate a the acc does not have one prop 48 see Ellis on Page 27
