The Late Tommie Agee...My First Childhood Idol in Baseball

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  • Rod_Carew29
    All Star
    • Apr 2004
    • 7872

    #1

    The Late Tommie Agee...My First Childhood Idol in Baseball

    The 1969 Mets were known as the "Miracle Mets" for their turnaround in the National League, and Agee's personal turnaround played a big part. On April 10, 1969 in a game against the "new" team, the Montreal Expos, he hit a tremendous home run halfway up in the left field upper deck at Shea Stadium, a feat that has not been matched before or since.
    Cleon Jones said the ball was still rising when it came into contact with the stands. To commemorate the homer, there is a painted sign in that part of the stadium with Agee's name, uniform number, and the date. That season, he hit 26 homers. scored 97 runs, and played brilliant defense.

    Only 8,608 fans were in attendance to witness the home run and see the Mets beat the Expos 4-2. Agee actually hit two home runs that day, off the starting -- and losing -- pitcher Larry Jaster. Gary Gentry got the win, giving up 7 hits and striking out 4 over 8.2 innings of work.
    Attached Files
    For 2017...
    Don't Call It a Comeback
  • Rod_Carew29
    All Star
    • Apr 2004
    • 7872

    #2
    The Home Run Marker

    I know the marker won't go across to the CitiField seat, for obvious reasons, but maybe they'll put it on display in the CitiField Rotunda

    Originally posted by Rod_Carew29
    The 1969 Mets were known as the "Miracle Mets" for their turnaround in the National League, and Agee's personal turnaround played a big part. On April 10, 1969 in a game against the "new" team, the Montreal Expos, he hit a tremendous home run halfway up in the left field upper deck at Shea Stadium, a feat that has not been matched before or since.
    Cleon Jones said the ball was still rising when it came into contact with the stands. To commemorate the homer, there is a painted sign in that part of the stadium with Agee's name, uniform number, and the date. That season, he hit 26 homers. scored 97 runs, and played brilliant defense.

    Only 8,608 fans were in attendance to witness the home run and see the Mets beat the Expos 4-2. Agee actually hit two home runs that day, off the starting -- and losing -- pitcher Larry Jaster. Gary Gentry got the win, giving up 7 hits and striking out 4 over 8.2 innings of work.
    Attached Files
    Last edited by Rod_Carew29; 02-10-2008, 03:40 PM.
    For 2017...
    Don't Call It a Comeback

    Comment

    • theaub
      Stop! Homer Time!
      • Feb 2004
      • 9643

      #3
      Re: The Late Tommie Agee...My First Childhood Idol in Baseball

      I remember in '98, St. Louis came up here for an exhibition game. I forget how many homers McGwire had hit the year before (58?), but he hit a ball that was still going up when it smashed into the Jumbotron. That ball would've gone 700 feet if there was just a fence and nothing else. He completely destroyed four of the bulbs and they couldn't even replace them until June. It was unreal.

      I'm guessing this'll be moved to the baseball forum too <_<
      Blue Jays, Blackhawks, Auburn

      Comment

      • Rod_Carew29
        All Star
        • Apr 2004
        • 7872

        #4
        THE World Series Catches-1969 World Series-Catch #1

        The first catch:

        "...Gentry throws a fastball, hit high and deep to center field...Agee was pulled around to right...goes over with his speed and watches it....HE'S GOT IT!!!...Tommie Agee pulled to right center field, ran to the 396 marker in left center field and pulled in the long drive by Ellie Hendricks...no runs, 2 hits, no errors, 2 left...in the middle of the 4th...New York 3, Baltimore nothing..."



        Tommie was best known for a pair of spectacular catches that helped the Mets win their miraculous World Series title in 1969. In game three, he homered in the bottom of the first inning to help stake the Mets to an early lead.

        He would help preserve that lead in the fourth inning when he dashed into left-center field to catch a drive by Elrod Hendricks in the webbing of his glove, stranding Orioles at first and third.

        He preserved the lead again in the seventh when he made a sliding catch to rob Paul Blair with two outs and the bases loaded. The Mets won that game, 5-0, and the Series, 4-1.

        Agee was greeted with a standing ovation by the 56,335 fans at Shea Stadium when he led off the bottom of the seventh.

        "Words can't describe how that made me feel," he said. "I felt like I wanted to hit two home runs in that one time at bat."

        The catches immediately were rated among the best in Series play, along with grabs by Al Gionfriddo off Joe DiMaggio (1947), Willie Mays (1954) off Vic Wertz and Sandy Amoros (1955) off Yogi Berra.




        Originally posted by Rod_Carew29
        I know the marker won't go across to the CitiField seatrs, for obvious reasons, but maybe they'll put it on display in the CitiField Rotunda
        Attached Files
        For 2017...
        Don't Call It a Comeback

        Comment

        • Rod_Carew29
          All Star
          • Apr 2004
          • 7872

          #5
          @ the aub

          thats ok if they move it...folks are posting all kids of pics in the Coundown thread...along with posting some memories.....this one of Agee is very close to my heart

          anyway, I watched the game McGuire played at Shea a few years ago when he hit an opposite field blast to right field, HIGH up on the Mets scoreboard...busting a couple of lightbulbs in the process.


          Originally posted by theaub
          I remember in '98, St. Louis came up here for an exhibition game. I forget how many homers McGwire had hit the year before (58?), but he hit a ball that was still going up when it smashed into the Jumbotron. That ball would've gone 700 feet if there was just a fence and nothing else. He completely destroyed four of the bulbs and they couldn't even replace them until June. It was unreal.

          I'm guessing this'll be moved to the baseball forum too <_<
          For 2017...
          Don't Call It a Comeback

          Comment

          • nyisles16
            All Star
            • Apr 2003
            • 8317

            #6
            Re: The Late Tommie Agee...My First Childhood Idol in Baseball

            nice read on a childhood hero Carew

            Comment

            • Rod_Carew29
              All Star
              • Apr 2004
              • 7872

              #7
              THE World Series Catches-1969 World Series-Catch #2

              The second catch:

              "...(Nolan) Ryan's windup, two strike delivery...here's a fly ball to right center field, deep in right center, Shamsky with Agee, Agee dives...and HE MAKES THE CATCH!!!...Agee made a diving catch on the warning track in right center field...The score at the end of 7 innings...Mets 4, Orioles nothing..."



              The second catch was on a fly ball hit by Paul Blair with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. Reliever Nolan Ryan got two quick fastball strikes on Blair (one taking and one swinging) before Blair smacked pitch number three (fastball) to right center. Agee had to sprint toward the right center field warning track. As Agee zeroed in on the ball, the wind blew it down and away from him, forcing him to lunge into a headfirst dive to snare the sinking liner, after which he rolled in the warning track but held onto the ball. At that moment, Blair was rounding second. Had Agee missed the ball, the Orioles might have had an inside the park grand-slam home run. On an historical note, Blair's drive came off Nolan Ryan, who had just entered the game to relieve Mets' starting pitcher Gary Gentry. This would be the only time Ryan would appear in a Fall Classic game in his 27-year career.

              This game was the turning point in the 1969 World Series, and to many, the high point of Agee's career.


              Originally posted by Rod_Carew29
              The first catch:

              "...Gentry throws a fastball, hit high and deep to center field...Agee was pulled around to right...goes over with his speed and watches it....HE'S GOT IT!!!...Tommie Agee pulled to right center field, ran to the 396 marker in left center field and pulled in the long drive by Ellie Hendricks...no runs, 2 hits, no errors, 2 left...in the middle of the 4th...New York 3, Baltimore nothing..."



              Tommie was best known for a pair of spectacular catches that helped the Mets win their miraculous World Series title in 1969. In game three, he homered in the bottom of the first inning to help stake the Mets to an early lead.

              He would help preserve that lead in the fourth inning when he dashed into left-center field to catch a drive by Elrod Hendricks in the webbing of his glove, stranding Orioles at first and third.

              He preserved the lead again in the seventh when he made a sliding catch to rob Paul Blair with two outs and the bases loaded. The Mets won that game, 5-0, and the Series, 4-1.

              Agee was greeted with a standing ovation by the 56,335 fans at Shea Stadium when he led off the bottom of the seventh.

              "Words can't describe how that made me feel," he said. "I felt like I wanted to hit two home runs in that one time at bat."

              The catches immediately were rated among the best in Series play, along with grabs by Al Gionfriddo off Joe DiMaggio (1947), Willie Mays (1954) off Vic Wertz and Sandy Amoros (1955) off Yogi Berra.
              For 2017...
              Don't Call It a Comeback

              Comment

              • Rod_Carew29
                All Star
                • Apr 2004
                • 7872

                #8
                @ nyisles

                thank you....

                and catch number two makes me emotional everytime I see it.....

                Originally posted by nyisles16
                nice read on a childhood hero Carew
                For 2017...
                Don't Call It a Comeback

                Comment

                • nyisles16
                  All Star
                  • Apr 2003
                  • 8317

                  #9
                  Re: @ nyisles

                  Originally posted by Rod_Carew29
                  thank you....

                  and catch number two makes me emotional everytime I see it.....


                  I know that feeling.. oddly enough, I get chills hearing Gary Cohen's call of Beltran's GW HR against the Cards - when I play the Show - cause I was there, & it just brings back some great memories for me..

                  nothing, though, will ever beat my first Met game - 85 (11 at the time) seeing Doc at his best vs Fernando...

                  Comment

                  • Rod_Carew29
                    All Star
                    • Apr 2004
                    • 7872

                    #10
                    @ nyisles

                    Doc was something else...I watched his ML debut in Houston...up to that time, I hadn't see a fastball move like his. I think he only went 5 innings...


                    Originally posted by nyisles16
                    I know that feeling.. oddly enough, I get chills hearing Gary Cohen's call of Beltran's GW HR against the Cards - when I play the Show - cause I was there, & it just brings back some great memories for me..

                    nothing, though, will ever beat my first Met game - 85 (11 at the time) seeing Doc at his best vs Fernando...
                    For 2017...
                    Don't Call It a Comeback

                    Comment

                    • EnigmaNemesis
                      Animal Liberation
                      • Apr 2006
                      • 12216

                      #11
                      Re: The Late Tommie Agee...My First Childhood Idol in Baseball

                      Great post ... I love reading these type of things. We all have our own feelings and how they touch us. So common to make us sports fans, yet so different all the same!
                      Boston Red Sox | Miami Dolphins

                      Comment

                      • Rod_Carew29
                        All Star
                        • Apr 2004
                        • 7872

                        #12
                        R@ EnigmaNemesis

                        Thank you

                        You're right..strip away all of the normal goings-ons in our lives...and the common thread for us fans of baseball, is that many of us still relive out youth/past through the game...it will never leave us.

                        Originally posted by EnigmaNemesis
                        Great post ... I love reading these type of things. We all have our own feelings and how they touch us. So common to make us sports fans, yet so different all the same!
                        For 2017...
                        Don't Call It a Comeback

                        Comment

                        • SPTO
                          binging
                          • Feb 2003
                          • 68046

                          #13
                          Re: The Late Tommie Agee...My First Childhood Idol in Baseball

                          Rod_Carew you seem to be a very big fan of the '69 Mets and the team in general I have a great oral history book on that season that was published in '86. I don't know if I still have the book but if I do would you be interested in acquiring it?

                          I'd give it to you for free and it's really a great read.
                          Member of the Official OS Bills Backers Club

                          "Baseball is the most important thing that doesn't matter at all" - Robert B. Parker

                          Comment

                          • Rod_Carew29
                            All Star
                            • Apr 2004
                            • 7872

                            #14
                            @ SPTO

                            Yes, a fan since '68...but a fan in the true spirit...not what fandom has become in the last 20 years....

                            I am interested...if you do find it, let me know....

                            I know I do have an '86 book somewheres...God only knows lol
                            Originally posted by SPTO
                            Rod_Carew you seem to be a very big fan of the '69 Mets and the team in general I have a great oral history book on that season that was published in '86. I don't know if I still have the book but if I do would you be interested in acquiring it?

                            I'd give it to you for free and it's really a great read.
                            For 2017...
                            Don't Call It a Comeback

                            Comment

                            • TarHeelMan
                              Th* H*mb*rg*r P*mp
                              • Jul 2002
                              • 7853

                              #15
                              Re: @ nyisles

                              Originally posted by Rod_Carew29
                              Doc was something else...I watched his ML debut in Houston...up to that time, I hadn't see a fastball move like his. I think he only went 5 innings...
                              Doc and Straw were my first sports heroes.... I still remember that mural they had painted of Doc near the Port Authority building in Manhattan. He had such a fluid delivery, and that fastball used to EXPLODE... Add to it that curveball that was so sick that Tim McCarver (who did play by play for the Mets at that time) called it "Lord Charles" instead of "Uncle Charley".

                              1985 was a special season for me, even though we lost in the end to St. Louis... Probably one of my most favorite baseball seasons. If I couldn't catch a game on TV, the golden tones of Bob Murphy leading up to a "happy recap" would get me through.

                              I know that feeling.. oddly enough, I get chills hearing Gary Cohen's call of Beltran's GW HR against the Cards - when I play the Show - cause I was there, & it just brings back some great memories for me..
                              I was listening to WFAN that night, and I almost drove off the side of the road when Beltran hit that shot.

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