April 23, 1962: Jay Hook leads Mets to franchise’s first victory

New York City had long been a bastion of National League baseball.…

April 28, 1962: Minnie Miñoso rallies Cardinals to win over Reds

After a three-season Negro National League liftoff, Minnie Miñoso’s…

April 28, 1962: Mets earn franchise’s first home win at Polo Grounds

The end of a terrible era, the absence of National League baseball…

May 5, 1962: Bo Belinsky blanks Baltimore, strikes out nine in no-hitter

The first major-league no-hitter on the West Coast belongs not…
Solly Hemus (SABR-Rucker Archive)

May 6, 1962: Solly Hemus draws Mets’ first ejection in extra-inning win

Solly Hemus’s place in New York Mets history is exceedingly…

May 26, 1962: Sandy Koufax shines on the mound and at the plate

Through mid-May of 1962, Sandy Koufax owned a modest 4-2 record,…

May 29, 1962: Braves beat Cubs in a home run derby on a cold day in May

Though the calendar had yet to turn to June, the Chicago Cubs…

May 30, 1962: Dodgers make first visit to New York since leaving Brooklyn

The Dodgers last played in Ebbets Field on September 24, 1957,…
Willie Mays (NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME LIBRARY)

June 1, 1962: Willie Mays, Giants return to New York for first time, beat the Mets

On August 18, 1957, came an anticipated yet numbing announcement.…

June 8, 1962: Mets snap 17-game losing streak, then lose again

On June 6, 1962, the Mets’ woes continued when they were swept…

June 13, 1962: Sandy Koufax hits first home run to beat Warren Spahn and Braves

After a breakout 1961 season during which he won 18 games…

June 16, 1962: Cleveland’s Jerry Kindall tops Mantle’s dramatic blast

The New York Yankees were hurting. The 1961 AL Fireman of the…

June 17, 1962: Adair, Wilhelm power Orioles’ sweep of Senators 

Golf fans might remember June 17, 1962, as the day Jack Nicklaus…

June 22, 1962: No no-hitter for Mets’ Alvin Jackson

Baseball is a game of streaks, and an extended streak, whether…

June 24, 1962: Yankees outlast Tigers in 22-inning game

When the fans at Tiger Stadium settled into their seats for a…

June 30, 1962: Sandy Koufax hurls first career no-hitter against Mets

The Los Angeles Dodgers (50-29), in second place a half-game…
Roberto Clemente (Trading Card DB)

June 30, 1962: Clemente, Burgess lead Pirates to blowout win against Cardinals

The lean, lithe Roberto Clemente and the squat Smoky Burgess…
Ed Kranepool (THE TOPPS COMPANY)

July 6, 1962: Mets prospect Ed Kranepool begins 18-year career with first pro game

A well-known ancient proverb, attributed to Lao Tzu, asserts…