Ryczek: The long weekend: Mets and Phillies play out the string in 1965
From SABR member Bill Ryczek at The National Pastime Museum on November 15, 2017:
For teams fighting for a pennant, the final weekend of the season is packed with tension and excitement. For those far out of contention, it is the end of a long grind and the anticipation of going home after an arduous, disappointing season.
The 1965 Mets and Phillies fell into the latter category. The Phillies, who led for most of the 1964 season before their horrific collapse, were expected to contend for the 1965 pennant, but they wound up sixth, 11½ games out of first place. The Mets had their fourth straight year of last-place finishes and more than 100 losses, finishing with a 50–112 record, 47 games behind the pennant-winning Dodgers.
By the final weekend of the season, all the Mets and Phillies wanted to do was go home. Mets infielder Chuck Hiller’s car sat fully packed in the Shea Stadium parking lot, ready for the drive to Illinois. Catcher Chris Cannizzaro had booked a 6:30 p.m. flight on Sunday to his home in California, which he thought would give him just enough time to shower after the game and rush to the airport.
Read the full article here: https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/article/long-weekend-mets-and-phillies-play-out-string-1965
Originally published: November 15, 2017. Last Updated: November 15, 2017.