Jerry Koosman, who helped pitch the Miracle Mets to a title, dies at 83

Jerry Koosman won twice in the World Series that changed the Mets’ place in baseball. He took Game 2 against Baltimore in 1969, then returned to finish the championship in Game 5. The Mets announced Sunday that the left-hander had died that morning at 83.

The club’s remembrance described a pitcher whose October work followed an outstanding regular season: 17 wins, a 2.28 ERA and 241 innings. In his two World Series starts, Koosman allowed four earned runs in 17⅔ innings. His complete game in the clincher gave New York its first title.

Koosman pitched for the Mets from 1967 through 1978 and remains the franchise’s winningest left-hander, with 140 victories. He was an All-Star in 1968 and 1969 and entered the Mets Hall of Fame in 1989. His No. 36 was retired in 2021.

His career extended well beyond Queens, through Minnesota, the White Sox and Philadelphia. He finished with 222 wins over 19 major-league seasons. But his place in Mets history is particularly clear: the 1969 championship depended on two winning starts from Koosman, including the one that ended the Series.

In their statement, owners Steve and Alex Cohen remembered his competitiveness, his standing among teammates and his central role in that first championship. Their tribute placed the player alongside the colleague and friend the organization had lost.