Jerry Koosman, the left-handed pitcher who threw the complete game that clinched the 1969 World Series for the New York Mets, died Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, according to MLB.com. He was 83.
Koosman, born Jerome Martin Koosman on Dec. 23, 1942, in Appleton, Minnesota, spent 12 of his 19 major league seasons with the Mets and became one of the most important figures in franchise history by anchoring a championship rotation alongside Tom Seaver.
The Main Development
The news of Koosman’s death was reported by MLB.com on Sunday. The outlet detailed a career that spanned from 1967 to 1985 and included stops with the Mets, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.
Former teammate Ron Swoboda called Koosman “a warrior” in 2021, according to MLB.com. “You loved him because he was the kind of gamer that you wanted to hang out with,” Swoboda said. “He played the whole game all the time and brought dominant stuff out there and a dominant attitude.”
Koosman’s Role In The 1969 World Series
Koosman’s defining moment for the Mets came during the 1969 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. In Game 2, he held Baltimore hitless until the seventh inning, when Paul Blair led off with a single. The Mets won that game 2-1 to even the series at one game apiece.
Koosman returned for Game 5 at Shea Stadium and threw a complete game to clinch the championship for the Mets. After the final out, he leaped into the arms of catcher Jerry Grote in a moment that became one of the signature images of the Mets’ first title.
Koosman stayed productive in October throughout his career. He beat the Cincinnati Reds in Game 3 of the 1973 National League Championship Series and picked up a win along with a no-decision against the Oakland Athletics in that year’s World Series.
Career Numbers And Context
Koosman’s path to the majors began in the Army, where he was drafted in 1962 and played baseball at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. His batterymate there, Queens native John Luchese, was impressed enough by Koosman’s talent to write to his father, an usher at Shea Stadium, which helped lead to the Mets signing Koosman for $1,600 in August 1964.
Koosman debuted on April 14, 1967, appearing in just nine games as a rookie. The following season he broke out, going 19-12 with a 2.08 ERA, earning the first of two straight National League All-Star selections and finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting to Cincinnati’s Johnny Bench.
From 1968 to 1976, Koosman averaged 31 starts and 14.3 wins per season, a stretch that included a 21-win year in 1976. His production fell off in his final two Mets seasons, as he combined to go 11-35 with a 3.62 ERA in 1977 and 1978, a span that included a 20-loss season in 1977 despite a respectable 3.49 ERA.
Koosman reflected on his years paired with Seaver in the Mets rotation. “I was proud of him and our left-handed reputation,” Koosman told MLB.com in 2021. “He did a great job. He played for a long time.”
Koosman finished his career with the Phillies in 1985 at age 42, closing out a 19-year run with a 222-209 record, a 3.36 ERA and 2,556 strikeouts. In his 12 seasons with the Mets alone, he went 140-137 with a 3.09 ERA.
What’s Next
The Mets paid tribute to Koosman on social media Sunday, writing they were “saddened to share the news” of his death and sending condolences to his family.
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