Ron Swoboda
Encyclopedia
Ronald Alan Swoboda is a former Major League Baseball
outfielder
best remembered as a member of the Amazin' Mets
.
, one season at the University of Maryland
, and a stellar showing in the AAABA tournament in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
, Swoboda was offered a $35,000 contract to sign with the New York Mets
and scout Pete Gebrian on September 5, .
He spent only one season in the Mets' farm system AA Williamsport, PA before making the team out of Spring training
, . He made his major league debut as a pinch hitter
in the 1965 season opener, and lined out in his only at-bat. He pinch hit, again, in the second game of the season, this time, hitting an 11th inning home run
(the Mets still lost, as the Houston Astros
scored four runs in the top of the inning). He homered again, in his first at-bat on April 18, giving him two home runs in his first four Major League at bats.
He had 15 home runs by the All-Star break, the most by a Mets rookie ever in the first half, ahead of Benny Agbayani
(11; in 1999) and Ike Davis
(11; in 2010). He commented during a TV interview that he loved hitting fastballs. From that point forward, he began seeing a lot more breaking balls, and only hit four more for the rest of the season. Still, his 19 home runs stood as a Mets rookie record until Darryl Strawberry
hit 26 in . His fielding percentage
his rookie year was a below-league-average .947, however, he had nine outfield assists.
Ken Boyer
from the St. Louis Cardinals
prior to the start of the season, they granted him number 14, as he'd worn it in St. Louis. Swoboda wore number 17 briefly during Spring training in 1966, then switched to number 4. His home run drought continued through the 1966 season, when he hit only eight home runs and batted .222, with fifty runs batted in.
During his early years with the Mets, he acquired the nickname "Rocky" as a result of his less-than-reliable fielding. Although he possessed a strong, accurate throwing arm, a fly ball hit in his direction was, by no means, a sure out. After having spent most of his time in left field his first two seasons with the Mets, Swoboda was shifted to first baseman in to make room for newly acquired Tommy Davis
in left. Swoboda's fielding at first was no better, and he was soon shifted to right field. Offensively, he had perhaps his best season, hitting .281 with thirteen home runs and 53 RBIs. He led the Mets with six triples
and a career high 59 RBIs in , and also had a career high fourteen outfield assists.
.
The Mets then went on an eleven game winning streak that brought them back into second place, seven games back of the Chicago Cubs
. On September 10 the Mets swept a double header
against the Montreal Expos
. Coupled with a loss by the Cubs, the Mets jump into first place for the first time in franchise history. On September 13, Swoboda hit a grand slam
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
to propel the Mets to a 5–2 victory. Two days later, the St. Louis Cardinals
' Steve Carlton
struck out a record nineteen Mets batters in a losing effort, as the Mets defeated the Cards 4–3 at Busch Stadium
on a pair of two run home runs by Swoboda. On September 24, facing Carlton and the Cardinals, again - only this time at Shea Stadium
, the New York Mets clinched the NL East as Donn Clendenon
hit two home runs in a 6–0 Mets victory. The Mets won 39 of their last 50 games, and finished the season with 100 wins against 62 losses, eight games over the second place Cubs.
three game sweep of the Atlanta Braves
to reach the World Series
. The Mets were heavy underdogs
heading into the World Series
against the Baltimore Orioles
. In Game 4, Swoboda, not known for his fielding, made a spectacular catch of a ball hit by Brooks Robinson
in the ninth inning to stop an Orioles rally. The Mets won the game 2–1 in ten innings, and subsequently, the World Series. For the World Series, Swoboda batted .400. His only RBI was the game winner of the fifth and final game.
A photograph
of Swoboda, stretched almost horizontally
, just inches off the ground, became an iconic image for Mets fans. The Right Field entrance gate of Citi Field, the current ballpark of the Mets, features a metal silhouette of a baseball player making a diving catch similar to the one Swoboda made during the 1969 Series.
in exchange for young outfielder Don Hahn
; later that year, the Expos traded Swoboda to the New York Yankees
. He was released by the Yankees in 1973, and signed with the Atlanta Braves
during Spring training of . The Braves, however, released him on March 25, 1974, after which Swoboda retired from baseball. He attempted an unsuccessful comeback with the Mets during spring training in .
Ronald Alan Swoboda (born June 30, 1944) is a former Major League Baseball
outfielder
best remembered as a member of the Amazin' Mets
.
, one season at the University of Maryland
, and a stellar showing in the AAABA tournament in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
, Swoboda was offered a $35,000 contract to sign with the New York Mets
and scout Pete Gebrian on September 5, .
He spent only one season in the Mets' farm system AA Williamsport, PA before making the team out of Spring training
, . He made his major league debut as a pinch hitter
in the 1965 season opener, and lined out in his only at-bat. He pinch hit, again, in the second game of the season, this time, hitting an 11th inning home run
(the Mets still lost, as the Houston Astros
scored four runs in the top of the inning). He homered again, in his first at-bat on April 18, giving him two home runs in his first four Major League at bats.
He had 15 home runs by the All-Star break, the most by a Mets rookie ever in the first half, ahead of Benny Agbayani
(11; in 1999) and Ike Davis
(11; in 2010). He commented during a TV interview that he loved hitting fastballs. From that point forward, he began seeing a lot more breaking balls, and only hit four more for the rest of the season. Still, his 19 home runs stood as a Mets rookie record until Darryl Strawberry
hit 26 in . His fielding percentage
his rookie year was a below-league-average .947, however, he had nine outfield assists.
Ken Boyer
from the St. Louis Cardinals
prior to the start of the season, they granted him number 14, as he'd worn it in St. Louis. Swoboda wore number 17 briefly during Spring training in 1966, then switched to number 4. His home run drought continued through the 1966 season, when he hit only eight home runs and batted .222, with fifty runs batted in.
During his early years with the Mets, he acquired the nickname "Rocky" as a result of his less-than-reliable fielding. Although he possessed a strong, accurate throwing arm, a fly ball hit in his direction was, by no means, a sure out. After having spent most of his time in left field his first two seasons with the Mets, Swoboda was shifted to first baseman in to make room for newly acquired Tommy Davis
in left. Swoboda's fielding at first was no better, and he was soon shifted to right field. Offensively, he had perhaps his best season, hitting .281 with thirteen home runs and 53 RBIs. He led the Mets with six triples
and a career high 59 RBIs in , and also had a career high fourteen outfield assists.
.
The Mets then went on an eleven game winning streak that brought them back into second place, seven games back of the Chicago Cubs
. On September 10 the Mets swept a double header
against the Montreal Expos
. Coupled with a loss by the Cubs, the Mets jump into first place for the first time in franchise history. On September 13, Swoboda hit a grand slam
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
to propel the Mets to a 5–2 victory. Two days later, the St. Louis Cardinals
' Steve Carlton
struck out a record nineteen Mets batters in a losing effort, as the Mets defeated the Cards 4–3 at Busch Stadium
on a pair of two run home runs by Swoboda. On September 24, facing Carlton and the Cardinals, again - only this time at Shea Stadium
, the New York Mets clinched the NL East as Donn Clendenon
hit two home runs in a 6–0 Mets victory. The Mets won 39 of their last 50 games, and finished the season with 100 wins against 62 losses, eight games over the second place Cubs.
three game sweep of the Atlanta Braves
to reach the World Series
. The Mets were heavy underdogs
heading into the World Series
against the Baltimore Orioles
. In Game 4, Swoboda, not known for his fielding, made a spectacular catch of a ball hit by Brooks Robinson
in the ninth inning to stop an Orioles rally. The Mets won the game 2–1 in ten innings, and subsequently, the World Series. For the World Series, Swoboda batted .400. His only RBI was the game winner of the fifth and final game.
A photograph
of Swoboda, stretched almost horizontally
, just inches off the ground, became an iconic image for Mets fans. The Right Field entrance gate of Citi Field, the current ballpark of the Mets, features a metal silhouette of a baseball player making a diving catch similar to the one Swoboda made during the 1969 Series.
in exchange for young outfielder Don Hahn
; later that year, the Expos traded Swoboda to the New York Yankees
. He was released by the Yankees in 1973, and signed with the Atlanta Braves
during Spring training of . The Braves, however, released him on March 25, 1974, after which Swoboda retired from baseball. He attempted an unsuccessful comeback with the Mets during spring training in .
Ronald Alan Swoboda (born June 30, 1944) is a former Major League Baseball
outfielder
best remembered as a member of the Amazin' Mets
.
, one season at the University of Maryland
, and a stellar showing in the AAABA tournament in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
, Swoboda was offered a $35,000 contract to sign with the New York Mets
and scout Pete Gebrian on September 5, .
He spent only one season in the Mets' farm system AA Williamsport, PA before making the team out of Spring training
, . He made his major league debut as a pinch hitter
in the 1965 season opener, and lined out in his only at-bat. He pinch hit, again, in the second game of the season, this time, hitting an 11th inning home run
(the Mets still lost, as the Houston Astros
scored four runs in the top of the inning). He homered again, in his first at-bat on April 18, giving him two home runs in his first four Major League at bats.
He had 15 home runs by the All-Star break, the most by a Mets rookie ever in the first half, ahead of Benny Agbayani
(11; in 1999) and Ike Davis
(11; in 2010). He commented during a TV interview that he loved hitting fastballs. From that point forward, he began seeing a lot more breaking balls, and only hit four more for the rest of the season. Still, his 19 home runs stood as a Mets rookie record until Darryl Strawberry
hit 26 in . His fielding percentage
his rookie year was a below-league-average .947, however, he had nine outfield assists.
Ken Boyer
from the St. Louis Cardinals
prior to the start of the season, they granted him number 14, as he'd worn it in St. Louis. Swoboda wore number 17 briefly during Spring training in 1966, then switched to number 4. His home run drought continued through the 1966 season, when he hit only eight home runs and batted .222, with fifty runs batted in.
During his early years with the Mets, he acquired the nickname "Rocky" as a result of his less-than-reliable fielding. Although he possessed a strong, accurate throwing arm, a fly ball hit in his direction was, by no means, a sure out. After having spent most of his time in left field his first two seasons with the Mets, Swoboda was shifted to first baseman in to make room for newly acquired Tommy Davis
in left. Swoboda's fielding at first was no better, and he was soon shifted to right field. Offensively, he had perhaps his best season, hitting .281 with thirteen home runs and 53 RBIs. He led the Mets with six triples
and a career high 59 RBIs in , and also had a career high fourteen outfield assists.
.
The Mets then went on an eleven game winning streak that brought them back into second place, seven games back of the Chicago Cubs
. On September 10 the Mets swept a double header
against the Montreal Expos
. Coupled with a loss by the Cubs, the Mets jump into first place for the first time in franchise history. On September 13, Swoboda hit a grand slam
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
to propel the Mets to a 5–2 victory. Two days later, the St. Louis Cardinals
' Steve Carlton
struck out a record nineteen Mets batters in a losing effort, as the Mets defeated the Cards 4–3 at Busch Stadium
on a pair of two run home runs by Swoboda. On September 24, facing Carlton and the Cardinals, again - only this time at Shea Stadium
, the New York Mets clinched the NL East as Donn Clendenon
hit two home runs in a 6–0 Mets victory. The Mets won 39 of their last 50 games, and finished the season with 100 wins against 62 losses, eight games over the second place Cubs.
three game sweep of the Atlanta Braves
to reach the World Series
. The Mets were heavy underdogs
heading into the World Series
against the Baltimore Orioles
. In Game 4, Swoboda, not known for his fielding, made a spectacular catch of a ball hit by Brooks Robinson
in the ninth inning to stop an Orioles rally. The Mets won the game 2–1 in ten innings, and subsequently, the World Series. For the World Series, Swoboda batted .400. His only RBI was the game winner of the fifth and final game.
A photograph
of Swoboda, stretched almost horizontally
, just inches off the ground, became an iconic image for Mets fans. The Right Field entrance gate of Citi Field, the current ballpark of the Mets, features a metal silhouette of a baseball player making a diving catch similar to the one Swoboda made during the 1969 Series.
in exchange for young outfielder Don Hahn
; later that year, the Expos traded Swoboda to the New York Yankees
. He was released by the Yankees in 1973, and signed with the Atlanta Braves
during Spring training of . The Braves, however, released him on March 25, 1974, after which Swoboda retired from baseball. He attempted an unsuccessful comeback with the Mets during spring training in .
sportscaster
in New York City
on WCBS-TV
and for many years at WVUE
in New Orleans. He also worked at Cox Sports Television. Ron is currently the color commentator
for telecasts
of games played by the New Orleans Zephyrs
, the AAA farm club of the Florida Marlins
. He was also a recipient of the Thurman Munson
Award, in February .
Swoboda appeared as himself in a episode of Everybody Loves Raymond
along with several other members of the 1969 Mets. He is mostly remembered for his theatrical defensive gem during the 1969 World Series. In a guest column for the New York Daily News
, Swoboda wrote, "I'm kidded, occasionally, by folks who wonder: 'How long are you going to keep living off of one catch?' My answer: 'How long have I got left?'"
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
best remembered as a member of the Amazin' Mets
1969 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the eighth season for the Mets franchise, which played its home games at Shea Stadium. Managed by Gil Hodges, the team went 100-62, finishing first in the newly-established National League East by eight games over the Chicago Cubs...
.
MLB debut
After graduating from Sparrows Point High SchoolSparrows Point High School
Sparrows Point High is a comprehensive high school for students in grades 9 - 12 and is one of the 24 high schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools. The current enrollment is 883 with an average of 27 students per class. The school was established in 1908 and is located on a campus in the...
, one season at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
, and a stellar showing in the AAABA tournament in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
, Swoboda was offered a $35,000 contract to sign with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and scout Pete Gebrian on September 5, .
He spent only one season in the Mets' farm system AA Williamsport, PA before making the team out of Spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, . He made his major league debut as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
in the 1965 season opener, and lined out in his only at-bat. He pinch hit, again, in the second game of the season, this time, hitting an 11th inning home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
(the Mets still lost, as the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
scored four runs in the top of the inning). He homered again, in his first at-bat on April 18, giving him two home runs in his first four Major League at bats.
He had 15 home runs by the All-Star break, the most by a Mets rookie ever in the first half, ahead of Benny Agbayani
Benny Agbayani
Benny Peter Agbayani, Jr. is retired professional baseball player. Born in Hawaii to Filipino and Samoan parents, he attended Saint Louis School and Hawaii Pacific University. He also attended the Oregon Institute of Technology...
(11; in 1999) and Ike Davis
Ike Davis
Isaac Benjamin "Ike" Davis is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the New York Mets. He and his father Ron Davis, who pitched in the majors for 11 years, are the 197th father-son combination to have both played in the major leagues.He led his high school team to three straight Arizona state...
(11; in 2010). He commented during a TV interview that he loved hitting fastballs. From that point forward, he began seeing a lot more breaking balls, and only hit four more for the rest of the season. Still, his 19 home runs stood as a Mets rookie record until Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it...
hit 26 in . His fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
his rookie year was a below-league-average .947, however, he had nine outfield assists.
1966–1968
Swoboda wore number 14 as a rookie in 1965. When the Mets acquired third basemanThird baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Ken Boyer
Ken Boyer
Kenton Lloyd Boyer was an American Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. During a 15-year baseball career, he played for 1955-1969 for four different teams, playing primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals...
from the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
prior to the start of the season, they granted him number 14, as he'd worn it in St. Louis. Swoboda wore number 17 briefly during Spring training in 1966, then switched to number 4. His home run drought continued through the 1966 season, when he hit only eight home runs and batted .222, with fifty runs batted in.
During his early years with the Mets, he acquired the nickname "Rocky" as a result of his less-than-reliable fielding. Although he possessed a strong, accurate throwing arm, a fly ball hit in his direction was, by no means, a sure out. After having spent most of his time in left field his first two seasons with the Mets, Swoboda was shifted to first baseman in to make room for newly acquired Tommy Davis
Tommy Davis
Herman Thomas Davis, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder and third baseman. He played from 1959-1976 for ten different teams, but he is best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During an 18-year baseball career, Davis batted .294 with 153 home runs, 2,121...
in left. Swoboda's fielding at first was no better, and he was soon shifted to right field. Offensively, he had perhaps his best season, hitting .281 with thirteen home runs and 53 RBIs. He led the Mets with six triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and a career high 59 RBIs in , and also had a career high fourteen outfield assists.
Amazin' Mets
By May 21, , the Mets won their third game in a row for a .500 winning percentage 36 games into the season for the first time in franchise history. This was followed by a five game losing streak that saw the Mets fall into fourth place in the newly aligned National League EastNational League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
.
The Mets then went on an eleven game winning streak that brought them back into second place, seven games back of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. On September 10 the Mets swept a double header
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
against the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. Coupled with a loss by the Cubs, the Mets jump into first place for the first time in franchise history. On September 13, Swoboda hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
to propel the Mets to a 5–2 victory. Two days later, the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
' Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
struck out a record nineteen Mets batters in a losing effort, as the Mets defeated the Cards 4–3 at Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
on a pair of two run home runs by Swoboda. On September 24, facing Carlton and the Cardinals, again - only this time at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, the New York Mets clinched the NL East as Donn Clendenon
Donn Clendenon
Donn Alvin Clendenon was a Major League Baseball first baseman. He is best remembered as the World Series MVP for the Amazin' Mets.-Early life:...
hit two home runs in a 6–0 Mets victory. The Mets won 39 of their last 50 games, and finished the season with 100 wins against 62 losses, eight games over the second place Cubs.
1969 World Series
Swoboda did not appear in the Mets' 1969 National League Championship Series1969 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Mets struck first in the second off Phil Niekro when Jerry Grote singled in a run and Ken Boswell scored on a passed ball by Braves catcher Bob Didier...
three game sweep of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
to reach the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. The Mets were heavy underdogs
Underdogs
Underdogs is the second full-length album released by the Matthew Good Band in 1997, as a follow-up to the 1995 album Last of the Ghetto Astronauts...
heading into the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. In Game 4, Swoboda, not known for his fielding, made a spectacular catch of a ball hit by Brooks Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Brooks Calbert Robinson, Jr. is a former American professional baseball player. He played his entire 23-year major league career for the Baltimore Orioles . Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner", he is generally acclaimed as the greatest defensive third-basemen in major league history...
in the ninth inning to stop an Orioles rally. The Mets won the game 2–1 in ten innings, and subsequently, the World Series. For the World Series, Swoboda batted .400. His only RBI was the game winner of the fifth and final game.
A photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
of Swoboda, stretched almost horizontally
Horizontal plane
In geometry, physics, astronomy, geography, and related sciences, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field at that point— in other words, if apparent gravity makes a plumb bob hang perpendicular to the plane at that point.In...
, just inches off the ground, became an iconic image for Mets fans. The Right Field entrance gate of Citi Field, the current ballpark of the Mets, features a metal silhouette of a baseball player making a diving catch similar to the one Swoboda made during the 1969 Series.
Montreal Expos
In 1971, Swoboda and minor leaguer Rich Hacker were traded to the Montreal ExposMontreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
in exchange for young outfielder Don Hahn
Don Hahn (baseball)
Donald Antone Hahn, born November 16, 1948 in San Francisco, California, is a former Major League baseball player, an outfielder known primarily for his fielding ability. Hahn played for the Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres.Hahn...
; later that year, the Expos traded Swoboda to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. He was released by the Yankees in 1973, and signed with the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
during Spring training of . The Braves, however, released him on March 25, 1974, after which Swoboda retired from baseball. He attempted an unsuccessful comeback with the Mets during spring training in .
Ronald Alan Swoboda (born June 30, 1944) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
best remembered as a member of the Amazin' Mets
1969 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the eighth season for the Mets franchise, which played its home games at Shea Stadium. Managed by Gil Hodges, the team went 100-62, finishing first in the newly-established National League East by eight games over the Chicago Cubs...
.
MLB debut
After graduating from Sparrows Point High SchoolSparrows Point High School
Sparrows Point High is a comprehensive high school for students in grades 9 - 12 and is one of the 24 high schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools. The current enrollment is 883 with an average of 27 students per class. The school was established in 1908 and is located on a campus in the...
, one season at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
, and a stellar showing in the AAABA tournament in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
, Swoboda was offered a $35,000 contract to sign with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and scout Pete Gebrian on September 5, .
He spent only one season in the Mets' farm system AA Williamsport, PA before making the team out of Spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, . He made his major league debut as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
in the 1965 season opener, and lined out in his only at-bat. He pinch hit, again, in the second game of the season, this time, hitting an 11th inning home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
(the Mets still lost, as the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
scored four runs in the top of the inning). He homered again, in his first at-bat on April 18, giving him two home runs in his first four Major League at bats.
He had 15 home runs by the All-Star break, the most by a Mets rookie ever in the first half, ahead of Benny Agbayani
Benny Agbayani
Benny Peter Agbayani, Jr. is retired professional baseball player. Born in Hawaii to Filipino and Samoan parents, he attended Saint Louis School and Hawaii Pacific University. He also attended the Oregon Institute of Technology...
(11; in 1999) and Ike Davis
Ike Davis
Isaac Benjamin "Ike" Davis is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the New York Mets. He and his father Ron Davis, who pitched in the majors for 11 years, are the 197th father-son combination to have both played in the major leagues.He led his high school team to three straight Arizona state...
(11; in 2010). He commented during a TV interview that he loved hitting fastballs. From that point forward, he began seeing a lot more breaking balls, and only hit four more for the rest of the season. Still, his 19 home runs stood as a Mets rookie record until Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it...
hit 26 in . His fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
his rookie year was a below-league-average .947, however, he had nine outfield assists.
1966–1968
Swoboda wore number 14 as a rookie in 1965. When the Mets acquired third basemanThird baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Ken Boyer
Ken Boyer
Kenton Lloyd Boyer was an American Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. During a 15-year baseball career, he played for 1955-1969 for four different teams, playing primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals...
from the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
prior to the start of the season, they granted him number 14, as he'd worn it in St. Louis. Swoboda wore number 17 briefly during Spring training in 1966, then switched to number 4. His home run drought continued through the 1966 season, when he hit only eight home runs and batted .222, with fifty runs batted in.
During his early years with the Mets, he acquired the nickname "Rocky" as a result of his less-than-reliable fielding. Although he possessed a strong, accurate throwing arm, a fly ball hit in his direction was, by no means, a sure out. After having spent most of his time in left field his first two seasons with the Mets, Swoboda was shifted to first baseman in to make room for newly acquired Tommy Davis
Tommy Davis
Herman Thomas Davis, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder and third baseman. He played from 1959-1976 for ten different teams, but he is best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During an 18-year baseball career, Davis batted .294 with 153 home runs, 2,121...
in left. Swoboda's fielding at first was no better, and he was soon shifted to right field. Offensively, he had perhaps his best season, hitting .281 with thirteen home runs and 53 RBIs. He led the Mets with six triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and a career high 59 RBIs in , and also had a career high fourteen outfield assists.
Amazin' Mets
By May 21, , the Mets won their third game in a row for a .500 winning percentage 36 games into the season for the first time in franchise history. This was followed by a five game losing streak that saw the Mets fall into fourth place in the newly aligned National League EastNational League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
.
The Mets then went on an eleven game winning streak that brought them back into second place, seven games back of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. On September 10 the Mets swept a double header
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
against the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. Coupled with a loss by the Cubs, the Mets jump into first place for the first time in franchise history. On September 13, Swoboda hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
to propel the Mets to a 5–2 victory. Two days later, the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
' Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
struck out a record nineteen Mets batters in a losing effort, as the Mets defeated the Cards 4–3 at Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
on a pair of two run home runs by Swoboda. On September 24, facing Carlton and the Cardinals, again - only this time at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, the New York Mets clinched the NL East as Donn Clendenon
Donn Clendenon
Donn Alvin Clendenon was a Major League Baseball first baseman. He is best remembered as the World Series MVP for the Amazin' Mets.-Early life:...
hit two home runs in a 6–0 Mets victory. The Mets won 39 of their last 50 games, and finished the season with 100 wins against 62 losses, eight games over the second place Cubs.
1969 World Series
Swoboda did not appear in the Mets' 1969 National League Championship Series1969 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Mets struck first in the second off Phil Niekro when Jerry Grote singled in a run and Ken Boswell scored on a passed ball by Braves catcher Bob Didier...
three game sweep of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
to reach the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. The Mets were heavy underdogs
Underdogs
Underdogs is the second full-length album released by the Matthew Good Band in 1997, as a follow-up to the 1995 album Last of the Ghetto Astronauts...
heading into the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. In Game 4, Swoboda, not known for his fielding, made a spectacular catch of a ball hit by Brooks Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Brooks Calbert Robinson, Jr. is a former American professional baseball player. He played his entire 23-year major league career for the Baltimore Orioles . Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner", he is generally acclaimed as the greatest defensive third-basemen in major league history...
in the ninth inning to stop an Orioles rally. The Mets won the game 2–1 in ten innings, and subsequently, the World Series. For the World Series, Swoboda batted .400. His only RBI was the game winner of the fifth and final game.
A photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
of Swoboda, stretched almost horizontally
Horizontal plane
In geometry, physics, astronomy, geography, and related sciences, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field at that point— in other words, if apparent gravity makes a plumb bob hang perpendicular to the plane at that point.In...
, just inches off the ground, became an iconic image for Mets fans. The Right Field entrance gate of Citi Field, the current ballpark of the Mets, features a metal silhouette of a baseball player making a diving catch similar to the one Swoboda made during the 1969 Series.
Montreal Expos
In 1971, Swoboda and minor leaguer Rich Hacker were traded to the Montreal ExposMontreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
in exchange for young outfielder Don Hahn
Don Hahn (baseball)
Donald Antone Hahn, born November 16, 1948 in San Francisco, California, is a former Major League baseball player, an outfielder known primarily for his fielding ability. Hahn played for the Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres.Hahn...
; later that year, the Expos traded Swoboda to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. He was released by the Yankees in 1973, and signed with the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
during Spring training of . The Braves, however, released him on March 25, 1974, after which Swoboda retired from baseball. He attempted an unsuccessful comeback with the Mets during spring training in .
Ronald Alan Swoboda (born June 30, 1944) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
best remembered as a member of the Amazin' Mets
1969 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the eighth season for the Mets franchise, which played its home games at Shea Stadium. Managed by Gil Hodges, the team went 100-62, finishing first in the newly-established National League East by eight games over the Chicago Cubs...
.
MLB debut
After graduating from Sparrows Point High SchoolSparrows Point High School
Sparrows Point High is a comprehensive high school for students in grades 9 - 12 and is one of the 24 high schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools. The current enrollment is 883 with an average of 27 students per class. The school was established in 1908 and is located on a campus in the...
, one season at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
, and a stellar showing in the AAABA tournament in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
, Swoboda was offered a $35,000 contract to sign with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and scout Pete Gebrian on September 5, .
He spent only one season in the Mets' farm system AA Williamsport, PA before making the team out of Spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, . He made his major league debut as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
in the 1965 season opener, and lined out in his only at-bat. He pinch hit, again, in the second game of the season, this time, hitting an 11th inning home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
(the Mets still lost, as the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
scored four runs in the top of the inning). He homered again, in his first at-bat on April 18, giving him two home runs in his first four Major League at bats.
He had 15 home runs by the All-Star break, the most by a Mets rookie ever in the first half, ahead of Benny Agbayani
Benny Agbayani
Benny Peter Agbayani, Jr. is retired professional baseball player. Born in Hawaii to Filipino and Samoan parents, he attended Saint Louis School and Hawaii Pacific University. He also attended the Oregon Institute of Technology...
(11; in 1999) and Ike Davis
Ike Davis
Isaac Benjamin "Ike" Davis is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the New York Mets. He and his father Ron Davis, who pitched in the majors for 11 years, are the 197th father-son combination to have both played in the major leagues.He led his high school team to three straight Arizona state...
(11; in 2010). He commented during a TV interview that he loved hitting fastballs. From that point forward, he began seeing a lot more breaking balls, and only hit four more for the rest of the season. Still, his 19 home runs stood as a Mets rookie record until Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it...
hit 26 in . His fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
his rookie year was a below-league-average .947, however, he had nine outfield assists.
1966–1968
Swoboda wore number 14 as a rookie in 1965. When the Mets acquired third basemanThird baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Ken Boyer
Ken Boyer
Kenton Lloyd Boyer was an American Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. During a 15-year baseball career, he played for 1955-1969 for four different teams, playing primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals...
from the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
prior to the start of the season, they granted him number 14, as he'd worn it in St. Louis. Swoboda wore number 17 briefly during Spring training in 1966, then switched to number 4. His home run drought continued through the 1966 season, when he hit only eight home runs and batted .222, with fifty runs batted in.
During his early years with the Mets, he acquired the nickname "Rocky" as a result of his less-than-reliable fielding. Although he possessed a strong, accurate throwing arm, a fly ball hit in his direction was, by no means, a sure out. After having spent most of his time in left field his first two seasons with the Mets, Swoboda was shifted to first baseman in to make room for newly acquired Tommy Davis
Tommy Davis
Herman Thomas Davis, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder and third baseman. He played from 1959-1976 for ten different teams, but he is best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During an 18-year baseball career, Davis batted .294 with 153 home runs, 2,121...
in left. Swoboda's fielding at first was no better, and he was soon shifted to right field. Offensively, he had perhaps his best season, hitting .281 with thirteen home runs and 53 RBIs. He led the Mets with six triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and a career high 59 RBIs in , and also had a career high fourteen outfield assists.
Amazin' Mets
By May 21, , the Mets won their third game in a row for a .500 winning percentage 36 games into the season for the first time in franchise history. This was followed by a five game losing streak that saw the Mets fall into fourth place in the newly aligned National League EastNational League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
.
The Mets then went on an eleven game winning streak that brought them back into second place, seven games back of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. On September 10 the Mets swept a double header
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
against the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. Coupled with a loss by the Cubs, the Mets jump into first place for the first time in franchise history. On September 13, Swoboda hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
to propel the Mets to a 5–2 victory. Two days later, the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
' Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
struck out a record nineteen Mets batters in a losing effort, as the Mets defeated the Cards 4–3 at Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
on a pair of two run home runs by Swoboda. On September 24, facing Carlton and the Cardinals, again - only this time at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, the New York Mets clinched the NL East as Donn Clendenon
Donn Clendenon
Donn Alvin Clendenon was a Major League Baseball first baseman. He is best remembered as the World Series MVP for the Amazin' Mets.-Early life:...
hit two home runs in a 6–0 Mets victory. The Mets won 39 of their last 50 games, and finished the season with 100 wins against 62 losses, eight games over the second place Cubs.
1969 World Series
Swoboda did not appear in the Mets' 1969 National League Championship Series1969 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Mets struck first in the second off Phil Niekro when Jerry Grote singled in a run and Ken Boswell scored on a passed ball by Braves catcher Bob Didier...
three game sweep of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
to reach the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. The Mets were heavy underdogs
Underdogs
Underdogs is the second full-length album released by the Matthew Good Band in 1997, as a follow-up to the 1995 album Last of the Ghetto Astronauts...
heading into the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. In Game 4, Swoboda, not known for his fielding, made a spectacular catch of a ball hit by Brooks Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Brooks Calbert Robinson, Jr. is a former American professional baseball player. He played his entire 23-year major league career for the Baltimore Orioles . Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner", he is generally acclaimed as the greatest defensive third-basemen in major league history...
in the ninth inning to stop an Orioles rally. The Mets won the game 2–1 in ten innings, and subsequently, the World Series. For the World Series, Swoboda batted .400. His only RBI was the game winner of the fifth and final game.
A photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
of Swoboda, stretched almost horizontally
Horizontal plane
In geometry, physics, astronomy, geography, and related sciences, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field at that point— in other words, if apparent gravity makes a plumb bob hang perpendicular to the plane at that point.In...
, just inches off the ground, became an iconic image for Mets fans. The Right Field entrance gate of Citi Field, the current ballpark of the Mets, features a metal silhouette of a baseball player making a diving catch similar to the one Swoboda made during the 1969 Series.
Montreal Expos
In 1971, Swoboda and minor leaguer Rich Hacker were traded to the Montreal ExposMontreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
in exchange for young outfielder Don Hahn
Don Hahn (baseball)
Donald Antone Hahn, born November 16, 1948 in San Francisco, California, is a former Major League baseball player, an outfielder known primarily for his fielding ability. Hahn played for the Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres.Hahn...
; later that year, the Expos traded Swoboda to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. He was released by the Yankees in 1973, and signed with the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
during Spring training of . The Braves, however, released him on March 25, 1974, after which Swoboda retired from baseball. He attempted an unsuccessful comeback with the Mets during spring training in .
| Seasons | Games | AB | Runs | Hits | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | HBP | Avg. | Slg. | Fld% |
| 9 | 928 | 2581 | 285 | 624 | 87 | 24 | 73 | 344 | 20 | 299 | 647 | 21 | .242 | .379 | .972 |
Post retirement
After his retirement from baseball, Swoboda worked as a televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
and for many years at WVUE
WVUE
WVUE-DT, broadcasting on virtual channel 8, is a TV station in New Orleans, Louisiana, affiliated with the Fox Broadcasting Company. WVUE is owned by Louisiana Media Company, with studios in the Gert Town section of New Orleans and transmitter in Chalmette, Louisiana.- Digital television :WVUE-DT...
in New Orleans. He also worked at Cox Sports Television. Ron is currently the color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for telecasts
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
of games played by the New Orleans Zephyrs
New Orleans Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
, the AAA farm club of the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. He was also a recipient of the Thurman Munson
Thurman Munson
Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...
Award, in February .
Swoboda appeared as himself in a episode of Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
along with several other members of the 1969 Mets. He is mostly remembered for his theatrical defensive gem during the 1969 World Series. In a guest column for the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, Swoboda wrote, "I'm kidded, occasionally, by folks who wonder: 'How long are you going to keep living off of one catch?' My answer: 'How long have I got left?'"
External links
, or The Baseball Biography Project, or the Baseball Almanac, or the Ultimate Mets Database