JERRY KOOSMAN

The southpaw from Appleton, Minn. came to the Big Apple at just the right time, as the Mets were assembling a staff of Seaver, Koosman, McGraw, Gentrv, Ryan In the late '60s and early '70s, Seaver and Kooz were one of the toughest lefty-righty combos in the league. They led the Mets to the '69 pennant against all odds, with Koosman going 17-12 after a fine rookie season (19-12, 7 shutouts, 2.08 ERA, an All Star, top rookie pitcher and second among all rooks only to Johnny Bench.)

Although as early as '71 he began to be bothered with arm problems (he slipped to 6-11), in his first 9 seasons with the Mets he had a 130-100 record. Despite the fact that he became one of the last 20game-losers in '77 and finally, after a 3-15, 1978 he was dealt to the Twins, he ranked with Seaver either first or second in 10 major pitching categories for the Mets when he left.

When he returned home, he proved he wasn't quite through yet, winning 20 for the Twins in '79 and 16 in 1980. Although he was characterized by Bill James as "a good journeyman", this didn't really start until the '80s, when the arm troubles worsened. In '81 (deja vu all over again), he slipped to 3-9 after his two fine seasons, and the Twins sent him to the White Sox, where he had at least respectable 11-7 showings in both of his years in Chicago. ln 1984, the Sox traded the 17year-vet to the Phils, where he went 14-15, then 64 in 1985. Already 42, recurring arm and shoulder troubles convinced him that he had had a career.

A good, if inconsistent, one. If not for those three atrocious years, he might well be in the Hall. He surely was a star with the Mets (in their second World Series year, 1973, he was 14-l5, but his 2.73 ERA reflects weak run support.) He was 30, 2.39 in his two World Series, and was an All Star in '68 and '69. Known throughout his career as a fine control pitcher, he managed to fan 2,556 batters, placing him in the top 25, yet he walked only 1198, a better than 2-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He was one of the top hurlers of the late '60s and '70s.