The inspiration for this post is the fact that, on this date (August 17) in 1968, Mets’ 24-year-old rookie right-hander Jim McAndrew made his fourth professional major-league start (and fourth MLB appearance) – and picked up his fourth MLB loss, despite a 1.82 earned run average. The fact is, in his four starts, the Mets had not scored a single run. That got me to thinking about another Mets’ starter, Jacob deGrom, who – fifty seasons later – managed to finish just one game over .500 (10-9) despite an MLB-lowest 1.70 earned run average. Read on for more on both seasons – particularly how McAndrew’s trying 1968 campaign made deGrom look a bit like “Mr. Lucky” in 2018. (I suppose I’m dating myself with that television reference,)
Quite a bit was said and written about deGrom and how he “deserved better” in 2018. In his 10-9 campaign, deGrom gave up more than two earned runs in just six of 32 starts. In the 26 starts in which he limited the opposition to two earned runs or less, he won ten, lost seven and got nine no-decisions. In May of 2018, deGrom started five games, gave up a total of two runs in 26 innings (0.69 ERA) and won just one game (four no-decisions). Still, his mound excellence, despite the 10-9 record, was recognized, as he was both an All Star and the NL Cy Young Award winner (getting 29 of 30 first-place votes). The Mets, by the way, were 77-85 in 2018. Notably, the Mets’ Noah Syndegaard (13-4, 3.03) and Zack Wheeler (12-7, 3.31), put up better W-L records despite deGrom’s notably better overall numbers. DeGrom led Mets’ starters in ERA, innings pitched, strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings, WHIP and strikeouts-to-walks ratio.
Jacob deGrom started the 2018 season 4-0, 1.75 (after nine starts) and went 6-9, 1.68 in his final 23 starts. The Mets scored two runs or fewer in 12 of his 32 starts.
Now, fifty years before deGrom’s 2018 campaign, McAndrew found himself looking for more support and ending up on the wrong side of a host of hard luck losses. In many ways, his 1968 season overshadows deGrom’s 1988 campaign in the “hard luck” category.
McAndrew was drafted by the Mets (out of the University of Iowa) in the 11th round of the 1965 MLB draft. By 1968, despite some recurring arm issues, he had worked his way up to Triple A (Jacksonville Suns) – where he sported a 2.64 earned run average into mid-July (after 112 innings pitched). That earned McAndrew a call up to the Mets – for a spot start on July 21. That is where the “hard luck” really began to surface.
In that first MLB start (and appearance), McAndrew drew the Cardinals in St. Louis. His mound opponent? Future Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, in the midst of his best MLB season. (Gibson came into the game with a 12-5 record, a minuscule 1.06 ERA and on a nine-start winning streak that included six shutouts.)
McAndrew acquitted himself well against Gibson, going six innings, giving up six hits and just one run, while fanning five and walking none. Gibson, however, was better – tossing a complete-game, seven-hit shutout and fanning 13, as the Mets lost 2-0. Little did McAndrew know – a pattern was about to emerge.
After the spot start against Gibson, McAndrew was sent back down to Jacksonville, where he made another start, throwing five scoreless frames and bringing his record at Triple A to 8-3, 2.54. By August 4, he was back n the majors, starting for the Mets against the Dodgers in LA.
- In his second MLB start (August 4), McAndrew was roughed up a bit, going 4 2/3 innings and giving up nine hits, but just two runs. The Dodgers’ Mike Kekich pitched a complete-game, one-hit shutout – fanning 11 and walking two – as the Mets’ fell 2-0.
- In his third MLB start (August 10), McAndrew faced the Giants and Bobby Bolin (in San Francisco). McAndrew pitched well, going seven innings and giving up just six its and one run. Bolin, however, like McAndrew’s first two mound opponents, pitched a complete-game shutout – four hits, one walk, nine strikeouts. The Mets lost 1-0.
- In McAndrew’s fourth start (August 17), he was finally on the mound at home – facing the Astros and Don Wilson. McAndrew again pitched well – seven innings of six-hit, one-run ball. Wilson (seven innings) and reliever John Buzhardt, however, combined on a four-hit shutout. The Mets and McAndrew lost 1-0.
I Could Use a Little Help from My Friends
In his first four MLB starts. Jim McAndrew was 0-4, despite a 1.82 earned run average (having given up a total of four runs in 24 2/3 innings). In those starts, the Mets did not provide a single run of offensive support (for McAndrew or those who relieved him); losing by scores of 2-0, 2-0, 1-0,1-0.
McAndrew made a total of 12 starts for the Mets in 1968 and gave up more than two runs just once. In those 12 starts, the Mets scored a total of 16 runs and were shutout five times. McAndrew ended the season at 4-7, 2.28. The Mets averaged 1.33 runs McAndrew’s 12 starts (they averaged just 2.9 runs per game on the season) and were shut out in 41.7 percent of those games. By contrast, the Mets scored 3.5 runs per game in deGrom’s 32 2018 starts (they averaged 4.39 on the season) and were shut out three times (9.4 percent). Side note: In 1968 (it was the Year of the Pitcher), the Mets had six pitchers who made at least ten starts. Five of those six had ERAs under 3.00: (Jerry Koosman (2.08); Tom Seaver (2.20); McAndrew (2.28); Dick Selma (2.75); Don Cardwell (2.95). The outlier? Rookie Nolan Ryan at 3.09. The Mets finished the season at 73-89-1.
That First Win
After a painful lack of run support (and an 0-5 record), Jim McAndrew took matters into his own hands (arm). On August 26, 1968, he picked up his first MLB win, tossing a five-hit, complete-game shutout against the Cardinals in St. Louis. The score? No surprise here. Mets 1 – Cardinals 0.
After picking up his first win, shutting out the Cardinals for a 1-0 victory (bringing his record to 1-5, 2.53), McAndrew picked up a 2-1 loss in St. Louis (giving up two-runs on nine hits over eight innings) and a 2-1 loss in Pittsburgh (pitching seven-innings of six-hit, two-run ball). At that point, he was 1-7, 2.53 and had given up more than two runs just once in eight MLB starts. He finally got win number-two on September 11 – against the Cubs in Chicago. The score? You guessed it … 1-0., with McAndrew giving up just two hits in 8 1/3 innings.
In 1968, the overall MLB earned run average was 2.98 and 13 teams had ERAs under 3.00.
Long story short, McAndrew finished his debut season at 4-7, 2.28 in 12 starts. His only no-decision came in his final start of the year, when he gave up one run in 3 1/3 frames at Philadelphia. (The Mets lost 3-2).
McAndrew fought through a series of health and injury issues (finger, shoulder, knee, ribs) to pitch in seven MLB seasons (1968-74), all but the final season with the Mets. He went 37-53, 3.65 His best season was 1972, when he went 11-8, 2.80 for the Mets.
Primary Resources: Baseball-References.com; NationalPastime.com
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