Mets Pitcher Jerry Koosman Dies at 83

Jerry Koosman recorded 2,556 strikeouts during his major league career, a total that ranks 35th all-time in baseball history. The New York Mets announced the death of their team Hall of Famer on Sunday morning. He was 83 years old.

The Mets identified Koosman while he was pitching for the United States Army. The franchise signed him to a contract in August 1964. He made his major league debut in April 1967. He became a full-time rotation member in 1968.

As a rookie in 1968, Koosman threw 263 two-thirds innings and posted a 2.08 earned run average. Those numbers earned him an All-Star selection and votes for Most Valuable Player. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Johnny Bench. In 1969, he threw 241 innings with a 2.28 ERA. He was named an All-Star again.

That season, Koosman served as the number two starter behind Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan. He made two starts for the Miracle Mets in the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. He pitched a complete game in the Game 5 clincher. He allowed three runs and recorded all but one possible out in those two postseason games.

From 1968 to 1976, Koosman maintained a 2.94 ERA and averaged 223 innings per season. The Mets traded him to the Minnesota Twins for Jesse Orosco in December 1978. He pitched for the Twins from 1979 to 1981. He also played for the Chicago White Sox from 1981 to 1983 and the Philadelphia Phillies from 1984 to 1985.

Koosman retired after the 1985 season with a record of 222 wins and 209 losses. His 3.36 ERA ranks 39th among pitchers with at least 3,500 career innings. He ranks 40th all-time in starts with 527 and 48th in innings with 3,839 one-third. His 57.0 wins above replacement rank 77th all-time in pitching. He finished second to Randy Jones in the 1976 Cy Young voting.

The Mets inducted Koosman into their Hall of Fame in 1989. The team retired his number 36 in 2021. His 140 wins are the most by a left-hander in franchise history. That total is third on the team behind Seaver and Dwight Gooden. He ranks second in Mets history in innings and third in strikeouts. Koosman fell off the Baseball Writers Association of America Hall of Fame ballot in 1991.