Jerry Koosman, a legendary pitcher for the New York Mets and two-time All-Star, passed away Sunday morning in Osceola, Wisconsin, at the age of 83. The team announced that Koosman had battled multiple illnesses before his death.
The Mets signed Koosman in August 1964 after discovering him while he was pitching for the United States Army. He made his major league debut in April 1967 and transitioned to full-time rotation duty the following season. In his 1968 rookie year, Koosman posted a 2.08 ERA over 263 ⅔ innings, which garnered him an All-Star selection and MVP consideration, ultimately finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Hall of Famer Johnny Bench.
Koosman repeated as an All-Star in 1969, compiling 241 innings with a 2.28 ERA as the Mets’ number two starter behind Hall of Famer Tom Seaver and ahead of Nolan Ryan during the postseason. He made two World Series appearances for the eventual champion Mets against the Baltimore Orioles, including pitching the Game 5 clincher. In that complete game victory, Koosman allowed three runs and recorded all but one possible out across his two World Series starts.
During the 1968-76 period, Koosman established himself as one of baseball’s premier pitchers, posting a 2.94 ERA while averaging 223 innings pitched annually. The Mets traded him to the Minnesota Twins in December 1978 in exchange for Jesse Orosco. Koosman completed his career with stints for the Twins, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies before retiring following the 1985 season with a 222-209 record and 3.36 ERA.
Koosman’s career statistics include 2,556 strikeouts, ranking 35th all-time, along with 527 starts and 3,839 ⅓ innings pitched. He finished second to Randy Jones in the 1976 Cy Young Award voting. The Mets inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 1989 and retired his number 36 in 2021, making him third in franchise history with 140 wins among all pitchers.
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