After a ninth-place finish in 1968 with a record of 73-89, the Mets shocked the sports world in 1969 when they marched to a record of 100-62, led by a pitching staff that would make most envious with the likes of Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan and Gary Gentry.
Of course the road wasn’t easy, as they had the Chicago Cubs to deal with, and with the newly placed play-off format that did not ensure a pennant for coming in first, they had to go on to play the Atlanta Braves in the first National League Championship playoffs.
But again, the Mets were here to shock us all, as they swept the Braves and were to face the American League juggernaut Baltimore Orioles, who put together one of the most dominant team seasons of the modern era when they stormed to a record of 109-53, then sweeping the American League West champ Minnesota Twins 3-0 in the playoffs.
However, 1969 was all about the Mets, as they proceeded to take the series, and the World Championship 4 games to 1, giving New York an unlikely championship that was also paired with the New York Jets Super Bowl III win and the New York Knicks NBA championship, a brilliant sports trifecta the Big Apple could boast about until this very day.