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Jerry Koosman enjoyed a 19-year major league career with the Mets, Twins, White Sox, and Phillies. He broke in with New York in 1967, and was in the bigs to stay in ’68. That season he started 33 games, and posted a 19-12 record with 178 strikeouts and a 2.08 ERA.

In ’69 Koosman was key in the Mets drive that culminated in their first World Series triumph. In the regular season he went 17-9 with a 2.28 ERA with 180 Ks. The Mets stormed to the finish line, winning 38 of the last 49 games. The 100-win season earned them their first NL East championship.

New York swept away the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. In the Fall Classic Kooz won two games including a 5-hit complete game in deciding Game 5. For the first time, the New York Mets were champions of baseball.

From ’68-’76 Koosman pitched to a 2.94 ERA and averaged more than 14 wins per season. His ’76 campaign was a dandy. In 32 starts Kooz went 21-10 with a 2.69 ERA. His performance earned him a runner-up finish to Randy Jones in the Cy Young vote.

Koosman’s next two seasons in the Big Apple were difficult. In ’77 and ’78 he went a dismal 11-35 with a 3.69 ERA. In December of ’78, the Mets traded Koosman to the Twins. His 140 wins for the Metropolitans remains the team record for lefties.

The Minnesota native had a strong season in return home in ’79, winning 20 games and finishing 6th in Cy Young Award voting. After tallying 16 victories in 1980, Koosman stumbled to a 3-9 start in ’81. In August the Twins sent him packing to Chicago.

Koosman remained with the White Sox through 1983 before moving to the City of Brotherly Love. In 1984 he gave up Pete Rose’s 4,000th hit and won 14 games for the Phillies. The 1985 campaign featured a 6-4 record in his final big league season. He finished his career with 222 wins, 2,556 strikeouts, and a 53.8 WAR.

In retirement Koosman received many accolades. In 1989 the Mets inducted him into their team Hall of Fame. Two years later he appeared on the writers ballot for Cooperstown. Many feel the lefty deserved more than the four votes he received. In 2021 Koosman became the 5th Mets player to have his number retired, joining Hall of Famers Casey Stengel, Gil Hodges, Tom Seaver, and Mike Piazza.

Though he fell short of Cooperstown, 1969 World Series champ and two-time 20-game winner Jerry Koosman had a fine baseball career.

In the collection is this pair of Topps cards signed by Jerry Koosman. The one on the left honors his All Star season in ’69. “Koosman Shuts the Door” is the card on the right, recognizing his World Series-clinching Game 5 performance.

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For the Mets, Jerry Koosman was the gift that kept giving. On the hill as the Mets clinched their first World Series, Koosman remains the winningest lefty in team history. The team After he left New York in 1978 his impact on the team continued.

Dealt to the Twins for Greg Field and a player to be named later in 1978, Koosman never pitched for New York again. That player to be named later – Jesse Orosco – did, however. Like Koosman, Orosco recorded the last out of the Mets World Series triumph, this one coming in 1986. When Orosco’s time in the Big Apple was done he left as the team’s all-time saves leader.

Shown here is Orosco’s Topps rookie card from 1980. The lefty reliever and future Cy Young Award winner Mike Scott have added their signature.

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Only two players in baseball history have recorded 4,000 hits a the big league level. Ty Cobb reached the plateau on July 18, 1927. More than a half-century later Pete Rose joined him.

Rose’s hit came off of the Phillies Jerry Koosman at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. Suiting up for the Expos, Rose stepped into the batter’s box in the bottom of the 4th inning with 3,999 career hits. He lined the left-hander’s offering deep down the right field line for a two-base hit.

With that, he joined Cobb as the second member of the 4,000-hit club.

In the collection is a certificate dated 4/12/1984 with the printing, “Pete Rose 4000th hit. I was there.” The certificate goes on to state that the game was played at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium.

While there was indeed a game at the Reds’ home park that day, Pete Rose recorded his 4,000th hit the next day off of Koosman.