Former Mets pitcher Don Cardwell died yesterday at the age of 72 in North Carolina. Traded to the Lovable Loser Mets in 1966, Cardwell's performance during 1969 mirrored that of the team itself and helped the Mets win the their division title on the way to their first World Series Championship. Like the Mets, Cardwell started the '69 season in a lackluster manner, posting a 3-9 win-loss record through the first four months of the season. The Mets were 10 games behind the Chicago Cubs heading into August.
Then the team and Cardwell caught fire. The right-hander would win five games of his next six starts, beginning by pitching 28 scoreless innings. He ended the five-win streak with an ERA of 0.26. The rest of the team fared just as well, with the Mets winning 38 of their last 49 games and winning their division over the Cubs by eight games. Cardwell spent the postseason watching from the bullpen, however, pitching just one perfect inning in relief in Game 1 of the World Series against the Orioles.
Cardwell only won 20 games in four seasons with the Mets and he was traded to the Braves after pitching three starts for New York in 1970, which would be the last of his 14 seasons in Major League Baseball. His career highlight was no doubt his first start for the Cubs in 1960, when he threw a no hitter against the Cardinals.
