The New York Mets’ Jim McAndrew, who lost his major league debut to Bob Gibson in a 1968 pinch start after Nolan Ryan was called up to military duty, beat Steve Carlton a month later for his first win. 80.
On Friday, Mets spokesperson Jay Horwitz said McAndrew died Thursday at HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center in Arizona following a brief illness. From 1968 to 1973, McAndrew was a right-hander in the Mets’ back-end rotation.
Extremely saddened by news of the passing of Jim McAndrew, a solid pitcher for the 1969 World Champs and 1973 NL Champs. As Murph told us, “From Lost Nation, Iowa”. An extremely nice man. It was a pleasure to know him. RIP.
— Howie Rose (@HowieRose) March 15, 2024
In September 1969, he started a win over Montreal that put the team in first place for the first time in eight seasons. The 1969 World Series champions and 1973 NL pennant winners didn’t have McAndrew in their postseasons during his seven-year Mets career.
He was dealt to San Diego and went 1-4 with a 5.62 ERA in two starts and 13 relief appearances after being 36-49 with four saves and a 3.65 ERA in 105 starts and 41 relief appearances for the Mets. He ended his big league career at 37-53 with a 3.65 ERA.
Ryan, a future Hall of Famer, was serving in the Army reserve on July 21, 1968, when McAndrew made his major league debut in a doubleheader opener at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. First batter Lou Brock singled, and McAndrew pitched around Roger Maris’ fourth-inning double.
Bobby Tolan sent a drive off the wall between center fielder Cleon Jones and right fielder Larry Stahl to start the sixth with the game scoreless. Tolan raced around the bases for an inside-the-park homer.
Gibson tossed a seven-hitter to win his 10th straight start and eighth shutout in nine outings, allowing only one run against the McAndrews in a 2-0 loss. McAndrews was sent to Triple-A Jacksonville because Ryan would return the next day.
McAndrews left his next start after five flawless innings and rejoined the Mets when Ryan returned to the Army. McAndrew lost his first four big league starts, including a 13-3 loss to San Francisco and future Hall of Famer Juan Marichal. The Mets didn’t score a run.
On Aug. 26 at St. Louis, McAndrew won his first game by pitching a five-hit shutout to beat Carlton, another future Hall of Famer, 1-0 on Jones’ eighth-inning sacrifice fly after Tommy Agee’s leadoff single. On Sept. 10, 1969, McAndrew pitched against Montreal at Shea Stadium.
A 3-2 win ended with Ken Boswell’s 12th-inning single after 11 innings without a decision. After the Chicago Cubs lost at Philadelphia, the Mets took first place for the first time in eight big league seasons after leading 6-1 after three innings in the second game.
The Miracle Mets defeated Baltimore in the World Series. McAndrew was born Jan. 11, 1944, in Lost Nation, Iowa. University of Iowa baseball and basketball player who discontinued basketball following a knee injury in his second season.
He missed his junior season due to an arm injury, but he came back for his senior season and the Mets selected him in the 11th round of the 1965 amateur draft, one round before Ryan. McAndrew pitched in Marion, Virginia, and Class A Auburn that summer, then played in the Florida Instructional League and finished his psychology degree at Iowa.
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He rejoined Auburn in 1966, Williamsport in 1967, and Jacksonville in 1968. McAndrew sold and managed coal after baseball. His wife Lyn, daughter Jana, and sons Jamie, Jeff, and Jon survive him. Jamie, a right-handed pitcher, went 3-4 with a 5.98 ERA with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1995 and 1997 after the Los Angeles Dodgers selected him 28th overall.
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