Jerome Martin Koosman (born December 23, 1942) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies between and . Koosman is best known as a member of the Miracle Mets team that won the 1969 World Series. New York Mets Rookie year Koosman was discovered by the son of a Shea Stadium usher, John Lucchese, who caught Koosman when he pitched in the United States Army at Fort Bliss, Texas. The Mets offered Koosman a contract after his discharge from the military. Koosman was about to be cut from the Mets in 1966, when Joe McDonald, the assistant farm director, requested Koosman be retained at least until his first payday, as he owed the Mets money they had wired him after his car broke down en route to spring training. After leading all International League pitchers in strikeouts in , Koosman broke into the Mets’ rotation in . He posted a 19–12 record with seven shutouts, 178 strikeouts, and a 2.08 earned run average. The wins, shutouts, and ERA set franchise records, breaking those set by teammate Tom Seaver the year prior. Koosman also made the first of two All-Star teams in his career. The National League won the game 1–0 (to date, the only All-Star Game to end in a 1–0 score) in the "Year of the Pitcher." Koosman pitched a scoreless ninth for the save, striking out Carl Yastrzemski for the final out. Koosman was named to the 1968 Topps All-Star Rookie Roster and finished runner-up to Johnny Bench for the National League Rookie of the Year honors. The Miracle Mets In Koosman posted a 17–9 record with a 2.28 ERA and 180 strikeouts in another All-Star season. That year, he was a member of the Mets team that unexpectedly won the National League East title (both leagues had split into two divisions after expanding from ten teams to 12) after finishing last in five of their first seven seasons, as well as trailing the Chicago Cubs for much of the season, and by as many as 9 games. After Koosman lost to the Houston Astros to fall to 9–8, he won eight of his final nine decisions. In Game Two of the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves, Koosman was shelled for six runs in 4 innings (including a Hank