People remember the quote. They remember the face. But for some reason, when we talk about yogi berra mets manager, we usually stop at the "Ya Gotta Believe" mantra and ignore the actual baseball. It’s kinda strange, honestly. We’re talking about a guy who took a team that was literally in the basement in late August and dragged them within one game of a World Series title.
That 1973 season wasn’t just a fluke. It was a masterclass in staying calm while everyone else is panicking.
Most fans think of Yogi as the quintessential Yankee. And sure, he won ten rings in the Bronx. But his time in Queens—first as a coach under Gil Hodges and then as the skipper starting in 1972—was where he proved he wasn't just a lucky charm. He was a tactician who understood the psychology of a clubhouse better than almost anyone else in the history of the game.
What Really Happened in 1973
The 1973 season was a mess. Let's be real. By August 30, the Mets were 61-71. They were in last place. Not second to last. Last.
The New York press was sharpening their knives. The fans were restless. But Yogi didn't change. He didn't scream. He didn't hold closed-door meetings to berate the players. He just kept saying that the division was so bad that nobody wanted to win it. He was right. The NL East was a "scramble for the top of the garbage heap," as some writers put it back then.
Then came the run. 21 wins in their final 29 games.
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They finished 82-79. It is still the lowest winning percentage ever for a pennant winner in a non-strike year. But they won. They beat the powerhouse Big Red Machine in the NLCS, a series defined by the Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose brawl. Yogi was out there in the middle of it, trying to keep the fans at Shea from throwing enough garbage to cause a forfeit.
The Decision That Still Haunts Queens
You can't talk about yogi berra mets manager without talking about the 1973 World Series against the Oakland A's. The Mets were up 3 games to 2. They were one win away.
Yogi had a choice for Game 6. He could start George Stone, who had been absolutely lights out (12-3 with a 2.80 ERA), or he could bring back the legend, Tom Seaver, on three days' rest.
He went with Seaver.
Seaver pitched well, but he wasn't "The Franchise" that day. He gave up two runs in seven innings and the Mets lost 3-1. Then they lost Game 7. To this day, Mets fans argue about George Stone. Stone himself once said he felt like he was the "forgotten man." Yogi’s logic was simple: if you’re going to go down, you go down with your best. It’s hard to blame a guy for trusting Tom Seaver, but it’s the "what if" that keeps 1973 from being 1969.
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The Relationship With The Players
Yogi wasn't a micromanager. He let his guys play. Tom Seaver once said that Berra never tried to complicate things. In an era where managers were starting to get obsessed with charts and early-stage analytics, Yogi relied on his eyes.
He had this weird, intuitive sense of when a pitcher was gassing out or when a hitter was about to snap a slump.
- Felix Millan: The second baseman loved him. He said Yogi just wanted you to give 100 percent for 162 games.
- Cleon Jones: This was the friction point. In 1975, things got ugly.
- Jerry Koosman: One of the anchors of that rotation who flourished under Yogi’s "hands-off" approach.
The "Fray at Shea" in July 1975 was basically the beginning of the end. Cleon Jones refused to go into the game as a defensive replacement. Yogi lost his cool—a rare sight. He told the press, "I couldn't wait all day for him to go, so I sent someone else out." Jones was released shortly after. It showed that while Yogi was easygoing, he had a limit when it came to disrespecting the game.
The Stats and the Exit
If you look at the raw numbers, Yogi’s managerial record with the Mets looks... average.
He finished with a 292-296 record.
But stats don't tell you about the 1972 season, where the team was ravaged by injuries to Rusty Staub and Bud Harrelson but still managed to finish 83-73. He kept them above water when they should have sunk.
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He was fired on August 5, 1975. The team was struggling, and the front office felt the magic had run out. It was a cold move. Yogi found out and basically just packed his bags and went back to the Yankees. That’s just who he was. No drama. No bridge-burning.
Why Yogi’s Mets Tenure Matters Today
We live in a world of "managerial impact" scores and high-pressure social media cycles. Yogi’s time in Queens reminds us that temperament is a skill. He took the "Mets being the Mets" and turned it into a winning culture, even if it was only for a few years.
He proved that his 1964 pennant with the Yankees wasn't a fluke. He became only the second manager ever (after Joe McCarthy) to lead teams to the World Series in both the American and National Leagues.
If you want to understand the yogi berra mets manager legacy, look at the 1973 highlight reels. Look at how the players celebrated. They didn't just play for a coach; they played for a guy they genuinely liked.
Actionable Insights for Baseball History Buffs:
- Watch the 1973 NLCS Highlights: Specifically the Game 3 brawl. It perfectly captures the chaotic energy Yogi had to manage.
- Compare Seaver vs. Stone: Look at the Game 6 splits. The debate over whether a rested Stone should have started over a tired Seaver is the ultimate "Bar Room Debate" for Mets fans.
- Read "Ten Rings": It gives a lot of insight into his transition from the Yankee dynasty to the "Amazin'" Mets culture.
- Visit the Yogi Berra Museum: Located in Little Falls, New Jersey. It houses many of the artifacts from his Mets years that often get overshadowed by his Yankee pinstripes.