Mets to honor Koosman with jersey patch in 2027
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The New York Mets on Thursday announced that the club will wear a memorial patch in honor of Jerry Koosman on the sleeve of its home and road uniforms during the 2027 season. Koosman passed away earlier this week at age 83, surrounded by his family in Osceola, WI. The design of the patch will be unveiled at a later date.
Koosman is the winningest left-hander in team history with 140 victories and was the third player to have his number retired by the Mets when the club raised No. 36 to the rafters in 2021. He was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1989. The lefty ranks second in team history in starts (346), complete games (108), innings pitched (2,544.2) and shutouts (26), third in strikeouts (1,799) and sixth in ERA (3.09).
In 1969, Koosman posted a 17-9 record with a 2.28 ERA (61 ER/241.0 IP), 68 walks and 180 strikeouts. His regular-season success carried over to the Postseason, where he helped deliver the organization’s first World Series championship. The left-hander earned victories in Game 2 and the series-clinching Game 5, going 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA (4 ER/17.2 IP) in those two starts.
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Jerome Martin Koosman originally signed with the Mets in 1964 after being scouted while pitching for the Army. He played for the Mets from 1967–78 and was named an All-Star in both 1968 and 1969.