1975 New York Mets season

Did You Know?

• On April 4, 1975, the Mets traded Joe Nolan to the Atlanta Braves for Leo Foster.
• On April 12, 1975, Jesús Alou was signed as a free agent by the Mets.
• On June 3, 1975, Butch Benton was drafted by the Mets in the 1st round (6th pick) of the 1975 Major League Baseball draft.

Regular season

After a lackluster 1974 season, the Mets made changes to improve the team. On February 28, they acquired Dave Kingman from the San Francisco Giants for cash estimated at around $100,000. Kingman had batted .223 for San Francisco in 1974 with 18 home runs, many of which traveled great distances, and the Mets hoped he would provide home run power and excitement. The team was indeed stronger in 1975. Their .256 batting average was the highest in club history, and Kingman set a then team record with 36 home runs. Rusty Staub became the first Met to drive in 100 runs, finishing with 105 RBIs. The club's greatest strength remained its pitching, led by Tom Seaver's 22–9 record, which earned him a third Cy Young Award. Jerry Koosman went 14–13 and Jon Matlack 16–12, but no other pitcher won more than seven games. The season ended with an 82–80 record and a tie for third place. The marginal record led to the dismissal of manager Yogi Berra on August 6; coach Roy McMillan replaced him for the rest of the season. A week earlier, Cleon Jones had been released outright. As the season wound down, several news stories emerged. On September 29, Casey Stengel died of cancer in California at age 85. On October 4, principal owner Mrs. Joan Payson died at age 72. Between those passings, on October 3, the club announced the hiring of Joe Frazier as their fifth full-time manager. Frazier, a former major league infielder, had managed the Tidewater Tides to a first-place finish in the International League and was named Minor League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News. He was the first Mets manager promoted from within the organization who had not previously played or managed for a New York team.