1962 New York Mets
League	National League
Ballpark	Polo Grounds
City	New York
Record	40–120 (.250)
League place	10th
Owner	Joan Payson
General manager	George Weiss
Manager	Casey Stengel
Television	WOR-TV
Radio	WABC (AM) (Ralph Kiner,Lindsey Nelson,Bob Murphy)
Seasons 1963 →

The1962New York Mets season was the first regular season for the Mets, as theNational League returned to New York City for the first time since 1957. They went 40–120 (.250) and finished tenth and last in the National League,60+1⁄2 games behind the NL ChampionSan Francisco Giants, who had once called New York home. The Mets were the latest team to be 60+ games behind in a division before the2018 Baltimore Orioles finished 61 games behind theWorld Series ChampionBoston Red Sox. In one of theworst MLB seasons in the modern era and the National League since the1952 Pittsburgh Pirates, the Mets lost 120 games, setting the record for the most losses in the era. Their losses became the second most when the2024 Chicago White Sox lost their 121st game;^[1] though their winning percentage (.253) is still higher than the Mets' (.250).^[2] The Mets'starting pitchers also recorded a new major league low of just 23wins all season.^[3]

The team lost its first game 11–4 to theSt. Louis Cardinals on April 11 and went on to lose its first nine games. Having repaired their record to 12–19 on May 20 after sweeping a doubleheader against theMilwaukee Braves, the Mets lost their next 17 games. They also lost 11 games straight from July 15 to July 26 and 13 games straight from August 9 to August 21. Their longest winning streak of the season was three wins.^[4]

The Mets were managed by former New York Yankees managerCasey Stengel and played their home games at thePolo Grounds, which was their temporary home whileShea Stadium was being built inQueens. They remain infamous for their ineptitude and were one of the worst teams inMajor League Baseball history. The team's 120 losses were the third most by any team in MLB history, after the infamous1899 Cleveland Spiders lost 134. Their team batting average, team earned run average (ERA), and team fielding percentage were all the worst in the major leagues that season.^[5]

Despite the team's terrible performance, fans came out in droves. Their 1962 season attendance of 922,530 was good enough for sixth in the National League.

The season was chronicled inJimmy Breslin's humorous best-selling 1963 bookCan't Anybody Here Play This Game? The title came from a remark made by manager Casey Stengel expressing frustration over his team's poor play.

One of the only bright spots was left fielderFrank Thomas, who hit .266 with 152 hits, 34 home runs, and 94 RBIs.

• July 20, 1961:Paul Blair was signed as an amateur free agent by the Mets.^[6]
• October 16, 1961:Billy Loes was purchased by the Mets from theSan Francisco Giants.^[7]
• November 28, 1961: The Mets traded a player to be named later and cash to theMilwaukee Braves forFrank Thomas and a player to be named later. The deal was completed on May 21, 1962, when the Mets sentGus Bell to the Braves, and the Braves sentRick Herrscher to the Mets.^[8]
• January 30, 1962:Joe Ginsberg was signed as a free agent by the Mets.^[9]
• March 2, 1962: Billy Loes was returned by the Mets to the San Francisco Giants.^[7]

Main article:1961 MLB expansion draft

• Craig Anderson, pitcher,St. Louis Cardinals
• Gus Bell,^[10] outfielder,Cincinnati Reds
• Ed Bouchee,^[11] infielder,Chicago Cubs
• Chris Cannizzaro, catcher,St. Louis Cardinals
• Elio Chacón, infielder,Cincinnati Reds
• Joe Christopher, outfielder,Pittsburgh Pirates
• Choo-Choo Coleman, catcher,Philadelphia Phillies
• Roger Craig, pitcher,Los Angeles Dodgers
• Ray Daviault, pitcher,San Francisco Giants
• John DeMerit, outfielder,Milwaukee Braves
• Sammy Drake, infielder,Chicago Cubs
• Jim Hickman, outfielder,St. Louis Cardinals
• Gil Hodges, infielder,Los Angeles Dodgers
• Jay Hook, pitcher,Cincinnati Reds
• Al Jackson, pitcher,Pittsburgh Pirates
• Sherman Jones, pitcher,Cincinnati Reds
• Hobie Landrith,^[12] catcher,San Francisco Giants
• Félix Mantilla, infielder,Milwaukee Braves
• Bob L. Miller, pitcher,St. Louis Cardinals
• Bobby Gene Smith, outfielder,Philadelphia Phillies
• Lee Walls, infielder/outfielder,Philadelphia Phillies
• Don Zimmer, infielder,Chicago Cubs

The Mets andHouston Colt .45s were established on October 17, 1960, giving them time to acquire minor league professional players, sign amateurfree agents (there was nofirst-year MLB draft until 1965) and enter into working agreements with minor league affiliates during the 1961 season. New York had formal working agreements with three minor league baseball teams in 1961:

As an expansion team, the Mets were not expected to do well. They finished last in the National League, and they also finished 24 games behind their expansion brethren, theColt .45s.

The first game in franchise history was played on the road, atBusch Stadium,St. Louis, on Wednesday night, April 11, 1962. The Mets fell behind 2–0 and 5–2 early, then narrowed the deficit to onerun, but ultimately lost to theSt. Louis Cardinals, 11–4. FormerBrooklyn DodgersGil Hodges andCharlie Nealhomered for the Mets, whose home opener atNew York's Polo Grounds would wait until their second-ever official game, on Friday, April 13, 1962.

^[13]

• April 26, 1962:Harry Chiti was purchased by the Mets from theCleveland Indians.^[14]
• April 26, 1962:Bob Smith was traded by the Mets to theChicago Cubs forSammy Taylor.^[15]
• May 1, 1962: Joe Ginsberg was released by the Mets.^[9]
• May 7, 1962:Don Zimmer was traded by the Mets to the Cincinnati Reds forBob G. Miller andCliff Cook.^[16][17]
• May 7, 1962:Jim Marshall was traded by the Mets to thePittsburgh Pirates forVinegar Bend Mizell.^[17][18]
• May 9, 1962:Marv Throneberry was sold by theBaltimore Orioles to the New York Mets.^[19]
• June 7, 1962 The New York Mets sellHobie Landrith to the Orioles.^[20]
• June 15, 1962: Harry Chiti was returned by the Mets to the Cleveland Indians.^[14]
• June 27, 1962:Ed Kranepool was signed as an amateur free agent by the Mets.^[21]
• August 4, 1962:Vinegar Bend Mizell was released by the Mets.^[18]
• September 7, 1962:Galen Cisco was selected off waivers by the Mets from theBoston Red Sox.^[22]

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

^[23]

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

^[23]

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Richie Ashburn

• #3 in NL in bases on balls (81)

Roger Craig

• MLB leader in losses (24)
• #2 in NL in home runs allowed (35)
• #3 in NL in earned runs allowed (117)

Jay Hook

• #4 in NL in earned runs allowed (115)
• #4 in NL in home runs allowed (31)

Al Jackson

• #2 in NL in losses (20)

• 1962 New York Mets at Baseball Reference
• 1962 New York Mets Roster at Baseball Almanac
• Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997).The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America.ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.

• New York Mets seasons
• 1962 Major League Baseball season
• Major League Baseball inaugural teams seasons
• 1962 in sports in New York City
• Washington Heights, Manhattan
• 1960s in Manhattan

• Use mdy dates from November 2013
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles with hCards