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Back in the watercolor summer of 1969, as the Mets were getting the hang of playing competent baseball for the very first time, there came a three-game series at Shea Stadium with the first-place Cubs in early July that was quite literally the first important games the Mets ever played.
At first, it went very well: they scored three ninth-inning runs to rally against Fergie Jenkins in the first game. In the second, Tom Seaver retired the first 25 Cubs he faced, and the 4-0 win pulled the Mets within 3 ½ games. But in the third game the Mets reverted to 1962 form: two costly errors helped Chicago to a 6-2 win.
“Were those the real Cubs?” manager Leo Durocher was asked afterward.
Leo, ever willing to lead with his lip, shook his head.
