Books and articles about Jim Hickman

RELATED LINKS » 1963: Roger Craig from The New York Mets Encyclopedia by Peter C. Bjarkman Book Excerpts » "Hickman provided the Mets' only run in the fourth inning with a home run, the last ever hit at the Polo Grounds": Stew Thornley

This original New York Met was both the first member of the franchise to hit for the cycle (8/7/63) and the first to hit three home runs in a game (9/3/65). During his first seven ML seasons Hickman was considered a clumsy outfielder whose occasional power insufficiently compensated for frequent strikeouts. The Cubs acquired him from the Dodgers in 1968, and he batted a paltry .223. On August 1, 1969, he was down to .216 on the first-place Cubs. While his teammates faltered in the stretch, Hickman came off the bench to hit .301 for August, with 10 HR and 25 RBI. He kept hitting well the next year with a .315 average, 32 HR, 115 RBI, and 13 game-winning hits. In the 1970 All-Star Game, his 12th-inning single drove in Pete Rose for the game-winning run. He was slowed in ensuing years by various ailments. (AA)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 15, 1962: Pinch-hit home runs by the Mets Choo Choo Coleman (6th inning) and Jim Hickman (8th) tie the major-league record for pinch home runs by one club in one game, but the Mets still lose to the Phils, 8–7, in 13 innings. Winning pitcher Chris Short singles and scores the winning run. The Phils cop the opener, 9–3 behind a Callison homer and two by Demeter. » August 7, 1963: In the Mets 7–3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, Jim Hickman hits for the cycle, doing it in order. Both are firsts for the New York Mets. » August 9, 1963: Roger Craig's National League record-tying 18-game losing streak (broken by teammate Craig Anderson) ends thanks to Jim Hickman's 9th-inning grand slam off Lindy McDaniel. New York beats the Cubs 7–3. Craig will be on the wrong end of a shutout nine times this year: only Bugs Raymond (11 in 1908) and Walter Johnson (10 in 1909) have had more shutouts thrown at them in a year. » September 18, 1963: The last ML game at the Polo Grounds draws 1,752 fans to see Philadelphia beat New York 5–1. Jim Hickman hits the final New York home run in the historic park, and Chris Short beats Craig Anderson. » September 3, 1965: The Mets top the Cards 6–3 behind the slugging of Jim Hickman, who cranks three home runs off Birds' pitcher Ray Sadecki. Hickman is the first Mets player to hit three home runs in a game. » November 29, 1966: The Mets trade 2B Ron Hunt and OF Jim Hickman to the Dodgers for 2-time batting champ Tommy Davis and OF Derrell Griffith. » April 23, 1968: The Cubs make a canny trade acquiring P Phil Regan and OF Jim Hickman from the Dodgers for OF Ted Savage and P Jim Ellis. » July 31, 1968: Chicago's Billy Williams, Ernie Banks, and Jim Hickman hit 4th-inning home runs as Fergie Jenkins (12-10) beats the Astros 6–1 at Wrigley Field. » July 14, 1970: At Riverfront Stadium, the National League wins its 8th straight All-Star Game, a thrilling 12-inning 5–4 victory in Cincinnati. Pete Rose crashes into Cleveland catcher Ray Fosse to score the controversial winning run on Jim Hickman's single. Fosse, who never had the ball, hurts his right shoulder and is taken to the hospital. The game is scoreless until the 6th, with the NL limited to three hits in the first eight innings. In the 9th, the NL tees off on Catfish Hunter, driving in three runs to tie. Dick Dietz hits a leadoff home run in the inning. Claude Osteen pitches the 10th for the win. » August 19, 1970: Fergie Jenkins homers and his teammates add another six as Chicago coasts over San Diego, 12–2. Jim Hickman (2), Glenn Beckert, Johnny Callison, Joe Pepitone, and Billy Williams also round trip for Chicago. Six of the Cub homers are solo shots and San Diego adds a solo homer: the seven solo homers by two teams sets a National League record and ties the ML mark set on April 29, 1962. » March 23, 1974: The Cubs send OF Jim Hickman to the Cardinals for P Scipio Spinks.