Drysdale 4-Hits Mets

Apr. 12, 1965 - All spring training, the Mets looked forward to today. They wanted to win on opening day, and they wanted to keep winning all season. That’s the way the Mets are this year — unrealistic.

“We worked six weeks preparing for this game,” sighed Chris Cannizzaro after today’s 6-1 loss to Don Drysdale — who homered — and the Dodgers before 37,999 fans at Shea Stadium. “Everybody knew we’d never won an opener. Now, we’ll just have to realize there’s 161 games left this season. But this was the game we wanted so much.”The game was lost and Cannizzaro knew he had helped throw it away. He had prepared six weeks to catch the opening game. Then the first play he made all season was a passed ball, and the second was a foul pop that he turned into a Dodger run. 

On the latter play, Dodger catcher John Roseboro lifted a foul behind home. Cannizzaro caught it, and Tommy Davis broke from first base. Cannizzaro hesitated then threw to second — too late. Willie Davis scored easily from third.

“My fault, my fault,” Cannizzaro said. “I hate to eat the ball. I want a chance to get somebody. I should have held it, but I didn’t.”

Alvin Jackson sat in front of his locker, and he wasn’t smiling either. “The joke’s over,” he said. “Nobody on this club wants to joke about losing.”

Jackson had pitched his second straight opener. “I thought I was going to win this one,” he said. “I had this feeling that I was going to. Maybe I wanted to win so bad I was pressing.”

Billy Cowan stared into space from his locker. “Last year, I had a good day on opening day,” he reasoned, “so maybe this is a good sign.” Last year, he struck out 128 times for the Cubs and wound up with the Mets over the winter. He only has 125 strikeouts to go now, because he struck out three times today. “A lot of other guys made outs today, too,” he offered.

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