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George Altman Traded from Mets to Cubs

Jan. 15, 1965 - Contrary to the fun-loving Met tradition, George Altman (pictured) was miserable last season. He batted only .230, his just nine home runs, drove in only 47 runs, and struck out 70 times. A telephone call to his Chicago home this morning made him a happy man again.

Bing Devine, assistant to Met general manager George Weiss, was on the other end. He informed Altman that he had been traded to the Chicago Cubs for center fielder Billy Cowan, a rookie last year.

“I’m delighted,” Altman said. “When I was playing here before, the Cubs and the fans were so good to me, it’s a wonderful feeling to come back.”

Altman had his best years with the Cubs, the team he broke in with in 1959. He batted .303 and hit 27 homers in 1961 and hit .318 and 22 homers the following year.

In 1963, he was traded to St. Louis, and his batting average dipped to .274. He came to the Mets last season with pitcher Bill Wakefield in a trade for pitcher Roger Craig.

“I’m not making my contribution, and I feel badly about it,” he often said after the continuous losses at Shea Stadium.

Now, Altman, who turns 32 in March, will be back playing in his old hometown. Even the concern over the injuries which hampered him last year seemed to have disappeared.

“I’ve been working out on one of those stationary power bikes, and my legs feel terrific,” he said.

Cowan, 26, is a right-handed slugger who was voted Minor League Player of the Year in 1963 after a .315 season at Salt Lake City. In his first major league season last summer, he hit .241 with 19 homers and 50 RBI’s. He struck out 128 times.

Mets manager Casey Stengel, reached at home in Glendale, Calif., hailed the move.

“This gives us another center fielder who has played regularly in the major leagues,” said Casey. “Cowan can run and catch the ball. All he has to do is cut down on his strikeouts, and he can become a good hitter, too.”



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