A Christmas Wish From Casey Stengel

How did the original Mets skipper know what 1969 would hold? Casey Stengel, who managed the last-place club from 1962 to 1965, wrote in a Christmas card to bullpen coach Joe Pignatano that “1969 may become the greatest year of the Mets. ‘Gil’ [Hodges] and you coaches handled the players on the field and off wonderfully with the youth and lack of experience. Good luck in 1969.” Stengel and the rest of the world looked on that season as the Mets truly became Amazin’.