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Who was Tommie Agee?
Tommie Agee was an American professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1962 to 1973. He was best known as a member of the New York Mets team that became known as the Miracle Mets when they won the 1969 World Series against the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles
Agee was born in Magnolia, Alabama, and played baseball and football at Mobile County Training School with future New York Mets teammate Cleon Jones. He signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1961 and made his major league debut in 1962. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1964 and won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1966. He was traded again to the New York Mets in 1967 and became their starting center fielder and leadoff hitter. He had his best season in 1969, when he batted .271, hit 26 home runs and led the team in RBIs with 76. He also won a Gold Glove Award for his defensive excellence
What were his famous World Series catches?
Agee’s most memorable moments came in the 1969 World Series, when he made two of the greatest catches in World Series history to help the Mets win their first championship. In Game 3, he led off the game with a home run against pitcher Jim Palmer at Shea Stadium. Then, in the fourth inning, with runners on the corners, two out and the Mets up 3-0, he raced into left-center field, stuck out his glove and snagged an Elrod Hendricks shot in the webbing. In the seventh, he made a sliding catch in right-center to rob Paul Blair of a hit with two out and the bases loaded. The crowd gave him a standing ovation when he led off the bottom of the seventh. The Mets won the game 5-0 and went on to win the series 4-1. Agee’s catches are repeatedly replayed for fans during home games on the giant video screen at Shea
How did he die of a heart attack?
Agee died on January 22, 2001, at age 58 of a heart attack. He collapsed about 11 a.m. while at work at Stewart Title Insurance Co. on 42nd Street in New York City. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he died at 1 p.m. The Mets said he died of a “massive heart attack”
Agee had a history of heart problems and had undergone quadruple bypass surgery in 1996. He also suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure. He had been working as a public relations representative for the Mets and as a title insurance agent. He lived in Queens with his wife, Maxine, and his daughter, Janelle
Agee’s death shocked and saddened his former teammates, fans and the baseball community. He was remembered as a great player, a great friend and a great person. He was posthumously inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 2002.
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