Ed Charles, member of Miracle Mets, dies
New York (AP) — Ed Charles, the third baseman known as “The Glider” who helped lead the Miracle Mets to the 1969 World Series title with his veteran guidance and poetry, has died. He was 84.
Charles died Thursday in New York, the J. Foster Phillips Funeral Home said.
Born Edwin Charles on April 29, 1933, in Daytona Beach, Fla., he was inspired to become a professional baseball player when he saw Jackie Robinson, then a minor leaguer in the Brooklyn Dodgers farm system, on a train at spring training in 1946. A year later, Robinson broke the big league color barrier.
Charles was signed by the Milwaukee Braves in 1952 and spent nearly a decade in the minor leagues before he was traded to the Kansas City Athletics after the 1961 season. He made his big league debut with the A’s in April 1962 at age 29 but is most known for his time with the Mets, who acquired him on May 10, 1967, for outfielder Larry Elliot and $50,000.
Charles hit just .207 with three homers and 18 RBIs in 169 at-bats in 1969, which turned out to be his final season, but he inspired his young teammates with his poetry and came up with the occasional big hit.
Released by the Mets after the World Series, Charles never played again. He finished with a .263 career batting average, 86 homers and 421 RBIs.
The Mets dubbed him their poet laureate. He wrote rhyming verse about Robinson and other sports-related subjects and would sometimes send poems to fans who requested autographs, the Daily News reported.