Tim Harkness

From The Met Wiki

Tim Harkness was a first baseman for the Mets in 1963 and 1964. He played in 162 games and batted .228 with 12 home runs and 54 runs batted in. Harkness accumulated 112 hits and scored 46 runs in his two seasons in New York.

The Mets acquired Harkness and Larry Burright from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade for Bob Miller on December 1, 1962. In the '63 season, Tim had 79 hits in 123 games played. He hit 10 home runs during the season, two of which came in extra innings to win games for the Mets at the Polo Grounds. On June 26, Harkness hit a grand slam in the 14th inning for an 8-6 win over the Cubs. Tim hit a two-run homer (his second of the game) in the bottom of the 16th inning to give the Mets a 6-4 win over the Braves on September 1. He also had a run-scoring double in a 4-2 Mets triumph over the Giants on September 10 at the Polo Grounds.

Harkness was the first Mets player to step up to the plate in the first game ever at Shea Stadium on April 17, 1964. Tim grounded out to shortstop in the at bat, but singled in the third inning for the team's first hit ever at Shea. On April 29, Harkness hit a three-run homer off the Cardinals' Bob Gibson in the first inning of a game at St. Louis. His first-inning homer off the Reds' Jim Maloney at Shea on May 7 lifted the Mets to a 3-2 win. Tim also had a double and three singles in the Mets' 10-0 win over the Braves on July 25 at Shea.

On July 28, 1964, Harkness played his last game for the Mets. He never appeared in the major leagues again.