Cal Koonce – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Calvin Lee Koonce quietly ended his major league baseball career on August 8, 1971. That day, he took the mound for the Boston Red Sox against the Detroit Tigers, and it turned out to be his final appearance.

The right-handed pitcher from Fayetteville, North Carolina, spent a decade in the big leagues. He bounced from team to team, carving out a respectable role as both a starter and reliever.

Koonce’s journey took him from the struggling Chicago Cubs of the early 1960s to the championship-winning New York Mets of 1969. He wrapped things up with a short stint in Boston.

Koonce finished his 10-year career with a 47-49 record and a 3.78 ERA across 336 games, but his most memorable contribution came as a reliable bullpen arm for the Miracle Mets during their stunning World Series championship run. He didn’t pitch in the postseason, but his steady work throughout 1969 helped stabilize a pitching staff that shocked the baseball world.

He willingly shifted from starter to reliever, and that flexibility kept him in the majors for a full decade.

Koonce’s story says a lot about baseball in the 1960s and early 1970s. Back then, pitchers had to fill multiple roles, and teams still hadn’t figured out exactly how to use their bullpens.

He started out at a small college in North Carolina and somehow made it all the way to the World Series stage. Determination and adaptability really could sustain a career, even if you didn’t have overwhelming talent.

He struggled early on with Chicago’s chaotic “College of Coaches” system. Later, he found success under Gil Hodges in New York.

Koonce’s decade in baseball offers a glimpse into a transformative era of the game.

Early Life and Background

Calvin Lee Koonce was born on November 18, 1940, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. That’s where he first built the foundation for his future Major League Baseball career.

He spent his early years in Hope Mills, North Carolina. There, he became a standout athlete before heading off to Campbell College.

Birthplace and Family

Cal Koonce entered the world in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on November 18, 1940. He grew up in nearby Hope Mills and quickly made a name for himself as a talented young athlete.

The Koonce family definitely had athletic roots. Cal’s brother, Charles Koonce, also played baseball.

Charles played as a freshman at Campbell College while Cal was there as a sophomore. Clearly, athletic talent ran in the family.

In the Hope Mills area, folks knew Cal for his sports ability. His physical build—standing 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 185 pounds—later helped him in pro baseball.

Education and Early Baseball Experiences

Cal Koonce attended Campbell College, which was just a two-year school back then. Later, it became a four-year university.

He played both baseball and basketball at Campbell. His freshman year, he made an immediate impact on the baseball field.

Koonce racked up impressive strikeout numbers, including 19-strikeout and 17-strikeout games, and finished with a 4-3 record.

As a sophomore, he got even better. He pitched in 17 games, starting 14, and posted a solid 10-4 record.

His performance earned him a spot as a junior college All-American in 1961.

That season, Cal played alongside his younger brother Charles, who was a freshman. Sharing the field with his brother made his college baseball experience unique.

The Chicago Cubs saw his talent and signed him in 1961. That move kicked off his professional baseball career.

Professional Baseball Career Overview

Cal Koonce pitched for ten seasons in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1971. He played for the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox.

He started out as a starter but shifted into a reliever role over time. By the end, he had a 47-49 record and 3.78 ERA across 334 games.

Major League Debut and Early Years

Koonce made his MLB debut on April 14, 1962, with the Chicago Cubs at just 21 years old. That rookie season, he became the most successful Cubs starter, posting a 10-10 record and a 3.97 ERA in 191 innings.

The Cubs lost 103 games in 1962 and finished 42 games out of first place. Even with the team struggling, Koonce nearly threw a no-hitter against Cincinnati on July 13, 1962.

Don Blasingame broke up the no-hit bid with a single to center field.

Koonce’s sophomore season didn’t go as well. The Cubs sent him down to Salt Lake City in June 1963 with his ERA hovering around 6.00.

He went 5-3 with a 3.00 ERA in Triple-A before coming back to Chicago in August.

Roles as Starter and Reliever

Koonce started out as a starting pitcher, but over time, he moved into relief work. In 1966, under manager Leo Durocher, he made only five starts and appeared in 40 games out of the bullpen.

His best season came in 1968 with the New York Mets. That year, Koonce made 53 relief appearances, posted a 6-4 record, a 2.42 ERA, and 11 saves.

He played a key role on the Mets’ 1969 World Series championship team.

“With the Mets it was different; we took turns,” Koonce said about the change from Chicago. “If you were brought in one day, you knew you would have a day or two to get ready before you were called on again.”

Career Statistics and Notable Records

Koonce retired after the 1971 season. He finished with a 47-49 record and 3.78 ERA in 334 games.

He struck out 504 batters and walked 356 over 825.2 innings.

His best statistical year was 1968, when he posted a 2.42 ERA in 53 games. He won six games and saved seven for the 1969 Miracle Mets.

Career Highlights:

• 10 seasons in Major League Baseball
• 334 games pitched (124 starts, 210 relief appearances)
• 2.42 ERA in 1968 (career best)
• Member of 1969 World Series champion New York Mets

Koonce called his pitch “the sweatball.” He admitted to using perspiration to make the ball move differently. “I threw a half-dozen every game,” he said.

Chicago Cubs Years

Cal Koonce spent most of his major league career with the Chicago Cubs from 1962 to 1967. He joined the team during one of its roughest stretches, when the Cubs were experimenting with the “College of Coaches” instead of a traditional manager.

Rookie Season Highlights

Koonce made his MLB debut on April 14, 1962, at age 21. That Cubs team would lose 103 games, but Koonce still managed to stand out.

Record and Performance:

• 10-10 record with a 3.97 ERA
• 191 innings pitched as a rookie
• Only Cubs pitcher to finish at .500 or better

The 1962 Cubs finished 42 games out of first place. The team had one 20-game loser and two other pitchers who finished nine games under .500.

Koonce’s even record really stood out on a roster that struggled for consistent pitching.

His most memorable outing came July 13, 1962, against Cincinnati at Wrigley Field. Koonce nearly threw a no-hitter, giving up only a single to Don Blasingame.

He retired the first 10 batters before allowing the hit.

The Cubs won 1-0 on a Ron Santo sacrifice fly. Koonce threw a complete game shutout for his first career complete game win.

Performance and Team Impact

Koonce’s Cubs years were marked by inconsistency and lots of organizational chaos. In 1963, he struggled with a 6.00 ERA and ended up in Triple-A Salt Lake City by June.

Career Progression:

• 1963: 2-6 record, mostly in minors
• 1964: Spent most of season in Triple-A (11-15)
• 1965: 7-9 record in 173 innings
• 1966: 5-5 record under new manager Leo Durocher

Under Durocher, Koonce shifted from starter to reliever. In 1966, he made 40 relief appearances compared to just five starts.

That change set the tone for the rest of his career.

Koonce later criticized Durocher’s bullpen management. “Leo would use the same reliever game after game until he ran out of gas,” he recalled.

During one stretch, he warmed up 14 consecutive days.

The Cubs sold Koonce to the New York Mets on August 2, 1967. He finished his Chicago tenure with a 27-37 overall record.

Time With the New York Mets

Cal Koonce found new life with the New York Mets after the Cubs traded him in August 1967. He became a key piece of the 1969 World Series championship team under Gil Hodges.

Joining the Mets

The Mets picked up Koonce from the Cubs on August 2, 1967. That trade came after manager Leo Durocher lost patience with Koonce’s inconsistency in Chicago.

New York immediately tried Koonce as a starter. He won his first start against Pittsburgh by going the distance.

His next start was also a win.

On August 29, 1967, Koonce threw a shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals. That strong performance showed he could still compete in the NL with his new team.

The Mets were in the middle of major changes in 1967. They used a club-record 54 players that season.

After his initial success as a starter, Koonce moved back to the bullpen.

Gil Hodges took over as manager in 1968. Johnny Murphy became general manager.

Both men carefully evaluated which players would stick with the team.

1969 Season and World Series

Koonce played a big role in the Mets’ 1969 World Series championship season. He appeared in 53 relief games and posted a 6-4 record with seven saves.

The 1969 season started rough for Koonce. He took the loss on Opening Day against the Montreal Expos at Shea Stadium.

That game was the first ever for the expansion Expos.

His ERA hovered around 6.00 through June as the Mets began their historic run. Koonce struggled with home runs, giving up as many as he had in the previous two seasons combined.

Still, he had some important moments. He won three games in a five-appearance stretch during July, including a win at Wrigley Field against his old Cubs teammates.

The Mets’ bullpen in 1969 was deeper than what Koonce had seen in Chicago. Ron Taylor, Tug McGraw, and Koonce all shared relief duties, keeping everyone fresh.

“With the Mets it was different; we took turns,” Koonce said about the management style. “If you were brought in one day, you knew you would have a day or two to get ready before you were called on again.”

Koonce didn’t pitch in the postseason. The Mets’ starting pitchers were so dominant that the bullpen threw fewer than six innings in the five-game World Series win over Baltimore.

Notable Games and Achievements

Koonce had his best season with the Mets in 1968. He went 6-4 with a 2.42 ERA in 53 relief appearances.

That ERA stood as his career best for a full season. He almost finished with an ERA under 2.00, but a rough relief outing in the final game against Philadelphia bumped it up to 2.42.

Koonce openly admitted he threw illegal pitches during his time with the Mets. He called it “the sweatball,” using perspiration from his hand or wrist on the baseball.

“I threw a half-dozen every game,” he said, a bit amused by his own honesty. “A lot of pitchers did, but nobody would admit it because the spitball has been illegal since 1920.”

On July 16, 1969, Koonce threw five shutout innings in relief at Wrigley Field. That effort helped the Mets pull within four games of the first-place Cubs.

Later in July, he replaced Don Cardwell in the first inning against Atlanta. He tossed 6⅓ innings as the Mets won 5-4 over the NL West leaders.

Koonce made nine appearances in 1969 where he pitched three or more innings. Only two Mets pitchers managed to beat the Houston Astros that season, and Koonce was one of them.

Final MLB Seasons With the Boston Red Sox

Cal Koonce wrapped up his major league career with the Boston Red Sox after the New York Mets sold him in June 1970. In Boston, he barely got playing time and dealt with injuries that eventually led him to retire from pro baseball in 1971.

Transition to the Red Sox

The New York Mets sold Koonce to the Boston Red Sox on June 8, 1970. That move basically started the last chapter of his 10-year major league run.

He joined a Red Sox team searching for bullpen depth. Boston was competing in the American League East at the time.

Koonce worked mostly as a relief pitcher with the Red Sox. He’d already built a reputation as a steady bullpen arm, especially during the Mets’ 1969 World Series championship season.

Switching to the American League gave Koonce a new challenge. He’d spent his whole career in the National League with the Cubs and Mets.

1971 Season and Retirement

In 1971, injuries cut Koonce’s final season short. The Red Sox put him on the disabled list on June 19, after he’d only managed a few appearances.

He came off the disabled list on July 25, 1971. But his comeback didn’t last long, and things just didn’t click.

The Red Sox released Koonce on August 17, 1971, ending his major league career. At 30, the North Carolina native decided to retire from pro baseball.

His final MLB stats included 47 wins and 49 losses with a 3.78 ERA over 334 games. He racked up 504 strikeouts and 24 saves during his ten-year career.

He played from 1962 to 1971 for three different organizations in both leagues.

Life After Baseball and Legacy

After his playing days, Cal Koonce jumped into coaching and baseball management back home in North Carolina. He spent over a decade helping young players and giving back to his community through baseball until his death in 1993.

Coaching and Management Career

Koonce went back to North Carolina right after leaving the Red Sox in 1971. He started coaching at Fayetteville Academy in 1974.

That same year, he also took on a coaching job at South View High School, where he stayed from 1974 to 1979.

His biggest coaching gig came at his alma mater, Campbell University. Koonce served as head baseball coach from 1979 to 1986.

During those years, he brought his major league experience to college players, shaping their approach to the game.

Koonce’s baseball expertise went beyond coaching. He became the first general manager of the Fayetteville Generals minor league team, keeping him close to pro baseball and the local sports scene.

Community Involvement and Personal Life

Koonce stayed deeply rooted in North Carolina after baseball. He settled in the Fayetteville area, where he’d grown up.

His dedication to local baseball went beyond any official coaching title. He always found ways to stay involved.

On October 3, 1987, the Campbell Athletics Hall of Fame inducted Koonce. That honor recognized both his playing days and his work as a coach at the university.

The induction really celebrated his impact as both a student-athlete and a mentor.

Koonce’s easygoing personality—something folks remembered from his Miracle Mets days—helped him connect in his community roles. He kept in touch with former teammates and baseball friends throughout his retirement.

Enduring Influence and Remembrance

Cal Koonce died on October 28, 1993, when he was just 52. People still remember him for the players he coached and the baseball programs he built up in North Carolina.

He made a big mark on Campbell University’s baseball program, and you can still see his influence in the school’s athletic history.

As a member of the 1969 World Series champion New York Mets, he secured his spot in baseball history. Fans and baseball historians still talk about that “Miracle Mets” season. Koonce’s six wins and seven saves really mattered for the team’s success.

After his major league days, Koonce jumped into coaching and community work. He showed how former athletes can shape their hometowns in a positive way.

He inspired a lot of young baseball players in North Carolina, and his baseball legacy reached way past his own playing career.