ON THIS DAY: July 24, 1965. New York Mets Casey Stengel managed the last game of his career following a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Old-Timers Day at Shea Stadium. Phils starter Jim Bunning allowed just two hits and struck out 12.
Later that night Stengel attended a Old-Timers Day celebration at the famed Toot’s Shor restaurant on West Fifty-second Street in Manhattan. Sometime after the party, Casey slipped and fell fracturing his hip. Two days later on July 27, the Mets’ team Physician Dr. Peter Lamotte operated on him to repair his hip.
Reluctantly at the age of 75, “The Old Perfessor ” closed the final chapter on his brilliant and storied managerial career by announcing his retirement at the Essex house in Manhattan on August 30, 1965.
Former New York Giants catcher and present Mets’ pitching coach Wes Westrum was named the Mets’ interim manager for the the rest of the 1965 season. Westrum was appointed the second full-time manager in the history for the 1966 season.
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