Jerry Koosman, the left-hander who helped pitch the 1969 "Miracle" Mets to a World Series title, has died. He was 83.

The Mets said Koosman died Sunday surrounded by his family in Osceola, Wisconsin. The team shared the news on its Medium page and said he had been dealing with several illnesses.

Koosman was one of the biggest reasons a club that had never finished above ninth place ended up champions. He won two games in that World Series against the Baltimore Orioles.

Two wins on the biggest stage

He took Game 2 to even the series, then came back to win Game 5, the game that clinched the title for New York.

Koosman went on to make two All-Star teams. He finished his Mets career with 140 wins, the most by a left-hander in team history. The club retired his No. 36 in a ceremony at Citi Field in 2021.

'Our protector'

Former teammate Ron Swoboda remembered how Koosman looked out for the rest of the clubhouse. "Jerry was our protector. Any time the opposition threw at our guys, Jerry took care of it," he said.

He and Tom Seaver formed the heart of that 1969 rotation. Fans who remember that October still link the two pitchers to one of the most surprising runs in baseball history.