Mr. Met

Last updated

Mr. Met
LIRR Summer Kick-off Event (14266880060).jpg
TeamNew York Mets
DescriptionMan with a baseball for a head
First seenApril 11, 1962
Related mascot(s) Mrs. Met
Website www.mlb.com/mets/fans/the-story-of-mr-met

Mr. Met is the official mascot for Major League Baseball's New York Mets. Mr. Met first appeared in 1963 as a cartoon drawing in programs. When the team moved to Shea Stadium the following year, he came to life in the form of a costumed mascot -- it's believed he was the first mascot to appear in human form in Major League Baseball. [1]

Contents

Mr. Met is a man with a large baseball for a head. He can be seen at Citi Field during Mets home games, has appeared in several commercials as part of ESPN's This is SportsCenter campaign, and has been elected into the Mascot Hall of Fame. [2] In 2012, Forbes Magazine listed Mr. Met as the number one mascot in all of sports.

History

The second version of the Mr. Met head, as seen on display at the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum at Citi Field. Original Mr. Met.JPG
The second version of the Mr. Met head, as seen on display at the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum at Citi Field.

Mr. Met was first introduced on the cover of game programs, yearbooks, and on scorecards in 1963, when the Mets were still playing at the Polo Grounds in northern Manhattan. Comic book artist Al Avison was at least one of the artists who contributed to the character's design. [3] When the Mets moved to Shea Stadium in 1964, fans were introduced to a live costumed version, portrayed by team ticket office employee, Daniel J. Reilly. Mr. Met is believed to have been the first mascot in Major League Baseball to exist in live-action (as opposed to artistically rendered) form. [4] He was also the first person on the Mets to be represented by a bobblehead doll.

Mr. Met with Mrs. Met in 2013 Mr-met-mrs-met.jpg
Mr. Met with Mrs. Met in 2013

In the 1960s, Mr. Met occasionally appeared in print with a female companion, Mrs. Met (originally called "Lady Met"), and less frequently with a group of three "little Mets" children; the smallest was a baby in Lady Met's arms. Mrs. Met was debuted in a short lived live costumed form in 1975 before being reintroduced in 2013.[ citation needed ]

In the mid-1970s, the Mets franchise began to abandon the Mr. Met mascot. In 1976, he appeared on the cover of the New York Mets Official Yearbook. In 1977 and 1978, Mr. Met and Lady Met appeared on the cover of the Mets Shea Stadium Official Schedule. After that time, he was not utilized in their advertising and he remained absent for almost 20 years. He was phased out prior to the upsurge in mascot popularity caused by The Famous Chicken and the Phillie Phanatic in the late '70s. [5] In 1979, after the Mets discontinued use of Mr. Met, the team briefly experimented with a new mascot named "Mettle the mule" that was a living animal that would parade along the foul lines prior to a game. [6]

In 1992, long time Mets fan, Lois Kaufmann of Queens, New York, wrote a compelling appeal for his reinstatement and asking the Mets to resurrect the mascot. [7] The team did not act quickly or grant Lois her request to be Mr. Met. However, in 1994, they did follow her advice and revived Mr. Met as part of a promotion with Nickelodeon. After a long absence, Mr. Met was quickly re-embraced by New York Mets fans and has since remained a constant part of the franchise.

Mr. Met is prominently featured in signage all over Citi Field. He was also heavily used in Shea Stadium signage, as seen in this photo. MrMetSheaSignage.jpg
Mr. Met is prominently featured in signage all over Citi Field. He was also heavily used in Shea Stadium signage, as seen in this photo.

On April 14, 2002, the Mets held a birthday party for Mr. Met at Shea Stadium. It was attended by costumed mascots from all around Major League Baseball and by Sandy the Seagull, mascot of the Brooklyn Cyclones, a Mets farm team. [4]

In the 2003 season, first baseman Tony Clark was the first Mets player ever to wear #00, Mr. Met's number. In June of that season, he switched to #52 when Queens schoolchildren asked him what had happened to Mr. Met. [8]

On September 14, 2007, Mr. Met was elected into the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Beginning on August 14, 2009, throughout their series against the San Francisco Giants, the Mets wore throwback jerseys featuring a Mr. Met patch on the right sleeve. [9]

Currently, Mr. Met can be seen at Citi Field during and after games. He is usually found near Mr. Met's Kiddie Field where fans can meet and pose for pictures with him. He can be hired for special events and private parties. Mr. Met is also featured on Mets Money, which are $1, $5 and $10 denomination gift certificates accepted at concession stands and souvenir shops at Citi Field. The design is somewhat reminiscent of standard U.S. currency, but instead features images of Mr. Met attired and posed similarly to the historical official (Washington, Lincoln or Hamilton) featured on the respective bill.

The second version of the Mr. Met head is now on display at the New York Mets Hall of Fame and Museum at Citi Field.

In 2013, the Mets introduced batting practice caps featuring Mr. Met on the front. [10] In 2014, a Mr. Met sleeve patch was featured on the Mets' blue alternate home and road jerseys. [11] In 2015, a far more detailed Mr. Met backstory was written by a longtime fan in cooperation with the team and published by Mascot Books. [12]

Performers

Mr. Met has been portrayed by many people over the years. Dan Reilly was the first person to wear the Mr. Met costume, starting in 1964. In 2007, Reilly wrote a book about his experiences with the team, called The Original Mr. Met Remembers.

Mr. Met was portrayed from 1994 through 1997 by AJ Mass, currently a fantasy sports writer for ESPN. Mass has written several books and articles on his experiences portraying Mr. Met. [6] [13] [14]

Matt Golden portrayed Mr. Met from 1999 to 2011. [15]

On May 31, 2017, Mr. Met was heading back to the clubhouse after a Mets loss when he engaged in a heated exchange with an opposing fan. The argument ended with Mr. Met giving the finger towards the fan, which was caught on video. The Mets then changed performers for Mr. Met. [16]

Inside Baseball

Mr. Met at Fenway Park Mr Met Fenway.jpg
Mr. Met at Fenway Park

In a 2003 This is SportsCenter ad, when the show ends, everyone rushes out of the studio, creating a massive traffic jam. It then shows Mr. Met and Lady Met driving home on the freeway (with the Met children in the back), with Lady Met subtitled as saying they were glad to get out early. The New York Mets theme song, "Meet the Mets", is on their car radio. (A shorter version with just the Mets family has Mrs. Met accusing Mr. Met of making eyes at one of the female ESPN sportscasters.)

In 2009, Mr. Met appeared in another This is SportsCenter ad, which Mr. Met is talking with Stuart Scott at a microwave. [17] When Josh Hamilton shows up to use the microwave, Mr. Met angrily gestures at him and walks away. Hamilton is confused until Scott reveals that some of the balls Hamilton hit in the 2008 Home Run Derby were actually relatives of the mascot.

In 2007, Mr. Met became a spokesman for MTA New York City Transit, appearing on several advertisements and safety messages within the New York City Subways and buses.

He was also featured in commercials for MLB 06: The Show , a video game for Sony's PlayStation 2, where a camera crew followed him around as he performed his daily duties, such as buying coffee and picking up his laundry. In 2010, he began appearing in commercials for Citi Bank that aired during Mets broadcasts, inducing Mets fans to join him in a "Let's Go Mets" cheer during mundane activities such as business meetings.

He has his own Build-A-Bear Workshop store, but instead of at Citi Field, it's located at the Mets' flagship store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.

Mr. Met was featured on the remake of The Odd Couple . In it Oscar Madison was to throw out the first pitch. His estranged father (Garry Marshall) is with him and the senior Madison gets Oscar so mad that he hits Mr. Met in the head. [18] The Mets get Oscar to, as a publicity stunt, apologize to Mr. Met. [19]

In 2019, Mr. Met appeared in an episode of Madam Secretary . Newly elected President Elizabeth McCord, anxious about throwing a ceremonial pitch at a Mets game, dreams she knocks out Mr. Met instead.

Mr. Met and the Phillie Phanatic did a MasterCard commercial in 2013 to raise money for ending cancer. [20] According to his 2019 Topps Opening Day Baseball Card , the "hustling humanoid [still] loves getting selfies taken with fans and raising money for charitable causes."

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Mets</span> Major League Baseball franchise in New York City

The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City, the other being the American League's (AL) New York Yankees. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed NL teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. The team's colors evoke the blue of the Dodgers and the orange of the Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shea Stadium</span> Stadium in Queens, New York, US (1964–2009)

Shea Stadium, formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City. Opened in 1964, it was home to the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1964 to 2008, as well as the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Piazza</span> American baseball player (born 1968)

Michael Joseph Piazza is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007. He currently serves as the manager of the Italian national baseball team. He played most notably for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, while also having brief stints with the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and Oakland Athletics. A 12-time All-Star and 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner at catcher, Piazza produced strong offensive numbers at his position; in his career, he recorded 427 home runs—a record 396 of which were hit as catcher—along with a .308 batting average and 1,335 runs batted in (RBI).

This is SportsCenter is a series of comical television commercials that debuted in 1995 and run by ESPN to promote their SportsCenter sports news show, based on the show's opening tagline. The ads are presented in a deadpan, mockumentary style, lampooning various aspects of sports, and sports broadcasting. The New York office of advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, of Portland, Oregon, was responsible for the writing and production of the commercials until 2017, with ESPN taking production in-house since 2018. In 2022, ESPN's new creative partner, Arts & Letters, announced that it would revive the campaign in the beginning of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillie Phanatic</span> Mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball

The Phillie Phanatic is the official mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. He is a large, furry, green flightless bird with an extendable tongue. He performs various routines to entertain fans during baseball games at Citizens Bank Park and makes public relation and goodwill appearances for the Phillies. The Phanatic is widely acknowledged as one of the best ballpark mascots, and one of the most recognizable mascots in North American sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youppi!</span> Canadian sports mascot

Youppi! is the official mascot for the Montreal Canadiens, and former longtime mascot of the Montreal Expos. Youppi! wears an "!" instead of a jersey number.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariner Moose</span>

The Mariner Moose is the team mascot of the Seattle Mariners, a Major League Baseball team. He is an anthropomorphic moose who mainly appears and performs during Mariners home games at T-Mobile Park; he additionally makes several hundred appearances in the community each year, at everything from hospitals to wedding receptions. His appearance has remained relatively unchanged since his introduction in 1990, making him one of the most recognizable and popular mascots throughout all of Major League Baseball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sausage Race</span> Mascot race at Milwaukee Brewers baseball games

The Sausage Race is a race of sausage mascots held before the bottom of the sixth inning at every home game of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Sausage Race began as a promotion for the Klement's Sausage Company, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose sausages were served at American Family Field, the home of the Brewers. In 2021, Johnsonville sausages began being served at American Family Field and today are officially known as the Famous Racing Sausages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citi Field</span> Baseball stadium in Queens, New York

Citi Field is a baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opening in 2009, Citi Field is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s New York Mets. The stadium was built as a replacement for the adjacent Shea Stadium, which had opened in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Red</span>

Mr. Red is the first mascot of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. He is a humanoid figure dressed in a Reds uniform, with an oversized baseball for a head. Sometimes, Mr. Red is referred to by the team as "The Running Man" for the way he has posed on the logo c. 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Shea</span> American lawyer (1907–1991)

William Alfred Shea was an American lawyer and a name partner of the prominent law firm of Shea & Gould. He is better known as the founder of the Continental League, which was instrumental in bringing National League baseball back to New York City with the New York Mets, and for being the namesake of the stadium where that team played for 45 years, and paving the way for all of the MLB expansion teams that have followed.

"Meet the Mets" is the fight song of the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. The music and lyrics were written in 1961 by Ruth Roberts and Bill Katz, and it was originally recorded by Glenn Osser's orchestra. The song's lyrics "East Side, West Side" are a tribute to The Sidewalks of New York, a popular New York song of the 1890s. Rewritten and modernized versions were recorded in 1975 and 1984.

The 1986 New York Mets season was the Mets' 25th season in the National League. They improved from a 98–64 record in 1985 to finish the season with a franchise record 108–54 record, giving them the division title. They went on to defeat the Houston Astros in six games in the NLCS and the American League champion Boston Red Sox in seven games in the World Series. This is their last championship to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cow-Bell Man</span>

Edwin "Eddie" Boison, known as Cow-Bell Man, is a stadium fixture for the New York Mets. He can be seen at nearly every home game at Citi Field, wandering around the concourses while banging a cowbell. He typically wears personalized jerseys with the sobriquet Cowbellman. In 2009, he wore a batting practice jersey with the number 15, which from 2005 to 2011 was assigned to outfielder Carlos Beltrán. Prior to the Mets' acquisition of Beltran, Cow-Bell Man's jersey featured the number 10, worn by Endy Chavez. Cow-Bell Man is usually seen strolling around Citi-Field interacting with the fans. As of July 2021, Cow-Bell Man wears a Met jersey with "COWBELLMAN" with the #40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mets–Yankees rivalry</span> Major League Baseball rivalry in New York City

The Mets–Yankees rivalry refers to the latest incarnation of the Subway Series, which is the interleague rivalry between New York City's Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the New York Mets and the New York Yankees. The Mets are a member club of MLB's National League (NL) East division, and the Yankees are a member club of MLB's American League (AL) East division.

The 1978 Philadelphia Phillies season was the 96th season in the history of the franchise. The Phillies won their third straight National League East title with a record of 90–72, a game and a half over the Pittsburgh Pirates, as the Phillies defeated the Pirates in Pittsburgh on the next to last day of the season. For the third consecutive season the Phillies came up short in the NLCS, as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated them three games to one, as they had the previous season. The Phillies were managed by Danny Ozark and played their home games at Veterans Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home Run Apple</span> New York Mets home run symbol

The Home Run Apple is a motorized apple prop in the batter's eye at Citi Field in New York City, New York, United States; which rises whenever the New York Mets hit a home run there. The original, smaller apple was first installed in Shea Stadium in 1980 at the behest of Al Harazin with a replacement being installed at Citi Field upon that stadium's opening in 2009. The original was 9 feet (2.7 m) tall while the replacement is 18 feet (5.5 m) tall and 16 feet (4.9 m) wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game</span>

The 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 84th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It was held on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at Citi Field in Queens, New York City, the home of the New York Mets. This was the first time that the Mets have hosted an All-Star Game since 1964, the team's inaugural season at Shea Stadium, and the ninth time the All-Star Game was held in New York City. The game was last held in New York City in 2008, when the old Yankee Stadium hosted it in its final season before being demolished. It was televised in the United States on Fox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mrs. Met</span> Mascot of New York Mets baseball team

Mrs. Met is an official mascot of Major League Baseball's New York Mets. She is the female counterpart to Mr. Met and among the oldest of the MLB's mascots.

References

  1. ↑ Chesterton, Eric (April 23, 2020). "The story behind every team's mascot". MLB.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  2. ↑ Goff, Liz (October 3, 2007). "Mr. Met Voted Into Mascot Hall Of Fame". Queens Gazette. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  3. ↑ Lukas, Paul (July 20, 2015). "Mr. Met Mystery Kinda-Sorta Solved, Mostly". Uni Watch. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  4. 1 2 McGuire, Stephen (April 25, 2002). "He's In The Army Now: The Life And Times Of Mr. Met". Queens Tribune. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  5. ↑ 投稿者: 管理人 (September 13, 2016). "リゾートも堪能 | スキーの魅力". Rehabthecrab.com. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Sandomir, Richard (January 6, 2012). "Ever the Optimist, Mr. Met Keeps His Head Up". The New York Times. p. B10. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  7. ↑ Kristoph, William (May 1, 2012). "Mr. Met Is Number One". WilliamKristoph.com. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Tony Clark Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac". Baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Mets to wear New York throwback uniforms to honor National League Heritage August 14–16 at Citi field" (Press release). New York Mets. Archived from the original on August 16, 2009. Retrieved August 13, 2009.
  10. ↑ Belson, Ken (March 3, 2013). "Mets Are Wearing Smiles This Spring, at Least on Their Caps". The New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  11. ↑ Creamer, Chris (December 20, 2013). "Mr. Met added to New York Mets 2014 Uniforms". News.sportslogos.net. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  12. ↑ ""We'll Call You Mr. Met!" - The Book". "We'll Call You Mr. Met!" - The Book. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Yes, It's Hot In Here: Former New York Mets Mascot AJ Mass". MetroFocus. February 26, 2015. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  14. ↑ Mass, AJ (June 1, 2017). "Take it from a former Mr. Met: It ain't easy being a mascot". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  15. ↑ Rubin, Jeff. "Listen: Interview with Matt Golden, the man who played Mr. Met". MetsBlog. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  16. ↑ "New York Mets apologize after mascot's obscene gesture at fans". Espn.com. June 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  17. ↑ Vorkunov, Mike (January 4, 2015). "WATCH: Mr. Met remembers Stuart Scott with their SportsCenter commercial together". NJ.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  18. ↑ The Odd Couple season 2
  19. ↑ "Thursday on TV: Garry Marshall shows up on 'The Odd Couple' - along with Mr. Met!". The Salt Lake Tribune. April 28, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  20. ↑ "MasterCard TV Commercial, 'Baseball Mascot'". iSpot.tv. 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.