Mr. Met
Encyclopedia
Mr. Met is the official mascot
of Major League Baseball
's New York Mets
. He 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
.
, when the Mets were still playing at the Polo Grounds
in northern Manhattan. When the Mets moved to Shea Stadium
in 1964, fans were introduced to a live costumed version. Mr. Met is believed to have been the first mascot in Major League Baseball to exist in human (as opposed to artistically rendered) form. He was also the first person on the Mets to be represented by a bobblehead doll
.
In the 1960s, he occasionally appeared in print with a female companion, Lady Met (sometimes known as "Mrs. Met"), and less frequently with a group of 3 "little Mets" children; the smallest was a baby in Lady Met's arms.
In the mid 1970s, the Met franchise dissolved the Mr. Met mascot and he remained absent for almost 20 years. Unfortunately, he was phased out prior to the upsurge in mascot popularity caused by The Famous Chicken and the Phillie Phanatic
in the late 70s. http://www.rehabthecrab.com/Mascots.html In 1992, long time Met fan, Lois Kaufmann of Queens, New York, wrote a compelling appeal for his reinstatement and asking the Mets to resurrect the mascot. 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 reembraced by New York Mets fans and has since remained a constant part of the franchise.
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. Lady Met was conspicuously absent.
In the 2003 season, first baseman Tony Clark
was the first Met 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.
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.
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 rented 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 original Mr. Met head is now on display at the New York Mets Hall of Fame
and Museum at Citi Field.
, Reilly is working on a book about his experiences with the team, to be called The Original Mr. Met Remembers.
From 1994-1997, Mr. Met was portrayed by A.J. Mass, currently a fantasy sports writer for ESPN
and author of the book How Fantasy Sports Explains the World, published in August 2011.
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 Lady 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. 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 Subway
s 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's also appeared numerous times during sketches on Conan O'Brien
's Late Night
and Tonight shows. On one particular appearance in October 2007 he was beat up on stage by the Phillie Phanatic
to symbolize the Mets' historic late season collapse and the Phillies winning the division. David Letterman also did a similar spoof, in which a clinically depressed Mr. Met was shot by the Phanatic with a shotgun. Mr. Met also appeared on the September 17, 2007 episode of Deal or No Deal
on NBC
. He also made a cameo on the February 13, 2008 episode of The Colbert Report as one of Stephen Colbert's returning "writers" from the WGA strike.
He has his own Build-A-Bear Workshop
store, but instead of at Citi Field, it's located at their flagship store on Manhattan
's Fifth Avenue.
Mr. Met is the subject of the children's book Mr. Met and his Journey Through the Big Apple, by Aimee Aryal. It tells of the mascot's journey through New York City with a few Mets fans.
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. He is a man with a large baseball
Baseball (object)
A baseball is a ball used primarily in the sport of the same name, baseball. The ball features a rubber or cork center, wrapped in yarn and covered in leather. It is in circumference . The yarn or string used to wrap the baseball can be up to one mile in length...
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
This is SportsCenter
This is SportsCenter is the name of a series of comical television commercials run by ESPN to promote their SportsCenter sports news show. The ads are presented in a deadpan mockumentary style, lampooning various aspects of sports, and sports broadcasting. The commercials debuted in 1994...
campaign, and has been elected into the Mascot Hall of Fame
Mascot Hall of Fame
The Mascot Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for United States sports mascots. It was founded by David Raymond, who was the original Phillie Phanatic from 1978 to 1993. It is an online-only hall, with an induction ceremony taking place each year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
.
History
Mr. Met was first introduced on the cover of game programs, yearbooks, and on scorecards in 19631963 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers beat New York Yankees ; Sandy Koufax, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5–3; Willie Mays, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: USC...
, when the Mets were still playing at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
in northern Manhattan. When the Mets moved to Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
in 1964, fans were introduced to a live costumed version. Mr. Met is believed to have been the first mascot in Major League Baseball to exist in human (as opposed to artistically rendered) form. He was also the first person on the Mets to be represented by a bobblehead doll
Bobblehead doll
A bobblehead doll, also known as a bobbing head doll, nodder, or wobbler, is a type of collectible toy. Its head is often oversized compared to its body...
.
In the 1960s, he occasionally appeared in print with a female companion, Lady Met (sometimes known as "Mrs. Met"), and less frequently with a group of 3 "little Mets" children; the smallest was a baby in Lady Met's arms.
In the mid 1970s, the Met franchise dissolved the Mr. Met mascot and he remained absent for almost 20 years. Unfortunately, he was phased out prior to the upsurge in mascot popularity caused by The Famous Chicken and the Phillie Phanatic
Phillie Phanatic
The Phillie Phanatic, is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. He is a large, furry, green creature that somewhat resembles a bird from the rear view with a cylindrical beak containing a extendable tongue.-Creation:...
in the late 70s. http://www.rehabthecrab.com/Mascots.html In 1992, long time Met fan, Lois Kaufmann of Queens, New York, wrote a compelling appeal for his reinstatement and asking the Mets to resurrect the mascot. 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
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
. After a long absence, Mr. Met was quickly reembraced by New York Mets fans and has since remained a constant part of the franchise.
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
. It was attended by costumed mascots from all around Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and by Sandy the Seagull, mascot of the Brooklyn Cyclones
Brooklyn Cyclones
The Brooklyn Cyclones is a minor league baseball team in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League, affiliated with the New York Mets. The Cyclones play at MCU Park just off the Coney Island boardwalk in the New York City borough of Brooklyn....
, a Mets farm team. Lady Met was conspicuously absent.
In the 2003 season, first baseman Tony Clark
Tony Clark
Anthony Christopher Clark, known as Tony , is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current MLB Network studio analyst....
was the first Met 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.
On September 14, 2007, Mr. Met was elected into the Mascot Hall of Fame
Mascot Hall of Fame
The Mascot Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for United States sports mascots. It was founded by David Raymond, who was the original Phillie Phanatic from 1978 to 1993. It is an online-only hall, with an induction ceremony taking place each year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
.
Beginning on August 14, 2009, throughout their series against the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, the Mets wore throwback jerseys featuring a Mr. Met patch on the right sleeve.
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 rented 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 original Mr. Met head is now on display at the New York Mets Hall of Fame
New York Mets Hall of Fame
The New York Mets Hall of Fame was created in 1981 to recognize the careers of former New York Mets players, managers, broadcasters and executives. There are presently 25 members...
and Museum at Citi Field.
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. According to the March 20, 2006, issue of The New YorkerThe New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Reilly is working on a book about his experiences with the team, to be called The Original Mr. Met Remembers.
From 1994-1997, Mr. Met was portrayed by A.J. Mass, currently a fantasy sports writer for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and author of the book How Fantasy Sports Explains the World, published in August 2011.
Outside baseball
This is SportsCenter
This is SportsCenter is the name of a series of comical television commercials run by ESPN to promote their SportsCenter sports news show. The ads are presented in a deadpan mockumentary style, lampooning various aspects of sports, and sports broadcasting. The commercials debuted in 1994...
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
Meet the Mets
"Meet the Mets" is the fight song of the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. It was written in 1961 by Ruth Roberts and Bill Katz. A rewritten and modernized version was recorded in 1984....
", is on their car radio. (A shorter version with just the Mets family has Lady Met accusing Mr. Met of making eyes at one of the female ESPN sportscasters.)
In 2009, Mr. Met appeared in another This is SportsCenter
This is SportsCenter
This is SportsCenter is the name of a series of comical television commercials run by ESPN to promote their SportsCenter sports news show. The ads are presented in a deadpan mockumentary style, lampooning various aspects of sports, and sports broadcasting. The commercials debuted in 1994...
ad, which Mr. Met is talking with Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott is a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter.-Early life and career:Scott attended Richard J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went to college at the University of North Carolina. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity...
at a microwave. 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
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
New York City Transit, appearing on several advertisements and safety messages within the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
s and buses.
He was also featured in commercials for MLB 06: The Show
MLB 06: The Show
MLB '06: The Show is a baseball video game for PlayStation 2 and PSP. The game was produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, primarily by SCE's San Diego Studio, which was formerly known as 989 Sports. It was the only first-party MLB-licensed video game for the 2006 season drawing attention to the...
, a video game for Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, 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's also appeared numerous times during sketches on Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
's Late Night
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
and Tonight shows. On one particular appearance in October 2007 he was beat up on stage by the Phillie Phanatic
Phillie Phanatic
The Phillie Phanatic, is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. He is a large, furry, green creature that somewhat resembles a bird from the rear view with a cylindrical beak containing a extendable tongue.-Creation:...
to symbolize the Mets' historic late season collapse and the Phillies winning the division. David Letterman also did a similar spoof, in which a clinically depressed Mr. Met was shot by the Phanatic with a shotgun. Mr. Met also appeared on the September 17, 2007 episode of Deal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which was the Dutch Miljoenenjacht produced by Dutch producer Endemol. It is played with up to 26 cases with certain sums of money...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. He also made a cameo on the February 13, 2008 episode of The Colbert Report as one of Stephen Colbert's returning "writers" from the WGA strike.
He has his own Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop is an American retailer headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri that sells teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Customers go through an interactive process in which the stuffed animal of their choice is assembled and customized during their visit to the store, and is the...
store, but instead of at Citi Field, it's located at their flagship store on Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's Fifth Avenue.
Mr. Met is the subject of the children's book Mr. Met and his Journey Through the Big Apple, by Aimee Aryal. It tells of the mascot's journey through New York City with a few Mets fans.