The New York Mets will honor one of the team’s original players, former Nassau County resident Ed Kranepool, throughout the season by having players wear a patch in his honor.
The black patch will feature Kranepool’s number 7 and be worn on the sleeve of all team jerseys, according to the team.
The Mets made the announcement one day before the 2025 season opener and also said that members of Kranepool’s family will be honored prior to the team’s home opener on Friday, April 4 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Kranepool died on Sept. 8 2024 at the age of 79.
“Of all the stats and records Ed accomplished throughout his career, the thing he was most proud of was that he spent his entire Major League career in a Mets uniform,” Art Shamsky, a four-year teammate of Kranepool, said. “Ed would be touched that the team will be wearing his number seven on their uniform all year long.”
Kranepool joined the Mets organization when was 17 years old. He made his debut with the team during its inaugural season in 1962 and played 18 years for the franchise. Kranepool’s 1,853 games played for the team are the most in franchise history.
He was an All-Star in 1965, and the left-handed-hitting first baseman was also a member of the 1969 Miracle Mets, who defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win their first-ever World Series title.
While Kranepool only appeared in one game that series, he made it memorable, hitting a home run in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 3 off Orioles reliever David Leonhard in New York’s 5-0 win.
Across his 18 seasons, Kranepool’s 1,418 hits and 2,047 total bases rank third in Mets history, while his 614 RBI rank fifth. He was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 1990.
Kranepool lived on Long Island in Farmingdale and Jericho for over 20 years until he moved to Florida in 2022. He and fellow retired Met Ron Swoboda owned The Dugout, a Mets-themed restaurant in Amityville.
The Mets announced in February that it will give away a Mets Hall-of-Fame bobblehead set featuring Kranepool and Jerry Koosman to fans on Wednesday, Sept. 17
