Editing Ed Kranepool (section)

===1962–1963: Debut with the Mets===
After batting a combined .301 at three levels of the Mets' minor league system in 1962, Kranepool received a September call-up in just his first professional season. At age 17, Kranepool was six years younger than the next-youngest '62 Met, a reflection of the decision of Met management to select mostly older veterans in the [[1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft|expansion draft]]. He made his major league debut wearing number 21 on September 22, 1962, as a late inning defensive replacement for [[Gil Hodges]] at [[first base]] in a 9–2 loss to the [[Chicago Cubs]] at the [[Polo Grounds]]. He grounded out to Cubs [[second baseman]] [[Ken Hubbs]] in his only at bat.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets Box Score: September 22, 1962 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196209220.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> He made his first start the next day, September 23, playing first base, and went one for four with a [[double (baseball)|double]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets Box Score: September 23, 1962 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196209230.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>

Kranepool began the {{Baseball year|1963}} season splitting playing time with "Marvelous" [[Marv Throneberry]] at first base and [[Duke Snider]] in [[right field]]. By May 5, Throneberry's ineptitude at the plate (.143 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] and only one [[run batted in]] during the first 23 games of the season) wore thin on Met fans and management, and he was demoted to the Mets' [[Minor League Baseball|Triple A]] affiliate, the [[Buffalo Bisons]]. [[Tim Harkness]] was awarded the first base job, with Snider shifting to [[left field]] and Kranepool becoming the Mets' everyday [[right fielder]]. This arrangement, however, did not last, as Kranepool was sent down to the minors in July with a .190 batting average. He resurfaced later that season as a September call-up, and went four for five with a run batted in and a [[run scored]] in his first game back.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196309040.shtml|title=New York Mets vs St. Louis Cardinals Box Score: September 4, 1963 |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> He continued to hit better following his late season call-up, and managed to bring his batting average up to .209 for the season.