Editing Mr. Met

{{Short description|Mascot of the New York Mets}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox MLB Mascot
| name = Mr. Met
| image = LIRR Summer Kick-off Event (14266880060).jpg
| caption =
| team = New York Mets
| description = Man with a baseball for a head
| origin =
| first = 1963
| website = {{URL|https://www.mlb.com/mets/fans/the-story-of-mr-met}}
|related_mascots=[[Mrs. 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{{mdash}}he is believed to be the first Major League Baseball mascot to appear in human form.<ref>{{cite news|last=Chesterton|first=Eric|title=The story behind every team's mascot|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-mascots-origin-stories|newspaper=MLB.com|date=April 23, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2022}}</ref>

Mr. Met is a man with a large [[baseball (object)|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|This is ''SportsCenter'']] campaign, and has been elected into the [[Mascot Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Goff|first=Liz|title=Mr. Met Voted Into Mascot Hall Of Fame|url=http://www.qgazette.com/news/2007/1003/features/045.html|newspaper=Queens Gazette|date=October 3, 2007|access-date=October 4, 2009}}</ref> In 2012, ''[[Forbes (magazine)|Forbes]]'' Magazine listed Mr. Met as the number one mascot in all of sports.

==History==
[[File:Original Mr. Met.JPG|thumb|left|upright|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.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lukas|first1=Paul|date=July 20, 2015|title=Mr. Met Mystery Kinda-Sorta Solved, Mostly|url=http://www.uni-watch.com/2015/07/20/mr-met-mystery-kinda-sorta-solved-mostly/|website=Uni Watch|access-date=July 20, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref name="QueensTribune-2002-04-25">{{cite news|last=McGuire|first=Stephen|title=He's In The Army Now: The Life And Times Of Mr. Met|url=http://www.queenstribune.com/archives/featurearchive/feature2002/0425/feature_story.html|newspaper=Queens Tribune|date=April 25, 2002|access-date=October 4, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615113257/http://www.queenstribune.com/archives/featurearchive/feature2002/0425/feature_story.html|archive-date=June 15, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He was also the first person on the Mets to be represented by a [[bobblehead doll]].

[[File:Mr-met-mrs-met.jpg|thumb|right|upright|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.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

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.<ref>{{cite web|author=投稿者: 管理人 |url=http://www.rehabthecrab.com/Mascots.html |title=リゾートも堪能 &#124; スキーの魅力 |publisher=Rehabthecrab.com |date=September 13, 2016 |access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref> 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.<ref name=rs1>{{cite news|last=Sandomir|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Sandomir|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/sports/baseball/ever-the-optimist-mr-met-keeps-his-head-up.html |title=Ever the Optimist, Mr. Met Keeps His Head Up |work=The New York Times |date=January 6, 2012 |page=B10|access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|first=William |last=Kristoph |url=http://www.williamkristoph.com/2012/05/01/mr-met-number-1/ |title=Mr. Met Is Number One |publisher=WilliamKristoph.com |date=May 1, 2012 |access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref> 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.

[[File:MrMetSheaSignage.jpg|thumb|right|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.<ref name="QueensTribune-2002-04-25"/>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=clarkto02 |title=Tony Clark Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac |publisher=Baseball-almanac.com |access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Mets to wear New York throwback uniforms to honor National League Heritage August 14–16 at Citi field |url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20090812&content_id=6389214&vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym|publisher=New York Mets|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090816173050/http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20090812&content_id=6389214&vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym|archive-date=August 16, 2009|url-status=dead|access-date=August 13, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news | title = Mets Are Wearing Smiles This Spring, at Least on Their Caps | first = Ken | last = Belson | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/sports/baseball/mets-are-wearing-smiles-this-spring-at-least-on-their-caps.html?_r=0 | newspaper = The New York Times | date = March 3, 2013 | access-date = March 11, 2013}}</ref> In 2014, a Mr. Met sleeve patch was featured on the Mets' blue alternate home and road jerseys.<ref>{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Creamer |url=http://news.sportslogos.net/2013/12/20/mr-met-added-to-new-york-mets-2014-uniforms/ |title=Mr. Met added to New York Mets 2014 Uniforms|publisher=News.sportslogos.net |date=December 20, 2013 |access-date=April 14, 2014}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mrmetbook.com|title="We'll Call You Mr. Met!" - The Book|website="We'll Call You Mr. Met!" - The Book|language=en|access-date=2018-11-06}}</ref>

==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.<ref name=rs1/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/2015/02/yes-its-hot-in-here-former-new-york-mets-mascot-aj-mass/|title=Yes, It's Hot In Here: Former New York Mets Mascot AJ Mass |date=2015-02-26|website=MetroFocus|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19512141/take-former-mr-met-aint-easy-being-mascot|title=Take it from a former Mr. Met: It ain't easy being a mascot|date=2017-06-01|last=Mass|first=AJ|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2020-04-02}}</ref> 

Matt Golden portrayed Mr. Met from 1999 to 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rubin|first=Jeff|title=Listen: Interview with Matt Golden, the man who played Mr. Met|url=http://metsblog.com/metsblog/listen-interview-with-matt-golden-the-man-who-played-mr-met/|publisher=MetsBlog|access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19509176/new-york-mets-apologize-mascot-obscene-gesture-fans |title=New York Mets apologize after mascot's obscene gesture at fans |work=Espn.com |date=June 2017 |access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref>

==Inside Baseball==
[[File:Mr Met Fenway.jpg|thumb|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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Vorkunov|first=Mike|url=http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2015/01/mr_met_remembers_stuart_scott_with_their_sportscenter_commercial_together.html|title=WATCH: Mr. Met remembers Stuart Scott with their SportsCenter commercial together|website=NJ.com|date=January 4, 2015|access-date=August 20, 2015}}</ref> 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 [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority|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|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 (2015 TV series)|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.<ref>''The Odd Couple'' season 2</ref> The Mets get Oscar to, as a publicity stunt, apologize to Mr. Met.<ref>{{cite news|author=<!--not stated--> |date=April 28, 2016 |url=http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/tv/3831988-155/thursday-on-tv-garry-marshall-shows |title=Thursday on TV: Garry Marshall shows up on 'The Odd Couple' - along with Mr. Met! |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |access-date=June 1, 2017}}</ref>

In 2019, Mr. Met appeared in an episode of ''[[Madam Secretary (TV series)|Madam Secretary]]''. Newly elected President [[Elizabeth McCord (character)|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.<ref name=ispot>{{cite web |title=MasterCard TV Commercial, 'Baseball Mascot' |website=iSpot.tv |year=2013 |url=https://www.ispot.tv/ad/7OkY/mastercard-baseball-mascot }}</ref>  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==
{{portal|Baseball}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball mascots]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{Official website|https://www.mlb.com/mets/fans/the-story-of-mr-met}}

{{MLB mascots}}
{{New York Mets}}

[[Category:Anthropomorphic objects]]
[[Category:Object mascots]]
[[Category:Mascots introduced in 1963]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball team mascots|Met]]
[[Category:Fictional objects]]
[[Category:New York Mets]]