Mets 2nd Baseman Then and Now

A Mets fan favorite from the club's early days visited Citi Field Friday night, when they broke in their latest 2nd baseman. Ron Hunt, the scrappy player who challenged Pete Rose for NL Rookie of the Year in 1963 and went onto a productive 12-year career, held a meet-and-greet with fans in the Hall of Fame club. Along with Ed Kranepool, they were the talented novices who played for Casey Stengel in the Polo Grounds and moved onto Shea in 1964. Ron's wife Jackie also told me about how Duke Snider took Ron under his wing that first year, and taught him a lot about "reading the pitchers" from around the league -- valuable insights that help his career get off to a fast start.

Ron is also part of a unique game in Mets history. On April 20th, 1963, he was in the lineup when the Mets hosted the Milwaukee Braves at the Polo Grounds. In the bottom of the 1st, Ron singled off Warren Spahn, advanced on a single by Frank Thomas and was driven in on a Gil Hodges single. That day, behind Al Jackson, the Mets went on to beat the Braves 3-1 -- in the only game where Hodges and Snider, the beloved Brooklyn icons, were both in the Mets lineup. (Plagued by a bad knee, Gil retired a month later to become manager of the Washington Senators.)

Ron, who doesn't travel often due to Parkinson's, was on hand in Flushing on Friday night for Joe Panik's Mets debut. Besides having played for the Giants during their respective careers, both men flash the same gritty style that endears them to fans. Panik's bottom of the 9th single was crucial in the 7-6 win.

Hunt was also seen by fans all over Citi Field during the game as the "live" answer to the in-Stadium video's trivia question. I was lucky enough to be shooting just behind that location.

As the Mets posted their most memorable victory of the season, it was rather sweet for one of the franchise's first stars to there to witness it and, perhaps in a subtle was, pass on the torch for Mets 2nd basemen to a newcomer.


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