O Mets announced on Saturday morning that they will be releasing two new shirt patches in honor the lives of Willie Mays It is Jerry Grote. The team will wear the patches for the first time against the Houston Astros at 4:10 p.m.
The emblems on the shirts will be a complement to what is currently on the uniforms in honor Friend Harrelson.
“It has been a difficult year for our Mets family,” Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. “We lost two Mets Hall of Famers: Buddy Harrelson and Jerry Grote and the great Willie Mays. Jerry was the best defensive catcher in our organization’s history and guided the incredible 1969 pitching staff. We were honored to fulfill Joan Payson’s promise to retire Willie’s number on Veterans Day a few years ago and ensure that he had a permanent home in New York.”
Grote passed away at the beginning of the year at the age of 81 on April 7th. The two-time All-Star and World Series champion from 1969 was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1992, after spending 12 years (1966-1977) with the team.
“It means a lot to the Grote family that the Mets are remembering Jerry’s legacy,” his wife Cheryl and son Jeff said in a statement. “Jerry still has so many fans in New York and it makes us proud that what he did for the organization will not be forgotten.”
May passed away on June 18 at 93 years old. The 24-time All-Star and two-time MVP played the final two seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the Mets in 1972 and 1973. New York retired May 24 to August 27, 2022.
“Placing the patch on the uniform is another clear indication from the Mets that they appreciated and valued the contributions my father made to the organization and, for that matter, New York City,” Willie’s son, Michael Mays, said in a statement . “For my father, returning to the Mets was going back to where it all began. He was returning home. I want to thank Alex and Steve Cohen for honoring Joan Payson’s promise to retire her number. This meant a lot to him and our family. Let’s go Mets.”
