Ed Kranepool was a career New York Met and 18-year veteran of the team, being on hand from their first year and playing through its initial failures and successes.
- Died: September 8, 2024 (Who else died on September 8?)
- Details of death: Died in Boca Raton, Florida of cardiac arrest at the age of 79.
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Ed Kranepool’s legacy
Ed Kranepool was just 17 years old when he made his major league debut with the New York Mets. Signed out of James Monroe High School in the Bronx, New York, he raced through the minor leagues in his premiere year as a pro and ended up on the 1962 Mets team, their first year of play. It was a historically bad year for the team, who posted a 40-120 record, then the worst in baseball history.
Kranepool fully earned his place among the Mets in 1965 when he made the All-Star team, then in 1966 led the squad with his 16 home runs, helping the Mets climb out of the basement for the first time. Kranepool became part of baseball history in 1969 as part of the “Miracle Mets,” who made a mid-season comeback that sent them to the World Series. There, they defeated the Baltimore Orioles and earned their first championship. Kranepool homered in Game Three of the series.
He played 18 years total in the major leagues, all of them with the New York Mets. When he retired in 1979, he was the last remaining member of the original squad. He finished his career with 1,418 hits – the third best in team history – and 118 home runs. In 1990, he was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. His autobiography, “The Last Miracle: My 18-Year Journey with the Amazin’ New York Mets,” was released in 2023.
Tributes to Ed Kranepool
Full obituary: The New York Times
