The New York Mets announced the club will honor original Met broadcaster Ralph Kiner throughout the 2014 season.
Mets players will wear a commemorative uniform patch on the right sleeve of their jerseys in Spring Training and the regular season.
The Mets will celebrate the life and legacy of Kiner during a pregame, on-field ceremony on Opening Day, Monday, Mar. 31 when the Mets host the Washington Nationals at 1:10 p.m. at Citi Field. The ceremony will include a video tribute and the unveiling of the commemorative logo on the left field wall.
Kiner’s children, Michael, Scott, K.C., Tracee and Kimberlee, will attend and participate in the ceremony.
The Mets Hall of Fame and Museum will also debut a display dedicated to Kiner that will be called “Kiner’s Korner” with artifacts and memorabilia chronicling his history with the Mets. The museum already houses Kiner’s Emmy and some of his more famous calls in the Broadcast Legends display that commemorates Mets broadcasters.
The Kiner logo was also painted on the grass behind home plate at Tradition Field, the Mets Spring Training facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Kiner died on Feb. 6 at the age of 91. The original Met was one of the most beloved figures in franchise history, announcing games on television and the radio for 52 years. He educated and entertained generations of Mets fans, and his post-game show “Kiner’s Korner” was an integral part of Mets lore.
Kiner entered the broadcast booth after a 10-year Hall-of Fame playing career. His partnership with Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy comprised the longest running three-man announcing team in Mets history.
The team inducted Kiner into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1984.
