Ed Kranepool, the legendary first baseman of the New York Mets, has passed away at the age of 79, the team announced. He played his entire 18-year Major League Baseball career with the team, which he joined at its inception in 1962.
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The Mets shared that Kranepool experienced a cardiac arrest in Boca Raton, Florida, on Sunday.
“We are incredibly heartbroken to learn of Ed Kranepool’s passing,” Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. “He was an original Met, who debuted at age 17 in 1962. After starring at James Monroe High School in the Bronx, he would go on to play for his hometown team for the next 18 years, the longest-tenured player in franchise history, appearing in 1,853 games with the Mets.”
“Ed hit a home run in Game 3 of the 1969 World Series to help the Miracle Mets capture the title,” they continued. “He was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1990. Ed continued to work tirelessly in the community on behalf of the organization after his playing career ended. We cherished the time we spent with Ed during Old Timers’ Day and in the years since. Hearing Mets stories and history from Ed was an absolute joy. We extend our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.”
Ed Kranepool Remained Connected to the Mets Through the Years
Kranepool, inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1990, has remained connected to the team in recent years. As the Cohens noted, he has spent time at Citi Field in Queens during Old Timers’ Day. In 2019, he reunited with some of his former teammates from the 1969 “Miracle Mets” to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the team’s inaugural World Series title.
Shortly after his retirement, Kranepool was diagnosed with diabetes. In 2017, he required the amputation of a toe due to an infected abscess. However, the infection could not be managed effectively as his kidneys were in decline.
In 2019 Kranepool was able to get a kidney transplant, which improved his health.
“He battled for so long and never complained about anything,” former teammate Ron Swoboda said, per the Mets. “I thought once he got his kidney transplant things would be great. He was a wonderful guy and even better teammate. We went into the restaurant business together. I can’t believe he is gone.”
Former teammate Cleon Jones also paid tribute to Kranepool.
“I just spoke to Ed last week,” he said. “We talked about how we were the last two originals who signed with the Mets. The other 1962 guys came from other organizations. Eddie was a big bonus baby and I wasn’t. He never had an ego and was just one of the guys. He was a wonderful person.”