Former Mets reliever Jeff Innis has died after a long battle with cancer, former team director of public relations Jay Horwitz announced on Sunday. He was 59 years old.
Innis spent his entire seven-year major-league career with the Mets from 1987-1993 — a trademark sidearm delivery providing a steady presence out of the bullpen.
He posted a 3.05 ERA in 288 career appearances, developing from a seldom-used middle reliever to an integral part of the Mets’ late-game plans. Over his final three years as a pro, Innis appeared in 212 games, which is an average of 71 games per year.
“Jeff Innis was just a decent and humble guy who never made a big deal that he was a major league player,” Horwitz wrote. “Jeff was proud of the fact that the Mets were the only team he played for in the big leagues.”
Innis had been battling cancer since 2017 but his health quickly deteriorated in recent weeks, prompting his wife, Kelly, to create a GoFundMe page to fly him from his hospital in Houston to hospice care in his home in Atlanta.
The I-Man needs our prayers. Jeff Innis is in a Houston hospital facing the biggest challenge of his life. As a Met, he never backed away from anything, always taking the ball. Jeff loves the @Mets. He was a regular at Fantasy Camp and the campers loved him. Please pray for him. pic.twitter.com/KRgCRfEtiu
— Jay Horwitz (@Jay_HorwitzPR) January 25, 2022
Mets fans helped raise over $75,000, which allowed Innis to return home to spend his final days surrounded by family and friends.
