The Mets are bringing back Old Timer’s Day for the first time since 1994, the team announced Tuesday as they continue preparations to celebrate their 60th anniversary season.
Two hours prior to the Aug. 27 game against the Colorado Rockies (7:10 p.m. ET), more than 40 Mets alumni will partake in the Old Timer’s Game. Gates will open at 4:10 p.m. ET.
“Bringing back Old Timers’ Day was one of the most passionate requests I heard from our fans,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said. “As we celebrate our 60th Anniversary season, having these legendary players return to the ballpark to hear cheers from Mets fans once again is the perfect way to honor our past.”
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Already among confirmed guests will be Frank Thomas, Ron Swoboda, Jon Matlack, Felix Millán, Mookie Wilson, Howard Johnson, Bobby Ojeda, Robin Ventura, Turk Wendell, Endy Chávez, Cliff Floyd, and Daniel Murphy.
“I plan on taking some BP before the game,” Thomas, who led the inaugural 1962 Mets with 34 home runs, said. “I hit homers at the Polo Grounds and at Shea [Stadium]. I would love to hit one at Citi Field.”
“It will be great to put on a Mets uniform again,” Murphy, who won NLCS MVP honors in 2015, said. “I’m sure when I hit the field my mind will be racing back to 2015. That was an incredibly special time.”
The announcement confirms what Mets legend Keith Hernandez accidentally let slip last month when speaking with the media after learning that his No. 17 jersey would be retired by the organization this summer on July 9.
“It’s their 60th year in baseball. That’s significant. There is history and there should be tradition. I think that this is all coming together,” Hernandez said. “I think it’s very important that the fans have a sense of the history of their team. It’s generational. My dad took me to my first game and it goes on and on. You’re influenced by your parents… It’s that kind of influence and camaraderie that brings a family together.”
Among other 60th-anniversary celebrations, the Mets will finally unveil a statue of franchise great Tom Seaver on Opening Day.
