As the Mets wrap up their only series in Los Angeles in 2024 (in the regular season, at least), we here at KinersKorner.com can't help but think about previous Mets experiences in Hollywood. And while the Mets have certainly played some memorable games in Chavez Ravine over the year, we're reminiscing about various cameos by Mets players on television and in the movies.
There have been an abundance of movies that mention the Mets (like Rounders, Bad Lieutenant, Frequency, and others), many movies that have characters wearing a Mets cap (like City Slickers, Gone Girl, The Odd Couple, and more), and even a movie in which the Mets played the villains (Rookie of the Year), there are only a few that had Mets players show up for a moment or more.
So here's our chance to celebrate the Mets who have "made it" (depending on how you define that) in Hollywood:
First, let's take a look at a few that just barely missed the cut. Here are the honorable mentions:
Ron Darling (Hawaiian News Anchor) in The Day After Tomorrow
Mike Piazza (himself) in Two Weeks Notice
Noah Syndergaard (Viking) in Kevin Can Wait
And now, let's take a look at our favorite Mets cameos in television and film on this week's The 5:
5. Dwight Gooden (Best Pitcher) and Felix Mantilla (Utility Infielder) in Ruthless People
You may have seen this 1986 dark comedy and have no recollection of an appearance by Mets Hall of Famer Dwight Gooden or 1962 Mets infielder Felix Mantilla, and you'd be right. Still both player found their way into the end credits through some clever word play by directors Jim Zucker, Jerry Abrams, and David Zucker. (This comes with the added bonus of Rick-Rolling in the credits before Rick-Rolling was a thing.)
4. Mookie Wilson (himself) and Keith Hernandez (himself) on Sesame Street
Parlaying their 1987 success into superstardom (at least in the world of kids' public television), Mookie Wilson and Keith Hernandez teamed up to pay a visit to Sesame Street. While there, they played baseball with The Count, and helped teach Mr. Snuffleupagus how to hit. Despite their best efforts, Snuffy never received the spring training invite that some thought he deserved.
3. Art Shamsky (himself) and Ed Kranepool (himself) on Sesame Street
Same location, earlier year. In 1970, Mets outfielders/first basemen Art Shamsky and Ed Kranepool showed up on Sesame Street to count how many times in a row they could hit a baseball. This was obviously in the days before anyone paid attention to launch angles.
2. Bernard Gilkey (Baseball Player) in Men In Black
Fresh off the best offensive season of his career, Mets outfielder Bernard Gilkey makes a brief, yet funny, appearance in the sci-fi comedy Men In Black. While playing left field, a spacecraft flying over Shea Stadium distracts him and subsequently hits him on the head. Of course this scene is wildly unrealistic; batters would always step out whenver anything flew over Shea.
1. Keith Hernandez (Keith Hernandez) in Seinfeld
Mets long-time first baseman and even longer-time announcer, Keith Hernandez's 1992 appearance on the hit sitcom Seinfeld was a pivotal moment for the athlete as well as the show. Towards the end of season 3, Hernandez guest starred on an episode called "The Boyfriend" in which he crosses paths with each of the show's main characters: He befriends Jerry and George, tries to date Elaine, and even mixes it up with Kramer and Newman who still hold him partly responsible for an incident some years earlier. Writer/Showrunner Larry David has previously identified the episode as a turning point for the show. Hernandez himself has called his appearance as important moment for his post-playing career. The show's extended episode (later divided into 2 separate episodes) was Hernandez's first acting role and is something fans still ask him about over 30 years later.
Throughout their 60+ year history, the Mets have had plenty of characters on their teams. It's not surprising to see them continue to entertain fans, even off the field.
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