You could not have grown up a baseball fan in greater New York and not known that Channel 11 belonged to the Yankees and Channel 9 belonged to the Mets. Phil Rizzuto belonged to the Yankees but Ralph Kiner belonged to the Mets.
Teamed up with Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy, he was with the Mets since the beginning. He always had a story about one of the game’s greats and could always explain a play or put a player’s talents into historical perspective. He taught us Baseball History. If Seaver struggled early in a game, he might say, “you got to get to him early, just like Robin Roberts”. He knew his generation of players and pretty soon Minnie Minoso and Hoyt Wilhelm were a part of what you knew about the game too.
He was named to the All-Star team six consecutive years in a row and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975. At Shea Stadium, he suited up as a Pittsburgh Pirate in Old Timer’s Day games. Sometimes, he didn’t say our player’s name correctly. For instance, he might say, “Gary Cooper” instead of Gary Carter or say, “Tim MacArthur” instead of Tim McCarver. He said, “home run hitters drive Cadillacs and singles hitters drive Fords”.
His signature phrase when a home run was hit was “Going, going, gone…goodbye!”. When the Mets played a home game, he’d return for his post-game show called “Kiner’s Korner”. We’d watch him interview the players. It didn’t matter that sometimes he wouldn’t get his thought out completely. He didn’t work off a script, he would just read his scorecard and talk about the game.
If heaven, has a baseball team, he’s on it.
RIP Ralph.Thanks for the memories.
Amen
We will miss you Ralph. Every game you called in recent years just stopped meaning anything while you were in the booth. A finer Met does not exist. As kid you, Bob, and Lindsey meant the world in bringing me the Mets.
Isn’t it past time to rebrand left field as Kiner’s Korner at CitiField?
I guess that notion Chris.
I second that notion Chris.
Darren over at T7L already has a great mock up for such an honor.
http://www.the7line.com/ralph-kiner-rip/
Left Feld should definetly be Kiner’s Corner, and I will definetly be depressed OPENING DAY if his NUMBER IS NOT ON THE WALL. Come on MET FANS……lets tell them we want his number on the back wall and his FACE THERE ALSO. Rest in Peace Ralph. U made my childhood and my adult life enjoyable on being a New York Met Fan……..
Thanks Ralph. You were as much a part of the franchise as anyone in Met history. Your humor and class is what ill remember most. A HOF player,Navy pilot who dated and socialized with movie stars yet never possesed the ego that is so rampant today. Watching Kiners Korner as a kid introduced me to many players(especially opposing teams) in a way that wasnt available in pre-cable and sport talk radio days. Goodbye and congrats on a life well lived Ralph. You wont be forgotten
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I like the Kiner’s Korner idea. A season long patch would be great.
I agree with the idea for sure! I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Kiner, as he was the voice synonymous with the Mets growing up.
His playing career is really amazing if you go back an look at the production in only a decade. He’s almost like the Gayle Sayers of baseball, amazing career condensed in limited years.
Great picture!!
Another vote fo Kiners Korner. Ralph was the thread for every year that the Mets have been in existence. I need to find a Rheingold Beer and tip one for one for the most enjoyable, knowledgeable and entertaining announcers that ever broadcasted a baseball game.
A great read is Baseball Forever: Reflections on Sixty Years In The Game by Ralph Kiner and Danny Perry with the Forward by Tom Seaver.
I can remember vividly, we’d be playing ball on Chicago Ave and the Met game would be on in the background with Ralph Kiner and Bob Murphy on the radio from one of the houses. We’d ride up to the deli and get Sunny Doodles, RC Cola and pickles. Those were the days. A few times we went to the Mets offseason dinner. One time Ralph was coming down the stairs at the catering hall and we all rushed towards him for autographs…Looked like he had been having a good time, he saw us and ran up the stairs to escape the charge…We were laughing our asses off
Great guy, great time in NY….those days are forever gone….I want a time machine