Derek Jeter broke the all-time hits record for the Yankees when he collected his 2,722nd hit in the third inning of Friday night’s game against the Orioles. In honor of his great achievement, I would like to congratulate Ed Kranepool for being the all-time hits leader for the Mets. (You didn’t think we were going to talk about the Yankees here, did you? After all, this is a METS site.)
Ed Kranepool spent his entire career playing for the New York Mets. After being signed out of James Monroe HS in the Bronx in 1962, Kranepool spent no time at all getting to the majors, notching six at-bats for the original 1962 Mets. Steady Eddie went on to play all or parts of 18 seasons in Flushing. His tenure with the Mets is the longest for any player in franchise history, followed by the 15 years spent by John Franco in blue and orange.
In his time with the Mets, the first baseman collected a franchise-record 1,418 hits. 225 of those hits were doubles, which also ranks as #1 in Mets history.
Derek Jeter might have gotten lots of clutch hits in the postseason for the Yankees, but he’s had plenty more chances to do so. Kranepool only appeared in the playoffs twice. He hit a home run in Game 3 of the 1969 World Series (a game won by the Mets) and delivered a two-run single in the first inning of Game 5 of the 1973 NLCS. That hit got the Mets started on their way to winning the pennant in that deciding fifth game.
A member of the 1965 All-Star team, Kranepool celebrated the silver anniversary of that All-Star selection by being inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1990.
Let’s hear it for the all-time hits leader – Ed Kranepool.
Editor’s note: This was first posted by Ed Leyro on the Mets site Studious Metsimus.
Great post!
Steady Eddie. Back in the days when teams stayed together longer and there was more patience.
For all those Met fans too young to actually remember Kranepool, please be advised that in truth, his annual production was the very definition of mediocre until later in his career when he became a top pinch-hitter. He was never able to win the fulltime job at first base despite being given endless chances. As a regular, he would usually be good for about a .260 average with 10 homeruns and 57 RBI’s and boy, was he slow. Despite being the leading Met in terms of service at the time, he was not yet 24 years old in the winter of 1968, but was left UNPROTECTED in the expansion draft until he was finally pulled back halfway through when neither Montreal or San Diego selected him. Although he did make significant contributions to the 1969 and 1973 first-place teams, he was a part timer in both years. In his BEST season, he had 14 homeruns, 58 RBI and a .280 average. The legend of Ed Kranepool is based on his longevity and obscures the fact that given his bonus and hype, he was a major disappointment. Yes, he was Steady Eddie back in the day that the team turned over personnel constantly as they finished last year after year until they got some real first basemen like Donn Clendenon and John Milner (and we’re not exactly talking Hall-Of-Famers there, either). Nothing personal, Eddie, you were a good guy and a fine pinch hitter, but production-wise, way below expectations and below the norm for an average first baseman. Houston signed Rusty Staub to a big bonus at the same time the Mets signed Kranepool and there’s no question which one turned out to be the better player. Fortunately, the Mets acquired Rusty some years later and he was far more productive for the Mets than Kranepool ever was. As Casey Stengel said, you could look it up.
Oh boo on you. Ed Kranepool was a bonafide memeber of the Mets for 18 years. Nobody ever said he would be in the Hall of Fame, but there’s no reason to pillory the guy here either. He was actually the first home grown Met and lasted with the Mets for a lengthy career. Give him some credit; he knew how to play the game and was pretty slick defensively around 1B.
whos #2 on the Mets hit list? and of the current Mets who has the highest number of hits as a Met? I was kinda hopeing you’d add that at the end
1. E. Kranepool – 1,418
2. C. Jones – 1,188
3. E. Alfonzo – 1,136
4. M. Wilson – 1,112
5. B. Harrelson – 1,029
6. M. Piazza – 1,028
7. D. Strawberry – 1,025
8. H. Johnson – 997
9. J. Grote – 994
10. D. Wright – 964
This includes last night’s game. Wright passed up Reyes last week who is now 11th with 960 hits. And Wright also passed up Keith Hernandez earlier this season who had 939 hits. Suffice it to say that sometime in 2012, Wright could be the all time Mets hit leader.
Also, more than likely Wright will pass Kranepool in doubles early next season. It’s amazing that Steady Eddie has held these career records for 30 years now. In this age of free agency, it’s hard to keep a guy around long enough to break these franchise records. Other than Wright and Reyes, the Mets haven’t brought up enough players through the system recently. As long as Wright and Reyes can stay healthy (and in Reyes’ case, not get traded), they should obliterate a great deal of the Mets offensive records over the next few years.
Unless we trade Wright for Kelly Johnson and Reyes for Zito and a player to named later……..
[...] >Mets Merized Online: Congratulations To The All-Time Hits Leader… Ed Kranepool [...]
One more thing about ‘Krane.’ He was a class guy. NO, he was not a hall of famer–Not even close. He was mediocre at best. But that’s what the Mets were for most of those 18 years. Mediocre.
I saw Eddie play live in the mid and late 70′s and anlthough we had Rusty and Cleon and Milner at the time also, it was Eddie who always got the loudest cheers. Fans loved him.
Unfortunately, I became a Mets fan after Kranepool retired, but I feel a special bond with him because we’re both guys named Ed born and raised in the Bronx. His high school (James Monroe) is literally walking distance from my house. I hope I can meet him someday at a Mets function to share our stories and similarities.
Unfortunately, I became a Mets fan too late to see Kranepool play, but I feel a special bond with him because we’re both guys named Ed born and raised in the Bronx. His high school (James Monroe) is literally walking distance from my house. I hope I can meet him someday at a Mets function to share our stories and similarities.