The search is over! Former Met Ed Kranepool, after publicly searching for a kidney match for more than two years, has finally found one.
“I’m nervous, but also ecstatic,’’ Kranepool told Newsday. “It’s very exhilarating, no question about it. It’s life-saving, but I am nervous. It’s a three-and-a-half-hour operation, even though the doctor doesn’t see it as a problem. Nothing is a problem until there’s a problem.”
“I have not met the donor as of today,’’ Kranepool continued. “I don’t know whether I will or not, it’s up to the hospital and to the donor as to whether he wants to meet. I go for my final workup pre-ops on Thursday. There is a chance I’ll meet the donor on Thursday. All of us might be together on Thursday. I don’t know if it’s a guy or a woman, all I know it’s an AB organ. It’s a perfect match.’’
Kranepool, 74, is one of the all-time great Mets. Playing his entire career in New York from 1962 to 1979, Kranepool racked up 1418 hits, 118 home runs, and 225 doubles across 1853 games in the orange and blue. He sported a .261/.316/.377 slash line to go with his singular All Star Game appearance in 1965 and, of course, his World Series Championship in 1969.
His 1853 games with the Mets is the most all time, far surpassing David Wright‘s 1585, Jose Reyes‘s 1365, and Bud Harrelson‘s 1322. He is also third in at bats, second in plate appearances, ninth in runs scored, third in hits, third in total bases, fourth in doubles, 10th in triples, fifth in RBIs, and eighth in walks.
We at MetsmerizedOnline are overjoyed to hear the news of his finding a match and wish him all the best!
