Legendary Mets head groundskeeper Pete Flynn has passed away at the age of 79.
An original Met, Flynn holds the distinction of being the only Met to step foot on the field of all three places the Mets have called home: Polo Grounds, Shea Stadium, and Citi Field.
Flynn spent half a century as a member of the Mets grounds crew, and he was the head grounds keeper since 1974. In his time with the Mets, he saw everything. He witnessed the Miracle Mets of 1969, the Ya Gotta Believe Mets of 1973, and the Year the Bad Guys Won of 1986. He’s been there for perfect games, All Star Games, and World Series. He was there for all the highs and lows.
Funny enough, one of the highs for Mets fans was a low for him. When the Mets clinched the division in 1986, exuberant fans stormed the field in pure celebration. Flynn wasn’t as amused because those fans were destroying his field, and it happened because the team didn’t heed his warnings about needing extra security. (Irish Central)
The Mets weren’t the only thing that brought crazed fans to Shea Stadium. One of the biggest concerts of all time was when the Beatles played at Shea in 1965. Flynn played an important role that night having had the distinction of driving the Beatles to the stage.
Flynn would reprise that role in 2008 during the Last Play at Shea. In what was a mad dash to get Paul McCartney from the airport to the stage, it was Flynn who drove him to the stage just as he had done nearly 40 years before that night.
While that was an incredible moment, it wasn’t Flynn’s favorite moment as the groundskeeper for the Mets.
For an Irish Catholic born in County Leitrim, Flynn’s favorite moment was when Pope John Paul II said mass at Shea Stadium.
It should come as no surprise, Flynn was a giving man who made himself available to local Catholic schools to provide his time, tool donations, and grounds advice.
Flynn was a remarkable man who was truly great at his job. He was inducted into the Irish-American Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Mets Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2015, Flynn was inaugurated into the MLB Groundskeepers Hall of Fame.
While this is high praise the highest praise might’ve come from Keith Hernandez, who said, “He kept a most beautiful infield around first at Shea.” (Kristie Ackert, New York Daily News). Hernandez’s words carry great weight as he was the greatest fielding first baseman in major league history.
If you were a Mets fan long enough, you came to know Flynn as the man carefully watching the field getting prepped during batting practice while wearing his green Mets cap. He was great at his job, and he loved doing it. He will be mourned by his family, friends, team, and yes, Mets fans.
For Flynn, the best words one can muster are these: And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
