Two of the most popular Mets pitchers of the recent past are set to make their return to Citi Field this season. According to a report from Newsday Sports’ Anthony Rieber, Bartolo Colon will be back at Citi Field on May 7 to commemorate the seven-year anniversary of his epic home run in San Diego. Additionally, Rieber reports that former National League CY Young Award winner R.A. Dickey will return to Citi Field on June 13, 11 years after he threw two consecutive one-hitters.
The returns are part of the Mets incorporating fan-friendly events this season to replace Old Timers’ Day, which will not take place in 2023 after its successful return lastseason. As Mets vice president of alumni public relations Jay Horowitz explained to Rieber, the team felt it needed some space before bringing Old Timers’ Day back.
“Everything went just great last year, said Horowitz, who organized the return of Old-Timers’ Day. ‘To recreate that is really hard the year after. We just felt we needed a little time to breathe, for lack of a better word. What we’re doing is we’re bringing back our alumni for certain days.”
In addition to the returns of Colon and Dickey, the team also plans to host Mets legends Mookie Wilson, Tim Teufel, and Turk Wendell ahead of Thursday’s home opener, as well as similar fan-friendly events with Darryl Strawberry and Howard Johnson later in the season, according to Rieber.
Additionally, the Mets will induct Johnson, Horowitz, Al Leiter, Gary Cohen, and Howie Rose to the team’s Hall of Fame on June 3.
