Blogging Mets · Aug 29, 2022
Mets Finally Retire Willie Mays’s 24
In apparently the world’s best kept secret, the Mets retired Willie Mays’s 24 during the return of Old-Timers’ Day at Citi Field on Saturday. No one was expecting it, and not many were even calling for it — except for your old pal here at Blogging Mets. But this isn’t about me (more on me in a moment).
The story goes that original Mets owner Joan Payson was first a part-owner of the New York Giants. She was the only owner amongst the group to vote “no” on the move to San Francisco. Her favorite player was Willie Mays. When she become the owner of the Mets, she tried to trade for Mays. The Giants, of course, were not going to let one of the greatest players ever, still in his prime, get away.