1. Early Life and Background
Edward Emil Kranepool III was born on November 8, 1944, in the Bronx, New York. He attended James Monroe High School, where he began playing both baseball and basketball.
2. Professional Baseball Career
Ed Kranepool's entire professional baseball career was dedicated to the New York Mets, spanning 18 seasons. He holds the distinction of being the last remaining player from the Mets' inaugural 1962 season and was a vital part of the 1969 World Series Championship team. His career was marked by remarkable longevity and a consistent presence on the team, evolving from a young prospect to a veteran pinch-hitting specialist.
2.1. Contract and Major League Debut (1962)
Mets scout Bubber Jonnard signed Kranepool in 1962 as a 17-year-old amateur free agent. In his first professional season, he batted a combined .301 across three levels of the Mets' minor league system, earning a September call-up to the major leagues. At 17, Kranepool was six years younger than the next youngest player on the 1962 Mets roster, reflecting the team's initial strategy of drafting mostly older veterans in the expansion draft.
Kranepool made his major league debut wearing number 21 on September 22, 1962, as a late-inning defensive replacement for Gil Hodges at first base in a 9-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs at the Polo Grounds. In his only at bat, he grounded out to Cubs second baseman Ken Hubbs. The following day, September 23, he made his first start at first base, going one for four with a double.
2.2. Early Career Development and Challenges (1963-1966)
Kranepool began the 1963 season splitting playing time at first base with "Marvelous" Marv Throneberry and in right field with Duke Snider. By May 5, Throneberry's struggles at the plate, with a .143 batting average and only one run batted in (RBI) through the first 23 games, led to his demotion to the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons. Tim Harkness then took over at first base, Snider shifted to left field, and Kranepool became the Mets' everyday right fielder. However, this arrangement was short-lived, as Kranepool was sent down to the minors in July with a .190 batting average. He returned later that season as a September call-up, going four for five with an RBI and a run scored in his first game back. He continued to hit better after his late-season return, raising his season batting average to .209.
In 1964, with Harkness, Dick Smith, and Frank Thomas sharing first base duties, Kranepool primarily played right field at the start of the season. On May 24, Joe Christopher's .303 batting average earned him a starting job in right field, and Kranepool was again demoted to Buffalo, this time with a .139 batting average. He played just 15 games with the Bisons, hitting three home runs and batting .352, which earned him a quick promotion back to the Mets. On his last day with the Bisons, Kranepool played all 18 innings of a doubleheader before being called to Shea Stadium for two games the next day. On Sunday, May 31, he played first base in both games of a doubleheader against the San Francisco Giants, with the second game extending to 23 innings. Kranepool played all 23 innings, going four for 14 over the two games, totaling 50 innings played in two days. He famously quipped, "I wish we could have played another 40 minutes. That way, I could always say I played in a game that started in May and ended in June." These two games marked the beginning of a 13-game hitting streak that saw his batting average rise to .264. For the season, Kranepool batted .257 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI.
Prior to the 1965 season, the Mets acquired future Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn. Kranepool gave up his number 21 to Spahn, who had worn that number throughout his career, and began wearing number 7. By midseason, Kranepool was batting .287 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs. He was named the Mets' sole representative on the National League All-Star team at the 1965 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, though he did not play. By the end of the season, his batting average had fallen to .253, but it was still enough to lead the Mets, who lost 112 games that season and finished in last place in the National League. He also led his team with 133 hits and 24 doubles. In 1966, Kranepool led the Mets with a career-high 16 home runs, helping the team avoid a last-place finish and 100 losses for the first time in franchise history, ending with 95 losses.
2.3. The 1969 Miracle Mets Season
Kranepool was reportedly part of a proposed trade package, along with Amos Otis and Bob Heise, when the Mets attempted to acquire Joe Torre from the Braves, though Torre ultimately went to the St. Louis Cardinals for Orlando Cepeda.
On May 21, 1969, the Mets achieved a .500 winning percentage for the first time in franchise history after winning their third consecutive game, 36 games into the season. This was followed by a five-game losing streak that saw the Mets drop to fourth place in the newly aligned National League East. The team then embarked on an 11-game winning streak, which included a two-home run performance by Kranepool against the Los Angeles Dodgers. By the end of this streak, the Mets were in second place, seven games behind the Chicago Cubs.
On July 8, Kranepool hit a fifth-inning home run off Ferguson Jenkins to give the Mets a 1-0 lead over the Cubs. However, the first-place Cubs took a 3-1 lead by the time the Mets batted in the ninth inning. The Mets scored three runs in the ninth to win the game, with Cleon Jones scoring the winning run on Kranepool's single to center field.
The Mets completed their remarkable "Miracle" 1969 season, in which the team, backed by key players like Kranepool, Tom Seaver, and Jerry Koosman, won their first World Series title against the Baltimore Orioles. Kranepool contributed significantly in the World Series, hitting a home run in Game 3, a 5-0 victory for the Mets.
2.4. Later Career and Role Changes (1970-1973)
On June 23, 1970, Kranepool was batting just .118 and was demoted to the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, the Tidewater Tides. He considered retirement but accepted his reassignment, batting .310 in 47 games at Tidewater. He returned to the Mets by mid-August but saw very limited playing time, finishing the season with only 52 plate appearances in 43 games.
Kranepool bounced back with arguably his best season in 1971, batting .280 with 14 home runs, 58 RBI, and an on-base plus slugging+ of 123. He also led the National League with a .998 fielding percentage. This late-career demotion marked a turning point for Kranepool, as his offensive performance significantly improved. Prior to 1971 (through 1970), his batting average was .246, on-base percentage .298, slugging percentage .358, and on-base plus slugging .656. After 1970, these figures rose to .278, .333, .398, and .732 respectively. He became a consistently useful hitter and first baseman/outfielder, despite never entering a season with a specific full-time role.
In 1973, Kranepool lost his starting job at first base to John Milner. However, he still managed to play 100 games and make 320 plate appearances, backing up Milner at first and Cleon Jones in left field. The Mets won the NL East and faced the Cincinnati Reds in the 1973 National League Championship Series. Kranepool's only appearance in the NLCS was in Game 5, where he drove in the first two runs of the Mets' series-clinching victory, leading his team to the 1973 World Series. He played in four games of the 1973 World Series, going hitless in three at-bats.
2.5. Franchise Player and Final Seasons (1974-1979)
Kranepool batted .300 in consecutive seasons in 1974 and 1975, sharing first base duties with Milner and Dave Kingman. When Mets owner Joan Payson died on October 4, 1975, she left the team to her husband Charles. While Joan had been the driving force behind the Mets, her survivors did not share her enthusiasm. Charles delegated his authority to his three daughters, who left control of baseball matters to club chairman M. Donald Grant. Kranepool was reportedly the only Mets player invited to Mrs. Payson's funeral.
The Mets enjoyed their second-best winning percentage in franchise history in 1976, going 86-76 to finish third in the NL East. Kranepool was again a regular first baseman for the Mets that season, batting .292 with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs. He compiled his best offensive years from 1974 through 1977, hitting .299 in 431 games with 28 home runs and 156 runs batted in.
As popular centerfielder Lee Mazzilli became the face of the organization, Kranepool, perhaps as a symbol of the Mets' past glory, also emerged as a fan favorite, despite being relegated to a limited pinch hitting role at that point in his career. From 1974 through 1978, Kranepool hit .396 as a pinch hitter. In 1974, he batted an astounding .486 (17-for-35) in the role, which still stands as the major league single-season pinch hit batting average record. His career pinch-hitting statistics were 90-for-325 (.277) with 6 home runs and 55 RBI.
After the Mets traded Jerry Koosman at the end of the 1978 season, Kranepool became the last remaining player from the 1969 Miracle Mets. When he retired after the 1979 season at the age of 34, he was the all-time Mets leader in eight offensive categories, though all have since been surpassed. Through the 2024 season, he still holds the mark for most games played with the Mets at 1,853, making him an enduring legend among Mets fans for his 18 seasons with the team. He was the last of the 1962 Mets to remain with the team and the last of that inaugural team to retire from Major League Baseball.
Although still relatively young at the time of his retirement, his utility as a player largely depended on his success as a pinch-hitter. He also reportedly had some friction with the team's ownership group, led by Lorinda DeRoulet, who was controlling the team after her mother Joan Payson's death. When the team was sold after the 1979 season to a group headed by Nelson Doubleday Jr. and Fred Wilpon, Kranepool was part of one of the groups that submitted a losing bid for the team.
2.6. Career Statistics and Fielding
Throughout his 18-year Major League Baseball career, all spent with the New York Mets, Ed Kranepool accumulated the following statistics:
| Seasons | Games | Plate Appearances | At Bats | Runs | Hits | Doubles | Triples | Home Runs | Total Bases | RBI | Stolen Bases | Caught Stealing | Hit By Pitch | Sacrifice Flies | Walks | Intentional Walks | Ground Into Double Play | Strikeouts | Batting Average | On-Base Percentage | Slugging Percentage | On-Base Plus Slugging |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 1853 | 5997 | 5436 | 536 | 1418 | 225 | 25 | 118 | 2047 | 614 | 15 | 27 | 35 | 58 | 454 | 89 | 14 | 581 | .261 | .316 | .377 | .693 |
Kranepool maintained a career fielding percentage of .994 as a first baseman and .975 as an outfielder. His overall career fielding percentage was .993.
3. Media Appearances and Public Recognition
Ed Kranepool leveraged his baseball fame into various media appearances, including notable television commercials and guest spots on popular shows. A 1978 television commercial for Gillette Foamy shaving cream famously began with black-and-white film footage of Kranepool striking out. An announcer stated, "From 1962 to 1970, Ed Kranepool batted .227. Then Ed switched to Gillette Foamy." The ad then transitioned to color footage of Kranepool hitting a ball down the right-field line, with the announcer proclaiming, "Since 1971, Ed's batted .283! What do you think of that, Ed?" Reflecting the superstitious nature often associated with baseball players, the commercial concluded with Kranepool in the dugout, in uniform but lathered up and holding a can of Foamy, saying, "I don't know, but now I shave every other inning." The closing narration declared, "Foamy: More than thick and rich enough for New York's heavy hitters."
Another Gillette commercial featured Kranepool lighting a candle in his bathroom and attempting to shave using Foamy during a blackout. This ad was clearly inspired by the New York blackout of the previous season, which occurred during a Mets home game at Shea Stadium on July 13, 1977. Kranepool also appeared in an advertisement for SportsPhone alongside Jerry Koosman.
In 1986, Kranepool faced criticism for appearing in a campaign commercial for New York Senator Alfonse D'Amato while wearing a New York Mets uniform. Following protests from the Mets' ownership group, the commercial was quickly pulled. He also made a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1979, being interviewed by Bill Murray during a skit filmed during spring training. The skit revolved around Chico Escuela's (portrayed by Garrett Morris) tell-all book, Bad Stuff 'bout The Mets, a parody of Sparky Lyle's book about the New York Yankees, The Bronx Zoo. In 1999, Kranepool appeared as himself in an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond titled "Big Shots," alongside several other members of the 1969 Mets.
4. Post-Retirement Life and Business Activities
After retiring from baseball, Ed Kranepool pursued various business ventures. He worked as a stockbroker, owned and operated restaurants, and was employed by a credit card processing company. He also notably attempted to purchase the New York Mets franchise, though his bid was ultimately unsuccessful.
In 1990, Kranepool was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. He ranks third on the all-time Mets hits list with 1,418 hits. He was surpassed by Mets third baseman David Wright, who accumulated 1,777 hits, and in 2017, by José Reyes, who recorded 1,534 hits as a member of the Mets. At the time of his death, he resided in Old Westbury, New York.
5. Health and Personal Life
Ed Kranepool developed diabetes shortly after his retirement from baseball. In 2017, he underwent a procedure to have a toe removed due to an infected abscess. The infection proved difficult to control because both of his kidneys were failing, leading to him being placed on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. On May 7, 2019, Kranepool successfully received a kidney transplant from a living donor at Stony Brook University Hospital. His autobiography, titled The Last Miracle: My 18-Year Journey with the Amazin' New York Mets, was released in August 2023.
6. Death
Ed Kranepool died of cardiac arrest in Boca Raton, Florida, on September 8, 2024, at the age of 79.
7. Legacy and Impact
Ed Kranepool's legacy is deeply intertwined with the history of the New York Mets. As a franchise player who spent his entire 18-season career with the team, he became a symbol of loyalty and continuity for the organization. His role as the last remaining player from the inaugural 1962 Mets team and a key contributor to the improbable 1969 "Miracle Mets" World Series championship cemented his place in team lore. He holds the club record for most games played (1,853) and is remembered as a beloved figure by the Mets fanbase, embodying the spirit of the team's early years and its greatest triumph.