The Big Lead

Mets mourn franchise icon whose fame grew from his name

A nonagenarian World War II veteran who watched Jackie Robinson's debut became an overnight celebrity in Queens one year before his passing.

By J.P. Hoornstra

Jul 13, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Mets hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park.
Jul 13, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Mets hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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On March 29, 2024, Opening Day of the New York Mets' season at Citi Field, World War II veteran Seymour Weiner was presented as the "veteran of the game." The then-97-year-old became an instant celebrity when his name was listed in all its glory on the team's video boards.

Weiner relished his 15 minutes of fame, which extended to future promotions by the team.

Tuesday, the Mets announced Weiner passed away.

A Brooklyn resident, Weiner told The Athletic in an interview last year that he grew up rooting for the Dodgers and saw Jackie Robinson's debut game at Ebbets Field. He became a Mets fan after the Dodgers left for Los Angeles.

More news: Watch: MLB pitcher warms up to face Mets with fan in New York's Central Park

Not until his turn as "Veteran of the Game" at age 97 did Weiner become associated with baseball in the popular culture.

"Seymour Weiner. The 13 year old in me simply cannot handle this," one Twitter/X user wrote, echoing a popular sentiment after the veteran's viral moment.

The Mets' meme-filled season began with Weiner and continued to collect more (OMG, Grimace, etc.) as the season steamrolled along. Weiner was not an unwitting victim of the Mets' marketing machinations, but rather a willing participant in a bit of good-natured fun.

"We weren’t oblivious to his name," chief marketing officer Andy Goldberg told The Athletic. "He admitted he had heard every joke in the book. After it took off, we reached back out and were kicking around the idea of doing the dollar dog night and asked if he’d be involved. They loved it. If it didn’t catch on, we probably wouldn’t have used him, because it wouldn’t have made sense. But our fan base was having a lot of fun with it. So we leaned in a little bit."

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