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Karl Ehrhardt, 'Sign man' of Shea Stadium, dead at 83

BY MICHAEL AMON | michael.amon@newsday.com

February 10, 2008

Karl Ehrhardt, the Mets fan known as the Sign Man, holds up a "Met Power" sign after Ed Kranepool hit a home run in the eighth inning of the third game of the World Series in this Oct. 14, 1969 file photo. (AP Photo)

NEW YORK - Before the heavy-metal intros for relief pitchers, before the JumboTron and even the electronic scoreboard, there was Karl Ehrhardt and his signs at Shea Stadium.

Dubbed the "Sign Man of Shea," Ehrhardt captured the moods of Mets fans in the 1960s and '70s with thousands of handmade placards. For players who made errors, one read: "BUM." After a clutch Mets hit: "WUNNERFUL." And upon the last out of the 1969 World Series, which the Mets won: "THERE ARE NO WORDS."

Ehrhardt died from natural causes in his Glen Oaks, Queens, home on Monday, his family said. He was 83.

A commercial artist, Ehrhardt crafted the signs on the floor of his children's bedroom and stayed up late poring over the thesaurus, said his daughter, Bonnie Troester.

To the delight of fans, and sometimes the consternation of Mets management and players, Ehrhardt cheered, mocked and cajoled via 20-by-26-inch black paper signs with white block lettering from 1964 to 1981. His placards stood out from those of other Mets fans, whom the team encouraged to bring signs in the early 1960s, said Steve Jacobson, a former Newsday sports columnist.

"There were a lot of amateurish signs, but Ehrhardt's were very clever, very readable," Jacobson said. "He always had something appropriate for the moment."

The Sign Man could be harsh. Frequent strikeouts by Jose Cardenal prompted this response: "JOSE, CAN YOU SEE?" When Frank Taveras made an error, it was: "LOOK MA, NO HANDS." Ehrhardt's special target was slow, unathletic first baseman Ed Krane.pool, whose at-bats were noted with signs that read: "STIFF."

But Ehrhardt's signs cheered when the Mets did well, capturing the spirit of the Mets unlikely World Series appearances with signs like "DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?" in 1969 and the team's catchphrase "YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!" in 1973. The team flew him to Oakland for luck in the last two games of the 1973 World Series, though the Mets lost.

Ehrhardt first gained notoriety at Shea Stadium in 1964 -- the year the ballpark opened -- when he and a friend hung a banner poking fun at the Mets' losing record and stuffy team chairman Donald Grant: "WELCOME TO GRANT'S TOMB."

The team ordered the banner down, and Ehrhardt complained to the press. To his surprise, outrage poured in, and soon Ehrhardt was back, this time with box seats behind the third-base dugout and a portfolio of about 60 smaller signs.

Fans caught on fast.

"People would ask him for his autograph. They were thrilled to be near him," said Troester, of Maine, who accompanied her father to many games.

Ehrhardt made new signs every year and at one point had about 1,200. But he destroyed all but a handful after a falling out with Mets management when Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon purchased the team in 1981. The Mets brought back Ehrhardt and his placards to Shea in 2002 for the team's 40th anniversary.

"He was a valuable part of our history," said Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz. "He energized the fans."

In his later years, Ehrhardt still followed the Mets but mostly to root against them because he was still bitter, Troester said.

In addition to his daughter, Ehrhardt is survived by a son, Richard Ehrhardt, of Queens, and two grandchildren. His wife of 49 years, Lucille, died in 1997. A private memorial service will be held on April 5.