Take 5: Recalling the Mets' amazin' TV role players

By ANDY EDELSTEINMarch 11, 2010

Former Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry tries not to get fired by Mr. Trump when he joins the new crew on "The Celebrity Apprentice," which premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. on NBC/4. Straw has had some previous non-baseball exposure on the tube - he voiced an animated version of himself on a 1992 episode of "The Simpsons." And that leads us to today's column, in which we look at these five non-playing TV appearances by members of the Mets. (Mike Piazza appeared as himself on "Baywatch" and "Married . . . With Children" - but both aired before he joined the Mets in 1998, so we're not counting them.)

Keith Hernandez - In the classic "The Boyfriend" episode of "Seinfeld" (1992), the Gold Glove first baseman strikes up a quick bromance with Jerry but also has designs on Elaine.

Roger McDowell - From the same episode, the Mets' onetime relief ace is nailed as the "second spitter" - identified in a mock-Zapruder film as the one who actually expectorated on Kramer outside Shea Stadium's player entrance.

Todd Zeile - The versatile infielder appeared in two episodes of "The King of Queens" in 2005-06. (Its star, Kevin James, is a huge Mets fan.)

Casey Stengel - The Mets' syntax-mangling manager was the mystery guest on the quiz show "What's My Line" on April 15, 1962, four days after the Mets played their first official game. (They lost, of course.)

Members of the 1969 Mets - In a 1999 episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond," Ray (Ray Romano) and Robert (Brad Garrett) traveled to Cooperstown to meet several players from World Series champs, including Tommie Agee, Jerry Grote, Bud Harrelson, Cleon Jones, Ed Kranepool, Tug McGraw, Art Shamsky and Ron Swoboda. (We learn that the brothers named their childhood dog "Shamsky.")