Mets to honor Bud Harrelson with uniform patch this season
The Buddy Harrelson patch that the Mets will wear on their uniforms for the 2024 season. Credit: New York Mets
TAMPA, Fla. — The Mets will honor the late Bud Harrelson by wearing a uniform sleeve patch all season, they announced Monday.
The special jersey addition will feature a large “3,” Harrelson’s number, as well as his nickname, “Buddy,” written inside of a black diamond.
Harrelson’s six grandchildren will throw out ceremonial first pitches on Opening Day on Thursday when the Mets host the Brewers at 1 p.m. Altogether, 23 members of his family will be at Citi Field.
After a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s, Harrelson died in January. He was the only person to be in uniform for both of the Mets’ World Series championships, as a shortstop in 1969 and the third-base coach in 1986.
He spent 13 of his 16 major-league seasons with the Mets (1965-77) and served as manager in 1990-91.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
