Mets announce dates for Bobby Valentine, Lee Mazzilli and 1986 Mets celebrations
Bobby Valentine participates in the Mets Alumni Classic at Citi Field in 2025. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Fans of former Mets outfielder Lee Mazzilli and manager Bobby Valentine now have a date they can circle on their calendars to celebrate their induction into the team's Hall of Fame.
The Mets announced Mazzilli and Valentine will be inducted on Saturday, May 30, during a pregame ceremony before the team faces the Marlins. The Mets said Carlos Beltran's ceremony will be announced in the weeks ahead.
And for those waiting to fete the 1986 World Series champion Mets, which also included Mazzilli, that reunion and celebration will take place on Saturday, Aug. 1, before the Mets-Marlins game at 4:10 p.m.
Mazzilli was a matinee idol for the Mets in the late 70s. He had two stints with the Mets (1976-1981 and 1986-1989) and combined to slash .264/.357/.396 during his 10 years in Queens. Mazzilli twice finished in the top 10 in the NL in OBP and walks. The Brooklyn native was named to the 1979 All-Star team and hit the first home run by a Met during the Midsummer Classic in Seattle. Mazzilli drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to lift the National League to a 7-6 victory.
Mazzilli ranks sixth in Mets history with 152 stolen bases and is tied for fifth with 38 pinch hits. He went 2-for-3 and scored two runs in Games 6 and 7 of the 1986 World Series against Boston.
“I'm so thankful for the way that fans treated me, and they always had my back and were so supportive,” Mazzilli said in a statement through the team. “I'm just glad I got to make it back in 1986 and play a part in that championship."
Valentine ranks third in Mets history with 536 wins, guiding the Mets from 1996-2002. He took the Mets to the World Series in 2000, becoming the first manager in Mets history to lead the team to back-to-back playoff appearances.
"I'm proud to have been part of helping turn this franchise around when I got here in the 90s. We were the first Mets team to make it to back-to-back postseasons,” Valentine said. “I'll never forget being part of the Subway Series. It was something else."
