LI's Lorraine Hamilton, longtime Mets exec, to be inducted into NY Baseball Hall of Fame
The Mets' Lorraine Hamilton, executive director of broadcasting and events, speaks to the media in the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum during a Mets "New for 2019 at Citi Field" media event on March 21, 2019. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Lorraine Hamilton, an Oceanside native and longtime behind-the-scenes Mets executive, will be inducted into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, a celebration of a lengthy career that will end when she retires in December.
She is the Mets’ executive director of broadcasting and special events, which means Mets fans of all ages have seen her work — even if they don’t know her name.
Hamilton’s fingerprints have been all over every major event at the Queens ballparks the past three decades, from the last day at Shea Stadium to the Tom Seaver statue unveiling at Citi Field, the 50th anniversary celebration of the 1969 team to the 20th anniversary celebration of the 1986 team, and the number retirements for Mike Piazza, Jerry Koosman and Keith Hernandez.
After first working for the Mets from 1980-84, Hamilton returned in 1994 and has been a mainstay since. Her 33-year run will conclude at the end of the year.
The New York State Baseball Hall of Fame event will take place in Troy. Inductees include former Mets Tommie Agee and Bobby Ojeda, former Yankees Bucky Dent and Ron Blomberg, Brooklyn native and scout Billy Blitzer and former longtime St. John’s coach (and former Mets minor-league manager) Ed Blankmeyer, among others.
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.
