AUBURN - Few professional baseball players are able to say that they won minor league and major league championships in their career. Ed Kranepool did just that.
Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
Former Auburn and New York Mets player Ed Kranepool accepts his Doubledays Wall of Fame plaque during a ceremony prior to Sunday's game at Falcon Park.
Former Auburn and New York Mets player Ed Kranepool accepts his Doubledays Wall of Fame plaque during a ceremony prior to Sunday's game at Falcon Park.
The former Auburn Mets' first baseman was back in Auburn on Sunday as the Doubledays unveiled their 2009 Wall of Fame class.
Charlie Lynch, Barney Hearn, Joe Graceffo and Art Fritz were the latest to be named as Doubleday contributors, while Kranepool became the first Wall of Fame player to return to Auburn since the Doubledays began the honor in 2006.
“I won my first championship here against Jamestown,” Kranepool said.
“You never forget your first one.”
Kranepool and the Auburn Mets won the title in his only year in town, 1962, as he was called up to play with the New York Mets that same summer - one of very few players to have made that big leap.
“I was from New York, that was my home,” he said. “So it was nice going back home. It's a big city compared to Auburn, but the people around here have been big sports fans, big baseball fans for a long time. It was great playing up here. Families took a lot of players in - it's a great baseball town.”
Seven years later, Kranepool helped the 1969 “Miracle Mets” win the World Series - a team the Mets honored in New York City on Saturday. Kranepool was on hand as some of his teammates threw out the first pitch against the Phillies.
“It was fun,” he said. “I go back there to do a lot of promotions and things for them, but it was good to see all of the guys.”
Kranepool admitted to having few recollections of the town he called home 47 summers ago, apart from the now defunct Auburn Inn, where he stayed.
“It's very interesting (being back in Auburn),” he said. “But I like it up here.”
Charlie Lynch, Barney Hearn, Joe Graceffo and Art Fritz were the latest to be named as Doubleday contributors, while Kranepool became the first Wall of Fame player to return to Auburn since the Doubledays began the honor in 2006.
“I won my first championship here against Jamestown,” Kranepool said.
“You never forget your first one.”
Kranepool and the Auburn Mets won the title in his only year in town, 1962, as he was called up to play with the New York Mets that same summer - one of very few players to have made that big leap.
“I was from New York, that was my home,” he said. “So it was nice going back home. It's a big city compared to Auburn, but the people around here have been big sports fans, big baseball fans for a long time. It was great playing up here. Families took a lot of players in - it's a great baseball town.”
Seven years later, Kranepool helped the 1969 “Miracle Mets” win the World Series - a team the Mets honored in New York City on Saturday. Kranepool was on hand as some of his teammates threw out the first pitch against the Phillies.
“It was fun,” he said. “I go back there to do a lot of promotions and things for them, but it was good to see all of the guys.”
Kranepool admitted to having few recollections of the town he called home 47 summers ago, apart from the now defunct Auburn Inn, where he stayed.
“It's very interesting (being back in Auburn),” he said. “But I like it up here.”
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