Mets give fans true blast from the past with Alumni Classic

The Mets haven’t offered many reasons to cheer lately as they limp toward the finish line of the regular season, but their fans were provided plenty of fun and nostalgia in a pregame ceremony and Alumni Classic game Saturday afternoon in Flushing. 

Team owners Steve and Alex Cohen have made a point in recent seasons to embrace the franchise’s past, including several additional jersey retirement ceremonies in recent seasons. 

“I don’t miss suiting up. This is what I miss, being around these guys and seeing the fans again. When I retired from the game, I threw everything away and said I’m not gonna ever suit up again, but I guess I’m suiting up again,” said 2000 World Series outfielder Benny Agbayani. “It’s one of those awesome things to be able to give back to the fans…and go down memory lane. 

“A big thank you to the organization and the owners for making it happen.” 

Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza typically received a massive ovation, as did the popular Agbayani and several others from a group of more than 40 former players and managers in attendance. The list also featured no-hit author Johan Santana, erstwhile Dark Knight Matt Harvey, Darryl Strawberry, Pedro Martinez, Jose Reyes, R.A. Dickey, Carlos Delgado and fan favorite Bartolo Colon. 

“I feel like a little kid again right now, just running around the field,” Reyes said. “Just to get the opportunity to see some guys I played with 20 years ago…it was a very good feeling.” 

For old times’ sake, former managers Bobby Valentine and Terry Collins even both got themselves “ejected” from the game — which ended in a 2-2 tie between Shea Stadium era and Citi Field era players — for arguing with umpires. Bobby V even reemerged later donning a fake mustache and glasses to invoke memories of when he did that in 1999. 

Rangers pitcher and former Mets ace Jacob deGrom also was on the field in front of the visiting dugout before the ceremony, one day after he’d sent the Mets to their seventh straight loss Friday night with an 8-3 Texas victory. The two-time Cy Young winner caught up on the field with several former teammates from the Mets’ 2015 World Series squad, including Collins. 

Former managers Willie Randolph and Jerry Manuel also were on hand, and they threw out ceremonial first pitches alongside Valentine and Collins. 

Former reliever Turk Wendell slammed down the resin bag before he pitched, although he left the game soon after with an apparent injury. 

The best defensive play unsurprisingly was turned in by three-time Gold Glove-winning shortstop Rey Ordonez, who made a backhanded stab on Juan Lagares’ grounder while actually manning third base. 

“For the Mets to want to do this, and to reach out to us, it’s great,” Curtis Granderson said. “The fans want to see it. It’s just a big thank you to ownership for wanting to see this happen and to the players for showing up. We’re just hoping we get through the day, but for the fans, it’s exciting.”