On the first spring morning of '63, with the dew still dampening Coogan's Bluff, Casey Stengal, the old skipper of the young Mets, saw a figure in the distance. Deep in the Polo Grounds' center field stood a fan like no other -- a fan clearly born to root for the New York Mets. Casey so took to the big guy, he invited him to join the Amazin's the next year at their new park, Shea Stadium. Mr. Met was home. His baseball head began to swell with the win in '69 -- and grew still larger from '73 to '86 to the Subway Series in '00. Today he joins Mets fans, rookie and veteran, to cheer his favorite team every game at the big blue ballpark in Flushing.

Born:		April 11, 1962 (date of the first Mets game)
ML Debut:		April 14, 1964
Hometown:		Flushing, NY
Height:		6'10" (A stitch taller than a standard doorway)
Weight:		Top Heavy
Throws:		T-shirts, Cracker Jacks, and great parties
Bats:		Sleep upside down

Mr. Met leads all active Major League mascots in high fours. Early in his career, Mr. Met lost his voice root, root, rooting for the home team. He may be quiet now, but can gesture in 12 different languages. Mr. Met's head is the only earthbound orb with its own gravitational pull, explaining why fans are so drawn to him. Mr. Met's image debuted in 1963 when it graced the covers of the official Mets yearbook and scorecard. In '64, Mr. Met earned rookie-of-the-year honors as Major League Baseball's first modern live-action mascot. Though Mr. Met has never been seen in the same place as Super Met, there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that they are one and the same. On Opening Day 2000, Mr. Met became the first Major League mascot to entertain fans overseas as the Mets played their first regular season game in Japan's Tokyo Dome. The only current Major League player who stands as tall as Mr. Met is Arizona Diamondbacks' pitcher Randy Johnson.

Check out more great photos of Mr. Met in his very own photo gallery!