Remembering Mets History: (1979) Mettle the Mule

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Back in the sad days of the late seventies us Mets fans suffered. After the 1973 NL Championship run there was hope the Mets could repeat & win a World Series. That dream ended by 1977 when the organization fell into the ruts to say the least.

After Joan Payson passed away her daughter Lorinda DeRoulet ran the team. She knew nothing about baseball operations & let M. Donald Grant destroy the team. As the Mets were dwelling in last place in 1979 Lorinda let her daughter Bebe DeRoulet come up with a new mascot. It was a mule named Mettle, the name came from a contest won by a fan in New Jersey.
At this time the Mets had discontinued MLB's first mascot Mr. Met. Mettle would trot along the foul lines before games. Some say the mule was housed in right field, near the Mets bullpen close to coach Joe Pignatano's tomato plants & vegetable garden. Other reports say it had a home in a stall behind home plate & the grounds crew would complain of it's stench. The mascot didn't last long & was soon discontinued as well.

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