Who is the man: Ed Kranepool was coming off a difficult season when this card was issued. After batting a mere .118 the first two months, the veteran Kranepool was demoted to Triple A. When he returned in August, he didn't play much and finished the year batting .170.
Can ya dig it: I always enjoy the old-fashioned grandstand in the picture.
Right on: Kranepool was my grandfather's favorite New York Met.
You see that cat Kranepool is a bad mother: Kranepool remains the Mets' all-time leader in games played with 1,853. David Wright is a little under 300 games behind him at 1,583.
Shut your mouth: Kranepool appeared on Gillette Foamy commercials on New York television when I was a kid watching Mets games. I remember him shaving in the dugout during the commercial because it supposedly improved his hitting.
No one understands him but his woman: Kranepool said he was the only Mets player invited to the funeral of Mets owner Joan Payson when she died in 1975. The team came apart after her death as it fell into the hands of club chairman M. Donald Grant, known for trading Tom Seaver.
(A word about the back): The series of extra-inning games referred to in the bio write-up was basically the start of Kranepool remaining in the major leagues for good (except for that demotion in 1970). The 23-inning game ended at 11:20 p.m., prompting Kranepool to quip that he wished the game had lasted 40 more minutes, so he could say he played a game that started in May and ended in June.
That 1970 season was a bit of a turning point for kranepool as he batted .278 the rest of his career (71-79).
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