An Original Met: Ed Kranepool Joins Mets

Bronx native Ed Kranepool got his start with the expansion Mets in their inaugural 1962 season. The 17-year-old signed with the club that June after a successful season at James Monroe High School, where he hit 9 home runs to break a record set by Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg. “This boy has got major-league power right now,” manager Casey Stengel said. “I’m damned glad we got him, for the good of this ball club in the future.”