9 must-see Mets artifacts on display at Hall

The Mets have given their fans many exciting moments, from the Miracle Mets of 1969 to the team’s second championship in the unforgettable ’86 World Series. The Mets have had their share of superstar performances, from Tom Seaver’s dominance on the mound to the ’80s heroics from Keith Hernandez, Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry. Today’s team features Pete Alonso’s booming bat, which set a rookie home run record in 2019.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s collection of more than 40,000 three-dimensional pieces contains artifacts that tell the story of the game’s legendary players, moments and triumphs. Whether you’ve visited before or you’ve always wanted to check it out, there's always a great reason to plan a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum -- the spiritual home of America’s Pastime in beautiful Cooperstown, N.Y.

Here is the Starting Nine for the Mets franchise:

1) Magical glove
Fun facts: In Game 3 of the 1969 World Series, Mets center fielder Tommie Agee used this glove to make a pair of run-saving catches against the Orioles. Added to his leadoff homer in the bottom of the first, Agee helped secure a pivotal 5-0 Game 3 victory, helping the “Miracle Mets” roll to their first World Series title.

2) Pete’s batting gloves
Fun facts: In the bottom of the third against the Braves on Sept. 28, 2019, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso wore these batting gloves when he smashed his 53rd homer of the season, breaking the single-season rookie record previously held by Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. Alonso went on to earn National League Rookie of the Year Award honors.

3) Doc’s uni
Fun facts: Dwight Gooden wore this Mets jersey in 1984, when he set a modern-day rookie record with 276 strikeouts and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award. The next season, “Doc” earned pitching’s Triple Crown by winning 24 games, striking out 268 batters and posting a 1.53 ERA.

4) Knight’s helmet
Fun facts: Just two days after scoring the winning run in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Mets third baseman Ray Knight wore this helmet when he hit a seventh-inning solo home run to break a 3-3 tie in Game 7 to give the Mets a lead over the Red Sox that they would never relinquish.

5) Pedro’s jersey
Fun facts: Wearing this Mets jersey on Sept. 3, 2007, Pedro Martínez struck out the Reds’ Aaron Harang to become the 15th hurler to reach 3,000 career strikeouts. The game was his first of the season, and his first since undergoing shoulder surgery in October 2006.

6) No-hit ball
Fun facts: After a half-century without a no-hitter, the Mets got their first against the visiting Cardinals on June 1, 2012, courtesy of left-hander Johan Santana. This ball comes from that momentous game.

7) Tom’s cap
Fun facts: On April 22, 1970, Mets right-hander Tom Seaver wore this cap and overpowered Padres batters by striking out a then-record 19 batters in the game and whiffing a still-standing record of 10 straight opponents to end the contest.

8) Casey's 37
Fun facts: On Sept. 2, 1965, Casey Stengel became the first member of the Mets organization to have his uniform number retired. His number, 37, hung in the left field corner at Shea Stadium for decades in honor of the club’s first manager.

9) The Wright Stuff
Fun facts: No one collected more hits or walks with the Mets than David Wright, who wore this helmet when he reached base for a club-record 2,584th time. It was a first-inning walk in his big league finale on Sept. 29, 2018.