NY Mets to retire Keith Hernandez's uniform No. 17 at a ceremony this summer

Keith Hernandez will receive the ultimate honor from the New York Mets this summer.

Hernandez's No. 17 will be retired by the franchise on July 9 prior to their home game against the Miami Marlins.

An integral part of the Mets' 1986 world championship team, Hernandez will become the franchise's fourth player to have his number retired, joining Tom Seaver (41), Mike Piazza (31) and Jerry Koosman (36). The Mets have also retired No.14 for Gil Hodges, No. 37 for Casey Stengel and No. 42 for Jackie Robinson (as all of Major League Baseball has).

“I’m thrilled,” Hernandez said in a statement released by the team. “This is truly a special honor that lasts beyond a lifetime. I can’t thank Steve and Alex Cohen and the Mets Hall of Fame Committee enough. I was very emotional when Steve called to let me know about the number retirement. This is the highest honor an organization can bestow upon a player. I also want to thank Mets fans, who have treated me like family since I arrived in 1983.”

“Keith was the first captain in team history and a great leader and catalyst on that ’86 championship team,” said owner Steve Cohen. “He was a defensive wizard at first and was a clutch performer late in games. We made a promise to continue celebrating and honoring our tremendous history and this is another deserving step in that direction. Congratulations, Keith.”

The Mets acquired Hernandez on June 15, 1983, from St. Louis in exchange for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. 

The rest, as they say, is history. 

Following the trade, Hernandez hit .306 with an .858 OPS over 320 at-bats to finish the 1983 season. From 1984 through 1989, which marked the end of his Mets career, he posted a .296 batting average and an .812 OPS. 

Hernandez, a co-MVP during his career, had one of his best seasons when the Mets won it all in 1986. He hit .310 with a .859 OPS, tallying 34 doubles, 13 home runs and 83 RBI. He also drew a NL-leading 94 walks. And to cap it off, he drove in three runs in Game 7 of the 1986 World Series to help the Mets defeat Boston. 

The first baseman led the NL in fielding percentage in 1985 and 1986. The five-time All-Star, who won 11 Gold Gloves over his career, is a member of the Rawlings Gold Glove Hall of Fame. 

Hernandez ranks fourth in team history in on-base percentage (.387) and 10th in RBI (468). 

Now, he'll live forever in the franchise's history. 

Hernandez is currently an analyst on Mets broadcasts for SNY, joining Gary Cohen and Ron Darling on those calls. He's been in the club's television booth since 1999, which has furthered his legacy among fans. 

Last year, the Mets retired Koosman's number. In the Wilpon era, the team was known to be rather stingy on retiring numbers, so many wondered how Cohen would handle this. The Mets are set to retire their second number under the owner, who purchased the team near the end of 2020.

This jersey retirement — Hernandez's No. 17 — is probably long overdue.