A collection of reactions to the Hall of Fame player and broadcaster's death.
When the news came out on Thursday that the legendary Ralph Kiner had died, there was no shortage of content celebrating his long, successful life. Given the busy nature of life in general, perhaps you missed some of the many words that were written about the man who had been with the Mets since their inception. Here, then, is our collection of Ralph Kiner content from the past couple of days.
The Mets released several statements from prominent members of the organization about Kiner:
Fred Wilpon
"Ralph Kiner was one of the most beloved people in Mets history -- an original Met and extraordinary gentleman. After a Hall of Fame playing career, Ralph became a treasured broadcasting icon for more than half a century. His knowledge of the game, wit, and charm entertained generations of Mets fans. Like his stories, he was one of a kind. We send our deepest condolences to Ralph's five children and 12 grandchildren. Our sport and society today lost one of the all-time greats."
Howie Rose
"Losing Ralph is like losing a member of the family. His warmth, humility, and sense of humor will be missed. I'll always treasure being able to share a broadcast booth with a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word."
Tom Seaver
"He was a jewel. He loved the game of baseball. He loved to see it played correctly and smartly. He loved to talk baseball. He deeply understood the game, especially hitting."
Rusty Staub
"He was my broadcast partner for ten years. We had great fun during the games. We both enjoyed good food and wine. Most of all, he was one of the nicest human beings I've ever met."
Ron Swoboda
"In those days we didn't have hitting coaches. I was struggling. One September afternoon in 1969, I asked him to come and feed balls through the pitching machine. We talked for about an hour. He gave me tips on holding the bat. That night I had the greatest night of my career. I hit two home runs off Steve Carlton, and we won 4-3."
Dwight Gooden
"I loved going on Kiner's Korner. I enjoyed talking baseball with Ralph, especially learning about players from his era. But what really made it special was every time you went on, you got $100. For a rookie like me in 1984, $100 was a big deal."
There were plenty of great interviews on SNY and WFAN. Among them:
- Steve Somers and Howie Rose
- Steve Somers and Ron Darling
- Steve Somers and Gary Cohen
- Vin Scully on SNY
- Kevin Burkhardt and Keith Hernandez
- Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Seaver
And, of course, there was plenty of great writing about Kiner.
- Ralph Kiner, Original and Forever, by Greg Prince
- Why I'll miss Ralph Kiner, by Ted Berg
- The Timeless Ralph Kiner, by Matthew Callan
- Ralph Kiner's recent appearances on Mets broadcasts, by James Kannengieser
- R.I.P. Ralph Kiner, by Steve Keane
- A Legend Who Never Got Old, by Howard Megdal
- Ralph Kiner passes away, MetsBlog
Feel free to share any of the content we may have missed in the comments.