1976 Topps #314 - Ed Kranepool

• Ed Kranepool grew up in the Bronx, NY and was signed by the New York Mets in 1962 when he was 17 years old. Ed was on three different minor league clubs in '62 then came up to the Mets at the end of the season and was 1 for 6.

• In 1963 Kranepool did well for the Mets for the first month of the season then tailed off considerably. He was sent to the minors in early July then came back to the Mets in September. Ed batted .209 in 273 at bats for the Mets in '63. The Kranepool Story - August 1963 Baseball Digest

• Kranepool had a couple of short stints in the minors in 1964. He batted .352 in 15 games at AAA Buffalo so he had little left to prove there. Ed batted .257 with 10 HR in 420 at bats for the Mets in '64.

• Ed became the Mets' regular first baseman and was a National League All Star in 1965 (he didn't get into the game). He batted .253 with 10 HR and 53 RBI in 525 at bats. In 1966 Kranepool batted .254 with a career-high 16 homers and 57 RBI. Kranepool batted .269 with 10 HR and 54 RBI in 1967, but his numbers began to drop after that.

• In the pitching-dominated 1968 season Ed batted .231 with 3 HR and 20 RBI. Kranepool started the 1969 season as the Mets' starting first baseman but split time with Donn Clendenon in mid-season. He ended up batting .238 with 11 HR and 49 RBI in '69. Kranepool batted .250 in 12 at bats in the NLCS and was 1 for 4 in the only game he played in the World Series.

• The 1970 season was a tough one for Kranepool. He had lost his starting 1B job to Clendenon and was batting only .118 on June 23. Ed was sent to AAA Tidewater (where he batted .310 in 47 games) for almost two months and considered retirement. Kranepool ended up batting .170 in 47 at bats for the Mets in 1970.

• In 1971 Kranepool worked his way back into the Mets' lineup by batting .280 with 14 HR and 58 RBI in 421 at bats. In 1972 he was the starting first baseman and batted .269 with 8 HR and 34 RBI in 327 at bats.

• The emergence of John Milner caused Kranepool to be more of a 1B/OF/pinch hitter type of player. Ed had some injuries in 1973 and didn't play as well (.239, 1 HR, 35 RBI in 284 at bats). He was 1 for 2 in the NLCS and 0 for 3 in the World Series. Kranepool batted .300 in 217 at bats in 1974 and .323 in 325 at bats in 1975.

• Ed had his last season as a relatively full-time player in 1976. He batted .292 with 10 HR and 49 RBI. In 1977 Kranepool played in 108 games but stepped up to the plate only 309 times. He batted .281 with 10 HR and 40 RBI.

• Kranepool's last two seasons were spent primarily as a pinch hitter. In 1978 he batted .210 in 81 at bats and in 1979 Ed batted .232 in 155 at bats. Kranepool retired at the age of 34 after the 1979 season. He was involved in a group that was trying to buy the Mets but was unsuccessful. Ed Kranepool: Last of the Original Mets -- September 1979 Baseball Digest

• After his playing career Ed was a stockbroker, restauranter, and now runs a credit card payment company.
• The Game I'll Never Forget - April 1993 Baseball Digest

• Centerfield maz did an entry about Kranepool on his blog in November 2009.

• Liked to face: Bob Moose (.467 in 30 AB); Cal Koonce (.727 in 11 AB); Ed Halicki (.455 in 22 AB); Bob Miller (.455 in 22 AB)
• Hated to face: John Strohmayer (.000 in 13 AB); Ken Holtzman (.000 in 12 AB); Joe Niekro (.115 in 26 AB); Curt Simmons (.130 in 23 AB)