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NEW YORK (AP)Keith Hernandez will have his No. 17 retired by the New York Mets this summer to honor his seven seasons as a player and nearly three decades as a beloved broadcaster with the franchise.
The Mets announced Tuesday that Hernandez will become the fourth player to have his uniform number retired by the team in a ceremony prior to a game July 9 against Miami.
Hernandez’s No. 17 will stand alongside Tom Seaver’s 41, Mike Piazza’s 31 and Jerry Koosman’s 36 at Citi Field. Koosman’s number was retired in August.
Hernandez was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1997. He ranks second in team history with a .297 batting average, and he won a team-record six of his 11 Gold Gloves in New York.
The Bay Area native propelled the Mets to a World Series title in 1986 and was named the franchise’s first-ever captain the next year by manager Davey Johnson.
Hernandez has broadcast Mets games since 1999 and has won three Emmys for Best Sports Analyst.
”I’m thrilled,” Hernandez said Tuesday in a statement released by the team. ”This is truly a special honor that lasts beyond a lifetime. I can’t thank (owner) 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.”
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