Did you know? 10 facts about the Mets

Inside that copy of Newsday you find on your doorstep or at the newsstand this Friday, there's a 24-page special section celebrating 50 years of New York Mets baseball. (The cover of which is displayed here.)

Throughout the section, on the top right corner of most of the spreads, you'll find a little "Did you know?" factoid. We here at OBP put them all together for your easy perusal on Thursday.

1. The New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, Inc. received its certificate of membership into the National League on March 6, 1961.

2. Significant homers hit in a Mets uniform: Willie Mays (660, his last); Gary Sheffield (500); Eddie Murray and Carlos Delgado (400).

3. Catcher Harry Chiti was traded for himself. The Mets acquired him from the Indians on April 26, 1962 for a player to be named later. That player turned out to be Harry Chiti, who went back to the Indians 18 days later.

4. The Mets took first place for the first time in franchise history on Sept. 10, 1969 when they swept a doubleheader from the Expos at Shea.

5. Many Mets fans know that Tom Seaver flirted with a perfect game against the Cubs in 1969, but he also was just two outs shy of a no-hitter on July 4, 1972, when Leron Lee singled for the Padres' only hit.

6. Players selected before Dwight Gooden in the 1982 draft: Shawon Dunston (Cubs), Augie Schmidt (Blue Jays), Jimmy Jones (Padres), Bryan Oelkers (Twins).

7. Darryl Strawberry, a rookie in 1983, hit 215 home runs in the 1980s, fifth-best in the majors during that decade.

8. Although he didn't participate in the World Series because of an injury, Tom Seaver was a member of the 1986 Red Sox.

9. Outfielder D.J. Dozier spent the 1992 season with the Mets after a five-year NFL career.

10. Bill Denehy is famous for two things: He shared a rookie card with Tom Seaver and he was traded to the Washington Senators along with $100,000 for manager Gil Hodges.