Mets moments out of leftfield

The day was June 12, 2024. The Mets were playing the Marlins to see who could be the worst team in the NL East. Only 19,803 people were in attendance, making it one of the sparsest Citi Field crowds of the year.

And then it happened. Grimace, the McDonald’s mascot, lumbered to the mound, City Connect hat perched atop his purple synthetic fur and ridiculously large baseball glove in hand, and threw the first pitch.

It was a strike.

The Mets never lost again. Sort of. (OK, fine. They lost again, but they won that day and a whole lot after that.)

As it turns out, Grimace was only the pinnacle. There were signs before and after his appearance that made it clear that this was going to be a strange season full of strange happenings. Here are (most of) the Mets’ rally . . . concepts? We’re going to call them concepts.

1. What’s in a name?

For Opening Day, the Mets honored a veteran — 97-year-old Seymour Weiner, who served in World War II. Alas, his name was kind of funny. But Weiner, who had heard a few jokes before, didn’t mind at all. He gave the Mets the nod to use his name and likeness for their dollar hot dog night, and he showed up on the scoreboard for Game 3 of the NLDS to motivate the crowd.

2. Call him Max.

On April 4, after the Mets began the season 0-5, a man was spotted in the stands with gigantic glasses, bigger hair and a fur coat that looked as if he’d skinned Oscar the Grouch alive. While others fretted, he danced. It was Max Wiener, a comedian who later was dubbed the “Rally Pimp.” They went 12-3 in the next 15 games.

3. Glizzy Iggy.

She’s an Italian greyhound wearing sunglasses, a Mets jersey and a gold chain. She showed up on the scoreboard eating a hot dog. The crowd went wild.

4. OMG.

Second baseman and Latin pop star Jose Iglesias — also known as “Candelita” — made headlines with his song about following your dreams . . . in the middle of the season. It became the Mets’ home run celebration and on Friday, his remix dropped featuring Pitbull. Jose Iglesias’ hit song “OMG’’ also got the Mr. Worldwide treatment (which features Colombian singer Silvestre Dangond). In addition, a fan made the Mets a custom “OMG” sign that they pose with after someone hits a home run. Luis Severino is the official OMG sign guy when he’s not pitching. He said he takes it very seriously.

5. Humor. Whimsy. Joy.

A Mets fan posted on social media that she loved the season because of the “humor and whimsy and joy” the team brought — something that got the attention of a Tigers fan, who took exception. “I’m glad Mets fans are having fun,” the Tigers fan responded, “but every team” will experience those things during the 162. In response, the Mets fandom made “humor, whimsy and joy” into a rallying cry (the phrase even made the SNY broadcast).

6. Eyeblack

(and the rotation bromance).

Members of the rotation, who have their own celebration dance, took their bond to the next level in the last days of the season by wearing elaborate eyeblack. In Game 1 against the Phillies, Jesse Winker painted a “4-0” on Sean Manaea’s face in honor of the day’s starter, Severino. “Just another good-luck charm, I guess,” Manaea said.

7. Rally Pumpkin.

Down two runs in the ninth inning of the elimination third game of the Wild Card Series, Pete Alonso hit a three-run homer that will live in Mets lore. Afterward, he brandished a tiny pumpkin — “It’s the playoff pumpkin,” he said — and proudly stated that he had picked it himself a day earlier. When the Mets came back home for Game 3 of the NLDS, Alonso brought the pumpkin with him, but fans brought their own pumpkins, too. Why? Because apparently it’s the playoffs, and you need a pumpkin.

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.