Queens’ most recognizable face showed up at the Court Square subway station in Long Island City on Thursday, greeting straphangers and handing out snacks as part of a joint promotional effort by the Mets and online grocer FreshDirect.
Reactions to the subpar squad’s top cheerleader were mixed.
“I used to be a Mr. Met fan many, many, many years ago,” said Barry Goldman, who picked up a bag of trail mix before heading into the Citigroup building. “But I root for the team that wins. What can I tell you?”
Allen Haas, who took note of the mascot’s appearance on his way to work at Aramark, questioned its very existence. “Honestly, what the heck is a ‘Met?’ ” (It’s short for “Metropolitans.”)
But Marge Gandolfi, 39, professed admiration. Her 6-year-old son was “terrified” of the costumed characters at Sesame Place, she said, but meeting the giant baseball head was different. “He high-fived him! It was love at first sight.”
Mr. Met’s appearance, the first of many to come, was the fruit of a new partnership between the team and FreshDirect, which the company noted are “both homegrown Queens franchises.”
There’s no word what cuddly fanfare FreshDirect may have in the offing for its new neighbors in South Bronx, where the company is planning a controversial relocation out of Queens.
The Yankees haven’t had a mascot since the mustachioed and very short-lived Dandy, who entertained fans at the old Stadium from 1979 to 1981.
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