New York Mets: The oddest on-field moments in franchise history

1963: Jimmy Piersall’s backward home run trot

The Mets of the early 1960s were a hodgepodge of aging veterans, career journeymen, and colorful characters like Casey Stengel. Another memorable personality during this era was Jimmy Piersall, who played for the Mets in 1963. On June 23 against the Phillies, Piersall hit the 100th home run of his career.

Rather than run the bases the normal way, Piersall decided to touch all four bases by running backward. In an odd, moonwalk-esque sequence, he ran through first, second, and third base while backpedaling, and triumphantly stepped on home plate to cap off the celebration.

Though Piersall clearly savored the moment, his manager Stengel did not, and Piersall was released two days later. His memorable 100th home run was one of only two that he hit all season, and he finished his career with 104 home runs.

Piersall had a career reputation as an emotionally volatile player, but there’s no doubt that his eccentric tendencies helped make history during this June game. By all accounts, no player has ever run the bases backward since Piersall did over 50 years ago. Perhaps his act was too big to follow.

As fans, we remember the glorious victories along with the heartbreaking Mets losses over the years. Moments like these five, remarkable mostly for being strange, are also worth remembering. They remind us that baseball is constantly reinventing itself. Every nine innings played adds new possibilities to a game that, after over 150 years, never seems to lose its sense of magic.

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What is your favorite weird on-field Mets moment in Mets history?