3 former Yankees players never embraced by NY Mets fans

While some of the ex-Yankees who have donned a New York Mets uniform have been welcomed and cheered, there are some others whom Mets fans never warmed up to and are probably best forgotten.

Most of the players who played for both organizations were not very relevant for the team on the other side of town. A player like Yogi Berra was already done with his Hall of Fame career when he was coaxed out of retirement in 1965 to play and coach for the Mets. But after nine at bats, his Mets playing career was over.

And while Mets fans will always hold a special place in their hearts for Yogi, the same can’t be said for these three ex-Yankees who never endeared themselves to Mets fans.

1) Rick Cerone

Rick Cerone played a total of seven seasons for the New York Yankees, but they were not consecutive, in fact, he actually had three tours of duty with the club.

Cerone was brought in from the Toronto Blue Jays for the beginning of the 1980 season as the replacement for Thurman Munson after he passed in 1979. That’s a lot of pressure, having to replace the Yankee captain. Cerone played well, hitting .277 with 14 HR and 85 RBI. It would turn out to be the best season of his career, and the only one where he would get over 500 at bats.

By the time he got to the Mets for the 1991 season, Cerone was already 37 years old but was anointed the starting catcher. He would share the catching duties with lefty hitting utility player turned catcher Mackey Sasser, while the Mets waited for the emergence of a young Todd Hundley.

Cerone ended up playing 90 games in that 1991 season. He had 227 at bats, hitting .273 with 2 HR and 16 RBI. He was a local kid who starred at Seton Hall University. But for some reason, Mets fans never really took to Cerone, even as that “local kid.” It was actually as if he didn’t even exist. Most Mets fans probably don’t even realize that Cerone was a member of the organization.