METS TO HOST 1986 WORLD SERIES REUNION AND CELEBRATION ON AUGUST 1
FLUSHING, N.Y., March 12, 2026 – The New York Mets today announced that outfielder Lee Mazzilli and manager Bobby Valentine will be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony on Saturday, May 30 prior to the 4:10 p.m. game against the Miami Marlins. The date for outfielder Carlos Beltrán's ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Mets will also host a 1986 World Series Reunion and Celebration to celebrate the 1986 World Champion Mets on Saturday, August 1 prior to the 4:10 p.m. game against the Miami Marlins. Additional information regarding programming for the 1986 World Series Reunion and Celebration will be available at a later date at Mets.com/1986.
Mazzilli was a matinee idol for the Mets in the late 70s. He had two stints with the Mets (1976-1981 and 1986-1989) and combined to slash .264/.357/.396 during his 10 years in Queens. Mazzilli twice finished in the Top 10 in the NL in OBP and walks. The Brooklyn native was named to the 1979 All-Star team and hit the first home run by a Met during the Midsummer Classic in Seattle. Mazzilli would draw a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to lift the National League to a 7-6 victory.
Mazzilli ranks sixth in franchise history with 152 stolen bases and is tied for fifth in team history with 38 pinch-hits. He went 2-3 with two runs scored in Game 6 and 7 of the 1986 World Series vs. Boston.
"I'm so thankful for the way that fans treated me, and they always had my back and were so supportive," Mazzilli said. "I'm just glad I got to make it back in 1986 and play a part in that championship."
Valentine ranks third in team history with 536 wins guiding the Mets from 1996-2002. In 1999, he led the Mets to the Postseason for the first time since 1988. The following year, Valentine took the team to the World Series, becoming the first manager in Mets history to lead the team to consecutive playoff appearances.
The Stamford, CT, native was a key contributor to the club's immediate response to the 9/11 attacks, galvanizing his players and front office to raise money and volunteering for 9/11 related charities, in addition to making numerous trips to Ground Zero.
"I'm proud to have been part of helping turn this franchise around when I got here in the 90's. We were the first Mets team to make it to back-to-back post seasons," Valentine said. "I'll never forget being part of the Subway Series. It was something else."
The other 35 Hall of Fame members in order of the year they were elected are: Joan Whitney Payson (1981); Casey Stengel (1981); Gil Hodges (1982); George M. Weiss (1982); Johnny Murphy (1983); William A. Shea (1983); Ralph Kiner (1984); Bob Murphy (1984); Lindsey Nelson (1984); Bud Harrelson (1986); Rusty Staub (1986); Tom Seaver (1988); Jerry Koosman (1989); Ed Kranepool (1990); Cleon Jones (1991); Jerry Grote (1992); Tug McGraw (1993); Mookie Wilson (1996); Keith Hernandez (1997); Gary Carter (2001); Tommie Agee (2002); Frank Cashen (2010); Dwight Gooden (2010); Davey Johnson (2010); Darryl Strawberry (2010); John Franco (2012); Mike Piazza (2013); Jon Matlack (2020); Ron Darling (2020); Edgardo Alfonzo (2020); Howard Johnson (2023); Howie Rose (2023); Gary Cohen (2023); Al Leiter (2023); David Wright (2025).
For more information and to purchase tickets to the Mazzilli and Valentine Mets Hall of Fame game, please visit Mets.com/MHOFInduction. Fans interested in purchasing group tickets for the 1986 World Series Reunion and Celebration should visit Mets.com/1986. Tickets for games March through June are currently on sale – including memberships, flex packages, and individual game tickets – online at Mets.com/Tickets or by calling 718-507-TIXX.
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