The more Seymour Weiner sees the Mets making his name famous, the more he devours it.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Weiner said in a telephone interview. “I really can’t believe this is happening. It’s probably one of the highlights of my life.
Weiner is 97 years old. He’s listened to a lifetime of sausage jokes. But he said he never heard jokes combining his first and last name — until the Mets made him something of an Internet celebrity on Opening Day.
“The Weiner side,” Weiner said, “was something I was teased about as a child. But it was never about “seeing more wieners.” »
Now, no one can get enough of Weiner.
Seymour Weiner wants YOU to come to Dollar Dog Night 💵🌭
🎟️👉 pic.twitter.com/cAU0itvBul
– New York Mets (@Mets) April 24, 2024
He likes to relive how the sausage was made: On Opening Day, the Mets named Weiner, who served in World War II, their veteran of the game. When he appeared on the giant scoreboard at club with its name spelled out, Weiner received a loud ovation. The Mets lost, but he was clearly a winner.
Quickly, Weiner (pronounced “weener”) gained attention on social media. He read all the messages. He laughed at all the memes. Weiner, who remains lively and engaging, exclaimed in a recent conversation, “Did you see they even got this thing back in Australia?”
“For me, it’s been so enjoyable,” Weiner said. “It doesn’t bother me in any way. Look at all the notoriety I got from it!
After Opening Day, Weiner’s daughter Beth wrote to the Mets thanking the club for honoring and welcoming her father. Beth, who works as a psychologist and teacher, expressed how much Weiner enjoyed the day. In the note, Beth added: “And he became a meme! Don’t worry. We’ve heard every joke you can imagine. A pleasant back and forth ensues. Finally, Beth also said: “If you ever want to use us in an advertising campaign, we would be delighted. »
Say no more.
The Mets recently assured that everyone will see more of Weiner.
On Tuesday, the Mets team will host a $1 hot dog night promotion. The club posted a photo of Weiner on X as part of an image announcing the match. In one day, nearly 5,000 accounts liked the post.
“We had this idea for Dollar Dog Night,” said Mets marketing director Andy Goldberg, “and we thought, well, what would be better than Seymour Weiner?”
Weiner was game.
Weiner said he won’t be able to attend the game because cold nights just don’t suit him these days. But his daughter and other family members plan to attend. Additionally, Weiner wants to see more of Citi Field. He said he would love to attend future games and meet more Mets.
For Weiner, that moment punctuated a lifelong connection to baseball.
At the age of 12, Weiner, a lifelong Brooklyn resident, became a Dodgers fan. Weiner, who left the U.S. Army in 1947, attended the game in which Jackie Robinson recorded his first hit. “Only 12,000 people were present this game at Ebbets Field“, Weiner said, “so I may be the only person who was there, who saw it and who is still alive.”
“He wasn’t the best baseball player I’ve ever seen,” Weiner said, “but he was certainly the most exciting.”
So who was the best? That would be Willie Mays, whose number was retired by the San Francisco Giants and Mets.
Mays, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges…. Weiner saw a group of greats hang on to the Mets late in their careers, so the transition from Dodgers fan to Mets fan became easy.
Weiner called the opening day experience “incredible.” He said the Mets treated him “like a king.” Former Mets Mookie Wilson – Weiner’s favorite Mets player in the 1980s – and John Franco accompanied Weiner on the field. He was happy to be able to show off his Dwight Eisenhower jacket — Weiner was stationed in Italy during the war — and he thanked his granddaughter, another big Mets fan, for it. Weiner was wrapped in blankets until his granddaughter told him with a smile, “Grandpa, suck it.” »
He cherishes the wooden crate given by the Mets and that Wilson and Franco autographed to him. He appreciates the many people, including Keith Hernandez, he said, who have thanked him for his service. He enjoys the attention he has received and is amused by people from his daughter’s past calling him about his newfound fame.
From his perspective, Weiner can’t ask for much more.
(Top photo by Seymour Weiner: Courtesy New York Mets)