Seymour Weiner, a Jewish World War II veteran, lifelong Brooklynite and a beloved New York Mets superfan, died Tuesday at 98 years old.
Weiner had been one of the earliest main characters to emerge during the Mets’ storybook 2024 season, which saw the team overcome a slow start to rocket into the MLB playoffs with the help of good-will ambassadors like Weiner, McDonalds mascot Grimace and infielder-turned-rapper Jose Iglesias.
Of course, Weiner was already a hero: He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1945 “because he was a Jewish 18-year-old and wanted to fight Hitler,” his daughter Beth Weiner told NBC News.
Weiner’s service was delayed by high blood pressure, and by the time he was admitted, the war had ended. He “served in the army of occupation in Italy doing work on communications equipment,” according to NBC, and was honorably discharged in 1947.
“Had they not dropped the atomic bomb, he was actually going to be going to the Far East, but instead they sent him to Italy,” his daughter said. She called him a “lifelong social activist.”
On Opening Day last season, Weiner also became a Mets folk hero, when he was honored as the team’s “veteran of the game.”
Mets Fans were enamored by Weiner — and, yes, by his name, which is pronounced “weener.” The jokes and memes poured in. And Weiner saw them all.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Weiner told The Athletic last year about his sudden fame. “I really can’t believe it’s happening. It’s probably one of the highlights of my life.”
As for the jokes? He had heard them for nearly a century, and he didn’t mind.
“To me, it’s been so enjoyable,” Weiner said. “In no way does it annoy me. Just look at all the notoriety I got out of it!”
As Weiner became a celebrity in Mets world, his daughter, a psychologist and professor who graduated from Yeshiva University, contacted the team to thank them for honoring her father. She also referenced the “weiner” jokes.
“And he has become a meme! Don’t worry. We’ve heard every joke you can imagine,” she told the Mets, according to The Athletic. “If you’d ever want to use us in any ad campaign, we’d love it.”
The Mets didn’t need to be told twice. On April 30, 2024, the Mets held a $1 hot dog night, using an image of Weiner holding a hot dog to promote it, accompanied by the message, “Everyone loves a weiner.”
“We had this idea of Dollar Dog Night,” Mets chief marketing officer Andy Goldberg told The Athletic. “And we were, like, well, what would be better than Seymour Weiner?”
Weiner, who lived in Canarsie, Brooklyn, was a lifelong baseball fan. When he was 12, he was in attendance at the Brooklyn Dodgers game when Jackie Robinson’s first MLB hit happened on April 17, 1947, shortly after his army service ended.
“Only 12,000 people were at that game in Ebbets Field,” Weiner said last year, “so I may be the only person who was there and saw it and who is still alive.”
He said the Mets treated him “like royalty” during his visit last season. Mets legends Mookie Wilson and John Franco escorted Weiner onto the field, and they autographed a gift for him, too.
After news spread of his death this week, tributes poured in from Mets fans — many of whom lauded him as a “hero” and a “legend,” and urged the team to win in his honor.
“He gave us what we needed when we need it. This season for you Seymour,” one Reddit user wrote on a thread about Weiner’s passing.
“None of last years meme magic happened without him,” another wrote.
“Our family’s text group is ‘The Seymour Weiner Fan Club,’” one fan said. “He was an amazing way to kick off a magical season.”
Beth Weiner said her dad had a “lifelong connection” with the Mets.
“He was watching games while he was really in the last days of his life, he was listening on his phone,” she told NBC.
“The day before he passed, was the day that they scored 19 to 1 runs and I said, ‘They’re doing it for my dad,’” she said.
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