was written by a longtime fan in cooperation with the team and published by Mascot Books. Performers Mr. Met has been portrayed by many people over the years. Dan Reilly was the first person to wear the Mr. Met costume, starting in 1964. In 2007, Reilly wrote a book about his experiences with the team, called The Original Mr. Met Remembers. Mr. Met was portrayed from 1994 through 1997 by AJ Mass, currently a fantasy sports writer for ESPN. Mass has written several books and articles on his experiences portraying Mr. Met. Matt Golden portrayed Mr. Met from 1999 to 2011. On May 31, 2017, Mr. Met was heading back to the clubhouse after a Mets loss when he engaged in a heated exchange with an opposing fan. The argument ended with Mr. Met giving the finger towards the fan, which was caught on video. The Mets then changed performers for Mr. Met. Inside Baseball In a 2003 This is SportsCenter ad, when the show ends, everyone rushes out of the studio, creating a massive traffic jam. It then shows Mr. Met and Lady Met driving home on the freeway (with the Met children in the back), with Lady Met subtitled as saying they were glad to get out early. The New York Mets theme song, "Meet the Mets", is on their car radio. (A shorter version with just the Mets family has Mrs. Met accusing Mr. Met of making eyes at one of the female ESPN sportscasters.) In 2009, Mr. Met appeared in another This is SportsCenter ad, which Mr. Met is talking with Stuart Scott at a microwave. When Josh Hamilton shows up to use the microwave, Mr. Met angrily gestures at him and walks away. Hamilton is confused until Scott reveals that some of the balls Hamilton hit in the 2008 Home Run Derby were actually relatives of the mascot. In 2007, Mr. Met became a spokesman for MTA New York City Transit, appearing on several advertisements and safety messages within the New York City Subways and buses. He was also featured in commercials for MLB 06: The Show, a video game for Sony's PlayStation 2, where a camera crew followed him around as he performed his daily duties, such as buying coffee and picking up his laundry. In 2010, he began appearing in commercials for Citi Bank that aired during Mets broadcasts, inducing Mets fans to