shifted over to manage the Gothams and brought along star pitcher Keefe and third baseman Esterbrook. The rechristened New York Giants finished second in the National League in 1885, while the Mets slumped to seventh place in the AA. Prior to the 1886 season, Day and Mutrie sold the Mets to developer Erastus Wiman who moved the team to the St. George Cricket Grounds on Staten Island. Wiman, who also owned a ferry line, hoped to promote ferry trade across New York Harbor and further development of Staten Island. This business plan did not succeed, though, and the Mets ceased operation following the 1887 season. The team was bought by the Brooklyn Dodgers for $15,000 to gain territorial protection and the contracts of several of the Mets' stars, including Dave Orr and Darby O'Brien. The former minor league Staten Island Yankees played from 2001-2019 in a stadium very near the cricket ground used by the Mets. Present-day Mets In 1962, when the National League added a franchise to replace the departed Giants and Dodgers, the owners and the fans of New York selected "Mets" as the nickname for the new club, in part to suggest continuity with the Metropolitans; its original formal name was the "New York Metropolitan Baseball Club." These 20th-century New York Mets played their first two seasons at the final version of the Polo Grounds before it was ultimately torn down in 1964, when the Mets moved to Shea Stadium. They currently play in Citi Field, which was built next to the now-demolished Shea Stadium and opened in 2009. Notable alumni Lip Pike, four-time major league home run champion See also New York Metropolitans all-time roster 1883 New York Metropolitans season 1884 New York Metropolitans season 1885 New York Metropolitans season 1886 New York Metropolitans season 1887 New York Metropolitans season New York Mets (1962–present) References Further reading O'Malley, John (1980). "The Mets open in New York". Baseball Research Journal 1980, 140–144. O'Malley, John (1985). "Mutrie's Mets of 1884". The National Pastime 4 (1), 39–41. External links Metropolitans Team Index from Baseball-Reference.com The New York Metropolitans Hall of Records New York Public Library Metropolitans Page Staten Island Museum Metropolitans Page American Association (1882–1891) baseball teams Defunct baseball teams in New York City Baseball teams established in 1880 New York Mets Defunct baseball teams in New York (state) Baseball teams disestablished in 1887