the end of the season, he was traded to the New York Mets for pitcher Tom Parsons. New York Mets Grote became the starting catcher for the Mets immediately upon his arrival in New York City. Though he batted only .237 with three home runs in , his handling of the Mets' young pitchers and his solid defensive skills were instrumental in helping the Mets avoid 100 losses and a last place finish for the first time in franchise history. Grote earned a reputation with his teammates and opponents as highly competitive, developing the trademark of rolling the ball to the far side of the pitcher's mound (closest to the Mets' dugout) while leaving the field after his pitcher ended an inning with a strikeout. This necessitated the opposing team's pitcher having to walk further to stoop and retrieve the ball. In 1968, Grote was hitting over .300 at mid-season and was recognized as one of the top catchers in the National League when he was selected to be the starting catcher in the 1968 All-Star Game. He became only the second Met player in franchise history after Ron Hunt to earn a starting role in an All-Star game. Grote was hitless in two at-bats during the game. He ended the year with a .282 batting average along with three home runs and 31 runs batted in. The 1969 season would be a memorable one for Grote and the Mets. The Chicago Cubs had been in first place since the beginning of the season and had a nine-game lead as late as August 15. However, the Cubs began to falter while the Mets continued to play well. When the two teams met for a two-game series on September 8, the Mets won both games to move just a half game behind the Cubs. Aside from calling Tom Seaver's five-hit pitching performance in the second game, Grote drove in the Mets' seventh and final run of the game. The following day, the Mets swept the Montreal Expos in a doubleheader, with Grote catching all 21 innings. Coupled with a Cubs loss, the Mets moved into first place for the first time in their history. The Mets stayed in the lead for the rest of the season, finishing with a 37–11 record in their final 48 games while the Cubs slumped to a 9–17 record in their final 26 games, and clinched