Image via Complex Original
Intro
Wow, has it been 50 years already?! Mr. Met is officially a half-century old today and we're celebrating with some of his most insane moments. Yeah, we've hated on the New York Mets in the past but they're 4-1 right now, and as any true Mets fan knows, the record doesn't matter because the franchise has the best mascot in sports. So, as the Amazin's cruise along to what could possibly be their first title in over a quarter-century (lolz), we salute the man who's been with them from the beginning: 50 Ridiculously Awesome Photos of Mr. Met.
RELATED: The 50 Biggest Fails in New York Mets History
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Drinking
Pour 'Em Up!
After losing to the rival Yankees in the 2000 World Series, Mr. Met goes on a three-day bender, ending two years of sobriety.
Family Photo
Family Portrait
The dominant baseball head gene is passed down from generation to generation.
Stretcher
The Disabled List
Mr. Met's promising mascot career was almost ended prematurely after a pregame scuffle with Billy the Marlin.
Thumbs Up
Thumbs Up
Whose got two thumbs and a ninety-eight inch softball for a head? This guy.
Subway
"Met"ro Card
A confused Mr. Met goes the wrong way on the 7 train and ends up in Times Square. Unable to catch a cab to Queens, the team mascot misses a day game against the Phillies.
Please No Pictures
Please, No Pictures
"Get back, get back, you don't know me like that." *Luda voice*
Feet Up
Loungin'
After a long afternoon of dugout dancing and shirt tossing, the hard working mascot throws his feet up, cracks a cold one, and catches up on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. We kid. He was watching The Real Housewives of NYC, of course.
Delgado
Class Clown
During a quiet moment at a junior high assembly, Mr. Met yells, "I like boobies!" to the amusement of Carlos Delgado and the student body.
Met in Metro
Strike a Pose
The league's fiercest mascot put the "Met" in "Metro" from day one.
Looking Out
Looking Out
Mr. Met creates a diversion by pointing to the Shea Home Run Apple while he throws a crying child into a headlock.
Being Weird
Showtime!
He doesn't need to put on his game face, he was born with one.
Thumbs Down
Thumbs Down
A Mariners fan? Really? Mr. Met had no choice but to regulate.
Tour de France
Riding Around and Getting It
Pimpin' and riding a bike when your head weighs 40 pounds ain't easy but Mr. Met gets the job done.
Stunt
"Tell Me When to Go"
Being the E-40 fan that he is, Mr. Met was an avid ghost rider in '07. He fared much better than other dudes.
Star Wars
Star Wars
In one of George Lucas' most curious character additions, Mr. Met appears as one of Jabba's minions in the Empire Strikes Back.
Double Duty
Pushing Weight. Literally.
When player equipment was stolen from the team clubhouse, rumors immediately surfaced of an inside job.
Mascots
Ain't Nothing But a Mascot Party
It's like a regular party but with grown men dressed up like animals and cartoon characters.
Rain Coat
Make it Rain
If a mascot's job is to entertain, then consider this guy Michael Jackson. The Braves bench seems wildly amused.
A Kiss
Muah!
Just a little too touchy-feely. This is why beer sales are suspended after the seventh inning.
Photobomb
Mr. Met the Creeper
An ominous and threatening approach from behind. Watch your back, Burkhardt.
Rice
2012 Presidential Hopeful?
"Cleats on every foot and a chicken in every pot."
Unhinged
Unhinged
The always volatile Mr. Met reacts violently to news that free agent shortstop Jose Reyes has signed with the Marlins.
Praying
"Dear Lord..."
Mr. Met waits to hear back from Planned Parenthood on his blood work.
Shrunken Head
The Little Head (II)
Before a steroid addiction caused his melon to more than quadruple in girth, the Mets mascot fit comfortably into a size seven New Era fitted.
Groupie
Hey Ma
"Wilt Chamberlain got nothin' on me."
Get Together
Party Time!
We're not the first ones to celebrate Mr. Met's birthday.
Dancing on the Dugout
Everyday I'm Shuffling
After getting jacked up on three cans of Red Bull, a wired Mr. Met wiles out to EMF's "Unbelievable."
Time Square
I Love NY
His lucrative deal as New York's ambassador was railroaded when lewd cell phone pictures are leaked on the Internet. Mr. Met claims his BlackBerry was "hacked." We've heard this story before.
A Little Bit Louder Now...
Never one to pass up a good time, Mr. Met tears up the dance floor at a wedding between Harvey the Hound and the Mitsy Chicken.
Los Mets
You Want Some?
An angered Mr. Met challenges a stadium full of booing fans to an "old fashioned throw down." Much like his fellow Queens-native, 50 Cent, Mr. Met doesn't back down.
Yoga
Namaste
As part of his anger management treatment, Mr. Met is requred to participate in restorative yoga between innings.
Halloween
Trick or Treat?
Mr. Met loves the kids.
Creepy
"Whose Dad is That?"
That slightly creepy yet entertaining Little League coach everyone's asking about.
Gun Shot
Rock Bottom
In what he'd later call a "dark moment in his life," Mr. Met is involved in a 72-hour standoff with stadium security. Unhappy with Kevin Appier's trade to the Angels, the ball-headed mascot barricades himself in the visiting dugout, refusing to exit until the crafty right-hander's number is retired. The Mets front office permanently confiscates his t-shirt cannon.
Baggage Claim
Putting In Work
In the wake of Bernie Madoff's arrest and at the peak of the recession, Mets brass force additional responsibilities on their mascot.
Tattoo
Ink My Whole Body
Whoever ordered this tat should be institutionalized. But at least it's not as bad as some of these.
Loungin
Home Alone
A lackluster pitching matchup between New York's Mike Pelfrey and Arizona's Josh Collmenter is responsible for a record low in attendance at Citi Field.
Pointing
Mocking Met
Unable to access his camera phone in time, Mr. Met points and laughs upon seeing an overweight woman trip over a souvenir Lastings Milledge bobblehead.
Step Up
Step Up
Never one to back down from a dance off, Mr. Met shrugs and says, "Who want what?" before krumping to Petey Pablo.
Aftermath
Manager Love
Caught in a bizarre inside joke with then-manager Jerry Manuel, Mr. Met signals "I love you this much."
National Anthem
U-S-A
The former Vietnam vet is caught in a moment of careful reflection.
Crying
Bawl so Hard
As it turns out, there is crying in baseball.
Shots Fired
Shots Fired
Armed with a fully loaded, 3500 psi t-shirt cannon, Mr. Met takes the stadium hostage after a Bobby Parnell blown save. Thankfully, no one is injured.
Red Carpet
VIP Ish
Paparazzi catch an awkward meeting on the red carpet between a couple of frenemies. "This ain't what you want, fam."
Celebration
Mets Win!
It's a celebration, bitches.
Old School
Old-School
During an injury laden '68 season, the Mets switch to a four-man rotation. Mr. Met goes 6-3 as a starter and features a better than average curveball and biting two-seamer.
Breakdown
Breakdown
Mr. Met reacts painfully to the news of Mike Piazza's retirement.
Buddies
Best Friends
They started off as simple drinking buddies, but now, they're thick as thieves. #everybodyhatestheyankees